{"id":13655,"date":"2017-04-01T01:10:13","date_gmt":"2017-04-01T06:10:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paganpages.org\/content\/?p=14327"},"modified":"2017-03-31T19:00:25","modified_gmt":"2017-04-01T00:00:25","slug":"she-who-is-all-the-goddess-of-ten-thousand-names-26","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2017\/04\/01\/she-who-is-all-the-goddess-of-ten-thousand-names-26\/","title":{"rendered":"She Who is All \u2013 The Goddess of Ten Thousand Names"},"content":{"rendered":"<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t<!--\n\t\t@page { margin: 0.79in }\n\t\tP { margin-bottom: 0.08in }\n\t-->\n\t<\/style>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><u><b><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>SIF<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\">\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-14328\" src=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Goddess1.jpg\" alt=\"Goddess1\" width=\"188\" height=\"258\" \/><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>(Photo Credit &#8211; debsden.blogspot.com)<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>Sif is a Norse\/Scandinavian Grain Goddess, associated with the Earth and its&#8217; vegetation. One species of moss is named after Her, &#8220;haddr sifjar&#8221; or &#8220;Sif&#8217;s hair&#8221;, which is great praise, as her golden mane of hair was Her most striking feature. Her name possibly means &#8220;relation by marriage&#8221; which would be descriptive to Her role in Asgard.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>Sif was a swan-maiden, similar to the Valkyries, in that she was able to take the form of a swan.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>She is a Prophetess, as well as the Goddess of wheat, fertility and family. Some say She is also a Goddess of fidelity, but that title is debatable, as you will see later.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>Her first husband was the Giant Orvandil, whom whom She had a son, Ullr the Magnificent, God of Winter. <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>Sif, then married Thor, the Great God of Thunder, which whom She had a daughter, Thrudr, Goddess of Storms and Clouds, and two sons, Magni (Might) and Modi (Brave). <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>Sif and Thor were happy for a time and loved to make love in the fields during the summer, the thunder from Thor and the lightning from Sif, could be seen for long distances on these occasions. With Thor being a Sky God and Sif being an Earth Goddess, this follows the path of many myths and legends whereupon their consummation symbolically gives life to the Earth. <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>Her symbols are the sun, gold, Her hair. <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>She is connected to the Rowan tree.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>&#8220;The holy plant of Sif is the rowan,<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>The protective tree with its berries of sacred red.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>The tree that is called Thor<\/i><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"fr-FR\"><i>\u2019<\/i><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>s salvation.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>It saved Thor from the anger of vengeful giantesses,<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>Let it save you too.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>Pass beneath the rowan three times and receive Sif<\/i><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"fr-FR\"><i>\u2019<\/i><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><i>s blessing.<\/i><\/span><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>&#8220;**<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>**By Thorskegga Thorn<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\">\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-14329\" src=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Goddess2.jpg\" alt=\"Goddess2\" width=\"191\" height=\"264\" \/><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\">\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> <span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>Sif&#8217;s hair was long, golden and beautiful. Once Loki, the Trickster, came and stole her hair. Thor was incensed. He forced Loki into the realm of the Dwarves. Their best craftsmen made Her new hair of spun gold which, when attached to Sif&#8217;s head, would grow as if it were Her own. It is believed that Her golden hair is a metaphor for the golden grain, with which She is connected.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>More than one of the gods told Thor that Sif had a lover, which angered him and lends some doubt to Her being a Goddess of fideltity. Some would say that Her lover was Loki himself. In Stanzas 53 and 54 (below) of the <\/i><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><b>Lokasenna<\/b><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">, <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>one of the poems of in <\/i><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><b>Poetic Edda<\/b><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">,<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i> a collection of old Norse poems.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">&#8220;<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><b>When Sif went forward and poured out mead for Loki into a crystal cup and said:<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>Welcome now, Loki, and take the crystal cup<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>full of ancient mead,<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>you should admit, that of the children of the <\/i><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><i>\u00c6sir,<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>that I alone am blameless.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><b>He took the horn and drank it down:<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>That indeed you would be, if you were so,<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>if you were shy and fierce towards men;<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>I alone know, as I think I do now,<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"fr-FR\"><i>your lover beside Thor,<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>and that was the wicked Loki.