Meili is a little-attested figure in Norse tradition known mainly from medieval lists of gods and a few skaldic references. His Old Norse name is often translated as "the lovely one," but beyond that single identifying epithet there are no surviving stories, rituals, or clear functions attached to him. Modern knowledge of Meili is therefore limited to genealogical mentions rather than narrative material.
Name and etymology
The name Meili (Old Norse Meili) has been rendered by some scholars as "the lovely one" or a related adjective. Because the name occurs only sparsely, etymological interpretations are cautious: it may be a descriptive epithet preserved as a proper name, or a short personal name that once had a clearer sense in an earlier dialect or local cult.
Sources and attestations
Meili appears primarily in medieval compilations that enumerate the descendants of Odin and in skaldic verse where relationships are evoked briefly. These attestations survive in the compilatory literature of the Norse tradition; for discussion see editions and translations of the primary texts such as the Prose Edda and related material and broader treatments of Norse mythology.
Family and relationships
Medieval lists identify Meili as a son of Odin and the earth-personification Jörð, which makes him a paternal brother of Thor. In surviving verse Thor is occasionally called "Meili's brother," a formulaic relation that preserves family ties without expanding Meili's role or attributes.
Role, interpretations and significance
Because Meili lacks narrative episodes or clear iconography, scholars treat him as an otherwise lost or minor deity. Interpretations range from viewing him as an independent but poorly attested god, to reading his name as a poetic epithet used in skaldic diction. The scarcity of evidence limits confident reconstruction of any cult or stories; Meili mainly contributes to our understanding of how genealogies and names were used in Old Norse poetic practice.