Gjallarbrú

Gjallarbrú (old-west Norse: the "bridge over the river Gjöll ") is a place of Norse mythology on the edge of the Hel underworld .

Snorri Sturluson describes in Gylfaginning that the bridge is covered with shining gold. She is guarded by the maid Móðguðr . Balder's brother Hermodr (Hermóðr) rides across the bridge on Odin's horse Sleipnir to demand that the underworld goddess Hel surrender Balder.

source

But we can tell of Hermod that he rode for nine nights through dark and deep valleys, so that he saw nothing until he came to the river Gjöll and rode on the Gjöll bridge. It is covered with shining gold. Modgud is called the maiden who guards the bridge. She asked him his name and where he came from and said that the day before, five droves of dead men had ridden across the bridge.

Snorri Sturluson. Gylfi's deception (broadcast by Arnulf Krause)

criticism

The bridge is first mentioned in writing in the 13th century. It is therefore controversial whether the Beyond Bridge was really part of pagan-Germanic mythology.

Web links

Wikisource: The Edda (Simrock 1876) / Snorra-Edda / Gylfaginnîng  - Sources and full texts

literature

• Rudolf Simek : Lexicon of Germanic Mythology (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 368). Kröner, Stuttgart 1984, ISBN 3-520-36801-3 .