AURVANDIL
Norse Star God
Also known as Aurvandill
Obscure demi-semi-God with claims to literary stardom
He pops up in several places as a heroic figure, and even gets a mention in the original Hamlet story as the Prince of Denmark’s father.
One legend tells how he was journeying across the frozen wastes with Thor. When they came to crossing the icy Élivágar river, Thor offered to carry Aurvandil on his back in a basket. But one of his toes stuck out of the basket through a hole and the toe froze solid. (See Groa.)
Thor snapped it off and flung it into the sky, where it remains to this day – a cold shining star. You can see it for yourself if you know where to look. (Nobody is quite sure but it’s probably either Alcor (The Plow/Big Dipper) or Rigel in the constellation of Orion.)
We have it on good authority that Aurvandil was inspired by the ancient Éarendel, who was also the inspiration for Tolkien’s Eärendil. Somehow Tolkien’s legend seems a bit more classy than the broken toe version.
Aurvandil Facts and Figures
Name: Aurvandil
Pronunciation: Coming soon
Alternative names: Aurvandill
Gender: Male
Type: God
Celebration or Feast Day: Unknown at present
Role:
In charge of: Stars
Area of expertise: Star, Stars
Good/Evil Rating: Unknown at present
Popularity index: 21048
Cite this article
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Article last revised on September 17, 2018 by Rowan Allen.
Editors: Peter J. Allen, Chas Saunders
References: Coming soon.