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124-717: The einherjar are attested in the Poetic Edda , compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, the Prose Edda , written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson , the poem Hákonarmál (by the 10th century skald Eyvindr skáldaspillir ) as collected in Heimskringla , and a stanza of an anonymous 10th century poem commemorating the death of Eric Bloodaxe known as Eiríksmál as compiled in Fagrskinna . An etymological connection exists between

248-790: A case of intraguild predation , brought on by interspecific competition for human handouts. There is also at least one recorded case of a group of wild boar attacking, killing, and eating an adult, healthy female axis deer ( Axis axis ) as a pack. Stable isotope analysis of fossil wild boar tooth enamel from the late Middle Pleistocene found in Thailand indicate that it fed on a versatile mixed vegetation. Piglets are vulnerable to attack from medium-sized felids like Eurasian lynx ( Lynx lynx ), jungle cats ( Felis chaus ), and snow leopards ( Panthera uncia ), as well as other carnivorans like brown bears ( Ursus arctos ) and yellow-throated martens ( Martes flavigula ). The wolf ( Canis lupus )

372-468: A couple of lines in his Hákonarmál that are also found in Hávamál . It is possible that he was quoting a known poem, but it is also possible that Hávamál , or at least the strophe in question, is the younger derivative work. The few demonstrably historical characters mentioned in the poems, such as Attila , provide a terminus post quem of sorts. The dating of the manuscripts themselves provides

496-466: A dream is it,' said Óðinn, 'in which just before daybreak, I thought I cleared Valhǫll, for coming of slain men? I waked the Einherjar, bade valkyries rise up, to strew the bench, and scour the beakers, wine to carry, as for a king's coming, here to me I expect heroes' coming from the world, certain great ones, so glad is my heart.' The god Bragi asks where a thundering sound

620-515: A glorious Judge beneath the earth. In the beginning, when naught was, there was neither sand nor sea nor the cold waves, nor was earth to be seen nor heaven above. There was a Yawning Chasm [chaos], but grass nowhere, ( Vigfússon & Powell 1883 ) harv error: no target: CITEREFVigfússonPowell1883 ( help ) † I remember of yore   were born the Jötuns, they who aforetime   fostered me : nine worlds I remember,   nine in

744-486: A light-coloured patch running backward from the corners of the mouth. Coat colour also varies with age, with piglets having light brown or rusty-brown fur with pale bands extending from the flanks and back. The wild boar produces a number of different sounds which are divided into three categories: Its sense of smell is very well developed to the point that the animal is used for drug detection in Germany. Its hearing

868-403: A mane running down the back, which is particularly apparent during autumn and winter. The canine teeth are also much more prominent in males and grow throughout life. The upper canines are relatively short and grow sideways early in life, though they gradually curve upwards. The lower canines are much sharper and longer, with the exposed parts measuring 10–12 cm (3.9–4.7 in) in length. In

992-622: A mix of both wild boar and domestic pigs. They are now known to be present in Dumfries and Galloway and a number of sites in the Highlands , mainly centred around the Loch Ness area. They can be killed there legally without a license and are culled by land managers as wild populations appear occasionally. As of 2024 , an agency that advises the Scottish government estimates that Scotland

1116-655: A more useful terminus ante quem . Individual poems have individual clues to their age. For example, Atlamál hin groenlenzku is claimed by its title to have been composed in Greenland and seems so by some internal evidence. If so, it must have been composed no earlier than about 985, since there were no Scandinavians in Greenland until that time. More certain than such circumstantial evidence are linguistic dating criteria. These can be arrived at by looking at Skaldic poems whose dates are more firmly known. For instance

1240-657: A serious pest wild animal in the Americas and Australia . As true wild boars became extinct in Great Britain before the development of Modern English , the same terms are often used for both true wild boar and pigs, especially large or semi-wild ones. The English boar stems from the Old English bār , which is thought to be derived from the West Germanic bair , of unknown origin. Boar

1364-613: A skull from a recently killed individual in the Annamite Range , Laos, in 1995. Subsequent studies indicated that Sus bucculentus was not a valid taxon. As of 2022 the Mammal Diversity Database included it in Sus scrofa . The wild boar is a bulky, massively built suid with short and relatively thin legs. The trunk is short and robust, while the hindquarters are comparatively underdeveloped. The region behind

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1488-523: A small tiger and a tigress to death in self-defense. A "large male tiger" died of wounds inflicted by an old wild boar it had killed in "a battle royal" between the two animals. In the Amur region , wild boars are one of the two most important prey species for Siberian tigers , alongside the Manchurian wapiti ( Cervus canadensis xanthopygus ), with the two species collectively comprising roughly 80% of

1612-470: A stanza from Grímnismál . In chapter 41, Gangleri notes that there are very many people in Valhalla, and that Óðinn is a "very great lord when he commands such a troop". Gangleri then asks what entertainment the einherjar have when they're not drinking. High responds that every day, the einherjar get dressed and "put on war-gear and go out into the courtyard and fight each other and fall upon each other. This

1736-557: A third domestication event with the Near Eastern genes dying out in European pig stock. Modern domesticated pigs have involved complex exchanges, with European domesticated lines being exported in turn to the ancient Near East. Historical records indicate that Asian pigs were introduced into Europe during the 18th and early 19th centuries. Domestic pigs tend to have much more developed hindquarters than their wild boar ancestors, to

1860-530: A year later. However, estrus usually first occurs after two years in sows, while males begin participating in the rut after 4–5 years, as they are not permitted to mate by the older males. The maximum lifespan in the wild is 10–14 years, though few specimens survive past 4–5 years. Boars in captivity have lived for 20 years. The wild boar inhabits a diverse array of habitats from boreal taigas to deserts . In mountainous regions, it can even occupy alpine zones, occurring up to 1,900 m (6,200 ft) in

1984-617: Is Latin for 'sow'. In hunting terminology, boars are given different designations according to their age: MtDNA studies indicate that the wild boar originated from islands in Southeast Asia such as Indonesia and the Philippines , and subsequently spread onto mainland Eurasia and North Africa. The earliest fossil finds of the species come from both Europe and Asia, and date back to the Early Pleistocene . By

