Snotra
Snotra, Goddess of Prudence and Wisdom.
Chuck
5/10/20261 min read


This contains a lot of UPG and pieces of lore and information randomly put together from a bunch of sources by myself.
Snotra, (Pronounced SNOWtra)
Some call her a minor goddess, Handmaiden of Frigga. Snorit Sturluson, says she should be worshiped as a high ranking goddess. One translation of her name means “Clever” in old Norse. She is a goddess of prudence and wisdom. In order to keep fights from breaking out and ill will from creating trouble, rules of courtesy had to be followed. Snotra is the goddess who reminds us of courtesy and consideration.
She was called on to help groups of people of different backgrounds and possibly races to lay down differences And follow the rules of hospitality and etiquette. Think of a modern Thing or Moot. People from different areas and who have different customs, methods or worship. Even differences in speech. A group of Heathens from say Maine, going to a Moot in Louisiana. Snotra would be called on to help with all getting along, to help all forgive little mishaps, transgressions and unintended insults.
A later meaning was/is wisdom and grace. She inspires people to do their best, to have attention to detail.
From the Gylfaginning.
The thirteenth is Snotra, who is wise and courtly. After her, men and women who are wise are called Snotras. She is different from Saga, who is the keeper of the stories. She encourages the reading of the stories, sagas. She reminds me of a verse from the Havamal on being wise.
Meðalsnotr
skyli manna hverr
æva til snotr sé
þeim er fyrða
fegrst at lifa
er vel mart vitut
Each man must be
moderately wise,
but never too wise;
for those people
it is most pleasant to live
when they don't know a great many things.
Mixing prudence and wisdom is the best of us, The sons and daughters of our gods. By living our lives using both wisdom and prudence, we can find our own happiness.
Snotra is Goddess of learning, wisdom, patience and hospitality. All a tributes that we of Miðgarðr, seeing our current state, could do well to invoke.