DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14696#0101
52
The Irminsul
Thuringian hero, who with his sword slays two kings, is, according
to some, likewise a form of Tiu1.' Now the Milky Way was known
as Iringesstrdza or Iringes wee, the ' Street' or ' Road of Iring2.' If,
therefore, Iring is rightly regarded as a form of Ziu, we have here
the Germanic parallel to Pindar's ' road of Zeus3.' That road led up
' to Kronos' tower.' But the counterpart of this mysterious destina-
tion is hardly to be found in Germanic myth. It might rather be
sought in the Celtic area ; for a Welsh name of the Milky Way was
caer Gwydion, the 'castle of Gwydion4.' However that may be,
Iring is in legend closely associated with Irmenfried, king of the
Thuringians3; and Irmin, the 'Uplifted One6,' is commonly thought
to have been another name or surname of Ziu7. It was probably as
letter z, and in cod. Cotton. Tiberius D 18 (J. M. Kemble 'On Anglo-Saxon Runes'
in ArchiBologia 1840 xxviii. 338 pi. 15, 1 f., G. Stephens op. cit. i. 107 no. 24) is
called ziu But Mr B. Dickins, to whom I applied for a criticism of the whole hypothesis,
has shown convincingly that it rests on a complete misconception of the data. His
remarks, too important to be compressed into a footnote, will be found printed in the
Addenda ad loc.
1 J. Grimm Irmenstrasze und Irmensaule Wien 1815 p. 21 ff., p. 41 ( = Klein ere
Schriften Gtitersloh 1890 viii. 479 ff., 490), id. Teutonic Mythology trans. J. S. Stallybrass
London 1882 i. 358 ff., 188S iv. 1389 f.
2 T- Grimm Irmenstrasze und Irmensaule Wien 1815 p. 22 ff. ( = Kleinere Schriften
Gtitersloh 1890 viii. 479 ff.). id. Teutonic Mythology trans. J. S. Stallybrass London 1882
i. 358 ff, 1888 iv. 1389, E. H. Meyer Gennanische Mythologie Berlin 1891 p. 89,
K. Miillenhoff Deutsche Altertumskunde Berlin 1900 iv. 117.
:i Supra p. 36 f.
4 W. Ow en Pughe Geiriadur CenhedlaetJiol Cymraega Saesneg^ (A National Dictionary
of the Welsh Language, with English and Welsh Equivalents) enlarged by R. J. Pryse
Denbigh 1866 i. 297 'Caer gwydion—the gallaxy, so called from Gwydion ab Don, who,
having a knowledge of astronomy, was deemed a conjurer.' H. Gaidoz and E. Rolland
in Melusine Paris 1884—85 ii. 153 n. 1 comment: ' Ce 110m n'est pas populaire; il ne se
trouve que dans certains dictionnaires, et il nous parait suspect.' But J. Grimm Teutonic
Mythology trans. J. S. Stallybrass London 1882 i. 150 n. 2 and 357 n. 1 saw no reason to
doubt it, and it is accepted by Sir J. Rhys Hibbert Lectures 1886s London 1898 p. 240,
id. Celtic Folklore Welsh and Manx Oxford 1901 ii. 645, C. Squire The Mythology of the
British Islands London 1905 pp. 253, 268, J. A. MacCulloch The Religion of the Ancient
Celts Edinburgh 1911 p. 107.
5 See the references cited supra n. 1.
6 My friend Prof. H. M. Chaclwick points out to me (April 3, 1917) that Irmin is
presumably a participial formation resembling in both sound and sense r/p/jievos (aipco), the
' Uplifted One.' If so, Irmin was '"Fi/acros.