2108-552: Is a highly versatile omnivore , whose diversity in choice of food is comparable to that of humans . Their foods can be divided into four categories: A 50 kg (110 lb) boar needs around 4,000–4,500 calories of food per day, though this required amount increases during winter and pregnancy, with the majority of its diet consisting of food items dug from the ground, like underground plant material and burrowing animals. Acorns and beechnuts are invariably its most important food items in temperate zones , as they are rich in

2232-424: Is also acute, though its eyesight is comparatively weak, lacking color vision and being unable to recognise a standing human 10–15 metres (33–49 ft) away. Pigs are one of four known mammalian taxa which possess mutations in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor that protect against snake venom. Mongooses , honey badgers , hedgehogs , and pigs all have modifications to the receptor pocket which prevents

2356-662: Is arguably the most important extant source on Norse mythology and Germanic heroic legends . Since the early 19th century, it has had a powerful influence on Scandinavian literature , not only through its stories, but also through the visionary force and the dramatic quality of many of the poems. It has also been an inspiration for later innovations in poetic meter , particularly in Nordic languages , with its use of terse, stress -based metrical schemes that lack final rhymes, instead focusing on alliterative devices and strongly concentrated imagery. Poets who have acknowledged their debt to

2480-616: Is coming from, and says that the benches of Valhalla are creaking—as if the god Baldr had returned to Valhalla—and that it sounds like the movement of a thousand. Óðinn responds that Bragi knows well that the sounds are for Eric Bloodaxe, who will soon arrive in Valhalla. Óðinn tells the heroes Sigmund and Sinfjötli to rise to greet Eric and invite him into the hall, if it is indeed he. Sigmund asks Óðinn why he would expect Eric more than any other king, to which Óðinn responds that Eric has reddened his gore-drenched sword with many other lands. Eric arrives, and Sigmund greets him, tells him that he

2604-410: Is drunk, and that Geirröd loses much when he loses his favor and the favor of "all the Einherjar." In the poem Helgakviða Hundingsbana I , the hero Sinfjötli flyts with Guðmundur. Sinfjötli accuses Guðmundur of having once been a female, including that he was "a witch, horrible, unnatural, among Odin's valkyries" and that all of the einherjar "had to fight, headstrong women, on your account". In

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2728-517: Is given below: Ek man jǫtna ár of borna, þás forðum mik fœdda hǫfðu ; níu mank hęima, níu ívíði, mjǫtvið mæran fyr mold neðan. Ár vas alda þars Ymir byggði, vasa sandr né sær, né svalar unnir ; jǫrð fansk æva né upphiminn ; gap vas ginnunga, ęn gras hvęrgi. ( Finnur 1932 ) harv error: no target: CITEREFFinnur1932 ( help ) (unchanged orthography) The Jötuns I remember early born, those who me of old have reared. I nine worlds remember, nine trees,

2852-553: Is home to a few thousand wild boars. Locals around Loch Ness that were interviewed by The New York Times believed that the boars were becoming an increasingly worse problem, and farmers noted that they had killed and eaten several lambs. Wild boars are an invasive species in the Americas, having been introduced by European explorers and settlers in the 16th century to serve as a source of food. Wild boars now cause problems including out-competing native species for food, destroying

2976-488: Is illegal to import, breed, release, possess, sell, distribute, trade, transport, hunt, or trap Eurasian boars. Hunting and trapping is done systematically, to increase the chance of eradication and to remove the incentive to illegally release boars, which have mostly been spread deliberately by sport hunters. While domestic pigs, both captive and feral (popularly termed "razorbacks"), have been in North America since

3100-713: Is largely due in part to the local leopard subspecies' large size. Boars of all ages were once the primary prey of the tiger ( Panthera tigris ) in Transcaucasia, Kazakhstan, Middle Asia and the Far East up until the late 19th century. In modern times, tiger numbers are too low to have a limiting effect on boar populations. A single tiger can systematically destroy an entire sounder by preying on its members one by one, before moving on to another sounder. Tigers have been noted to chase boars for longer distances than with other prey. In two rare cases, boars were reported to gore

3224-466: Is properly = einheri", and points to a relation to the term with the Old Norse common nouns einarðr (meaning "bold") and einörð (meaning "valour"). Poetic Edda The Poetic Edda is the modern name for an untitled collection of Old Norse anonymous narrative poems in alliterative verse . It is distinct from the closely related Prose Edda , although both works are seminal to

3348-495: Is provided (see the Fagrskinna section below for more detail and another translation from another source): What sort of dream is that, Odin? I dreamed I rose up before dawn to clear up Val-hall for slain people. I aroused the Einheriar, bade them get up to strew the benches, clean the beer-cups, the valkyries to serve wine for the arrival of a prince. At the end of the Heimskringla saga Hákonar saga góða ,

3472-616: Is sometimes used specifically to refer to males, and may also be used to refer to male domesticated pigs, especially breeding males that have not been castrated. Sow , the traditional name for a female, again comes from Old English and Germanic; it stems from Proto-Indo-European , and is related to the Latin : sus and Greek hus , and more closely to the New High German Sau . The young may be called piglets or boarlets . The animals' specific name scrofa

3596-403: Is the main predator of wild boar throughout most of its range. A single wolf can kill around 50 to 80 boars of differing ages in one year. In Italy and Belarus' Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park , boars are the wolf's primary prey, despite an abundance of alternative, less powerful ungulates. Wolves are particularly threatening during the winter, when deep snow impedes the boars' movements. In

3720-440: Is their sport." High says that when dinner time arrives, the einherjar ride back to Valhalla and sit down to drink. In reference, High quotes a stanza from Grímnismál . In chapter 51, High foretells the events of Ragnarök. After the god Heimdallr awakens all the gods by blowing his horn Gjallarhorn , they will assemble at a thing , Óðinn will ride to the well Mímisbrunnr and consult Mímir on behalf of himself and his people,

3844-488: Is translated as einheriar ): All the Einheriar fight in Odin's courts every day; they choose the slain and ride from battle; then they sit more at peace together. In the poem Grímnismál , Óðinn (disguised as Grímnir ) tells the young Agnarr Geirröðsson that the cook Andhrímnir boils the beast Sæhrímnir , which he refers to as "the best of pork", in the container Eldhrímnir , yet adds that "but few know by what

