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In Norse Mythology , the dísir (sing. ''dís'') are a collective of divine female beings of whom little is known with certainty except that they are mentioned in concurrence with death and demise. ''Dís'' is believed to correspond to the ''idisi'' mentioned in the Old High German '' Merseburg Incantations '' as well as to ''ides'', a poetic Anglo-Saxon synonym for "woman." Possibly, it is also etymologically related to the '' Dhísanas '', a group of female deities in the '' Yajur Veda ''. ''Dís'' could be used in a way suggestive of a title (''lady'' or ''goddess''). Freyja is called ''Vanadís'' (dís of the Vanir ) and Álfhildr is referred to as a sun-dís. Some Scandinavian place names tell of the influence of dísir, such as ''Diseberg'' and ''Disevi'' in Sweden or ''Disen'' in Norway. CORPUS Dísir briefly appear in a couple of Eddic and Skaldic Poem s, and in various Kenning s. In '' Grímnismál '', the wise Grímnir (Odin) makes a prophesy of king Geirröðr's death, and mentions dísir. In '' Reginsmál '', the unmarried girl Lyngheiðr is called ''dís ulfhuguð'' (dís with the soul of a wolf) as an insult. Later in the same poem, there is the stanza: In '' Hamðismál '', the hero Hamðir after having killed his friend Erpr, blames his sudden rage upon ''hvöttumk at dísir'' (the incitement of dísir). The skaldic poem '' Krákumál '' – composed by Ragnarr Loðbrók while awaiting his death in a snake pit – features the line: ''Heim bjóða mér dísir'' (the dísir invite me home), as one of several poetic circumscriptions for what awaits him. There is also the account in '' Hervarar Saga '' of how a woman becomes so infuriated over the death of her father by the hands of Heiðrekr, her husband, that she hangs herself in the ''dísarsal'' (shrine of dísir). The Disir were sometimes regarded as the Goddesses of protection; in the since, that they protected and guided the souls of the dead into the otherworld. DíSIR, VALKYRIES AND NORNS Dísir are directly mentioned only in Old Norse verse. As opposed to '' Valkyrja '', the term never appear in the Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson . This and the circumstances in which ''dís'' and ''dísir'' are found in, as per above, has led many scholars to believe that ''dísir'' is the original term for the valkyries (lit. "choosers of the slain"), which in turn would be a Kenning for ''dís''. '' Nordisk Familjebok '' remarks that Dísir also appeared as a synonym of Norn . Considering the fact that Skuld was both a Valkyrie and a Norn, the grouping of Vakyries and Norns as names of the Dísir may be more realistic than a neat distinction between the three. DíSABLóT AND DíSAþING A ''dísablót'' was a sacrificial holiday ( Blót ) in honor of dísir. It is mentioned in '' Víga-Glúms Saga '', '' Egils Saga '' and the '' Ynglinga Saga ''. The latter relates that king Aðils died when he administed the dísablót and rode around the shrine. According to '' Ólafs Saga Helga '' as well as old Swedish law, the dísablót was celebrated at Uppsala during pagan times in late February or early March, and the sacrifices to the dísir were followed by the '' Thing of all Swedes'' and a yearly fair. When Christianity arrived the market was moved to early February and renamed ''kyndelsting''. The name ''disting'' remained in use, however, and the fair is still held every year in Uppsala – the first Tuesday in February. It may be one of the oldest fair traditions in Sweden. NOTES |