Jötunheimr
Encyclopedia
Jötunheimr is one of the Nine Worlds and the homeland (heim 'home') of the Giants of Norse Mythology
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...

 — Rock Giants and Frost Giants.

Legend

From Jötunheimr, the giants menace the humans in Midgard
Midgard
Midgard is one of the Nine Worlds and is an old Germanic name for our world and is the home of Humans, with the literal meaning "middle enclosure".-Etymology:...

 and the gods in Asgard
Asgard
In Norse religion, Asgard is one of the Nine Worlds and is the country or capital city of the Norse Gods surrounded by an incomplete wall attributed to a Hrimthurs riding the stallion Svadilfari, according to Gylfaginning. Valhalla is located within Asgard...

. The river Ifing
Ifing
In Norse mythology, Ifing is the name of a river that separates Asgard, the realm of the gods, from Jotunheim, the land of giants, according to stanza 16 of the poem Vafthrudnismal from the Poetic Edda:...

 (Old Norse, Ífingr) separates Asgard
Asgard
In Norse religion, Asgard is one of the Nine Worlds and is the country or capital city of the Norse Gods surrounded by an incomplete wall attributed to a Hrimthurs riding the stallion Svadilfari, according to Gylfaginning. Valhalla is located within Asgard...

, the realm of the gods, from Jötunheimr, the land of giants. Gastropnir
Gastropnir
In Norse mythology, Gastropnir was one of the abodes of the jötnar who waged war constantly against the Aesir, the Norse gods....

, home of Menglad, and Þrymheimr, home of Þjazi, were both located in Jötunheimr, which was ruled by King Thrym
Thrym
In Norse mythology, Þrymr was king of the jotnar. In one legend, he stole Mjollnir, Thor's hammer, to extort the gods into giving him Freyja as his wife...

. Glæsisvellir
Glæsisvellir
Glæsisvellir was a location in Jotunheim in Norse mythology. It is mentioned in sources, such as Bósa saga ok Herrauds and Hervarar saga. -Legend:...

 was a location in Jötunheimr, where lived the giant Gudmund, father of Höfund. Utgard
Utgård
Utgård is a village on the island Vesterøy in Hvaler municipality, Norway. Its population is 304....

 was a stronghold surrounding the land of the giants.

See also

  • Jotunheimen
    Jotunheimen
    Jotunheimen is a mountainous area of roughly 3,500 km² in Southern Norway and is part of the long range known as the Scandinavian Mountains. The 29 highest mountains in Norway are all in Jotunheimen, including the very highest - Galdhøpiggen...

     - the name of a large mountain range in Norway
    Norway
    Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

    . The name Jotunheimen was first popularized by Aasmund Olafson Vinje, who spent much time in the area in the 1860s.
  • Þrymheimr  - In Norse mythology, the abode of Þjazi, located in Jötunheimr.
  • Jötunn - In Norse mythology, giant whose otherworldly homeland is Jötunheimr
  • Útgarða-Loki
    Útgarða-Loki
    In Norse mythology, Útgarða-Loki was the ruler of the castle Útgarðr in Jötunheimr. He was one of the Jötnar and his name means literally "Loki of the Outyards," to distinguish him from Loki, the companion of Thor.-Prose Edda:According to the Prose Edda book Gylfaginning, Thor, Þjálfi and Loki,...

     - In Norse mythology, ruler of the castle Útgarðr in Jötunheimr.

Other sources

  • Lindow, John (2002) Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs (Oxford University Press) ISBN 978-0195153828
  • Simek, Rudolf (1993) Dictionary of Northern Mythology (D.S.Brewer) ISBN 0-85991-513-1
  • Orchard, Andy (1997) Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend (Cassell) ISBN 978-0304345205
  • Keary, Annie
    Annie Keary
    Anna Maria Keary was an English novelist, poet and children's writer.-Life:Born at the rectory in Bilston, now called Bilton-in-Ainsty, Yorkshire, Annie was the daughter of a former army chaplain, William Keary, who came from County Galway in Ireland, and his wife, Lucy Plumer, of Bilton Hall....

    (1891) The Heroes of Asgard: Tales from Scandinavian Mythology (London: MacMillan & Co)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK