InNorse mythology,Vár orVór (Old Norse, meaning either "pledge"[1] or "beloved"[2]) is agoddess associated with oaths and agreements. Vár is attested in thePoetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources; theProse Edda, written in the 13th century bySnorri Sturluson; andkennings found inskaldic poetry and arunic inscription. Scholars have proposed theories about the implications of the goddess.
In thePoetic Edda poemÞrymskviða, the blessing of Vár is invoked by thejötunnÞrymr after his "bride" (who is actually the godThor disguised as the goddessFreyja) ishallowed with the stolen hammer of Thor,Mjöllnir, at their wedding:
- Benjamin Thorpe translation:
- Then said Thrym,
- theThursars's lord:
- Bring the hammer in,
- the bride to consecrate;
- lay Miöllnir
- on the maiden's knee;
- unite us each with other
- by the hand of Vör.[3]
- Henry Adams Bellows translation:
- Then loud spake Thrym,
- the giants' leader:
- "Bring in the hammer
- to hallow the bride;
- On the maiden's knees
- let Mjollnir lie,
- That us both the hand
- of Vor may bless."[4]
In the chapter 35 of theProse Edda bookGylfaginning,High tellsGangleri (described as kingGylfi in disguise) about theásynjur. High lists Vár ninth among the sixteen ásynjur he presents in the chapter and provides some information about her:
Ninth Var: she listens to people's oaths and private agreements that women and men make between each other. Thus these contracts are calledvarar. She also punishes those who break them.[5]
In addition, Vár appears twice more in thePoetic Edda. In chapter 75 of theProse Edda bookSkáldskaparmál Vár appears within a list of 27 ásynjur names.[6] In chapter 87 the nameVár is employed in akenning referring to the goddessSkaði ("bow-string-Vár") in the poemHaustlöng by theskaldÞjóðólfr of Hvinir.[7] Arunic inscription inscribed on a stick fromBergen,Norway around the year 1300 records a common mercantile transaction followed by a verse from a displeased scribe that mentions Vár (edits applied per the translator's notes):
Mindy Macleod and Bernard Mees posit that the first line of the inscription essentially means "women make me miserable" or potentially "marriage makes me miserable," whereas the second line means "women often take a lot of sleep from me."[8]
Regarding the ceremonial marital reference to Vár inÞrymskviða, Andy Orchard opines that "the antiquity of such a ritual is far from clear."[1] Britt-Mari Näsström argues that, like many other minor goddesses, Vár was originally one ofFreyja's names, "later apprehended as independent goddesses."[9]
Rudolf Simek says that the goddessesSága,Hlín,Sjöfn,Snotra, Vár, andVör should be considered vaguely defined figures who "should be seen as female protective goddesses" that are all responsible for "specific areas of the private sphere, and yet clear differences were made between them so that they are in many ways similar tomatrons."[10]