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Bor

Bor (Old Norse: Borr, meaning "son" or "born"), was a primordial deity in , the son of —the first god licked free from primordial ice by the cosmic cow Audhumla—and husband of the giantess , daughter of Bölthorn. He fathered the gods , with , thereby establishing the direct patrilineal ancestry of the Aesir gods who shaped the cosmos from the body of the primordial giant . Though sparsely detailed in surviving sources, Bor represents a foundational link in the mythic genealogy preceding the active world-creation by his sons, with mentions confined primarily to the medieval Icelandic texts compiling pre-Christian oral traditions. His role underscores the Norse cosmological emphasis on generational emergence from chaos, without attributed exploits or attributes beyond familial ties, reflecting the fragmentary nature of pagan lore preserved through Christian-era scholarship.

Places

Populated places

Bor in Serbia is a city in eastern Serbia serving as the administrative center of Bor District. The city has a population of approximately 28,000 residents. It is a major center for copper mining and processing, with operations managed by Zijin Mining Group since its 2018 acquisition of a 63% stake in the local mining complex. In 2024, the Bor Copper Complex produced 292,900 tonnes of copper and 8 tonnes of gold, positioning it as Europe's second-largest copper mining operation under Zijin. The company has invested around $2.5 billion in expansions since 2018, though activities have drawn international scrutiny for environmental pollution in the region. Bor in Russia is a town in , situated on the River directly across from the city of . Its riverside location supports industrial activities, including the production of for automobiles, and facilitates transport links such as a connecting to , where 25-30% of Bor's workforce commutes daily. Bor in the is a town in the Plzeň Region's Tachov District, with a population of about 4,014 inhabitants. It features a preserved historic center and dates back to early mentions in regional records. Other smaller settlements include Bor, a locality in Sweden's Värnamo , Jönköping , which had 1,256 residents as of 2010; Bor, a town in Turkey's Niğde located 14 km southeast of Niğde city; and Bor, a historic town in on the eastern bank of the Al-Jabal River in Jonglei , approximately 140 km north of , serving as the state capital.

Administrative divisions and other places

Bor District (Serbian: Борски округ, Borska okrug) constitutes one of the 29 , situated in the eastern part of the country and comprising the municipalities of Bor, Kladno, and Soko Banja. The district's economy centers on mining, particularly and from the RTB Bor complex, which has undergone revitalization since 2018 through majority ownership by China's Group, involving expanded operations and infrastructure upgrades to counteract prior economic stagnation and in the region. As of 2024 estimates derived from official census , the district population stands at 98,269, reflecting ongoing depopulation trends linked to mining-related environmental concerns and limited diversification. In , Bor County functions as a key administrative subdivision within , overseeing local governance through six payams including Makuach, Anyidi, and Bor South, amid persistent instability from civil conflicts that have disrupted administrative capacities since independence in 2011. The county originated from the 2005 partitioning of the former into Bor, Duk, and Twic East counties during pre-independence restructuring, positioning it as a hub for regional coordination despite recurrent violence and displacement affecting its infrastructural development.

People

Notable individuals

Tadeusz (1895–1966), born Tadeusz Komorowski, was a officer and general who commanded the () during , adopting the nom de guerre "Bór" for clandestine operations. He led the from August to October 1944, coordinating resistance efforts that engaged over 45,000 fighters against forces, resulting in significant urban combat before the capitulation on October 2. Captured and imprisoned in , he escaped in May 1945 and later served as Commander-in-Chief of Polish Forces and of the from 1947 to 1949. Hanuš Bor (born December 26, 1950) is a with a career in film and television spanning over five decades, including roles in international productions like The (2005) and films such as On the Comet (1970). Born in to —his father originally named Pavel Edelstein—he has appeared in more than 30 projects, often in supporting capacities, and continues active work in series like Oktopus (2023).

Mythology and folklore

Norse mythology

In , Borr (Old Norse: Borr or Burr), often anglicized as Bor, serves as a primordial deity bridging the first divine emergence from cosmic chaos to the foundational gods. He is depicted as the son of , the initial god liberated from salty rime-ice by the primordial cow Auðumbla's licking over three days, as detailed in the creation sequence. Borr wed , daughter of the giant (or Bölthorn), and they begat the triad of sons—Odin, —who collectively slew the primordial giant , whose dismembered body they shaped into the earth, sky, seas, and mountains, thereby instituting cosmic order from pre-existing formlessness. These genealogical and cosmogonic roles for appear chiefly in Snorri Sturluson's (c. 1220 CE), particularly in the section, which compiles and interprets older oral poetic lore while framing gods within a pseudo-historical ; brief allusions occur in the 's , naming Borr's sons as shapers of the world. Unlike his progeny, Borr possesses no attributed exploits, powers, or independent narratives, functioning primarily as a transitional figure whose unions with giant-kin underscore the hybrid origins of the from elemental forces of ice, fire, and frost giants, without which the structured cosmos and divine hierarchy could not arise. The name Borr likely stems from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- ("to bear, carry"), connoting "the one brought forth" or "begetter," aligning with his mythic function in engendering subsequent generations amid the void's raw materials. This etymological tie emphasizes generational causation in the , where each figure's procreative act propels emergence from undifferentiated potentiality, though textual evidence remains sparse beyond , reflecting the fragmentary survival of pre-Christian traditions.

