The Sun in Norse Myth

The sun (Sól or, it's a long story, Sunna) isn't much in evidence in Norse myth. This video looks at where it (she?) shows up and why people may think there's more of it in the Eddas than there is.

[CountsDigGraves]

"I don't have the heart of a poet" says the poetry writing scholar cowboy with the sunset backdrop.

[glassshark]

Another thing I think contributes to the compulsion to lay a "god of ____" framework over the Norse pantheon is that the first world mythology that many of us learn about as kids is the Greek pantheon. Regardless of the historicity of the practice, those gods all have a fairly cut and dried portfolio, so it might be natural for people to assume all mythologies work the same way.

[lakrids-pibe]

Glædelig midsommer.

Han er Odins mand!

[nobodyexceptme]

Salute the shot selection, cant ask for a better backdrop than that.

[Darkurge]

I think it makes sense that the Sol (the sun) is much more important than the moon. Because the winter is long and dangerous, while the summer is shorter and brings life. In the summer we have sun until late in the evening and it associated with pleasant temperature and never with harsh burning, as in the southern part of Europe or other warmer cultures. The moon is less important for our survival, but it has been important for time keeping, as in many cultures.

[faramund]

You too Crawford, all the best and bright days ahead.

[gordonkennygordon]

Greetings from the beautiful Wasatch mountains in Utah! Since you mentioned merch, I thought I'd mention that I would totally buy a coffee cup with "Vituð ér enn, eða hvat?" on it.

Thank you for your great work - you exemplify what I think is the very best of our emerging Rocky Mountain culture.

Peace!
Kenny

Post Script - I'm a couple decades older, and I can tell you from experience that it's not always possible to differentiate between "going as planned" and "devastating emotional nightmare"

...just sayin...

Buena suerte, compadre!

[alicelarsson]

Maybe people also get some perceptions about the sun's importance from the hints and theories about solar cults and sun worship in the earlier eras, the Nordic Bronze Age. All the petroglyphs interpreted as sun symbols, and artifacts like the Trundholm sun chariot.
28:30 another perhaps just random etymology theory I think I read was about the god Ullr, derived from Wulþuz meaning glory, shining, radiating or something, might once been associated with the sky or sun.

[voidofmisery]

as a fellow grown man, i just wanted to let you know that you are exceptionally handsome good sir. just wanted to compliment you. also, love this talk since history is absolutely so fascinating and growing up I was never interested, but now I am :) so thanks!

[AndrewTheFrank]

I do a lot of gardening and live in California. I care a lot about shade and sunlight and so often think of the sun as being to the south when planning out the garden layout for the year. So I get it.

[faramund]

I think it is fine to tell the story as it says on paper, because then people can unfold the riddles themselves.

As you say, if you don't have the heart of a poet, just go with what feels right to you. No use in convincing us of an interpretation you don't believe in. But I'm glad you mentioned it at least.

[Great_Olaf]

16:40 Another good example is that I've sometimes seen stars poetically described as daughters of the moon.

[hackerminecrafitiano]

Hey! Great video!
I found it really interesting that the gender of these astrological bodies are the opposite from Romance languages.
And, if I recall correctly, Sun and Moon are both feminine in Old Tupi. The etymology of the their names in this language are respectively "mother of the day" and "mother of the night".
"Sun" is *arasy*, *ara* "day" and *sy* "mother".
This has an impact on Tupi mythology.

Well, this is at least what I now from some Tupi material, and also the epic novel *Macunaíma*, by the brazilian author Mário de Andrade. This writer did a lot of research on various indigenous groups (other than Tupi) and their religions and legends.

[stephenmurray]

23:27 That card. I wasn't expecting to laugh so much over my morning tea, but I threw my head back and roared like a musketeer. Not with any cruelty, you understand, but in recognition.

[Explorer]

As someone born and raised in Sweden without being influenced by chistianity until I started school I understand a couple of things that most people don't. It doesn't really matter how old it is or isn't. My world view as a child was what my grandmother told me about her ancestors and the things that live around us. Without making any further claims about anything the most important thing she passed on to me wasn't the stories but her world view. The world is just there. It does have a sort of spiritual level but it doesn't affect our every day life. Things are just things including the sun and the moon. There is no need for an explanation of everything. My personal experience from living with cultural christians is that most can't see how christian ideas limit their world view. They populate their world with angels, demons, a creator and an immortal soul and so on. Even if they reject the religion the ideas remain and they use those words to describe the world. Using the word 'soul' to describe something refers to the christian understanding of the word. Someone raised in a christian society will think of religion as something with a bible and rules and a god ruling and demanding obedience and servitude. In the western world christianity defines what a religion is. That means all savages by default live in fear of their gods because that's the way it always must be? Does a religion have to be like that? What if people in the Viking age was more like me and didn't think the gods were that important since they live in their own world? That is how I understand the sun and the moon. They are just there. The rest is entertainment. Enjoy it.

[thesparkypilot]

You explained why my other languages take a kind of Swedish accent (which is my second language!) How interesting. I’m always learning on your channel :)

[NOLNV]

The sun and moon chariots have a peculiar detail, I don't know if this is a later thing, but in Scandinavia the sun is usually associated with the feminine and the moon with the masculine.
If it is an older tradition I guess Snorri could have depicted a juxtaposition of genders though.

Edit: that's what I get for commenting early

[faramund]

My interpretation of himinjodyr is more simple. Horses ride through it every day to pull the heavenly bodies up and down into and out of the sky, thus, the horizon is the heaven-horse-door.
I hope that makes sense linguistically.

[ForestDaughtersJournals]

Hope things that are weighing down on you lighten. Thank you for your videos.

[Pandaemoni]

Just a (very) minor suggestion: It would be helpful to either include a card in the video linking to other videos of yours you reference or just include the link to them in the description below the video. I intend to watch your Vafthruthnismal video next (or, as it appears to be over an hour, as soon as time permits), but it was a little hard to find since I can't easily type out "Vafþrúðnismál" without cutting and pasting (which could not be done in the case the reference in this video).