Búri

Búri

Pronunciation

BOO-ree

Tribe

Primordial


Sacred Animals

No sacred animals are associated with this deity.


Sacred Symbols & Objects

No sacred symbols are recorded for this deity.


Parentage

Parentage is unknown or unattested.


Consorts

No consorts are recorded.


Offspring

No offspring are recorded.

Source Quality: Partially Reconstructed

Búri (Old Norse: Búri) is the first proto-divine being in Norse cosmogony, the grandfather of Odin, Vili, and Vé. He emerged from the rime-ice of Ginnungagap, licked free by the primordial cow Auðhumla over three days. His existence and origin are attested in Gylfaginning, which provides the only detailed account of his emergence. He is described as beautiful, great, and mighty.

Búri’s role in the primary sources is almost entirely genealogical: he is the progenitor of the first divine generation. He fathered Borr, who in turn fathered Odin, Vili, and Vé with the giantess Bestla.

Traditional Offerings

  • No offerings to Búri are described in any primary source.

Modern Offerings

This deity does not have a widely established modern following.

Primary Sources

Source Quality

Partially Reconstructed

Additional Notes

Notes

Búri is attested by name only in Gylfaginning and has no presence in the Poetic Edda. No domains have been assigned as no cultic function is attested or clearly inferable. His wife and the mother of Borr is unnamed in all primary sources.

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