Ormsby, Michael and Setr

James Wynn · 15 Jan 2005, 14:01 · from 2005-January.txt.gz

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From: thewynns at earthlink.net (James Wynn)
Date: Sat Jan 15 14:01:47 2005
Subject: (urth) Ormsby, Michael and Setr
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Hartshorn (seeming a bit cranky this afternoon) says:

>Well the exact meaning of "setr" is "dairy-pasture" according to the Viking
>Answers Lady

With apologies to the Viking Answer Lady, here are the results of a quick
Google:
http://www.10callicvol.com/centre/callicvol/
"In addition the Old Norse 'saetr' ('setr') means a shieling or steading and
appears in Lewis as 'Shader', in for example 'Cuidhsiadar', cattlefold
shieling or farm."

http://www.northvegr.org/zoega/h247.php
A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic:
konungs-atsetr, n. king's residence;
-setr, n. royal residence

http://www.northvegr.org/zoega/h095.php
A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic:
There's also a seeming use of the word as a verb meaning "to change
something". But I don't find it directly referred to anywhere.

By the way, Northvegr.org is definitely worth bookmarking.

>> Surtur isn't JUST a "primeval" fire giant: he remakes the world
>> after Ragnarok,
>
>Pish tosh.  Mere Christian interpolation that.  Ragnarok is the end.

Did Hartshorn just pish-tosh me?

>From the Prose Edda:
http://www.northvegr.org/lore/prose2/016.php
Vidar or Vitharr or Vithar or Withr (etc.) is the son of Odin is but one of
the Aesir that survive Ragnarok. He kills Fenrir by pulling apart his jaws
and rules in the place of his father. He wears an iron-toed shoe to
facilitate ass-kicking.

And Vidar isn't the only one to survive:
http://www.northvegr.org/lore/prose2/017.php
"Then said Ganglere: Do any gods live then? Is there any earth or heaven?
Har answered: The earth rises again from the sea, and is green and fair. The
fields unsown produce their harvests. Vidar and Vale live. Neither the sea
nor Surt's fire has harmed them, and they dwell on the plains of Ida, where
Asgard was before. Thither come also the sons of Thor, Mode and Magne, and
they have Mjolner. Then come Balder and Hoder from Hel. They all sit
together and talk about the things that happened aforetime,---about the
Midgard-serpent and the Fenris-wolf. They find in the grass those golden
tables which the asas once had."

The last two humans are Lif and Lifthraser, and they repopulate the world.

http://www.northvegr.org/lore/poems/000_07.php
In Vafthr., 50-51, Odin asks: 'Which of the Asir shall rule over the
possessions of the gods when Surt's flame shall be extinguished?' And the
giant answers: V?thar and V?li shall occupy the dwelling of the gods when
Surt's flame shall be quenched.'

Incidentally, Vidar's twin brother also survives as do Thor's sons who
reclaim his hammer.

>And Surtur doesn't remake the world (I don't know where you heard that), he
>burns it all up.

That's true. He also slays Frey at Ragnarok. I cannot remember my source on
Surtur as a Maker god who remakes things when the Earth rises again from the
sea. I don't have access to my books so I can't check it. It is possible
that it is not universally accepted, but I don't think it is so obscure that
Wolfe would be unaware of it.

>Also Muspelheim is traditionally Surtur's realm, one of the Nine Worlds

Right

>Still, I suspect Wolfe may be trying to smuggle in something else.
>What???

Yes. What, indeed.

~ Crush

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