Lögberg-Heimskringla - 01.03.2019, Qupperneq 7

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Stefan Jonasson
“ Who is Vafþrúðnir and
what are the sources
for medieval Icelandic
paganism?” asked Dr. Andrew
McGillivray at the outset of
his lecture on “Paganism,
Medieval Iceland, and the Myth
of Vafþrúðnir” at Winnipeg’s
Millennium Library on
Wednesday, February 20. This
public lecture was part of the
Skywalk Lecture series, which
presents weekly lectures
by University of Winnipeg
professors. Andrew is an
assistant professor of rhetoric
and communications at the
University of Winnipeg and
he has studied medieval
Icelandic literature, focusing
in particular on Old Norse
mythology in a literary
context.
Vafþrúðnir was a giant, a
mythological character who
was challenged to a wisdom
contest by the god Óðinn
in the poem Vafþrúðnismál
(The Sayings of Vafþrúðnir),
the oldest version of which
survives in a vellum manuscript
from around the year 1270.
However, “the poem has older
roots in the oral culture of
medieval Iceland.” In addition
to the Codex Regius and an
unnamed fragment, the poem
was also incorporated into
Snorri’s Edda.
Snorri’s Edda has four
sections: “the overtly Christian
prologue,” Gylfaginning,
Skáldskaparmál, and
Háttatal. This volume was
a comprehensive work of
Old Norse mythography that
taught the principles needed
to interpret skaldic poetry. It is
“an important work to consider
when investigating paganism.”
Fragments of Vafþrúð-
nismál are found in
Gylfaginning, the second
section of Snorri’s work.
However, “the presentation of
the text is not pagan at all, and
neither is its ethos. … The Eddic
poems are representations
and reinterpretations of what
may have been rehearsed,
performed, and possibly
believed by pagan people.”
Still, it is important to
remember that the remnants of
pagan culture and beliefs are
fragmentary.
Vafþrúðnismál “is not
a suspenseful narrative,”
according to Andrew. “For
the audience, there is little
question of whether Óðinn
will be the victor, as Óðinn is
always the victor of wisdom
contests.” In their dialogue,
“Óðinn and Vafþrúðnir
provide an extensive history
and geography of the mythic
cosmos.”
“The poem is microcosmic”
– that is, it presents the Norse
understanding of the cosmos
in miniature. Ironically,
Vafþrúðnir thinks he is
winning the wisdom contest
until the final round of his
dialogue with Óðinn.
Óðinn sets off to test
the knowledge of the giant
Vafþrúðnir, notwithstanding
the concerns of his wife,
Frigg. Upon encountering
Vafþrúðnir, Óðinn uses a false
name – Gagnráður, which
may mean “giver of advice,”
“victor,” or “wanderer” –
because he obviously must
disguise himself to be able
to participate in contests of
knowledge with those who are
not all-wise. Who would accept
his challenge otherwise?
Vafþrúðnir opens the
contest by asking Óðinn
four questions. Then Óðinn
questions Vafþrúðnir. Through
the course of the questioning,
the Old Norse cosmos is
revealed. The reader learns
about the origin of gods and
giants, natural phenomena
and the other things of the
world. “In a wisdom contest,”
Andrew noted, “the questioner
must know the answer to his
question.”
Andrew explained how
one word – lúðr – has been
the subject of debate when
it comes to how it should be
understood in Old Norse and
translated into other languages.
One interpretation of the word
renders it as “coffin,” but it
might also mean “cradle” or
“boat.” As a consequence,
when Vafþrúðnir says that his
earliest memory was seeing
Bergelmir in his lúðr, it is
difficult to discern the precise
meaning from among the
three. He might have been
saying that he was old enough
to remember Bergelmir’s death
– but it’s also possible that he
was saying that he was around
to see him in his cradle. But
Snorri Sturluson interpreted
the word as meaning boat and,
since he was recording these
pagan stories in the Christian
era, a parallel might be seen
between Bergelmir in his boat
and the biblical story of Noah’s
ark. However, Snorri’s story is
“altogether unlike the biblical
one.”
Although Óðinn is a god,
he is not immortal. It is likely
that the Norse gods were
always considered mortal –
superior to humans and other
creatures, but not deathless.
“Death is a feature of life that
no one can escape.”
“It is important to study
our cultural past,” Andrew
said, but it is also important to
remember that these sources
survive for us in Christian form.
“The study of mythology is
an exercise of interpretation.”
Pagan mythology is layered
and its stories are stacked one
upon another, but our study of
mythology helps us to better
understand the world in which
we live today.
“In 13th century Iceland,
Christians were still interested
in their pagan past.”
During the question and
answer period that followed
his lecture, Andrew was asked
why the medieval Icelanders
wrote these stories down.
He explained that there was
likely an impulse to preserve
the stories in manuscript form
for posterity. The Poetic Edda
can be thought of as a kind of
praise poetry and there was a
continuing social value to the
myths, even after Christianity
had taken hold in Iceland.
Andrew’s lecture can be
viewed in its entirety at the
Winnipeg Public Library’s
Facebook page, where it was
posted on the day of the event
– February 20.
Andrew McGillivray
will be teaching a course on
“Literature and Culture of
Medieval Iceland” as part of
the University of Winnipeg’s
55 Plus Program from April
9 to May 14. The classes will
be held at the University Club
in Wesley Hall on Tuesday
afternoons from 1:30 to 3:20.
The cost for all six classes is
$72. The course will explore
the literature and culture of
Medieval Iceland, focusing
especially on Old Norse
mythology and Sagas of
Icelanders, two pillars in an
impressive literary and cultural
heritage. To view a full course
description or register, go to
pace.uwinnipeg.ca and look
for 55 Plus, or phone 204-982-
6633. “One nice thing about
55 Plus courses is that there
are no exams – you just sit,
listen, and enjoy.”
THE MYTH OF VAFÞRÚÐNIR EXPLORED
IMAGE: ÁRNI MAGNÚSSON INSTITUTE
Codex Regius GKS 2365 4to
IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Frigg asking Óðinn not to go to Vafþrúðnir
by Lorenz Frølich