Snotra

In Norse mythology, Snotra is a goddess who is connected to wisdom. She is written about in the Prose Edda, a famous old book from the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson.

Snotra is also part of a fun story from the Gautreks saga. In this story, she is a human girl and the youngest daughter of a family of farmers. Her parents are called Skafnörtungr and Tötra. She has three brothers named Fjolmod, Imsigull, and Gilling, and two sisters named Hjotra and Fjotra. One day, King Gauti of West Gotaland visits the family. He is an ancestor of the Geats and Goths. In this tale, Snotra becomes the mother of Gautrek with him.

Attestations

In the book Gylfaginning from the Prose Edda, a character named High talks about 16 goddesses. Snotra is the thirteenth goddess. She is described as wise and polite. After Snotra's name, people can use the word snotr to call someone wise. Snotra is also listed among other goddesses in another book called Skáldskaparmál from the Prose Edda. Besides these mentions, there isn't much more known about Snotra.

Reception

Some scholars think that the goddess Snotra might have been made up by Snorri Sturluson when he wrote the Prose Edda. They believe he used her name, which means "clever," to create her story.

Another scholar says that Snotra, along with goddesses like Sága, Hlín, Sjöfn, Vár, and Vör, are protective figures. They each help in different parts of private life and are like wise women who watch over certain areas.