Gefjon · the woman who ploughed an island
A king offers Gefjon as much land as four oxen can plough in a day and a night. Her oxen are her own sons, and the furrow they cut is deep enough to carry the land away.
Context
The opening of Gylfaginning makes this the origin of Zealand. A bargain measured in a day’s work becomes a story about the shape of the earth.
Source
Original Gajimaru summary, based on The Prose Edda, Gylfaginning 1. Rasmus B. Anderson.
Read the primary text ↗Artwork & credits
Gefion and King Gylphi (published 1906)
Lorenz Frølich · Wikimedia Commons
The artist pictures Gefjon with Gylfi and her oxen. The prose follows Snorri’s account of her ploughing.
Public domain. Unmodified downloaded image, scaled to fit. The full downloaded composition is retained.
Historical artwork. See artwork credits above.
The Night Parade
25 beings
OdinÓðinn · the Allfather
ThorÞórr · the thunderer
LokiLoki · the trickster
FreyjaFreyja · lady of love and war
FreyrFreyr · lord of the harvest
BaldrBaldr · the shining one
The ValkyriesValkyrjur · choosers of the slain
FenrirFenrir · the bound wolf
HelHel · queen of the dead
YggdrasilYggdrasill · the world-tree
TýrTýr · the one-handed
HeimdallHeimdallr · the watchman of the gods
IðunnIðunn · keeper of the apples
JörmungandrJörmungandr · the world-serpent
SleipnirSleipnir · the eight-legged steed
Huginn & MuninnHuginn ok Muninn · thought and memory
Bragi · the keeper of flowing words
Forseti · the hall where quarrels end
Ullr · the archer on skisGefjon · the woman who ploughed an island
Sif · the hair of living gold