Signhildsberg
Coordinates: 59°37′25″N 17°39′10″E / 59.62361°N 17.65278°E
Signhildsberg (historically Fornsigtuna, where forn means ancient, Old Sigtuna, Sithun, Signesberg) is a manor that formerly was a royal estate (Uppsala öd), located in the parish of Håtuna approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) west of the modern town of Sigtuna, by Lake Mälaren in Sweden. Although the location is nearly forgotten, it has a central role in Norse mythology, according to which it was founded by the Norse god Odin.
Etymology[]
The name Sigtuna is contested. According to one theory, it is a compound name where the second element is -tuna and the first one is either of two closely related dialectal words, viz. sig meaning "seeping water" or "swamp" or sik meaning "swamp". As a basis for this intpretation, a brook south of Signhildsberg has been mentioned, or the fact that the estate was surrounded by marshy terrain.[1]
Another theory considers the name to be an ancient prestigious "wander toponym", meaning "strong fortress", like the Celtic toponym Segodunum, [1] from Proto-Germanic *sigatūna-, Old Norse Sigtún, cf. Proto-Germanic *segaz ~ *sigiz- "victory": Gothic WIKI