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Encyclopedia > Bragi
Bragi is shown with a harp and accompanied by his wife Iðunn in this 19th century painting by Nils Blommér.
Bragi is shown with a harp and accompanied by his wife Iðunn in this 19th century painting by Nils Blommér.

Bragi is the god of poetry in Norse mythology. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x1487, 242 KB)Iðunn with her apples and Bragi with a harp. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x1487, 242 KB)Iðunn with her apples and Bragi with a harp. ... Iðunn is carried off by Þjazi in this artwork by H. Theaker, 1920 Iðunn was, in Norse mythology, one of the goddesses. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nils Johan Olsson Blommér (1816-1853) was a Swedish painter. ... Poetry (ancient Greek: ποιεω (poieo) = I create) is traditionally a written art form (although there is also an ancient and modern poetry which relies mainly upon oral or pictorial representations) in which human language is used for its aesthetic qualities in addition to, or instead of, its notional and semantic content. ... Norse or Scandinavian mythology refers to the pre-Christian religion, beliefs and legends of the Scandinavian people, including those who settled on Iceland, where the written sources for Norse mythology were assembled. ...

Contents


Origins

Bragi is generally associated with bragr, the Norse word for poetry. The name of the god may have been derived from bragr, or the term bragr may have been have been formed to describe 'what Bragi does.' Poetry (ancient Greek: ποιεω (poieo) = I create) is traditionally a written art form (although there is also an ancient and modern poetry which relies mainly upon oral or pictorial representations) in which human language is used for its aesthetic qualities in addition to, or instead of, its notional and semantic content. ...


A connection between the name Bragi and English brego 'chieftain' has been suggested but is generally now discounted


Snorri Sturluson writes in the Gylfaginning after describing Odin, Thor, and Baldr: Snorri Sturluson (1178 â€“ September 23, 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet and politician. ... External links Original text English text Categories: Mythology stubs | Medieval literature | Sagas of Iceland | Norse mythology | Nordic folklore ... This article needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ... Thor carries his hammer and wears his belt of strength in this illustration from an 18th century Icelandic manuscript. ... Baldr. ...

One is called Bragi: he is renowned for wisdom, and most of all for fluency of speech and skill with words. He knows most of skaldship, and after him skaldship is called bragr, and from his name that one is called bragr-man or -woman, who possesses eloquence surpassing others, of women or of men. His wife is Iðunn. Iðunn is carried off by Þjazi in this artwork by H. Theaker, 1920 Iðunn was, in Norse mythology, one of the goddesses. ...

In his Skáldskaparmál Snorri writes: The second part of the Younger Edda of Snorri Sturluson. ...

How should one periphrase Bragi? By calling him husband of Iðunn, first maker of poetry, and the long-bearded god (after his name, a man who has a great beard is called Beard-Bragi), and son of Odin.

Bragi by Carl Wahlbom (1810-1858).
Bragi by Carl Wahlbom (1810-1858).

That Bragi is Odin's son is clearly mentioned only here and in some versions of a list of the sons of Odin (see Sons of Odin). But "wish-son" in stanza 16 of the Lokasenna could mean "Odin's son" and is translated by Hollander as Odin's kin. Bragi's mother is never named. If Bragi's mother is Frigg, then Frigg is somewhat dismissive of Bragi in the Lokasenna in stanza 27 when Frigg complains that if she had a son in Ægir's hall as brave as Baldr then Loki would have to fight for his life. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x1398, 458 KB)Bragi from Norse mythology with a harp. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x1398, 458 KB)Bragi from Norse mythology with a harp. ... Various gods and men appear as Sons of Odin or Sons of Woden in old Old Norse and Old English texts. ... Lokasenna, known also as Lokis Flyting, is a poem in the Elder Edda. ... Frigg spinning the clouds Frigg or Frigga was, in Norse mythology, said to be foremost among the goddesses, 1 the wife of Odin, queen of the Æsir, and goddess of the sky. ... In Norse mythology Ægir is a giant and a king of the sea. ... Baldr. ... This picture, from an 18th century Icelandic manuscript, shows Loki with his invention - the fishing net. ...


