Sæhrímnir
Encyclopedia
In Norse mythology
, Sæhrímnir is the creature killed and eaten every night by the Æsir
and einherjar
. The cook of the gods, Andhrímnir
, is responsible for the slaughter of Sæhrímnir and its preparation in the cauldron Eldhrímnir
. After Sæhrímnir is eaten, the beast is brought back to life to again provide sustenance for the following day. Sæhrímnir 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 enthroned figure of High
quotes this stanza in the Prose Edda book Gylfaginning
and specifically states that Sæhrímnir is a boar. However, some scholars have translated the Poetic Edda attestation, which the Prose Edda attestation quotes, as not referring to the creature as any specific type. Those scholars who recognize a difference between the taxonomy of the creature between the two sources have commented on the matter, further issues have been raised about the apparently contradictory etymology of the name of the creature in relation to its apparent status as a boar, and some scholars have theorized that the ritual killing of the animal may ultimately stem from religious practices in Germanic paganism
.
name Sæhrímnir is problematic; in contradiction to the Gylfaginning (and, depending upon translator, Grímnismál) description of the animal as a boar, Sæhrímnir is, in modern scholarship, commonly proposed to mean "sooty sea-beast" or "sooty sea-animal" (which may be connected to Old Norse seyðir, meaning 'cooking ditch'). Attempts at explaining the apparent contradiction have been made by scholars (see theories section below).
in disguise) comments on the creature. Translations of the stanza vary:
In chapter 38 of the Prose Edda book Gylfaginning, Gangleri (king Gylfi
in disguise) comments that "you say that all those men that have fallen in battle since the beginning of the world have now come to Odin in Val-hall. What has he got to offer them food? I should have thought that there must be a pretty large number there." High replies that it is true there are a pretty large number of men there, adding many more have yet to arrive, yet that "there will seem too few when the wolf comes." However, High adds that food is not a problem because there will never be too many people in Valhalla that the meat of Sæhrímnir (which he specifically calls a boar
) cannot sufficiently feed. High adds that Sæhrímnir is cooked every day by the cook Andhrímnir in the pot Eldhrimnir, and is again whole every evening. High then quotes the above mentioned Grímnismál stanza in support. Gangleri then asks if Odin eats the same, to which High responds that Odin gives the food on his table to his wolves
, for Odin himself consumes only wine and needs no food (and again High thereafter quotes a stanza from Grímnismál in support).
A final mention of the beast appears in a list of hog names in the Nafnaþulur
section of the Prose Edda book Skáldskaparmál
.
comments that the theme of the eternally renewing beast is also found in myths of the god Thor
's goats (Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr
) and may point to sacrificial rites in shamanic
practices. Simek finds a difference between the Grímnismál and Gylfaginning and explains it as a result of an embellishment on Snorri's part, which he says owes more to the introduction of "characteristics of a medieval paradise
".
19th century scholar Jacob Grimm
says that no information has survived about the worship of heroes in Germanic paganism
(as opposed to the worship of the gods) but proposes a potential connection between Sæhrímnir and hero worship:
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
, Sæhrímnir is the creature killed and eaten every night by the Æsir
Æsir
In Old Norse, áss is the term denoting a member of the principal pantheon in Norse paganism. This pantheon includes Odin, Frigg, Thor, Baldr and Tyr. The second pantheon comprises the Vanir...
and einherjar
Einherjar
In Norse mythology, the einherjar are those that have died in battle and are brought to Valhalla by valkyries. In Valhalla, the einherjar eat their fill of the nightly-resurrecting beast Sæhrímnir, and are brought their fill of mead by valkyries...
. The cook of the gods, Andhrímnir
Andhrímnir
Andhrímnir is the chef of the Æsir and einherjar in Norse mythology. Every day in Valhalla, he slaughters the beast Sæhrímnir and cooks it in Eldhrímnir, his cauldron. At night, Sæhrímnir is restored to life to be eaten again the next day...
, is responsible for the slaughter of Sæhrímnir and its preparation in the cauldron Eldhrímnir
Eldhrímnir
In Norse mythology, Eldhrímnir is the cauldron in which the cook of the gods, Andhrímnir, prepares Sæhrímnir every evening.-References:* Orchard, Andy . Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. Cassell. ISBN 0-304-34520-2...
