Boddason
BRIAN BORU (BORUMH): Christian High-king of Ireland, who fell at Clontarf in 1014 fighting against the Vikings of Dublin and their allies
BRISINGAMEN (BRISINGAMEN): ‘Necklace of the Brisings’ (?). The great treasure of Freyja, thought to be a necklace, obtained from the dwarfs
BROSINGAMENE: A great treasure, thought to be a necklace or collar, said in
BRYNHILD (BRYNHILDR): Valkyrie and princess, loved by Sigurd the Volsung but married to King Gunnar. Burned herself to death when Sigurd was killed
BURI (BURI): First being created from the primeval ice, father of Bor
BYGGVIR: From
CAEDMON (C?DMON): Anglo-Saxon poet of the seventh century who was famous for his Christian poems on Biblical subjects. His story is told by Bede
CODEX REGIUS: Icelandic MS. of the thirteenth century (now in Copenhagen) containing a number of poems about the gods and heroes, known as the
COIFI (CEFI): High priest of the heathen gods in Northumbria in the seventh century, according to Bede’s account
DARRA?ARLJO?: ‘Lay of the Spear’. Poem preserved in
DISIR: Female supernatural beings
DONAR: Thunder god worshipped by the heathen Germans
DRAUGR: Inhabitant of a grave mound who is restless after death
DRAUPNIR: Gold ring of Odin, from which other rings are produced
DREAM OF THE ROOD: Name given to Old English Christian poem about Christ’s Cross, preserved in the Vercelli Book of the tenth century, and also written in runes on a carved cross of about the seventh century at Ruthwell (translated by R. K. Gordon,
EDDA: Name given to collection of poems preserved in the
EDWIN: King of Northumbria who was converted to Christianity in the seventh century
EGILS SAGA: Story of Egill Skallagrimsson, the famous poet and adventurer who lived in Iceland in the tenth century. One of the longest and best known of the Icelandic family sagas (translated by E. R. Eddison, Cambridge University Press, 1930)
EGILS SAGA OK ASMUNDAR: One of the legendary sagas in the
ERIC BLOODAXE (EIRIKR BLO?OX): Norwegian king of the tenth century who was driven out of Norway and reigned in Northumbria, where he finally died in battle
EIRIKS SAGA RAU?A: Saga of Eric the Red, an Icelander who discovered Greenland and settled there in the tenth century. One of the Icelandic family sagas. Also known as
ERIC THE VICTORIOUS (EIRIKR INN SIGRS?LI): Famous Swedish king of the tenth century
EIRIKSMAL: Tenth-century poem composed at the death of Eric Bloodaxe (translated by N. Kershaw,
ELENE: Old English poem about St Helena, attributed to the poet Cynewulf (translated by R. K. Gordon,
ELLI: ‘Old Age’. The old woman who outdid Thor in a wrestling match in the hall of Utgard-Loki
EYRBYGGJA SAGA: One of the longer Icelandic family sagas, the history of the people living at Sn?fellsness in western Iceland (translated by Paul Schach, University of Nebraska Press, 1959)
EXODUS: Old English poem about the departure of the Israelites from Egypt (translated by R. K. Gordon,
EYVIND KELDA (EYVINDR KELDA): Descendant of Harald Fairhair who worked magic and was drowned by Olaf Tryggvason
FAFNIR (FAFNIR): Dragon who guarded a golden treasure and was slain by Sigurd the Volsung
FENRIR: The wolf, said to be son of Loki, who was bound by Tyr, and will break free at Ragnarok
FIMBULVETR: The ‘mighty winter’, to last for three years on end, which is to precede Ragnarok
FJORGYNN: Mother of Thor, thought to be a fertility goddess. Also found in the masculine form Fjorgyn
FLATEYJARBOK: MS. book containing a version of the sagas of the Norwegian kings, with short episodes interpolated, written in the Flatey monastery, Iceland
FLOAMANNA SAGA: One of the Icelandic family sagas, telling of an expedition to Greenland from Floi, Iceland
FOMOIRI: Company of supernatural beings in Irish mythology, hostile to the Tuatha De Donann
FORNALDAR SOGUR: ‘Sagas of Old Time’, a series of legendary and heroic sagas, written late, with some romance material but also preserving some early traditions and verses (edited Jonsson, Reykjavik, 1950)
FORSETI: Son of Balder, named as a law-giver among the gods, worshipped in Frisia
FREYFAXI: ‘Mane of Freyr’. Horse of hero of
FREYJA: Sister of Freyr, daughter of Njord, a powerful goddess of fertility among the Vanir
FREYR: Son of Njord and one of the Vanir, the chief god of fertility in Norway and Sweden
FRIDLEIF (FRI?LEIFR): Frideuus in Saxo. An early king of Denmark, the son of Frodi III
FRI??JOFS SAGA: Story of the hero Fridiof the Bold, one of the sagas in the
FRIGG: Wife of Odin and Queen of Asgard, associated with fertility
FRIJA: Wife of Wodan, worshipped by the heathen Germans
FRODI (FRO?I): Frotho in Saxo. Name borne by several legendary kings of Denmark, thought to have been the Danish equivalent of Freyr
GARM (GARMR): Hound of the Underworld, who will break loose at Ragnarok and kill Tyr
GAUTREKS SAGA: One of the legendary sagas in the
GEFION (GEFJUN): Goddess worshipped at Leire, who ploughed round Zealand and made it into an island
GEIRROD (GEIRRO?R): Giant hostile to the gods, slain by Thor
GERD (GER?R): Fair maiden of the Underworld, wooed by Freyr
GERMANIA: Account of the way of life, customs, and religions of the German tribes, written by the Roman historian Tacitus in A.D. 98
GILLING (GILLINGR): Giant killed by the dwarfs who made the mead of inspiration
GINNUNGAGAP: Space preceding creation, in which the worlds were made
GISLA SAGA: One of the Icelandic family sagas, the story of the outlaw Gisli (translated by George Johnston, University of Toronto Press, 1963)
GJALLARBRU: ‘Resounding bridge’, the bridge crossed by Hermod on his way to the realm of Hel to seek Balder
GJALLARHORN: ‘Echoing horn’, horn of Heimdall, to give warning of danger to Asgard
GO?I: Priest of a heathen temple in Iceland, who presided over the local assembly and had his own followers
GOLDMANE (GULLIFAXI): Horse of the giant Hrungnir, which he raced against Sleipnir
GREGORY OF TOURS: Bishop of Tours in the sixth century, author of History of the Franks (translated by O. M. Dalton, Oxford University Press, 1927)