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3968-560: Is welcome to come into the hall, and asks him what other lords he has brought with him to Valhalla. Eric says that with him are five kings, that he will tell them the name of them all, and that he, himself, is the sixth. According to John Lindow , Andy Orchard, and Rudolf Simek , scholars have commonly connected the einherjar to the Harii , a Germanic tribe attested by Tacitus in his 1st-century AD work Germania . Tacitus writes: Lindow says that "many scholars think there may be basis for

4092-766: The British Isles to Korea and the Sunda Islands . The northern limit of its range extended from southern Scandinavia to southern Siberia and Japan . Within this range, it was only absent in extremely dry deserts and alpine zones. It was once found in North Africa along the Nile valley up to Khartoum and north of the Sahara . The species occurs on a few Ionian and Aegean Islands , sometimes swimming between islands. The reconstructed northern boundary of

4216-717: The Carpathians , 2,600 m (8,500 ft) in the Caucasus and up to 3,600–4,000 m (11,800–13,100 ft) in the mountains in Central Asia and Kazakhstan . In order to survive in a given area, wild boars require a habitat fulfilling three conditions: heavily brushed areas providing shelter from predators, water for drinking and bathing purposes and an absence of regular snowfall. The main habitats favored by boars in Europe are deciduous and mixed forests , with

4340-773: The Codex Regius continues with heroic lays about mortal heroes, examples of Germanic heroic legend . The heroic lays are to be seen as a whole in the Edda , but they consist of three layers: the story of Helgi Hundingsbani , the story of the Nibelungs , and the story of Jörmunrekkr , king of the Goths . These are, respectively, Scandinavian, German, and Gothic in origin. As far as historicity can be ascertained, Attila , Jörmunrekkr , and Brynhildr actually existed, taking Brynhildr to be partly based on Brunhilda of Austrasia , but

4464-550: The Codex Regius include Vilhelm Ekelund , August Strindberg , J. R. R. Tolkien , Ezra Pound , Jorge Luis Borges , and Karin Boye . The Codex Regius was written during the 13th century, but nothing was known of its whereabouts until 1643, when it came into the possession of Brynjólfur Sveinsson , then Bishop of Skálholt . At the time, versions of the Prose Edda were known in Iceland, but scholars speculated that there once

4588-475: The Early Pleistocene and outcompeted other suid species as they spread throughout the Old World . As of 2005 , up to 16 subspecies are recognized, which are divided into four regional groupings based on skull height and lacrimal bone length. The species lives in matriarchal societies consisting of interrelated females and their young (both male and female). Fully grown males are usually solitary outside

4712-639: The Giza Zoo , with wild populations having disappeared by 1894–1902. Prince Kamal el Dine Hussein attempted to repopulate Wadi El Natrun with boars of Hungarian stock, but they were quickly exterminated by poachers. A revival of boar populations began in the middle of the 20th century. By 1950, wild boar had once again reached their original northern boundary in many parts of their Asiatic range. By 1960, they reached Leningrad and Moscow and by 1975, they were to be found in Archangelsk and Astrakhan . In

4836-480: The Grímnismál valkyrie list, and says that these valkyries wait in Valhalla, and there serve drink, and look after tableware and drinking vessels in Valhalla. In addition, High says that Óðinn sends valkyries to every battle, that they allot death to men, and govern victory. In chapter 38, High provides more detail about the einherjar. Gangleri says that "you say that all those men that have fallen in battle since

4960-764: The Himalayas . It is absent in the higher elevations of the Pamir and the Tian Shan , though they do occur in the Tarim Basin and on the lower slopes of the Tien Shan. In recent centuries, the range of wild boar has changed dramatically, largely due to hunting by humans and more recently because of captive wild boar escaping into the wild. Prior to the 20th century, boar populations had declined in numerous areas, with British populations probably becoming extinct during

5084-470: The Prose Edda book Gylfaginning , the einherjar are introduced in chapter 20. In chapter 20, Third tells Gangleri (described as king Gylfi in disguise) that Óðinn is called Valföðr (Old Norse "father of the slain") "since all those who fall in battle are his adopted sons," and that Óðinn assigns them places in Valhalla and Vingólf where they are known as einherjar. In chapter 35, High quotes

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5208-476: The Volga Delta and near some lakes and rivers of Kazakhstan have been recorded to feed extensively on fish like carp and Caspian roach . Boars in the former area will also feed on cormorant and heron chicks, bivalved molluscs , trapped muskrats and mice. There is at least one record of a boar killing and eating a bonnet macaque in southern India's Bandipur National Park , though this may have been

5332-614: The breeding season . The wolf is the wild boar's main predator in most of its natural range except in the Far East and the Lesser Sunda Islands , where it is replaced by the tiger and Komodo dragon respectively. The wild boar has a long history of association with humans , having been the ancestor of most domestic pig breeds and a big-game animal for millennia. Boars have also re- hybridized in recent decades with feral pigs ; these boar–pig hybrids have become

5456-635: The carbohydrates necessary for the buildup of fat reserves needed to survive lean periods. In Western Europe, underground plant material favoured by boars includes bracken , willow herb , bulbs, meadow herb roots and bulbs and the bulbs of cultivated crops. Such food is favoured in early spring and summer, but may also be eaten in autumn and winter during beechnut and acorn crop failures. Should regular wild foods become scarce, boars will eat tree bark and fungi , as well as visit cultivated potato and artichoke fields. Boar soil disturbance and foraging have been shown to facilitate invasive plants. Boars of

5580-499: The snake venom α-neurotoxin from binding. These represent four separate, independent mutations. Boars are typically social animals, living in female-dominated sounders consisting of barren sows and mothers with young led by an old matriarch. Male boars leave their sounder at the age of 8–15 months, while females either remain with their mothers or establish new territories nearby. Subadult males may live in loosely knit groups, while adult and elderly males tend to be solitary outside

5704-683: The vittatus subspecies in Ujung Kulon National Park in Java differ from most other populations by their primarily frugivorous diet, which consists of 50 different fruit species, especially figs , thus making them important seed dispersers. The wild boar can consume numerous genera of poisonous plants without ill effect, including Aconitum , Anemone , Calla , Caltha , Ferula and Pteridium . Boars may occasionally prey on small vertebrates like newborn deer fawns, leporids and galliform chicks. Boars inhabiting

