Jötunn

Jötunn
A (also jotun; in the normalised scholarly spelling of Old Norse, ; or, in Old English, (plural ) is a type of supernatural being in Germanic mythology. In Norse mythology, they are often contrasted with gods (the Æsir and Vanir) and other non-human figures, such as dwarfs and elves, although the groupings are not always mutually exclusive. The entities included in jötunn are referred to by several other terms, including , (or ) and if male and or if female. The typically dwell across boundaries from the gods and humans in lands such as .
The are frequently attested throughout the Old Norse record, with also featuring in the Old English epic poem Beowulf. The usage of the terms is dynamic, with an overall trend that the beings become portrayed as less impressive and more negative as Christianity becomes more influential. Although the term "giant" is sometimes used to gloss the word "" and its apparent synonyms in some translations and academic texts, this is seen as problematic by some scholars as are not necessarily notably large.
The terms for the beings also have cognates in later folklore such as the British Yotun, Danish and Finnish which can share some common features such as being turned to stone in the day and living on the periphery of society.
Origin, appearance and terminology
Terms and etymology
and Old English developed from the Proto-Germanic masculine noun . Philologist Vladimir Orel says that semantic connections between with Proto-Germanic ('to eat') makes a relation between the two nouns likely. Proto-Germanic is reconstructed from Old Norse 'consuming', Old English 'voracious, gluttonous', and Old High German 'greedy'. The words are cognate with , an archaic word for a type of being. Old Norse and Old High German derive from the Proto-Germanic masculine noun . Orel observes that the Old Saxon adjective 'enormous' is likely also connected. Old Norse , Old English , and Old High German 'devil, evil spirit' derive from the Proto-Germanic masculine noun , itself derived from Proto-Germanic , which is etymologically connected to Sanskrit - 'strong, powerful, rich'. Several terms are used specifically to refer to female entities that fall into this wider category, including (plural ), (plural ) and (plural ).
Terms for are also found in Old Norse compound words such as , ("mountain-risi") and ("rime-þurs", or "frost-þurs").
The cognates and , and and have been equated by scholars such as J. R. R. Tolkien and Rudolf Simek, with the words being used to describe the being in either Old Norse or Old English respectively.
Appearance, connotations and distinctions
In the Eddas, are beings typically with similar power to the gods and may also be referred to by the negative terms and . The harmful nature of is also described in the Icelandic and Norwegian rune poems, where they are identified for causing strife to women. Descriptions of the appearance of are uncommon however the progenitor of the is described as having the form of a man. Some female are described as being beautiful, such as Gerðr and Hymir's partner while others are described as monstrous and having many heads. Some dwarfs are described as such as Regin and Fáfnir, while in Alvíssmál, the eponymous dwarf is noted for having the likeness of a .
As the influence of Christianity grew, became demonised and typically portrayed as less intelligent, easier to outwit and more monstrous, as is common with giants in later Germanic folklore. In some later sagas, such as Bárðar saga Snæfellsáss, are clearly distinct from however in others the terms are used interchangeably, albeit with an overall trend that have begun to be seen negatively relative to .
has a much wider semantic scope in Old Norse literature than solely , also including individuals with unusual or supernatural traits such as witches, abnormally strong, large or ugly people, ghosts and berserkers.
Glossing as "giant"
Terms for are often problematically translated into Modern English as "giant" or "giantess". John Lindow uses the glosses to contrast them with the gods but notes that they are not giant, being similar in size to the gods, and are best conceived of as a kin or family group, separated by relation rather than physical appearance. Due to this issue, some scholars such as Terry Gunnell, Jeramy Dodds and Benjamin Thorpe either anglicise or leave untranslated terms for in translations and academic work.
Notable
Gerðr, a daughter of Gymir and wife of Freyr. Usually regarded as an earth-goddess.
Grendel, an eoten who, along with his mother, ravages the hall of Heorot before being killed by Beowulf
Fárbauti, the jötunn father of Loki with Laufey.
Fenja and Menja, sisters who turn the mill Grotti to produce gold and Fróði's Peace.
Hrungnir, a jötunn champion who challenged Thor to a duel.
Jörð, the mother of Thor with Odin.
Skaði, a daughter of Þjazi and later wife of Njörðr. Goddess associated with skiing and claimed as a mythical ancestor of Haakon Sigurdsson.
Þjazi, a jötunn who once kidnapped Iðunn and her apples of youth. He was later killed by the gods and his eyes made into stars.
