Germanic god name in Northern Europe

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Germanic gods name in Northern Europe counts in the name of Research to the genus of Germanic sacral name Scandinavia and the North Atlantic and renames namely a deity with a proper name ( noun proprium ) or a nickname . In place names and personal names in the Germanic languages, a northern European Germanic god name often appears as a component. Such names are interpreted as theophore names in name science. Especially in Scandinavian and North Atlantic place names, the first members contain god names or designations for gods, goddesses or other transcendent beings.

In anthroponymy , names for mythical beings - such as demons, personified animals or deities of the northern European Germanic cultural area - are personal names.

The Germanic theophoric place names in Great Britain also contain Germanic god names and belong to the Northern European place names, but they are not dealt with here, but in the main article Germanic god names in Great Britain .

Germanic god names in Scandinavian and North Atlantic place names

According to the general opinion in research, the following deities (in Old West Norse form) come as first members z. B. in the Scandinavian and North Atlantic place names listed here:

  • Baldr : Baldursheimur ( heimur 'home'), Baldersberg , Balleshol ( get 'hill'), Bollesager ( ager 'field');
  • Freya : Frövi Froihov , Frölunda ;
  • Freyr : Freysnes ( nes 'headland'), Frösåker , Frösvi , Frösö (ö 'island');
  • Njǫrðr : Narum ( rum 'open place'), Nälberga , Njärdevi , Narland ;
  • Oðinn : Odense , Onsild , Odensharg , Odenssal ;
  • Þórr : Þórsnes , Tórshavn ( havn 'harbor'), Torsager , Torshov , Torslunda ;
  • Týr : Tiset (old Danish with 'forest'), Tislund , Tysnes ;
  • Ullr : Ullvi , Ullunda , Ulleroy ( oy 'island'), Ulland .

Other god names could be more or less successfully derived from the place names themselves. The following applies to these derivations of known or reconstructed god names from place names:

  • the presumed god's name is in the place name as a genitive,
  • the god's name is added as the first link to the second links with a well-known sacred connotation,
  • the name of the gods does not appear in isolation, but is found in several place names.

In some cases these requirements are considered fulfilled, for example with * Ullinn in * Ullensvang ( vang 'field'), Ullershow (<* Ullinshof ) and other place names more in Norway, and probably also with * Liudhgudha in Ludgo , Luggavi and Luggude hårad in Sweden . Regionally, * Harn (-) / * Ærn occurs in Härnevi , Ärnevi in Uppland, Sweden, In other cases it is also assumed that a god's name was only represented in a single place name, e.g. Forseti in Forsetiland in Ostfold, Norway, Hel in Helligsø in Denmark or Rindr in Vriennevi in Ostergötland, Sweden. Such interpretations are to be met with caution, however, since there are usually several ways to interpret the name.

There is almost consensus in research about which god names appear in Scandinavian place names. However, there was already controversy regarding the god names Freya and Frigg. The occurrence of Freya's name in place names, for example, has been questioned. In Friggeråker in Västergötland the name of the goddess Frigg has been proven, but a controversial debate developed on this too.

Regardless of the controversial interpretations, it can be observed above all that the number of god names appearing in place names is very limited compared to the numerous deities and mythological beings whose names are mentioned in the written sources. The place names also show that the relationships between the deities were partly different from what the written sources indicate. Odin's position as main god, for example, cannot be proven outside of Denmark.

In Sweden, Ull often emerges as an important god, but according to the number and the central position of the place names, Thor is undoubtedly in first place. In Iceland, too, Thor is the most important deity, and he is most clearly represented in Faroese place names by Tórshavn and Hósvík (<* Þórsvík ; vik , bay '). The interpretations of the meaning of the deities must, however, also be thought through in relation to a chronic dimension. Corresponding research debates have already taken place, but reviews and new studies are also required.

See also

literature

  • Thorsten Andersson : Main types of sacred place names in Eastern Scandinavia . In: Karl Hauck : The historical horizon of the idol amulets from the transition period from late antiquity to the early Middle Ages. Treatises of the Academy of Sciences in Göttingen, Philological-Historical Class 3rd Series 1992, pp. 241-256.
  • Stefan Brink: Västsvenska namnmiljöanalyser . In: Ortnamn i språk och samhälle. Hyllningsskrift till Lars Hellberg . 1997, pp. 61-84.
  • Lennart Elmevik: Fornnordiska gudagestalter och svenska ortnamn, Saga och sed . 1995, pp. 11-19.
  • Lennart Elmevik: Svenska ortnamn med förleden "Frö-" . In: Ortnamn i språk och samhälle. Hyllningsskrift till Lars Hellberg . 1997, pp. 107-115.
  • Kristian Hald: The cult of Odin in Danish place-names . In: Early english and Norse studies presented to H. Schmith . 1963, pp. 99-109.
  • John Kousgård: Main types of sacred place names in southern Scandinavia . In: Karl Hauck (Hrsg.): The historical horizon of the god image amulets from the transition period from late antiquity to the early Middle Ages . Göttingen 1992, pp. 228-240.
  • Bernhard Maier :  names of gods. In: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde (RGA). 2nd Edition. Volume 12, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1998, ISBN 3-11-016227-X , pp. 295-296.
  • Magnus Olsen: Om Balder-digtning and Balder-Kultus . In: Arkiv för nordisk filogogi (ANF) 40. 1924, pp. 148–175.
  • Magnus Olsen: Minner om guderne og deres dyrkelse i norske stedsnavn . In: Peder Andreas Munch (ed.): Norrøne gude- og heltesagn . 3rd edition, 1923, pp. 210-244.
  • Magnus Olsen: Kultminne i stadnamn. 3. Norge . In: N. Lid (Ed.): Religionshistoria. Nordisk kulture 26. 1942, pp. 59-78.
  • Per Vikstrand: Sacral place-names in Scandinavia . In: Onoma 37. 2002, pp. 121-143.
  • Per Vikstrand:  Sacred Names. §2a Theophore names. God names. In: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde (RGA). 2nd Edition. Volume 26, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2004, ISBN 3-11-017734 X , pp. 168–170.
  • Elias Wessén: Forntida gudsdyrkan i Östergötland 1, Meddelanden från Östergötlands fornminnes- och museiförening . 1921, pp. 85-147.

