Myth Tidbits
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Hrungnir's Heart
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Hrungnir's Heart will be familiar to anyone who has read the story of Thor's Duel with Hrungnir in Snorri Sturluson's Edda, a giant with a whetstone and a shield who fought with the Norse thunder god Thor. Can you find Hrungnir’s Heart in the memorial stone to the left? This is a particularly good stone because it shows three triangular forms. Hrungnir’s Heart is described in Snorri’s Edda as being "spikey with three points" and used as a carved symbol. Try checking again.
This description closely fits the one shown in the lower left, beneath the steering board. The other two are known as the Valknut (left) and the Triquetra (right). Although these latter two are often today associated with Odin, this is because the figure atop a horse on the memorial stones is often mistakenly thought to be this Norse god. They very well seem to symbolize some sort of divine energy or power, but are not specifically associated with Odin. While the commonly made identification of Hrungnir's Heart with the Valknut (that is a part of every internet reference) is certainly mistaken.[1]
[1] The Valknut is not only specifically holds a different purpose as a symbol, but it does not well fit the description, not having three points.
The website of Gotland Stones, from which this image was retrieved, is listed on the Links page.
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Northern Calendar
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The original months among the Germans and Celts started in the middle of our present months. In Scandinavia it was the Thursday between the 9thand 15thof the month. Their month was likely based upon the span between New Moons, but then assigned dates to make it reconcile with the solar year.[1] Then the fixed date of the 13th of the month was adopted, as still followed for St. Lucia Day (December 13) and St. Knut’s Day (January13).
The first day of the year would be the Thursday between the 9th and 15th of October. Taking this as October 13th, the regular year was divided into three principle divisions of four months: the first spanning from October 13 to February 13, the second from February 13 to June 13, the third from June 13 to October 13. The year was also divided into two-month tides: the one spanning November 13 to January 13 called Yule and the one spanning May 13 to July 13 called Lid. Then there were the months of the year, starting on October 13, according to Snorri: slaughter-month, frost-month, ram-month, Thorri, Goi, single-month, cuckoo-month and seed-time, egg-time and lamb-fold-time, sun-month and pasturing-month, hay-making, grain-reaping, and harvest-month.[2] (Faulkes 1987)
first Tide harvest-month Sep. 13
slaughter-month Oct. 13 Winter’s Day (New Year’s Day)
Yule Tide frost-month Nov. 13
ram-month Dec. 13 (St. Lucia Day)
third Tide Thorri Jan. 13 Midwinter’s Day (Nöku Night)
Goi Feb. 13 primary blöt festival
fourth Tide single-month Mar. 13
cuckoo/seed-time Apr. 13 Summer’s Day
Lid Tide egg/lamb-time May 13
sun/pasture-month Jun. 13 “in summer” (Thing held)
sixth Tide hay-making Jul. 13 Midsummer’s Day
grain-reaping Aug. 13
Later, certain dates were reassigned to correspond to the solstices: Midsummer’s Day changed to June 24-25 and Midwinter’s Day changed to December 24-25. The other festivals seem not to have changed until some were moved to correspond to acceptable Christian days.
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Tide Bits
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For those who know the first thing about the ancient European calendar, it was divided up into 2-month intervals called “tides”. There are also the divisions of months and between summer and winter. It was Bede who recorded that among the Anglo-Saxons, who represented one Germanic branch, that they recognized tides by the names of Giuli and Litha. While Nigel Pennick bemoaned the absence of a complete account of all tide names I consider it now that only two of them were ever named. The reason for this traces to the origins of the two words: Giuli is well-known under its equivalent Yule, which is the original winter festival of Europe before Christmas took its place. In the Nordic languages Yule is still the word for Christmas such as the Swedish “God Jul”. The origin of the word Yule has not been specifically known, but it is most commonly explained as arising from “wheel”, where the year was equated with a turning wheel, while Litha is thought to mean Moon (Grigsby 2005). This is perhaps more telling, since this provides a way of tracing both names. The Anglo-Saxon Litha tide would probably have been among the Norse known as Lid tide and as said before Giuli is Yule. Both of these center on the two most important yearly festivals based upon the two solstices, so it is apparent that Yule derives not from wheel but from Sol, the Sun, just as Litha derives from the same root as Luna, the Moon.
