Gillingr

Gillingr (also Gilling) is a jötunn in Norse mythology, and the father of Suttungr.[1] Gillingr and, later, his wife are murdered by the dwarfs Fjalar and Galar. In revenge, his son Suttungr tortures the dwarfs into giving him the mead of poetry.[2]

Name

The Old Norse name Gillingr has been translated as 'screamer'.[2] It is a related to the Old Norse verb gjalla ('to scream, yell'; compare with Icelandic gjalla, Norwegian gjella, or Swedish gälla).[3]

Attestations

Prose Edda

In Skáldskaparmál (The Language of Poetry), the dwarfs Fjalar and Galar kill Gillingr by overturning his boat.[2][1] When his wife hears of the news, she is "greatly distressed" and "weeps loudly" and the dwarf Galar, "weary of her howling", eventually kills her by dropping a millstone on her head.[4]

Then these dwarfs invited to stay with them a giant called Gilling and his wife. Then the dwarfs invited Gilling to go out to sea in a boat with them. But as they went along the coast the dwarfs rowed on to a shoal and the boat capsized. Gilling could not swim and was drowned, but the dwarfs righted their boat and rowed to land.

— Skáldskaparmál, 57–58, trans. A. Faulkes, 1987.

Viking Age

Gillingr is mentioned in a skaldic verse by Eyvindr skáldaspillir (10th c. AD), who portrays the mead of poetry as "Gilling’s recompense".[2]

I desire silence for Har’s ale [Odin’s mead, poetry] while I raise Gilling’s payment [the mead], while his descent in pot-liquid [the mead, poetry] of gallows-cargo [Odin] we trace to gods.

— Eyvindr skáldaspillir, Skáld. 3, trans. A. Faulkes, 1987.

Legacy

Gillingr is also a surname, although not very common.

References
  1. Lindow 2002, p. 225.
  2. Orchard 1997, p. 56.
  3. de Vries 1962, pp. 167, 169.
  4. Faulkes 1987, p. 62.

Bibliography
  • de Vries, Jan (1962). Altnordisches Etymologisches Worterbuch (1977 ed.). Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-05436-3.
  • Faulkes, Anthony, trans. (1987). Edda (1995 ed.). Everyman. ISBN 0-460-87616-3.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Lindow, John (2002). Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-983969-8.
  • Orchard, Andy (1997). Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. Cassell. ISBN 978-0-304-34520-5.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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