Vafþrúðnir

Vafþrúðnir ( Old Norse "the powerful entangler") is the name of a wise giant in Norse mythology .

The giant does not belong to folk mythology, but is a creation of the poet of the Vafþrúðnismál (Wafthrudnir song) . In this song Wafthrudnir and Odin compete against each other in a knowledge competition. In the end, the giant is defeated by Odin because he cannot answer his last question. The unanswerable question of what Odin whispered in his dead son Balder 's ear before he was laid at the stake costs the giants their lives.

literature

Rudolf Simek : Lexicon of Germanic Mythology (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 368). 3rd, completely revised edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-520-36803-X .

Individual evidence

^ Rudolf Simek: Lexicon of Germanic Mythology (= Kröner's pocket edition. Volume 368). 3rd, completely revised edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-520-36803-X , p. 454.
↑ Lieder-Edda: Vafþrúðnismál. (Citation of the song Edda according to Arnulf Krause: Die Götter- und Heldenlieder der Älteren Edda. Philipp Reclam jun. Verlag, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 978-3-15-050047-7 ); also partially cited in Snorri Sturluson: Prosa-Edda, Gylfaginning . Chapter 5 (citation of the prose Edda after Arnulf Krause: Die Edda des Snorri Sturluson. Philipp Reclam jun. Verlag, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 978-3-15-000782-2 )

[1] Rudolf Simek: Lexicon of Germanic Mythology (= Kröner's pocket edition. Volume 368). 3rd, completely revised edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-520-36803-X , p. 454.

[2] Lieder-Edda: Vafþrúðnismál. (Citation of the song Edda according to Arnulf Krause: Die Götter- und Heldenlieder der Älteren Edda. Philipp Reclam jun. Verlag, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 978-3-15-050047-7 ); also partially cited in Snorri Sturluson: Prosa-Edda, Gylfaginning . Chapter 5 (citation of the prose Edda after Arnulf Krause: Die Edda des Snorri Sturluson. Philipp Reclam jun. Verlag, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 978-3-15-000782-2 )