Óttar is a minor figure in Norse mythology, known primarily from the Poetic Edda. He is portrayed as a human devotee of the goddess Freyja who assists her in the retrieval of her stolen necklace, Brísingamen.
Etymology
The Old Norse name Óttar (also rendered Óttarr) is derived from the elements ó “not” and þr “danger, threat,” yielding a meaning akin to “untroubled” or “free from danger.” The name appears in various Old Norse literary sources as a personal name.
Mythological Attestations
| Source | Reference | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Poetic Edda – Óttars þáttr (sometimes referred to as Óttars Ljóð or Óttars Song) | Stanza 35–41 of Skáldskaparmál (c. 13th c.) | Óttar, a devoted follower of Freyja, offers his horse to the goddess in order to travel to the realm of the dwarves, where the necklace Brísingamen is held. |
| Prose Edda – Gylfaginning | Chapter 32 | The narrative recounts Freyja’s loss of Brísingamen to the Hreidmar brothers and mentions Óttar as a mortal who aids her in its recovery. |
In these accounts, Freyja, grieving over the loss of her famed necklace, enlists Óttar’s help. Óttar rides his horse, Gullfaxi (sometimes identified as a boar‑mounted figure in later folklore), to the dwarf realm. Through his assistance, Freyja is able to confront the dwarf craftsmen and reclaim Brísingamen. As a reward, Óttar receives a portion of the treasure and is sometimes portrayed as receiving a magical whetstone (skjǫld), though the specifics vary among manuscripts.
Role and Significance
Óttar’s role exemplifies the motif of a mortal ally assisting a deity, highlighting themes of loyalty and the interplay between gods and humans in Norse mythic tradition. His participation underscores Freyja’s agency and resourcefulness, and the episode serves as a narrative device to explain the provenance of certain legendary treasures.
Literary Tradition
The episode involving Óttar is preserved in a relatively brief poetic fragment, and its full narrative is reconstructed from the Skáldskaparmál commentary. The limited scope of the source material means that Óttar does not appear elsewhere in the major mythic cycles, and his character has not been extensively developed in later medieval Icelandic literature.
Modern Reception
Óttar occasionally appears in modern adaptations of Norse myths, primarily as a supporting character in retellings that focus on the story of Brísingamen. These portrayals generally follow the outline given in the medieval sources, with occasional creative embellishments that are not part of the original corpus.
Sources
- Poetic Edda, trans. Carolyne Larrington, Oxford University Press, 2014.
- Prose Edda, trans. Jesse L. Byock, Penguin Classics, 2005.
- Simek, Rudolf. Dictionary of Northern Mythology, Translated by Angela Hall, D.S. Brewer, 1993.
No further reliable encyclopedic information is available beyond the attestations listed above.