Fiction and media

Comics and literature

In , Bor Burison serves as a foundational figure in the Asgardian , depicted as the second king of following his father Buri and the progenitor of through his union with . As an ancient ruler and warrior, Bor is shown leading Asgard's forces against existential threats, including demonic entities and cosmic adversaries, embodying themes of martial legacy and the transmission of divine authority to his descendants. His narrative role often appears in Thor-centric storylines, such as flashbacks in and Thor series, where he reinforces the cyclical inheritance of power and the burdens of godhood among the Asgardians, with his death marking a pivotal transition to Odin's reign. In J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion (1977), appears as a chieftain of the Easterling Men who migrated to in the First Age, distinguished for his loyalty to the Elves under Maedhros against Morgoth's forces. Unlike other Easterling leaders who betrayed the , Bór and his sons—Borlas, Borog, Borthandol, and Boruth—remained faithful allies, participating in key battles like the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, where they perished fighting disloyal kin. This portrayal underscores themes of allegiance and doom in , with Bór's house representing rare fidelity among Men in the war against darkness, though their ultimate fate highlights the tragic inexorability of defeat in the First Age narratives.

Film and other media

In the , Bor Burison serves as the antecedent king of and father to . He materializes in a flashback sequence within the 2013 film Thor: The Dark World, set roughly 5,000 years prior to the primary narrative, wherein he marshals Asgardian forces to repel an incursion by Malekith and the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim, culminating in the concealment of the Reality Stone-known-as-Aether following their defeat. Scottish actor portrays Bor, accentuating his martial command and pivotal establishment of Asgardian supremacy over cosmic threats. Beyond live-action cinema, Bor garners scant direct representation in other audiovisual or interactive formats. In the 2022 video game , developed by , Borr (the Norse mythological variant) is invoked solely in ancillary lore as Odin's progenitor, absent any on-screen or interactive manifestation, thereby reinforcing genealogical depth without narrative agency. No principal engagements in television series or subsequent films postdate these, with adaptations favoring more prominent Norse figures amid selective mythological compression.

Other uses

Linguistic and dialectal meanings

In the dialects of , , particularly those spoken in and , "bor" functions as an informal term of address for a male, roughly equivalent to "boy," "," or "neighbour" in . This usage appears in everyday greetings like "Ar yer orrite bor?", translating to "Are you alright, ?". The term derives from the "gebur," denoting a , tenant, or neighbor of the lowest class, with the modern form reflecting phonetic shortening common in regional vernacular. In , "bór" denotes a coniferous forest, typically dominated by , distinguishing it from broader woodland terms like "las." This meaning traces to origins and persists in modern usage for specific forest types. Similarly, in , "бор" (bor) refers to a coniferous or pine forest, emphasizing stands over mixed or woods. In , "bor" straightforwardly means "wine," a core vocabulary term unrelated to its homonyms and central to the language's for beverages. This usage has no direct etymological tie to English or forest connotations, stemming instead from indigenous Finno-Ugric .

Acronyms

BOR most commonly designates Broker of Record in the sector, referring to the or firm legally authorized by a policyholder to manage and service an , often formalized via a Broker of Record letter that transfers representation rights from a prior broker. This usage facilitates direct communication between the insurer and the designated broker for policy adjustments, claims, and renewals. In municipal administration, particularly in legal and governmental shorthand, BOR abbreviates Borough, denoting an incorporated urban district or subdivision with defined administrative powers, as seen in jurisdictions like the and . Within healthcare metrics, BOR stands for Bed Occupancy Rate, calculated as the proportion of available beds that are occupied on a given day, serving as a key for resource utilization, with optimal rates typically ranging from 85% to 95% to balance efficiency and patient care quality. High or sustained BOR levels above this threshold can signal risks, informing and staffing. Less frequently but in organizational contexts, BOR may refer to Board of Representatives, a legislative or in entities such as municipalities or associations, though this expansion lacks the ubiquity of the above and is often context-specific rather than standardized. Unsubstantiated or niche expansions, such as informal like "Burn On Read," appear sporadically online but lack empirical prevalence in professional or institutional documentation.

References

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