Odin-Wotan
Odin's palace in Asgard - Vallgal. Every day in Vallgal, Einheria feast, warriors who have fallen in arms. On the day of the last battle - Ragnarok - in which our world will perish, Einherries will come out of the five hundred and forty gates of Vallgala, led by the Universal Father, to perish himself, but free a place for a new world. Odin's weapon is the spear of Gungnir. Everywhere he is accompanied by two wolves Geri and Freki, and two crows Hugin and Munin. Horse of the Universal Father, eight-legged stallion Sleipnir, the fastest steed in all the worlds of the Universal Tree.
The animals associated with Odin are the eagle, ravens, wolves, horse and snake.
Tiu Tir
Tiu (Tiw, Old Norse Tyr) is the god of the Law. He patronizes justice and rational thinking. He knows the measure of all things and the place of each thing in the correct and just order. Tiu is the god of true faith (trota) and can always be trusted. Etymologically Tiu corresponds to Zeus-Jupiter. Tiu-Tyr is known in some Scandinavian regions under the name Ullr or Ullinn.
Thor Tunar
Thor's weapon is the hammer of Mjellnir, a magical weapon forged by the dwarf brothers (dwarves) Sindri and Brok, which always returns to its owner after being thrown.
Usually Thor travels in a cart drawn by two goats, Tangriznir and Tangiost.
Thor's Wife - Seth
, Goddess with golden hair. His daughter is called Trud, and he also has two sons born to a giantess, their names are Magni and Modi.
They say that "If your prayer is sincere, Thor will help you because he will be the first to hear you."
Frigg-Fria
Frigg (O. Frigg), or Phpia (O. Frija), also occupies a prominent place among the Aesir. She patronizes order in the family. She is Odin's wife and, according to legend, has great powers of divination. But, despite knowing the future, she rarely talks about it.
Van
Freya
Freya - Goddess of the Vanir, who came to Asgard after her twin brother Freyr, during the hostage exchange (see Edda) after the war between the Aes and the Vanir. She is also believed to be related to the beginning of this war. Under the name Gullveig she appeared in Asgard, where the brilliance of her gold and beauty blinded the Ases. Three times they killed her, and three times she was reborn. This triple murder and a thirst for gold served as the impetus for the outbreak of war. The animals associated with her are a pig and a cat.
Freyr
Religion and magic, practiced under the auspices of the "Lord" and "Mistress", in ancient Anglo-Saxon England were called the word wiccecraеft (modern witchcraft - "witchcraft"<Отсюда и слово Wicca, обозначающее pелигию совpеменных ведьм и колдунов.>).
Njord
There are other gods and goddesses of the North, which you will learn about while researching the Northern tradition, but it is those deities that we have mentioned that are key, opening the way to the divine realms. These are the main gods to whom gifts are usually brought. The names of other gods and goddesses can also be used in magical practice for special purposes.
Here are some of the names of the gods and goddesses given by Snorri Sturluson in his Edda< "Младшая Эдда".>:
Bragi is the god of eloquence; wisdom and poetry are also under his tutelage. Idunn's husband.
Eyr is the goddess of healing. Healer of gods and goddesses.
Forseti is the god of justice. He always sees "both sides of the coin".
Fulla is Frigg's faithful servant. She always helps great goddesses to cope with difficult work.
Gefyon is the goddess of virtue. Known as "supportive" or "giver". As a gift from her, you can receive bodily or spiritual talent. Perhaps she is one of the aspects of Freya.
Gna is the goddess of transformation. Raises awareness to dizzying heights. Frigga's companion.
Heimdal is the guardian god. Patronizes such qualities as clairvoyance and vigilance. Overseer of the Bifrost Bridge at the Entrance to Asgard is the world of the gods. Father of Humanity.
Hlin is a goddess who protects people from physical danger. Frigga's companion.
Khedr is the god of blind power. He embodies brute force and conflict.
Idun is the goddess of eternal renewal. She tries to contain the rage of divine forces in the universe, being the keeper of the golden apples of the aesir.
Lofn is the goddess of indulgence. With her consent, you can enter into a secret love affair and perform other forbidden actions. She is close to both Odin and Frigga.
