Norsery Rhymes from A to Z Eistla, The Glowing Stormy One Well here we are on another ThorsDay with another 20 min sketch of a Norse (and Germanic, sometimes Celtic) mythological characters. This week Eistla of the Jotnar (Jotun / Jotunn / Jetten / Eoten / Giant) mentioned in the Gylfaginning, Heimdalargaldr, Skáldskaparmál, and Völuspá hin skamma.
Translated a few different and novel ways. From the root ‘eisa’, it’s translated to mean literally “to Hurry” but intended to imply “stormy”. Or from ‘eista’ literally meaning testicles, but intended to imply “swollen waves”, or “swelling wave” . Or from another ‘eisa’ literally ‘burning’ ‘glowing’ and ‘fire’, meant to imply “burning” or “glowing”. She’s known as ‘the Stormy One’, ‘The Swelling One’, and ‘The Glowing One’ Though many of the more water based names can possibly be later attempts to bring her in line as one of Aegir and Ran’s daughters.
Often mixed together with the nine daughters of sea gods Aegir and Ran. Though that’s likely more for convenience of them being a large group of sisters than from actual links. As each of the other sisters have more foreboding land based name meanings. This could indicate that between stormy, hurrying, glowing and burning that this speaks to her smoldering anger as a character trait, much like some of her other sisters.
One of the Nine Mothers who each gave birth to Heimdallr. Again this is where the connection to the ocean comes back as each giving birth is thought to be an indication that he was born out the sea. In the poem he is born not specifically in the sea, but at the edge of the world, where the land and sea meet.
Eistla has 8 sisters Giâlp (Seeres, the roaring One), Greip (Grasper), Angeyja (Harrasser, or the Bark), Ulfrûn (the Wolfen, or the Wolf Rune), Eyrgiafa (Scar Donor), Imd (Wolf), Atla (The forceful and argumentative), and Jârnsaxa (Of the Iron Knife). Each maidens Jotun that lived at the edge of the world. The immaculately gave birth to Heimdallr in some fashion, possibly each carrying him in turn, or perhaps in some other magical way. Given the shape changing and elemental powers of the Jotun, especially in such primordial places, it’s possible they weren’t carrying him as separate humans, but as some part of an elemental whole.
Raising him, by reaching him about the world, and feeding him the sea, earth, and pigs blood as he grew up.
She is not mentioned after he leaves to take up his adventures and duties with the Aesir.
Not much else is known about her.