Thus it seems that the two most important tides were named after the two most important heavenly bodies, but were the other four tides named after lesser ones, such as the planets Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn? It is possible, based too upon the collection of month names preserved within Bede, that the other tides were perhaps not important enough to hold individual names. It is of course possible they did, but that it could just as well be that the other tides were simply called Before and After. Thus to summarize, the Nordic division of the year into tides were simply:
Before Lid
Lid
After Lid
Before Yule
Yule
After Yule
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Cosmology
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Anyone knowledgeable about Eddic Mythology is well aware of the cosmology presented based upon the dismemberment of the giant Ymir. This, however, constitutes only one view and apparently the most common within the final manifestation of Nordic and Icelandic mythology. The cosmologies of these different traditions are explored and uncovered in the paper “Yggdrasill and Ymir’s Skull: The Cosmologies of Nordic Myth”.
Later traditions put the realm of the gods Asgard in the sky, while earlier times when the gods were regarded as the Sun and the Moon, they were believed to inhabit both the heavens and the underworld. The Sun is sometimes imagined to have gone into the water and below the world causing the swamps to glow, recalled in the fen-hall of Frigg - a later Norse form of the former Germanic Sun-goddess Bertha. The Moon was to have served the same purpose, thus the origin of the name Fenris, and of jack-o’-lantern and will-o’-wisp (ignis fatuus).
Earlier the realm that was of primary focus was that of the Otherworld or Underworld, the realm of the dead, that was placed to the north and down, which would place it at the North Pole, with the Pole Star at the apex of the World Tree. The first mortal, a giant who drank mead there, was considered king of the underworld, and is variously represented as a primeval giant, discussed in the paper “Source of the Primeval Giant: Recreating the Mimir Myth”. This position does not easily suggest a specific form of the world, but it is merely descriptive of what it appears to be. They did think, according to one of the traditions, that the Milky Way must have been the path to this Otherworld.
Around Midgard, the world men knew and inhabited, and the World Tree, the earth was surrounded by an ocean and beyond this was some sort of deep dark woods. This was likely thought to continue beyond the edge of the World Tree, thus beyond the known universe, and so this was an area unknown to them called Utgard or Outer World. This seems to have been a realm of demons, often described as giants within the mythology. This might have established concepts of the power of life within the World Tree versus the realm of evil spirits beyond.
Iotunheim or Giantland itself appears to have been an altogether different realm that existed adjacent to Midgard, although often later confounded with Utgard, and Utgard with the Underworld. It is also not at all clear whether certain of the giants were just mythical manifestations or might have been real beings who lived off to the east at some point in human memory.
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Primeval Giant
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The paper “Source of the Primeval Giant” on the Mythology page details the relationship between the varying forms of the primordial giant, most recognizable as the Norse Ymir (Hindu Yama, Persian Yima). It is often held that Ymir and Brimir were identical, which is presumed from how he holds an equivalent role as Ymir in “Voluspa”. While well accepted it also seems to be well verified from how Yima is described:
As the Avesta knows of Yima, son of Vivanghvant, so the Veda speaks of Yama, son of Vivasvant. As Yima is the chief of a remote kingdom, a marvelous realm where there is neither cold nor suffering, so Yama is the ruler of the fathers, the departed souls, with whom he revels in a huge tree. (Keith 1964: 312)
And compares to what is said of Brimir in Voluspa:
To the north there stood on Dark-of-moon Plains,
a hall of gold, of the lineage of Sindri;
and another stood on Never-cooled Plain,
the beer-hall of the giant who is called Brimir.
