Sól (Norse mythology)

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1 Etymology
2 The Goddess
3 Sól rune
4 See also

In Norse mythology, Sól is the goddess of the Sun, a daughter of Mundilfari and Glaur and the wife of Glen, and the name of the Younger Futhark s rune.

The corresponding Old English name is Siȝel (/ˈsɪ jel/), continuing Proto-Germanic *Sôwilô or *Saewelô.

The Old High German Sun goddess is Sunna, sister of Sinhtgunt (Merseburg Incantations).

[edit] Etymology

The Germanic words for "Sun" have the peculiarity of alternating between -l- and -n- stems, Proto-Germanic *sunnon (Old English sunne, Old Norse, Old Saxon and Old High German sunna) vs. *saewel- (Old English Siȝel, Old Norse sol, Gothic sauil). This contines a PIE alternation *suwen- vs. *sewol- (Avestan xweng vs. Latin sol, Greek helios, Sanskrit surya, Welsh haul, Breton heol, Old Irish suil "eye"), a remnant of an archaic, so-called "heteroclitic", declination pattern that remained productive only in the Anatolian languages.

[edit] The Goddess

The Trundholm sun chariot pulled by a horse is believed to represent Sól

Every day, Sól rode through the sky on her chariot, pulled by two horses named Arvak and Alsvid. She was chased during the day by Skoll, a wolf that wanted to devour her. Solar eclipses signified that Skoll had almost caught up to her. It is fated that Skoll will eventually catch Sol and eat her, though she would then be replaced by her daughter. The earth was protected from the full heat of the sun by Svalin, who stood between the earth and Sol. In Norse belief, the sun did not give light; this was caused by the manes of Alsvid and Arvak.

Sól was also called Sunna, Sunne and Frau Sunne, from which the words sun and Sunday derive. The sun was also called Alfrodull, meaning "glory of elves".

[edit] Sól rune

Elder Futhark Sowilo rune, earlier ("Σ") variant.

Elder Futhark Sowilo rune, later ("S") variant.

Anglo-Saxon Sigel / Younger Futhark Sol rune

oblique Sig Rune as used in Nazi mysticism

[edit] Elder Futhark

The Elder Futhark s rune (reconstructed name *Sowilo) is attested in two variants, a Σ shape (four strokes), more prevalent in earlier (3rd to 5th century) inscriptions (e.g. Kylver stone), and an S shape (three strokes), more prevalent in later (5th to 7th century) inscriptions (e.g. Golden horns of Gallehus, Seeland-II-C).

Coincidentially, the Proto-Canaanite letter šin from which the Old Italic s letter ancestral to the rune was derived was itself named after the Sun, shamash, based on the Egyptian uraeus hieroglyph.

[edit] Younger Futhark and Anglo-Saxon Futhorc

The Younger Futhark Sol and the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc Sigel runes are identical in shape, a rotated version of the later Elder Futhark rune, with the middle stroke slanting upwards, and the initial and final strokes vertical. Anglo-Saxon sigel (siȝel) is phonologically sījel /si:jel/ (from *sæwel), the yogh being only orthographical.

The Anglo-Saxon rune poem:

ᛋ semannum symble biþ on hihte, \ ðonne hi hine feriaþ ofer fisces beþ, / oþ hi brimhengest bringeþ to lande.

"The Sun is ever a joy in the hopes of seafarers / when they journey away over the fishes' bath, / until the courser of the deep bears them to land."

The Icelandic rune poem:

ᛋ er skýja skjöldr / ok skínandi röðull / ok ísa aldrtregi. / rota siklingr.

"Sun is shield of the clouds / and shining ray /and destroyer of ice."

The Norwegian rune poem:

ᛋ er landa ljóme / lúti ek helgum dóme.

"Sun is the light of the world / I bow to the divine decree."

[edit] Modern usage

[edit] Armanen Runes

Main article: Sig Rune

The Sig rune in Guido von List's Armanen Futharkh were very loosely based on the Younger Futhark Sigel, thus changing the concept associated with it from "Sun" to "victory" (German Sieg), arriving at a sequence "Sig", "Týr" in his row, yielding Sigtýr, a name of Ódin.

[edit] Nazi usage

Schutzstaffel badge with two sig runes.

List's runes were later adopted and modified by Karl Maria Wiligut who was responsible for their adoptions by the NSDAP and subsequently used widely on insignia and literature during the Third Reich most strikingly as the insignia of the Schutzstaffel (SS).

[edit] Germanic neopaganism

The Sowilo rune is commonly used by Germanic neopagans, often without political implications.

[edit] See also

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List of Norse gods • Æsir • Vanir • Giants • Elves (Light Elves • Dark Elves) • Dwarves • Troll • Valkyries • Einherjar • Norns • Odin • Thor • Freyr • Freyja • Frigg • Heimdall • Loki • Baldr • Ullr • Týr • Yggdrasil • Ginnungagap • Ragnarök
Sources	Poetic Edda • Prose Edda • The Sagas • Volsung Cycle • Tyrfing Cycle • Rune stones • Old Norse language • Orthography • Later influence
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