Gríðr

Gríðr (Old Norse: [ˈɡriːðz̠]; or Gríd) is a jötunn in Norse mythology. She is the mother of Víðarr the silent and the consort of Odin.^[1] Saturn's moon Gridr was named after her.

Name

The poetic Old Norse name Gríðr has been translated as "vehemence, violence, or impetuosity".^[2]^[3]^[4] Its etymology is unclear.^[2]

Attestations

Prose Edda

In Skáldskaparmál (The Language of Poetry), Gríðr is portrayed as equipping the thunder god Thor with her belt of strength, her iron glove, and her staff Gríðarvöl (Gríðr's-staff) on Thor's journey to the abode of Geirröðr.^[1]

Thor lodged for the night with a giantess called Grid. She was Víðarr the silent's mother. She told Thor the truth about Geirrod, that he was a cunning giant and awkward to deal with. She lent him a girdle of might and some iron gauntlets of hers, and her staff, called Grid's pole.

— Snorri Sturluson, Skáldskaparmál, 18, trans. A. Faulkes, 1987.

Gríðr is also mentioned in a list of troll-wives ("I shall list the names of troll-wives. Grid and Gnissa, Gryla...").^[5]

Skaldic poetry

Gríðarvöl (Gríðr's staff) is also mentioned in the poem Þórsdrápa by the late-10th-century skald Eilífr Goðrúnarson.^[6]

The feller of the dolphins of the steeps [giants] advanced with violent temper with Grid's pole.

— Eilífr Goðrúnarson, Þórsdrápa, trans. A. Faulkes, 1987.

Gríðr appears in 10th-century kennings for 'wolf' (the steed of troll-wife) and for 'axe' (that which is dangerous to the life-protector, i.e. shield or helmet).^[7]

Battle raged when the feeder of Grid's steed [wolf], he who waged war, advanced with ringing Gaut's [Odin's] fire. Weird rose from the well.

— Kormákr Ögmundarson, Skáldskaparmál 49, trans. A. Faulkes, 1987.

Riders [seafarers] of Ræfil's land's [sea's] horses [ships] can see how beautifully engraved dragons lie just by the brow of the Grid of the life-protector.

— Einarr Skúlason, Skáldskaparmál 49, trans. A. Faulkes, 1987.

Other texts

Saxo Grammaticus refers to her as Grytha, the wife of the legendary king Dan I of Denmark, "a lady whom the Teutons accorded the highest honour".^[8] A witch of the same name appears in Illuga saga Gríðarfóstra.^[9]

The family tree of legendary Kings of the Danes, according to the Gesta Danorum (Books I to VII)

Kings of the Danes are in bold and marked with an asterisk (*). Kings of the Swedes are marked with a dagger (†).

Humble

KEY

Angul

Dan*

Grytha

Marriage or coupling

Parent and child

The Angles

Humble*

Lother*

King of the Saxons

Inheritance by other or unclear means

Sigtryg, King of the Swedes†

Skiold*

Alfhild

Sumble, King
of the Finns

Gróa

Gram*†

Signe

Henry, King
of the Saxons

Hakon, King
of the Nitherians

Swipdag*†

[unnamed]

Guthorm*

Hadding*

Ragnhild

Asmund†

Gunhild

Guthorm

Henry

Uffe†

Hunding†

Thorhild

Ulfhild

Ubbe

Scot

Ragnar†

Swanhwid

Handwan

Thorwald

Frode*

[unnamed]

Hothbrodd†

Halfdan*

Ro

Skat

Thora

Helge*

Ro*

Athils†

Urse

King Gewar

Rolf*† Krage

Rute

Bjarke

Skulde

Hiartuar†*

Hother†*

Nanna

Herlek

Gerit

Rorik*

Gerwendil

King of Britain

Gerutha

Horwendil

Feng

[unnamed]

Amleth

Hermutrude, Queen of Scotland

Wiglek*

Wermund*

Frowin, governor of Sleswik

Uffe*, aka Olaf the Gentle

[unnamed]

Ket

Wig

Dan*

Hugleik*

Frode* the Vigorous

Dan*

Kraka

Ragnar

Brak

Fridleif* the Swift

Gotar, King of Norway

Hun, King of the Huns

Westmar

Koll

Gotwar

Roller

Erik†

Gunwar the Fair

Alfhild

Frode*

Hanund

Grep

11 other brothers (two named Grep)

Hythin, King of Tellemark

Alf

Eyfura

Arngrim

Grubb

Hiarn*

Amund, King of Norway

[unnamed]

Halfdan†

12 sons, including Anganty

Ane

Juritha

Fridleif*

Frogertha

Frok

Hanef, King of Saxony

Swerting, King of Saxony

Olaf

Frode*

Siward†

Unnamed sons

[unnamed]

Ingeld*

Helga

Helge

Asa

Frode

Fridleif

Ingeld

Olaf*

Karl, governor of Gothland

Ulfhild

Frode*

Hather, a chief

Harald*

Signe

Erik

Thorhild

Halfdan*† Biargramm

Harald

Asmund

Kings of Norway

Name spellings are derived from Oliver Elton's 1905 translation, The First Nine Books of the Danish History of Saxo Grammaticus, via Wikisource.

Theory

Her role as the donor of information and necessary items to the hero has been analyzed by folklorists as a commonplace of folk narrative.^[1]

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c Lindow 2002, p. 149.
^ ^a ^b de Vries 1962, p. 188.
^ Simek 1996, p. 117.
^ Orchard 1997, p. 61.
^ Faulkes 1987, p. 156.
^ Faulkes 1987, p. 84.
^ Faulkes 1987, pp. 121, 238.
^ Fisher 1999, pp. 1:14, 2:26.
^ Lavender 2015, p. v.

References

Bibliography

de Vries, Jan (1962). Altnordisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German) (1977 ed.). Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-05436-3.
Faulkes, Anthony, trans. (1987). Edda (1995 ed.). Everyman. ISBN 0-460-87616-3.
Fisher, Peter, trans. Davidson, Hilda Ellis (ed.). Saxo Grammaticus: The History of the Danes (1999 ed.). D.S. Brewer. ISBN 085991-502-6.
Lavender, Philip, ed. and trans. (2015). Illuga Saga Gríðarfóstra: The Saga of Illugi, Gríður's Foster-Son (PDF). Viking Society for Northern Research, University College, London. ISBN 978-0-903521-91-8.
Lindow, John (2002). Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-983969-8.
Orchard, Andy (1997). Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. Cassell. ISBN 978-0-304-34520-5.
Simek, Rudolf (1996). Dictionary of Northern Mythology. D.S. Brewer. ISBN 978-0-85991-513-7.

[FOOTNOTELindow2002149-1] Lindow 2002, p. 149.

[FOOTNOTEde_Vries1962188-2] Vries 1962, p. 188.

[FOOTNOTESimek1996117-3] Simek 1996, p. 117.

[FOOTNOTEOrchard199761-4] Orchard 1997, p. 61.

[FOOTNOTEFaulkes1987156-5] Faulkes 1987, p. 156.

[FOOTNOTEFaulkes198784-6] Faulkes 1987, p. 84.

[FOOTNOTEFaulkes1987121,_238-7] Faulkes 1987, pp. 121, 238.

[FOOTNOTEFisher19991:14,_2:26-8] Fisher 1999, pp. 1:14, 2:26.

[FOOTNOTELavender2015v-9] Lavender 2015, p. v.

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