(Larrington 1999: 9)
Here the realm of Yima without cold is the same as the “never-cold” place of Brimir, while the tree would also be the same as the World Tree. The locaiton of the land of the dead to the north and down places it at the North Pole, the point above would be the apex of of the tree, the North Star. The image of a giant under a tree drinking mead is the very same as that encompassed in Mimir.
The “proto-giant Ymir as the earth-born hermaphorodite ancestor of the race of man” and “Tuisco (the actual manuscript reading) can also be traced back etymologically to the same basic meaning.” (Simek 1993: 336) Within Persian mythology it was Yima who first pressed the sacred drink haoma (soma) (Boyce 1990: 71) The name Billing (alternate of Gilling) also means “hermaphrodite” and is the giant who is killed and whose son Suttung thus acquires the Mead of Poetry. Thus there is another link between the primal giant and the mead, as there is between Mimir and the mead and, generally speaking, a link between Yima and the Moon as the haoma (soma).
The primal giant was the king of the otherworld and thus shares a certain correspondence with the diety of fire, the Norse Loki and the Hindu Agni. “It is certain that in the Veda Yama is often treated as a god. He is the friend of Agni and sometimes is identified with him.” (Keith 1964: 313) It is not clear whether at some point the Otherworld and the Underworld were distinct, most often throughout the mythology they are equated.
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Nine Heavens
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The tail-end of Snorri’s Edda Skaldskaparmal lists nine heavens above the world: the lowest is known as Vindblain (wind-dark), Heidthornir (clouded-brightness), and Hregg-Mimir (storm-Mimir), the second is Andlang (extended), the third is Vidblain (wide-dark), the fourth is Vidfedmir (wide-embracer), the fifth is Hriod (coverer), the sixth is Hlyrnir (twin-lit), the seventh is Gimir (fiery or jeweled), the eighth is Vet-Mimir (winter-Mimir), and the ninth is Skatyrnir (rich-wetter), that is higher than the clouds and beyond all worlds.
These are interesting since they do not appear to be mere poetic or spiritual concepts, but some can be traced directly to real phenomena. The interesting first question is the use of the name Mimir in the composition of names, and here it can be assumed through Mimir’s association with the well. It seems that just as the term for a sword “flesh-Mimir” means blood, the term for heaven “storm-Mimir” means rain, and “winter-Mimir” means ice. So the name Mimir is used as a substitute for “water”. The rest also appear to relate to physical objects, “twin-lit” most clearly represents the Sun and the Moon, while jeweled would be the stars. Some are less clear, such as “extended” or “coverer”, but suggestions come to mind. These are summarized in the table below.
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order |
Norse name |
translation |
object |
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9 |
Skatyrnir |
rich-wetter |
water |
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8 |
Vet-Mimir |
winter-water (ice) |
firmament |
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7 |
Gimir |
fiery/jeweled |
stars |
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6 |
Hlyrnir |
twin-lit |
Sun and Moon |
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5 |
Hriod |
coverer |
clouds |
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4 |
Vidfedmir |
wide-embracer |
Milky Way |
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3 |
Vidblain |
wide-dark |
night |
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2 |
Andlang |
extended |
day |
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1 |
Vindblain
Heidthornir
Hregg-Mimir |
wind-dark
clouded-brightness
storm-water (rain) |
storms |
This presents an understanding of the world that is quite a bit more complex than that typically represented within Norse mythology, and could represent a later or even Medieval conception of the universe to the Norse people. It perhaps represents one with more of an influence from the increased understanding gained from other cultures as the Norse spread throughout Europe, especially in Constantinople, which is especially revealed in the notion of a firmament with water on the far side which is the often-made (reversed) explanation in early history as to why the sky appears blue like water.
The conception of a firmament builds around the concept that the universe comprises a sort of bubble within a boundless space of water, with a flat earth on the top and an underworld on the bottom, so that then all viewed objects in the sky must exist beneath this firmament. Often seen as being stone, or rather crystal, here it is taken to be ice, or at least ice-like. Then the clear order that places the Sun and the Moon below the stars, since they clearly pass before them. The lowest also are the thunderclouds, which appear to run lowest. It perhaps makes less sense to put the clouds above the Milky Way, but their view might have placed this path more in proximity to the Earth. If these are placed correctly, “wide-dark” then appears to mean night and thus it is a good guess to presume “extended” applied to the difficult concept of the glow of light during the day.