Ymir, the progenitor of the jötnar.
Mythological origin
In a stanza of Völuspá hin skamma (found in the poem "Hyndluljóð") all descend from Ymir. Gylfaginning elaborates on this, describing that the primordial Ymir formed in the warm waters that arose in Ginnungagap when the rime of Niflheim was melted by the heat of Muspelheim. He lay there asleep, fed by milk from Auðumbla, whereupon from his left armpit he sweated a male and a female, and his legs begat a son with one another. Together, these children became the ancestors of all other .
Later, he was killed by the first gods, resulting in a flood of Ymir's blood, in which all drowned except Bergelmir and his family, who survive this event by way of sailing upon a . This has been linked to a runic inscription on a sword hilt in Beowulf which describes the being killed in an ancient flood and has been proposed to derive from Germanic and wider Indo-European mythology.
According to Gylfaginning, after Ymir was killed, his body was wrought into the world and a sea surrounded it. The gods then gave the surviving families lands along the shore to settle, placing them in the periphery. Ymir's brows were then used to build Midgard and protect it from the due to their known aggression.
Attributes and themes
Position as the "Other"
Most stories in Old Norse mythology show a clear division between "This World", pertaining to that of gods and men, and "The Other", which is inhabited by and beings associated with them.
A common motif is the journeying to obtain secret knowledge from the . In the Eddic poem Hyndluljóð, Freyja travels to the to obtain understanding of the lineage of Ottar, and the "ale of remembrance" so that he does not forget it. In the Eddic poem Vafþrúðnismál, Óðinn travels to the Vafþrúðnir whereupon they engage in a wisdom contest. He also travels to the to obtain from Suttungr the Mead of poetry, which imparts skill in poetry to any who drink it. The völva who tells the Völuspá prophecy to Óðinn, while not explicitly described as a but was raised by them.
Cosmology in Germanic mythology, as with other oral cultures, has many apparent contradictions when viewed from a naturalistic standpoint. Despite this, a system of motifs repeat when travelling to the .
In the Prose Edda that the dwell in Jötunheimr which is at points located in the North or East and in can only be reached by air, however are also found South and across water. such as Suttungr and Skaði live in mountains, which is further reflected in the terms (mountain risar) and (mountain dweller), a kenning for . Their lands of inhabitation are not restricted to this, also including forests, underground, and the shore. Sometimes they are referred to as living in specific geographical locations such as Ægir on Læsø. These motifs are also seen in the section of Beowulf concerning the fight with mother of the Grendel which has been noted by scholars to closely resemble the fight between a and Grettir in his eponymous saga, wherein the female beings may only be reached by crossing through water. The seemingly ununified location of the has been suggested to be an outcome of their intrinsically chaotic nature. Even within the same story, what seem like contradictions have been noted by scholars, prompting the proposal of a model that the otherworld where the dwell can be reached from a number of passages or boundaries that cannot be traversed under normal conditions, such as the mountains, darkness and "flickering flame" crossed by Skírnir in Skírnismál.
In Eddic sources, present a constant threat to gods and humans, often leading them to confrontation with Thor. Hárbarðsljóð and Þrymskviða tell that if it was not for Thor and Mjöllnir, would soon overrun Midgard and Asgard respectively. Nonetheless, Thor also has a positive relationship with some , such as Gríðr and the unnamed wife of Hymir, who provide magical items and council that enable him to overcome other .
Ancestors of gods and humans
The distinction between gods and is not clearly defined and they should be seen as different culturally rather than biologically, with some gods, such as Odin, Thor and Loki being the descendants of . A common motif that often forms the core storyline of Eddic narratives is the unsuccessful attempts of to marry one of the goddesses, be it through either trickery or force. In contrast, the female Skaði chooses the male Vanr Njörðr as a husband. According to Ynglinga saga, she later had children with Odin, from whom kings such as Earl Hakon were descended. The Freyr also marries Gerðr, who are the claimed ancestors of the Ynglings.
Odin also seduces the Gunnlöð and Rindr and marries Jörð. In the cases when gods marry , they appear to be fully incorporated into the gods and are referred to as Ásynjur in Nafnaþulur. Consistent with this, reference to Skaði's vés in Lokasenna and toponyms such as Skedevi in Sweden suggests that despite being a , she was worshipped in Old Norse religion.
