M TH AND MA. . BRIAN BRANSTON r· Myth and Man ABOUT THE SERIES A library of readable and authentic volumes on the principal'mythologies of the world. The purpose of the series is to set forth the basic myths, folk talcs and rituals of various peoples, ancient and modem, in such a way that the vital relationship of the mythology to the society concerned will be evident. The authors, beside being recognized authorities on their subjects, also possess the gift of communicating to the general reader the dual nature of each mythology: its significance to those people. whose religion it once was, and its timeless expression of human life and thought which makes it appeal so suongly to us who approach it from the outside. The entire series has been designed for all those who desire to enjoy and understand the symbolic language of mythology. ALREADY PUBLISHED THE GODS OF THE GREEKS C. Kerenyi By going back exclusively to primary sources Professor Kerenyi presents ancient Greek mythology with the freshness and wonder of a newly-discovered saga. 16 gravurtp latts, li11t illustrations 21/., ntt 22 DIVINE HORSEMEN: The Living Gods of Haiti Maya Deren An examination in an exciting and authoritative form of the folk beliefs and rituals of the people of Haiti. Maya Deren is a profoundly perceptive writer possessing inside knowledge of her subject. 16 gravurt plates, 17 line il111stratio11s 25/., net MYTH AND RITUAL IN CHRISTIANITY Alan W. Watts By approaching the Christian story as a non-historical reality, the author re-assesses the events of the Old and New Testaments and relates Christian ritual to the sym, bolism of other world religions. 8 gravure platu, 17 line illustrations 25/, net TO FOLLOW "Celtic Mythology" by Alwyn and Brinley Rees; "Mexican Mythology" by Laurette Scjourne. GODS OF THE NORTH BRIAN BRANSTON THAMES AND HUDSON. LONDON • NEW YORK ' ,,.__ 1-..-- . -· I,':>".":>- ·e:; )0::) TO ROBERT WALLER WIGAN LEl<;URE SERVit..tS LIBRA~: ES __ Acc. No. 113172 I ,,,.fr/~ / LJL lk.fo :i. 10 ~C-1 .;l<\'3. )3 Q.°'4 COPYRIGHT 195' BY BRl"AN BRANSTON ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PRINTED IN ORBAT BRITAIN BY RO.BERT MACLEH08E AND CO LTD GLASGOW RE-ISSUED 1970 500 J 1003 4 CONTENTS HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION Page r 1. Northmen I 2. Links: Language 6 3. Links: Old Home of the Gothonic Nations 9 4. Gothonic Migrations 13 5. The Vikings: Settling in England 16 6. The Vikings: Settlement of Iceland 26 7. TheEddas 35 I. IN THE BEGINNING 47 1. Allfather 47 2. Ginnungagap 52 3. Ymir 54 4. The Sons ofBor 57 5. Night, Day, Sun and Moon 65 6. Gothonic Cosmography 72 II. COSMOGRAPHY 76 1. Yg gdrasill 76 2. Asgard 83 3. Hel 90 4. Jotunheim 98 5. Midgard 103 III. JESIR AND VANIR 105 r. Odin 106 2. Thor 120 3. Balder 123 4. Njoror, Frey and Freya 129 5. Tyr 135 6. Heimdallr 137 7. Other Gods 142 v Contents IV. ASYNJUR Page 152 1.' A List of the Asynjur 153 2. Frigg 158 3. Freya 159 4. Other Goddesses 162 v. LOKI AND HIS BROOD 165 1. Loki 165 2. Loki's Brood 169 3. Loki and Angrbo5a 173 VI. CHOOSING THE SLAIN 177 1. Snorri 177 2. The Verse Edda 182 3. Valkyries 186 4. The Everlasting Battle 195 VII. A DYNAMIC MYTHOLOGY 200 1. A Bird's Eye View 200 2. The Golden Age 206 3. The Stealing ofl5unn's Apples 209 4. The War in Heaven 212 5. The Building of Asgard Walls 216 VIII. TALES OF ODIN AND THOR 219 1. Odin and Mimir's Head 219 2. Odin and the Winning of Poesy 221 3. Odin and Billing's Daughter 225 4. Thor and Geirro5r 226 5. Thor and Utgar5aloki 229 6. Thor and the Giant Hymir 239 7. Odin, Thor and Hrungnir 243 8. The Stealing of Thor's Hammer 246 vi Contents IX, TALES OF OTHER GODS AND GODDESSES Page 249 1. Frey's Lovesickness 249 2. Svipdagr and Mengloo 255 3, Heimdallr-Rfgr 262 4. Loki Steals Sif's Hair 265 x. RAGNAROK 269 1. Balder's Dreams 269 2. The Death ofBalder 271 3. The Binding of Loki 275 4. The Ragnarok 277 5. New Heaven, New.Earth, New Gods 286 XI CONCLUSION 295 1. Some Theories of the Origin of Myths 295 2. Myths and Truth 299 3, The Rejection of Odin 303 NOTES 305 BIBLIOGRAPHY 309 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 310 INDEX 311 vii ILLUSTRATIONS Line Drawings Fig. Page I THE GOKST AD SHIP 2 DRAGON'S HEAD 5 3 ANIMAL PLAQUE 15 4 BATTLE AXES 17 5 SCRAMASAX 19 6 BONE COMB 21 7 OAK STERN-POST 45 8 THE WORLDS IN THE TREE 73 9 THE NORTHERN COSMOS IN THE FORM OF A MANDALA 74 IO WALRUS IVORY CHESSMAN 104 II ROTHWELL CROSS, DUMFRIESSHIRE 127 12 WAGON FROM THE OSEBERG SHIP 131 13 HORNED FIGURES 141 14 DECORATIVE MOTIFS FROM SUTTON HOO 161 15 LOOM 189 16 FRANKS CASKET 193 17 EAGLE IN FLIGHT 211 18 THE ROK STONE 224 19 DANISH BRONZE AGE TRUMPET OR LUR 279 Vlll ILL UST RA TIO NS Photogravure Plates Facing Page I MAN OF THE NORTH 22 2 MAES HOWE 23 3 VOLUSPA 4 HELMET FROM SUTTON HOO 39 5 BRONZE AGE SUN IMAGE 214 6 THE SYMBOLISM OF THE TREE 215 7 FRANKS CASKET 230 8 MOUNT HEKLA IN ERUPTION 231 Note All the drawings in this book were executed by the author * Thanks are due to the following for supplying photographic material: National Museum, Copenhagen (1 and 5); Edwin Smith (2); Royal Library, Copenhagen (3); British Museum, London (4 and 7); Biblioteca Medicea-Laurenziana (6); Associated Press Ltd (8). ix Guide to the Pronunciation of some Old Norse Consonants and Vowels I>,):> like th in thin D, d like th in the ], j liker in yes lE, ;e like German a o} o, like -er spoken with rounded lips 0, 0 The acute accent over a vowel indicates length.