The Horses of the Æsir are
horses present in Norse mythology which are ridden by the
Æsir
Æsir (Old Norse; singular: ) or ēse (Old English; singular: ) are deities, gods in Germanic paganism. In Old Nordic religion and Nordic mythology, mythology, the precise meaning of the term "" is debated, as it can refer either to the gods i ...
. Their main purpose is to be ridden daily to
Yggdrasil
Yggdrasil () is an immense and central sacred tree in Norse cosmology. Around it exists all else, including the Nine Worlds.
Yggdrasil is attested in the ''Poetic Edda'' compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and in t ...
in order for their riders to pass judgements. They are said to cross
Bifröst
In Norse mythology, Bifröst (modern Icelandic: Bifröst ; from Old Norse: /ˈbiv.rɔst/), also called Bilröst and often anglicized as Bifrost, is a burning rainbow bridge that reaches between Midgard (Earth) and Asgard, the realm of the gods. ...
along their journey. Among them is the famous
Sleipnir
In Norse mythology, Sleipnir (Old Norse: "slippy"Orchard (1997:151). or "the slipper"Kermode (1904:6).) is an eight-legged horse ridden by Odin. Sleipnir is attested in the ''Poetic Edda'', compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional ...
which is the strongest one. They are mentioned in the ''
Poetic Edda
The ''Poetic Edda'' is the modern name for an untitled collection of Old Norse anonymous narrative poems in alliterative verse. It is distinct from the closely related ''Prose Edda'', although both works are seminal to the study of Old Norse ...
'' and the ''
Prose Edda
The ''Prose Edda'', also known as the ''Younger Edda'', ''Snorri's Edda'' () or, historically, simply as ''Edda'', is an Old Norse textbook written in Iceland during the early 13th century. The work is often considered to have been to some exten ...
''.
Listing
The horses of Æsir are listed twice:
In the
Eddic poem
The ''Poetic Edda'' is the modern name for an untitled collection of Old Norse anonymous narrative poems in alliterative verse. It is distinct from the closely related ''Prose Edda'', although both works are seminal to the study of Old Norse p ...
''
GrÃmnismál
''GrÃmnismál'' (Old Norse: ; 'The Lay of GrÃmnir') is one of the mythological poems of the '' Poetic Edda''. It is preserved in the Codex Regius manuscript and the AM 748 I 4to fragment. It is spoken through the voice of ''GrÃmnir'', one ...
'' the following names are listed:
Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson ( ; ; 1179 – 22 September 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was elected twice as lawspeaker of the Icelandic parliament, the Althing. He is commonly thought to have authored or compiled portions of th ...
the author of the Gylfaginning paraphrases this stanza in his ''
Gylfaginning
''Gylfaginning'' (Old Norse: 'The Beguiling of Gylfi' or 'The Deluding of Gylfi'; 13th century Old Norse pronunciation ) is the first main part of the 13th century ''Prose Edda'', after the initial Prologue. The ''Gylfaginning'' takes the form of ...
'':
Apart from Odin's eight-legged horse
Sleipnir
In Norse mythology, Sleipnir (Old Norse: "slippy"Orchard (1997:151). or "the slipper"Kermode (1904:6).) is an eight-legged horse ridden by Odin. Sleipnir is attested in the ''Poetic Edda'', compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional ...
, and
Gulltoppr, who belongs to
Heimdallr
In Norse mythology, Heimdall (from Old Norse Heimdallr; modern Icelandic language, Icelandic Heimdallur) is a Æsir, god. He is the son of Odin and nine mothers. Heimdall keeps watch for invaders and the onset of Ragnarök from his dwelling Himi ...
according to the ''
Prose Edda
The ''Prose Edda'', also known as the ''Younger Edda'', ''Snorri's Edda'' () or, historically, simply as ''Edda'', is an Old Norse textbook written in Iceland during the early 13th century. The work is often considered to have been to some exten ...
'', nothing is known about these horses, especially their owner other than that they are ridden by the Æsir. These names aren't listed in the ''
þulur''.
Other horses are mentioned elsewhere:
Gullfaxi
Gullfaxi (Old Norse: ) is a horse in Norse mythology. Its name means "golden mane".
It was originally owned by Hrungnir, and was later given to Magni by Thor as a reward for lifting off the leg of Hrungnir, which lay over the unconscious Thor an ...