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One from Three: Thor's Journey to Utgard
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The story in Snorri’s Edda known as ‘Thor’s Journey to Utgard’ is made up of three distinct episodes, which were clearly combined at some time from earlier written forms, either by an unknown redactor or by Snorri himself. It should be possible to extract out the original form of the three episodes as they appeared within the earlier versions.
Thor’s Goats
The first part of ‘Thor’s Journey to Utgard’ is about his arrival at the home of a peasant farmer where he serves out his goats for dinner and then brings them back to life the next morning, wherein the peasant farmer remains unnamed but might be equated with the Egil, mentioned in ‘Hymiskvida’.
They went out that day a long way
from Asgard, until they came to Egil.
He secured their goats with splendid horns,
they went on to the hall which Hymir owned.
…
They had not gone far, before Thor’s goat
collapsed, half-dead, in front of them;
the draught-beast was lamed in its bones,
this the wicked Loki had caused.
But you have heard this already–anyone wiser about the gods
may tell it more clearly–
how he got recompense from the dweller on the lava,
how he paid for it with both his children.
(Larrington 1999: 79,83)
The story of Thor’s goats seems to be well placed when they arrive at Egil’s, but the end of the poem, that says the giant (‘dweller on the lava’) paid with both his children, leaves some question as to whether the giant meant is Egil or Loki. But it leaves no doubt as to Loki having been responsible for the deed, and who may have been Thor’s original companion or the “peasant” in the tale.
This issue seems impossible to entirely resolve due to a lack of any further knowledge of the significance of Hymir and of Hymir in relation to Tyr. Since the episode with the Midgard Serpent is incorporated from an original tale (as told in Snorri) the other in ‘Hymiskvida’ is that of the cauldron, which might indicate why the unlikely companions Thor and Tyr are together here, that in combining the two tales about Hymir, one featuring Thor and the other Tyr, that it was simple just to have them travel together to Hymir.
It also must be accepted that there was a different version of the goat story in which Loki, rather than Thialfi, was responsible for breaking the leg bone; Loki’s name of “thief of goat” in ‘Skaldskaparmal’ might refer to this. This episode ‘Thor’s Goats’ is designated from the opening line: “[Once,] Oku-Thor set off with his goats and chariot” and ends with “they then became Thor’s bond servants and they have attended him ever since.” As with the mention of Egil it continues: “He left the goats behind there and started on his way out across the great deep sea.”
Skrymir
The second episode in ‘Thor’s Journey to Utgard’ is that of the giant Skrymir. Here it is clear that Thor was originally the only one who was travelling in Giantland. There is mention in ‘Lokasenna’ of this when Loki says:
‘Your journeys in the east you should never
brag of before men,
since in the thumb of a glove you crouched cowering,
you hero!
And that was hardly like Thor.’
(Larrington 1999: 94)
Also the mention is made in ‘Harbard’s Song’, where Skrymir is referred to as Fialar:
‘Thor has quite enough strength, and no guts;
in fear and cowardice you were stuffed in a glove,
and you didn’t then seem like Thor;
you dared in your terror neither
to sneeze nor fart in case Fialar might hear.’
(Larrington 1999: 73)
Thus the presence of Loki and Thialfi on this journey would have been a later addition, as they don’t have any role in the story.
This episode ‘Skrymir’ would begin with the line (adjusted to include only Thor): “[Thor] started on his journey east to Giantland and all the way to the sea”, but some amendments need to be made towards the end. Rather than holding off on the revelations about the magic involved, the final section can be reconstructed in the following manner:
“Can there be some birds sitting in the tree above me? I am sure as I awoke that some rubbish from the branches fell on my head. Are you awake, Thor? It must be time to get up and dress.”
