gegnir

Gegnir is a name that appears in a small number of discussions of Norse mythological lore. In the most widely known corpus, Odin’s spear is named Gungnir, and Gegnir is not a prominently attested term. Because the surviving sources are sparse and sometimes late, Gegnir is often treated as obscure, with scholars debating whether it represents a genuine variant reading, a different weapon, or a scribal alteration of Gungnir.

Etymology and meaning are likewise uncertain. The Old Norse form Gegnir (or Gegnìr) could be related to roots connected with opposition or striking, but the exact semantic link to a weapon remains unsettled. The rarity of the form in securely dated texts contributes to ongoing scholarly uncertainty about its origin and function.

Attestations and textual context are limited. Gegnir does not feature prominently in the major primary sources of Norse myth, such as the Poetic Edda or the Prose Edda, where Odin’s legendary spear is most clearly named Gungnir. Some later or marginal texts and scholarly reconstructions reference Gegnir as a possible alternate name or variant spelling, but these attributions are not universally accepted and are evaluated cautiously in modern scholarship.

Interpretation and significance are therefore provisional. If Gegnir is a genuine variant, it would illustrate the complexities of manuscript transmission and naming in Norse myth. If it is not considered distinct, it serves as an example of how names in ancient traditions can vary across sources and over time. In modern retellings, Gegnir is sometimes invoked to highlight linguistic diversity within Norse mythic vocabulary.

See also: Gungnir; Odin; Norse mythology; spear.