Hamingja

Last updated

The hamingja was a type of female guardian spirit in Norse mythology. It was believed that she accompanied a person and decided his luck and happiness. Consequently, the name was also used to indicate happiness, and that is what it means in modern Icelandic. When a person died, the hamingja passed to a beloved family member and thus accompanied a family for several generations, continuing to influence their fortunes. It was even possible to lend one's own hamingja to a friend, as happened when Hjalti Skeggiason was about to leave on a perilous voyage and asked Olaf II of Norway to lend him his hamingja.

Contents

It usually appears during sleep in the form of an animal, but it can also be the spirit of a sleeping person who appears in the form of an animal, as Bödvar Bjarki in the saga of Hrólfr Kraki.

In Norse mythology, hamingja (Old Norse "luck" [1] ) refers to two concepts:

Both Andy Orchard and Rudolf Simek note parallels between the concept of the hamingja and the fylgja. [2] Luck may be transferred to a descendant of the owner, or to a member of a tribe for a perilous journey, it accords wealth, success and power, and it accrues over a life time. Sometimes hamingja is used to denote honor.

See also

Notes

  1. Orchard (1997:73).
  2. Orchard (1997:73) and Simek (2007:129).

Related Research Articles

Huginn and Muninn Pair of ravens in Norse mythology that serve Odin

In Norse mythology, Huginn and Muninn are a pair of ravens that fly all over the world, Midgard, and bring information to the god Odin. Huginn and Muninn are attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources: the Prose Edda and Heimskringla; in the Third Grammatical Treatise, compiled in the 13th century by Óláfr Þórðarson; and in the poetry of skalds. The names of the ravens are sometimes modernly anglicized as Hugin and Munin.

Ratatoskr Norse mythical animal

In Norse mythology, Ratatoskr is a squirrel who runs up and down the world tree Yggdrasil to carry messages between the eagles perched atop Yggdrasil, and the serpent Níðhöggr, who dwells beneath one of the three roots of the tree. Ratatoskr 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.

Eir Norse deity

In Norse mythology, Eir is a goddess or valkyrie associated with medical skill. Eir is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources; the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson; and in skaldic poetry, including a runic inscription from Bergen, Norway from around 1300. Scholars have theorized about whether these three sources refer to the same figure, and debate whether Eir may have been originally a healing goddess or a valkyrie. In addition, Eir has been theorized as a form of the goddess Frigg and has been compared to the Greek goddess Hygieia.

In Norse mythology, Snotra is a goddess associated with wisdom. Snotra is attested in the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, and in the Gautreks Saga, where she is the mother of Gautrek son of Gauti, the eponymous ancestor of the Geats, and Goths, a son of Oðinn as King of Sviþjoð. Scholars have proposed theories about the implications of the goddess.

In Norse mythology, Vör is a goddess associated with wisdom. Vör is attested in the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson; and twice in kennings employed in skaldic poetry. Scholars have proposed theories about the implications of the goddess.

In Norse mythology, Vár or Vór is a goddess associated with oaths and agreements. Vár is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources; the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson; and kennings found in skaldic poetry and a runic inscription. Scholars have proposed theories about the implications of the goddess.

Sköll Animal in Norse mythology

In Norse mythology, Sköll is a wolf that, according to Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, chases the Sun. Hati Hróðvitnisson chases the Moon.

In Norse mythology, Lofn is a goddess. Lofn is attested in the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson and in kennings found in skaldic poetry. In the Prose Edda, Lofn is described as gentle in manner and as an arranger of marriages, even when they have been forbidden. Scholars have proposed theories about the implications of the goddess.

Ýdalir Mythological location

In Norse mythology, Ýdalir ("yew-dales") is a location containing a dwelling owned by the god Ullr. Ýdalir is solely attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources. Scholarly theories have been proposed about the implications of the location.

In Norse mythology, Syn is a goddess associated with defensive refusal. Syn is attested in the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson; and in kennings employed in skaldic poetry. Scholars have proposed theories about the implications of the goddess.

In Norse cosmology, svartálfar, also called myrkálfar, are beings who dwell in Svartalfheim. Both the svartálfar and Svartálfaheimr are primarily attested in the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. Scholars have noted that the svartálfar appear to be synonymous with the dwarfs and potentially also the dökkálfar. As dwarfs, the home of the svartálfar could possibly be another description for Niðavellir.

In Norse mythology, Mist is a valkyrie. Mist appears in valkyrie list in the Poetic Edda poem Grímnismál and both of the Nafnaþulur valkyrie lists. No further information is provided about her. Rudolf Simek says that her name, Mist, is likely related to Old Norse mistr, meaning "cloud, mist," and that this "reminds us of the way in which valkyries can ride through the air and over water," such as in the Poetic Edda poems Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar and Helgakviða Hundingsbana II.

In Norse mythology, a fylgja is a supernatural being or spirit which accompanies a person in connection to their fate or fortune.

Gjallarhorn

In Norse mythology, Gjallarhorn is a horn associated with the god Heimdallr and the wise being Mímir. Gjallarhorn is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional material, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson.

The Harii were, according to 1st century CE Roman historian Tacitus, a Germanic people. In his work Germania, Tacitus describes them as using black shields and painting their bodies, and attacking at night as a shadowy army, much to the terror of their opponents. Theories have been proposed connecting the Harii to the einherjar, ghostly warriors in service to the god Odin, attested much later among the North Germanic peoples by way of Norse mythology, and to the tradition of the Wild Hunt, a procession of the dead through the winter night sky sometimes led by Odin.

In Norse mythology, Ámsvartnir is a lake. Amsvartnir contains the island Lyngvi, where the gods bound the wolf Fenrir. The lake is solely attested in the Prose Edda book Gylfaginning, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. In the book, the enthroned figure of High tells Gangleri that the gods and Fenrir fared across Amsvartnir to get to Lyngvi, and there bound Fenrir.

Vardøger, also known as vardyvle or vardyger, is a spirit predecessor in Scandinavian folklore.

Herfjötur

In Norse mythology, Herfjötur is a valkyrie. Herfjötur is attested as among the 13 valkyries listed in the Poetic Edda poem Grímnismál, and in the longer of the two Nafnaþulur lists found in the Prose Edda.

Helreginn is a jötunn in Norse Mythology.

References