Jofur (from Old Norse Jöfurr: "wild boar") is a name used in Nordic literature for the thunder god, mainly as a synonym for Jupiter. Jofur probably originated in the writings of the 17th-century Swedish scientist and writer Olaus Rudbeckius, and has since been used in Nordic poetry, mainly during the Baroque and Rococo eras. Jofur (as a god) does not appear in Norse mythology, even though the word was also used as an honorary title for kings and heroes. The most famous use of the word is in Carl Michael Bellman's (1740-1795) song Fredman's Epistle No. 72 "Glimmande Nymf" ("Glittering Nymph"), which remains very popular and which is frequently sung in renditions by numerous artists.
References
[edit]- Nordisk familjebok's article on Jofur (in Swedish)
- Mytologin i Bellmans diktning from Bellmansällskapet (in Swedish)
See also
[edit] This article contains content from the Owl Edition of Nordisk familjebok, a Swedish encyclopedia published between 1904 and 1926, now in the public domain.