Beowulf

A Glossary of Norse, Icelandic, Old English, and Anglo-Saxon Terms Appearing in the Novel

Ægir—in Norse mythology, the personification of the sea and husband of the goddess Rán, father to nine daughters (the billows, waves); a synonym for “sea” in skaldic poetry. Ægir is sometimes described as a giant, though this seems unlikely.

aeglaeca—in reference to Grendel’s mother (“Grendles modor”); Anglo-Saxon, “awesome opponent,” “ferocious fighter.”

Æsir—the principal gods of the Norse pantheon, including Odin, Baldr, Bragi, Loki, Vé, Heimdall, etc.; excludes those gods referred to as the Vanir, with whom the Æsir do battle.

aglaec-wif—Anglo-Saxon, in reference to Grendel’s mother (“Grendles modor”); some controversy surrounds the correct translation of this phrase. The Dictionary of Old English translates it as “female warrior, fearsome woman.” Earlier authors translated it as “monster wife” and “monster woman,” but those same translations of Beowulf translate aglaeca and aeglaeca as “hero” or “warrior” when referring to Beowulf himself.

Árvak—Norse, “early riser,” one of the horses that draw the chariot of the sun goddess Sól.

Alsvin—Norse, “all swift,” one of the two horses that draw the chariot of the sun; also Alsvid.

Ásgard—the home of the Æsir, literally “enclosure-of-the-Æsir.”

Ásynja—feminine form of Æsir.

Audhumla—in the Norse creation myth, the first cow, who licked the first god, Búri, free from a block of salty ice.

Aurgelmir—“gravel-yeller,” father of the race of Frost Giants; also known as Ymir.

Bestla—a Frost Giant, mother of the gods Odin, Vé, and Vili, wife of Borr (Burr), daughter of Bolthorn.

Bilröst Bridge—also known as Bifröst, the Bifrost Bridge, the Rainbow Bridge, etc.; a great bridge connecting the homes of the Æsir with Midgard, the realm of men, to be destroyed at Ragnarök.

Bragi—Norse god of poetry, son of Odin.

Bronding clan—a Germanic tribe, probably located on the Swedish island of Brännö, west of Västergöt-land in the Kattegatt (an embayment of the Baltic Sea); Beowulf’s childhood friend, Brecca, was of the Bronding.

Búri—the primeval god in the Norse pantheon, father of Borr, grandfather to Odin.

Dark Fells—Nidafjöll, “fell mountains” of the Norse underworld, from whence came the great dragon Nidhögg Rootnibbler.

Dökkálfar—in Norse mythology, the subterranean “dark elves”; known also as the Svartálfar (“black elves”). Possibly synonymous with the dwarves (dvergar).

einherjar—in Norse mythology, the spirits of those who have died bravely in battle and so dwell with Odin in Valhalla, awaiting the coming of Ragnarök; also einheriar, singular einheri.

Éljudnir—Hel’s hall in the Norse underworld.

The Fates—(see Norns).

Fenrir, Fenrisulfr—in Norse mythology, a great wolf, son of Loki and the giantess Angrboda. Fenrir was bound by the Æsir, but will one day grow so large he will break his chains and devour Odin during Ragnarök, before being slain by Odin’s son, Vidar.

Frermánudr—frost month, twelfth month of the Old Norse calendar, corresponding roughly to mid-November to Mid-December, Yule month; also known as Ylir.

Fyrweorm—literally, “fire worm”; dragon.

Gandvik—probably an old name for the Baltic Sea; also Grandvik in some translations.

Geat—Beowulf’s tribe, a people who lived in what is now Sweden, in Götaland (“land of the Geats”); the Goths.

Ginnunga gap—a primordial void or chaos that existed before the world was ordered; also Ginnun-gagap.

Gjöll—in Norse mythology, one of eleven rivers (the Élivágar) whose sources are the Hvergelmir (the wellspring of all cold) in Niflheim. The Élivágar (“ice waves”) flow through Ginnunga Gap; Gjöll is also a name used for the stone to which the wolf Fenrir is bound.

Gladsheim—Odin’s great hall in Valhalla, located on the Plain of Idavoll within Ásgard, where sit the Æsir and the valiant einherjar.

Gleipnir—the binding force that holds the wolf Fenrir, said to be thin as a cloth ribbon and stronger than an iron chain; forged by the dwarves of Svartálfaheim from six ingredients: the sound of a cat’s footfall; a mountain’s roots, the sinews of a bear; a bird’s spittle; the beard of a woman; and a fish’s breath.

Gram—the sword wielded by Siegfried (also Sigurd) to slay the dragon Fafnir.

