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IN SAGA LITERATURE, the motif of the hero's adoption (or fóstr)1 by a giantess2 recurs frequently, usually with an erotic subtext and particularly in ihefornaldarsögur, which have a strong fantasy content including the appearance of supernatural beings and the use of sorcery.3 The most complete analysis of this motif has been provided by Hilda Ellis (1941), who discusses examples mostly taken from the fornaldarsögur: Hildigunnr in the more recent version of Örvar-Odds saga (fourteenth century), Brana inHálfadanarsagaBrönufostra (circa 1300), Mána in Sorla saga, sterka (fifteenth century), Ýma in Hjálmpérs saga ok Ölvers (fifteenth century), and Gríðr in Illuga saga Gríðarfóstra (fifteenth century). Though mentioning Gríðr, Ellis herself questions her inclusion in the list (72) because Gríðr is not a "real" giantess but a queen who has been transformed by sorcery, a motif current in thefornaldarsogur according to Ellis (74), who unfortunately does not mention any other examples.4 Apart from these, Ellis indicated that Harthgrepa in Saxo Grammaticus's Gesta- Danorum (thirteenth century), Heiðr in Hálfdanar páttr svarta mFlateyjarbók (fourteenth century), and Helga in the more recent Bárðar saga, Snefellsáss (fourteenth century) have a number of elements in common with the fornaldarsögur.
To this list we might also add Hrafnhildr in Ketils saga hoengs (fourteenth century) and other giantesses who do not fall within the category offostrur but who nevertheless provide assistance to the heroes of the saga literature, often as a result of a more or less explicit sexual attraction. It will suffice to mention Gríðr in Eilífr Goðrúnarson's Porsdrápa (late tenth century), Menglöð in Orms páttrStórólfssonar (late thirteenth century), Arinnefja in Egils saga, einhenda ok Ásmundar berserkjabana (fourteenth century), but it appears somewhat more problematic to include Týr's mother in this list, as described in Hymiskviða, since her descent is unspecified although the parallels with giant fóstrur may be taken as evidence of that background.5 This article is mainly concerned with the possibility of comparing these supernatural fóstrur with other literary persona who, while belonging to the human race, play the same role as giantesses and share with them a number of key features. In saga accounts of helpful giantesses, the assistance granted by the fóstra to her favored hero is usually important, if not decisive, especially thanks to her supernatural powers, which allow her...