Vingólf

InNorse mythology,Vingólfis one of the buildings of the gods. It is described as the hall orhörgrof the goddesses and also as a place where righteous men andthose slain in battlego after death. It is mentioned in theProse Edda,Gylfaginning3 and in the enigmatic poemHrafnagaldur Óðins.

The Prose Edda

Vingólf is mentioned three times in theGylfaginningsection ofSnorri Sturluson'sProse Edda.

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 calledGimlé[lee-of-fire] or Vingólf [friendly door], but wicked men will go to Hel and thence toNiflhel[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 heitirIðavöllrí miðri borginni. Var þat hit fyrsta þeira verk at gerahofþat 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⟨n⟩ok innan svá sem gull eitt. Í þeim stað kalla menn Glaðsheim. Annan sal gerðu þeir, þat varhörgrer 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 calledIðavöll[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 calledGlaðsheim[Radiant Home]. They built another hall that was thesanctuaryof 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 appointsValhalland Vingólf, and they are then calledChampions.Brodeur's translation

The three mentions of Vingólf seem somewhat contradictory. In the first instance it appears as an alternative name forGimlé,a paradise where righteous people go after death. In the second instance it is the hall orhörgrof the goddesses. In the third instance it is a residence forthose slain in battle.

The name does not occur inEddaicorskaldic poetry.

Hrafnagaldur Óðins

The enigmaticHrafnagaldur Óðins,a young mythological poem composed in the Eddic style, mentions Vingólf in one of its strophes.

Vingólf tóku

Viðars þegnar,

Fornjóts sefum

fluttir báðir;

iðar ganga,

æsi kveðja

Yggjar þegar

við ölteiti. EB's edition

Arrived at Vingólf

Viðar's thains,

by Fornjót's sons

both transported;

they walk within,

greet the Æsir

forthwith at Yggur's

merry ale-feast[.] EB's translation

Vingolf reached

Vidur's ministers,

both borne

by Forniot's kin.

They entered,

and the Æsir

forthwith saluted,

at Ygg's convivial meeting.Thorpe's translation

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 ofHrafnagaldur Óðinsas a whole.

Vingólf's name

The nameVingólfis usually thought to be composed ofvinr(friend) andgólf(floor, hall) and mean something like "pleasant hall". Alternatively the name could be readVíngólfand the meaning would be "wine hall".

Uppsalabók,one of the four main manuscripts of theProse Edda,has the variant readingVindglóðseemingly meaning "wind ember" but most variant readings which occur only in that manuscript are thought to be corrupted.

References

Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon (1989).Íslensk orðsifjabók.Reykjavík: Orðabók Háskólans.
Brodeur, Arthur Gilchrist (transl.) (1916).The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson.New York: The American-Scandinavian Foundation.Available online
Eysteinn Björnsson (ed.).Snorra-Edda: Formáli & Gylfaginning: Textar fjögurra meginhandrita.2005.http://www.hi.is/~eybjorn/gg/
Eysteinn Björnsson (ed. & tr.) (2002).Hrafnagaldur Óðins: Forspjallsljóð.http://www.hi.is/~eybjorn/ugm/hrg/hrg.html
Jónsson, Finnur(1931).Lexicon Poeticum.København: S. L. Møllers Bogtrykkeri.
Simek, Rudolf.Dictionary of Northern Mythology.1993. Trans. Angela Hall. Cambridge: D. S. Brewer.ISBN 0-85991-369-4.New edition 2000,ISBN 0-85991-513-1.
Thorpe, Benjamin(tr.) (1866).Edda Sæmundar Hinns Froða: The Edda Of Sæmund The Learned.(2 vols.) London: Trübner & Co.Available online

External links

The Prose Edda

Hrafnagaldur Óðins

Vingólf's name

References

Further reading

External links