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Sif


 
 


Sif ("In-law-relationship") is a goddess in Norse mythologyNorse mythology

Norse or Scandinavian mythology comprises the pre-Christian religion, beliefs and legends of the Scandinavian people, ...
. Sif only appears in the Poetic EddaPoetic Edda Overview

The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems primarily preserved in the Icelandic mediaeval manuscript Codex Regius....
, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose EddaProse Edda

The Prose Edda, known also as the Younger Edda or Snorri's Edda is an Icelandic manual of poetics which contains...
, written in the 13th century by Snorri SturlusonSnorri Sturluson

Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet and politician....
. In these two sources, she is known for her golden hairBlond

Blond is a hair color found in certain mammals characterised by low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin and higher levels o...
, as the wife of the major god ThorThor

Thor is the red-haired and bearded god of thunder in Norse Mythology and more generally Germanic mythology....
 and, in the euhemerizedEuhemerus Summary

Euhemerus was a Greek mythographer at the court of Cassander, the king of Macedonia....
 prologue of the Prose Edda, as the most beautiful of women. A number of theories surround the figure.

In surviving tales, Sif is the mother of Ţrúđr, by Thor, and mother of the seemingly once major god UllrUllr

In Norse mythology, Ullr is a son of Sif and a stepson of Thor....
 by a father unrecorded in surviving sources. However, the source lists Thor as his stepfather without further explanation. Sif MonsSif Mons

Sif Mons is a volcano in Eistla Regio on Venus....
, a mons of the planet VenusList of montes on Venus Summary

This is a list of montes on the planet Venus....
, is named after Sif.

Poetic Edda

In the Poetic Edda, Sif appears in or is mentioned in the poems HárbarđsljóđHárbarđsljóđ

The Hrbarslj is one of the poems of the Poetic Edda, found in the Codex Regius and AM 748 I 4to manuscripts....
, HymiskviđaHymiskviđa Summary

Hymiskvia is one of the Eddic poems....
(where Thor is referred to three times as the "Husband of Sif"), LokasennaLokasenna

Lokasenna is one of the mythological poems of the Poetic Edda....
, and ŢrymskviđaŢrymskviđa

?rymskvi?a is one of the best known poems from the Poetic Edda....
(where the "Husband of Sif" kenning appears once more).

Hárbarđsljóđ

In stanza 48 of the Poetic EddaPoetic Edda

The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems primarily preserved in the Icelandic mediaeval manuscript Codex Regius....
 poem HárbarđsljóđHárbarđsljóđ

The Hrbarslj is one of the poems of the Poetic Edda, found in the Codex Regius and AM 748 I 4to manuscripts....
, OdinOdin

Odin is considered the chief god in Norse mythology and Norse paganism, like the Anglo-Saxon Woden continuing Proto-Germ...
 (in the disguise of HárbarđrList of names of Odin

Odin was referred to by many names in the skaldic and Eddic traditions....
) meets his son ThorThor

Thor is the red-haired and bearded god of thunder in Norse Mythology and more generally Germanic mythology....
 at an inletInlet

An inlet is a body of water, usually seawater, which has characteristics of one or more of the following:...
 of a gulf. The two engage in flytingFlyting

Flyting is a contest of insults, often conducted in verse....
 and Hárbarđr refuses to ferryFerry

A ferry is a form of transport, usually a boat or ship, carrying passengers and sometimes their vehicles....
 Thor across the bay. Amongst numerous other insults, Hárbarđr claims that Sif has a lover at home. However, Thor responds that Hárbarđr is speaking carelessly and lying.

Prose Edda

In the Prose Edda, Sif is mentioned once in the prologue, in chapter 31 of GylfaginningGylfaginning

Gylfaginning, or the Tricking of Gylfi, is the first part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda....
, and in SkáldskaparmálSkáldskaparmál

The second part of the Younger Edda of Snorri Sturluson the Skldskaparml or 'language of poetry' is effectively a dialogue b...
as a guest at ĆgirĆgir

gir is a giant and a king of the sea in Norse mythology....
's feast (a reference to Lokasenna), the subject of a jötunn's desire, as having her hair shorn by Loki, and in various kennings.

