What does nerthus mean?
Definitions for nerthus
nerthus
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word nerthus.
Princeton's WordNet
Nerthus, Herthanoun
the Teutonic goddess of fertility; later identified with Norse Njord
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nerthus
Nerthus is a Germanic goddess mentioned in early medieval texts, primarily known from Tacitus's Germania. She was reportedly worshiped by several Germanic tribes and has often been linked with fertility and the earth. However, the full range and nature of her role in ancient religious practices is not well understood, largely due to the scarcity of detailed sources.
Wikidata
Nerthus
In Germanic paganism, Nerthus is a goddess associated with fertility. Nerthus is attested by Tacitus, the first century AD Roman historian, in his ethnographic work Germania. In Germania, Tacitus records that the remote Suebi tribes were united by their veneration of the goddess at his time of writing and maintained a sacred grove on an island and that a holy cart rests there draped with cloth, which only a priest may touch. The priests feel her presence by the cart, and, with deep reverence, attend her cart, which is drawn by heifers. Everywhere the goddess then deigns to visit, she is met with celebration, hospitality, and peace. All iron objects are locked away, and no one will leave for war. When the goddess has had her fill she is returned to her temple by the priests. Tacitus adds that the goddess, the cart, and the cloth are then washed by slaves in a secluded lake. The slaves are then drowned. The name Nerthus is generally held to be a Latinized form of Proto-Germanic *Nerþuz, which is the Proto-Germanic precursor to the Old Norse deity name Njörðr, who is a male deity in works recorded in the 13th century. Various scholarly theories exist regarding the goddess and her potential later traces amongst the Germanic peoples.
Matched Categories
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of nerthus in Chaldean Numerology is: 3
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of nerthus in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6
Translations for nerthus
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- NerthusDanish
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"nerthus." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/nerthus>.
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