Association with wild animals
One of the who dwell in the wood Járnviðr is a mother of jötnar in the forms of wolves and from whom are descended all wolves. This has been suggested to be Angrboða, the who begat with Loki the monstrous wolf Fenrir and venomous worm Jörmungandr who become enemies of the gods. Also in Járnviðr dwells the jötunn Eggþér who has been interpreted as either a guardian of the gýgjar who live there or a herdsman of the wolves. Wolves are also taken as mounts by such as Hyndla and Hyrrokkin, the latter of which using snakes as reins. This is further attested in skaldic poetry in which "wolf" is described by the kennings "Leikn's horse", "Gjálp's horse", "Gríðr's horse", while a group of wolves is referred to as "Gríðr's grey herd of horses". Wolf-riding are referred to as ("riders in the night") or ("dusk riders").
Hræsvelgr is told in Vafþrúðnismál (37) and Gylfaginning (18) to be a in an arnarhamr (eagle-guise) who creates the wind by beating his wings. Other , such as Þjazi and Suttungr are able to become eagles by wearing their , or resemble them like Griðr in Illuga saga Gríðarfóstra who has hands like eagle talons.
Demonisation
In later material composed during the Christian period such as the legendary sagas, are often portrayed as uncivilised and cannibalistic. In the case of Bárðar saga Snæfellsáss and Hálfdanar saga Brönufóstra they specifically eat both human and horse meat, the latter of which was directly associated with heathen practices. The post-Christian association between and pre-Christian practices is also seen in Beowulf, in which the man-eating Grendel is described as having a "heathen soul" and "heathenish hand-spurs". Female are explicitly described as being heathen in some later sources such as Orms þáttr Stórólfssonar, in which religion prevents her from being with the hero, and the legendary saga Þorsteins þáttr bæjarmagns, in which she must be baptised before marrying the hero.
Modern folklore
Giants with names cognate to terms for are found in later Northern European folklore, such as the English ettin or yotun, thurse and hobthrust, Danish , Swedish and Finnish . In Germanic folklore, giants often share traits with , particularly as depicted in legendary sagas, combined with motifs from other European giants and are often interchangeable with trolls.
As with , Germanic giants live outside of human communities, in woods and mountains. They commonly show an aversion to Christianity, often showing a disdain for the ringing of church bells. Similarities are also both seen in their role in the construction of stoneworks. Akin to the Old Norse tale of the who built the wall of Ásgarðr, giants often enter into wagers involved in the building of churches which they later lose, as with the tale of Jätten Finn who is attributed with the construction of Lund Cathedral. Ruins are also attributed to the works of both beings, as in the Old English poem The Ruin and the aetiological story of Wade's Causeway in Yorkshire.
Some standing stones in northern Europe are explained as petrified giants such as the Yetnasteen in Orkney which derives its name from (Jötunn's stone). According to folklore, it awakens every New Year at midnight whereupon it visits the Loch of Scockness to drink. Orcadian folklore also explains the Ring of Brodgar as dancing giants who were turned to stone by the morning sun. This motif is also seen in Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar, in which the Hrímgerðr engages in a senna with Helgi Hundingsbane until the sun rises and she is turned to stone.
The Orcadian tradition of Gyro Night derives its name from and consisted of two older boys dressing up as masked old women one night in February and chasing smaller boys with ropes. Similar to this are the Faroese and Shetlandic popular customs of dressing up as giantesses referred to as (plural ), or other similar terms, in costumes traditionally made from a combination of animal skins, tattered clothes, seaweed, straw and sometimes featuring masks. Grýla is a female creature described in Sturlunga saga as having fifteen tails, and listed as a in the Nafnaþulur section of the Prose Edda who features in folklore throughout the North Atlantic islands settled by Scandinavians.
Toponomy
Place-names derived from þurs or cognate:
England
Thursford (Þyrs ford) – Village in Norfolk
Thursgill (Þurs' gill) – Gill in West Riding of Yorkshire, field in Cumbria
Thruss Pits (Þyrs pit) – Field in Derbyshire
Thrispin Head (Þurs fen) – Wetland in West Riding of Yorkshire
Trusey Hill (Þyrs hill) – Hill in East Riding of Yorkshire
See also
Asura – a comparable class of deities in Indian mythology
Div – a comparable class of beings in Islamic-Persian lore
Ents
Giants (Marvel Comics)
Giant (Dungeons & Dragons)
Titan – a comparable class of deities in Greek mythology
Citations
Bibliography
Primary
Secondary
External links
Types of deities