Geri and Freki

Geri and Freki

Heraldic animals of the Olafson Clan (Nilfeheim)

In Norse mythology, Geri and Freki (Old Norse, both meaning "the ravenous" or "greedy one") are two wolves which are said to accompany the god Odin. They are attested in the Poetic Edda, a collection of epic poetry compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, in the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, and in the poetry of skalds. The pair has been compared to similar figures found in Greek, Roman and Vedic mythology, and may also be connected to beliefs surrounding the Germanic "wolf-warrior bands", the Úlfhéðnar.

Etymology

The names Geri and Freki have been interpreted as meaning either "the greedy one" or "the ravenous one".[1] The name Geri can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic adjective *geraz, attested in Burgundian girs, Old Norse gerr and Old High German ger or giri, all of which mean "greedy".[2] The name Freki can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic adjective *frekaz, attested in Gothic faihu-friks "covetous, avaricious", Old Norse frekr "greedy", Old English frec "desirous, greedy, gluttonous, audacious" and Old High German freh "greedy".[3] John Lindow interprets both Old Norse names as nominalized adjectives.[4] Bruce Lincoln further traces Geri back to a Proto-Indo-European stem *gher-, which is the same as that found in Garmr, a name referring to the hound closely associated with the events of Ragnarök.[5]

Attestations

In the Poetic Edda poem Grímnismál, the godOdin(disguised as Grímnir) provides the youngAgnarrwith information about Odin's companions. Agnarr is told that Odin feeds Geri and Freki while the god himself consumes only wine: The pair is also alluded to via thekenning"Viðrir's (Odin's) hounds" in Helgakviða Hundingsbana I, verse 13, where it is related that they roam the field "greedy for the corpses of those who have fallen in battle".[8] In the Prose Edda book Gylfaginning (chapter 38), the enthroned figure ofHighexplains that Odin gives all of the food on his table to his wolves Geri and Freki and that Odin requires no food, for wine is to him both meat and drink. High then quotes the above mentioned stanza from the poem Grímnismál in support.[11]In chapter 75 of the Prose Edda book Skáldskaparmál a list of names forwargsandwolvesis provided that includes both Geri and Freki.[12]

Inskaldicpoetry Geri and Freki are used as common nouns for "wolf" in chapter 58 of Skáldskaparmál (quoted in works by theskaldsundefinedÞjóðólfr of HvinirandEgill Skallagrímsson) and Geri is again used as a common noun for "wolf" in chapter 64 of the Prose Edda book Háttatal.[13]Geri is referenced inkenningsfor "blood" in chapter 58 of Skáldskaparmál ("Geri's ales" in a work by the skaldÞórðr Sjáreksson) and in for "carrion" in chapter 60 ("Geri's morsel" in a work by the skaldEinarr Skúlason).[14]Freki is also used in a kenning for "carrion" ("Freki's meal") in a work by Þórðr Sjáreksson in chapter 58 of Skáldskaparmál.[15]