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In Germanic paganism, Nerthus is a goddess associated with fertility. Nerthus is attested by first century AD Roman historian Tacitus in his ethnographic work Germania.

In Germania, Tacitus records that the remote Suebi tribes were united by their veneration of the goddess at his time of writing and maintained a sacred grove on an (unspecified) island and that a holy cart rests there draped with cloth, which only a priest may touch. The priests feel her presence by the cart, and, with deep reverence, attend her cart, which is drawn by heifers. Everywhere the goddess then deigns to visit, she is met with celebration, hospitality, and peace. All iron objects are locked away, and no one will leave for war. When the goddess has had her fill she is returned to her temple by the priests. Tacitus adds that the goddess, the cart, and the cloth are then washed by slaves in a secluded lake. The slaves are then drowned.

The name Nerthus is generally held to be a Latinized form of Proto-Germanic *Nerþuz, a direct precursor to the Old Norse deity name Njörðr, a male deity attested much later among the North Germanic peoples. Scholars have proposed a variety of connections between Njörðr and Nerthus, particularly arround the Njörðr's children Freyja and Freyr, and the unnamed sister-wife of Njörðr mentioned in two Old Norse sources.

Name[edit]

Scholars gnenerally identify the goddess Nerthus with the god Njörðr who is attested in Old Norse texts and in numerous Scandinavian place names. Scholars generally identify the Romano-Germanic Nerthus as the linguistic precursor to the Old Norse deity name Njörðr and have reconstructed the form as Proto-Germanic *Nerþuz^[1] Beyond this, the etymology of the theonym is unclear.^[2]

Germania[edit]

In chapter 40 of his Germania, Roman historian Tacitus, discussing the Suebian tribes of Germania, writes that beside the populous Semnones and warlike Langobardi there are seven more remote Suebian tribes; the Reudigni, Aviones, Anglii, Varini, Eudoses, Suarines, and Nuitones. The seven tribes are surrounded by rivers and forests and, according to Tacitus, there is nothing particularly worthy of comment about them as individuals, yet they are particularly distinguished in that they all worship the goddess Nerthus, and provides an account of veneration of the goddess among the groups. The chapter reads as follows:

Latin:

Contra Langobardos paucitas nobilitat: plurimis ac valentissimis nationibus cincti non per obsequium, sed proeliis ac periclitando tuti sunt. Reudigni deinde et Aviones et Anglii et Varini et Eudoses et Suardones et Nuithones fluminibus aut silvis muniuntur. Nec quicquam notabile in singulis, nisi quod in commune Nerthum, id est Terram matrem, colunt eamque intervenire rebus hominum, invehi populis arbitrantur. Est in insula Oceani castum nemus, dicatumque in eo vehiculum, veste contectum; attingere uni sacerdoti concessum. Is adesse penetrali deam intellegit vectamque bubus feminis multa cum veneratione prosequitur. Laeti tunc dies, festa loca, quaecumque adventu hospitioque dignatur. Non bella ineunt, non arma sumunt; clausum omne ferrum; pax et quies tunc tantum nota, tunc tantum amata, donec idem sacerdos satiatam conversatione mortalium deam templo reddat. Mox vehiculum et vestes et, si credere velis, numen ipsum secreto lacu abluitur. Servi ministrant, quos statim idem lacus haurit. Arcanus hinc terror sanctaque ignorantia, quid sit illud, quod tantum perituri vident.^[3]

