Night and Day

The divinities of day and of night were also of Giant race. The Giant
Norvi had a daughter by the name of Nott (Night), who was dark and
swarthy like the rest of her kindred. She was first wedded to Naglfari, with
whom she had a son named Aud; later, to Anar, with whom she had a
daughter named Jord, who became the wife of Odin; and finally, to Delling,
of the race of the Æsir, with whom she had a son named Dag (Day), who
was bright and fair like his father’s family. The All-Father took Night and her
son Day, gave them two horses and two wains, and stationed them aloft in
the heavens, where they were to ride around the earth in alternating
courses of twelve hours each. Night drives the horse known as Rimfaxi
(Hrímfaxi, that is, “having a mane of rime”), and each morning the fields are
bedewed with froth that drips from his bit. This horse is also called
Fjorsvartnir (from fjor, “life,” and svartr, “black”). Day drives Skinfaxi (“with
the shining mane”); earth and sky sparkle with the light from his mane.


Sources:

Peter Andreas Munch: Norse Mythology: Legends of Gods and Heroes. The American-Scandinavian Foundation, New York. 1926, pp. 37.
Rasmus B. Anderson (Ed.): The Elder Eddas of Saemund Sigfusson and the Younger Eddas of Snorre Sturleson. Norræna Society, London-New York. 1906.


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