Therefore, giving a child a potent name could bring that power into their lives. The Vikings also believed that words that power, and that is why the runes were not just an alphabet, but also a magical tool kit that could influence destiny. For example, Bjorn means bear and Ulf means wolf. Naming children after things in nature, in particular animals, was also common practice. Nanna was also a popular girl’s name, which was the name of the goddess that was the wife of Balder. Again, on Vikings, Bjorn’s first wife was called Thorrun, which honors the god Thor. Names were also often selected to honor the gods or heroes. We can see examples of this in Vikings, with Sigurd Snake in the Eye named for his grandfather, the hero Sigurd, and Bjorn naming his daughter Siggy, after the women who sacrificed herself to save his younger brothers. So we get Ragnar Lothbrok (hairy breeches), Bjorn Jarnsida (Ironside), and Ivar hinn Beinlausi (the boneless).īut how did the Vikings choose names for their children?Īs is common across many cultures, children would often be named for their parents, grandparents, or other people who were important in their lives. However, it was also common that when a person rose to fame, they were given a nickname in place of their last name that reflected their individual character or achievement. So, the sons of Ragnar would have had the last name Ragnarsson or Ragnarsdottir. Children were called “son or daughter” of their father. So, does a name have the power to shape a person? Viking Naming Traditions Words had power, and a word written down had the power to change the world. What’s in a name? The Vikings believed that their runes were more than just an alphabet. Looking for Viking names for your loved ones? Here is our list of 40 of the best Norse names that have come down to us through the sagas and inscriptions.
0 kommentar(er)
