Hubbry Logo
GullveigGullveigMain
Open search
Gullveig
Community hub
Gullveig
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Gullveig
Gullveig
Gullveig
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

The Æsir lift Gullveig on spears over fire as illustrated by Lorenz Frølich (1895)

Gullveig (Old Norse: [ˈɡulːˌwɛiɣ]) is a female figure in Norse mythology associated with the legendary conflict between the Æsir and Vanir. In the poem Völuspá, she came to the hall of Odin (Hár) where she is speared by the Æsir, burnt three times, and yet thrice reborn. Upon her third rebirth, she began practicing seiðr and took the name Heiðr.[1]

Gullveig/Heiðr is solely attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional material. Scholars have variously proposed that Gullveig/Heiðr is the same figure as the goddess Freyja, that Gullveig's death may have been connected to corruption by way of gold among the Æsir, and/or that Gullveig's treatment by the Æsir may have led to the Æsir–Vanir War.

Etymology

[edit]

The etymology of the Old Norse name Gullveig remains uncertain. It is a compound formed with the Old Norse word for 'gold' (gull), yet the second element–found in other personal names like Rannveig, Sölveig, or Thórveig–remains obscure. It could have meant 'power, strength' (cf. Icelandic veig, Faroese veiggj), 'intoxicating drink' (cf. Norwegian veigja), possibly 'lady' (cf. Norw. veiga) or even 'gold, gold thread' (cf. Old English wāg, Old Saxon wēg).[2] The name has been variously translated as 'Gold-drink', 'Gold-drunk',[3] or as 'Gold-draught'.[4] Gullveig is sometimes held to be a personification of gold itself, purified through repeated smelting.[4]

The name Heiðr, which in adjectival form means 'bright, clear',[5] is semantically related. Scholar Rudolf Simek comments that although Gullveig's name changes to Heiðr, the meaning still remains basically the same.[6]

Attestations

[edit]

Gullveig is solely attested in a stanza of Völuspá (Prophecy of the Völva) immediately preceding the story of the Æsir–Vanir War.[4] A völva (seeress) recalls that Gullveig was pierced by spears before being burnt three times in the hall of Hárr (one of Odin's names), and yet was three times reborn. Presumably after her burning, Gullveig became known as Heiðr, a knowledgeable völva who could perform great feats:

H. A. Bellows translation (1923):

The war I remember, the first in the world,
When the gods with spears had smitten Gollveig,
And in the hall of Hor had burned her,
Three times burned, and three times born,
Oft and again, yet ever she lives.
Heith they named her who sought their home
The wide-seeing witch, in magic wise;
Minds she bewitched that were moved by her magic,
To evil women a joy she was.[7]
 A. Orchard translation (1997):

Then [the sibyl] remembered the first great war in the world,

when they stabbed at Gullveig with spears,

and they burned her in Odin ’s hall;

thrice they burned the thrice-bom girl,

often, not once, but still she lived.

They called her heid, when she came to the house,

a sibylline witch, who knew the skill of wands,

she practised seid where she could, practised seid in a trance;

she was always a delight to wicked women.[4]

J. Lindow translation (2001):

She remembers the war of peoples first in the world,

When Gullveig with spears they studded

And in Hár’s hall burned her;

Thrice burned, thrice born,

Often, unseldom, though she yet lives.

Heid they called her, wherever she came to houses,

A seeress skilled in prophecy, she observed magic staffs;

She performed seid, wherever she could, she performed seid in a trance,

She was ever the joy of an evil woman.[8]

Theories

[edit]

Starting with scholar Gabriel Turville-Petre, many scholars such as Rudolf Simek and John Lindow have theorized that Gullveig/Heiðr is the same figure as Freyja.[6][3] Lindow notes that "since Ynglinga saga says that Freyja first brought seid to the æsir, it is not impossible that Gullveig is Freyja, and that she brought seid to the æsir in the first instance either as a strategy in the war, or that her bringing of seid started the war."[1] Orchard further mentions that Freyja, like Gullveig, is associated with gold and with the form of magic known as seid.[4]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Gullveig

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Gullveig (Old Norse: Gullveig, possibly meaning "gold-intoxication" or "gold-power") is an enigmatic female figure in , attested solely in stanzas 21 and 22 of the poem in the Poetic Edda, where she is depicted as a seeress or sorceress who is speared and burned three times in the hall of the god Hárr (Óðinn) by the gods, only to be reborn each time and persist in living. This ordeal is described as the "first tribe-war in the world," serving as a catalyst for the mythological conflict between the and the pantheons. Following her torment, Gullveig is renamed (meaning "bright one" or "honored one") and portrayed as wandering to human households, where she practices —a form of Norse shamanistic magic involving , spirit conjuring, and enchantment—earning her a reputation as a völva (seeress) skilled in foretelling fates while delighting in wicked acts. Her name Gullveig evokes themes of and intoxicating strength, aligning with her role in introducing disruptive sorcery to the divine and potentially symbolizing or transformative power. Interpretations of Gullveig's identity vary among scholars: some identify her with the goddess , citing shared attributes like mastery of seiðr, affinity for , and involvement in the Æsir- war, while others view her as a dispatched to sow chaos among the gods or even a of sacred produced through burning and regeneration. These debates underscore her function as a harbinger of cosmic disorder, linking early mythological strife to the broader narrative of in .

