Eikþyrnir orEikthyrnir is a stag which stands uponValhalla inNorse mythology.[1]
The etymology ofEikþyrnir remains debatable.Anatoly Liberman suggests thatHeiðþyrnir, the name of the lowest heaven in Scandinavian mythology (fromheið "bright sky"), was cut into two, and on the basis of those halves the names of the heavenly stagEikþyrnir and the heavenly goatHeiðrún were formed. The origin of-þyrnir is not entirely clear, but the associations withthorns is, most probably, due tofolk etymology.[2]
The following is related in theGylfaginning section ofSnorri Sturluson'sProse Edda after the description ofHeiðrún.
Enn er meira mark at of hjörtinn Eirþyrni, [sic][3] er stendr á Valhöll ok bítr af limum þess trés, en af hornum <hans> verðr svá mikill dropi at niðr kemr í Hvergelmi, en þaðan af falla ár þær er svá heita: Síð, Víð, Sekin, Ekin, Svöl, Gunnþró, Fjörm, Fimbulþul, Gipul, Göpul, Gömul, Geirvimul, þessar falla um ásabygðir. Þessar eru enn nefndar: Þyn, Vin, Þöll, Böll, Gráð, Gunnþráin, Nyt, Nöt, Nönn, Hrönn, Vína, Veg, Svinn, Þjóðnuma. — (ch. 39;Normalized text of the R manuscript) | Even more worthy of note is the hart Eikthyrni, which stands in Valhall and bites from the limbs of the tree; and from his horns distils such abundant exudation that it comes down intoHvergelmir, and from thence fall those rivers called thus: Síd, Víd, Søkin, Eikin, Svöl, Gunnthrá, Fjörm, Fimbulthul, Gípul, Göpul, Gömul, Geirvimul. Those fall about the abodes of theÆsir; these also are recorded: Thyn, Vín, Thöll, Höll, Grád, Gunnthráin, Nyt, Nöt, Nönn, Hrönn, Vína, Vegsvinn, Thjódnuma. —Brodeur's translation |
Brodeur follows the text of the T manuscript of theProse Edda in putting the stagí Valhöll, "in Valhall", rather thaná Valhöll, "upon Valhall", as the other manuscripts do. The more recent translation by Anthony Faulkes puts the stag on top of the building, which seems much more natural from the context and weight of the evidence.
Snorri's source for this information was almost certainlyGrímnismál, where the following strophes are found.
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Eikþyrnir appears in the video gameFire Emblem Heroes, being added in June 2024.[4]
Eikþyrnir also appears in the video gameArknights, making his debut as an NPC inSkógrinn Svartr Vill Einn Draumr and later reappearing inExpeditioner'sJǫklumarkar.