Remarks

  1. ↑ See Thorsten Andersson :  Theophore names. In: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde (RGA). 2nd Edition. Volume 30, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2005, ISBN 3-11-018385-4 , pp. 442-452.
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h Cf. Per Vikstrand:  Sacred names. §2a Theophore names. God names. In: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde (RGA). 2nd Edition. Volume 26, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2004, ISBN 3-11-017734 X , pp. 168–170.
  3. ↑ See Andrea Brendler, Silvio Brendler: Europäische Personalennamensysteme. A handbook from Abasic to Centraladin . Baar, Hamburg 2007, ISBN 978-3-935536-65-3
  4. ↑ See Thorsten Andersson :  Froihov. In: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde (RGA). 2nd Edition. Volume 10, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1998, ISBN 3-11-015102-2 , pp. 100-101. on-line
  5. ↑ See Ulf Erik Hagberg:  Fröslunda. In: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde (RGA). 2nd Edition. Volume 10, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1998, ISBN 3-11-015102-2 , p. 101. online
  6. ↑ See Thorsten Andersson , Klaus Düwel :  Frösö. In: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde (RGA). 2nd Edition. Volume 10, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1998, ISBN 3-11-015102-2 , pp. 101-103. on-line
  7. ↑ See Per Vikstrand:  Sacred Names. §3h The most important secondary links. vi . In: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde (RGA). 2nd Edition. Volume 26, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2004, ISBN 3-11-017734 X , pp. 168–170.
  8. ↑ See Per Vikstrand:  Sacred Names. §3e The most important secondary links. hylla . In: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde (RGA). 2nd Edition. Volume 26, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2004, ISBN 3-11-017734 X , pp. 168–170.
  9. ↑ See e.g. B. Gunnar Knudsen : Pseudotheofore Stednavne . In: Namn och Bygd (NoB) 27. 1939, pp. 112–115.
  10. ↑ See Botolv Helleland: Stadnamn og religionsskifter. Ei problematisering mod Utgangpunkt i 'Ullensvang' . In: Namn och Bygd (NoB) 90. 2002, p. 72 ff.
  11. ↑ cf. Thorsten Andersson :  Liothida. In: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde (RGA). 2nd Edition. Volume 18, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2001, ISBN 3-11-016950-9 , pp. 496-498.
  12. ↑ on hårad see Thorsten Andersson :  Herred. In: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde (RGA). 2nd Edition. Volume 14, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1999, ISBN 3-11-016423-X , pp. 435-440.
  13. ↑ See Per Vikstrand: Gudarnas platser. Förkristna sakrala ortnamn i Mälarlandskapen . 2001, pp. 310-315.
  14. ↑ See Lennart Elmevik: Härnevi och Friggeråker . In: Namn och Bygd (NoB) 83. 1995, p. 67 ff .; Per Vikstrand: Gudarnas platser. Förkristna sakrala ortnamn i Mälarlandskapen . 2001, p. 304 ff.
  15. ↑ John Kousgård: Main types of sacred place names in southern Scandinavia . In: Karl Hauck (Hrsg.): The historical horizon of the god image amulets from the transition period from late antiquity to the early Middle Ages . Göttingen 1992, p. 236.
  16. ↑ Cf. Carl Marstrander : Small Irish Contributions . In: Festskrift til Alf Torp . 1913, pp. 239-252.
  17. ↑ Botolv Helleland: Stadnamn og religionsskifter. Ei problematisering mod Utgangpunkt i "Ullensvang" . In: Namn och Bygd (NoB) 90. 2002, p. 85.
  18. ↑ See Mats Wahlberg (Ed.): Svenskt ortnamnlexikon . 2003, sn Friggeråker.
  19. ↑ See Per Vikstrand: Gudarnas platser. Förkristna sakrala ortnamn i Mälarlandskapen . 2001, pp. 310–315, (here p. 162 ff.)
  20. ↑ Svavar Sigmundsson: Átrúnaður og örnefni . In: Úlfar Bragason (ed.): Snorrastefna . 1992, p. 241.
  21. ^ Christian Matras : Færöerne . In: Magnus Olsen (Ed.): Ortnamn . Nordisk Kultur 5. 1939, p. 58.