Name

Etymology of Gullveig

The name Gullveig is a compound word in , formed from gull, meaning "," and veig, which denotes a strong or intoxicating beverage, as well as strength or power. This linguistic structure is evidenced in historical dictionaries of Old Norse, where veig appears in poetic contexts as a term for or a potent drink, often with connotations of or , and is commonly incorporated into feminine personal names such as Sólveig and Þórveig. Primary scholarly etymologies interpret Gullveig as "gold-strength" or "gold-intoxication," reflecting the dual themes of material wealth and potent, transformative force. In the , philologist Karl Müllenhoff proposed "Force of Gold" (Goldkraft), viewing the name as emblematic of gold's corrupting influence. Similarly, 20th-century Jan de Vries analyzed it in Altgermanische Religionsgeschichte (1957, vol. II, pp. 32–34), linking the compound to ritualistic elements of power and excess, though emphasizing its roots in Vanir-associated practices without altering the core breakdown. Lotte Motz, in her study, further refined this to "Golden Drink" or "Drink of Gold," connecting veig specifically to mead-like potions tied to prophetic insight in Eddic poetry. In poetic tradition, the name Gullveig operates akin to a , evoking the allure of as a of alongside the bewitching, sorcery-inducing qualities of an intoxicating . This duality underscores her character's association with avarice and magical potency, as gull frequently kennings treasures or divine gifts in skaldic verse, while veig implies a draught that confers otherworldly strength or , unique to figures embodying disruption through enchantment.

The Name Heiðr

In the , the figure known initially as Gullveig acquires the name following her rebirth, signifying a profound transformation in her mythological role. This secondary name, Heiðr, stems from the term heiðr, which carries multiple connotations including "brightness" or "shining," "honor" or "fame," and "heath" or open wilderness, often evoking ideas of clarity and uncultivated spaces. The term heiðr frequently appears in Norse literature as an for völvas, the prophetic seeresses associated with and foresight, underscoring its ties to female practitioners of sorcery in sagas such as the and Hyndluljóð. The context of this name change emerges in Völuspá stanza 22, immediately following the description of Gullveig's ordeals in stanza 21, where she is depicted as reborn and renamed , now a wandering völva who prophesies and practices , a form of Norse sorcery involving and manipulation of fate. As , she visits homes to offer , harm minds through her magic, and summon spirits, emphasizing her evolution into a mobile, influential seeress whose practices disrupt and enlighten those she encounters. This shift highlights her role as a prototype for völva figures, blending with potentially malevolent enchantment in the poetic narrative. Symbolically, Heiðr's name evokes enlightenment achieved through fiery trials, with its "" root suggesting illumination or visionary clarity akin to the mantic inspiration derived from sacred in . The duality inherent in —as both "honor" (a positive, fame-bestowing quality) and "heath" (a wild, untamed expanse)—mirrors broader Norse naming conventions that reflect multifaceted identities, particularly for figures embodying transformation and the tension between order and chaos. This interpretation aligns with Heiðr's portrayal as a reborn entity whose magic serves both regenerative and bewildering purposes, encapsulating the ambiguous nature of in the mythological tradition.

Mythological Accounts

Description in Völuspá

Gullveig is first attested in the , specifically in stanzas 21 and 22 of Völuspá, a prophetic poem likely composed in the late and preserved in the 13th-century manuscript (GKS 2365 4to), with a variant version appearing in the 14th-century Hauksbók. The poem's text exhibits variations between these manuscripts, such as differences in wording and stanza order, prompting 19th-century scholars like Sophus Bugge to undertake editorial reconstructions aimed at approximating the original oral composition through comparative . Bugge's work, including his 1867 edition of the , emphasized emendations to resolve lacunae and inconsistencies in the surviving copies. In the Codex Regius version, the seeress narrator recounts Gullveig's introduction among the as the prelude to the first divine conflict:
Þat man hon fólkvíg fyrst í heimi,
er Gullveigu geirum studdu,
ok í hǫll Hárs hana brendu;
þrysvar brendu þrysvar borna,
opt, ósjaldan, þó hon enn lifir.
She recalls it, the first tribe-war in the world,
when they stuck Gullveig up on spears,
and in Hárr’s hall burned her;
thrice they burned the thrice-born,
often, not seldom, yet she still lives.
The following stanza elaborates on her identity and practices:
Heiði hana hétu, hvars til húsa kom,
vǫlu velspá, vitti hon ganda;
seið hon kunni, seið hon leikin,
æ var hon angan illrar brúðar.
Heiðr they called her, wherever she came to houses,
a seeress of good prophecies, she drummed up spirits;
she knew sorcery, she practised sorcery while possessed,
she was ever the delight of an evil bride.
These lines depict Gullveig's arrival as a wandering seeress skilled in and (a form of Norse sorcery), where her name evokes connotations of and intoxicating power. The description emphasizes Gullveig's physical and ritualistic torment by the : she is impaled on spears (geirum studdu) and burned thrice in the hall of Hárr (a name for ) despite being "thrice-born" (þrysvar borna), underscoring a motif of repeated immolation that fails to destroy her. This cyclical burning serves as a symbolic representation of her supernatural resilience, portraying the act not merely as punishment but as a failed to eradicate her influence, thereby heightening the tension of her enduring presence among the gods.

