Austri

"East." According to Gylfaginning, one of the four dwarfs set by the sons of Borr at the four cardinal points to support the skull of Ymir, which forms the sky:

Then said Thridi: "They took his skull also, and made of it the heaven, and set it up over the earth with four corners; and under each corner they set a dwarf: the names of these are East, West, North, and South.

See also Norðri, Suðri, and Vestri. They are listed among the dwarfs in Völuspá, stanza 13, and in the Nafnaþulur.

A kenning for heaven of Helm of Vestri and Austri, Suðri, or Norðri.

❧

References

Source

  • Gylfaginning, 8.