Gullinkambi—Norse, literally “golden comb,” this is the name of the rooster who dwells at Gladsheim in Valhalla, whose crowing wakes the einherjar each dawn, and whose cry will also signal the start of Ragnarök.

Heathoreams—a Germanic tribe living near Oslo, Norway, in the fifth and sixth centuries.

Heimdall—the son of nine different mothers, Heimdall is the guardian of the gods and blows the Gjallarhorn (“ringing horn”) should danger approach Ásgard; also Heimdallr.

Hertha—another name by which the goddess Nerthus is known (see Nerthus).

Hildeburh—daughter of the Danish King Hoc and the wife of the Frisian king Finn.

Hræsvelg, Hraæsvelg Corpse-swallowe—a giant eagle whose beating wings create the world’s wind.

Hymir—a giant who owned a gigantic cauldron which was taken by Thor to brew mead for the Æsir.

Idavol—in Norse mythology, the plain upon which Ásgard is located.

Jörmungand, Jörmungand Loki-son, Jörmungandr—one of Loki’s monstrous offspring by the giantess Angrboda; the World Serpent or Midgard Serpent, this great snake was imprisoned in the seas by Odin, after which Jörmungandr grew so large that he encircles all the world.

Jótlandshaf—also Skagerrak; a strait between Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, connecting the North Sea with the Baltic.

Jötnar—the giants (singular jötunn).

Jotunheimr—the home of the giants, also known as Jotunheim, who dwell beyond the great wall of. Midgard.

Loki, Loki Skywalker—son of the giants Fárbauti and

Laufey and foster brother of Odin, Loki was responsible for the murder of the god Baldr. For this crime, the Æsir bound Loki to three stone slabs and placed above him a serpent, whose searing venom drips into Loki’s eyes. When he writhes, the earth quakes. Loki will be freed at Ragnarök, where he will meet and slay Heimdall, but later die of his wounds.

Lyngvi—the island where the Æsir bound the wolf Fenrir. Lyngvi is located in a lake known as Ámsvartnir (“red-black”).

Máni—son of the giants Mundilfæri and Glaur, Máni is the Norse god of the moon. Every night he pulls the moon across the sky, pursued by the wolf Hati. Come Ragnarök, Hati will finally catch Máni and attempt to devour the moon.

Menhirs—standing stones, megaliths.

merwif—Grendel’s mother; Old English, literally “water woman” or “woman of the mere.”

Midgard—in Norse mythology, the realm set aside for man by the Æsir, divided from the rest of the cosmos by a great wall constructed from the eyebrows of the giant Ymir. Midgard is an English transliteration of Old Norse Miðgarðr (“middle enclosure”). Middle English transforms Miðgarðr to Middellærd (or Middel-erde), or “middle-earth.”

Midgard serpent—(see Jörmungand).

Mörsugur—in the Old Norse calendar, the midwinter month, following Frermánudr.

Mundilfæri—in Norse mythology, a giant, father of the sun goddess Sól and the moon god Máni by the giantess Glaur; also Mundilfäri.

Muspéll—a giant associated with Ragnarök, who dwelt in the primeval realm of fire bordering Ginnunga Gap. The sons of Muspéll will break Bilröst, signaling the final battle between the Æsir and the giants.

Nerthus—a Germanic fertility goddess associated with water; also known as Nerpuz, Hertha. Some Beowulf scholars believe that “Grendles modor” may have been intended as an incarnation of this goddess.

Nidafjöll—(see Dark Fells).

Nidhögg, Nidhögg Rootnibbler—the great dragon that dwells beneath the “World Ash” Yggdrasil, gnawing always at the roots of the great tree. Also Níðhöggr (“malice-striker”).

Niflheim—the Norse “land of mists,” to be found north of Ginnunga gap, home of the Frost Giants and Loki’s daughter, Hel.

Njörd, Njördr—in Norse mythology, one of the Vanir, a god of wind and seacoasts, of fishermen and sailing. Njord has the power to calm either sea or fire. Husband of Skaði, father of Yngvi-Freyr and Freyja.

Norns—the women who spin the fate of the cosmos beneath the boughs of Yggdrasil. The three most prominent are Urðr (“fate”), Verðandi (“to become”), and Skuld (“shall”), who not only spin destiny but tend the roots of the World Ash lest they rot. The arrival of these three powerful giantesses from Jötunheimr heralded the end of the golden age of the Æsir.

Odin, Odin Allfather, Odin Hel-binder, Odin Langbard—the central god in the Norse pantheon.

With his brothers, Vili and Vé, Odin slew the ur-giant Ymir and used the dead giant’s corpse to order the cosmos. After hanging on the World Ash for nine days, pierced by his own spear, Odin won wisdom to rule the nine worlds. At the cost of his left eye, he drank from the Well of Wisdom and gained knowledge of the past, present, and future. With the other Æsir, Odin will fall at Ragnarök.