5828-549: The "Dvergatal" or "Roster of Dwarfs", is considered by some scholars to be an interpolation . The problem of dating the poems is linked with the problem of determining where they were composed. Iceland was not settled until approximately 870, so anything composed before that time would necessarily have been elsewhere, most likely in Scandinavia . More recent poems, on the other hand, are likely Icelandic in origin. Scholars have attempted to localize individual poems by studying

5952-405: The "green homes of the godheads" to tell Óðinn that the king will come to Valhalla. In Valhalla, Haakon is greeted by Hermóðr and Bragi . Haakon expresses concern that he shall receive Óðinn's hate ( Lee Hollander theorizes this may be due to Haakon's conversion to Christianity from his Norse religion), yet Bragi responds that he is welcome: 'All einheriar shall swear oaths to thee: share thou

6076-570: The 13th century. In the warm period after the ice age, wild boar lived in the southern parts of Sweden and Norway and north of Lake Ladoga in Karelia . It was previously thought that the species did not live in Finland during prehistory because no prehistoric wild boar bones had been found within the borders of the country. It was not until 2013, when a wild boar bone was found in Askola , that

6200-456: The 1670s. Some early translators relied on a Latin translation of the Edda , including Cottle . Opinions differ on the best way to translate the text, on the use or rejection of archaic language, and the rendering of terms lacking a clear English analogue. Still, Cottle's 1797 translation is now considered very inaccurate. A comparison of the second and third verses (lines 5–12) of the Vǫluspá

6324-589: The 1970s they again occurred in Denmark and Sweden, where captive animals escaped and now survive in the wild. In England, wild boar populations re-established themselves in the 1990s, after escaping from specialist farms that had imported European stock. By the 11th century, wild boars were apparently already becoming rare in Britain. A 1087 forestry law enacted by William the Conqueror punished through blinding

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6448-611: The 1970s, but since the early 1990s significant populations have re-established themselves after escapes from farms, the number of which has increased as the demand for meat from the species has grown. A 1998 MAFF (now DEFRA ) study on wild boar living wild in Britain confirmed the presence of two populations of wild boar living in Britain; one in Kent / East Sussex and another in Dorset . Another DEFRA report, in February 2008, confirmed

6572-459: The All-Father, would invite kings, earls, and other "men of rank" to his home and give them water to drink. High says that he "swears by his faith" that many who come to Valhalla would think that he paid a high price for a drink of water if there were no better beverages there, after having died of wounds and in agony. High continues that atop Valhalla stands the goat Heiðrún , and it feeds on

6696-536: The Americas and Oceania . The species is now one of the widest-ranging mammals in the world, as well as the most widespread suiform . It has been assessed as least concern on the IUCN Red List due to its wide range, high numbers, and adaptability to a diversity of habitats. It has become an invasive species in part of its introduced range. Wild boars probably originated in Southeast Asia during

6820-512: The Baltic regions, heavy snowfall can allow wolves to eliminate boars from an area almost completely. Wolves primarily target piglets and subadults and only rarely attack adult sows. Adult males are usually avoided entirely. Dholes ( Cuon alpinus ) may also prey on boars, to the point of keeping their numbers down in northwestern Bhutan, despite there being many more cattle in the area. Leopards ( Panthera pardus ) are predators of wild boar in

6944-637: The Caucasus (particularly Transcaucasia), the Russian Far East, India, China and Iran. In most areas, boars constitute only a small part of the leopard's diet. However, in Iran's Sarigol National Park, boars are the second most frequently targeted prey species after mouflon ( Ovis gmelini ), though adult individuals are generally avoided, as they are above the leopard's preferred weight range of 10–40 kg (22–88 lb). This dependence on wild boar

7068-464: The Earth Ymir struck camp when time began. No land, sand or sea folding on itself, no sky, earth or grass swaying atop its girth, only the cavern of chaos's gaping gulf. ( Dodds 2014 ) harv error: no target: CITEREFDodds2014 ( help ) I remember giants born early in time those nurtured me long ago; I remember nine worlds, I remember nine giant women, the mighty Measuring-Tree below

7192-583: The Learned , a larger-than-life 12th century Icelandic priest. Modern scholars reject that attribution, but the name Sæmundar Edda is still sometimes associated with both the Codex Regius and versions of the Poetic Edda using it as a source. Bishop Brynjólfur sent the manuscript as a present to the Danish king, hence the Latin name Codex Regius, lit.   ' Royal Book ' . For centuries it

7316-542: The Tree, the glorious Fate Tree   that springs 'neath the Earth. 'Twas the earliest of times   when Ymir lived ; then was sand nor sea   nor cooling wave, nor was Earth found ever,   nor Heaven on high, there was Yawning of Deeps   and nowhere grass : ( Bray 1908 ) harv error: no target: CITEREFBray1908 ( help ) I remember yet   the giants of yore, Who gave me bread   in

7440-434: The Tree. The wonderful Ash, way under the ground When Ymir lived long ago Was no sand or sea, no surging waves. Nowhere was there earth nor heaven above. But a grinning gap and grass nowhere. ( Auden & Taylor 1969 ) harv error: no target: CITEREFAudenTaylor1969 ( help ) I remember giants   of ages past, those who called me   one of their kin; I know how nine roots   form nine worlds under

7564-569: The U.K.'s woodlands were discussed with Ralph Harmer of the Forestry Commission on the BBC Radio 's Farming Today radio programme in 2011. The programme prompted activist writer George Monbiot to propose a thorough population study, followed by the introduction of permit-controlled culling . In Scotland, wild boar are professionally referred to as 'feral pigs' as the genetics of the established feral populations may come from

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7688-422: The age of the expecting mother. For first-time breeders, it lasts 114–130 days, while it lasts 133–140 days in older sows. Farrowing occurs between March and May, with litter sizes depending on the age and nutrition of the mother. The average litter consists of 4–6 piglets, with the maximum being 10–12. The piglets are whelped in a nest constructed from twigs, grasses and leaves. Should the mother die prematurely,

7812-623: The animal's Asian range ran from Lake Ladoga (at 60°N) through the area of Novgorod and Moscow into the southern Urals , where it reached 52°N. From there, the boundary passed Ishim and farther east the Irtysh at 56°N. In the eastern Baraba steppe (near Novosibirsk ) the boundary turned steep south, encircled the Altai Mountains and went again eastward including the Tannu-Ola Mountains and Lake Baikal . From here,

