#filhja

[jeffreystewart]

Norsery Rhymes from A to Z Fíli, The Hider of the Skaldic Mead

Well here we are another Thor’s Day and another 20 min sketch of a Norse (and Germanic) mythological characters.  This week it’s Fili / Fíli / Fílli / Vili / Víli / Heptifili, the Dwarven (Dverg / Dvergr / Dwarf). Mentioned in the Skáldskaparmál, and Völuspá of the Poetic Edda.

His name has been translated a few ways such as “filer” from the Old High German ‘fīla, or “board” from the Old Norse ‘fill’ and ‘fila’, or ‘needle” from the Old Norse ’fīla’, or linked by Snori to “Heptifili” a combination of ‘fili’ and ‘hepti’ meaning ‘handle. Giving it an overall meaning of “the one who files the handles’. Alternately it’s been suggested that Fili is linked to Filhja the Dwarf who hides the mead of the skalds. 

This last definition felt like a fun way to show him this week. I might do another version next week more board or file related.

Not a lot else is know about him. 

#norsemythology #norse #myth #dwarf #fili #vili #filhja #mead #file #board #skald #drawing #sketch #linedrawing #lineart #Illustration