Eikþyrnir and the Rivers of Paradise

Cosmological Perspectives on dating Grímnismál 26–28

Abstract

The present article discusses the dating of stanzas 26–28 of the Eddic poem Grímnismál. T o date, scholarly opinion is still fundamentally divided on the question of whether the Grímnismál are a product of the late pagan period or of learned Christian literature, or even whether a resolution to this question is at all possible. A new approach to the problem is offered here for stanzas 26–28 of the poem, which present a description of the stag Eikþyrnir, the world tree and the origin of the world’s rivers. A comparison of the imagery of these stanzas with cosmological concepts current in 12th century ecclesiastical literature and Christian iconography shows that the tableau described in Grímnismál 26–28 closely corresponds to Christian concepts and motifs which were widespread during this period. T he detailed nature of this correspondence suggests that the poet of these stanzas was deliberately playing with Christian motifs, which in turn implies that the composition of at least this section of the Grímnismál should probably be placed in the context of high medieval Christian culture rather than being ascribed to the late pagan period. I n addition, an appendix critically discusses the hypothesis that the description of Valhalla in Grímnismál 23 is derived from that of the Colosseum, as suggested by Olsen (1931/32), Dronke (2011) and Lassen (2011).