Daughters of Ægir

The Daughters of Ægir are the nine daughters of Ægir and Rán, a giant and goddess who both represent the sea in Norse mythology. Their names are poetic terms for different characteristics of ocean waves.

In the Skáldskaparmál section of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda the names of Ægir's daughters are recorded:

Brodeur gives the following translations of the names:

Snorri lists the nine daughters twice in the Prose Edda but in one instance he replaces Dröfn with Bára. He also includes both Unn and Hrönn in a list of names of rivers.

In Skáldskaparmál, Snorri quotes a verse from the 12th century skald Einarr Skúlason in reference to Himinglaeva who "stirs up the roar of the sea against the brave" and who also, according to Háttatal, "strokes the high planks".

Also quoted by Snorri is the Nordrsetudrapa by the poet Svein:

In addition, he quotes the Icelandic poet Snæbjorn who refers to them as the "nine skerry-brides".

In stanza 28 of Grímnismál, part of the Poetic Edda, Hrönn is again included in a list of names of rivers enumerated during the revelatory visions of Odin.

In the poem Helgakviða Hundingsbana I (First Poem of Helgi Hundingsbani), stanza 28 describes Helgi's ship cutting through the waves:

Stanza 29 includes a reference to the (singular) daughter of Ægir:

A reference to Ægir's daughter Uðr appears in Helgakviða Hundingsbana II, where the Valkyrie Sigrún puts a curse on her brother Dagr for having murdered her husband Helgi Hundingsbane in spite of the fact that he had sworn a holy oath of allegiance to Helgi on "Uð's ice cold stone" (unnarsteini):

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