atter
{{Short description|An older term for poisonous fluid and thereof, common in mythology.}}
{{other uses}}
File:Komodo Dragon, Komodo, 2016 (01) (cropped).jpg.]]
Atter is an older Germanic term for "poisonous bodily fluid", especially venom of a venomous animal, such as a snake, dragon or other reptile, but also other vile corrupt or morbid substance from the body, such as pus from a sore or wound, as well as bitter substance, such as bile.{{cite web |title=atter n. |url=https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/middle-english-dictionary/dictionary/MED2924 |website=quod.lib.umich.edu |access-date=2024-06-03}}{{cite web |title=atter |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atter |website=merriam-webster.com |access-date=2024-06-03}}{{cite web |title=etter |url=https://www.saob.se/artikel/?unik=E_0669-0383.L84H&pz=3 |website=saob.se |publisher=Swedish Academy |access-date=2024-06-03}} Figuratively, it can also mean moral corruption or corruptness; noxious or corrupt influence, poison to the soul, evil, anger, envy, hatred; as well as destruction and death.
Today, atter is commonly associated with the Norse mythology, where it plays an important role in various contexts – see subsequent section: {{sectionlink||In Norse mythology}}.
Etymology
Atter is derived from {{langx|ang|āttor}}, ātor and ǣttor, which in turn derives from {{langx|gmw|aitr}}, which stems from a {{langx|gem-x-proto|aitrą}},{{efn|name=*|An asterisk (*-) before a word means it is a reconstruction of an unrecorded word assumed to have existed, based around various metrics.}} meaning "poison, pus", ultimately stemming from a Proto-Indo-European root of "to swell; swelling, tumour, abscess", related to {{langx|grc|οἶδος}} (oîdos), "swelling, tumour, abscess, produced by internal action".{{cite web |title=οἶδος |url=https://lsj.gr/wiki/%CE%BF%E1%BC%B6%CE%B4%CE%BF%CF%82 |website=lsj.gr |publisher=Liddell, Scott, Jones Ancient Greek Lexicon (LSJ) |access-date=2024-06-18}} It is directly cognate with {{langx|non|eitr}} and its derivatives, {{langx|is|eitur}}, {{langx|no|eiter}}, {{langx|sv|etter}}, {{langx|da|edder}}, as well as {{langx|de|Eiter}} and {{langx|nl|etter}}, all with similar meaning. In Scots, the cognate terms are atter and etter, variously meaning "poison", "purulent matter from a sore" and "quarrelsomeness".{{sfn|atter/etter}}
While mostly archaic or archaized in English, the word lives on with some strength in other languages. The Icelandic form eitur is the common word for "poison", while the Swedish form etter is a word for “venom”, as well as the full poetic meaning in dialectal and archaized language. The German form Eiter and the Dutch form etter are the common word for “pus”.
Its derivative, attery means "venomous", "poisonous" or "bitter".{{sfn|attery}} It is also found in compound nouns such as the now dialectal term for a spider attercop, literally "atter-top" or "atter-cup" (compare cobweb, previously (atter)copweb), cognate with Norwegian and {{langx|da|edderkop}}, and {{langx|sv|etterkoppa}}.{{sfn|attercop}}{{sfn|edderkopp}}{{sfn|edderkop}} It is also found in the term atterlothe, meaning "an antidote to poison".{{sfn|atterlothe}}
In Norse mythology{{anchor|eitr}}
{{redirect|Eitr|for the similarly named Norse dwarf|Eitri}}
File:Thor und die Midgardsschlange.jpg blowing atter on Thor during Ragnarök, fatally poisoning him. Painting by Emil Doepler, 1905.]]
