2026-08-22
When you put a 'V' before the word Edda, you get Vedda or Veda.
Vedda or Wedda is related to the Dutch word 'weten' and the German word 'wissen' (to know) and the English word 'Wit'
The Edda, the Rig Veda en the Zend Avesta have the same origin.
The meaning of the word 'Edda' is puzzling to many people who study the old Icelandic writings. When you put the letter 'V' in front of Edda, the word explains itself.
The Norwegian and Icelandic languages have lost the letter 'V' of 'W' in front of many words. The middle Germanic Wodan (Woden, Vodanes) became the Icelandic Óðinn.
From Middle English wit, from Old English witt (“understanding, intellect, sense, knowledge, consciousness, conscience”), from Proto-West Germanic *witi, from Proto-Germanic *witją (“knowledge, reason”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“see, know”).
Cognate with Dutch weet, German Witz, Danish vid, Swedish vett, Norwegian Bokmål vett, Gothic (unwiti, “ignorance”), Latin videō (“see”), Bulgarian (vídja), Russian (vídetʹ), Sanskrit (vidyā). Compare wise.
Veda is a Sanskrit word from the root, vid, meaning “to know." Thus, veda means "knowledge" or "wisdom."
The Vedas are the most ancient Hindu and yogic texts. Written in Sanskrit, they are considered to have no author. Rather, it is believed that the texts were revealed to the ancient sages who passed them on orally for many years until they were written down on palm leaves around 500 BCE. Because of this supposed link with the Divine, the Vedas are also called sruti in Sanskrit, which means “what is heard" (as opposed to smrti, meaning “what is remembered”). Some sources state that Brahma is the creator of the Vedas.
The ideas, teachings and practices described in the Vedas formed the basis for the six major schools of Hindu philosophy, one of which is yoga.
In the Rig Veda, HYMN XXII "Asvins and Others" we read:
1 WAKEN the Asvin Pair who yoke their car at early morn
Usually these Asvins are interpreted as two gods. But they can be interpreted as two horses that drag the chariot with the sun. Interpreted like that, they are similar to Árvakr and Alsviðr. In the Prose Edda we read:
But the gods were incensed at that insolence, and took the brother and sister, and set them up in the heavens; they caused Sun to drive those horses that drew the chariot of the sun, which the gods had fashioned, for the world's illumination, from that glowing stuff which flew out of Múspellheim. Those horses are called thus: Early-Wake and All-Strong;
Gylfaginning 11. Icelandic text and English translation.
The earliest Vedic texts lists four social classes or Varna.
The varnas have been known since a hymn in the Rigveda (the oldest surviving Indian text) that portrays the Brahman (priest), the Kshatriya (noble), the Vaishya (commoner), and the Shudra (servant) issued forth at creation from the mouth, arms, thighs, and feet of the primeval person (purusha). Males of the first three varnas are “twice-born” (dvija): after undergoing the ceremony of spiritual rebirth (upanayana), they are initiated into manhood and are free to study the Vedas, the ancient scriptures of Hinduism. The Shudra live in service to the other three.
Source: britannica.com topic/varna-Hinduism.
In the Poetic Edda there is a chapter called Rigsthula or "The song of Rig". In this writing the deity Rig gives birth to three classes: servants, freemen (farmers, carpenters, fishermen) and leaders. These classes are similar to the Vedic classes of Shudra, Vaishya and Kshatriya.
I do not know the Rig Veda very well. If one would compare the Rig Veda with the Edda's perhaps more similarities can be found. It would be nice to have a database with mythical figures from the Rig Veda, the Edda's and the (Zend) Avesta.
In the Vendidad the Chinvat bridge is described. Chinvat Bridge. This bridge is guarded by two dogs. After death the soul has to cross this bridge. But for the sinner, the bridge will be small as a hair. For a righteous person the bridge will be wide.
In the Gylfaginning there is a description of the Gjallarbrú, the bridge over the river Gjallar. The bridge is guarded by Módgudr (the good mother). After dying you have to cross this bridge to get to Niflheimar.
In the Avesta there is a bad spirit named Angra Mainyu or Angro Mainyoes. It can be translated to 'angry thought', 'angry mind', 'angry spirit', 'angry wind' (in a spiritual sense). It is often translated as 'evil spirit' or as Zoroastrian version of Satan. See Angra Mainyu and Ahriman Angro Mainyoes is often opposite to Spenta Mainyoes (good spirit, benevolent wind).
In the Gylfaginning 34 there is a creature called angrboða. Loki has three children with her: Fenrisúlfr, Jörmungandr and Hel. Angr translates to anger. boða means (1) to announce, proclaim; (2) to bid, order; (3) to bode, signify; Source Old Icelandic dictionairy. You can see Angrboða as a creature that brings forth angry thoughts, angry feelings, angry words, angry emotions and angry deeds.
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Werewolves and werebears
Origin of traditional festivities
Ancient initiations
Introduction
General information
Germanic tribes lived from about 3500 BC to 100 AD. Each tribe had its own myths and customs. And they changed over time.
So we can not say things like: "The Germanic people were like this and they believed that".
According to DNA research of David Reich et al. the Germanic people came from Central Asia from the Yamnaya culture.
The Pre-Christian pagans of Europe are often pictured as 'primitive', 'barbaric', 'cruel', 'vicious', et cetera. Quite often they have been accused of sacrificing humans. Based on what evidence?
This article is about the bias of many people against the Pre-Christian pagans of Europe. This bias is just another form of racism.
Did the old Germanic peoples hate or despise women?
In the Edda's and other old writings about the Germanic peoples and their mythology the women are almost completely ignored. Does this reflect the attitude of the old Germanic peoples or the attitude of the Christian writers?
When authors use the label Óðinn, what are they referring to? Do different authors use the label Óðinn to refer to the same 'thing'?
I distinguish the following different meanings of Óðinn.
Óðinn as father of all, as Anima Solaris.
Óðinn as Hangatýr.
Woden woody as deity of the woods.
Óðinn as father of the fallen.
Óðinn as a heroic person, a king, a sorcerer, a con-artist.
The calendar of Óðinn had eight months of one and a half moon. Then followed the 'time between the years' or Yule. This period lasted a half moon.
A year consisted of 12 and a half moon. As a result, the year started alternating with a full moon or a new moon. This resulted in feminine and masculine years or positive and negative years.
In this calendar a year is 3.89 days to long. In nine years this amounts to 35 days. So once in every nine years the last month was shortened by a whole moon or with one and a half moon.
Úlfheðnár are the original werewolves, shamans that had the wolf as power animal. They were the teachers of the native Europeans.
Bersekrs are the werebears, shamans that had the bear as power animals. They were the healers of the native Europeans.
In this article I will present a very different interpretation of Heimdallr. Heim-dallr means: 'Dick of the world' or 'House-dick'. His horn is his dick. In Rigsþula he is named Rigr. This means 'rigid'. So Rigsþula should be interpreted as: 'The tale of Stiffy, a telling of his epic journey bedding all couples and fathering all humans'.
angrboða
Angrboða (bode of anger, bode of grieve)
angr
grief, sorrow
boða
to announce, proclaim | to bid, order | to bode, signify
