Sunna and Manni

[Kern]

Sunna and Manni

Gender confusion (or intentional ambiguity) seems part and parcel of Vanic traits, the Goddess Sunna, and Her male counterpart, Manni, illustrate this point nicely. While grammatically feminine, the sun is often described in masculine terms, and personified throughout Indo-European culture as the Male, Sky-God, Solar Hero. The moon is likewise polarized, as feminine mysteries, like the Menstrual Cycle, and the Fates (as they relate to the months and the passage of time), despite it's masculine grammar-form.

While often a sore spot of debate, the understanding of polarities quickly throws "light" on the darkness. Each is bipolar (has two poles) and manifest them separately, and distinctly, depending on the situation. Like all the Vanir, the situation at hand and it's needs are far more important than a simple thing like natural tendency, so Manni and Sunna show themselves in different lights. They are children of Mundliferi.

It should be noted, that in the Voluspa, the translation of 5:3 and 5:5 transsexualizes this pair, "The Sun knew not what stead He held... The Moon knew not what stead She held...". The Snorri translation may have been due to Roman influences, however, since he frequently pointed out these contrasts, it seems unlikely he would have reversed them unless there was a preexisting ambiguity.

http://www.normannii.org/guilds_lore/lore/gods_and_goddesses.htm


Any Comments to this article?

[Bix]

I'm a bit confused. Is this from eastern culture and pantheons?

[Kern]

I'm a bit confused. Is this from eastern culture and pantheons?

Its from Germanic Culture

http://www.normannii.org/

[mothwench]

interesting. first of all, i did not know that sunna and mani were vans. :foh: i'll have to double check that cause i can't quite believe it.
well... i have no problems with these gender roles because i see sunna as a goddess to be worshipped by primarily men (sun energy) and mani as a god to be worshipped by primarily women (moon energy) but i have to say, i have no idea if historically this is correct or not. it's just the way i see them.
also, i don't see sunna and mani as personifications of the sun and moon, i see them as their driving forces and their movements across the sky and their effects on us humans. (arousal, among others)

umm. kwim?

[Mjollnir]

They are not Vans,at least it isnt what I get from it. Mundilfari was a giant who married Glaut and they named their son Mani (moon) and their daughter Sol (sun). They were supposed to be extremely beautiful children and this audacity pissed off the Gods so they took both children and placed them in the sky to guide the chariots of the sun and the moon.

Mani is the personification of the moon, he rides a chariot pulled by horses through the sky and is chased by the wolf Hati. Sol is the sun goddess and she rides through the sky in a chariot pulled by the horses Alsvid and Arvak . Below their shoulder-blades iron-cold bellows were put in to keep them cool. She is chased during the daytime by the wolf Skoll who tries to devour her, just like her brother Mani is chased by the wolf Hati at night.

Are you referring to the normanii site posted mothy??? Theods tend have a different view of things than the Scandanavians did.

[mothwench]

no... i'm just referring to my own personal view of them. and yeah, they did. it's just really hard to find info on what's solely scandinavian and what's theodisc (if that's southern germanic)

also, i wonder about the anglo-saxons, and whether or not they figure in their pantheon.

[Mjollnir]

no... i'm just referring to my own personal view of them. and yeah, they did. it's just really hard to find info on what's solely scandinavian and what's theodisc (if that's southern germanic)

also, i wonder about the anglo-saxons, and whether or not they figure in their pantheon.


Most if not all of the Theods around here follow the Anglo-Saxon route...usually English in their ways...so when I sayTheod I mean Anglo, they seem to intertwine.


Northvegr.org is Nordic and EncyclopediaMythica has different sections which are kinda useful and naturally the Sagas and any Eddas or Norse mythology books.

[Carla O'Harris]

It's actually quite correct that Sol and Mani are of the Vanir. Their father, Lodur-Mundilfari, was the clan-originator of the Vanir and one of Odin's brothers.

[Rick]

It's actually quite correct that Sol and Mani are of the Vanir. Their father, Lodur-Mundilfari, was the clan-originator of the Vanir and one of Odin's brothers.
Source, please

[Carla O'Harris]

Lodur : "blazing", warmth, warmer, giver of blood, movement, feeling, voice. Wili : Will, wish, cupido, desire. Mundilfari : He Who Causes the World Mill-Handle to Move (and thus demonstrably Heimdall's father. Heimdall is a Van). Mundilfari the same as Naglfari, who is Njord-Aud's father. Njord is generally considered leader of the Vanir, thus Mundilfari-Naglfari = Njord's father, Heimdall's father. Many children in accordance with a fiery, lusty nature. Lodur, punished for a crime of arrogance ; Mundilfari, punished for a crime of arrogance ; Lodur, deprived dignitaries of their high stature ; Mundilari, had his children removed from him and placed in a high stature. We would expect the father of blazing heavenly objects like the sun and the moon to have a blazing nature. I could go further. More rigorous proofs are available but require greater instruction.

[Rick]

Again, source(s), please, not definitions.

[Mjollnir]

It's actually quite correct that Sol and Mani are of the Vanir. Their father, Lodur-Mundilfari, was the clan-originator of the Vanir and one of Odin's brothers.


Could you post the source for this please.........

[Mjollnir]

Source, please


Damm, ya' beat me to it.