Loki is not a real god, since he belongs to the Jötun family, but he is Odin's "blood brother" and therefore is admitted to the Aesir community. He patronizes beauty and deceit, cunning and deceit. He is a magician ("trickster") and a prankster. Loki knows no equal in laughter and humor. Most likely, Loki is the "shadow side" of the god Odin himself.
Saga - Her name means "seer" or "prophetess". She appears to be an active aspect of Frigga and has considerable knowledge of the future.
Sjofn is the goddess of love. They call upon her when they want to attract the attention of a loved one or beloved.
Snotra is the goddess of mind.
Sin is the goddess of denial. A powerful defender of the accused in court.
Skadi - A very strong goddess, a warrior goddess. Goddess of the hunt, snow and ice, patronizes independent women. She was married to Njord for some time, accompanies Odin and some other Gods.
Ullr - can perform the same function as Tyr. Expresses that aspect of Tyr that is associated with physical accuracy and coordination of movements - for example, when hunting, when shooting from a bow, etc. He is usually summoned in battle because he bestows martial arts on humans. Much like Skadi. Ruled over Asgard in Odin's absence for 3 years.
Balder is the son of Odin, according to the myth, his death will herald the imminent approach of the time of Ragnarok (something like the end of the world) - the great battle of the forces of good and evil.
Vali is the god of vengeance. According to the myth, he avenged the murder of Baldr at the age of one day old. Son of Odin.
Var is the goddess of honesty. She takes revenge on those who break oaths and promises.
Vidar is the god of vengeance. He avenges his "father" Odin, whose projection he is. Vidar is the god of silence and helps to survive the crisis.
Faith is the goddess of omniscience. She is very wise and nothing can hide from her insight and intuition.
Oestara - Goddess of spring and the birth of the new.
Mani is the God of the Moon.
Sunna - Goddess of the Sun.
These gods and goddesses can be consulted for many practical matters. You can call upon the deities and bring gifts to them, hoping for a reward. Their names can also be used as the basis for runic magic formulas or to create runic spells.
Some other magical creatures:
Jötuns are giants representing the forces of Chaos. Constantly opposed and fought with the Gods and Goddesses, representing the forces of Order.
Elves are light and dark elves - creatures with their own human-like worlds. These worlds are Alfheim and Svartalfheim. Their appearance also resembles a human. Elves have a friendly relationship with Gods and Goddesses. Elves occasionally visit Midgard (the human world as we know it)
Gnomes - gnomes live underground - the best blacksmiths who create the most beautiful weapons, valuable jewellery and other useful and magical items.
By their faith, all Vikings belonged to the pagan faith, which had their own bigi. The Vikings feared these gods, and they worshiped the same gods. The Vikings believed that each month of the year corresponds to a certain god.
But their horoscope is different from ours, modern horoscopes, in which the sign of the month was shared with a person born this month with their qualities. For the Vikings, it was a little different. The god of the Vikings had his own symbols, and if a Viking used these symbols, then he had this god to himself.
21.03 - 20.04. Month of worship to god Odin
One - was the most important god among the Vikings. he was constantly endowed with the power of shamans, or the wisdom of sages. In fact, he is a war boom and the master of Valhalla. Odin was constantly served, his faithful servants were two black, old crows. Their task was to fly around the world and collect news. It was black that was considered the magical color of the Vikings born in the period 21.03 to 20.04. If you believe the legends of the Vikings, then wearing black clothes, you can easily achieve the location of Odin.
21.04 - 20.05. Month of worship of the god Thor
Thor - was the patron saint of fertility, the lord of storms, and thunder among the ancient Vikings. The Viking god Thor, was a hater of evil, and always fought with him. In the images, Thor was constantly drawn with a stone sword, which symbolized active work. Therefore, it was from 21.04 to 20.05 that all the Vikings who were engaged in agriculture actively plowed the soil and planted crops. This month was considered the most fertile among the Vikings.
