Andagift
Icelandic
|
Jóhanna Barđdal |
There are several words in the Icelandic language with the meaning
inspiration. However, the first one that springs to mind is the word andagift,
which literally means a gift from the spirits. It is a compound word with the
first stem meaning 'spirit' and the second stem meaning 'gift'. Icelandic also
has an idiomatic expression 'the spirit came over me',
which reveals that within this culture the ability to create is regarded as an
outside force which enters the body. |
The first documented example of the word andagift is from 1200. Thus, the word
is attested in one of the oldest Icelandic manuscripts, called Hómilíubókin.
There it means 'a gift from the Holy Spirit'.
According to Old Norse mythology, Óđinn, the chief god, who was the god of
wisdom, poetry and war, gained his wisdom and the ability to assign poetic
talents to mortals by stealing the mead of poetry from the dwarfs. Óđinn
drank all the mead, changed his nature to an eagle and flew back home
with the mead inside. Almost there, being followed by the mead's rightful
owner, he sent some part of the mead back. That part of the mead is said to have
gone to the skáldafífl 'poetic fools'. This is an early attestation that our
creativity is regarded as an outside force, which we receive in the form of a
gift from higher beings.
One of my major insights on inspiration was when I realized that it is not a
character trait nor is it restricted to the poetic elite, but rather that
inspiration can be a part of our every day lives, something that brings a sense
of achievement and fulfillment, whatever our line of profession is; because
creativity feeds creativity.
Interview
Questions
============================================
Blönduđ tćkni,
Agoj J.G. Henrysson,
to
source |
Edwin; I like the image.. A mixture of seriousness, humor, surrealism. It looks like
the woman is a Muse to the man. Is there a concept the Muse in Icelandic? What
does 'poetaire' mean? Could you tell me more of how you think this picture
relates to inspiration? ----
Jóhanna; Exactly, this is it. The name of it is "poetaire", build on analogy to
"millionaire". So somebody
who is a "poetaire" is rich of poetic inspiration. It doesn't tell the audience
whether s/he inherited this property, whether s/he had to work for it, or
whether it was brought to him/her on a silver plate. What it does say, however,
is that somebody that has
poetic inspiration will not need more in life!!! That's my feeling for this
painting!
|
 |
The giant Baugi, persuaded by Odin,
drills into his brother, Suttung's underground chamber where hydromel, the
mead of the poets, is hidden (manuscript) bridgeman.co.uk |
References
============================================
Ordbog over det norrřne sprog [A Dictionary of Old Norse Prose] 1: a-bam. 1999.
Edited by H. Degnbol, B. Chr. Jacobsen, E. Rode, Chr. Sanders and Ţ.
Helgadóttir. Copenhagen: The Arnemagnćan Commission.
Skáldskaparmál [Poetics]. 1973. In Prose Edda of Snorri Sturluson. Translated by
Jean
I. Young. University of California Press.
