Resources & Translations
A collection of resources and tools authored by the Mimisbrunnr.info crew relevant to the field of Ancient Germanic Studies.
GUIDES
Generalist guides produced by Mimisbrunnr.info:
Getting Started with Norse Mythology
A quality source-focused guide for getting started on the vast topic of Norse mythology. This guide includes Mimisbrunnr.info’s recommendations for approaching the topic, namely by started with retellings, how to approach major important source material, and where to go from there.
Getting Started with Germanic Mythology
An expansion of the above guide focused on Germanic mythology, taking a deeper dive and a more expansive approach to the ancient Germanic record.
INDICES
Useful indices of various varieties:
An Index for Rudolf Simek’s “Dictionary of Northern Mythology”
The first index for scholar Rudolf Simek’s “Dictionary of Northern Mythology” (Boydell & Brewer), a reference work commonly used in ancient Germanic studies
Periodicals in Ancient Germanic Studies
Compiled by Joseph S. Hopkins and Oskar Strik, an attempt at mapping out currently active academic periodicals on the topic of ancient Germanic Studies, including hyperlinks to internet presence where applicable.
ORIGINAL TRANSLATIONS
From time to time, Mimisbrunnr.info produces and hosts original translations relevant to ancient Germanic studies:
Litla Skálda: A new English translation
Litla Skálda—the name means something like “a little bit about poetry”—is a medieval Icelandic text that contains a succinct list of kennings and heiti that could be used in composing skaldic poetry.
Translated by Lyonel Perabo, Denise Vast, and Ann Sheffield.
Lokka Tátur: The Faroese ‘Tale of Loki’
Lokka Táttur, Loka Táttur, or Loka Thaattur—meaning ‘Tale of Loki’ or, more specifically, ‘táttur of Loki’—is a traditional Faroese ballad first textualized in 1822 by Danish botanist and priest Hans Christian Lyngbye (d. 1837).
Translated by Denise Vast, Alexa Duir, Math Jones, & Joseph S. Hopkins (editor).
Lokrur
Lokrur is a rhyming poem (rímur) from medieval Iceland that describes the journey of Þórr, Loki, and Þjálfi to the hall of the jötunn Útgarða-Loki. The story is best known from Snorri Sturluson's prose Edda, but Lokrur, which would have been recited for entertainment during the long winter evenings, puts its own spin on the tale.Translated by Ann Sheffield, Denise Vast, and Lyonel Perabo,
with additional contributions from Danielle Cudmore and Ben Waggoner.Merseburg Incantation II (MZ II)
An enigmatic Old High German charm that provides extraordinarily rare insight into pre-Christian Germanic myth among the continental Germanic peoples.
Translated by Joseph S. Hopkins.
Nigon Wyrta Galdor, popularly known as the Nine Herbs Charm
The Nigon Wyrta Galdor (NWG) or, popularly, the Nine Herbs Charm, is an Old English healing spell—a galdor—intended to remedy a wound of some kind. The topics, themes, and entities the charm touches upon, such as animism, emphasis on the numbers nine and other multipliers of three, and the invocation of the Germanic deity Odin (Old English Wōden) stem from the pre-Christianization beliefs of the Old English.
Translated by Joseph S. Hopkins.
TRANSLATION SURVEYS
Readers new to a text often experience difficulty choosing among translations. Translations may also sometimes be semi-complete or contain unique features, both facts that publishers rarely go out of the way to let potential readers know about. In an effort to help readers find their way, Mimisbrunnr.info hosts a variety of translation guides for key texts in ancient Germanic studies:
Edda to English: A Survey of English translations of the Prose Edda
A survey of all English language academic translations of the Prose Edda, a work generally held to have been at least in part authored or compiled in the 13th century by Icelander Snorri Sturluson.
Eddic to English: A Survey of English translations of the Poetic Edda
A survey of all English language academic translations of the Poetic Edda, a collection of traditional poems compiled in Iceland in the 13th century by an unknown individual or group.
A survey of all English language academic translations of Gesta Danorum, an effort at charting the history of the Danes composed by Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus in the 13th century, the first nine books of which contain numerous references to topics relevant to ancient Germanic studies.
Meeting the Rus’ through Translation: A Survey of Ahmad ibn Fadlan’s Risala: A survey of ‘full’ English translations of Ahmad ibn Fadlan’s Risala, a Middle Arabic text of particular interest to researchers active in ancient Germanic studies. Ibn Fadlan famously provides an eyewitness account of
Reviews
From time to time, Mimisbrunnr.info hosts original reviews from contributors:
KVASIR SYMBOL DATABASE
Whether ancient or new, each symbol has a history. Inspired by discussions with writers, tattoo artists, and scholars in ancient Germanic studies, Mimisbrunnr.info’s Kvasir Symbol Database (KSD) provides overviews of symbols from the ancient Germanic record.
OTHER RESOURCES
Godshapes
An ongoing series on the topic of how humans perceive the form and appearance of North Germanic deities, in the ancient past and in modern popular culture.
Godshapes I: Hœnir, Bird God?, Joseph S. Hopkins & Ross Downing, 2017