21.05 - 21.06. Month of worship of the god Tyr
Tyr - this god is born of the sun, and for this reason, he is an active fighter for injustice. Tyr is strict enough, but very fair. It symbolized Tyr, the Vikings had a sword that Tyr needed for the eternal war against evil. It was the sword that was the talisman of people born in this month. If the Viking had at home, or carried a sword with him, then thereby he sought the favor of the god Tyr.
22.6 - 22.7. Month of worship of the god Baldr
Balder - He was the god of love and goodness among the ancient Vikings. He was killed by an arrow shot by Head, who was a blind god, the son of Odin. And if you believe the legend, then the death of God Balder, became the cause of death of all the gods, and the whole world. But after that everything was revived renewed again. The symbol of the Viking god Balder, is the branch of the mistletoe. The Vikings have always carried a branch of mistletoe with them this month, it was believed that this brings happiness.
23.7 - 23.8. A month of worship of the god Braga
Bragi - was the patron saint of poets, and poetry in general. In ancient times, the Vikings believed that poetry is a kind of magic, and those who compose them are magicians. For this reason, the Vikings, who knew how to write poetry, were resilient, and easily endured adversity. The symbol of the Viking god Braga was musical instrument harp. And the more the Viking heard the beautiful this month, the more he attracted the god Braga
24.8 - 22.9. A month of worship of the god Vidar
Vidar - this Viking god was the owner of the forests. If a Viking got lost in the forest, then he certainly tried in every possible way to appease God, so that he showed him the way home. Also the god of the Vikings, Braga, endowed those who were worthy with knowledge about medicinal herbs, and often endowed this Viking with extraordinary abilities. The symbol of this Viking god is the herb of periwinkle. According to legends, Viking women mixed this herb into the food of the Viking whom they wanted to marry. After such a meal, the Viking fell in love with this woman forever.
23.09 - 23.10. A month of worship of the god Hoder
Hoder is the god of the Vikings, first of all he ruled frost and cold. His thoughts are constantly occupied with reflections on the eternity and absoluteness of certain things. For this simple reason, the Vikings never hoped for the good humor of the god Hoder. The symbol of this god was a dart, which hit directly into the target, without leaving even a millimeter. And the color of the talisman was white, which symbolized snow and winter.
24.10 - 22.11. A month of worship to the god Hermed
Hermed - was a mysterious god, Odin's right hand, this god easily communicated with those souls who had long left our world, falling on the battlefield. This Viking god possesses secret knowledge and is able to delve into the meaning of any thing. The symbol of this Viking god is a simple ring, or everything that is closed in a ring, as an example, you can indicate a wreath of flowers. The ancient Vikings believed that if we weave a wreath and put it on a loved one, then the feelings in him will kindle with violent force.
23.11 - 21.12. A month of worship to the god Gener
Hener - in fact, he was the first assistant of the god Odin, and participated in the creation of the first Viking. God Hener is stately and handsome, generous and clever. He has his own goals, which he aspires to. Its talisman is the symbol of the runes, which is depicted on the stone. Turquoise or topaz was used as a stone. This talisman saved the Vikings from quarrels, and attracted the attention of the Viking with whom the girl was in love. As an alternative, you could take almost any stone, only you could not take an opal stone
22.12 - 20.01. A month of worship of the god Njord
Njord is the god of the seas located in the north. In ancient drawings, he was portrayed as an old man who had a long beard. He was a tireless and well-organized Viking god. He loved discipline and order in everything. And he also loves when the Vikings revered him, and obeyed. But on the other hand, he is a rather kind and sympathetic god. First of all, he looks at the whole life path Viking, and only then makes a decision, was quite good about those Vikings who valued their ancestors
21.01 - 19.02. A month of worship of the god Loki
Loki - this god is the patron saint of the fate of the Vikings, and everything connected with them. The Viking god Locke has several faces, and it is for this reason that no one will recognize him. The very name of God, translated means - air. This god sent a sufficient number of tests to his wards, the Vikings, and could also do something unnatural right out of thin air. This Viking god is symbolized primarily by lightning, and fire is his native element. Therefore, the Vikings put candles and torches in their houses as much as possible in order to appease this god.
