Gefjon, Gylfi and Skjöldr: Kingship and Land
The article examines the Old Norse myth about Gefjun and Gylfi in light of three Old Irish narratives that deal with the notion of a female personification of sovereignty and of the land. The idea appears to be ancient to Celtic tradition, but especially the 11th and 12th-century Irish tales of Niall Noigiallach and Lugaid Laigde as well as Conn Cetchathach are central to the discussion. An exploration of the parallels in the fundamental structural components and ideological features shared by these Irish and Norse myths reveals much closer similarity that can be accounted for by coincidence. This comparative study concludes that the Old Norse myth about Gefjun constitutes a Norse version of the same basic storyline as the Old Irish tales and that it includes remnants of a similar idea of a divine female figure representing the land as well as sovereignty.
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