A. R. Birley (1999) translation:

By contrast, the Langobardi are distinguished by being few in number. Surrounded by many mighty peoples they have protected themselves not by submissiveness but by battle and boldness. Next to them come the Ruedigni, Aviones, Anglii, Varini, Eudoses, Suarines, and Huitones, protected by river and forests. There is nothing especially noteworthy about these states individually, but they are distinguished by a common worship of Nerthus, that is, Mother Earth, and believes that she intervenes in human affairs and rides through their peoples. There is a sacred grove on an island in the Ocean, in which there is a consecrated chariot, draped with cloth, where the priest alone may touch. He perceives the presence of the goddess in the innermost shrine and with great reverence escorts her in her chariot, which is drawn by female cattle. There are days of rejoicing then and the countryside celebrates the festival, wherever she designs to visit and to accept hospitality. No one goes to war, no one takes up arms, all objects of iron are locked away, then and only then do they experience peace and quiet, only then do they prize them, until the goddess has had her fill of human society and the priest brings her back to her temple. Afterwards the chariot, the cloth, and, if one may believe it, the deity herself are washed in a hidden lake. The slaves who perform this office are immediately swallowed up in the same lake. Hence arises dread of the mysterious, and piety, which keeps them ignorant of what only those about to perish may see.^[4]

J. B. Rives (2010) translation:

The Langobardi, by contrast, are distinguished by the fewness of their numbers. Ringed round as they are by many mighty peoples, they find safety not in obsequiousness but in battle and its perils. After them come the Reudingi, Aviones, Anglii, Varini, Eudoses, Suarini and Nuitones, behind their ramparts of rivers and woods. There is nothing noteworthy about these peoples individually, but they are distinguished by a common worship of Nerthus, or Mother Earth. They believe that she interests herself in human affairs and rides among their peoples. In an island of the Ocean stands a sacred grove, and in the grove a consecrated cart, draped with cloth, which none but the priest may touch. The priest perceives the presence of the goddess in this holy of holies and attends her, in deepest reverence, as her cart is drawn by heifers. Then follow days of rejoicing and merry-making in every place that she designs to visit and be entertained. No one goes to war, no one takes up arms; every object of iron is locked away; then, and only then, are peace and quiet known and loved, until the priest again restores the goddess to her temple, when she has had her fill of human company. After that the cart, the cloth and, if you care to believe it, the goddess herself are washed clean in a secluded lake. This service is performed by slaves who are immediately afterwards drowned in the lake. Thus mystery begets terror and pious reluctance to ask what the sight can be that only those doomed to die may see.^[5]

Receiption and interpretation[edit]

A number of theories have been proposed regarding the figure of Nerthus, including the location of the events described, relations to other known deities and her role amongst the Germanic peoples.

Name and manuscript variations[edit]

All surviving manuscripts of Tacitus's Germania date from around the fifteenth century. Outside of the theonym, Nerthum (yielding the nominative form Nerthus), Herthum (implying a nominative form of Hertha) and several others (including Nechtum, Neithum, Neherthum, and Verthum).^[6] Of the various forms found in the extant Germania manuscript tradition, two have yielded significant discussion among scholars since at least the 19th century, Nerthus and Hertha. Hertha was popular in some of the earliest layers of Germania scholarship, such as the edition of Beatus Rhenanus, who link the name with a common German word for Earth (compare modern German Erde), but has subsequently been rejected by most scholars.

Since pioneering 19th century philologist Jacob Grimm's identification of the form Nerthus as the etymological precursor to the Old Norse deity name Njǫrðr, the theonym Nerthus has subsequently been widely accepted in scholarship.^[7]

Additionally, in 1902, the Codex Aesinas (often abbreviated as E) was discovered, and it too was found to contain the form Nertum. The Codex Aesinas is a 15th century composite manuscript that is considered a direct copy of the Codex Hersfeldensis, the oldest identifiable manuscript of the text. All other manuscripts of Tacitus's Germania are thought by scholars to stem from the Codex Aesinas.^[8]

Acceptance of this identification among scholars is however not universal. For example, in a 1992 article, Lotte Motz proposes that, "the variant nertum was chosen by Grimm because it corresponds to Njǫrðr" and proposes that the linguistic correspondence is a coincidence.^[9] Instead, Motz propose that various female entities from the continental Germanic folklore record, particularly those in central Germany and the Alps, stem from a single source who she identifies as Nerthus, and that migrating coastal Germanic peoples brought the goddess to those regions from coastal Scandinavia.^[10]

