Breidablik Explained

Breiðablik (sometimes anglicised as Breithablik or Breidablik) is the home of Baldr in Nordic mythology.

Meaning

The word Norse, Old: Breiðablik has been variously translated as 'broad sheen', 'Broad gleam', 'Broad-gleaming' or 'the far-shining one',

Attestations

Grímismál

The Eddic poem Grímnismál describes Breiðablik as the fair home of Baldr:

Gylfaginning

In Snorri Sturluson's Gylfaginning, Breiðablik is described in a list of places in heaven, identified by some scholars as Asgard:

Later in the work, when Snorri describes Baldr, he gives another description, citing Grímnismál, though he does not name the poem:

Interpretation and discussion

The name of Breiðablik has been noted to link with Baldr's attributes of light and beauty.

Similarities have been drawn between the description of Breiðablik in Grímnismál and Heorot in Beowulf, which are both free of 'baleful runes' (non|feicnstafi and ang|fācenstafas respectively). In Beowulf, the lack of English, Old (ca.450-1100);: fācenstafas refers to the absence of crimes being committed, and therefore both halls have been proposed to be sanctuaries.

In popular culture

• Breidablik is a sacred weapon in Fire Emblem Heroes that the Summoner uses to summon Heroes coming from different Fire Emblem games.
• In the PlayStation game Xenogears, Bledavik is the name of the capital city of the desert kingdom of Aveh on the Ignas continent.

See also

• Álfheimr, the home of Freyr
• Nóatún, the home of Njörðr
• Þrúðvangr, the home of Thor

Bibliography

Primary

• Book: Bellows . Henry Adam . The poetic Edda : the mythological poems . 2004 . Dover Publications . Mineola, NY . 9780486437101 .
• Book: Orchard . Andy . Andy Orchard . The Elder Edda : a book of Viking lore . 2011 . Penguin Books . London . 9780141393728.
• Book: Sturluson . Snorri . Brodeur. Arthur Gilchrist. The Prose Edda . 2018 . Franklin Classics Trade Press . 9780344335013.
• Web site: . Grímnismál (Old Norse) . heimskringla.com. 22 October 2022.
• Web site: . Gylfaginning (Old Norse) . heimskringla.no . 4 October 2022.

Secondary

• Liberman . Anatoly . Lindow . John . Some Controversial Aspects of the Baldr Myth . Alvíssmál . 2004 . 11 . 17–54 . en.
• Book: Branston . Brian . Gods of the North . 1980 . Thames and Hudson . London .
• Book: Simek . Rudolf . Rudolf Simek . Hall . Angela . A Dictionary of Northern Mythology . 2008 . BOYE6 . 9780859915137.