Influences of Pre-Christian Mythology and Christianity on Old Norse Poetry: A Narrative Study of "VafÞrúðnismál"

230 Pages·2018·1.752 MB·English

by  Andrew McGillivray

Infl uences of Pre-Christian Mythology and
Christianity on Old Norse Poetry
NORTHERN MEDIEVAL WORLD
EDITORIAL BOARD
Carolyne Larrington (Chair)
St. John’s College, Oxford
Oren Falk
Cornell University
Dawn Hadley
University of Sheffi eld
Jana Schulman
Western Michigan University
Jón Viðar Sigurðsson
Universitetet i Oslo
Medieval Institute Publications is a program of
Th e Medieval Institute, College of Arts and Sciences
WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Infl uences of Pre-Christian Mythology and
Christianity on Old Norse Poetry
A Narrative Study of Vafþrúðnismál
Andrew McGillivray
Northern Medieval World
MEDIEVAL INSTITUTE PUBLICATIONS
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo
Copyright © 2018 by the Board of Trustees of Western Michigan University
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
are available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN: 9781580443357
eISBN: 9781580443364
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part
of this book may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or trans-
mitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise) without the written permission of both the copyright owner and the author of
the book.
Every effort has been made to obtain permission to use all copyrighted illustrations
reproduced in this book. Nonetheless, whosoever believes to have rights to this material is
advised to contact the publisher.
Contents
Abbreviations vii
Acknowledgments ix
1. Vafþrúðnir Who? 1
2. Critical Contexts 25
3. At Home in Ásgarðr 53
4. Th e Guest Waits on the Floor 85
5. Sitting on the Giant’s Bench 111
6. Th e Odinic Attack 147
7. Looking to Alvíssmál 171
8. Closing Time 187
Bibliography 197
Index 213
“Th is page intentionally left blank”
Abbreviations
Eddic poems
Akv = Atlakviða
Alv = Alvíssmál
Am = Atlamál
Bdr = Baldrs draumar
Fjöl = Fjölsvinnsmál
Fm = Fáfnismál
Gg = Grógaldr
Grm = Grímnismál
Grp = Grípisspá
Grt = Grottasöngr
Háv = Hávamál
Hdl = Hyndluljóð
Hgát = Heiðreks gátur
HHv = Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar
Hrbl = Hárbarðsljóð
Hym = Hymiskviða
Lok = Lokasenna
Rþ = Rígsþula
Sg = Sigurðarkviða in skamma
Skm = Skírnismál
Vkv = Völundarkviða
Vm = Vafþrúðnismál
Vsp = Völuspá
Þrk = Þrymskviða
viii ABBREVIATIONS
Manuscripts
R = Codex Regius of eddic poetry – GKS 2365 4°
A = AM 748 I a 4°
H = Hauksbók – AM 544 4°
U = Codex Upsaliensis – DG 11 4°
R2 = Codex Regius of Snorra Edda – GKS 2367 4°
W = Codex Wormianus – AM 242 fol.
T = Codex Trajectinus – Traj 1374