. After Sæhrímnir is eaten, the beast is brought back to life to again provide sustenance for the following day. Sæhrímnir is attested in the Poetic Edda
Poetic Edda
The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems primarily preserved in the Icelandic mediaeval manuscript Codex Regius. Along with Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, the Poetic Edda is the most important extant source on Norse mythology and Germanic heroic legends, and from the early 19th century...
, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional material, and the Prose Edda
Prose Edda
The Prose Edda, also known as the Younger Edda, Snorri's Edda or simply Edda, is an Icelandic collection of four sections interspersed with excerpts from earlier skaldic and Eddic poetry containing tales from Nordic mythology...
, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing...
.
The enthroned figure of High
High, Just-As-High, and Third
High, Just-As-High, and Third are three men that respond to questions posed by Gangleri in the Prose Edda book Gylfaginning...
quotes this stanza in the Prose Edda book Gylfaginning
Gylfaginning
Gylfaginning, or the Tricking of Gylfi , is the first part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda after Prologue. The Gylfaginning deals with the creation and destruction of the world of the Norse gods, and many other aspects of Norse mythology...
and specifically states that Sæhrímnir is a boar. However, some scholars have translated the Poetic Edda attestation, which the Prose Edda attestation quotes, as not referring to the creature as any specific type. Those scholars who recognize a difference between the taxonomy of the creature between the two sources have commented on the matter, further issues have been raised about the apparently contradictory etymology of the name of the creature in relation to its apparent status as a boar, and some scholars have theorized that the ritual killing of the animal may ultimately stem from religious practices in Germanic paganism
Germanic paganism
Germanic paganism refers to the theology and religious practices of the Germanic peoples of north-western Europe from the Iron Age until their Christianization during the Medieval period...
.
Etymology
The etymology of the Old NorseOld Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
name Sæhrímnir is problematic; in contradiction to the Gylfaginning (and, depending upon translator, Grímnismál) description of the animal as a boar, Sæhrímnir is, in modern scholarship, commonly proposed to mean "sooty sea-beast" or "sooty sea-animal" (which may be connected to Old Norse seyðir, meaning 'cooking ditch'). Attempts at explaining the apparent contradiction have been made by scholars (see theories section below).
Attestations
Sæhrímnir is mentioned once in the Poetic Edda and twice in the Prose Edda. In the Poetic Edda poem Grímnismál, Grímnir (the god OdinOdin
Odin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon "Wōden" and the Old High German "Wotan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz"....
in disguise) comments on the creature. Translations of the stanza vary:
- Benjamin Thorpe
Benjamin ThorpeBenjamin Thorpe was an English scholar of Anglo-Saxon.-Biography:After studying for four years at Copenhagen University, under the Danish philologist Rasmus Christian Rask, he returned to England in 1830, and in 1832 published an English version of Caedmon's metrical paraphrase of portions of the...
translation:- Andhrimnir makes, in Eldhrimnir,
- Sæhrimnir to boil,
- of meats the best;
- but few know how many Einheriar it feeds.
Henry Adams Bellows Henry Adams BellowsHenry Adams Bellows was a lawyer, state legislator, and jurist born in Rockingham, Vermont. He was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives from Littleton, New Hampshire in 1839. He was subsequently elected again to the House from Concord, New Hampshire in 1856–1857, and served as...
translation:In Eldrhimnir Andrhrimnir cooks Sæhrimnir’s seething flesh,— The best of food, but few men know On what fare the warriors feast. Lee M. Hollander translation: By Andhrímnir in Eldrímnir Sæhrímnir, the boar, is boiled, the best of bacons; though 'tis barely known what the einherjar eat. Anthony Faulkes translation: Andrhrimnir has Sæhrimnir cooked in Eldrhrimnir, best of meats. But there are few that know on what the Einheriar feed.
