Seiðr Loom

god or goddess

Nótt

Night personified: a dark giant's daughter who rides around the earth on the horse Hrímfaxi, whose bit-foam falls as dew; mother of Day and of Earth.

Night in Norse myth is a woman, the daughter of a giant. Vafþrúðnismál says that "the night was begotten by Nor" Vafþrúðnismál 25, and Alvíssmál calls her "the daughter of Nor" Alvíssmál 29. Snorri names the father Nörfi or Narfi and describes the daughter: "she was swarthy and dark, as befitted her race" Gylfaginning 10.

Three husbands

Snorri gives Nótt a family history found nowhere else. She married first a man named Naglfari, and their son was Auðr; then Annarr, and their daughter was Jörð, Earth; and last Dellingr ("Dayspring" in Brodeur), who was of the Æsir, and their son was Day, "radiant and fair after his father" Gylfaginning 10. Since Jörð is Thor's mother Gylfaginning 36, this makes Night Thor's grandmother. The poem agrees only that Delling is the father of Day Vafþrúðnismál 25; the other husbands and children are Snorri's.

The ride round the earth

Allfather took Night and her son, gave them each a horse and a chariot, and sent them into the sky to ride round the earth every two half-days. Night rides first, on the horse Hrímfaxi, "Frost-Mane", and every morning the foam from his bit bedews the earth Gylfaginning 10. The dew is already in the poem, where the horse brings night "for the noble gods" and his foam falls "in the dales" Vafþrúðnismál 14. See Skinfaxi and Hrímfaxi.

In Alvíssmál the dwarf lists her names: "Night" among men, "Darkness" among gods, "The Lightless" among giants, "Sleep's Joy" among elves, "The Weaver of Dreams" among dwarfs Alvíssmál 30. Völuspá counts night among the times the gods named at the creation, "the years to number" Völuspá 6.

In the sources

Quoted from the hosted translations; each line is checked against the text when the site is built. Select a reference to read it in context.

Nörfi or Narfi is the name of a giant that dwelt in Jötunheim: he had a daughter called Night; she was swarthy and dark, as befitted her race.
Gylfaginning 10 Snorri's account of Night's giant father.
Then Allfather took Night, and Day her son, and gave to them two horses and two chariots, and sent them up into the heavens
Gylfaginning 10 Odin sets Night and her son Day in the sky.
The father of day is Delling called, And the night was begotten by Nor
Vafþrúðnismál 25 The poem's genealogy of night and day.
Hrimfaxi name they the steed that anew Brings night for the noble gods; Each morning foam from his bit there falls, And thence come the dews in the dales.
Vafþrúðnismál 14 The horse of night, whose foam becomes the morning dew.
'Night' men call it, 'Darkness' gods name it, 'The Hood' the holy ones high
Alvíssmál 30 Night's names among the races; the dwarfs call her 'The Weaver of Dreams'.

Myths with Nótt

Sun, Moon, Night and Day How the Norse sources explain the sky's clock: Night and Day ride round the world on two horses, the children of Mundilfari drive the sun and moon, and two wolves chase them until the end of the world.

Related

Dagr Day personified: son of Night and the bright Dellingr, he rides round the earth behind his mother on the horse Skinfaxi, whose mane lights the world. Nörfi The giant of Jötunheim who is the father of Night; the poems call him Nor. Not to be confused with Loki's son Narfi. Skinfaxi and Hrímfaxi Skinfaxi ok Hrímfaxi The horses of Day and Night: Skinfaxi's mane lights the earth and sky, and the foam from Hrímfaxi's bit falls each morning as dew. Jörð The Earth personified as a goddess: Odin's bride and the mother of Thor, so that Thor is called the 'son of Earth'. Snorri gives her two incompatible parentages. Sól The sun as a goddess: daughter of Mundilfari and sister of the Moon, she drives the sun's horses across the sky with a wolf at her heels. Máni The moon as a god: son of Mundilfari and brother of the Sun, he steers the moon's course and governs its waxing and waning, pursued by a wolf.