In Norse mythology, atter ({{langx|non|eitr}}) plays an important role in various contexts. In one instance in Gylfaginning, atter is dripped on Loki by a snake placed above him by Skaði. In another, it is blown by the worm Jörmungandr during Ragnarök, leading to the death of Thor.{{sfn|Sturluson|2018|loc=Gylfaginning, chapter 50 & 51}}{{sfn|Gylfaginning|loc = Chapter 50 & 51}}{{bsn|date=February 2023|reason=WP:UGC}}{{sfn|Simek|2008|p=324}} Also in Gylfaginning, atter is described as forming in Ginnungagap, which gave rise to the primordial being Ymir,{{sfn|Sturluson|2018|loc=Gylfaginning, chapter 5}}{{sfn|Gylfaginning|loc = Chapter 5}} as described by the jötunn Vafþrúðnir in Vafþrúðnismál:
| width="50%"
! width="25%" | Old Norse text{{sfn|Vafþrúðnismál (ON)|loc=Stanza 31}}{{nobold|{{bsn|date=February 2023|reason=WP:UGC}}}} ! width="25%" | Bellows translation{{sfn|Bellows|2004|loc=Vafþrúðnismál stanza 31}} |
| :{{lang|non|Ór Élivágum stukku eitrdropar,}}
:{{lang|non|svá óx, unz varð jötunn;}} :{{lang|non|þar eru órar ættir komnar allar saman;}} :{{lang|non|því er þat æ allt til atalt.}} | :Down from Elivagar did atter drop, :And waxed till a giant it was; :And thence arose our giants' race, :And thus so fierce are we found. |
See also
Footnotes
{{notelist}}
Citations
{{Reflist|30em}}
Bibliography
= Primary =
{{refbegin}}
- {{cite book |last1=Bellows |first1=Henry Adam |title=The poetic Edda: the mythological poems |date=2004 |publisher=Dover Publications |location=Mineola, NY |isbn=9780486437101 |url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/index.htm}}
- {{cite book |last1=Sturluson |first1=Snorri |translator-last=Brodeur|translator-first=Arthur Gilchrist|title=The Prose Edda |date=2018 |publisher=Franklin Classics Trade Press |isbn=9780344335013}}
- {{cite web |ref={{SfnRef|Gylfaginning}}| title=Gylfaginning (Old Norse) |url=https://heimskringla.no/wiki/Gylfaginning |website=heimskringla.no |access-date=26 November 2022}}
- {{cite web |ref={{SfnRef|Vafþrúðnismál (ON)}}| title= Vafþrúðnismál (Old Norse) |url=https://heimskringla.no/wiki/Vaf%C3%BEr%C3%BA%C3%B0nism%C3%A1l |website=heimskringla.com|access-date=26 November 2022}}
- {{cite web |ref={{SfnRef|attery}}|title=attery |url=https://www.oed.com/dictionary/attery_adj?tab=factsheet#34203119 |website=OED |access-date=27 December 2024}}
- {{cite web |ref={{SfnRef|atterlothe}}|title=atterlothe |url=https://www.oed.com/dictionary/atterlothe_n?tab=factsheet |website=OED |access-date=27 December 2024}}
- {{cite web |ref={{SfnRef|atter/etter}}|title=atter/etter |url=https://dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/atter_n |website=Dictionary of the Scots language |access-date=21 December 2024}}
- {{cite web |ref={{SfnRef|attercop}}|title=attercop |url=https://www.oed.com/dictionary/attercop_n?tab=etymology |website=OED |access-date=21 December 2024}}
- {{cite web |ref={{SfnRef|edderkopp}}|title=edderkopp |url=https://ordbokene.no/bm/edderkopp |website=ordbøkene |access-date=21 December 2024}}
- {{cite web |ref={{SfnRef|edderkop}}|title=edderkop |url=https://ordnet.dk/ddo/ordbog?query=edderkop |website=Den Danske Ordbog |access-date=21 December 2024}}
{{refend}}
= Secondary =
{{refbegin}}
- {{cite book |last1=Simek |first1=Rudolf |author-link=Rudolf Simek |translator1-last=Hall |translator-first=Angela |title=A Dictionary of Northern Mythology |date=2008 |publisher=BOYE6 |isbn=9780859915137}}
{{refend}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090123082459/http://www3.hi.is/~eybjorn/gg/ggtpar01.html Snorra-Edda: Gylfaginning]