Norðri, Suðri, Austri and Vestri

In Norse mythology, Norðri, Suðri, Austri and Vestri ("Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western") are four dwarves in the Prose Edda book Gylfaginning who each support one of the four cardinal points. Together, they uphold the heavenly dome, created from the skull of the jötunn Ymir. They probably represent the four winds,[1] corresponding to the four stags of the cosmic tree Yggdrasill.[2] Compare the four giants who personify the winds in Greek mythology.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Jacob Grim & James Steven Stallybrass, Teutonic Mythology, 2004, vol. 2, p. 631.
  2. ^ Finnur Magnússon, Eddalæren og dens oprindelse, 1824, p. 144.