Sun and Moon Beings

‘Norfi or Narfi was the name of a giant who lived in Giantland.
He had a daughter called Night. She was black and dark in
accordance with her ancestry. She was married to a person called
Naglfari. Their son was called Aud. Next she was married to
someone called Annar. Their daughter was called lord [Earth].
Her last husband was Delling, he was of the race of the Æsir.
Their son was Day. He was bright and beautiful in accordance
with his father’s nature. Then All-father took Night and her son
Day and gave them two horses and two chariots and set them up
in the sky so that they have to ride around the earth every
twenty-four hours. Night rides in front on the horse called
Hrimfaxi, and every morning he bedews the earth with the drips
from his bit. Day’s horse is called Skinfaxi [shining-mane], and
light is shed over all the sky and sea from his mane.’

Then spoke Gangleri: ‘How does he control the course of the
sun and moon?’

High said: ‘There was a person whose name was Mundilfæri
who had two children. They were so fair and beautiful that he
called the one Moon and his daughter Sol [sun], and gave her in
marriage to a person called Glen. But the gods got angry at this
arrogance and took the brother and sister and set them up in the
sky; they made Sol drive the horses that drew the chariot of the
sun which the gods had created, to illuminate the worlds, out of
the molten particle that had flown out of the world of Muspell.
The names of these horses are Arvak and Alsvinn. Under the
shoulders of the horses the gods put two bellows to cool them, and
in some sources it is called ironblast. Moon guides the course of the
moon and controls its waxing and waning. He took two children
from the earth called Bil and Hiuki as they were leaving a well
called Byrgir, carrying between them on their shoulders a tub
called Sæg; their carrying-pole was called Simul. Their father’s
name is Vidfinn. These children go with Moon, as can be seen
from earth.’

Then spoke Gangleri: ‘The sun moves fast, almost as if she was
afraid, and she would not be able to go any faster if she was in
terror of her death.’

Then High replied: ‘It is not surprising that she goes at great
speed, he comes close who is after her. And she has no escape
except to run away.’

Then spoke Gangleri: ‘Who is it that inflicts this unpleasantness
on her?’

High said: ‘It is two wolves, and the one that is going after her is
called Skoll. She is afraid of him and he will catch her, and the one
that is running ahead of her is called Hati Hrodvitnisson, and he is
trying to catch the moon, and that will happen.’

Then spoke Gangleri: ‘What is the origin of the wolves?’

High said: ‘A certain giantess lives east of Midgard in a forest
called Ironwood. In that forest live trollwives called Iarnvidiur.
The ancient giantess breeds as sons many giants and all in wolf
shapes, and it is from them that these wolves are descended. And
they say that from this clan will come a most mighty one called
Moongarm. He will fill himself with the lifeblood of everyone that
dies, and he will swallow heavenly bodies and spatter heaven and
all the skies with blood. As a result the sun will lose its shine and
winds will then be violent and will rage to and fro. Thus it says in
Voluspa:

In the east lives the old one, in Ironwood, and breeds there
Fenrir’s kind. Out of them all comes one in particular, sun’s
snatcher in troll’s guise.

He gorges the life of doomed men, reddens gods’ halls with
red gore. Dark is sunshine for summers after, all weathers
hostile. Know you yet, or what?’

Then spoke Gangleri: ‘What way is there to heaven from earth?’


- Prose Edda, Gylfaginning


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3 Early in time Ymir made his settlement,
there was no sand nor sea nor cool waves;
earth was nowhere nor the sky above,
a void of yawning chaos, grass was there nowhere

4 before the sons of Bur brought up the land-surface,
those who shaped glorious Midgard;
the sun shone from the south on the stone-hall,
then the ground was grown over with the green leek.

5 From the south, Sun, companion of the moon,
threw her right hand round the sky’s edge;
Sun did not know where she had her hall,
the stars did not know where they had their stations,
the moon did not know what might he had.

6 Then all the Powers went to the thrones of fate,
the sacrosanct gods, and considered this:
to night and her children they gave names,
morning they named and midday,
afternoon and evening, to reckon up in years.

7 The Æsir met on Idavoll Plain,
high they built altars and temples;
they set up their forges, smithed precious things,
shaped tongs and made tools.


- Poetic Edda, Voluspa


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Odin said:
22 ‘Tell me this second thing if your mind is sufficient
and you, Vafthrudnir, know,
from where the moon came, so that it journeys over men,
and likewise the sun.’

Vafthrudnir said:
23 ‘Mundilfaeri he is called, the father of Moon
and likewise of Sun;
they must circle through the sky, every day
to count the years for men.’

Odin said:
24 ‘Tell me this third thing, since you are said to be wise,
and you, Vafthrudnir, know,
where day comes from, he who passes over mankind,
or night with its new moons.’

Vafthrudnir said:
25 ‘Delling he is called, he is Day’s father,
and Night was born of Norr;
new moon and dark of the moon the beneficent Powers made
to count the years for men.’

Odin said:
26 ‘Tell me this fourth thing, since you are said to be wise,
and you, Vafthrudnir, know,
from where winter came or warm summer,
first among the wise Powers.’


- Poetic Edda, Vafthrudnismal