(harvest-month) is the last before winter; Gormánud (gore-month, called thus from the slaughter of cattle then taking place) the first month of winter; Frermánud (frost-month); Hrútmánud (the ram’s month); Thorri (the month of waning or declining winter); Gói, Einmánud … then Gaukmánud or Sádtid (cuckoo-month or sowing-tide); Eggtíd or Stekktíd (egg-tide or weaning-tide); Sólmánud or Selmánud (sun-month or sæter-month in which the cattle are removed to the sel or sæter); Heyjannir (haymaking-month); Kornskurdarmánud (grain-reaping month)” (Skaldskaparmal, c. 63).
The month was subdivided into six weeks; each week contained five days. The days were called—Týsdag = Tuesday; Ódinsdag = Wednesday; Thórsdag = Thursday; Frjádag = Friday; Laugardag (bath-day) or Thváttdag (washing-day) = Saturday.
Odin.
Tell me …
Whence the moon came
That walks above men,
And the sun also?
Vafthrudnir.
Mundilfori37 is called
The father of the moon,
And of the sun also;
Wheel round the heaven
They shall every day,
And tell men of the years.
Odin.
Tell me …
Whence the day came
That passes over mankind,
Or the night with her new moon?
Vafthrudnir.
Delling (the bright) is called
The father of Dag (the day)
But Nott (night) was Norvi’s38 daughter;
The full moons and the new ones
The good gods made
To tell men the years.
(Vafthrudnismal.)
The following is the origin of Midgard:—
Ere the sons of Bör
Raised the lands,
They who shaped
The famous Midgard;
The sun shone from the south
On the stones of the hall;
Then the ground grew
With green grass.
The sun from the south,39
The companion of the moon,
With her right hand took hold
Of the rim of heaven;40
The sun knew not
Where she41 owned halls,
The moon knew not
What power he42 had;
The stars knew not
Where they owned places.
Then all the powers went
To their judgment seats,43
The most holy gods
Counselled about this;
To night and the quarters of the moon
Gave they names;
They gave names to
Morning and midday,
To afternoon and eve,
That the years might be reckoned.
(Völuspa.)
Then we have the origin of the wind and of winter. Hræsvelg means the swallower of corpses.
Odin.
Tell me …
Whence the wind comes
Who goes over the waves;
Men do not see him.
Vafthrudnir.
Hræsvelg is called
He who sits at heaven’s end,
A Jötun in an eagle’s shape;
From his wings
It is said the wind comes
Over all mankind.
Odin.
Tell me …
Whence the winter came,
Or the warm summer,
First with the wise gods.
Vafthrudnir.
Vindsval44 is called
The father of winter,
And Svasud45 the father of summer.
Another amplification of the Creation is given in Gylfaginning.
Thridi said:
“They took Ymir’s skull, and made thereof the sky, and raised it over the earth with four sides. Under each corner they set four Dvergar, which were called Austri, East; Vestri, West; Nordri, North; Sudri, South. Then they took glowing sparks that were loose and had been cast out from Muspelheim, and placed them in the midst of the boundless heaven, both above and below, to light up heaven and earth; they gave resting-places to all fires, and set some in heaven; some were made free to go under heaven, but they gave them a place and shaped their course. In old songs it is said that from that time days and years were reckoned.”
The creation of the world, and of the heavens and planets, is followed by that of the Dvergar and of man and woman, who were helpless and fateless (their destinies not having been spun by the Nornir); from these two mankind are descended.
Then all the gods went
To their judgment-seats,
The most holy gods,
And counselled about
Who should create
The host of Dvergar
From the bloody surf46
And from the bones of Blain.
There did Modsognir47
The mightiest become
Of all Dvergar,
And Durin next to him;
They two shaped
Many man-likenesses
In the ground,
As Durin has told.48
* * * * *
It is time to reckon
Down to Lofar,
For mankind (Gónar),
The Dvergar in Dvalin’s host,49
Those who went
From the stone-halls,
The host of Aurvangar,
To Jöruvellir (battle-plains).
* * * * *
Until out of that host50
To the house51
Came three Asar
Mighty and mild;
They found on the ground
Ask and Embla,
Helpless