Today is Sunday/Sondag.
Did you know that our Sunday is taken from the Norse goddess ‘Sól’ or Sunna (old German) which means ‘Sun?’
The Elder Eddas written by Saemund Sigfusson and Snorri Sturluson tells the legend of how Sol and her brother Mani (he represents Monday) came about.
Legend has it that Sól who represents the sun and her brother Mani who represents the moon and Monday were both placed in the sky. Sól had her own chariot or car that was drawn by two horses. Their names are Alvak and Alvis which drive her around to give light to the world.
Her horses are cooled under their withers from a refrigerant substance called ‘Isarnkul.’
Illustration by Boris Vallejo in Public Domain.
Sól is being chased by two large wolves called, Skól who chases her. The other wolf Hati goes before her and chases the moon Mani her brother.
It is interesting that many legends and religions view the sun as masculine with its’ fiery energy and the moon as feminine and mysterious much like a woman. Ancient Norsemen saw Sol the sun as a female giving light and warmth to make plants grow in creation. They saw Mani the moon god as dark and introspective like a man. That is where we first heard about ‘The man in the Moon’ as children.
Source & Reference:
- Mallory J.P. (1989). In Search of the Indo-Europeans: Language, Archaeology and Myth.Thames & Hudson ISBN 0-500-2716-1
- Bellows Henry Adams (1923). The Poetic Edda. The American Scandinavian Foundation
Val is a writer of enchanted tales, folklore and magic. Once chased by Vampire Pumpkins! 