‘Brosinga Mene’

‘Brosinga Mene,’ p. 82, is the ‘Brisinga-mén’ mentioned in the Edda, an Icelandic poem. ‘This necklace is the Brisinga-mén—the costly necklace of Freja, which she won from the Dwarfs, and which was stolen from her by Loki, as is told in the Edda’ (Kemble).

‘Brosinga Mene,’ p. 82, is the ‘Brisinga-mén’ mentioned in the Edda, an Icelandic poem. ‘This necklace is the Brisinga-mén, Freja’s costly necklace. She won the necklace from the Dwarfs, and Loki stole it from her, as told in the Edda’ (Kemble).

Loki was a Scandinavian demi-god. He was beautiful and cunning. He was the principle of strife, the spirit of evil; cp. Job’s Satan. Freya was the Scandinavian Goddess of Love. She claimed half of the slain in battle. She was the dispenser of joy and happiness. The German frau is derived from Freya. Hama carried off this necklace when he fled from Eormanric. The origin of this legend, though worked up in the Edda, seems to have been German or Gothic, and ‘Brosinga’ has reference to the rock-plateau of Breisgau on the Rhine. It is probably a relic of the lost saga of Eormanric (see Appendix IV.), the famous Ostrogothic king referred to in Chapter XVIII. Eormanric is one of the few historical personages of the poem.

Loki was a Scandinavian demigod. He was beautiful and cunning. He embodied conflict and was the spirit of evil. Compare him with Satan in Job. Freya was the Scandinavian goddess of love. She claimed half of those killed in battle. She gave joy and happiness. The German word frau comes from Freya. Hama carried off this necklace when he fled from Eormanric. Although the legend was developed in the Edda, it seems to have originated among the Germans or Goths. ‘Brosinga’ refers to the rocky plateau of Breisgau on the Rhine. The legend is probably a remnant of the lost saga of Eormanric (see Appendix IV.). Eormanric was the famous Ostrogothic king mentioned in Chapter XVIII. He is one of the few historical figures in the poem.