Where is Assor?

[Andrelvis]

According to the Ynglinga saga, the euhemerized version of Asgard lies to the east of the Don (Tanais) river. The saga's 1844 translator, Samuel Laing, said that its location is identified by some scholars with "the modern Assor". Asgard, even in its euhemerized version, of course never really existed, but still it would be interesting to know where Assor actually is. I haven't been able to find any reference to a place named "Assor" at all, despite googling it thoroughly...

 

[Avernite]

According to the Ynglinga saga, the euhemerized version of Asgard lies to the east of the Don (Tanais) river. The saga's 1844 translator, Samuel Laing, said that its location is identified by some scholars with "the modern Assor". Asgard, even in its euhemerized version, of course never really existed, but still it would be interesting to know where Assor actually is. I haven't been able to find any reference to a place named "Assor" at all, despite googling it thoroughly...

Maybe Ashur/Assur, the Assyrian city?

 

[Andrelvis]

Maybe Ashur/Assur, the Assyrian city?

Possible, but the text makes it seem like it is closer to the Don, just east of it. An alternative identification of the euhemerized Asgard is given as Chasgar, which is quite close to the river (apparently it is located between "Phanagoreia and Gorgipia", as the text also identifies Chasgar with the territory of the Aspurgiani described by Strabo).

I wonder if "Assor" could be Azov?

 

[Avernite]

Possible, but the text makes it seem like it is closer to the Don, just east of it. An alternative identification of the euhemerized Asgard is given as Chasgar, which is quite close to the river (apparently it is located between "Phanagoreia and Gorgipia", as the text also identifies Chasgar with the territory of the Aspurgiani described by Strabo).

I wonder if "Assor" could be Azov?

Well, the s/z distinction is always kinda weak, and of course Azov is also strongly linked to the Tanais name... so probably?

 

[HuzzButt]

According to the Ynglinga saga, the euhemerized version of Asgard lies to the east of the Don (Tanais) river. The saga's 1844 translator, Samuel Laing, said that its location is identified by some scholars with "the modern Assor". Asgard, even in its euhemerized version, of course never really existed, but still it would be interesting to know where Assor actually is. I haven't been able to find any reference to a place named "Assor" at all, despite googling it thoroughly...

My search for the term Assor in Scandinavian resources from the time yields no result. Assur being the closest, letter for letter. I don't find a far fetched explanation though. The drive and want to be associated with the the prehistoric was prevalent even among scholars of the day.

 

[Finnish Dragon]

I suspect that Assor is derived from the Norse word áss:

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/áss#Old_Norse

IMHO, I think Assur or Azov explanations are probably too far-fetched. Generally tribal people were very good story-tellers and I suspect that the Norse people might have told this Assor story and later someone wrote it down. One should remember that the Ynglinga saga was written down in 1225 by Snorri Sturluson:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ynglinga_saga

 

[Andrelvis]

I suspect that Assor is derived from the Norse word áss:

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/áss#Old_Norse

IMHO, I think Assur or Azov explanations are probably too far-fetched. Generally tribal people were very good story-tellers and I suspect that the Norse people might have told this Assor story and later someone wrote it down. One should remember that the Ynglinga saga was written down in 1225 by Snorri Sturluson:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ynglinga_saga

The Ynglinga saga doesn't contain the word "Assor" itself; the mention of the name is in a footnote by the translator. He specifically mentions it as "the modern Assor". Assur or Azov may be far-fetched as a part of a tribal story, but not as a 19th century identification of the supposed location where the story took place, which is the point in case here.

 

[pirro]

The Ynglinga saga doesn't contain the word "Assor" itself; the mention of the name is in a footnote by the translator. He specifically mentions it as "the modern Assor". Assur or Azov may be far-fetched as a part of a tribal story, but not as a 19th century identification of the supposed location where the story took place, which is the point in case here.

Protip, use actual translations.

 

[Antediluvian Monster]

Azov seems to have been known as Asoph or Azof so he probably doesn't mean it.