Prologue

Sif is introduced in chapter three of Snorri's euhemerized account of the origins of Norse mythologyNorse mythology

Norse or Scandinavian mythology comprises the pre-Christian religion, beliefs and legends of the Scandinavian people, ...
 serving as a Prologue for the Prose Edda. Snorri states that Thor married her and that she is known as "a prophetess called SibylSibyl

The word sibyl comes from the Greek word sibylla, meaning prophetess....
, though we know her as Sif" though to the extent of this implication some debate has existed. Sif is further described as "the most loveliest of women" and with hair of gold. Although he lists her own ancestors as unknown, Snorri writes that Thor and Sif produced a son by the name of LóriđiLóriđi

L?ri?i is the son of Thor and Sif and forefather of Norse rulers, according to the prologue of the Prose Edda....
, who "took after his father". Lóriđi is attributed an extended genealogical list of descendants, including figures such as GodwulfGodwulf

Godwulf of Asgard is a figure from Norse mythology....
 and Odin, though outside of this continuity Odin is described as the father of Thor.

Gylfaginning

In chapter 31 of Gylfaginning, Ullr is referred to as a son of Sif and a stepson of Thor though his father is not mentioned:

Ull is the name of one. The son of Sif, he is the stepson of Thor. He is so skillful a bowman and skier that no one can compete with him. He is beautiful to look at, and is an accomplished warrior. He is also a good person to pray to when in single combat.

Skáldskaparmál

As described in Skáldskaparmál, Thor engages in a duel with HrungnirFacts About Hrungnir

Hrungnir was a giant in Norse mythology, slain by the god Thor with his hammer Mjollnir....
, there described as the strongest of the jötunn. Prior to this, Hrungnir had been boasting of his desire to, amongst other things, kill all of the gods except Freyja and Sif, whom he wanted to take home with him. However, at the duel, Hrungnir is quickly killed by the enraged Thor.

Further in Skáldskaparmál, Snorri relates a story where Loki cuts off Sif's hair as a prank. When Thor discovers this, he grabs hold of Loki, resulting in Loki swearing to have a headpiece made of gold to replace Sif's locks. Loki fulfills this promise by having a headpiece made by dwarves referred to as the "sons of Ivaldi". Along with the headpiece, the dwarves produced Odin's spear, GungnirGungnir

In Norse mythology, Gungnir was the name of Odin's spear....
. Further, as the story progresses, this event leads to the creation of the ship SkíđblađnirSkíđblađnir Summary

In Norse mythology, Skblanir is the ship of Freyr....
 and the boar GullinburstiGullinbursti

Gullinbursti is a boar in Norse mythology....
 for FreyrFacts About Freyr

Freyr is one of the most important deities in Norse paganism and Norse mythology....
, the multiplying ring DraupnirDraupnir Summary

Draupnir is a golden arm ring possessed by Odin, the highest god in Norse mythology....
 for Odin, and the mighty hammer MjolnirFacts About Mjolnir

In Norse mythology, Mjolnir is the hammer of Thor, the god of lightning, thunder, wind, and rain. ...
 for Thor. Sif also appears in Skáldskaparmál listed as a kenningKenning

In literature, a kenning is a compound poetic phrase, a figure of speech, substituted for the usual name of a person or thin...
 for "earth", appears as a kenning for a gold-keeping woman, and once for HildrHildr

In Norse mythology, Hildr is one of the valkyries....
.

Theories

Fields of wheat

Sif was so associated with her hair that in the Prose EddaProse Edda Summary

The Prose Edda, known also as the Younger Edda or Snorri's Edda is an Icelandic manual of poetics which contains...
 book SkáldskaparmálSkáldskaparmál

The second part of the Younger Edda of Snorri Sturluson the Skldskaparml or 'language of poetry' is effectively a dialogue b...
, the "hair of Sif" is listed as a kenningKenning

In literature, a kenning is a compound poetic phrase, a figure of speech, substituted for the usual name of a person or thin...
 for goldGold

Gold is a highly sought-after precious metal that for many centuries has been used as money, a store of value and in jewelry...
. English scholar H. R. Ellis DavidsonH. R. Ellis Davidson

Hilda Roderick Ellis Davidson is a British antiquarian and academic, writing in particular on Norse mythology....
 states that Sif may have been an ancient fertility goddess, proposing the link between her lustrous hair and fields of golden wheatWheat

Wheat is a grass that is cultivated worldwide....
.

Understated importance

John Lindow proposes that a potentially understated mythological importance of Sif's role in the story of her sheered hair exists; her headpiece is created along with the most important and powerful items in Norse mythology. Lindow further states that it may be easy to lose sight of the central role Sif plays in the creation of these objects.