Vingólf
Encyclopedia
In Norse mythology
, Vingólf is one of the buildings of the gods. It is described as the hall or hörgr
of the goddesses and also as a place where righteous men and those slain in battle
go after death. It is mentioned only in the Prose Edda
and in the enigmatic poem Hrafnagaldur Óðins.
section of Snorri Sturluson
's Prose Edda
.
The three mentions of Vingólf seem somewhat contradictory. In the first instance it appears as an alternative name for Gimlé
, a paradise where righteous people go after death. In the second instance it is the hall or hörgr
of the goddesses. In the third instance it is a residence for those slain in battle
.
The name does not occur in Eddaic
or skaldic poetry.
The context is enigmatic but Vingólf seems to be a place where the Æsir have gathered for an ale feasts. The significance of this mention hinges on the interpretation of Hrafnagaldur Óðins as a whole.
Uppsalabók, one of the four main manuscripts of the Prose Edda, has the variant reading Vindglóð seemingly meaning "wind ember" but most variant readings which occur only in that manuscript are thought to be corrupted.
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...
, Vingólf is one of the buildings of the gods. It is described as the hall or hörgr
Hörgr
A hörgr or hearg was a type of religious building or altar possibly consisting of a heap of stones, used in Norse paganism...
of the goddesses and also as a place where righteous men and those slain in battle
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...
go after death. It is mentioned only in 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...
and in the enigmatic poem Hrafnagaldur Óðins.
The Prose Edda
Vingólf is mentioned three times in the GylfaginningGylfaginning
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...
section of Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing...
's 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...
.
Hitt er mest, er hann gerði manninn ok gaf honum önd þá er lifa skal ok aldri týnask, þótt líkaminn fúni at moldu eða brenni at ösku. Ok skulu allir menn lifa þeir er rétt eru siðaðir ok vera með honum sjálfum þar sem heitir Gimlé eða Vingólf, en vándir menn fara til Heljar ok þaðan [í Ni]flhel, þat er niðr í inn níunda heim. Eysteinn Björnsson's edition |
His greatest achievement, however, is the making of man and giving him a soul which will live and never die, although his body may decay to dust or burn to ashes. All righteous men shall live and be with him where it is called Gimlé Gimlé In Norse mythology, Gimlé was a place where the survivors of Ragnarök were to live. It is mentioned in the Prose Edda and Völuspá and described as the most beautiful place on Earth, more beautiful than the Sun.... [lee-of-fire] or Vingólf [friendly door], but wicked men will go to Hel and thence to Niflhel Niflhel Niflhel is the name of a location in Norse mythology which appears in the eddic poems Vafþrúðnismál and Baldrs draumar, and also in Snorri Sturluson's Gylfaginning... [abode of darkness]: that is down in the ninth world. Young's translation |
Í upphafi setti hann stjórnarmenn ok beiddi þá at dœma með sér ørlög manna ok ráða um skipun borgarinnar. Þat var þar sem heitir Iðavöllr í miðri borginni. Var þat hit fyrsta þeira verk at gera hof Heathen hofs Heathen hofs or Germanic pagan temples were the temple buildings of Germanic paganism; there are also a few built for use in modern Germanic neopaganism... þat er sæti þeira standa í, tólf önnur en hásætit þat er Allföðr á. Þat hús er bezt gert á jörðu ok mest, allt er þat úta Hörgr A hörgr or hearg was a type of religious building or altar possibly consisting of a heap of stones, used in Norse paganism... er gyðjurnar áttu, ok var hann allfagr. Þat hús kalla menn Vingólf. - Eysteinn Björnsson's edition |
At first he appointed rulers who, along with him, were to control the destinies of men, and decide how the stronghold should be governed. That was in the place called Iðavöll [plain that renews itself or plain of activity] in the middle of the stronghold. Their first task was to build a temple in which there were seats for the twelve of them, apart from the high-seat of the All-father. That is the largest and best dwelling on earth; outside and in it is like pure gold; it is called Glaðsheim [Radiant Home]. They built another hall that was the sanctuary Hörgr A hörgr or hearg was a type of religious building or altar possibly consisting of a heap of stones, used in Norse paganism... of the goddesses, and it was a very beautiful building; it is called Vingólf. - Young's translation |
Óðinn heitir Allföðr, þvíat hann er faðir allra goða. Hann heitir ok Valföðr, þvíat hans óskasynir eru allir þeir er í val falla. Þ[eim ski]par hann Valhöll ok Vingólf, ok heita þeir þá Einherjar. Eysteinn Björnsson's edition |
Odin is called Allfather because he is father of all the gods. He is also called Father of the Slain, because all those that fall in battle are the sons of his adoption; for them he appoints Valhall Valhall Valhall is an anglicized form of Old Norse Valhöll, an afterlife "hall of the slain" in Norse mythology, which is more commonly anglicized as Valhalla. Otherwise, Valhall may refer to:*Valhall , a Norwegian band... and Vingólf, and they are then called Champions 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... . Brodeur's translation |
The three mentions of Vingólf seem somewhat contradictory. In the first instance it appears as an alternative name for Gimlé
Gimlé
In Norse mythology, Gimlé was a place where the survivors of Ragnarök were to live. It is mentioned in the Prose Edda and Völuspá and described as the most beautiful place on Earth, more beautiful than the Sun....
, a paradise where righteous people go after death. In the second instance it is the hall or hörgr
Hörgr
A hörgr or hearg was a type of religious building or altar possibly consisting of a heap of stones, used in Norse paganism...
of the goddesses. In the third instance it is a residence for those slain in battle
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 name does not occur in Eddaic
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...
or skaldic poetry.
Hrafnagaldur Óðins
The enigmatic Hrafnagaldur Óðins, a young mythological poem composed in the Eddic style, mentions Vingólf in one of its strophes.
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The context is enigmatic but Vingólf seems to be a place where the Æsir have gathered for an ale feasts. The significance of this mention hinges on the interpretation of Hrafnagaldur Óðins as a whole.
Vingólf's name
The name Vingólf is usually thought to be composed of vinr (friend) and gólf (floor, hall) and mean something like "pleasant hall". Alternatively the name could be read Víngólf and the meaning would be "wine hall".Uppsalabók, one of the four main manuscripts of the Prose Edda, has the variant reading Vindglóð seemingly meaning "wind ember" but most variant readings which occur only in that manuscript are thought to be corrupted.
Further reading
In the entry for Vingólf in the Dictionary of Northern Mythology, Rudolf Simek lists the following articles.- W. Braune (1889). "Vingólf". Beiträge zur Geschichte der deutschen Sprache und Literatur 14.
- F. Jónsson (1890). "Vingólf". Arkiv för nordisk Filologi 6.
- F. Kauffmann (1892). "Vingólf". Zeitschrift für deutsches Altertum 36.