20.02 - 20.03. Month of worship of god Vali
Vali is the god of plants, he is able to endow the Viking whom he loves with feelings of discernment and intuition. According to the Viking faith, the first man was carved from an ash tree, and therefore ash is his symbol. Viking, in order to get the favor of this god, they wore either a medallion or beads made of this tree. These things helped to acquire the qualities that the Viking god Vali possessed. It is also believed that a leaf of ash, which is hidden in shoes, brings good luck, but before putting it there, the Vikings read spells like this - Good, old ash, I tore off your leaf, bring me happiness in the name of Vali.
Northern mythology represents an independent and richly developed branch of Germanic mythology, which, in turn, basically goes back to the most ancient Proto-Indo-European history ...
Heroes of Scandinavian legends and myths
Beowulf
Beowulf ("bee wolf", that is, "bear"), the hero of the northern and Anglo-Saxon epics, who defeated two terrible monsters. A young warrior from the Gout people, Beowulf went across the sea to Denmark to save the Danish king Hrothgar from the misfortune that befell him: for many years, the fierce monster Grendel sneaks into the royal castle of Heorot at night and devours the warriors.
In the night combat, Beowulf squeezed Grendel with such force that he, breaking free, lost his hand and crawled into his lair, where he bled out and expired. Grendel's mother, an even more vile creature, tried to avenge the murder of her son, and Beowulf, in pursuit of the monster, sank into her crystal underwater cave. After an hour of fighting, Beowulf lost his trusty sword. Like King Arthur in his day, he found another magic blade and dealt with Grendel's terrible mother. Peace and tranquility was restored in the kingdom of Hrothgar, and Beowulf, generously awarded by King Hrothgar, returned Chris to his homeland, in southern Sweden, and became the king of the Gouts. At the end of his long and wise reign, a dragon appeared in the kingdom. Having opposed him with twelve comrades, Beowulf soon found himself alone - the comrades in fear left the battlefield, but the hero killed the dragon, although it cost him his life.
Valkyrie Brunhild
Brunhild, Brunhilda ("duel"), the heroine of Scandinavian-Germanic mythology, the most militant and most beautiful Valkyrie who challenged Odin: she gave victory in battle to the wrong one to whom he intended.
In punishment, the god put her to sleep and sent her to earth, where Brunhild was supposed to lie on the top of the Hindarfjall hill, surrounded by a wall of fire. Only Sigurd (German, Siegfried), the famous hero who slain the dragon Fafnir, could break through the raging flames. He awakened the warlike beauty Brunhild and, promising to marry, left the ring of the dwarf Andvari as a pledge, unaware of the curse hanging over the ring. The witch Grimhild gave Sigurd a drink of oblivion, and Sigurd, forgetting about his bride, married the daughter of the witch, the beautiful Gudrun (German, Krimhild). When his memory returned to him, the hero's heart was filled with suffering, shame and sadness.
Only after the death of Brunhild and Sigurd finally found peace in love, previously destroyed by nefarious intrigues.
And the curse of the dwarf Andvari, along with the inherited ring, passed to Hogni and Gunnar. Both of them later died a painful death, but did not reveal the secrets of the fatal treasure of the Nibelungs.
Väinämöinen
Väinämöinen (Veinämöinen), son of the goddess-demiurge Luonnotar, main character Karelian-Finnish epos. This wise old man, magician and sorcerer, who spent at least thirty years in his mother's womb, was gifted with supernatural powers. In love, he was less fortunate. He tried to choose a bride among the women of the country of the North, Pohjola, and in exchange for a wonderful sampo mill, a source of abundance, he was promised one of the daughters of the mistress of the North, Louhi. At his request, the mill "from swan fluff, from a piece of spindle, and from cow's milk, and from barley grains" was forged by the blacksmith Ilmarinen. True, then he deceived Väinämöinen and himself married Louhi's daughter. But the bride was killed and the sampo was stolen. Väinämöinen, Ilmarinen and Lemminkäinen went in search of the Sampo and after many adventures found it. Louhi rushed after them in pursuit, raised a storm on the sea and, turning into a griffin, attacked the ship of heroes.
