Dís

The female land spirits of the Norse

A dís (lit. "lady") was a spirit associated with Wyrd that could be either benevolent or antagonistic towards mortals and humans. The term is typically used broadly in the Eddas and other historical myths to refer to groups of dísir, rather than individuals. These legends predate the Eddas and any recorded history, and the exact history and origins are almost impossible to define with any certainty. They are typically referenced with life, death, fertility, and harvest.

Sources:

• De Vries, Altgermanische Religionsgeschichte, vol. 1, 2nd ed. Berlin: de Gruyter, 1956, repr. as 3rd ed. 1970, p. 322 (German).
• Gods and Myths of Northern Europe by H. Davidson, Penguin Books, 1990, pp. 62-64, ISBN 0-14-013627-4
• Chapter 6, translated by John McKinnell, "Killer-Glum's Saga", The Complete Sagas of Icelanders, ed. Viðar Hreinsson, Volume 2, Reykjavík: Leifur Eiríksson, 1997, ISBN 9979-9293-0-8
• John Lindow, Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs, Oxford University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-19-515382-0
• Simek, Rudolf (2007) translated by Angela Hall. Dictionary of Northern Mythology. D.S. Brewer ISBN 0-85991-513-1
• Turville-Petre, Gabriel (1963). "A Note on the Landdísir" as collected in Brown, Peter (1963). Early English and Norse Studies: Presented to Hugh Smith in Honour of His Sixtieth Birthday. London.