Bragi – Norse God Of Poetry, Eloquence, Music And Singing And Husband To Idun Who Protected Golden Apples

A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - In Norse myths, Bragi is the god of poetry, music, and eloquence, which is a gift that makes a big impression.

Bragi does not play a major role in Norse folklore, but he is frequently mentioned as a respected man with a long beard, who knows many stories of the gods, people, animals, and mythological objects.

He is the son of the god Odin and his mother was the giantess Gunnlod. His wife is Idun, who lives with him in Asgard and they have many children, but their names have never been mentioned.

Idun protects wonderful golden apples, which have the power to restore youth to the gods when old age comes upon them. Without them, the Aesir gods would have become old and weak.

Bragi is skilled in playing the harp and his singing is so beautiful, that not only the people and animals but even the trees and flowers are charmed by him.

He is the one who welcomes the most prominent guests on Odin's behalf and has been given a bench among the greatest heroes in Valhalla.

Bragi, god of poetry, and his wife Idun. Illustration by Carl Larsson (1853–1919). Credit: Public Domain

Bragi is always welcomed; he is important and his words are always warm, supporting, and give feelings of self-worth. He gets neglected or abandoned warriors feel at home in Odin’s great Valhalla.

But is Bragi really a Norse god or rather a very talented poet elevated in old Norse tradition to rank among the Aesir gods?

In the past, Norsemen called their poets or skalds bragamen (or bragawomen) and this name is clearly associated with the god Bragi.

Interesting, but not entirely clear is the relationship between god Bragi and the earliest known skald (in Old Norse:’ poet’) - Bragi Boddason, who served several kings, including Ragnar Lodbrok. Boddason is considered the first skaldic poet, though, there have been many poets throughout the Viking age with the name Bragi.

Many believe that the god Bragi, a wise, old man who has "runes carved on his tongue" is, in fact, the god Odin himself. Odin had also an impressive knowledge of poetry. It's, therefore, possible that Bragi was simply yet another aspect of the broad and very complex personality of Odin.

Updated on November 29, 2021

Written by – A. Sutherland AncientPages.com Staff Writer

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