#etym

Literally “hvítastr “ does mean white and has described an eggshell and snow before, but also hvíta described the whitness of rivers and bodies of water as well, which of course they aren’t as literally white as snow or eggshells. Because Norse is full of kennings and play on words, brightest would probably be accurate to the context in which it described Heimdallr:

Þrymskviða 15: “Þá kvað þat Heimdallr, hvítastr ása, vissi hann vel fram sem vanir aðrir: (...)”

Literally: “Then he sang, that Heimdallr, the whitest As, as/if he well/easily goes forth (future) as/like the vanir others”

Word for word: Þá -Then kvað - he/she/it sings þat Heimdallr - that Heimdall hvítastr - the whitest  ása - Aesir, As, etc

vissi - usually "if" but more like a state of being I guess? hann - he vel - well, contextually means easily or good (to do something well) fram - forth or future I think sem - as, like, or same as vanir aðrir - vanir others (the other vanir)

The bottom sentence literally translated sounds like garbage, you’d have to make it grammatically correct for English, but it just means he knows the future as well as the other Vanir. 

Bellow’s translation says “Then Heimdall spake, | whitest of the gods, Like the Wanes he knew | the future well (...)"

The Sun, not Sunna but the actual light of the sun, was made by the light/fire of Muspellheim, then to be carried by Sunna. I don’t know where the Moon comes from, I was hoping it would have been made from the ice of Nifleheim but not even Snorri gives that hint, which makes me sad.

Mundilfari is said to be Sunna and Mani’s father, of which apparently its common to translate his name to mean “Moves with Time” something or other

Which, I just spent quite a while looking into it and I suppose it’s an Okay translation

Mun means man, Dil I’ve seen as a suffix to make something an adjective, (skyndiliga - quickly, ovendiliga - carelessly, etc) as well as liga being added to turn things into adjectives. In Wandilaz, where Aurvandil comes from (Vandil, in particular), Vandil/Wandilaz tends to mean wandering or change in location. 

Dil I assume is to indicate a change in general. Man-Change possibly and Fari is far or sometimes “traveler” or “wanderer” as Svadilfari seems to mean “Unfortunate traveler”

Dilfari from then could possibly mean Traveler or Wanderer so simply Man-Traveler would suffice, but I don’t see the subject of Time involved, even with  Man-Change-Far or Man-Change-Travel. Perhaps “Changes as Travels” is the closest to be.

Their supposed mother was Galur, which I assume mean Glow or Gleam, but also Glenr is the name of Sunna’s husband, which means “narrow” - though often is translated as “Opening Between the Clouds” which I guess would work; it seems more like a specific kenning than literally the opening between clouds (by which the sun can shine)

Some highlights of our youth conference trip to RN12 in August of 2012!

#DEVOTE is our small group for young people that want to grow in their relationship with God.

We meet on the first Sunday of every month. 

Emmanuel