Only Väinämöinen's quick reaction allowed everyone to escape, but during a violent storm, the sampo crashed. Väinämöinen managed to collect the fragments of the mill and partially restore its wonderful properties. According to myths, he produced fire from the belly of a fire fish, making the first fishing net; built the first boat; visited Tuonella, the kingdom of the dead, and returned from there alive. When his mission on earth was completed, Väinämöinen built a new ship and set off on an endless journey.
Kriemhilda
Kriemhilda, the heroine of the German epic "Song of the Nibelungs", the wife of Siegfried, after the death of the hero became the wife of the Hunnic king Attila (Norwegian, Atli). It is known for its extraordinary beauty, which prompted many valiant warriors to heroic deeds and doomed to death. Kriemhilda, a Burgundian princess by birth, was the sister of the Burgundian king Gunther (Norwegian, Gunnar). IN scandinavian mythology it corresponds to Gudrun, sister of the Burgundian king Gunnar and wife of Sigurd.
The witch Grimhild (according to legend, Krimhild's mother) gave Siegfried a drink of oblivion, and Siegfried, forgetting about his bride Brunhilde, married the witch's daughter, the beautiful Krimhild (Norwegian, Gudrun). From Siegfried Kriemhilda gave birth to a son, who was named after her uncle Gunter. After Siegfried's death, Kriemhilda married the Hunnic king Attila in order to use her position as queen to take revenge on Siegfried's killers, Hagen and Gunther.
Kriemhilda lured them into a trap and ordered their execution. Gunnar was thrown into a moat with reptiles teeming there and then beheaded, and the heart of the still living Hagen (Norwegian, Hogni) was cut out. According to other sources, Kriemhilda took revenge on Siegfried's killers Hagen and her brother Gunther ten years after the hero's death. Kriemhilda cut off their heads with Siegfried's sword, luring Gunther and Hagen to the castle of Attila for a grandiose knightly tournament arranged by her.
Subsequently, Hildebrand, enraged by the cruel execution of Gunther and Hagen, avenged the death of the ruler of Tronier, cutting Krimhild in half.
Nibelungen
The Nibelungs, in German-Scandinavian mythology and epic, are the owners of the gold treasure (treasures and a magic ring of power) of the dwarf zwerg Andvari, who had previously stolen gold from the Rhine maidens.
The original owners of the Andvari treasure are the sorcerer Hreidmar, the giants Fasolt and Fafnir, who turned into a dragon to guard the treasure. The treasure was eventually taken over by the hero Siegfried (Sigurd) - the Nibelung, the king of the "country of the Nibelungs", his sons Schilbunk and Nibelung, their warriors. After the villainous murder of Siegfried, the Burgundian kings Gibihungs - brothers Gunnar and Hogni, named the Nibelungs after the treasure passed into their hands - became the owners of the treasures. Thus, the word "Nibelungs" is associated with the owners of the gold treasure cursed by the dwarf Andvari, known from other mythological sources as Albrich. Interestingly, in the Germanic and Scandinavian traditions, the treasures of the Nibelungs are the material embodiment of the power, power, happiness and good luck of their owner. This cursed treasure also included a magical golden ring, which was able not only to increase wealth, but also carried the death of its owner.
It visited Hreidmar, Fafnir, Regin and, finally, Sigurd, all of them cost their lives to own the ring. The brothers-Nibelungs Gunnar and Hegni, who killed Sigurd while hunting a wild boar, also died. His widow Kriemhilda lured them to her and ordered them to be executed: Gunnar was thrown into a moat with reptiles teeming there and then beheaded, and the heart was cut out from the still alive Hogni. The Nibelungs met death with dignity and did not reveal the secret of the gold treasure hidden by them, bringing misfortune and death to everyone.
"SONG ABOUT THE NIBELUNGS"
The most ancient monument of the German heroic epic. In terms of content, it falls into two parts. The first 10 songs describe the heroic deeds of Siegfried, his love for Brunhilde, Siegfried's marriage to Kriemhild, the sister of King Gunther (Gunnar), Gunther's matchmaking to the warrior maiden Brunhilde and Siegfried's villainous murder.
