Gríðr

Last updated February 06, 2025 • 2 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Gríðr (Old Norse: [ˈɡriːðz̠] ; or Gríd) is a jötunn in Norse mythology. She is the mother of Víðarr the silent and the consort of Odin.^[1] Saturn's moon Gridr was named after her.

Name

The poetic Old Norse name Gríðr has been translated as "vehemence, violence, or impetuosity".^[2]^[3]^[4] Its etymology is unclear.^[2]

Attestations

Prose Edda

In Skáldskaparmál (The Language of Poetry), Gríðr is portrayed as equipping the thunder god Thor with her belt of strength, her iron glove, and her staff Gríðarvöl (Gríðr's-staff) on Thor's journey to the abode of Geirröðr.^[1]

Thor lodged for the night with a giantess called Grid. She was Víðarr the silent's mother. She told Thor the truth about Geirrod, that he was a cunning giant and awkward to deal with. She lent him a girdle of might and some iron gauntlets of hers, and her staff, called Grid's pole.
— Snorri Sturluson, Skáldskaparmál , 18, trans. A. Faulkes, 1987.

Gríðr is also mentioned in a list of troll-wives ("I shall list the names of troll-wives. Grid and Gnissa, Gryla...").^[5]

Skaldic poetry

Gríðarvöl (Gríðr's staff) is also mentioned in the poem Þórsdrápa by the late-10th-century skald Eilífr Goðrúnarson.^[6]

The feller of the dolphins of the steeps [giants] advanced with violent temper with Grid's pole.
— Eilífr Goðrúnarson, Þórsdrápa , trans. A. Faulkes, 1987.

Gríðr appears in 10th-century kennings for 'wolf' (the steed of troll-wife) and for 'axe' (that which is dangerous to the life-protector, i.e. shield or helmet).^[7]

Battle raged when the feeder of Grid's steed [wolf], he who waged war, advanced with ringing Gaut's [Odin's] fire. Weird rose from the well.
— Kormákr Ögmundarson, Skáldskaparmál 49, trans. A. Faulkes, 1987.

Riders [seafarers] of Ræfil's land's [sea's] horses [ships] can see how beautifully engraved dragons lie just by the brow of the Grid of the life-protector.
— Einarr Skúlason, Skáldskaparmál 49, trans. A. Faulkes, 1987.

Other texts

Saxo Grammaticus refers to her as Grytha, the wife of the legendary king Dan I of Denmark, "a lady whom the Teutons accorded the highest honour".^[8] A witch of the same name appears in Illuga saga Gríðarfóstra .^[9]

The family tree of legendary Kings of the Danes, according to the Gesta Danorum (Books I to VII)

Kings of the Danes are in bold and marked with an asterisk (*). Kings of the Swedes are marked with a dagger (†). Superscript numbers before a name indicate in which books of Gesta Danorum the individual is mentioned.