Location[edit]

By way of the the form Nerthus, a number of scholars have proposed a potential location of Tacitus's account of Nerthus at Niartharum (modern Nærum) located on the island of Zealand in Denmark. Further justification is given in that Lejre, the seat of the ancient kings of Denmark, is also located on Zealand. Nerthus is then commonly compared to the goddess Gefjon, who is said to have plowed the island of Zealand from Sweden in the Prose Edda book Gylfaginning and in Lejre wed the legendary Danish king Skjöldr.^[11]

The Vanir and wagon processions[edit]

Nerthus is commonly identified as a Vanir goddess. Her wagon tour has been likened to several archeological wagon finds and legends of deities parading in wagons. Terry Gunnell and many others have noted various archaeological finds of ritual wagons in Denmark dating from 200 AD and the Bronze Age. Such a ceremonial wagon, incapable of making turns, was discovered in the Oseberg ship find. Two of the most famous literary examples occur in the Icelandic family sagas. The Vanir god Freyr is said to ride in a wagon annually through the country accompanied by a priestess to bless the fields, according to a late story titled Hauks þáttr hábrókar in the 14th century Flateyjarbók manuscript. In the same source, King Eric of Sweden is said to consult a god named Lýtir, whose wagon was brought to his hall in order to perform a divination ceremony.^[12]

Hilda Davidson draws a parallel between these incidents and Tacitus's account of Nerthus, suggesting that in addition a neck-ring-wearing female figure "kneeling as if to drive a chariot" also dates from the Bronze Age. Davidson says that the evidence suggests that similar customs as detailed in Tacitus's account continued to exist during the close of the pagan period through worship of the Vanir.^[13]

Modern influence[edit]

The minor planet 601 Nerthus is named after Nerthus. The form "Hertha" was adopted by several German football clubs.

Notes[edit]

^ As outlined by philologist John McKinnell, "Nerthus > *Njarðuz (breaking) > *Njǫrðuz > Njǫrðr" (McKinnell 2005: 50)
^ For example, according to philologist Jaan Puhvel, "*Nerthuz is etymologically ambivalent, cognate not only with Old Irish nert 'strength' and Greek andro- but with Vedic sū-nrt́ā 'good vigor, vitality' (used especially for Uṣás, thus gender ambivalent)" (Puhvel 1989: 205) or according to McKinnell, "The meaning of the name has usually been connected with Old Irish nert ‘strength’ (so ‘the powerful one’), but it might be related to Old English geneorð ‘contented’ and neorxnawang ‘paradise’ (literally ‘field of contentment’), or to the word ‘north’ (i.e. ‘deity of the northern people’, cf. Greek νέρτερος ‘belonging to the underworld’)." (McKinnell 2005:51)
^ Stuart (1916:20).
^ Birley (1999:58).
^ Rives (2010). Pages unnumbered; chapter 40.
^ For discussion on these forms, see for example McKinnell 2005: 50-52.
^ "…since Jacob Grimm, the form Nerthum has been preferred due to its relation to the Old Norse name Njǫrðr" (Janson 2018: 10-11); "Nerthus has long been seen as the etymon of Njǫrðr." (North 1997: 20); "Since the name Nerthus corresponds phonetically to that of Njǫrðr scholars have accepted her as his female counterpart." (Motz 1992: 3).
^ As summarized by M. J. Towsell, "The modern textual history of the Germania begins … with the fifteenth-century humanist manuscript known as the Codex Aesinas, which appears to be the source of all the other Germania manuscripts (and very many copies were made in the Renaissance, all of which appear to be direct or indirect copies of this single manuscript)." (Toswell 2010: 30) "... [Nerthus] is the reading found in Codex Aesinus, the most important manuscript, and thus the reading favoured by Rodney Potter Robinson in the standard critical edition [of Germania]." (Lindow 2020: 1331).
^ Motz, however, states that she does not propose the reading Hertha: "I do not wish to advocate the name Hertha for the goddess; I merely wish to state that the phonetic coincidence of the variant with the name of an Eddic god does not suffice to support an identify of the two numina." (Motz 1992: 3-4).
^ Motz 1992: 12-16.
^ Chadwick (1907:267—268, 289) and Davidson (1964:113).
^ Davidson (1964:92—95).
^ Davidson (1964:96).