The next 10 songs tell about Kriemhilda's revenge for the death of her husband, the painful death of Gunther (Gunnar) and Hagen (Hogni) and the decline of the Burgundian kingdom.
The historical basis of the "Song of the Nibelungs" is formed by the events of the era of the Great Nations Migration - the capture of Europe by the Huns under the leadership of Attila in the 5th century BC. e. However, everyday life, etiquette, class relations described in it represent Germany in the XII century of the era of feudalism.
The Song of the Nibelungs was most likely written between 1200 and 1210. in Austria as a court poet influenced by Christianity. She absorbed several cycles of more ancient epic legends, and later became the subject of numerous revisions, a source of poetic themes and motives. The stanza of this poem, peculiar in its rhythmic pattern and very dynamic, was perceived by many medieval poets and received the name "Nibelungian stanza". The poets of Germany in the 19th century also turned to her.
Sigurd
Sigurd, Siegfried ("victory"), in Scandinavian-Germanic mythology and epic hero, the son of Sigmund and Sieglind, pupil of the sorcerer-blacksmith Regin, brother of the dragon Fafnir, guarding the cursed gold treasure of the dwarf Andvari. It was Regin who forged the sword Gram for the hero, with which Sigurd cut his anvil. The blacksmith incited the young man to kill the dragon, since he himself sought to take possession of the treasure, a fatal wealth that brings misfortune to its owner.
Sigurd defeated the dragon, but when Fafnir's blood fell on Sigurd's tongue, he began to understand the language of birds and learned about the plan of the blacksmith to kill him. After killing his adoptive father and stealing the treasure of Fafnir, the hero got to the top of the Hindarfjall hill, where the Valkyrie Brunhild, surrounded by fire shields, rested, put to sleep by Odin for granting victory in the battle to the wrong one to whom God intended. Having awakened the Valkyrie, Sigurd received wise advice from her and became engaged to her. But the curse of the miniature dwarf Andvari still continued to bring misfortune to the owners of the ditch treasures and, having met the witch Grimhild, Sigurd succumbed to her spell. The witch Grimhild gave Sigurd a drink of oblivion, and Sigurd, forgetting about his bride, married the daughter of the witch, the beautiful Gudrun (German, Krimhild). When his memory returned to him, the hero's heart was filled with suffering, shame and sadness.
Meanwhile, brother Gudrun, King of the Burgundians Gunnar (German, Gunther), wooed Brunhild. But the Valkyrie vowed to marry only the one who overcomes the fire surrounding her, and this was only possible for Sigurd. Sigurd agreed to help Gunnar, during the marriage trial, the hero changed his guise with Gunnar and went through the fire in his place. Brunhild was forced to marry Gunnar, but later, when the deception was revealed, an angry Brunhild demanded that her husband kill Sigurd. Encouraged by his wife, who wanted to restore her honor, and also, wanting to take possession of the magic ring of power, Gunnar and his brother Hogni mortally wounded Sigurd while hunting. On his deathbed, dying, Sigurd summoned his beloved Brunhild. Unable to endure remorse, Brunhild committed suicide in order to at least be in the grave with her beloved.
Starkad
Starkad is a hero of Scandinavian mythology, a ruthless and cruel Viking warrior, whose name is associated with a huge number of feats. The hero was a subject of the Danish king Froto. He was an ugly man of enormous stature, with fangs protruding from his mouth and with six arms.
Once a fight took place between Starkad and Thor, in which the giant lost four arms and became two-armed.
Starkad considered Odin to be his teacher and patron. On one dark night, they went to the island together.
There, in a forest glade, the hero saw twelve thrones. Eleven of them were occupied by people, and the twelfth was occupied by Odin. The teacher rewarded Starkad for his loyalty with three lives, gave him possession of the poetic style and wealth, promised respect for the nobility. In gratitude for this, Starkad intended to carry out a symbolic sacrifice, putting a noose around his neck, the Norse king Vikar, and leaning a reed stalk against his body. But instantly the noose tightened the neck, and the reed became a sharp spear and pierced the victim's body. Thor predicted to Starkad the atrocities in each of the three lives and the hatred of the common people and predicted that there would be no satisfaction for the hero in any of the lives.
