Rivers in Norse mythology
In
Norse mythology
,
Elivagar
(
Old Norse
:
[?eːle?w?ː??z?]
; "Ice Waves") are rivers that existed in
Ginnungagap
at the beginning of the world. The
Prose Edda
relates:
The streams called Ice-waves, those which were so long come from the fountain-heads that the
yeasty atter
upon them had hardened like the slag that runs out of the fire,-these then became ice; and when the ice halted and ceased to run, then it froze over above. But the drizzling rain that rose from the venom congealed to
rime
, and the rime increased, frost over frost, each over the other, even into Ginnungagap, the Yawning Void.
Gylfaginning
5.
[1]
The eleven rivers traditionally associated with the Elivagar include the Svol, Gunnþra, Fjorm, Fimbulþul,
Sliðr
, Hrið, Sylgr, Ylgr,
Við
, Leiptr and
Gjoll
(which flows closest to the gate of
Hel
and is spanned by the bridge
Gjallarbru
), although many other additional rivers are mentioned by name in both Eddas.
The rivers seem to act as borders between differing lands whether between the gods and the giants
[2]
or between the mythological world and mortal world.
[3]
The Elivagar also figure in the origin of
Ymir
, the first
giant
. According to
Vafthrudnismal
, Ymir was formed from the poison that dripped from the rivers.
In
Gylfaginning
,
Snorri
expands upon this notion considerably. As quoted above, when the venomous yeast from the Elivagar froze to ice and overspread its banks it fell as rain through the mild air of Ginnungagap. The rime, infused with the cold of
Niflheim
from which the Elivagar find their source in the wellspring
Hvergelmir
, began to fill the void. It then combined with the life-giving fire and heat of
Muspelheim
, melting and dripping and giving form to Ymir, progenitor of the rime giants or frost giants.
Elsewhere,
Gylfaginning
says that, "So many serpents are in Hvergelmir with
Nidhogg
that no tongue can tell them." These serpents are presumably the source of the venom or poison referred to in the myth.
A reference to the river Leiptr appears in
Helgakviða Hundingsbana II
, where the
Valkyrie
Sigrun
puts a curse on her brother Dagr for having murdered her husband
Helgi Hundingsbane
despite him having sworn a holy oath of allegiance to Helgi on the "bright water of Leiptr" (
ljosa Leiftrar vatni
):
Þik skyli allir
eiðar bita
,
þeir er Helga
hafðir unna
at inu ljosa
Leiftrar vatni
ok at ursvolum
Unnarsteini
.
[4]
|
Now may every
oath thee bite
That with Helgi
sworn thou hast,
By the water
bright of Leipt,
And the ice-cold
stone of
Uth
.
[5]
|
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References
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edit
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Locations
| Underworld
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Rivers
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Other locations
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Events
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Sources
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Society
| Religious practice
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Festivals and holy periods
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See also
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