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Óðinn in Torment

Óðinn in Torment
  • Creator: W.G. Collingwood August 6, 1854 - 1932
  • Description: This scene is from prose prologue to the poem Grimnismál in the Viking Society's reprint of Olive Bray's dual language edition of The Elder Edda (1908). W. G. Collingwood's illustration depicts the moment when Agnarr, the son of King Geirröðr, takes pity on the mysterious guest that his father is torturing.
  • Source: The Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda
  • Folio or Page: 2
  • Medium: Wood Engraving
  • Date: 1908
  • Dimensions (mm): 125 x 80
  • Provenance:
    This illustration is from The Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda from the collection of P. A. Baer.
  • Rights:
    This illustration from The Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda is in the public domain.
  • Research notes, early print reviews, etc.:
    1. Excerpt from an early print book review (1908): "Each poem is prefaced by two designs by Professor Collingwood. These at their best leave little to be desired. Several of them e.g. Graybeard and Thor, are altogether admirable. Others are valuable both from the artistic and the antiquarian standpoint, as the artist has woven into them motives from Pre-Norman crosses or hogbacks illustrating Eddaic subjects...." pg. 494. Full text of the review. Folklore Vol. 19, No. 4 (Dec. 30, 1908), pp. 493-496.
    2. Excerpt from an early print book review (1909): "The text is accompanied by thirty-three excellent illustrations, which have the comparatively rare merit of really helping the reader to vizualize [sic]the action and of suggesting the atmosphere of the poems." pg 97. Full text of the review. The Journal of American Folklore Vol. 22, No. 83 (Jan. - Mar., 1909), pp. 96-98.
  • Bibliography:

    Editions

    Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda. Translated by Olive Bray . London: Viking Club, 1908.

    Secondary Sources

    Major, Albany F. Review of The Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda, translated by Olive Bray. Folklore, vol. 19, no. 4, 30 Dec. 1908: 493-496. Web. August 2,2021.
    Rankin, J. W.. Review of Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda, translated by Olive Bray. The Journal of American Folklore, vol. 22, no. 83, Jan. - Mar. 1909: 96-98. Web. 26 July 2021.
  • Identity Number: EldEdd-1908-002-01
  • Download size: 3.2 MB
  • Source code of this document: [XML]
Bray, Olive   Collingwood, W. G.   Elder or Poetic Edda   Edwardian   Grímnismál, Grímnir's Sayings   Grímnismál, Grímnir's Sayings   Óðinn, Odin   Grímnir   Agnarr  

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The MyNDIR Team

Laliberte, Camille (en.) b. 19th December 1998
Occupation: Research Assistant

Gods and Goddesses

Grímnir (non.) One of Óðinn´s many names that are collectively known as Óðins heiti. Grímnir is the name that Óðinn uses when he travels in disguise to visit King Geirröðr in the Eddic poem Grímnismál.
Óðinn (non.) Odin (en.) The chief god of the Æsir in The Prose Edda. However, in Heimskringla he was a mortal who tricks the King of Sweden into believing that he was a god.

Mythological Persons

Agnarr (non.) The son of King Geirröðr who takes pity on the mysterious guest that Frigg has tricked the king into torturing. Agnarr takes a drinking horn to the guest who turns out to be Óðinn in disguise. Agnarr becomes king when his father accidentally falls on his own sword.
Geirröðr (non.) The king in the poem Grímnismál who was the younger son of King Hraudung and the brother of Agnarr. After their fishing boat was washed to an island during a storm, the brothers were rescued and given shelter by an old couple who are actually Óðinn and Frigg. When the brothers set out on their journey home, Geirröðr follows that whispered advice of the old man and sets Agnarr adrift. After Geirröðr becomes king, Frigg tricks him into torturing a mysterious guest who turns out to be Óðinn in disguise. Geirröðr has a son named Agnarr who takes pity on the guest. Geirröðr dies by accidentally falling on his sword and Agnarr becomes king with Óðinn's blessing.

Nouns

Edwardian (en.)The Edwardian era began with the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 (January 22, 1901 - 28 July, 1914). However, the era's end date is sometimes extended to the beginning of World War 1 (28 July 1914).

Source Materials:

Elder or Poetic Edda (en.)A dual language editon of the Poetic Edda with illustrations by W. G. Collingwood.
Grímnismál (non.)Grímnir's Sayings (en.)One of the mythological poems in the Poetic Edda. ThLay of Gre poem is a monologue spoken by Grímnir, who is actually Óðinn in disguise, to a ten year old boy named Agnarr, whose fathe King Geirröðrr is torturing Grímnir. Grímnir gives his blessing to Agnarr for bringing him a drink and then recounts mythological knowledge to him that the boy should possess in his future role as king. Grímnir concludes by revealing that he is Óðinn and by withdrawing his favour from King Geirröðrr. Geirröðrr subsequently dies when he accidentally falls on his own sword. Grimnismál is preserved in the late thirteenth-century Codex Regius manuscript, a.k.a. GKS 2365 4º, and in the AM 748 1 4to fragment.

Source Persons

Bray, Olive (en.) b. June 17, 1878
d. November 15, 1909
Nationality: English
Occupation: scholar, translator and editior
Residence: 17 The Boltons Kensington, London, England
Bray was one of the daughters of the high court judge Sir Reginald More Bray (1842-1923) and the novelist Emily Octavia Bray, of Shere Manor near Guildford. Little is known about Olive. She joined the Viking Society for Northern Research in 1902 and was a Vice-President in 1909. At the time of her death, she was living in the family home at 17 The Boltons Kensington. Her grave is in the Shere churchyard.
Collingwood, W. G. (en.) b. 6th August 1854
d. 1st October 1932
Nationality: English
Collingwood was an author, artist, and a professor at University College Reading.