Ragnarök—Old Norse, “twilight” or “fate of the gods.” Ragnarök is the final battle between the Æsir and the forces of chaos, including Loki and his monstrous offspring, along with the other giants. Ragnarök will destroy almost all the universe and will herald a new age.

Rán—wife of Ægir and mother of the nine daughters, Rán is a goddess of the sea. It is said that Rán had a net with which she sometimes snared unfortunate sailors. Indeed, Rán means “theft.” All men who drown at sea are taken by Rán.

sahagin—“sea hag,” a phrase applied to Grendel’s mother.

Sigurd Dragonslayer—an heroic figure of Norse mythology, also figuring prominently in the Icelandic Völsunga saga. Foster son of the god Regin, Sigurd slays Fafnir (son of the dwarf king Hreidmar and brother of Regin), who has assumed the form of a dragon. Sigurd is known in Old Norse as Sigurðr and in Old German as Siegfried.

Skoll—the wolf that pursues the chariot of the goddess Sól across the sky each day.

skorsten—Swedish, a chimney.

Skuld—(see Norns).

Scylding—Old English (plural Scyldingas), Old Norse Skjöldung (plural Skjöldungar), translates as “shielding” and refers to members of a family of royal Danes and also to their people. The etymology of the word may be traced to King Scyld/ Skjöld.

Sól—goddess of the sun, daughter of Mundilfæri and Glaur, wife of Glen; Sól bears the sun across the daytime sky in a golden chariot.

Svartálfheim—the subterranean realm of the dwarves.

Thor Giant-killer—the Norse god of thunder, son of Odin and Jörd. Thor wields the hammer Mjolnir, and at Ragnarök, he will die while slaying the World Serpent.

Twilight of the Gods—Ragnarök.

Urdarbrunn—the well from which the three Norns draw water to nourish the World Ash.

Urdines—the nine daughters of the sea god Ægir and the goddess Rán; the waves.

Valgrind—the gates of Valhalla.

Valhalla—in Old Norse, Valhöll, “hall of the slain.”

This is Odin’s great hall in Ásgard, where those slain in battle feast and celebrate and await the coming of Ragnarök.

Valkyries—goddesses who serve Odin and may be synonymous with the Norns. The Valkyries welcome the einherjar to Valhalla, where they also serve as handmaidens. Odin sends the Valkyries to every battle, where they determine victory and death.

Vandals—an ancient Germanic tribe. Consisting of two groups, the Silingi and the Hasdingi, the Vandals were mighty warriors.

Vanir—a subgroup of the Æsir, including the gods Njörd, Heimdall, Freyja, and Frey. For a time, the Vanir warred with the other Æsir, until a hostage exchange brought an end to the fighting. The Vanir dwell in Vanaheimr.

Vé—brother of Odin and Vili, son of Bestla and Bur, and with his brothers he created the world from the remains of the slain giant Ymir. Verdandi—the Norn Verðandi (see Norns).

Víðar—often known as the “silent god,” Víðar is Odin’s son by the giantess Grid. At Ragnarök, he will avenge his father’s death, and is one of the few Æsir who will survive that final battle. A god of vengeance, and he who defines space (as Heimdall defines the boundaries of time).

Vili—Odin’s brother. With Odin and Vé, he created Midgard and ordered the world.

warg—Old Norse, “wolf.”

Weormgræf—“worm grave,” “dragon’s grave.”

wergeld, wergild—payment, in the form of money or a human life, for murder and other very serious crimes.

World Serpent—(see Jörmungand).

Wylfings (also Wulfings)—an important tribe, perhaps the ruling clan of the Eastern Geats. Wealthow, wife of the Danish king Hrothgar was of the Wylfing clan, as was Heatholaf, slain by Beowulf’s father, Ecgtheow.

Yggdrasil, World Ash—in Norse mythology, the tree that stands at the center of the cosmos, uniting the nine worlds. The only two humans who will survive Ragnarök—Lif and Lifthrasir—will do so by seeking shelter in the boughs of Yggdrasil and feeding off the dew on its leaves.

Ymir—the first giant, licked from a block of rime by the first cow Audhumla. Ymir was killed and dismembered by the Æsir Odin, Vé, and Vili (the sons of Bur), who used his remains to shape the cosmos.

Yule, Yuletide—a pre-Christian winter solstice celebration, including feasting and sacrifice, present in many Northern European cultures.

Author’s Note: If a teacher or professor has assigned you Beowulf, this novelization doesn’t count. Not even close. For readers who would like to learn more about Norse mythology, I strongly recommend John Lindow’s Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs (Oxford University Press, 2001).