&#8221;<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>Bringing Sif into modern times, a moon on Venus was named, &#8220;Sif Mons&#8221; after Her.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>Probably most significant are the changes to Her within the Marvel Universe. She is sister to Heimdall, the Watchman of Asgard. In their telling, the Dwarves that spun her golden hair became Trolls. As Loki stole the hair without paying for it, the Trolls had not been able to bespell it, and so, over time, Her golden hair turned to ebony. As Sif was very vain about Her hair, Her parents sent her away to learn the ways of the Shield-Maiden. When Sif returned to Asgard, she was a highly skilled Warrior. She has a sword charmed by Odin that will forge pathways between dimensions, mostly between Asgard and Earth. Her fighting ability is only surpassed by the Valkyrie Brunnhilde.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\">\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\">\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-14330\" src=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Goddess3.jpg\" alt=\"Goddess3\" width=\"169\" height=\"297\" \/><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>(Photo Credit: Writeups.org)<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>Odin chooses Sif to be wife to his son, Thor, as he recalled that they were childhood friends with strong feelings toward each other. They were happy together until the time that Thor preferred the mortal realm, while Sif preferred the immortal realm. They are still together, but marriage has been delayed. What the future will hold for them is unknown.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\">\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-14331\" src=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Goddess4.jpg\" alt=\"Goddess4\" width=\"183\" height=\"275\" \/><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-US\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>(Photo Credit: Pinterest)<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SIF (Photo Credit &#8211; debsden.blogspot.com) Sif is a Norse\/Scandinavian Grain Goddess, associated with the Earth and its&#8217; vegetation. One species of moss is named after Her, &#8220;haddr sifjar&#8221; or &#8220;Sif&#8217;s hair&#8221;, which is great praise, as her golden mane of hair was Her most striking feature. Her name possibly means &#8220;relation by marriage&#8221; which would be descriptive to Her role in Asgard. Sif was a swan-maiden, similar to the Valkyries, in that she was able to take the form of a swan. She is a Prophetess, as well as the Goddess of wheat, fertility and family. Some say She is also a Goddess of fidelity, but that title is debatable, as you will see later. Her first husband was the Giant Orvandil, whom whom She had a son, Ullr the Magnificent, God of Winter. Sif, then married Thor, the Great God of Thunder, which whom She had a daughter, Thrudr, Goddess of Storms and Clouds, and two sons, Magni (Might) and Modi (Brave). Sif and Thor were happy for a time and loved to make love in the fields during the summer, the thunder from Thor and the lightning from Sif, could be seen for long distances on these occasions. With Thor being a Sky God and Sif being an Earth Goddess, this follows the path of many myths and legends whereupon their consummation symbolically gives life to the Earth. Her symbols are the sun, gold, Her hair. She is connected to the Rowan tree. &#8220;The holy plant of Sif is the rowan, The protective tree with its berries of sacred red. The tree that is called Thor\u2019s salvation. It saved Thor from the anger of vengeful giantesses, Let it save you too. Pass beneath the rowan three times and receive Sif\u2019s blessing.&#8220;** **By Thorskegga Thorn Sif&#8217;s hair was long, golden and beautiful. Once Loki, the Trickster, came and stole her hair. Thor was incensed. He forced Loki into the realm of the Dwarves. Their best craftsmen made Her new hair of spun gold which, when attached to Sif&#8217;s head, would grow as if it were Her own. It is believed that Her golden hair is a metaphor for the golden grain, with which She is connected. More than one of the gods told Thor that Sif had a lover, which angered him and lends some doubt to Her being a Goddess of fideltity. Some would say that Her lover was Loki himself. In Stanzas 53 and 54 (below) of the Lokasenna, one of the poems of in Poetic Edda, a collection of old Norse poems. &#8220;When Sif went forward and poured out mead for Loki into a crystal cup and said: Welcome now, Loki, and take the crystal cup full of ancient mead, you should admit, that of the children of the \u00c6sir, that I alone am blameless. He took the horn and drank it down: That indeed you would be, if you were so, if you were shy and fierce towards men; I alone know, as I think I do now, your lover beside Thor, and that was the wicked Loki.&#8221; Bringing Sif into modern times, a moon on Venus was named, &#8220;Sif Mons&#8221; after Her. Probably most significant are the changes to Her within the Marvel Universe. She is sister to Heimdall, the Watchman of Asgard. In their telling, the Dwarves that spun her golden hair became Trolls. As Loki stole the hair without paying for it, the Trolls had not been able to bespell it, and so, over time, Her golden hair turned to ebony. As Sif was very vain about Her hair, Her parents sent her away to learn the ways of the Shield-Maiden. When Sif returned to Asgard, she was a highly skilled Warrior. She has a sword charmed by Odin that will forge pathways between dimensions, mostly between Asgard and Earth. Her fighting ability is only surpassed by the Valkyrie Brunnhilde. (Photo Credit: Writeups.org) Odin chooses Sif to be wife to his son, Thor, as he recalled that they were childhood friends with strong feelings toward each other. They were happy together until the time that Thor preferred the mortal realm, while Sif preferred the immortal realm. They are still together, but marriage has been delayed. What the future will hold for them is unknown. (Photo Credit: Pinterest)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":212,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/212"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13655"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13655\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}