Nerthus of Germania (was: Odin the Immigrant?)

Hej Torsten,



In regard to the identification of the Germanic goddess Nerthus, I think its
important that we begin with the earliest documents that have relevance to
this issue:



Tacitus Germania 40 (A. R. Birley translation):



" By contrast, the Langobardi are distinguished by being few in number.
Surrounded by many mighty peoples they have protected themselves not by
submissiveness but by battle and boldness. Next to them come the Reudigni,
Aviones, Anglii, Varini, Eudoses, Suarines, and Huitones, protected by
rivers and forests. There is nothing especially noteworthy about these
states individually, but they are distinguished by a common worship of
Nerthus, that is, Mother Earth, and believe that she intervenes in human
affairs and rides through their peoples. There is a sacred grove on an
island in the Ocean, in which there is a consecrated chariot, draped with a
cloth, which the priest alone may touch. He perceives the presence of the
goddess in the innermost shrine and with great reverence escorts her in her
chariot, which is drawn by female cattle. There are days of rejoicing then
and the countryside celebrates the festival, wherever she deigns to visit
and to accept hospitality. No one goes to war, no one takes up arms, all
objects of iron are locked away, then and only then do they experience peace
and quiet, only then do they prize them, until the goddess has had her fill
of human society and the priest brings her back to her temple. Afterwards
the chariot, the cloth, and, if one may believe it, the deity herself are
washed in a hidden lake. The slaves who perform this office are immediately
afterwards swallowed up in the same lake. Hence arises dread of the
mysterious, and piety, which keeps them ignorant of what only those about to
perish may see."



This should be compared to an equally famous passage in Paulus Diaconus'
History of the Lombards (translated by William D. Faulke):



"At this point, the men of old tell a silly story that the Wandals coming
to Godan besought him for victory over the Winnili and that he answered
that he would give the victory to those whom he saw first at sunrise; that
then Gambara went to Frea wife of Godan and asked for victory for the
Winnili, and that Frea gave her counsel that the w omen of the Winnili
should take down their hair and arrange it upon the face like a beard, and
that in the early morning they should be present with their husbands and in
like manner station themselves to be seen by Godan from the quarter in which
he had been wont to look through his window toward the east. And so it was
done. And when Godan saw them at sunrise he said: " Who are these
long-beards? " And then Frea induced him to give the victory to those to
whom he had given the name. And thus Godan gave the victory to the Winnili.
These things are worthy of laughter and a held of no account. For victory is
due, not to the power of men, but it is rather furnished from heaven."



This version of the story is drawn from an earlier history, written
anonymously thereby pushing the date back about half a century.



In Tacitius' description of Nerthus, it is important to note that the
Longobardi and their closest neighbors share the worship of "Nerthus, that
is Mother Earth". About 600 years later, Paulus Diaconus, the Christian
historian of the now powerful Longobardian tribe speaks of "a silly story"
told by "men of old" which harks back to a time when the Longobardians were
not called Longobards but had a different name. They were then known as the
Winnili, but because of the intervention on their behalf by Godan-Wotan's
(Odin's) wife, Frea (Frigg), the tribe won the victory over their foes and
took on a new name. Like Tacitus who says that the Germanic tribes held
Mercury as the godhead, Paulus identifies "Godan" with the Roman Mercury.



The fact that the story was regarded well enough to have survived into
Christian times even though it is clearly pagan in origin, suggests that it
was a deeply engrained tribal myth, viewed as history among the Longobardian
people, even after their conversion to a new religion. In this light we
should note that like Nerthus, Frea too was thought to "intervene in human
affairs".



This is our first clue as to the identity of the mysterious Nerthus, as well
as an indication of the continuity of the Germanic religion through time.
Gotan and Frea survive in recognizable form into the Eddic lore some 500
years later, as Odin and Frigg.



Following Snorri Sturluson, author of the Prose Edda, we have been taught
that the Earth goddess (Jord) and Frigg are two distinct personalities. Our
only source from this belief originates in Snorri's work, and has become
uncontested "fact" through long years of conditioning. But since a close
examination of both Eddic and Skaldic material reveal that Frigg was likely
seen the "Earth Mother" among the Germanic tribes through the historical
period, perhaps it's time for us to think "out of the box", a bit. I can
think of several examples off of the top of my head that dispel the current
wisdom.

The first example of course is that Thor's mother Jord, is also called
Fjörgyn (such as in Harbardsljod). In Lokasenna 23, Frigg's father is called
by a masculine version of that name: Fjörgynn. Here we have an immediate
connection between these "two" goddesses.

Note too that in Voluspa 53, Frigg is clearly called by an alternate name:
Hlin. [That verse bears close examination]. Obviously "both" goddesses were
known by alternate names, thus nothing hinders us from searching for further
epithets.

With this said, I must point out an interesting fact in regard to Snorri's
knowledge of these alternate names, and his use of them. When Snorri
enumberates the asynjes in Gylfaginning, in a single continuous passage, he
says:

"Frigg is the first; she possesses the right lordly dwelling which is called
Fensaler. The second is Saga, who dwells in Sokvabek, and this is a large
dwelling. The third is Eir, who is the best leech. ...etc"

"...The twelfth is Hlin, who guards those men whom Frigg wants to protect
from any danger. "

"... Jord, the mother of Thor, and Rind, Vale's mother, are numbered among
the goddesses."

Although the Voluspa poet clearly uses Hlin as an alternate designation for
the goddess Frigg, a technique common in Eddic and skaldic poetry, and
Snorri clearly knew Voluspa, as he quotes and paraphrases it throughout his
work, Snorri portrays Frigg, Hlin, and Jord as seperate personalities. One
must ask if this is the way the ancient Germanic tribes really saw it? An
examination of Eddic poetry suggests otherwise.

And while we are on this passage, note the name of Frigg's hall. It is
Fensalir, "the halls of the fen or marsh". One might ask what the
significance of the sky-god's wife having "marsh-halls" is, unless of course
she were viewed as the Earth mother? Isn't this itself consistant with the
pattern of heiro gamos in other IE mythologies?

Perhaps we can discuss this further. If so I can bring other Eddic and
skaldic examples to bear.


Wassail, William

"I think that many confuse 'applicability' with 'allegory';
but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the
other in the purposed domination of the author."

J.R.R. Tolkien