A concept that fascinates me: etymological continuity in names and words for fictional beings. Nerthus and NjorðR are the same name. The alfR of #mythology and Tolkien's elves share a label. But since these beings don't actually exist, it is meaningless to say that there is a single individual or group of beings behind the various forms of the words. There is no empirical reality to check against, unlike for instance when a botanist suggests that a species should be split.
You may know well #Thor, the #Norse god of Thunder—but have you head about Perun?
He is often depicted as a powerful, bearded man wielding a hammer or axe. His domain included the sky, where he controlled the weather and protected the earthly realm from evil forces.
In #Slavic belief, thunder was thought to be the sound of Perun striking his enemies with his thunderbolts. As a deity associated with war, Perun was also considered a guardian of justice and order, punishing evildoers and upholding moral law. His cult was widespread among the early Slavic tribes, and he was one of the most important gods in their pantheon.
Perun's importance declined with the spread of #Christianity in Eastern #Europe, where he was often equated with Saint Elias due to their shared associations with thunder and lightning. Nonetheless, Perun remains a significant figure in Slavic folklore and cultural heritage, symbolizing strength, protection, and the forces of nature.
In the Middle Ages, many Christian Scandinavians believed that the Norse gods had actually been humans from Troy who had fled their burning city and immigrated to Scandinavia, where they had used magic to make the locals believe that they were gods.
To drink from the Well of Wisdom, the Norse god Odin had to give one of his eyes to Mimir, the Well's guardian. In some versions, this is simply a general sacrifice, but in others it's a trade - the eye gives Mimir Odin's knowledge just as the drink gives Odin Mimir's.
🎨 Emil Doepler
The huldufólk (hidden folk) of Iceland are human-sized fairies whose communities are hidden in the hills. Sometimes they are depicted with cow tails. It is said that if the huldufólk marry a human, their cow tails fall off, and they become human themselves.
🎨 Brett Manning
Though the Norse term "Jotun" often gets translated as "giant," the Jotnar could be many different sizes, and many of them (Loki, Skadi, etc.) were no taller than the Aesir. They often seemed less like giants and more like simply a competing faction of gods.
The city of Troy was considered the epitome of culture and sophistication, so many European cultures (Italians, Welsh, etc.) claimed their ancestors had been Trojans. Medieval Christian Scandinavians even claimed their pagan gods had actually been Trojan sorcerers.
🎨 Giovanni Tiepolo #WyrdWednesday
After Christian I of Norway failed to pay the dowry for his daughter Margaret, queen to James III, #Orkney & #Shetland were annexed to the Scottish crown #OTD, 20 Feb 1472
NORTHERN-NESS looks at literature from the northern isles, from the sagas to the far future
According to Norse mythology, the Mead of Inspiration was created by two wicked dwarves as they mixed the blood of the dead god Kvasir with honey. Anyone who drank from this mead would possess great wisdom and become a great poet.
🎨 Franz Stassen #MythologyMonday
In Norse myths, Garm is the watchdog of the Underworld. Garm and Tyr will kill each other at Ragnarok. Since Tyr had previously lost his hand to the similar Fenris Wolf, some scholars theorize that Garm and Fenris were the same beast in an earlier version.
🎨 Johannes Gehrts #FairyTaleTuesday
The gulon is a legendary monster of the Scandinavian arctic with a dog's size and body, a cat's head and claws, and a fox's tail. The gulon is so gluttonous that once it's full, it will squeeze itself between two trees to vomit up its food, so it can start killing and eating again. #FolkloreSunday
Though Freyja is often thought of as the Norse Aphrodite, she is more than just a love goddess. She is also a goddess of war, the valkyrie queen who shares the souls of dead warriors with Odin. And the goddess of witches, who taught Odin much of his magic.
🎨 Johannes Gehrts #FolkloreSunday
In Norse myths, the goddess Sága is often visited by Odin in her home of Sökkvabekkr ("Sunken Bank"), where they merrily share mead in golden cups. There's scholarly debate on whether Sága is another name for Frigg, Odin's wife, or whether she is a separate deity.
🎨 Lorenz Frølich #FolkloreSunday
The Norwegian fairy tale "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" stars a young woman who must find her way to a castle "east of the sun and west of the moon" (i.e. a place impossibly far away) in order to rescue her true love from marriage to a wicked troll.
🎨 Mercer Mayer #LegendaryWednesday
In Norse culture, one of a lord's most important traits was generosity to his vassals. That's why one of the Norse god Odin's most precious objects was his gold ring Draupnir, which made eight copies of itself every ninth night. Odin gave these rings as gifts. #WyrdWednesday
Nisse are Nordic fairies that resemble tiny, often bearded, people. They live on farms, acting as their secret guardians. They are also linked to the Winter Solstice and Christmas. In Scandinavia, a nisse often helps the Yule Goat to deliver Christmas presents.
🎨 Jenny Nyström #FairyTaleTuesday
Ullr was a Norse god of hunting and skiing, but no legend of his survives. However, the "Gesta Danorum" (a medieval history of Denmark) features "Ollerus," a human wizard who rides a flying bone and is Odin's heir. They are likely versions of the same character. #MythologyMonday