Breidablik
Template:Short description Template:About Breiðablik (sometimes anglicised as Breithablik or Breidablik) is the home of Baldr in Nordic mythology.
Meaning
[edit]The word Template:Lang has been variously translated as 'broad sheen', 'Broad gleam', 'Broad-gleaming' or 'the far-shining one', Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn
Attestations
[edit]Grímismál
[edit]The Eddic poem Grímnismál describes Breiðablik as the fair home of Baldr:
| Old Norse textTemplate:Sfn | Bellows translationTemplate:Sfn |
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Gylfaginning
[edit]In Snorri Sturluson's Gylfaginning, Breiðablik is described in a list of places in heaven, identified by some scholars as Asgard:Template:Sfn
| Old Norse textTemplate:Sfn | Brodeur translationTemplate:Sfn |
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Then there is also in that place the abode called Breidablik, and there is not in heaven a fairer dwelling. |
Later in the work, when Snorri describes Baldr, he gives another description, citing Grímnismál, though he does not name the poem:
| Old Norse textTemplate:Sfn | Brodeur translationTemplate:Sfn |
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Interpretation and discussion
[edit]The name of Breiðablik has been noted to link with Baldr's attributes of light and beauty.Template:Sfn
Similarities have been drawn between the description of Breiðablik in Grímnismál and Heorot in Beowulf, which are both free of 'baleful runes' (Template:Langx and Template:Langx respectively). In Beowulf, the lack of Template:Lang refers to the absence of crimes being committed, and therefore both halls have been proposed to be sanctuaries.Template:Sfn
In popular culture
[edit]- Breidablik is a sacred weapon in Fire Emblem Heroes that the Summoner uses to summon Heroes coming from different Fire Emblem games.Template:Cn
- In the PlayStation game Xenogears, Bledavik is the name of the capital city of the desert kingdom of Aveh on the Ignas continent.Template:Cn