Rán

In Norse mythology, Rán (Old Norse "theft, robbery"Simek (2007:260).] ) is a sea goddess. According to Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda book "Skáldskaparmál", in his retelling of the Poetic Edda poem "Lokasenna", she is married to Ægir and they have nine daughters together. He also informs that she had a net in which she tried to capture men who ventured out on the sea:

Ran is the name of Ægir's wife, and their daughters are nine, even as we have written before. At this feast all things were self-served, both food and ale, and all implements needful to the feast. Then the Æsir became aware that Rán had that net wherein she was wont to catch all men who go upon the sea. [http://www.northvegr.org/lore/prose/141144.php Section XXXIII of "Skáldskaparmál" in translation by Arthur G. Brodeur (1916,1923), at Northvegr.] ]

Her net is also mentioned in "Reginsmál" and in the "Völsunga saga" where she lent it to Loki so he could capture Andvari.

Attestations

"Poetic Edda"

Her willingness to capture sailing men is referred to in this citation from the Poetic Edda poem "Helgakviða Hundingsbana I" where escaping the perils of the sea are referred to as escaping Rán:

Rán was a dangerous goddess and Snorri adds a stanza of poetry by the skald Refr where the voracious sea is called "Ægir's wide mouth" and "Rán's mouth".

Notes

References

*Simek, Rudolf (2007) translated by Angela Hall. "Dictionary of Northern Mythology". D.S. Brewer. ISBN 0859915131