In order to get to Valhalla to Odin, Starkad had to die by the sword. Already a deep old man, weakened and almost blind, he decided to find death by the sword. Taking a bag of gold, he was looking for someone who would be tempted by money and put him to death. The hero accepted his death at the hands of Hater and went to hell.
Hadding
Hadding, the hero of Scandinavian mythology.
Hadding was the son of the Danish king Gram. The hero was brought up in Sweden among giants, where he was taught the art of magic. Hadding was patronized by the god Odin, who appeared to the hero in the guise of a one-eyed giant.
The hero accomplished many feats, including revenge for the murder of his father.
Once he killed a creature who turned out to be the god of abundance, as a result he had to experience a lot of adversity.
But Hadding was able to make amends by making sacrifices to Frey and thus initiating the tradition of annual sacrifices to this god.
Hadding killed the Black Giant, who harassed the daughter of the Norwegian king, and took the girl as his wife.
One predicted Hadding's death at his own hand. King Hunding of Sweden, a friend of the hero, having heard the false news of his death, made a memorial feast and drowned in a barrel of beer. Hadding, upon learning of this, hanged himself.
Hadding's exploits are described in the Acts of the Danes by Saxon Grammar, based on ancient Scandinavian legends.
Hogni
Hogni, hero of Germanic-Scandinavian mythology.
According to the Welsung saga and Eddic songs, Hogni was the brother of the Burgundian king Gunnar, in the Tidrek saga he was considered the half-brother of the Burgundian kings, in the German "Song of the Nibelungs" Hogni was the senior vassal of King Gunnar (Gunther).
Eddy songs depict Hogni as a flawless hero who tried to dissuade Gunnar from killing Sigurd. When the hero was captured by the Hunnic king Atli (Attila) at the instigation of Krimhilda's wife, he bravely met death, laughing at the moment when his heart was cut out.
In the saga of Tidrek and the Song of the Nibelungs, Hogni acquires negative traits... He treacherously killed the great Siegfried (Sigurd), and then hid the golden treasure of Siegfried (the treasures of the Nibelungs, cursed by the dwarf-miniature Andvari) at the bottom of the river.
Hogni led the struggle of the Burgundians with the Huns, which ended in the death of both the Burgundians and himself. When Hogni and Gunnar were captured by Atli, and the king of the Huns demanded the release of the treasure of the Nibelungs, Gunnar, according to the Eddic "Song of Atli", agreed on the condition that Hogni would be killed. In the "Song of the Nibelungs" a similar condition was set by Hogni himself, and when Krimhilda (Gudrun) brought him the severed head of Gunner, he laughed at her, after which he was killed.
Helgi
Helgi, the hero of Scandinavian mythology. Helga's name can be translated from Old Icelandic as "dedicated" or "sacred". According to legend, from the marriage of Helga with his own daughter, the legendary king of the Skjöldung dynasty Hrolva Kraka was born. This brings the image of this character closer to the mythical type of the ancestor.
In myths, you can find a description of Helga's military exploits. His actions are most often caused either by blood feud, or have love motives, for example, getting a bride. Helgi were patronized by female warriors, who were called Valkyries. For one of the maidens, the hero experienced a strong attraction. Between the Valkyrie Svava (according to other sources Sigrun) and the hero, love broke out. Helgi died in battle, slain by the spear of Dag, the son of Hogn, and soon Svava also died.
In search of the ritual origins of the legends about Helga, some scholars assumed that the name of the hero was cult. It symbolized the name of the victim, and Swava is the priestess who presides over the sacrifice ceremony.
The murder of the hero symbolizes the change of royal power, figuratively reflected in the ritual of sacrifice. In two songs about Helga and his beloved Swava, at the end there is a mention of the revival of lovers to life, which, perhaps, has its roots in the idea of \u200b\u200bwarriors who fell in battle, whom the Valkyries revive to participate in new battles.
Mythology of the Ancient World, -M.: Belfax, 2002
Myths ancient Scandinavia, -M.: AST 2001
