Breidablik
Breiðablik (sometimes anglicised as Breithablik or Breidablik) is the home of Baldr in Nordic mythology.
Meaning[edit]
The word Breiðablik has been variously translated as 'broad sheen', 'Broad gleam', 'Broad-gleaming' or 'the far-shining one', [1][2][3][4]
Attestations[edit]
Grímismál[edit]
The Eddic poem Grímnismál describes Breiðablik as the fair home of Baldr:
| Old Norse text[5] | Bellows translation[6] |
|---|---|
|
|
Gylfaginning[edit]
In Snorri Sturluson's Gylfaginning, Breiðablik is described in a list of places in heaven, identified by some scholars as Asgard:[7]
| Old Norse text[8] | Brodeur translation[9] |
|---|---|
|
Þar er einn sá staðr, er Breiðablik er kallaðr, ok engi er þar fegri staðr. |
Then there is also in that place the abode called Breidablik, and there is not in heaven a fairer dwelling. |
Later in the work, when Snorri describes Baldr, he gives another description, citing Grímnismál, though he does not name the poem:
| Old Norse text[10] | Brodeur translation[11] |
|---|---|
|
Hann býr þar, sem heitir Breiðablik. Þat er á himni. Í þeim stað má ekki vera óhreint... |
|
Interpretation and discussion[edit]
The name of Breiðablik has been noted to link with Baldr's attributes of light and beauty.[1]
Similarities have been drawn between the description of Breiðablik in Grímnismál and Heorot in Beowulf, which are both free of 'baleful runes' (Old Norse: feicnstafi and Old English: fācenstafas respectively). In Beowulf, the lack of fācenstafas refers to the absence of crimes being committed, and therefore both halls have been proposed to be sanctuaries.[12]
In popular culture[edit]
- Breidablik is a sacred weapon in Fire Emblem Heroes that the Summoner uses to summon Heroes coming from different Fire Emblem games.[citation needed]
- In the PlayStation game Xenogears, Bledavik is the name of the capital city of the desert kingdom of Aveh on the Ignas continent.[citation needed]
See also[edit]
Citations[edit]
- ^ a b Liberman & Lindow 2004, p. 22.
- ^ Orchard 2011, p. 52.
- ^ Branston 1980, p. 86.
- ^ Simek 2008, p. 44.
- ^ Grímnismál (ON), Stanza 12.
- ^ Bellows 2004, Grimnismol stanza 12.
- ^ Simek 2008, pp. 20, 42.
- ^ Gylfaginning (ON), Chapter 17.
- ^ Sturluson 2018, Gylfaginning, chapter 17.
- ^ Gylfaginning (ON), Chapter 22.
- ^ Sturluson 2018, Gylfaginning, chapter 22.
- ^ Liberman & Lindow 2004, p. 40.
Bibliography[edit]
Primary[edit]
- Bellows, Henry Adam (2004). The poetic Edda : the mythological poems. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications. ISBN 9780486437101.
- Orchard, Andy (2011). The Elder Edda : a book of Viking lore. London: Penguin Books. ISBN 9780141393728.
- Sturluson, Snorri (2018). The Prose Edda. Translated by Brodeur, Arthur Gilchrist. Franklin Classics Trade Press. ISBN 9780344335013.
- "Grímnismál (Old Norse)". heimskringla.com. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
- "Gylfaginning (Old Norse)". heimskringla.no. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
Secondary[edit]
- Liberman, Anatoly; Lindow, John (2004). "Some Controversial Aspects of the Baldr Myth" (PDF). Alvíssmál. 11: 17–54.
- Branston, Brian (1980). Gods of the North. London: Thames and Hudson.
- Simek, Rudolf (2008). A Dictionary of Northern Mythology. Translated by Hall, Angela. BOYE6. ISBN 9780859915137.