7936-445: The beginning of the world have now come to Odin in Val-hall. What has he got to offer them food? I should have thought that there must be a pretty large number there." High replies that it is true there are a pretty large number of men there, adding many more have yet to arrive, yet that "there will seem too few when the wolf comes." However, High adds that food is not a problem because there will never be too many people in Valhalla that

8060-405: The body, with the shortest being around the face and limbs and the longest running along the back. These back bristles form the aforementioned mane prominent in males and stand erect when the animal is agitated. Colour is highly variable; specimens around Lake Balkhash are very lightly coloured, and can even be white, while some boars from Belarus and Ussuriland can be black. Some subspecies sport

8184-408: The boundary went slightly north of the Amur River eastward to its lower reaches at the Sea of Okhotsk . On Sakhalin , there are only fossil reports of wild boar. The southern boundaries in Europe and Asia were almost invariably identical to the seashores of these continents. It is absent in the dry regions of Mongolia from 44 to 46°N southward, in China westward of Sichuan and in India north of

8308-1106: The breeding period, males develop a coating of subcutaneous tissue , which may be 2–3 cm (0.79–1.18 in) thick, extending from the shoulder blades to the rump, thus protecting vital organs during fights. Males sport a roughly chicken egg–sized sac of unclear function near the opening of the penis that collects urine and emits a sharp odour. Adult size and weight is largely determined by environmental factors; boars living in arid areas with little productivity tend to attain smaller sizes than their counterparts inhabiting areas with abundant food and water. In most of Europe , males average 75–100 kg (165–220 lb) in weight, 75–80 cm (30–31 in) in shoulder height and 150 cm (59 in) in body length, whereas females average 60–80 kg (130–180 lb) in weight, 70 cm (28 in) in shoulder height and 140 cm (55 in) in body length. In Europe's Mediterranean regions , males may reach average weights as low as 50 kg (110 lb) and females 45 kg (99 lb), with shoulder heights of 63–65 cm (25–26 in). In

8432-426: The breeding season. The breeding period in most areas lasts from November to January, though most mating only lasts a month and a half. Prior to mating, the males develop their subcutaneous armour in preparation for confronting rivals. The testicles double in size and the glands secrete a foamy yellowish liquid. Once ready to reproduce, males travel long distances in search of a sounder of sows, eating little on

8556-495: The chronology has been reversed in the poems. Several of the legendary sagas contain poetry in the Eddic style. Their age and importance is often difficult to evaluate but the Hervarar saga , in particular, contains interesting poetic interpolations. The Elder or Poetic Edda has been translated numerous times, the earliest printed edition being that by Cottle 1797 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFCottle1797 ( help ) , though some short sections had been translated as early as

8680-413: The days gone by ; Nine worlds I knew,   the nine in the tree With mighty roots   beaneath the mold. Of old was the age   when Ymir lived ; Sea nor cool waves   nor sand there were ; Earth had not been,   nor heaven above, But a yawning gap,   and grass nowhere. ( Bellows 1923 ) harv error: no target: CITEREFBellows1923 ( help ) I call to mind

8804-498: The ears long and broad. The species has well developed canine teeth , which protrude from the mouths of adult males. The medial hooves are larger and more elongated than the lateral ones and are capable of quick movements. The animal can run at a maximum speed of 40 km/h (25 mph) and jump at a height of 140–150 cm (55–59 in). Sexual dimorphism is very pronounced in the species, with males being typically 5–10% larger and 20–30% heavier than females. Males also sport

8928-486: The earth   where the Ash Tree rises. Nothing was there   when time began, neither sands nor seas   nor cooling waves, Earth was not yet,   nor the high heavens, but a gaping emptiness   nowhere green. ( Terry 1990 ) harv error: no target: CITEREFTerry1990 ( help ) I, born of giants, remember very early those who nurtured me then; I remember nine worlds, I remember nine giant women,

9052-402: The earth. Early in time Ymir made his settlement, there was no sand nor sea nor cool waves; earth was nowhere nor the sky above, a void of yawning chaos, grass was there nowhere ( Larrington 2014 ) harv error: no target: CITEREFLarrington2014 ( help ) I remember the giants born so long ago; in those ancient days they raised me. I remember nine worlds, nine giantesses, and

9176-415: The einheriar are nourished." Further into Grímnismál , Odin gives a list of valkyries (Skeggjöld, Skögul, Hildr, Þrúðr , Hlökk, Herfjötur, Göll, Geirahöð, Randgríð, Ráðgríð, and Reginleif), and states that they bear ale to the einherjar. Towards the end of the poem, another reference to the einherjar appears when Óðinn tells the king Geirröd (unaware that the man he has been torturing is Óðinn) that Geirröd

9300-575: The einherjar and the Harii , a Germanic people or figures from early Germanic folklore attested in the 1st century AD, and scholars have connected the einherjar to the eternal battle of Hjaðningavíg and the Wild Hunt . The einherjar have been the subject of works of art and poetry. In the poem Vafþrúðnismál , Óðinn engages the wise jötunn Vafþrúðnir in a game of wits. Disguised as Gagnráðr , Óðinn asks Vafþrúðnir "where men fight in courts every day." Vafþrúðnir responds that (here einherjar

9424-768: The exception of domestic pigs in Timor and Papua New Guinea (which appear to be of Sulawesi warty pig stock), the wild boar is the ancestor of most pig breeds . Archaeological evidence suggests that pigs were domesticated from wild boar as early as 13,000–12,700 BCE in the Near East in the Tigris Basin, being managed in the wild in a way similar to the way they are managed by some modern New Guineans. Remains of pigs have been dated to earlier than 11,400 BCE in Cyprus . Those animals must have been introduced from

9548-624: The existence of these two sites as 'established breeding areas' and identified a third in Gloucestershire / Herefordshire ; in the Forest of Dean / Ross on Wye area. A 'new breeding population' was also identified in Devon . There is another significant population in Dumfries and Galloway . Populations estimates were as follows: Population estimates for the Forest of Dean are disputed as, at