In chapter 38 of the Prose Edda book Gylfaginning, Gangleri (king Gylfi
Gylfi
In Norse mythology, Gylfi, Gylfe, Gylvi, or Gylve was the earliest king in Scandinavia recorded. The traditions on Gylfi deal with how he was tricked by the gods and his relations with the goddess Gefjon.-The creation of Zealand:...
in disguise) comments that "you say that all those men that have fallen in battle since the beginning of the world have now come to Odin in Val-hall. What has he got to offer them food? I should have thought that there must be a pretty large number there." High replies that it is true there are a pretty large number of men there, adding many more have yet to arrive, yet that "there will seem too few when the wolf comes." However, High adds that food is not a problem because there will never be too many people in Valhalla that the meat of Sæhrímnir (which he specifically calls a boar
Boar
Wild boar, also wild pig, is a species of the pig genus Sus, part of the biological family Suidae. The species includes many subspecies. It is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig, an animal with which it freely hybridises...
) cannot sufficiently feed. High adds that Sæhrímnir is cooked every day by the cook Andhrímnir in the pot Eldhrimnir, and is again whole every evening. High then quotes the above mentioned Grímnismál stanza in support. Gangleri then asks if Odin eats the same, to which High responds that Odin gives the food on his table to his wolves
Geri and Freki
In Norse mythology, Geri and Freki are two wolves which are said to accompany the god Odin. They are attested in the Poetic Edda, a collection of epic poetry compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, in the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, and in...
, for Odin himself consumes only wine and needs no food (and again High thereafter quotes a stanza from Grímnismál in support).
A final mention of the beast appears in a list of hog names in the Nafnaþulur
Nafnaþulur
Nafnaþulur is a subsection of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, the last part of the Skáldskaparmál. It is a listing in verse of names that may be used in poetry for various items, such as gods, giants, people, animals, and weapons...
section of the Prose Edda book Skáldskaparmál
Skáldskaparmál
The second part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda the Skáldskaparmál or "language of poetry" is effectively a dialogue between the Norse god of the sea, Ægir and Bragi, the god of poetry, in which both Norse mythology and discourse on the nature of poetry are intertwined...
.
Theories
Scholar Rudolf SimekRudolf Simek
Rudolf Simek is an Austrian Germanist and Philologian.Simek studied German literature, philosophy and Catholic theology in the University of Vienna, before becoming a librarian and a docent at the institution. He taught among others in the universities of Edinburgh, Tromsø and Sydney...
comments that the theme of the eternally renewing beast is also found in myths of the god Thor
Thor
In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
's goats (Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr
Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr
Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr are the goats who pull the god Thor's chariot in Norse mythology...
) and may point to sacrificial rites in shamanic
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
practices. Simek finds a difference between the Grímnismál and Gylfaginning and explains it as a result of an embellishment on Snorri's part, which he says owes more to the introduction of "characteristics of a medieval paradise
Paradise
Paradise is a place in which existence is positive, harmonious and timeless. It is conceptually a counter-image of the miseries of human civilization, and in paradise there is only peace, prosperity, and happiness. Paradise is a place of contentment, but it is not necessarily a land of luxury and...
".
19th century scholar Jacob Grimm
Jacob Grimm
Jacob Ludwig Carl Grimm was a German philologist, jurist and mythologist. He is best known as the discoverer of Grimm's Law, the author of the monumental Deutsches Wörterbuch, the author of Deutsche Mythologie and, more popularly, as one of the Brothers Grimm, as the editor of Grimm's Fairy...
says that no information has survived about the worship of heroes in Germanic paganism
Germanic paganism
Germanic paganism refers to the theology and religious practices of the Germanic peoples of north-western Europe from the Iron Age until their Christianization during the Medieval period...
(as opposed to the worship of the gods) but proposes a potential connection between Sæhrímnir and hero worship:
- Grecian sacrifices to heroes differed from those offered to gods: a god had only the viscera and fat of the beast presented to him, and was content with the mounting odour; a deified hero must have the very flesh and blood to consume. Thus the einherjar admitted into Valhöll
ValhallaIn Norse mythology, Valhalla is a majestic, enormous hall located in Asgard, ruled over by the god Odin. Chosen by Odin, half of those that die in combat travel to Valhalla upon death, led by valkyries, while the other half go to the goddess Freyja's field Fólkvangr...
feast on the boiled flesh of the boar Sæhrîmnir, and drink with the AsesÆsirIn Old Norse, áss is the term denoting a member of the principal pantheon in Norse paganism. This pantheon includes Odin, Frigg, Thor, Baldr and Tyr. The second pantheon comprises the Vanir...
; it is never said that the Ases shared in the food [...]. Are we to infer from this a difference in the sacrifices offered to gods and to demigods?"