⁽¹⁾ Humble

KEY

⁽¹⁾ Angul

⁽¹⁾ Dan *

⁽¹⁾ Grytha

Marriage or coupling

Parent and child

The Angles

⁽¹⁾ Humble *

⁽¹⁾ Lother *

⁽¹⁾ King of the Saxons

Succession by other or unclear means

⁽¹⁾ Roar

⁽¹⁾ Sigtryg, King of the Swedes†

⁽¹⁾ Skiold *

⁽¹⁾ Alfhild

⁽¹⁾ daughter of Roar

⁽¹⁾ Bess

⁽¹⁾ sister of Gram

⁽¹⁾ Gróa

⁽¹⁾ Gram *†

⁽¹⁾ Sumble, King of the Finns

⁽¹⁾ Wagnhofde

⁽¹⁾ Signe

⁽¹⁾ Henry, King of the Saxons

⁽¹⁾ Hakon, King of the Nitherians

⁽¹⁾ Hardgrep

⁽¹⁾ Swipdag *†, King of Norway

⁽¹⁾ sister of Guthorm

⁽¹⁾ Guthorm *

^(1,2,5) Hadding *

⁽¹⁾ Ragnhild

⁽¹⁾ Asmund†

⁽¹⁾ Gunnhild

⁽¹⁾ Guthorm

^(1,2) Ulfhild

⁽²⁾Ubbe*

⁽¹⁾ Henry

⁽¹⁾ Uffe†

^(1,2) Hunding†

⁽²⁾ Thorhild

⁽²⁾ Scot

⁽¹⁾ daughter of Uffe

⁽²⁾ Ragnar†

⁽²⁾ Swanhwid

⁽²⁾ sisters of Swanhwid

⁽²⁾ Handwan

⁽²⁾ Thorwald

^(2,5) Frode *

⁽²⁾ daughter of Handwan

^(2,3) Hothbrodd†

⁽²⁾ Halfdan *

⁽²⁾ Ro

⁽²⁾ Skat

⁽²⁾ Thora

^(2,3) Helge *

⁽²⁾ Ro *

^(2,3) Athisl†

⁽²⁾ Urse

^(2,3) King Gewar

^(2,3) Rolf *† Krage

⁽²⁾ Rute

⁽²⁾ Bjarke

⁽²⁾ Skulde

^(2,3) Hiartuar †*

^(2,3) Hother †*

⁽³⁾ Nanna

⁽³⁾ Herlek

⁽³⁾ Gerit

⁽³⁾ former King of Britain

⁽³⁾ mother of the King of Britain

⁽³⁾ a slave

⁽³⁾ a bondmaid

⁽³⁾ Rorik *

⁽³⁾ Gerwendil

^(3,4) King of Britain

^(3,4) Queen of Britain

^(3,4) Gerutha

^(3,4) Horwendil

^(3,4) Feng

^(3,4) foster sister of Amleth

^(3,4) daughter of the King of Britain

^(3,4) Amleth

⁽⁴⁾ Hermutrude, Queen of Scotland

⁽⁴⁾ Wiglek *

⁽⁴⁾ son of Amleth

⁽⁴⁾ Wermund *

⁽⁴⁾ Frowin, governor of Sleswik

⁽⁴⁾ Uffe *, aka Olaf the Gentle

⁽⁴⁾ daughter of Frowin

⁽⁴⁾ Ket

⁽⁴⁾ Wig

⁽⁴⁾ Dan *

⁽⁴⁾ Hugleik *

⁽⁴⁾ Frode * the Vigorous

⁽⁴⁾ Dan *

⁽⁵⁾ Kraka

⁽⁵⁾ Ragnar

⁽⁵⁾ Brak

^(4,5) Fridleif * the Swift

⁽⁵⁾ Hun, King of the Huns

⁽⁵⁾ Hun

⁽⁵⁾ Gotar, King of Norway

⁽⁵⁾ Westmar

⁽⁵⁾ Koll

⁽⁵⁾ Gotwar

⁽⁵⁾ Roller

^(5,6) Erik† Shrewd-spoken

⁽⁵⁾ Gunwar the Fair

⁽⁵⁾ Alfhild

^(5,6) Frode *

⁽⁵⁾ Hanund

⁽⁵⁾ Grep (eldest of three)

⁽⁵⁾ 11 other sons (two named Grep)

⁽⁶⁾ Hythin, King of Tellemark

⁽⁵⁾ Alf

⁽⁵⁾ Eyfura

⁽⁵⁾ Arngrim

⁽⁶⁾ Grubb

⁽⁶⁾Hiarn*

⁽⁶⁾ Amund, King of Norway

⁽⁶⁾ child of Hythin

⁽⁶⁾ Halfdan†

⁽⁵⁾ 12 sons, including Anganty

⁽⁶⁾ Ane

⁽⁶⁾ Juritha

⁽⁶⁾ Fridleif *

⁽⁶⁾ Frogertha

⁽⁶⁾ Hanef, King of Saxony

⁽⁶⁾ Swerting, King of Saxony

⁽⁶⁾ Olaf

⁽⁶⁾Frode*

^(6,7) Siward†

⁽⁶⁾ sons of Swerting

⁽⁶⁾ sister of the sons of Swerting

^(6,7) Ingild *

⁽⁶⁾ Helga

⁽⁶⁾ Helge

⁽⁶⁾ Asa

^(6,7) Frode

^(6,7) Fridleif

^(6,7) Ingild

^(6,7)Olaf*

⁽⁷⁾ Karl, governor of Gothland

⁽⁷⁾ Ulfhild

⁽⁷⁾Frode*

⁽⁷⁾ Hather, a chief

⁽⁷⁾Harald*

⁽⁷⁾ Signe

⁽⁷⁾ Erik†

⁽⁷⁾ Thorhild

⁽⁷⁾Halfdan*† Biargramm

⁽⁷⁾ Harald

⁽⁷⁾ Asmund

Kings of Norway

Name spellings are derived from Oliver Elton's 1905 translation, The First Nine Books of the Danish History of Saxo Grammaticus, via Wikisource.

Theory

Her role as the donor of information and necessary items to the hero has been analyzed by folklorists as a commonplace of folk narrative.^[1]

Notes

1 2 3 Lindow 2002, p. 149.
1 2 de Vries 1962, p. 188.
↑ Simek 1996, p. 117.
↑ Orchard 1997, p. 61.
↑ Faulkes 1987, p. 156.
↑ Faulkes 1987, p. 84.
↑ Faulkes 1987, pp. 121, 238.
↑ Fisher 1999, pp. 1:14, 2:26.
↑ Lavender 2015, p. v.

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References

Bibliography

de Vries, Jan (1962). Altnordisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German) (1977 ed.). Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-05436-3.
Faulkes, Anthony, trans. (1987). Edda (1995 ed.). Everyman. ISBN 0-460-87616-3.
Fisher, Peter, trans. Davidson, Hilda Ellis (ed.). Saxo Grammaticus: The History of the Danes (1999 ed.). D.S. Brewer. ISBN 085991-502-6.
Lavender, Philip, ed. and trans. (2015). Illuga Saga Gríðarfóstra: The Saga of Illugi, Gríður's Foster-Son (PDF). Viking Society for Northern Research, University College, London. ISBN 978-0-903521-91-8.
Lindow, John (2002). Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-983969-8.
Orchard, Andy (1997). Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. Cassell. ISBN 978-0-304-34520-5.
Simek, Rudolf (1996). Dictionary of Northern Mythology. D.S. Brewer. ISBN 978-0-85991-513-7.

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[FOOTNOTELindow2002149-1] 1 2 3 Lindow 2002, p. 149.

[FOOTNOTEde_Vries1962188-2] 1 2 de Vries 1962, p. 188.

[FOOTNOTESimek1996117-3] Simek 1996, p. 117.

[FOOTNOTEOrchard199761-4] Orchard 1997, p. 61.

[FOOTNOTEFaulkes1987156-5] Faulkes 1987, p. 156.

[FOOTNOTEFaulkes198784-6] Faulkes 1987, p. 84.

[FOOTNOTEFaulkes1987121,_238-7] Faulkes 1987, pp. 121, 238.

[FOOTNOTEFisher19991:14,_2:26-8] Fisher 1999, pp. 1:14, 2:26.

[FOOTNOTELavender2015v-9] Lavender 2015, p. v.

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