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In Norse mythology, Jörð (Old Norse "earth", pronounced /jɔrð/, sometimes Anglicized as Jord or Jorth), is a female jötunn, the mother of Thor, and the personification of the Earth. Fjörgyn and Hlôdyn are considered to be other names for Jörð. Jörð is reckoned a goddess, like other jötnar who coupled with the gods.[1] Jörð's name appears in skaldic poetry both as a poetic term for the land and in kennings for Thor.
[edit] Etymology
Jörð is the common word for earth in Old Norse, as are the word's descendants in the modern Scandinavian languages; Icelandic jörð, Faroese jørð, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian jord. It is cognate to English "earth" through Old English eorðe.[2]
[edit] Attestations
[edit] Gylfaginning
In Gylfaginning, the first part of the Prose Edda, Jörð is described as one of Odin's concubines and the mother of Thor.[3] She is the daughter of Annar and Nótt and sister of Auð and Dagr.
[edit] Skáldskaparmál
In Snorri Sturluson's Skáldskaparmál, Jörð is called the rival of Odin's wife Frigg and his other giantess concubines, Rindr and Gunnlod.[4]
[edit] References