And when they were parting, Skrymir said to Thor: “Now you shall be told the truth, for I have deceived you by appearances. When you tried to undo the knapsack I had fastened it with trick wire, and you could not find where it had to be unfastened. And next you struck me three blows with your hammer, and the first was the smallest and yet it was so hard that it would have been enough to kill me if it had struck its mark. But you see this table-mountain, and down in it you see three square valleys, one deepest of all, these were the marks of your hammer. I moved the table-mountain in front of your blows, but you did not notice.”
Skrymir took the knapsack and threw it on his back and turned abruptly away from him into the forest, and there is no report that the Aesir expressed hope for a happy reunion. (adapted from Faulkes 1987: 40-45)
The section that needs to be removed is where Skrymir points out to Thor how to get to Utgard and suggests how he should not be too boastful when visiting the giant king Loki:
“And you do not now have very far to go on to the castle called Utgard. I have heard you whispering among yourselves that I am a person of no small build, but you will see bigger men there if you get into Utgard. Now I will give you some good advice: don’t act big. Utgarda-Loki’s men will not easily put up with impudence the from babies like you. Otherwise turn back, and that I think will be the better course for you to take. But if you are determined to go on, then make for the east, but my road now lies to the north to these mountains that you should be able to see.” (adapted from Faulkes 1987: 40)
This would be the addition to combine the Skrymir story with the Utgarda-Loki story.
Utgarda-Loki
The final episode is the actual arrival in Utgard, which might have had an introduction that was removed or shortened. It can be started easily by picking up the action at the end of the Skrymir story:
Thor continued his journey and went on until midday. Then he saw a castle standing on some open ground and had to bend his head back to touch his spine before he could see up over. (adapted from Faulkes 1987: 40)
The myth originally would have been one to test Thor’s strength against the giant-king Utgarda-Loki. Certainly as Thor was the one to be tested, the contests with Thailfi and Loki are later additions. Thus the entire section that runs from “Then the one who was in the rear of the party, which was Loki” to “Then everyone said that this contest was decided.” can be removed to restore the original context. The end of the tale can be reconstructed in this manner:
And as they parted, Utgarda-Loki spoke to Thor and asked how he thought his expedition had gone, and whether he had come up against any person more powerful than himself. Thor said that he could not claim that he had not suffered great loss of face in their encounter.
“And moreover I know that you will say that I am a person of little account, and it is that which irks me.”
Then spoke Utgarda-Loki: “Now that you have come outside the castle, if I live and can have my way you shall never again come into it. And I swear by my faith that you never would have come into it if I had known before that you had such great strength in you, and that you were going to bring us so close to great disaster.
“For when you were drinking from the horn…that old age will not bring them all down. And the truth I must tell you now is that we must part, and it will now be better on both sides that you do not come to see me again. I shall again next time defend my castle with similar tricks or with others so that you will not get any power over me.” (adapted from Faulkes 1987: 45-46)
There also remains singular pronouns when they should be plural, which indicates that Thor was originally the only participant, at the end of the tale when it says:
And when Thor heard this speech he snatched up his hammer and swung it in the air, but when he was about to bring it down then he found he could nowhere see Utgarda-Loki. And then he turned back towards the castle, intending to smash the castle. Then all he saw there was a wide and beautiful open landscape, but no castle. Then he turned back and went on his way until he got back to Thrudvangar. (adapted from Faulkes 1987: 46)
So Utgarda-Loki is another name for Loki when in his outer-world dwelling, and thus for the reconstruction the name Loki could be substituted for Utgarda-Loki throughout the tale. Later, when the god Loki became Thor’s companion on this visit, a distinction was made by the redactor by renaming the original Loki of the story as Utgarda-Loki, but the narrative never implies a connection between these two manifestations of Loki, nor would it be expected.
Although Tyr is the god who accompanies Thor, MacCulloch suggests that it is merely’ tyr’, meaning ‘god’, and thus the god may have been Loki.
There is no mythological justification for the pairing of these two gods.
