Elementymology & Elements Multidict

memory peg	Moderately dark gray metal melting point 1890 °C; 3434 °F boiling point 3380 °C; 6116 °F density 6.11 g/cc; 381.43 pounds/cubic foot
1801 Andrés Manuel del Río, Mexico, and 1830 Nils Gabriel Sefström, Sweden
Vanadis = Scandinavian goddes of beauty Named by Sefström and Berzelius

In 1801, Andrés Manuel del Río (1764-1849), a professor of mineralogy in Mexico, found in brown lead from Zimapán (Mexico) a new metal similar to Chromium and Uranium. He found the colours reminiscent of those shown by Chromium, so he called the element panchromium (= something which can take or have any color). He later renamed the element erythronium (from the Greek ερυθρος [erythros] that means red), since the metal produced red salts when treated with acids. He withdrew his claim of the discovery of a new element, when, four years later, it was (incorrectly) suggested by the Frenchman, Hippolyte Victor Collet-Descotils (1773-1815), that the mineral was actually basic lead chromate.

In 1830, Nils Gabriel Sefström (1787-1845), physician and chemistry professor at the Falun School of Mines, described a new mineral that had been found a remarkably soft iron ore from the Taberg mine (Sweden). Bringing a large sample of this ore to Stockholm, Sefström and Jakob Berzelius investigated for three weeks finding many common elements including a new substance. After Sefström's departure, Berzelius continued to determine many additional properties. Sefström and Berzelius named the element vanadium, in honor of Vanadis, goddess of beauty, due to the brilliant colors of its compounds.
In 1831, F. Wöhler discovered that Del Rio's erythronium was identical with Sefström's vanadium.
Finally, in 1867, Sir Henry Enfield Roscoe (1833-1915) isolated the metal and established its relationship with the nitrogen family.

The Scandinavian goddess Freya was the Vanadis, the ruling goddess of the Vanir or elder gods, who ruled before the arrival of Odin and the Aesir from the east. She is known as goddess of fertility, love, the moon, the seas, the earth, the underworld, death, birth; virgin, mother, ancestress, Mistress of Cats; leader of Valkyries; the Saga or "sayer" who inspired all sacred poetry. Freya was known by the poets as the "weeping goddess, shedding tears of gold." The fifth day of the week, Friday was named after her. Her twin brother is the sun god Freir and her parents are Njord and the giantess Skadi. She is always depicted wearing a famous necklace, called a brisling. It was given to her by the dwarfs in exchange of a night of love with them. Freya also represented the goddess of battle and death. She had the right to choose half of all men slain in battle. The other half was chosen by the Valkyries, assistants of Odin. The half of warriors chosen by Freya went to feast in the Freya's hall, called Folkvangar. (From www.freya.nl).

In 1880, the Italian mineralogist Arcangelo Scacchi (1810-1893) announced the discovery of a new element, which he named Vesbium, after the ancient name of Mt. Vesuvius. He identified it in vesbine, a mineral occurring as thin yellow-green patinas on the walls of the 1631 lava crevices (note). Subsequent studies identified Vesbium with Vanadium.

• Mary Elvira Weeks, Discovery of the Elements, comp. rev. by Henry M. Leicester (Easton, Pa.: Journal of Chemical Education, 1968), pp. 351-375.
• A.G.J. Ligtenbarg, Vanadium and Iron Complexes for Catalytic Oxidation. Thesis Groningen University 2001. (on-line PDF-file)