Sága and Sökkvabekkr

In Norse mythology, Sága is a goddess whose name may mean "seeress." She is linked to a special place called Sökkvabekkr, which translates to "sunken bank," "sunken bench," or "treasure bank." At Sökkvabekkr, Sága shares joyful moments with the god Odin, drinking together as cool waves flow around them.

Both Sága and Sökkvabekkr are mentioned in two important old books: the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda. The Prose Edda was written in the 13th century by a man named Snorri Sturluson, who collected older stories from tradition.

Scholars have thought about what Sága and Sökkvabekkr might mean. Some ideas suggest that Sökkvabekkr could be connected to another goddess, Frigg, and her home called Fensalir. Others believe Sága might actually be another name for Frigg herself.

Etymology

The name Sága might come from an Old Norse word meaning "to see," suggesting she could be a seeress, someone who can see the future. Some people think this connects her to another goddess named Frigg, who is also called a seeress in old poems. However, experts say this idea has some problems, and another meaning of her name might be closer to "to say" or "to tell."

Attestations

In the Poetic Edda poem Grímnismál, the place called Sökkvabekkr is mentioned as one of the homes of the gods. In this poem, Odin, hiding as Grímnir, tells a young boy named Agnar that Odin and the goddess Sága enjoy drinking together there from golden cups while waves splash around them.

Sága is also named in another poem called Helgakviða Hundingsbana I. The hero Sinfjötli uses her name when talking about a place, though some parts of this poem might be missing.

The goddess Sága is mentioned in two books of the Prose Edda, called Gylfaginning and Skáldskaparmál. In Gylfaginning, she is described as living in Sökkvabekk, a grand and spacious place. In Skáldskaparmál, Sága is listed among other goddesses, but no extra details about her are given there.

Theories

John Lindow suggests that because Sökkvabekkr sounds similar to Fensalir and Odin drinks happily with Sága, many scholars think Sága might be another name for the goddess Frigg. Stephan Grundy believes the names Sága and Sökkvabekkr could be special forms of Frigg and Fensalir used to fit poems with alliteration.

Britt-Mari Näsström thinks Frigg’s home Fensalir shows her role in fertility, and that Sága is the same as Frigg. She says both Fensalir and Sökkvabekkr suggest a goddess living in water, like the fertility goddess Nerthus. She also connects Sökkvabekkr to the hidden well of Urd under the roots of the world tree Yggdrasil.

Rudolf Simek views Sága as one of several unclear goddesses called Asyniur, including Hlín, Sjöfn, Snotra, Vár, and Vör. He says these goddesses protect people and each has their own area of influence, similar to wise matrons.

In the 1800s, Jacob Grimm noted that gods share their power with goddesses and wise women. He described Sökkvabekkr as a place where cool water flows, and said Odin and Sága happily drink there every day from golden cups. He thought their drink might give immortality or inspire poetry, and linked Sága to the idea of a wise storyteller or muse, like the Muses of the Greeks.