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Reconstructions
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In completing the book on Norse mythology, dealing with the lacunae within the Poetic Edda I believed needed to be addressed. As a result some time was spent to attempt an accurate reconstruction or “fill-ins” for the missing pieces. Although it is clear we cannot retrieve the actual words, unless other copies of the work are located, one can at least avoid the representation of the absences with gaps or ellipses that disrupt the flow of the narrative and hinder reading for someone not specifically absorbed in scholarship. This has been done to fill the gaps within “Voluspa”, “Havamal”, “Hymiskvida” and “Rigsthula” to fit within Carolyne Larrington’s translation. Every attempt has been made to keep them as accurate as possible to the original meaning or intent, escaping the exact phrasing, but I hope it will make the reading experience more enjoyable. Within the next couple years I hope that I’ll be able to complete this work with a poetic reconstruction of the Sigurd poems using the Saga of the Volsungs. Also included here are minor "fill-ins" for Anthony Faulkes' translation of Shorri's Edda and the Anglo-Saxon Heliand.
Voluspa lacuna:
Then all the Powers went to the thrones of fate, the sacrosanct gods, and considered this: the dwarfs had made their homes under
the earth, and there was no one now to inhabit the land.
Until three gods, strong and loving, came from that company to the world; they found on land Ash and Embla, capable of little, lacking in fate.
(Larrington 1999: 6)
Havamal lacuna:
Every man wise in counsel should use his power in moderation; for when he mingles with warriors he finds out that no one is boldest of all.
Every man wise in counsel should use his power in moderation; for those words which one man says to another, often he gets paid back.
(Larrington 1999: 23)
Hymiskvida lacuna #1:
That slayer of ogres broke from the bull
the horns’ high meadow, tore off its head.
With his prize he did not dawdle,
and the sprite lad made haste to the shore.
Hymir already had his boat set into the sea.
Thor leapt inside and took his place in the stern.
The old giant took to the wave-beaters,
and the goat-driver handled two himself,
No small push Hymir felt from this,
that took them far out at once.
‘We have gone far enough, so put up your oars,
for this is a fine spot for flatfish.’
‘This will not be the best place for finding
the largest fish to be caught.’
The cauldron’s owner took to his paddles,
then in dread, held back his movements.
‘No farther should we go, for we would be
within the domain of the long earth-encircler.’
That strong and fearless boy, the hammer-wielder,
dug his oars so deep that from them whirlpools sprung.
‘Your deed seems much worse,
steersman of ships, than if you had sat still quietly.’
(Larrington 1999: 80)
Hymiskvida lacuna #2:
The sea-wolf shrieked and the underwater rocks re-echoed,
all the ancient earth was collapsing.
The deep-dweller lifted its head in a fury,
and foaming waves splashed into and out of the boat.
Then the giant lost his color, and went white,
at thoughts of perishing in that black boiling sea.
With a full grip on giants’-grief, the lad brought it high.
Then making a grab for his bait knife,
the mad giant cut the taut line at the board.
Thrud’s guardian threw his skull-mallet then,
striking the serpent’s high hill of hair,
then that fish sank into the sea.
(Larrington 1999: 81)
Rigsthula lacuna:
Rig was able to give them advice;
moreover he sat in the middle of the bench,
and the couple of the household on either side.
Then Grandmother took out plates,
and set them out on the table,
with metal knives and forks.
Then served a loaf of rye, made of whole meal,
good beef and choice boiled pork in broth,
with goat cheese and full flagons of beer.
Rig was able to give them some advice.
He rose from the table, got ready for bed;
on top of that he lay in the middle of the bed,
with the couple of the household on either side.
(Larrington 1999: 248)
Snorra Edda:
Haki was burned on a pyre where shield’s sea-animals
waded surf-tracks.
(Faulkes 1987: 143)
I think the gleeds felled swift steeds of Glammi’s track.
The prince so kindled eagle-feeder’s funeral sticks.
(Faulkes 1987: 143)
Sigmund was the first prince.
