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In Norse mythology, Ratatoskr (Old Norse, generally considered to mean "drill-tooth"〔Orchard (1997:129), Simek (2007:261), and Byock (2005:173).〕 or "bore-tooth"〔Lindow (2001:259).〕) is a squirrel who runs up and down the world tree Yggdrasil to carry messages between the unnamed eagle, perched atop Yggdrasil, and the wyrm Níðhöggr, who dwells beneath one of the three roots of the tree. Ratatoskr is attested in the ''Poetic Edda'', compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the ''Prose Edda'', written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. Scholars have proposed theories about the implications of the squirrel. ==Etymology== The name ''Ratatoskr'' contains two elements: ''rata-'' and ''-toskr''. The element ''toskr'' is generally held to mean "tusk". Guðbrandur Vigfússon theorized that the ''rati-'' element means "the traveller". He says that the name of the legendary drill Rati may feature the same term. According to Vigfússon, ''Ratatoskr'' means "tusk the traveller" or "the climber tusk."〔Guðbrandur (1874:483).〕 Sophus Bugge theorized that the name ''Ratatoskr'' is a loanword from Old English meaning "Rat-tooth." Bugge's basis hinges on the fact that the ''-toskr'' element of the compound does not appear anywhere else in Old Norse. Bugge proposed that the ''-toskr'' element is a reformation of the Old English word ''tūsc'' (Old Frisian ''tusk'') and, in turn, that the element ''Rata-'' represents Old English ''ræt'' ("rat").〔Sturtevant (1956:111).〕 According to Albert Sturtevant, "() far as the element ''Rata-'' is concerned, Bugge's hypothesis has no valid foundation in view of the fact that the (Norse ) word ''Rata'' (gen. form of ''Rati'' *) is used in ''Háv()'' (106, 1) to signify the instrument which Odin employed for ''boring'' his way through the rocks in quest of the poet's mead ()" and that "''Rati *'' must then be considered a native (Norse ) word meaning "The Borer, Gnawer" ()".〔 Sturtevant says that Bugge's theory regarding the element ''-toskr'' may appear to be supported by the fact that the word does not appear elsewhere in Old Norse. Sturtevant, however, disagrees. Sturtevant says that the Old Norse proper name ''Tunne'' (derived from Proto-Norse '' *Tunþē'') refers to "a person who is characterized as having some peculiar sort of ''tooth''" and theorizes a Proto-Germanic form of ''-toskr''. Sturtevant concludes that "the fact that the (Norse ) word occurs only in the name ''Rata-toskr'' is no valid evidence against this assumption, for there are many (Norse ) ''hapax legomena'' of native origin, as is attested by the equivalents in the Mod() Scandinavian dialects."〔Sturtevant (1956:111–112).〕 Modern scholars have accepted this etymology, listing the name ''Ratatoskr'' as meaning "drill-tooth" (Jesse Byock, Andy Orchard, Rudolf Simek〔) or "bore-tooth" (John Lindow〔). 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ratatoskr」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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