#bergelmir

They say that memories are the stories we tell ourselves to remind ourselves of who we are, but memories hardly stop with the mind of one person. Indeed, from the oral traditions of folklore to the written myths and indeed presumably accurate historical record, memory is how we establish cultural identity.

It should be no small wonder then that such storytelling and record-keeping should have gods ruling over it, and one such deity is Bergelmir, the giant goddess of family, elders, and genealogy. However, the Mother of Memories is no simple goddess of the wisdom of those that came before, for she records the actions and deeds of all giant-kind, as well as their stories, songs, and rituals so that even if giants were wiped from the face of all worlds, there would be proof that they were real as long as the cosmos allowed it. This is why her symbol is three lightning bolts, representing history, ritual, and genealogy in turn.

If you’ve ever thought about the fleeting nature humanity and life on earth, and the significance of giving meaning to things by recording them with monuments and records even if they too will one day be dust long after we are gone, I think you might resonate with the teachings of Bergelmir and those like her.

Bergelmir appears as an elderly giant woman of the species depicting her, her bent yet regal body marred by Lichtenberg scars as if she had been struck by lightning again and again across a truly vast lifespan, while her gray hair is kept in in a tight braid.

The Mother of Memories has not been listed as having a personal realm, though her moral alignment points to her dwelling in Elysium, perhaps being neighbors with the other goodly giant divinities.

Originally Bergelmir was written as being worshipped by storm/tide giants, but later in 2e she was described as being followed by cloud and stone giants. Honestly though, any of them that have an interest in tradition and history might at least honor her, if not worship her directly. Additionally, she has a following among the mortals of the Realm of the Mammoth Lords with her focus on oral tradition.

No doubt the Mother of Memories is on good terms with most of the giant pantheon, with only the most evil and selfish of which not paying her at least some honors. Her most complex relationship is with Skrymir, the trickster god, who is sometimes described as her son, her sibling, or cousins. Of course, since they were never mortal the specifics of their blood relation are moot. Either way, there are many giant myths of him returning home with new tales and wonders for her, or of him getting into trouble and having to have her rescue him.

No official list of her servants have been given, but it can be assumed that Bergelmir has the spirits of many a giant elder at her side, along with many azatas, particularly those with an interest in song and history.

Bergelmir’s domains are Chaos, Community, Good, and Knowledge, with the subdomains of Ancestors, Education, Family, Home, and Memory, all befitting her role as teacher and guide for giant communities and families.

Her Second Edition domains include family, knowledge, repose, and vigil, the latter two reflecting her domain over rituals and traditions (including rituals for the dead) and her role as protector of the home.

Sadly the giant deities were never given full focus, so we don’t know what her obedience is, but I can imagine it being something related to retaining knowledge of giant-kind and protecting those one cares about.

While they only got like one major canonical planet in Starfinder, giants do exist, and I imagine so does Bergelmir, and in fact may be more important than ever given the blow that would have been struck to giant cultural identity in the wake of the Gap.

Bergelmir wtf-

Based this out of an out of context text from a friend:

From Thor Vol. 6 #035, “Blood of the Fathers: Finale”

Art by Sergio Dávila, Juan Gedeon, Sean Parsons and Matt Wilson