Noble Kraki sowed gold.
We heard that Haki waged war in his time.
Sigurd gave the serpent wounds.
(Faulkes 1987: 217)
Heliand:
I know the minds of the peoples, the different feelings and attitudes of mankind, the different ways that he will be persuaded. Some people’s whole mind and concern is more on how they can hold onto their hoard than how they can accomplish the will of the King of Heaven.
(Murphy 1992: 83)
Some of the Jewish people were extremely angry – they were cruel-minded, viscious-spirited and hateful. Because of their enmity they did not want to believe His words, but instead waged war mightily against the power of Christ. As a result of this wretched conflict, the people were not able to arrive at a firm grasp of faith in Him.
(Murphy 1992: 139)
He told them not to let deep thoughts weigh upon them. “Do not let your hearts cloud up because of your Chieftan’s words, do not be too frightened.
(Murphy 1992: 155)
The next morning many of the hateful Jewish people were assembled by the clan leaders who had made it known that they were holding a secret meeting.
(Murphy 1992: 190)
“Why are you walking along so sadly,” He said, “are you both in mourning, your spirits filled with sorrow?” The earls immediately spoke to Him in reply and gave this answer, “How can You ask this question,” they said, “are You from Jerusalem, are You of the Jewish people [and yet do not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning the powerful Christ, who was a great Chieftain mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and rulers of the Jews delivered him up to be condemned to death, crucified him, hanged him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel and the middle world. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see.” And he said to them, “O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the sacred writing the things concerning himself. So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, but they constrained him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?”
And they rose that same hour and returned to hill-fort Jerusalem. On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, and they found the eleven gathered together at table and those who were with them, who said, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread, but they did not believe them. As they were saying this, Christ himself, the great Cheiftain, stood among them. And He came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” But they were startled and frightened, and supposed that they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do questionings rise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And while they still disbelieved for joy, and wondered, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them. When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. The Ruler’s Son said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when He came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.” Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Christ came and stood among them, and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.” Thomas answered him, “My Chieftain and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
Then he said to them, “These are my words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the songs must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead.” And he said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go into all the world and preach God’s spell, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. That repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. You are witnesses of these things. I am with you always, to the close of the age. And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city, until you are clothed in] the Holy Spirit from the meadows of heaven with the great power of God. Then He led His followers out, away from there, until He brought them to Bethany. There He lifted up His hands and hallowed all of them and consecrated them with His words. He then set off from there, upward, and went to the high heavenly kingdom and His holy throne. He is seated there on the right side of God, the all-mighty Father, and from there the ruling Christ observes everything that happens in the whole world.
On that same site, the good warrior-companions fell to prayer and then they went back to the hill-fort at Jerusalem – the followers of Christ were rejoicing! Their minds were happy as they stood in the shrine. The Ruler’s strength [filled his followers, and they went forth and preached everywhere God’s spell, while their powerful Cheiftain worked with them and confirmed the message by the great signs that attended it.] And thus we end our tale; now go in peace.
(Murphy 1992: 197-198, supplemented by the Gospels, RSV)
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Mimir Myth Immersive Show
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Illustrations from the Mimir Myth show are below:
 
 
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Sources
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Boyce, Mary. Textual Sources for the Study of Zoroastrianism. 1984. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1990.
Grigsby, John. Beowulf & Grendel. London: Watkins, 2005.
Keith, A. Berriedale & Carnoy, Albert J. Mythology of All Races. Vol VI (Indian, Iranian). New York : Cooper Square Publishers, 1964.
Larrington, Carolyne, trans. The Poetic Edda. 1996. New York: Oxford, 1999.
Murphy, G. Ronald, trans. The Heliand: The Saxon Gospel. New York: Oxford, 1992.
Simek, Rodolf. Dictionary of Northern Mythology. 1984. Suffolk:D.S.Brewer, 1993.
Sturluson, Snorri. Edda. Trans. Ed. Anthony Faulkes. London: Everyman, 1987.
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