In that poem Bragi at first forbids Loki to enter the hall but is overruled by Odin. Loki then gives a greeting to all gods and goddesses who are in the hall save to Bragi. Bragi generously offers his sword, horse, and an arm ring as peace gift but Loki only responds by accusing Bragi of cowardice, of being the most afraid to fight of any of the Æsir and Elves within the hall. Bragi responds that if they were outside the hall, he would have Loki's head, but Loki only repeats the accusation. When Bragi's wife Iðunn attempts to calm Bragi, Loki accuses her of embracing her brother's slayer, a reference to matters that have not survived. Perhaps Bragi had slain Iðunn's brother or perhaps the reference is to something else entirely. In Old Norse, the Æsir (singular Áss, feminine Ásynja, feminine plural Ásynjur, Anglo-Saxon Ós, from Proto-Germanic Ansuz) are the principal gods of the pantheon of Norse mythology. ... For alternate meanings, see Lightning (disambiguation). ...


A passage in the eddic poem Sigrdrífumál describes runes being graven on the sun, on the ear of one of the sun-horses and on the hoofs of the other, on Sleipnir's teeth, on bear's paw, on eagle's beak, on wolf's claw, and on several other things including on Bragi's tongue. Then the runes are shaved off and the shavings are mixed with mead and sent abroad so that Æsir have some, Elves have some, Vanir have some, and Men have some, these being beech runes and birth runes, ale runes, and magic runes. The meaning of this is obscure. The Ardre image stone is thought to show Odin entering Valhalla riding on Sleipnir In Norse mythology, Sleipnir is Odins magical eight-legged steed, and the greatest of all horses. ... Vanir is the name of one of the two groups of gods in Norse mythology, the other and more well known being the Æsir. ...


The first part of Snorri Sturluson's Skáldskaparmál is a dialogue between Ægir and Bragi about the nature of poetry, particularly skaldic poetry. Bragi tells the origin of the mead of poetry from the blood of Kvasir and how Odin obtained this mead. He then goes on to discuss various poetic metaphors known as kennings. In Norse mythology Ægir is a giant and a king of the sea. ... Kvasir was created from the saliva of all the gods, making him the wisest of the Vanir in Norse mythology. ... This article is about kenning as a poetic notion. ...


Snorri Sturluson clearly distinguishes the god Bragi from the mortal skald Bragi Boddason whom he often mentions separately. Bragi Boddason is discussed below. The appearance of Bragi in the Lokasenna indicates that if these two Bragis were originally the same, they have become separated for that author also, or that chronology has become very muddled and Bragi Boddason has been relocated to mythological time. Compare the appearance of the Welsh Taliesin in the second branch of the Mabinogi. Legendary chronology sometimes does become muddled. Whether Bragi the god originally arose as a deified version of Bragi Boddason was much debated in the 19th century, especially by the German scholars Eugen Mogk and Sophus Bugge. The debate remains undecided. National motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh: Wales for ever) Waless location within the UK Official languages English, Welsh Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff First Minister Rhodri Morgan Area  - Total Ranked 3rd UK 20,779 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 3rd UK 2,903,085 140/km² NUTS 1... For the studio established by Frank Lloyd Wright, see Taliesin (studio) Taliesin or Taliessin (c. ... The Mabinogion is a collection of prose stories from medieval Welsh manuscripts. ... Events and Trends Beginning of the Napoleonic Wars (1803 - 1815). ...


In the poem Eiríksmál Odin, in Valhalla, hears the coming of the dead Norwegian king Eirík Bloodaxe and his host, and bids the heroes Sigmund and Sinfjötli rise to greet him. Bragi is then mentioned, questioning how Odin knows that it is Eirik and why Odin has let such a king die. In the poem Hákonarmál, Hákon the Good is taken to Valhalla by the valkyrie Göndul and Odin sends Hermóðr and Bragi to greet him. In these poems Bragi could be either a god or a dead hero in Valhalla. Attempting to decide is further confused because Hermóðr also seems to be sometimes the name of a god and sometimes the name of a hero. That Bragi was also the first to speak to Loki in the Lokasenna as Loki attempted to enter the hall might be a parallel. It might have been useful and customary that a man of great eloquence and versed in poetry should greet those entering a hall. In this illustration from a 17th century Icelandic manuscript Heimdallr is shown guarding the gate of Valhalla. ... This article is about the mythological hero Sigmund, for other meanings see: Sigmund (disambiguation). ... Odin taking the dead Sinfjötli to Valhalla Sinfjötli (Old Norse) or Fitela (Anglo-Saxon) was born out of the incestuous relationship between Sigmund and his sister Signy. ... Hákonarmál is a skaldic poem which the skald Eyvindr Skáldaspillir composed about the fall of the Norwegian king Haakon the Good and his reception in Valhalla. ... A statue from 1908 by Stephan Sinding located in Copenhagen, presents an active image of a valkyrie. ... In Norse mythology, Göndul is one of the valkyries. ... In Norse mythology, Hermóðr the Brave (Old Norse Hermóðr Courage-Battle) appears clearly among the gods only in Snorri Sturlusons Gylfaginning where Hermóðr is the messenger sent by Odin to find out what ransom Hel would accept to return Baldr to Ásgarðr. ...


A connection between Bragi and the bragarfull 'promise cup' is sometimes suggested, as bragafull, an alternate form of the word, might be translated as 'Bragi's cup'. See Bragarfull. The bragarfull promise-cup or bragafull best cup or chieftains cup was in Norse culture a particular drinking from a cup or drinking horn on ceremonial occasions, often involving the swearing of oaths when the cup or horn was drunk by a chieftain or passed around and drunk by...


Other Spellings

  • Norwegian form: Brage
  • German form: Brego

Modern invention

  • Bragi's mother was Frigg.
  • Bragi's mother was son of Odin by the giantess Gunnlöd.
  • Bragi was generally conceived to have runes permanently carved into his tongue.
  • Bragi was told to let the runes out like butterflies at banquets of the gods and in Valhalla in the form of poetry.
  • Bragi had runes carved on his tongue by his wife Iðunn, the inventor of runes. (This is an invention of Barbara Walker, author of The Crone.)
  • Bragi was responsible for dolling out the mead of poetry.
  • Bragi customarily greeted new arrivals to Valhalla. (In fact this occurs only in the poem Eiríksmál.)

Some of the above are reasonable as modern literary invention in retellings or as scholarly speculation and may even have been what the ancient Norse believed for all that is known, but they are not found in surviving texts. In Norse mythology, Gunnlod was a daughter of Suttung, who was set guard by her father in the cavern where he housed the mead of poetry. ...


A. & E. Keary in the back matter to their Heroes of Asgard (published in 1891), provides the following on Bragi's name:

From braga, "to shine;" or bragga, "to adorn." Bragr, which in Norse signifies "poetry," has become in English "to brag," and a poet "a braggart." From Bragi's bumper, the Bragafull, comes our word "bragget," and probably, also, the verb "to brew;" Norse, brugga.

A relation to braga 'to shine' is not generally accepted, must less to bragga or brugga. English brag might indeed be from Old Norse braugr, discussed above, if not from braying of a trumpet. But English brew is certainly unrelated to Bragi, though brew is related to Old Norse brugga.


Bragi Boddason

In his Edda Snorri Sturluson quotes many stanzas attributed to Bragi Boddason the old (Bragi Boddason inn gamli), a court poet who served several Swedish kings, Ragnar Lodbrok, Östen Beli and Björn at Hauge who reigned in the first half of the ninth century. This Bragi was reckoned as the first skaldic poet, and was certainly the earliest skaldic poet then remembered by name whose verse survived in memory. An 1857 painting by August Malmström depicting King Aellas messenger before Ragnar Lodbroks sons. ... Eysteinn inn illráði, Östen IllrÃ¥da (ill-ruler), Östen Beli or Eystein Bele was a son of Harald Hildetand according to Hervarar Saga. ... King Björns barrow in HÃ¥ga (Old Norse name: Haug)near Uppsala. ... Centuries: 8th century - 9th century - 10th century Decades: 750s 760s 770s 780s 790s - 800s - 810s 820s 830s 840s 850s Years: 800 801 802 803 804 805 806 807 808 809 Significant Events and Trends Swedish town of Birka founded as a centre of trade on the island of Björk...


Snorri especially quotes passages from Bragi's Ragnarsdrápa, a poem supposedly composed in honor of the famous legendary viking Ragnar Lodbrók ('Hairy-breeks') describing the images on a decorated shield which Ragnar had given to Bragi. The images included Thor's fishing for Jörmungandr, Gefjun's ploughing of Zealand from the soil of Sweden, the attack of Hamdir and Sorli against King Jörmunrekk, and the never-ending battle between Hedin and Högni. Ragnarsdrápa is a skaldic poem composed to the Scandinavian hero Ragnar Lodbrok. ... An 1857 painting by August Malmström depicting King Aellas messenger before Ragnar Lodbroks sons. ... Thor goes fishing for the Midgard Serpent in this picture from an 18th century Icelandic manuscript. ... Gefjun (giver; also Gefjon, Gefyon, Gefn) was, in Norse mythology, a seeress and goddess, a member of both the Vanir and the Æsir. ... Zealand (Danish: Sjælland) is the largest island of Denmark. ... Hamdir, Sörli and Erp (ice. ... Ermanaric (d. ... Hedin and Högni is a Scandinavian legend from Norse mythology about a never-ending battle which is documented in Sörla þáttr, Ragnarsdrápa, Gesta Danorum and in Skáldskaparmál. ...


