Gjallarbrú (literally "Gjöll Bridge") is a bridge in
Norse mythology which spans the river
Gjöll
Gjöll (Old Norse: ''Gjǫll'' ) is the river that separates the living from the dead in Norse mythology. It is one of the eleven rivers traditionally associated with the Élivágar, rivers that existed in Ginnungagap at the beginning of the worl ...
in the
underworld
The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underwor ...
. It must be crossed in order to reach
Hel.
According to ''
Gylfaginning
''Gylfaginning'' (Old Norse: 'The Beguiling of Gylfi' or 'The Deluding of Gylfi'; c. 20,000 words; 13th century Old Norse pronunciation ) is the first part of the 13th century ''Prose Edda'' after the Prologue. The ''Gylfaginning'' deals with t ...
'' it is described as a covered bridge, "thatched with glittering gold". It figures most prominently in the story of
Baldr, specifically when
Hermód is sent to retrieve the fallen
god
In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
from the land of the dead. When Hermód arrived at the bridge he was challenged by the
giant
In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: ''gigas'', cognate giga-) are beings of human-like appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''giant'' is first attested in 1297 fr ...
maiden
Módgud who demanded that he state his name and business before allowing him to pass.
[''Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs'' (John Lindow, author. Oxford University Press, 2002, page 142)]
References
Other sources
*
Bellows, Henry Adams (1923) ''The Poetic Edda'' (American-Scandinavian Foundation)
*
Orchard, Andy (1997) ''Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend'' (Cassell)
*
Simek, Rudolf (2007) translated by Angela Hall ''Dictionary of Northern Mythology'' (D.S. Brewer)
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Locations in Norse mythology
Mythological bridges
Norse underworld
Water in mythology