Mímir

Old Norse Dictionary - mímir

Meaning of Old Norse word "mímir" in English.

As defined by the Cleasby & Vigfusson Old Norse to English dictionary:

mímir Old Norse word can mean:

mímir
m. name of the wise giant of Norse mythology, the keeper of the holy well Mímis-brunnr, m. = the burn of Mimir, the well of wisdom, in which Odin pawned his eye for wisdom, a myth which is explained as symbolical of the heavenly vault with its single eye, the sun, setting in the sea, Vsp. 22. Mímir also occurs in the following compds, hregg-mímir = the ‘tempest-sky,’ and vett-mímir = the top sky = the uppermost heaven, Edda (gl.), which are among the nine heavens, such as the ancients fancied it, which shews a connection of this name with the sky; Sökk-mímir, the M. of the depth, is the name of a giant (representing the sky of the Inferno?), Gm. Again, another myth says that Odin carried with him the cut off head of the giant Mímir (Míms-höfuð), which told him all hidden things, Vsp. 47, Yngl. S. ch. 7, Edda: Odin is called Míms-vinr, m. = the friend of Mímir, Stor. Míms-synir, m. pl. the sons of Mímir = the winds (?), Vsp.
mímir
II. hold-mímir, flesh-maimer (?), is the poët. name of a sword, Edda (gl.); cp. also Ulf. mimz = κρέας, 1 Cor. viii. 13, (= a chop, butcher’s meat?). ☞ Is the word to be derived from maiming, cutting, and is the likeness to Lat. memor only accidental? cp. also the following word.

Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark:ᛘᛁᛘᛁᚱ
Younger Futhark runes were used from 8th to 12th centuries in Scandinavia and their overseas settlements

Abbreviations used:

ch.
chapter.
gl.
glossary.
l.
line.
m.
masculine.
pl.
plural.
S.
Saga.
cp.
compare.
f.
feminine.
Lat.
Latin.
poët.
poetically.
Ulf.
Ulfilas.

Works & Authors cited:

Edda
Edda. (C. I.)
Gm.
Grímnis-mál. (A. I.)
Stor.
Sona-torrek. (A. III.)
Vsp.
Völuspá. (A. I.)
Yngl. S.
Ynglinga Saga. (C. II.)
➞ See all works cited in the dictionary

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