Influences Of Pre-christian Mythology And Christianity On Old Norse Poetry: A Narrative Study Of "vafþrúðnismál"

Influences 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 Sheffield Jana Schulman Western Michigan University Jón Viðar Sigurðsson Universitetet i Oslo Medieval Institute Publications is a program of The Medieval Institute, College of Arts and Sciences WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY Influences 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 transmitted, 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. The Guest Waits on the Floor 85 5. Sitting on the Giant’s Bench 111 6. The Odinic Attack 147 7. Looking to Alvíssmál 171 8. Closing Time 187 Bibliography 197 Index 213 “This 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 A H U R2 W T = = = = = = = Codex Regius of eddic poetry – GKS 2365 4° AM 748 I a 4° Hauksbók – AM 544 4° Codex Upsaliensis – DG 11 4° Codex Regius of Snorra Edda – GKS 2367 4° Codex Wormianus – AM 242 fol. Codex Trajectinus – Traj 1374 Acknowledgments T HIS BOOK BEGAN AS a doctoral thesis at the University of Iceland in the Faculty of Icelandic and Comparative Cultural Studies (Íslensku- og menningardeild). I composed the thesis during 2012–14, and I am grateful for the funding which made this possible, provided by the Icelandic Centre for Research (Rannís) from their Icelandic Research fund. In its thesis form, the work constitutes a contribution to the research project Encounters with the Paranormal in Medieval Iceland. It was exciting and thought-provoking to be a membe