Kvasir

[@yvindwalle2945]

There was a search engine in Norway some years back called Kvasir. Haven't heard of it in ages so I assume its gone but now I know why they named it that.

[@stekarknugen9258]

It's not. Its better than ever, by far the best engine if you need to search for specifically norwegian stuff

[@MalusDB01]

Old Norse poetic edda would be awesome! Being able to read the poems aloud is such a treat 😊

[@douglasgrant2190]

Im reminded of Chicha - and Andean beverage made from half-chewed corn spit into a fementation vat. The Chicha beverage held a ritualistic significance, making a connection to the Gods/ Ancestors. There are also records that it was consumed when making treaties, as it was seen as a consummation of the pact.

[@kajetansokolnicki5714]

In a turn of etymology probably having to do with lactic-fermented foods, in Polish "kwas" has taken on the meaning of "acid" (both in chemistry and cuisine). It retains some of its old meaning related to fermentation in compound words, like "zakwas" meaning "sourdough starter". Dr., do you take episode suggestions? In the Stan and Flan interview, you mention briefly your research into Norse view on disability and mental illness, and I'd be curious to hear a deeper dive into that.

[@pattheplanter]

John Barleycorn, the personification of ale and barley in old England, was stated to die and rise repeatedly as the barley does.

[@kvasirsmead]

Thanks for detailing my origin story.

[@Kez_DXX]

I like how youtube put an ad in during the ad.

[@wraymcclamma4707]

Can’t wait for the new book

[@kvasirsblood1107]

It’s my favourite of the Old Norse mythical stories and how it links in with the horns of the mead of poetry 😁

[@Aangkai]

1. Never this early. Very exciting. 2. Exciting things on the horizon!

[@TBD98]

This is an example of how mythology has inspiring me. The "Kvasir" in the story I've been writing is only vaguely similar to the versions I've seen, but likely wouldn't exist without me having heard those stories.

[@scythianstoic1429]

The only take away that my girlfriend took from this was that kvasirs PIE root name is potentially “Bubbles”

[@tsifj]

I will admit I was intrigued by the title and thumbnail, being so mysterious and I was exciting to find it fitting, considering little is know about this character.

[@soundofmudgivenglory]

I appreciate the confirmation that he does not appear in the Poetic Edda, for some reason I thought there was a mention... The project sounds rad, I would be onboard for that! 💚

[@kevinmorgan2968]

Seems like ‘froth’ would be the closest modern English word that adheres to the proto indo word, as in ‘the sea storm threw up its froth and foam’ and ‘the beer was intoxicating, you could tell by the thrown up froth and foam’

[@ramonbennett8416]

Awesome old runes 🏆🏆🏆

[@bob___]

I think the spit is the key here and that Kvasir is the personification of kvass or a similar beverage. That's because, while sugar ferments easily, yeast does not metabolize cereals except in the presence of the enzyme amylase. That enzyme is present in malted barley (thus its use in brewing and whiskey making) but not in other cereal ingredients. Today, chemical amylase is available, but in earlier days, the only source other than malted barley was human saliva. I once met a person who had participated in the making and drinking of an alcoholic beverage made with human saliva in sub-Saharan Africa, so this is a real thing. Based on the significance of human saliva in creating Kvasir, and the use of the related term kvass to signify a cereal-based alcoholic beverage, it seems likely that Kvasir was the personification of an alcoholic beverage or all alcoholic beverages. Kvasir would not originally have been mead, however, because honey is made of sugars and doesn't require amylase to ferment. But honey mixed with grains (not including malted barley) would require amylase.

[@pattheplanter]

Perhaps the original story was that his blood mixed with grain became honey and the subtlety was lost.

[@bob___]

@@pattheplanter It may be that, by the time of the versions that have preserved for us, the Vikings had the secret of malted barley and didn't have to use spit anymore, so they forgot about this technique and lost the significance of the stories.

[@alexmanning9961]

Holy crap that announcement about the poetic Edda in runes is super exciting.

[@ginnungagap3873]

Great idea about rune book!

[@francesconicoletti2547]

As Professor Crawford often states there are no “ god of “ in Norse Mythology. One could build a timeline where the information about Kvasir shows the properties associating the god with the fermentation gradually get dropped. He starts as a spirt of fermentation. An elaborate origin story is then created where fermentation is only impyed at the end of the story. Eventually the god is one god amongst many who’s contribution to the story is detection, a contribution with only the vaguest connection to brewing and only then if one infers that the norse belived that inebriation brings wisdom.

[@johngavin1175]

One of my favorite bands from Norway,Enslaved,has a song called "Kvasirs Blod." It's pretty rad.

[@acaciabaker5530]

Cool to have the links to published translations thanks!

[@DrLeroy76]

Looking forward to the book. I'm in

[@Herkan]

Sound cool!

[@lemonZzzzs]

If the oldest well documented source for Kvasir is from the 13th century, could the name or the word for Kvass have been borrowed after the consonant shift, thus preserving its K? Alternatively, the word for the drink could fall out of use, replaced with the more palatable local words (e.g. the Swedish bröddricka), while the character's name retained its weird K-ness due to being a *name* rather than a word.

[@teucer915]

I would love if you did a translation of Heimskringla

[@fjallaxd7355]

Great video.

[@JacksonCrawford]

Appreciate you watching!

[@TBD98]

Ooo poetic edda sounds cool

[@dixgun]

👍

[@beepboop204]

my inner edgy hipster wants to be like "i only worship the ancient pagan deities that you HAVENT heard of"

[@arshputz]

Are there any equivalent or similiar soundin gods in slavic pantheon that could have crossed over? Like some slavik kvass worshiping sect crossed the baltic and eventually that's how they got absorbed ?

[@Kjalarrr]

Have you thought about making a Norse reader like Osweald Bera?

[@johngavin1175]

I'm thinking of getting that book. I hope he does something similar.

[@wordwielder887]

vaguely reminds me of Väinamöinen

[@BenjáminLydersen]

Kvasir is sharp.

[@apank21]

!

[@dennisharvey5852]

1. What did Kvasir's wisdom provide? 2. Spit contains DNA so that is interesting.

[@gkhfbnhfvng]

IT IS NOT FREAKING RUSSIAN

[@thebeanymac]

The creation of Kvasir sounds like a genetic test, in a way. Spit party!

[@Roberthomas]

Courvoisier.

[@BurnedByTheFurnace3]

His identity is the biggest argument for the Vanir = Veneti gods theory. Another big one is the etymology of Nerthus likely coming from Proto-Celtic ‘nertom’, which would initially make sense until we realize that there were multiple tribe who called themselves Veneti, both Slavic and Gaulish. Of the other Vanir, Freyja and Freyr are titles but as a pair have always seemed reminiscent of the Slavic Jarilo and Morena.