I can find very little information on Norse numerology. Nine was an important symbolic number: the Nine Realms, Odin hanging nine days and nights on Yggdrasil, Heimdall and his nine mothers. The nine thralls may just be a reference to human sacrifice. Given we have just scraps of Norse myth filtered through the pens of Christian redacters and that with no overarching standardized myths, we have only story variants depending on which group of myths you read, it's nearly impossible to know for certain what any of this signified to the Norse themselves. You may have to settle for reinventing the wheel as regards to meaning.
Your article about the whetstone brought an interesting image to mind. Meteors falling to earth would have been a startling sight. If they were iron meteors that would have been a bonanza to smiths seeking iron to work with. Ancient Egyptians used meteoric iron, calling it the 'metal of Heaven'. Norse smith were no doubt aware of the otherworldly origin of this iron and had their own myths, some of it tying into the whetstone stories. Just a thought.
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branchandroot
Re: Woden's Three Deals and Question on Nine Thrall Mowers
Date: 2023-04-24 03:46 pm (UTC)Your article about the whetstone brought an interesting image to mind. Meteors falling to earth would have been a startling sight. If they were iron meteors that would have been a bonanza to smiths seeking iron to work with. Ancient Egyptians used meteoric iron, calling it the 'metal of Heaven'. Norse smith were no doubt aware of the otherworldly origin of this iron and had their own myths, some of it tying into the whetstone stories. Just a thought.
JLfromNH/Aquamarine Addlepated Mongoose