Atter is an older Germanic term for "poisonous bodily fluid", especially venom of a venomous animal, such as a snake, dragon or other reptile, but also other vile corrupt or morbid substance from the body, such as pus from a sore or wound, as well as bitter substance, such as bile.[1][2][3] Figuratively, it can also mean moral corruption or corruptness; noxious or corrupt influence, poison to the soul, evil, anger, envy, hatred; as well as destruction and death.[1][3]
Today, atter is commonly associated with the Norse mythology, where it plays an important role in various contexts – see subsequent section: §In Norse mythology.
While mostly archaic or archaized in English, the word lives on with some strength in other languages. The Icelandic form eitur is the common word for “poison”, while the Swedish form etter is a word for “venom”, as well as the full poetic meaning in dialectal and archaized language.[3] The German form Eiter and the Dutch form etter are the common word for “pus”.
Its derivative, attery means "venomous", "poisonous" or "bitter".[6] It is also found in compound nouns such as the now dialectal term for a spider attercop (literally "atter-top" or "atter-cup"), cognate with Norwegian: edderkop and Danish: edderkop, and atterlothe, meaning "an antidote to poison".[7][8][9][10]
In Norse mythology
"Eitr" redirects here. For for the similarly named Norse dwarf, see Eitri.
In Nordic mythology, Asgard is a location associated with the gods. It appears in several Old Norse sagas and mythological texts, including the Eddas, however it has also been suggested to be referred to indirectly in some of these sources. It is described as the fortified home of the Æsir gods and is often associated with gold imagery and contains many other locations known in Nordic mythology such as Valhöll, Iðavöllr and Hlidskjálf.
Breiðablik is the home of Baldr in Nordic mythology.
The terms Jötunheimr or Jötunheimar refer to either a land or multiple lands respectively in Nordic mythology inhabited by the jötnar.
The Norns are deities in Norse mythology responsible for shaping the course of human destinies.
In Norse cosmology, Vanaheimr is a location associated with the Vanir, a group of gods themselves associated with fertility, wisdom, and the ability to see the future.
In Norse mythology, Þrúðgelmir is a jötunn, the son of the primordial jötunn Aurgelmir, and the father of Bergelmir. Þrúðgelmir had one brother and one sister, who were elder than he was. Þrúðgelmir's name is sometimes anglicized as Thrudgelmir. He may have been the jötunn born from Ymir's legs.
In Norse mythology, Vígríðr or Óskópnir is a large field foretold to host a battle between the forces of the gods and the forces of Surtr as part of the events of Ragnarök. The field is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional material, and in the Prose Edda, written by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century. The Poetic Edda briefly mentions the field as where the two forces will battle, whereas the Prose Edda features a fuller account, foretelling that it is the location of the future death of several deities before the world is engulfed in flames and reborn.
A jötunn is a type of being in Germanic mythology. In Norse mythology, they are often contrasted with gods and other non-human figures, such as dwarfs and elves, although the groupings are not always mutually exclusive. The entities included in jötunn are referred to by several other terms, including risi, þurs and troll if male and gýgr or tröllkona if female. The jötnar typically dwell across boundaries from the gods and humans in lands such as Jötunheimr.
In Norse mythology, Élivágar 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.
Sól or Sunna is the Sun personified in Germanic mythology. One of the two Old High German Merseburg Incantations, written in the 9th or 10th century CE, attests that Sunna is the sister of Sinthgunt. In Norse mythology, Sól is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson.
Narfi, also Nörfi, Nari or Nörr, is a jötunn in Norse mythology, and the father of Nótt, the personified night.
In Norse mythology, Sjöfn is a goddess associated with love. Sjöfn is attested in the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson; and in three kennings employed in skaldic poetry. Scholars have proposed theories about the implications of the goddess.
In Nordic mythology, Austri, Vestri, Norðri and Suðri ; are four dwarfs who hold up the sky after it was made by the gods from the skull of the jötunn Ymir. They are referred to both in Gylfaginning in the Prose Edda and in kennings. They have been further linked to dvergar ("dwarfs"), supports for the main beam of some halls, that are likely named due to the roof being seen as a reflection of the sky in Old Nordic religion.
In Norse mythology, Þrúðvangr is a field where the god Thor resides. The field is attested in the Prose Edda and in Heimskringla, both written by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century.
In Norse mythology, Himinbjörg is the home of the god Heimdallr. Himinbjörg is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda and Heimskringla, both written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. Himinbjörg is associated with Heimdallr in all sources. According to the Poetic Edda, Heimdallr dwells there as watchman for the gods and there drinks fine mead, whereas in the Prose Edda Himinbjörg is detailed as located where the burning rainbow bridge Bifröst meets heaven. Scholars have commented on the differences between the two attestations and linked the name of the mythical location to various place names.
Glaðr is a horse in Nordic mythology. It is listed as among the horses of the Æsir ridden to Yggdrasil each morning in the Poetic Edda. The Prose Edda specifically refers to it as one of the horses of the Day, along with Skinfaxi.
In Norse mythology, Sága is a goddess associated with the location Sökkvabekkr. At Sökkvabekkr, Sága and the god Odin merrily drink as cool waves flow. Both Sága and Sökkvabekkr are attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and in the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. Scholars have proposed theories about the implications of the goddess and her associated location, including that the location may be connected to the goddess Frigg's fen residence Fensalir and that Sága may be another name for Frigg.
In Norse mythology, Sumarr and Vetr ("Winter") are personified seasons. Sumarr and Vetr, personified, are attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, composed or compiled in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. In both, the two are given genealogies, while in the Prose Edda the two figure into a number of kennings used by various skalds.
In Norse mythology, Narfi is a son of Loki, referred to in a number of sources. According to the Gylfaginning section of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, he was also called Nari and was killed by his brother Váli, who was transformed into a wolf; in a prose passage at the end of the Eddic poem "Lokasenna", Narfi became a wolf and his brother Nari was killed.
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