, which originally belonged to
Hrungnir
Hrungnir (Old Norse: , 'brawler') is a jötunn in Norse mythology. He is described as made of stone and is ultimately killed in a duel with the thunder god Thor.
Prior to his demise, Hrungnir engaged in a wager with Odin in which Odin stakes his ...
. Who was given by
Thor
Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred g ...
to his son
Magni after he killed the
jötunn
A (also jotun; plural ; in the normalised scholarly spelling of Old Norse, ; or, in Old English, , plural ) is a type of being in Germanic mythology. In Norse mythology, are often contrasted with gods (the Æsir and Vanir) and with other no ...
(''Skáldskaparmál'',
17),
Blóðughófi
In Nordic mythology, Blóðughófi (sometimes anglicised Blodughofi and meaning "Bloody Hoof" in Old Norse) is the Horses of the Æsir, horse of Freyr and is attested in several þulur of horses.
Attestations KálfsvÃsa
In KálfsvÃsa, Blóðughà ...
, which belongs to
Freyr
Freyr (Old Norse: 'Lord'), sometimes anglicized as Frey, is a widely attested Æsir, god in Norse mythology, associated with kingship, fertility, peace, prosperity, fair weather, and good harvest. Freyr, sometimes referred to as Yngvi-Freyr, was ...
(''
KálfsvÃsa The ''KálfsvÃsa'' ("Kálfr's '' vÃsa''", Kálfr being maybe the name of its author) is a poem partially preserved in Snorri Sturluson’s ''Skáldskaparmál''.
Its three stanzas in ''fornyrðislag
Old Norse poetry encompasses a range of vers ...
'') and
Hófvarpnir, which is ridden by
Gná (''Gylfaginning'',
35).
Meanings
*
Blóðughófi
In Nordic mythology, Blóðughófi (sometimes anglicised Blodughofi and meaning "Bloody Hoof" in Old Norse) is the Horses of the Æsir, horse of Freyr and is attested in several þulur of horses.
Attestations KálfsvÃsa
In KálfsvÃsa, Blóðughà ...
: "Bloody-hoof";
*
Falhófnir: "Hairy-hoof" or "Hidden-hoof", i.e. whose hoofs are covered with hair, or "Pale-hoof";
*
Gulltoppr: "Gold-tuft";
* GÃsl: related to "beam", "ray";
*
Glaðr
Glaðr (sometimes anglicised as Glad, Gladr, or Glath) is a horse in Nordic mythology. It is listed as among the horses of the Æsir ridden to Yggdrasil each morning in the ''Poetic Edda''. The ''Prose Edda'' specifically refers to it as one of t ...
: "Glad" or "Bright";
*
Glær
In Norse mythology, Glær (transparent) or Glenr is a horse listed in both ''GrÃmnismál'' and ''Gylfaginning'' among the steeds ridden by the gods each day when they go to make judgements at Yggdrasil. However, in both poems Glær is not assigned ...
: "Clear", "Glassy";
*
Gullfaxi
Gullfaxi (Old Norse: ) is a horse in Norse mythology. Its name means "golden mane".
It was originally owned by Hrungnir, and was later given to Magni by Thor as a reward for lifting off the leg of Hrungnir, which lay over the unconscious Thor an ...
: "Golden-mane"
*
Gyllir:
[Gyllir is also the name of a jötunn in the '' þulur'', whose name means "Yeller".] "Golden";
*
Hófvarpnir : "Hoof-thrower";
* Léttfeti: "Light-foot";
* Silfrintoppr: "Silver-tuft";
* Sinir: "Sinewy";
* Skeiðbrimir: "the one which snorts as he runs";
*
Sleipnir
In Norse mythology, Sleipnir (Old Norse: "slippy"Orchard (1997:151). or "the slipper"Kermode (1904:6).) is an eight-legged horse ridden by Odin. Sleipnir is attested in the ''Poetic Edda'', compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional ...
: "trickster";
See also
*
Second Merseburg Charm, in which the gods heal a hurt horse
*
List of horses in mythology and folklore
This is a list of horses in mythology and folklore. Fictive horses of historical figures or horses with fictive history added by romancers may be cross-listed under List of historical horses.
British
*Arondel, Bevis's horse in the Middle English ...
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Horses of the Aesir
Aesir
Æsir
Yggdrasil