Bragi son of Hálfdan the Old

Bragi son of Hálfdan the Old is mentioned only in the Skjáldskaparmál. This Bragi is the sixth of the second of two groups of nine sons fathered by King Hálfdan the Old on Alvig the Wise, daughter of King Eymund of Hólmgard. This second group of sons are all eponymous ancestors of legendary families of the north. Snorri says: Velikiy Novgorod (Но́вгород) is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia, situated on the highway (and railway) connecting Moscow and St Petersburg. ...

Bragi, from whom the Bragnings are sprung (that is the race of Hálfdan the Generous).

Of the Bragnings as a race and of Hálfdan the Generous nothing else is known. However Bragning is often, like some others of these dynastic names, used in poetry as a general word for 'king' or 'ruler'.


Bragi Högnason

In the eddic poem Helgakviða Hundingsbana II, Bragi Högnason, his brother Dag, and his sister Sigrún were children of Högne, the king of East Götaland. The poem relates how Sigmund's son Helgi Hundingsbane agreed to take Sigrún daughter of Högni as his wife against her unwilling betrothal to Hodbrodd son of Granmar the king of Södermanland. In the subsequent battle of Frekastein (probably one of the 300 hill forts of Södermanland, as stein meant "hill fort") against Högni and Grammar, all the chieftains on Granmar's side are slain, including Bragi, except for Bragi's brother Dag. Helgi returns to Valhalla Helgi Hundingsbane was a hero in the Norse sagas, who appears in the Volsunga saga and in two lays in the Poetic Edda named Helgakviða Hundingsbana I and II. // Earning his name and meeting a Valkyrie He appears to be the son of Sigmund and... Högne is a king of Ostrogothia who appear in Norse mythology. ... ... This article is about the mythological hero Sigmund, for other meanings see: Sigmund (disambiguation). ... Helgi Hundingsbane/Hundingsbani was a hero in the Norse sagas. ... Granmar was a king of Södermanland, in Snorri Sturlusons Heimskringla. ... Sudermannia or Södermanland, is a historical province or landskap on the south eastern coast of Sweden. ... The term hill fort is commonly used by archeologists to describe fortified enclosures located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. ...


See also

Norse mythology Image File history File links Mjollnir_icon. ... Norse or Scandinavian mythology refers to the pre-Christian religion, beliefs and legends of the Scandinavian people, including those who settled on Iceland, where the written sources for Norse mythology were assembled. ...

List of Norse gods | Æsir | Vanir | Giants | Elves | Dwarves | Valkyries | Einherjar | Norns
Odin | Thor | Freyr | Freya | Loki | Balder | Tyr | Yggdrasil | Ginnungagap | Ragnarök
Sources:
Poetic Edda | Prose Edda | The Sagas | Volsung Cycle | Tyrfing Cycle
Rune stones | Old Norse language | Orthography | Later influence
Society:
Viking Age | Skald | Kenning | Blót | Seid | Numbers
The nine worlds of Norse mythology | People, places and things
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Bragi

  Results from FactBites:
 
Bragi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (1462 words)
If Bragi's mother is Frigg, then Frigg is somewhat dismissive of Bragi in the Lokasenna in stanza 27 when Frigg complains that if she had a son in Ægir's hall as brave as Baldr then Loki would have to fight for his life.
Bragi's mother was son of Odin by the giantess Gunnlöd.
This Bragi is the sixth of the second of two groups of nine sons fathered by King Hálfdan the Old on Alvig the Wise, daughter of King Eymund of Hólmgard.
Bragi (131 words)
Bragi is married to Idun, the goddess of eternal youth.
Oaths were sworn over the Bragarfull ("Cup of Bragi"), and drinks were taken from it in honor of a dead king.
He was a poet from the 9th century, Bragi Boddason.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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