I thought that readers of this list would enjoy knowing what MIME
really means...
Date: Tue, 2 Jun 1992 15:51:10 +0200
From: Bernt Marius Johnsen <Bernt(_dot_)M(_dot_)Johnsen(_at_)kvatro(_dot_)no>
To: nsb(_at_)thumper(_dot_)bellcore(_dot_)com
Subject: Mime in Norse mythology
Hi!
I promised you some information about Mime. I have to look up in some
more books to get you some more and correct details (e.g. of how Mime
lost his head). Anyway, Mime is mentioned in "Gylvaginning" (Gylves
vision) by Snorri Sturlason (1179-1241), and the paragraph tells us
why Odin, the principal Norse god, is one-eyed:
Beneath the part of the root [of Yggdrasil] that turns against
the Rimtuss people, you find Mime's well, knowledge and wisdom is
hidden there. Mime is the name of the owner of the well. He is
full of wisdom because he drinks from the well with the horn
Gjallarhorn.
Allfader came there once and asked for a sip from the well, but
he couldn't get it until he gave one eye as payment. It is said in
Voluspaa:
Alt veit eg, Odin I know everything, Odin
kvar du auge hev loeynt Where you hid your eye
i den maete In the mighty
Mimesbrunnen. Mime's well.
Mjoed drikk Mime Mime drinks mead
morgon kvar ein each morning
av Valfaders pant. of the payment of Valfader.
Veit de nok, eller kva? Do you know enough, or what?
Notes:
Yggdrasil: The tree of life.
Rimtuss = Jotun: The Jotuns are older than the gods, and their
main enemies.
Gjallarhorn: A huge horn that is to be blown at Ragnarokk (= Dooms day)
Allfader = Odin: literally "the father of all".
Voluspaa: "The Volve's (a witch) prophecy", The oldest known Norse poem.
Valfader = Odin: literally "the father of those who died in combat"
Disclaimer: The translation is not authorative :-)
- Bernt
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bernt M. Johnsen, Senior Systems Engineer
KVATRO AS, Pirsenteret, N-7005 Trondheim, NORWAY
E-mail: Bernt(_dot_)M(_dot_)Johnsen(_at_)kvatro(_dot_)no / Phone: +47 7 520090
/ Fax: +47 7 520140
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