What does the name Veðrfölnir mean in Old Norse?
Veðrfölnir means "storm pale," "wind bleached," or "wind-witherer" in Old Norse. The name is also modernly anglicized as Vedrfolnir, Vedurfolnir, or Vetrfolnir.
Questions about Veðrfölnir and eagle
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Where does Veðrfölnir sit on Yggdrasil?
Veðrfölnir is a hawk that sits between the eyes of an unnamed eagle perched at the top of the world tree Yggdrasil. The eagle itself is described as possessing knowledge of many things.
What texts mention Veðrfölnir and the eagle on Yggdrasil?
The unnamed eagle appears in both the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. Veðrfölnir is attested only in the Prose Edda, specifically in the chapter Gylfaginning.
What role does Ratatoskr play in relation to the eagle and Nidhöggr?
Ratatoskr is a squirrel that runs up and down Yggdrasil carrying messages between the eagle at the top and Nidhöggr, the worm below the world tree. Snorri Sturluson describes Ratatoskr as telling slanderous gossip that provokes both the eagle and Nidhöggr.
What do scholars think the hawk Veðrfölnir represents?
John Lindow theorizes that Veðrfölnir is presumably associated with the eagle's wisdom, and that it may fly off to acquire and return knowledge, similar to Odin's ravens. Snorri Sturluson does not explain why the hawk sits between the eagle's eyes or what role it plays.
Does the eagle on Yggdrasil have parallels in other world mythologies?
Hilda Ellis Davidson notes that the image of an eagle atop a tree and a serpent-like creature at its roots appears in cosmologies from Asia, suggesting Norse cosmology may have been influenced via a northern route. She also notes that Germanic peoples worshipped sky gods connected to trees, so the symbol may have developed independently.