9672-452: The famed tree of fate down under the earth. It was early in ages when Ymir made his home, there was neither sand nor sea, nor cooling waves; no earth to be found, nor heaven above: a gulf beguiling, nor grass anywhere. ( Orchard 2011 ) harv error: no target: CITEREFOrchard2011 ( help ) I remember being reared by Jotuns, in days long gone. If I look back, I recall nine worlds, nine wood-witches, that renowned tree of fate below

9796-670: The felid's prey. In Sikhote Alin , a tiger can kill 30–34 boars a year. Studies of tigers in India indicate that boars are usually secondary in preference to various cervids and bovids , though when boars are targeted, healthy adults are caught more frequently than young and sick specimens. On the islands of Komodo , Rinca and Flores , the boar's main predator is the Komodo dragon ( Varanus komodoensis ). The species originally occurred in North Africa and much of Eurasia ; from

9920-436: The foliage of the tree called Læraðr . From Heiðrún's udders flow mead that fills a vat a day. The vat is so large that all of the einherjar are able to drink to their fullness from it. In chapter 40, Gangleri says that Valhalla must be an immense building, yet it must often be crowded around the doorways. High responds that there are plenty of doors, and that crowding doesn't occur around them. In support, High again quotes

10044-408: The food on his table to his two wolves Geri and Freki , and that Óðinn himself needs no food, for Óðinn gains sustenance from wine as if it were drink and meat. High then quotes another stanza from Grímnismál in reference. In chapter 39, Gangleri asks what the einherjar drink that is as plentiful as their food, and if they drink water. High responds that it is strange that Gangleri is asking if Óðinn,

10168-438: The formation of the concept of the einherjar as well as the Wild Hunt [...]". Simek continues that the notion of an eternal battle and daily resurrection appears in book I of Saxo Grammaticus ' Gesta Danorum and in reports of the eternal battle of Hjaðningavíg . According to Guðbrandur Vigfússon (1874), the concept of the einherjar links directly to the Old Norse name Einarr . Vigfússon comments that "the name Einarr

10292-589: The former became r- around the year 1000, but in some Eddic poems the word vreiðr , younger form reiðr , is seen to alliterate with words beginning in an original v- . This was observed already by Olaf ‘White Skald’ Thordarson , the author of the Third Grammatical Treatise , who termed this v before r the vindandin forna ; 'the ancient use of vend '. In some cases, old poems may have been interpolated with younger verses or merged with other poems. For example, stanzas 9–16 of Völuspá ,

10416-825: The fruit-bearing season. This is in contrast to the Caucasian and Transcaucasian mountain areas, where boars will occupy such fruit-bearing forests year-round. In the mountainous areas of the Russian Far East , the species inhabits nutpine groves, hilly mixed forests where Mongolian oak and Korean pine are present, swampy mixed taiga and coastal oak forests. In Transbaikalia , boars are restricted to river valleys with nut pine and shrubs. Boars are regularly encountered in pistachio groves in winter in some areas of Tajikistan and Turkmenistan , while in spring they migrate to open deserts; boar have also colonized deserts in several areas they have been introduced to. On

10540-423: The geography, flora, and fauna to which they refer. This approach usually does not yield firm results. For example, there are no wolves in Iceland, but we can be sure that Icelandic poets were familiar with the species. Similarly, the apocalyptic descriptions of Völuspá have been taken as evidence that the poet who composed it had seen a volcanic eruption in Iceland – but this is hardly certain. The Codex Regius

10664-426: The gods, einherjar and all of mankind have died, noting that he had previously been told that "everyone will live in some world or other for ever and ever." High replies with a list of locations, and then describes the re-emerging of the world after Ragnarök. The einherjar receive a final mention in the Prose Edda in chapter 2 of the book Skáldskaparmál , where a quote from the anonymous 10th century poem Eiríksmál

10788-454: The great central tree, beneath the earth. There was in times of old, where Ymir dwelt, nor sand nor sea, nor gelid waves ; earth existed not, nor heaven above, 'twas a chaotic chasm, and grass nowhere, ( Thorpe 1866 ) harv error: no target: CITEREFThorpe1866 ( help ) I remember the Giants born of yore, who bred me up long ago. I remember nine Worlds, nine Sibyls,

10912-418: The ground. It was early in the ages when Ymir made his dwelling: There was not sand nor sea nor chill waves. Earth was not to be found nor above it heaven: a gulf was there of gaping voids and grass nowhere, ( Dronke 1997 ) harv error: no target: CITEREFDronke1997 ( help ) I recall those giants, born early on, who long ago brought me up; nine worlds I recall, nine wood-dwelling witches,

11036-470: The islands of Komodo and Rinca , the boar mostly inhabits savanna or open monsoon forests, avoiding heavily forested areas unless pursued by humans. Wild boar are known to be competent swimmers, capable of covering long distances. In 2013, one boar was reported to have completed the 11-kilometre (7 mi) swim from France to Alderney in the Channel Islands . Due to concerns about disease, it

11160-502: The kin of etins which long ago did give me life. Nine worlds I know, the nine abodes of the glorious world-tree the ground beneath. In earliest times did Ymir live: was nor sea nor land nor salty waves, neither earth was there nor upper heaven, but a gaping nothing, and green things nowhere. ( Hollander 1962 ) harv error: no target: CITEREFHollander1962 ( help ) I tell of Giants from times forgotten. Those who fed me in former days: Nine worlds I can reckon, nine roots of

11284-651: The late Villafranchian , S. scrofa largely displaced the related S. strozzii , a large, possibly swamp-adapted suid ancestral to the modern S. verrucosus throughout the Eurasian mainland, restricting it to insular Asia. Its closest wild relative is the bearded pig of Malacca and surrounding islands. As of 2005 , 16 subspecies are recognised, which are divided into four regional groupings: sahariensis (Heim de Balzac, 1937) nipponicus (Heude, 1899) mediterraneus (Ulmansky, 1911) reiseri (Bolkay, 1925) sardous (Ströbel, 1882) With

11408-571: The mainland, which suggests domestication in the adjacent mainland by then. There was also a separate domestication in China, which took place about 8,000 years ago. DNA evidence from sub-fossil remains of teeth and jawbones of Neolithic pigs shows that the first domestic pigs in Europe had been brought from the Near East. This stimulated the domestication of local European wild boars, resulting in

