Mannus

This article is about the Germanic figure. For the rural community in New South Wales, Australia, see Mannus, New South Wales.

The sons of Mannus as depicted by Carl Larsson for Fredrik Sander's 1893 edition of the Poetic Edda. Woodcut by Justus Peterson.

Mannus is a Germanic mythological figure attested by the 1st century AD Roman historian Tacitus in his work Germania. According to Tacitus, Mannus is the son of Tuisto and the progenitor of the three Germanic tribes Ingaevones, Herminones and Istvaeones.

Tacitus' account

Tacitus (Germania, chapter 2)

"In ancient lays, their only type of historical tradition, they celebrate Tuisto, a god brought forth from the earth. They attribute to him a son, Mannus, the source and founder of their people, and to Mannus three sons, from whose names those nearest the Ocean are called Ingvaeones, those in the middle Herminones, and the rest Isvaeones. Some people, inasmuch as antiquity gives free rein to speculation, maintain that there were more sons born from the god and hence more tribal designations—Marsi, Gambrivii, Suebi, and Vandilii—and that those names are genuine and ancient."

Etymology

Main article: Man (word)

The name of this deity means human or man (as in Homo sapiens). It stems from the same root as the Indian Manu, progenitor of humanity, first holy king to rule this earth who saves mankind and the Vedas and the priesthood from the universal flood.

The Rune Poem

This deity shares his name with the 20th rune of the Elder Futhark and the 14th rune of the Younger Futhark. It also appears in the runic mnemonic the Abecedarium Nordmannicum, which states "Tiu, Birch, and Man in the Middle". Each of the poems associates Man with the earth, soil (moldR, eorthan).

Related figures

In the Eddas, Mannus seems to most closely resemble Heimdall (World's Brightness). In the opening passage of the Voluspa, men are referred to as being Heimdall's kin, while in the poem Rigsthula he is shown uniting each of the hierarchal ranks in siblinghood. Furthermore, while Mannus is remembered as being the father of both Odin and Frey, Heimdall is remembered as being one of the Aesir, but also to have qualities directly linked to the Vanir and to exist in a close paternal relationship to Freyja.

In Eddaic Creation, Mannus occupies the same stead as Borr, ie. a god (Tuisto, Buri), begets a god (Mannus, Borr), begets a trio of brother gods (Ing-Irmin-Istaev, Odin-Vili-Ve).

Sons of Mannus

The names of the three sons of Mannus can be extrapolated as Ingui, Irmin, and Istaev aka Iscio. In the Eddas we find the name Yngvi applied to the god FreyR, while the same source lists Jormun (the Old Norse cognate of Irmin) as a byname of Odin's. Widukind of Corvey further identifies the deity associated with the Saxon Irminsul as Hermin, that is, Hermes, but worshipped as Mars. Nothing factual can be said of "Istvae".

See also

• Mannaz
• Manu, Hindu progenitor of mankind
• Ask and Embla, the first humans in Norse Mythology

References

• Grimm, Jacob (1835). Deutsche Mythologie (German Mythology); From English released version Grimm's Teutonic Mythology (1888); Available online by Northvegr © 2004-2007: Chapter 15, page 2 File retrieved 12-08-2011.
• Tacitus. Germania (1st Century AD). (in Latin)