Pagan Myth in Confrontation with Christianity: Skirnisnuil and Genesis BY GRO STEINSLAND

Skírnismál is the only one of the Eddaic lays which is dedicated to the god of vanir, Freyr. The poem deals with the offer of marriage to the giantess Gerör which the messanger, Skírnir, takes to htunheimr on Freyr's behalf, To fulfil the wish of the god, Skírnir makes use of both seduction and curse. Regarding the question of age and interpretation of the lay, various suggestions have been made by scholars. Ä central question for schol-ars has been whether the poem contains genuine pagan myth (Ólsen 1909; cf. Dronke 1962). In recent years several scholars have argued that the lay is late and that, in spite of its preoccupation with pre-Christian mythology, it deals mainly with medieval ideology (Lönnroth 1978; Mitchell 1983; Bibire 1986; Randlev 1986). Óur concern here is not to provide an interpretation of the lay as such. We shall focus instead on a point which has not hitherto been recognized: the possible connection between Skírnismál and th