Aurvandill

English

Proper noun

Aurvandill

1. (mythology) A figure in Germanic mythology, whose frozen toe was tossed into the sky by Thor and became a star.

Old Norse

Alternative forms

Aurvendill, Ǫrvandill

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *Auziwandilaz, cognate with Old English Ēarendel, Old High German Ōrendil and the disputed Gothic 𐌰𐌿𐌶𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌹𐌻 (auzandil). The name is attested by Saxo Grammaticus as Latin Horuendillus. It's variously used as a personal name, the name of a deity and in reference to the Morning Star (Venus).

Pronunciation

• (9th century West Norse) IPA^(key): /ˈɑu̯r.wɑ̃ndilː/
• (13th century Icelandic) IPA^(key): /ˈøyr.vandilː/

Proper noun

Aurvandill m

1. (Norse mythology) God Aurvandill, associated with the Morning Star (Venus)
   • 13th century, Snorri Sturluson, Skáldskaparmál:

     Þórr fór heim til Þrúðvanga, ok stóð heinin í höfði honum. Þá kom til völva sú, er Gróa hét, kona Aurvandils ins frækna. Hon gól galdra sína yfir Þór, til þess er heinin losnaði. En er Þórr fann þat ok þótti þá ván, at braut myndi ná heininni, þá vildi hann launa Gró lækninguna ok gera hana fegna, sagði henni þau tíðendi, at hann hafði vaðit norðan yfir Élivága ok hafði borit í meis á baki sér Aurvandil norðan ór Jötunheimum, ok þat til jartegna, at ein tá hans hafði staðit ór meisinum, ok var sú frerin, svá at Þórr braut af ok kastaði upp á himin ok gerði af stjörnu þá, er heitir Aurvandilstá. Þórr sagði, at eigi myndi langt til, at Aurvandill myndi heim koma, en Gróa varð svá fegin, at hon mundi enga galdra, ok varð heinin eigi lausari ok stendr enn í höfði Þór, ok er þat boðit til varnanar at kasta hein of gólf þvert, því at þá hrærist heinin í höfði Þór."

     • 1916 translation by A. G. Brodeur

       Thor went home to Thrúdvangar, and the hone remained sticking in his head. Then came the wise woman who was called Gróa, wife of Aurvandill the Valiant: she sang her spells over Thor until the hone was loosened. But when Thor knew that, and thought that there was hope that the hone might be removed, he desired to reward Gróa for her leech-craft and make her glad, and told her these things: that he had waded from the north over Icy Stream and had borne Aurvandill in a basket on his back from the north out of Jötunheim. And he added for a token, that one of Aurvandill's toes had stuck out of the basket, and became frozen; wherefore Thor broke it off and cast it up into the heavens, and made thereof the star called Aurvandill's Toe. Thor said that it would not be long ere Aurvandill came home: but Gróa was so rejoiced that she forgot her incantations, and the hone was not loosened, and stands yet in Thor's head. Therefore it is forbidden to cast a hone across the floor, for then the hone is stirred in Thor's head.

2. a male given name

Declension

Declension of Aurvandill (sg-only masculine)

indefinite singular
nominative	Aurvandill
accusative	Aurvandil
dative	Aurvandli
genitive	Aurvandils

Descendants

• Icelandic: Aurvandill, Örvandill

References

• Aurvandill on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Orðsifjabók.Árnastofnun
• Skáldskaparmál at Heimskringla
• A. G. Brodeur's translation (New York: American-Scandinavian Foundation, 1916).