Vingólf

Vingólf is a place in Norse mythology. The name is Old Norse and means " friendly house " or " House of Friendship ".

Importance

Snorri Sturluson In this place is mentioned several times: In chapter 13 of Gylfaginning Vingólf is the temple of the goddesses. In chapter 19 of Gylfaginning, he writes that the fallen in battle ( Einherjer ), who were brought to Óðinn, will stay in Valhöll ( Valhalla ) and Vingólf.

According to Snorri Sturluson Wilhelm Braune has invented the name of this place. The name loud, so brown, not Vingólf ( " friendly house "), but Víngólf ( " Wine House " ), and this is just another name for Valhöll.

He referred to one of the legendary places of assembly in the style of a palace or a hall of ancient Germanic gods in Asgard. Among the visitors Vingólfs the inhabitants of the upper world, Asgard, but also the people, inhabitants of Midgard, for the presence in Asgard and not least the proximity is connected to the gods with mortal dangers primarily include.

Can Vingólf as an approximate equivalent to the Olympus of the Muses ( Musenlolymp ) in ancient Greek tradition, after Friedrich Schiller but also in the sense of Hesiod and Homer to be understood, in which mainly reside female deities who represent the principle of fertility and creation, similar to the Muses were to be understood as patrons of spiritual growth and the arts. An exact differentiation of the Muses by fields of activity, such as Klio for the science of history, but of Germanic mythology is unknown.

Reception

Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock was referring to Vingólf by publishing his "Ode to the poet's friends" (1767 ), a song sequence in Germanic garb, under the name " Wingolf ". He borrowed the word in the context of the emerging enthusiasm for allegedly rediscovered seals of the Celtic bard Ossian, but later turned out to be modern forgeries.

Student Christian circles in various university towns attacked in 1840 on the floor and called themselves Wingolf. Thus, there are today many so-called " Wingolfsverbindungen " in many university towns. The umbrella organization of Christian student organizations is the Wingolfsbund.