References[edit]

Birley, A. R. 1999. Trans. Agricola and Germany. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-283300-6
Chambers, Raymond Wilson. 2001 [1912]. Widsith: A Study in Old English Heroic Legend. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781108015271
Chadwick, Hector Munro. 1907. The Origin of the English Nation. ISBN 0-941694-09-7
Davidson, Hilda Ellis. 1990. Gods and Myths of Northern Europe. Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-013627-4.
Hardy, Barbara. 2010. "Tellers and Listeners in Effi Briest". In Theodor Fontane and the European Context: Literature, Culture and Society in Prussia and Europe: Proceedings of the Interdisciplinary Symposium at the Institute of Germanic Studies, University of London in March 1999. Rodopi. ISBN 9789042012363
Lindow, John. 2001. Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515382-0
Lindow, John. 2020. "Language: Religious Vocabulary". In The Pre-Christian Religions of the North: History and Structures, Volume I: Basic Premises and Consideration of Sources, pp. 103-114. Ed. Jens Peter Schjødt, John Lindow, and Anders Andrén.
Motz, Lotte. 1992. "The Goddess Nerthus; A New Approach". Amsterdamer Beiträge zur älteren Germanistik, 36.
Gunnell, Terry. 1995. The Origins of Drama in Scandinavia. D.S. Brewer.
Gunnell, Terry. 2018. "Blótgyðjur, Goðar, Mimi, Incest, and Wagons: Oral Memories of the Vanir". In Old Norse Mythology - Comparative Perspectives, pp. 113-147. Ed. Stephen A. Mitchell and Jens Peter Schjødt with Amber J. Rose. Harvard University Press.
McKinnell, John. 2005. Meeting the Other in Norse Myth and Legend. D.S. Brewer.
Puhvel, Jaan. 1987. Comparative Mythology. The Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-8018-3938-6.
Rives, J. B. 2010. Trans. Agricola and Germania. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-14-045540-3
Simek, Rudolf. 2007. Trans. by Angela Hall. Dictionary of Northern Mythology. D.S. Brewer ISBN 0-85991-513-1
Stuart, Duane Reed. 1916. Tacitus - Germania. The Macmillan Company.

v t e Sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology
Germanic paganism	Grove of Baduhenna Grove of Nerthus Grove of the Semnones Donar's Oak Irminsul Sacred tree at Uppsala Caill Tomair
Germanic mythology	Barnstokkr Glasir Hoddmímis holt Læraðr Mímameiðr Yggdrasil
See also	Anthropomorphic wooden cult figurines of Central and Northern Europe Ask and Embla Dream of the Rood Ilmr Líf and Lífþrasir Sacred tree Sacred grove Vörðr

v t e Germanic peoples
Ethnolinguistic group of Northern European origin primarily identified as speakers of Germanic languages
History	Nordic Bronze Age Pre-Roman Iron Age Roman Iron Age Germanic Iron Age Viking Age
Early culture	Architecture Art Calendar Clothing Family Festivals Folklore (Proto-Germanic folklore, Anglo-Saxon mythology, Continental Germanic mythology, Norse mythology) Funerary practices Anglo-Saxon Norse Law Anglo-Saxon Norse Literature Anglo-Saxon Norse Names Gothic Numbers Paganism Anglo-Saxon Gothic Norse Rings Scripts Gothic alphabet Runes Symbology Warfare Anglo-Saxon Gothic and Vandal Viking
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