Thunder and Thunder God (Porr - Prymr): Eddic Calque

摘要

In the Scandinavian tradition, Thor is a 'Herculean' hero (Tacitus), rather than a thunder god, as both his name and that of his hammer imply, cf. Porr: Punarr (archaic), OE Pur ～ Por ～ Punor, OS Thunar, Mod. E. thunder; Mjollnir: Russian molnija 'lightning', Latvian milna 'Perkunas' hammer'. The association with 'thunder' is only etymological, Icelandic word for it being pruma, which is connected with the name of the giant Prymr, with /y/ < /u/ before */j/ in the suffix -ja-, *Prum-ja 'thunder-maker' (cf. Gothic fisk-ja 'fisherman'), a calk of Porr. Re-interpreted as the name of Thor's opponent, in combination with the 'hammer' motif, it gave rise to the Prymskvioa of the Elder Edda.