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Thorskegga — Nanna
Published: 2011-09-20 22:28:27 +0000 UTC; Views: 2934; Favourites: 61; Downloads: 33
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Description
One of my paintings of the Heathen gods and goddesses.This is Nanna who appears in the Norse myths in two roles.
Most famously in Iceland she is the wife of the god Balder dies of grief after her husband is killed by the blind god Hod.
Less well known but equally worthy of study is the Danish version of the myth recorded by Saxo Grammaticus. He she is the lover of the mortal hero Hoder and has to fight off Balder's advances. In a Troy like tale the rivalry over Nanna's affection causes a major war between the royal house of Denmark and the gods.
The painting shows her in the Icelandic version meeting Odin's messenger Hermod at the boundaries of the land of the dead.
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Comments: 2
It is a lovely illustration.
The story behind it has always disturbed me though.
It is the part where Nanna dies just at the right time to be put on the funeral pyre with her husband I find disturbing. To me that sounds a lot like the practice of widow burning (without a natural death).
In Ibn Fadlan description of the Rus there is a passage where one of the Vikings dies and is burned on pyle in a ship-burning. A female slave is strangled and burned with her master, supposedly voluntary. It could be compared to the practice of sati in India (outlawed for 200 years).
That is old customs that we do better without.
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I feel the same, know exactly what you mean.
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