7 E.g. W. Golther Handbuch der germanischen Mythologie Leipzig 1895 p. 209 ' Mit
Irmino ist ebenfalls Tiuz gemeint,' K. Miillenhoff Deutsche Altertumskunde Berlin 1900
iv. 117 'die entscheidende und wichtigste stelle iiber Irmin findet sich bei Widukind 1,
12. sie ist von mir in der abhandlung iiber Tuisto und seine nachkommen in Schmidts
allg. zs. ftir gesch. 8 (1847), 242 ff. erlautert worden [reprinted in the Deutsche Altertuvis-
kunde iv. 519 ff.]. nach ihr und einigen andern zeugnissen ist Irmin beiname des alten
himmelsgottes Tiu, altn. Tyr, ags. in Tivesdcig, ahd. Zio, mit anderm namen Kr,'
R. M. Meyer Altgermanische Religiojisgeschichte Leipzig 1910 p. 192 ' Irmin ist sicher
Tiu.' Eor a critical investigation of the evidence see R. Much 'Der gennanische Him-
The Irminsul
Thuringian hero, who with his sword slays two kings, is, according
to some, likewise a form of Tiu1.' Now the Milky Way was known
as Iringesstrdza or Iringes wee, the ' Street' or ' Road of Iring2.' If,
therefore, Iring is rightly regarded as a form of Ziu, we have here
the Germanic parallel to Pindar's ' road of Zeus3.' That road led up
' to Kronos' tower.' But the counterpart of this mysterious destina-
tion is hardly to be found in Germanic myth. It might rather be
sought in the Celtic area ; for a Welsh name of the Milky Way was
caer Gwydion, the 'castle of Gwydion4.' However that may be,
Iring is in legend closely associated with Irmenfried, king of the
Thuringians3; and Irmin, the 'Uplifted One6,' is commonly thought
to have been another name or surname of Ziu7. It was probably as
letter z, and in cod. Cotton. Tiberius D 18 (J. M. Kemble 'On Anglo-Saxon Runes'
in ArchiBologia 1840 xxviii. 338 pi. 15, 1 f., G. Stephens op. cit. i. 107 no. 24) is
called ziu But Mr B. Dickins, to whom I applied for a criticism of the whole hypothesis,
has shown convincingly that it rests on a complete misconception of the data. His
remarks, too important to be compressed into a footnote, will be found printed in the
Addenda ad loc.
1 J. Grimm Irmenstrasze und Irmensaule Wien 1815 p. 21 ff., p. 41 ( = Klein ere
Schriften Gtitersloh 1890 viii. 479 ff., 490), id. Teutonic Mythology trans. J. S. Stallybrass
London 1882 i. 358 ff., 188S iv. 1389 f.
2 T- Grimm Irmenstrasze und Irmensaule Wien 1815 p. 22 ff. ( = Kleinere Schriften
Gtitersloh 1890 viii. 479 ff.). id. Teutonic Mythology trans. J. S. Stallybrass London 1882
i. 358 ff, 1888 iv. 1389, E. H. Meyer Gennanische Mythologie Berlin 1891 p. 89,
K. Miillenhoff Deutsche Altertumskunde Berlin 1900 iv. 117.
:i Supra p. 36 f.
4 W. Ow en Pughe Geiriadur CenhedlaetJiol Cymraega Saesneg^ (A National Dictionary
of the Welsh Language, with English and Welsh Equivalents) enlarged by R. J. Pryse
Denbigh 1866 i. 297 'Caer gwydion—the gallaxy, so called from Gwydion ab Don, who,
having a knowledge of astronomy, was deemed a conjurer.' H. Gaidoz and E. Rolland
in Melusine Paris 1884—85 ii. 153 n. 1 comment: ' Ce 110m n'est pas populaire; il ne se
trouve que dans certains dictionnaires, et il nous parait suspect.' But J. Grimm Teutonic
Mythology trans. J. S. Stallybrass London 1882 i. 150 n. 2 and 357 n. 1 saw no reason to
doubt it, and it is accepted by Sir J. Rhys Hibbert Lectures 1886s London 1898 p. 240,
id. Celtic Folklore Welsh and Manx Oxford 1901 ii. 645, C. Squire The Mythology of the
British Islands London 1905 pp. 253, 268, J. A. MacCulloch The Religion of the Ancient
Celts Edinburgh 1911 p. 107.
5 See the references cited supra n. 1.
6 My friend Prof. H. M. Chaclwick points out to me (April 3, 1917) that Irmin is
presumably a participial formation resembling in both sound and sense r/p/jievos (aipco), the
' Uplifted One.' If so, Irmin was '"Fi/acros.
7 E.g. W. Golther Handbuch der germanischen Mythologie Leipzig 1895 p. 209 ' Mit
Irmino ist ebenfalls Tiuz gemeint,' K. Miillenhoff Deutsche Altertumskunde Berlin 1900
iv. 117 'die entscheidende und wichtigste stelle iiber Irmin findet sich bei Widukind 1,
12. sie ist von mir in der abhandlung iiber Tuisto und seine nachkommen in Schmidts
allg. zs. ftir gesch. 8 (1847), 242 ff. erlautert worden [reprinted in the Deutsche Altertuvis-
kunde iv. 519 ff.]. nach ihr und einigen andern zeugnissen ist Irmin beiname des alten
himmelsgottes Tiu, altn. Tyr, ags. in Tivesdcig, ahd. Zio, mit anderm namen Kr,'
R. M. Meyer Altgermanische Religiojisgeschichte Leipzig 1910 p. 192 ' Irmin ist sicher
Tiu.' Eor a critical investigation of the evidence see R. Much 'Der gennanische Him-