11532-420: The meat of Sæhrímnir (which he calls a boar ) cannot sufficiently feed. High says that Sæhrímnir is cooked every day by the cook Andhrímnir in the pot Eldhrimnir, and is again whole every evening. High then quotes the stanza of Grímnismál mentioning the cook, meal, and container in reference. Further into chapter 38, Gangleri asks if Óðinn consumes the same meals as the einherjar. High responds that Óðinn gives

11656-461: The mighty Measuring-Tree below the earth. Young were the years when Ymir made his settlement, there was no sand nor sea nor cool waves; earth was nowhere nor the sky above, chaos yawned, grass was there nowhere. ( Larrington 1996 ) harv error: no target: CITEREFLarrington1996 ( help ) I remember giants born early in time, who long ago had reared me Nine worlds I remember, nine wood-ogresses, glorious tree of good measure, under

11780-1176: The more productive areas of Eastern Europe , males average 110–130 kg (240–290 lb) in weight, 95 cm (37 in) in shoulder height and 160 cm (63 in) in body length, while females weigh 95 kg (209 lb), reach 85–90 cm (33–35 in) in shoulder height, and reach 145 cm (57 in) in body length. In Western and Central Europe , the largest males weigh 200 kg (440 lb) and females 120 kg (260 lb). In Northeastern Asia, large males can reach brown bear -like sizes, weighing 270 kg (600 lb) and measuring 110–118 cm (43–46 in) in shoulder height. Some adult males in Ussuriland and Manchuria have been recorded to weigh 300–350 kg (660–770 lb) and measure 125 cm (49 in) in shoulder height. Adults of this size are generally immune from wolf predation. Such giants are rare in modern times, as past overhunting has prevented animals from attaining their full growth. The winter coat consists of long, coarse bristles underlaid with short brown downy fur. The length of these bristles varies along

11904-466: The most favorable areas consisting of forest composed of oak and beech enclosing marshes and meadows . In the Białowieża Forest , the animal's primary habitat consists of well-developed broad-leaved and mixed forests, along with marshy mixed forests, with coniferous forests and undergrowths being of secondary importance. Forests made up entirely of oak groves and beeches are used only during

12028-421: The mother be absent, the piglets lie closely pressed to each other. By two weeks of age, the piglets begin accompanying their mother on her journeys. Should danger be detected, the piglets take cover or stand immobile, relying on their camouflage to keep them hidden. The neonatal coat fades after three months, with adult colouration being attained at eight months. Although the lactation period lasts 2.5–3.5 months,

12152-411: The myth in an ancient Odin cult, which would be centered on young warriors who entered into an ecstatic relationship with Odin and that the name Harii has been etymologically connected to the -herjar element of einherjar . Simek says that since the connection has become widespread, "one tends to interpret these obviously living armies of the dead as religiously motivated bands of warriors, who led to

12276-400: The nests of ground-nesting species, killing fawns and young domestic livestock, destroying agricultural crops, eating tree seeds and seedlings, destroying native vegetation and wetlands through wallowing, damaging water quality, coming into violent conflict with humans and pets and carrying pig and human diseases including brucellosis , trichinosis and pseudorabies . In some jurisdictions, it

12400-505: The particle of , corresponding to ga- or ge- in other old Germanic languages, has been shown to occur more frequently in Skaldic poems of earlier date. Applying this criterion to Eddic poetry, Bjarne Fidjestøl found large variation, indicating that some of the poems were much older than others. Other dating criteria include the use of the negative adverb eigi 'not', and alliteration of vr- with v- . In western dialects of Old Norse

12524-415: The piglets are adopted by the other sows in the sounder. Newborn piglets weigh around 600–1,000 grams, lacking underfur and bearing a single milk incisor and canine on each half of the jaw. There is intense competition between the piglets over the most milk-rich nipples, as the best-fed young grow faster and have stronger constitutions. The piglets do not leave the lair for their first week of life. Should

12648-413: The piglets begin displaying adult feeding behaviours at the age of 2–3 weeks. The permanent dentition is fully formed by 1–2 years. With the exception of the canines in males, the teeth stop growing during the middle of the fourth year. The canines in old males continue to grow throughout their lives, curving strongly as they age. Sows attain sexual maturity at the age of one year, with males attaining it

12772-407: The poem Hákonarmál (by the 10th century skald Eyvindr skáldaspillir ) is presented. The saga relates that king Haakon I of Norway died in battle, and yet though he is Christian, he requests that since he has died "among heathens, then give me such burial place as seems most fitting to you." The saga relates that, shortly after, Haakon died on the same slab of rock that he was born upon, that he

12896-632: The poems are also quoted in Snorri 's Prose Edda , but usually only in bits and pieces. What poems are included in an edition of the Poetic Edda depends on the editor. Those not found in the Codex Regius are sometimes called the "eddic appendix". Other Eddic-like poems not usually published in the Poetic Edda are sometimes called Eddica minora and were compiled by Andreas Heusler and Wilhelm Ranisch in their 1903 book titled Eddica minora: Dichtungen eddischer Art aus den Fornaldarsögur und anderen Prosawerken . English translators are not consistent on

13020-526: The poems is usually clear and relatively unadorned. Kennings are often employed, though they do not arise as frequently, nor are they as complex, as those found in typical skaldic poetry . Like most early poetry, the Eddic poems were minstrel poems, passed orally from singer to singer and from poet to poet for centuries. None of the poems are attributed to a particular author, though many of them show strong individual characteristics and are likely to have been

13144-524: The point where 70% of their body weight is concentrated in the posterior, which is the opposite of wild boar, where most of the muscles are concentrated on the head and shoulders. The Heude's pig ( Sus bucculentus ), also known as the Indochinese warty pig or Vietnam warty pig, was an alleged pig species found in Laos and Vietnam . It was virtually unknown and was feared extinct , until the discovery of

13268-436: The seed from which Yggdrasil sprang. It was at the very beginning, it was Ymir's time, there was no sand, no sea, no cooling waves, no earth, no sky, no grass, just Ginnungagap. Boar The wild boar ( Sus scrofa ), also known as the wild swine , common wild pig , Eurasian wild pig , or simply wild pig , is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa , and has been introduced to