Events and Aftermath

Following her third immolation in the hall of Hárr (Óðinn), Gullveig survives and is reborn, thereafter known as , a wandering völva skilled in —a form of Norse sorcery associated with and manipulation. As described in stanza 22, Heiðr visits human homes, offering favorable divinations and invoking spirits through ecstatic practices, thereby exerting a corrupting influence that particularly appeals to "an evil bride," suggesting her role in spreading moral decay among mortals. The 's repeated failures to eradicate Gullveig through burning and spearing provoke divine deliberation on whether to offer reparations or share tribute, but these efforts ultimately fail to curb her enduring presence. This escalation directly precipitates the outbreak of hostilities between the and the , as Óðinn hurls his spear to initiate the conflict, marking the first war among the gods in stanzas 23–24. Within the Eddic cosmology of , Gullveig's torment and rebirth represent an early rupture in the harmonious order of the gods, framing the poem's prophetic arc from cosmic creation through escalating divine and human strife to the cataclysm of . This narrative thread underscores themes of inevitable conflict, positioning the as a precursor to the apocalyptic events foretold by the seeress.

Scholarly Interpretations

Connections to Freyja

Scholars including E.O.G. Turville-Petre have identified Gullveig with the goddess , emphasizing their common affiliation and proficiency in , a form of Norse magic associated with and fate manipulation. Turville-Petre posits that Gullveig's portrayal in Völuspá as a practitioner of aligns closely with 's attributes, stating, "Gullveig can hardly be other than , the Vanadis and foremost goddess of the ," and suggesting that her arrival in introduced corrupting influences like greed and that echoed 's heritage. Similarly, Rudolf Simek supports this equivalence in his analysis, linking Gullveig to through shared motifs of gold symbolism and expertise, which tie both to traditions of and sorcery. Supporting evidence draws from additional texts, such as Ynglinga Saga, which attributes the introduction of to the directly to as a import: "Njord's daughter Freya was priestess of the sacrifices, and first taught the Asaland people the magic art, as it was in use and fashion among the Vanaland people." Gold associations further bolster the connection; Gullveig's name, interpreted as "gold-power" or "gold-intoxication," evokes themes of wealth and corruption, paralleling 's ownership of the necklace—a golden artifact symbolizing beauty and desire—and her mythological tears of red gold shed in mourning for her absent husband . However, John Lindow offers a nuanced , viewing the identification as plausible yet not conclusive due to distinctions in their depictions and the absence of explicit textual linkage. Lindow notes that while Ynglinga Saga credits with bringing to the , making an overlap with Gullveig "not impossible," the figures remain separate in the sources, with Freyja embodying a multifaceted divine role and Gullveig appearing as a more singularly disruptive seeress. This scholarly debate underscores the interpretive challenges in equating the two based on thematic parallels rather than direct attestation.

Role in the Æsir–Vanir War

In the poem Völuspá from the Poetic Edda, Gullveig's arrival among the Æsir functions as the narrative catalyst for the Æsir–Vanir War. The text describes her as a figure associated with magic and gold, whom the Æsir seize, spear, and burn three times in Odin's hall, yet she resurrects each time as Heiðr, practicing sorcery (seiðr) and divination in human households. This act of violence provokes the Vanir, who perceive it as an affront, leading them to retaliate with war against the Æsir; the conflict ends in a stalemate, resulting in a truce marked by the exchange of hostages such as Njörðr and Freyr from the Vanir to the Æsir. Scholars interpret this episode symbolically as a mythological representation of tensions between the 's emphasis on order, , and and the 's domains of , , and esoteric , with Gullveig embodying the disruptive intrusion of practices into society. Hilda Ellis Davidson, in her analysis of , highlights how the reflects a broader cultural synthesis, where Gullveig's torment underscores the 's initial rejection of before its eventual integration through the peace settlement. More recent scholarship connects Gullveig's story to historical-economic shifts in . Lotte Hedeager argues that Gullveig, whose name evokes "gold-intoxication" or "golden power," symbolizes the transformative impact of gold hoards and networks during the (c. AD 400–600), when influxes of Roman and Hunnic gold disrupted traditional economies and social structures, paralleling the mythological as a for cultural and material upheaval.
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.