I’m currently in the midst of a look at the meaning for the *Algiz Rune … and, as it happens, what I suspect to be the *true* theological underpinnings of Ullr.

Because it might be awhile til I get it out – here’s an excerpt from it, dealing with some points pertaining to the Grimnismal.

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First up, Ullr is mentioned at Grimnismal 42 in connexoin with *Fire*. Here’s the literal translation (with original) up on Voluspa dot org.

Ullar hylli
hefr ok allra goða
hverr er tekr fyrstr á funa,
því at opnir heimar
verða of ása sonum,
þá er hefja af hvera.

Ullr’s favour
he has, and all the gods’,
he who touches first the fire, (51)
because open worlds
become to the sons of the Æsir, (52)
when cauldrons are taken off.

[The footnoting, in case you were wondering:
51 ‘Dronke has amended this to ‘er hver tekr’, read as “he who puts a cauldron (hverr) first on the fire”, the opposite meaning.’
52 ‘ Dronke translates these two lines “because realms are laid waste round the Æsir’s sons”.’]

We would contemplate, for reasons that ought be readily apparent to those with an understanding for Vedic ritual metaphysica (or, for that matter, its Hellenic etc. correlates), that this notion for “open[ing]” the Worlds” correlates to the essential role for the (Consecrated, Imbued, Alive) Fire of the Altar as ‘Conduit’ to those other places where one would find the Gods to be.

Alternatively, perhaps, the intended sense is ‘the other way around’ – ‘Heimar’ may be usefully related (semantically – the ‘pure linguistic’ side of things is not something I’ve seen *properly* attested) to what we would term in Sanskrit ‘kṣétra’ (क्षेत्र); for our purposes, a division of space such as a temple precinct (or, perhaps, ritual enclosure). Hence, the notion that the Heimar ‘open’ … well, perhaps it is that the sanctified spaces wherein these Rites are conducted which ‘opens’ to allow accession via the Divinities?

Now, what the ‘Sons of the Aesir’ could refer to … well, that is a bit of a tricky one (not least due to the *plural*, indefinite plural at that, utilized there viz. “ása” – that said, were it in singular, we’d still potentially have questions as to which ‘sort’ of ‘Sons of *The* God’ in question were to be referred to). One would suspect that it’s something along the lines of ‘Priest-kind’. Alternatively, if the understanding for the ‘opening of the Heimar’ is taken to mean the relevant Divine Realm(s) (and World(s) of the Ancestors, etc. one assumes, perhaps, as well) ; although if the ‘Heimar’ concept refers to the ‘down here’ rather than the ‘up there’, then correspondingly one would presume the ‘Sons of the Aesir’ ought thus mean the Gods (or Their Emissaries) – effectively in much the same manner which “manna sonum” (“Sons of Men”) is utilized in the preceding verse to refer to humankind.

Although that said … there is another prospect. The Grimnismal is, after all, an effective ‘contest’ played out between Odin and His Wife, Frigg – one which, I would suggest, was ‘originally’ over the respective virtues and character of two ‘foster-sons’ raised by the Gods in question: these being the brothers Geirrǫðr [Geirroth] and Agnarr who had been adopted and raised by Óðinn and Frigg respectively (in the guise of a peasant couple). This is certainly how the prose introduction *seems* to set things up (indeed, it’s Odin prodding Frigg about how *Her* fosterling has turned out in comparison to His which sets off the dispute and the bet between Them) … and yet per the last line to that part of the text it’s also not at all what’s going on. Instead, the last line of such introduces a *different* Agnarr, who’s Geirroth’s *own* son and thusly the nephew of the Agnarr raised by Frigg (a situation seemingly corroborated by the second verse, wherein Agnarr’s impending ascension to the Kingship in place of Geirroth is declared, with mention made for “Geirröðar sonr” (‘Geirroth’s Son’) as who’s going to rule).

I would suggest that something has potentially shifted, perhaps a ‘correction’ on the part of the compiler who wrote the introduction in order to help reconcile the ‘facts of the narrative’ with that certain ‘fact of the text’. That is to say – that it’s a contest of virtue between Geirroth and Agnarr, with Geirroth and Agnarr being brothers fostered by the two Gods Whose contest it is (and therefore Whose ‘parenting’ is assessed) [these being the ‘facts of the narrative’], yet with Agnarr expressly referred to as “Geirroth’s Son” towards the outset [the ‘fact of the text’]. And so it is that we end up with *two* Agnarr figures (even if only in the prose introduction), ‘brother’ turning into (literal) ‘son’ to make it so. How to explain the “Geirröðar sonr” of the second verse? A figurative ‘son’ – that is to say, Agnarr being declared Geirroth’s legitimate successor (rather than, say, a brother knocking his sibling off the throne and interfering with a patrilineal succession of a more orderly and ‘conventional’ nature).

Hence, “Sons of the Aesir” (“ása sonum”) *could* refer to the *two foster-sons* thusly involved (i.e. Agnarr & Geirroth), as these are fostered sons to two Aesir. Perhaps a similar thing underpins the “sigtíva sonum” [‘Sons of the Victorious Tivar’ – ‘Tivar’ being ‘-Tyr’ in plural, i.e. ‘The Gods’] at verse 45, for whom the ‘visions’ have been spoken – although we shall have to return to that another time (along with just which direction the “vilbjörg” was ‘intended’, and what the ‘aid / sustenance’ in question might be).

The next part to verse 45 declares “öllum ásum” – ‘All the Aesir’ – shall come “Ægis bekki á” .. with this often interpreted as “Aegir’s Benches”, and yet I would contemplate the *other* ‘Bekki’, ‘Streams’ here. They arrive at or to Aegir’s ‘drinks’ (as in, drinking-event); something most readily readable as the ritual offering of libations (perhaps this is that which is meant via the “hefja af hvera” – ‘hefting (lifting/raising) of cauldrons/kettles’ – of its ultimate verse; the pouring-forth of brewed offering?).

But let’s get back to our major thrust of rendering.

The aforementioned verse 42 declares that the ‘favour of Ullr’ will be attained by the first to ‘touch’ or ‘take’ the flame, with the positive outcome also seemingly connected to the lifting off of the cauldrons in the last line to the verse. Given that Odin is portrayed as being in rather .. uncomfortable confinement too close to the fires (to the point His mantle is burning), implicitly *under* such cauldron(s) … then the idea being that the man who relieves His discomfort shall thusly be the one to obtain “Ullar hylli”, the ‘favour[towards] of Ullr’ presents one *very* obvious prospect.

And we shall return to this soon.

As applies the illustration – this beautiful pokerwork appears to be by one Jesseca Trainham