13392-539: The shoulder blades rises into a hump and the neck is short and thick to the point of being nearly immobile. The animal's head is very large, taking up to one-third of the body's entire length. The structure of the head is well suited for digging. The head acts as a plough, while the powerful neck muscles allow the animal to upturn considerable amounts of soil: it is capable of digging 8–10 cm (3.1–3.9 in) into frozen ground and can upturn rocks weighing 40–50 kg (88–110 lb). The eyes are small and deep-set and

13516-607: The species was found to have lived in Finland more than 8,000 years ago. It is believed, however, that man prevented its establishment by hunting. In Denmark , the last boar was shot at the beginning of the 19th century, and by 1900 they were absent in Tunisia and Sudan and large areas of Germany, Austria and Italy. In Russia, they were extirpated in wide areas by the 1930s. The last boar in Egypt reportedly died on 20 December 1912 in

13640-441: The study of Old Norse poetry . Several versions of the Poetic Edda exist: especially notable is the medieval Icelandic manuscript Codex Regius , which contains 31 poems. The Eddic poems are composed in alliterative verse . Most are in fornyrðislag ("old story metre "), while málaháttr ("speech form") is a common variation. The rest, about a quarter, are composed in ljóðaháttr ("song form"). The language of

13764-577: The time that the DEFRA population estimate was 100, a photo of a boar sounder in the forest near Staunton with over 33 animals visible was published and at about the same time over 30 boar were seen in a field near the original escape location of Weston under Penyard many kilometres or miles away. In early 2010 the Forestry Commission embarked on a cull, with the aim of reducing the boar population from an estimated 150 animals to 100. By August it

13888-597: The translations of the names of the Eddic poems or on how the Old Norse forms should be rendered in English. Up to three translated titles are given below, taken from the translations of Bellows , Hollander , and Larrington with proper names in the normalized English forms found in John Lindow 's Norse Mythology and in Andy Orchard's Cassell's Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend . After the mythological poems,

14012-405: The two valkyries Göndul and Skögul to "choose among the kings' kinsmen" and who in battle should dwell with Óðinn in Valhalla. A battle rages with great slaughter. Haakon and his men die in battle, and they see the valkyrie Göndul leaning on a spear shaft. Göndul comments that "groweth now the gods' following, since Hákon has been with host so goodly bidden home with holy godheads." Haakon hears "what

14136-565: The unlawful killing of a boar. Charles I attempted to reintroduce the species into the New Forest , but this population was exterminated in the 17th century during the English Civil War . Between their medieval extinction and the 1980s, when wild boar farming began, only a handful of captive wild boar, imported from the continent, were present in Britain. Occasional escapes of wild boar from wildlife parks have occurred as early as

14260-474: The valkyries said," and the valkyries are described as sitting "high-hearted on horseback," wearing helmets, carrying shields and that the horses wisely bore them. A brief exchange follows between Haakon and the valkyrie Skögul: Hákon said: 'Why didst Geirskogul grudge us victory? though worthy we were for the gods to grant it?' Skogul said: 'Tis owing to us that the issue was won and your foemen fled.' Skögul says that they shall now ride forth to

14384-403: The way. Once a sounder has been located, the male drives off all young animals and persistently chases the sows. At this point, the male fiercely fights potential rivals. A single male can mate with 5–10 sows. By the end of the rut, males are often badly mauled and have lost 20% of their body weight, with bite-induced injuries to the penis being common. The gestation period varies according to

14508-423: The work of individual poets. While scholars have speculated on hypothetical authors, firm and accepted conclusions have never been reached. Accurate dating of the poems has long been a source of scholarly debate. Firm conclusions are difficult to reach; lines from the Eddic poems sometimes appear in poems by known poets. For example, Eyvindr skáldaspillir composed in the latter half of the 10th century, and he uses

14632-399: The world tree Yggdrasil will shake, and then the Æsir and the einherjar will don their war gear. The Æsir and einherjar will ride to the field Vígríðr while Óðinn rides before them clad in a golden helmet, mail, and holding his spear Gungnir , and heading towards the wolf Fenrir. In chapter 52, Gangleri asks what will happen after the heavens, earth, and all of the world are burned and

14756-506: The Æsir's ale, thou enemy-of-earls! Here within hast thou brethren eight,' said Bragi. In chapter 8 of Fagrskinna , a prose narrative states that, after the death of her husband Eric Bloodaxe , Gunnhild Mother of Kings had a poem composed about him. The composition is by an anonymous author from the 10th century and is referred to as Eiríksmál , and describes Eric Bloodaxe and five other kings arriving in Valhalla after their death. The poem begins with comments by Óðinn: 'What kind of

14880-401: Was another Edda, an Elder Edda , which contained the pagan poems that Snorri quotes in his Prose Edda . When Codex Regius was discovered, it seemed that the speculation had proved correct, but modern scholarly research has shown that the Prose Edda was likely written first and that the two were, at most, connected by a common source. Brynjólfur attributed the manuscript to Sæmundr

15004-505: Was greatly mourned by friend and foe alike, and that his friends moved his body northward to Sæheim in North Hordaland . Haakon was there buried in a large burial mound in full armor and his finest clothing, yet with no other valuables. Further, "words were spoken over his grave according to the custom of heathen men, and they put him on the way to Valhalla." The poem Hákonarmál is then provided. In Hákonarmál , Óðinn sends forth

15128-450: Was shot and incinerated. Wild boar rest in shelters, which contain insulating material like spruce branches and dry hay . These resting places are occupied by whole families (though males lie separately) and are often located in the vicinity of streams, in swamp forests and in tall grass or shrub thickets. Boars never defecate in their shelters and will cover themselves with soil and pine needles when irritated by insects. The wild boar

15252-594: Was stated that efforts were being made to reduce the population from 200 to 90, but that only 25 had been killed. The failure to meet cull targets was confirmed in February 2011. Wild boars have crossed the River Wye into Monmouthshire , Wales. Iolo Williams, the BBC Wales wildlife expert, attempted to film Welsh boar in late 2012. Many other sightings, across the UK, have also been reported. The effects of wild boar on

15376-645: Was stored in the Royal Library in Copenhagen , but in 1971 it was returned to Iceland. Because air travel at the time was not entirely trustworthy with such precious cargo, it was transported by ship, accompanied by a naval escort. Poems similar to those found in the Codex Regius are also included in many editions of the Poetic Edda . Important manuscripts containing these other poems include AM 748 I 4to , Hauksbók , and Flateyjarbók . Many of

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