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cat In world mythology , the domestic cat is often venerated or feared as a witch in disguise or as a witch ’ s “ creature .” In Norse mythology , the goddess Freya , who had magical powers , had a chariot drawn by two gray or black cats .
cauldron A large pot or kettle used for boiling . In “ Thor and Hymir Go Fishing ,” Thor goes in search of Hymir ’ s huge cauldron because the gods need it for brewing ale . Later , in “ Loki ’ s Mocking ,” ( see under Loki ), the sea god Aegir gives a banquet for the gods . He brews the ale in the cauldron that Thor and Tyr took from Hymir . The cauldron features in many medieval tales , especially those in which witches brew magic broths .
cock A rooster ; a male chicken . Also , a beacon or a warning device of evil things to come .
According to a myth , when the three cocks crow , they announce the coming of Ragnarok , the final struggle between the gods and the giants at the end of the world . Fjalar ( 1 ), the red cock , crows to wake up the giants in Jotunheim . Gullinkambi , the golden cock , awakens the gods and dead heroes in Asgard . An unnamed rust-red bird crows at the doors of Hel ( 2 ) to awaken the spirits of the underworld . They are named only in Voluspa , generally considered to be the first poem in the Poetic
Edda .
Svipdagsmal , a poem often included in the Poetic Edda but which appears to have been written down in the 17th century , names Vithofnir as the cock that awakens the giants or perhaps the gods . Either way , according to the poem , the giants fear this cock and attempt to kill him before he can crow and bring about the end time .
Cocks were used as sacrificial animals to accompany the dead on their journeys to the afterlife .
Codex Regius A 13th-century manuscript found in the 17th century in a farmhouse in Iceland . Bishop Brynjolfur Sveinsson presented it to the king of Denmark , and it became part of the royal collection for several centuries .
Roughly half of the manuscript is composed of the poems that make up the Poetic Edda , a principal source of stories and information on Norse mythology . This portion is formally known as the Codex Regius of the Poetic Edda and scholars refer to the manuscript as GKS 2365 4to .
The other half of the document contains the
Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson and some of his other works , such as the Nafnathulur and his poem Hattatal ; this portion is known as the Codex Regius of Snorra Edda . It also contains two 13th-century works of skaldic poetry . The manuscript number for this portion is GKS 2367 4to .
Until 1971 , the manuscript was preserved in the Royal Library of Copenhagen , Denmark . In that year , it was returned Iceland and is now in the Árni Magnússon Institute in Reykjavik .
cow This female mammal is noted for the nurturing properties of her milk . In many world mythologies , she is the symbol of the Great Mother and of creation . In the Prose Edda and the Poetic
Edda of the Norse , the cow is named Audhumla .
creation The mythology of each people has its own story of how the world was created . In Norse mythology , at the beginning there was a swirling chaos of mists and fog , freezing cold , howling winds , and terrifying fire .
The following story of the creation is from Snorri Sturluson ’ s Prose Edda ; his major sources were the poems Voluspa , Grimnismal , and Vafthrudnismal .
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