User:Little Tears/Hnoss

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Name

The Old Norse term Hnoss has been translated in a variety of ways by scholars and folklorists. The Goddess Myths of the Great Mother claims that Hnoss' name was drawn from the word "Gem," in which she is described as sparkling like a diamond. Given Hnoss is the daughter of the most beautiful goddess Freya, it should come as no surprise that jewels bear her name.

The Roles of the Northern Goddess similarly claims that Hnoss' name derives from a great beauty whose name may be "used for treasure in poetry" or simply "treasure." This translation shares semantic and etymological similarities with the Icelandic word hnoss (meaning "nipper") as well as the Old Danish words noss (meaning "sweetheart") and nusse (meaning "infant"). In the Prose Edda, Snorri Sturluson states that beautiful things were called hnossir (Old Norse: 'treasures') after her name.

Despite of all various interpretations, The Concept of The Goddess, states that Hnoss "bears her mother's eyelash-rain," which translates to "there is gold on the precious object."

Attestations

In Gylfaginning (The Beguiling of Gylfi), Hnoss is portrayed as the beautiful daughter of Freyja and Óð:

Freyia is highest in rank next to Frigg. She was married to someone called Od. Hnoss is the name of their daughter. She is so beautiful that from her name whatever is beautiful and precious is called hnossir [treasures]. — 

In Skáldskaparmál (The Language of Poetry), a þulur (18–22) mentions Hnoss as the daughter of Freyja ("How shall Freyia be referred to? By calling her (...) mother of Hnoss"), and in Ynglinga saga a passage (Chapter Ten) describes "Hnoss and Gersimi" as her daughters. Gersemi (whose name also means 'treasure' and only appears in this passage of the Prose Edda) could be the same figure as Hnoss. The 12th-century skald Einarr Skúlason, cited by Snorri in Skáldskaparmál, refers to Hnoss in a kenning as Freyia's "glorious child" and Freyr’s niece:

I am able to possess Horn’s [Freyia’s] gold-wrapped glorious child [Hnoss; hnoss = treasure]. We received a valuable treasure. Ocean’s fire [gold] rests on shield’s damager [axe]. Freyr’s niece [Hnoss] bears her mother’s eyelash-rain [tears] — 

Hnoss' mother Freya

Little Hnoss

Hnossa was exploited as a child as a pawn to get her father Odur back. People predicted that Hnoss would reunite her mother Freya and father Odur, according to The Children of Odin, The Book of Northern Myths. As a child, Hnoss would go to Bifröst, the Rainbow Bridge, to meet Odur if he was traveling in that direction. During her time at the Rainbow Bridge, Hnoss was entertained with stories by Heimdall. Heimdall, who kept watch over the Rainbow Bridge, revealed to Hnoss that he possessed night vision and never slept. Heimdall claimed to have existed since the beginning of time and told Hnoss tales about the creation of various things. While Odur remained absent, Hnoss was taken to Baldur's Stead to comfort her in her sorrow. Baldur's Stead was believed to be a place where healing occurred. In order to assist Hnoss cope with her sorrow of her absent father, Baldur's wife Nanna cradled her. With Nanna by her side, Hnoss shared a strange dream she had about Queen Hela, a queen who was half living woman and half corpse. In Hnoss' dream Hela entered Asgard and declared "A lord of the Æsir I must have to dwell with me in my realm beneath the earth." Hnoss was paralyzed by fear after experiencing this dream. When Hnoss revealed her dream, everyone became silent. At that moment, Hnoss' presence in this story came to an end.