Vartari: The cord to shut Loki's oathbreaking mouth.

The Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur translation (1916 CE) of the Prose Edda names the leather cord that Brokkr uses to sew Loki's mouth shut as "Vartari".

By breaking this cord's name down into its two Old Norse component parts, I’ve discovered something quite telling:

"Var" can mean "pledge", while "Tari" can mean "to kill by repeated stabbing".

If we look at Loki's role in the "Gifts For The Gods Contest" story from Skáldskaparmál (§35), he loses his head to mastersmiths Brokkr & Sindri after the Gods pick their gift Mjölnir as most valued over all those crafted by the competing dwarven Sons Of Ivaldi. Yet the dwarves cannot chop off Loki's head without touching his neck, a technicality that Loki fends the fatal claim off with. Cheated by Loki's logic, Brokkr then grabs Loki's head and sews his lips shut with the aforementioned leather cord, repeatedly stabbing around his lips with an awl to thread it through.

[The Snaptun Stone's depiction of Loki with his mouth sewn shut. In juxtaposition, the breathing hole below was used from the rear for a bellows, all of which may reference Loki's causal role in the dwarves' crafting contest and its temporarily silent consequence, with this stone being an effigy of his head torturously punished in the forge's heat and wishfully put to more constructive use.]

Brokkr physically disempowers Loki's ability to make further false pledges with the cord, so in this context Vartari could literally mean "pledge-killer."

Given the trouble caused by all Loki's verbal agreements, his finding the exception of un-pledged mistletoe to kill Baldr, and his denial of Baldr's return to single-spokenly break the conditions of Hel's pledge, Vartari's well-named purpose within the Norse Lore becomes even more evident.

There are probably broader Heathen Worldview lessons here dealing with taking extra-considerable caution before even speaking oaths, and the potential practice of sewing a corpse's mouth shut both to help prevent draugr-related issues, with allusion to the Norn Skuld comparatively cutting the thread of one's fate to end the potential to speak/pledge at all with mortal finality (so you better have honorably fulfilled what you wanted/said you were going to deed by then).

#    #    #

Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires' Norse Gods and Giants at age seven. Since then he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the Map of Midgard project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay. If you have employment/opportunities in investigative mythology,  field research, or product development to offer, do contact him.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

iceland: a travelogue

Image
Day -1 : Deplaned! ... and it begins with me sprinting full out from one end of Phoenix's mile-long Sky Harbor Airport to the very last concourse, which of course looks very action film terrorist red flag-like. The plane (if you can call the wee Red Bull can with wings an actual plane) from Tucson was 45 minutes late getting in due to confidence inspiring "maintenance issues", which left me with less than 10 minutes to make my connection to Denver. "The door is closed." I can see the plane through the window, still connected to the jetway. "But the plane is  right there ." "The door is closed. You'll have to go talk to customer service," she states in flat disciplinarian tones with barely veiled punitive relish. By contrast the sweet great aunt US Airways desk agent's deeply apologetic about me losing a whole day in Iceland, and I simply can't get pissed at a nice old lady who's doing her best to get me out as early as possib...
Read more

Halvdan was here.

Image
  Most Viking history texts tend to reference this wonderful bit of runic graffiti, but hardly ever show it, so NorsePlay has decided to feature this detailed photo of Halvdan's inscription. Probably carved by a bored Viking turned Varangian Guardsman while having to endure a tedious mass while standing in the upper gallery of the Church of Hagia Sophia, his action was definitely counter to the preached values of humility he was hearing and more from his Arch-Heathen worldview of establishing reputation and leaving your mark of achievement forever on the world. In this simple way, Halvdan has succeeded. Note Halvdan wasn't the only sermon-bored Varangian either as there are two more runic inscriptions, and possibly five on top of that awaiting valid confirmation, along with carvings of four drakkar Viking ships! Arinbárðr was another identifiable name, but his carving is much less readable than Halvdan's. In Byzantium, an environment where literal cutthroat politics always...
Read more

Thor brings the rains ... and the hot buttered grains.

Image
Thor was also considered the farmer's god because his storms summoned the needed rains that watered the fields of grain. In this very modern case, $15 at Thor: Ragnarok brings a promotional keepsake bucket of movie popcorn with a lid styled after his Contest of Champions winged helmet! Let the cosplay begin! #    #    # Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in  the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires'  Norse Gods and Giants  at age seven. Since t hen he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the  Map of Midgard  project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay.   If you have e mployment/ opportunities in  investigative mythology,  field research, or product development to offer,  do contact him .
Read more