GillingrGillingr (Old Norse: [ˈɡilːeŋɡz̠]; also Gilling) is a jötunn in Norse mythology, and the father of Suttungr.[1] Gillingr and, later, his wife are murdered by the dwarfs Fjalar and Galar. In revenge, his son Suttungr tortures the dwarfs into giving him the mead of poetry.[2] NameThe Old Norse name Gillingr has been translated as 'screamer'.[2] It is a related to the Old Norse verb gjalla ('to scream, yell'; compare with Icelandic gjalla, Norwegian gjella, or Swedish gälla).[3] AttestationsProse EddaIn Skáldskaparmál (The Language of Poetry), the dwarfs Fjalar and Galar kill Gillingr by overturning his boat.[2][1] When his wife hears of the news, she is "greatly distressed" and "weeps loudly" and the dwarf Galar, "weary of her howling", eventually kills her by dropping a millstone on her head.[4]
Viking AgeGillingr is mentioned in a skaldic verse by Eyvindr skáldaspillir (10th c. AD), who portrays the mead of poetry as "Gilling’s compensation".[2]
LegacyGillingr is also a surname, although not very common.[citation needed] References
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