![]() The builder is ultimately killed by Thor once the gods realize that the builder was a jötunn. Ultimately, the builder failed to complete the task on time, thereby losing out on the rewards from the gods. In that form, Loki was able to lure the builder’s horse away from the construction of the wall. Loki, being a gifted shape-shifter who could change his form at will, turned himself into a very attractive mare. Sensing that the builder was on the verge completing the task right on time, the gods called on the trickster god Loki to step in and stall the progress of the builder. The gods hoped that builder would fail at the task and therefore they would not have to give Freyja away nor the moon and the sun.īefore the builder set about performing his task, he besieged the gods to let him use his stallion named Svaðilfari. The gods also insist that the builder completes the wall in three seasons. The builder is required to build the wall around Asgard all by himself. They forbid the builder from soliciting the help of anyone or creature. However, before the two sides shake hands on it, the gods insert a clause into the contract. The builder also requests for the moon and the sun. In exchange for his services, the master-builder demands that the Norse fertility goddess Freyja be given to him as wife. It begins when the Aesir gods employ the services of a renowned builder to construct strong fortifications around Asgard. The story can be found in the book Gylfaginning of the Prose Edda by 13th century Icelandic poet and statesman Snorri Sturluson. The story of Sleipnir’s birth is up there as one of the most well-known myths in Norse mythology. Epithets – “Lord of all horse”, “best of all horses”, “the sliding one”.Half-siblings – Hel, Queen of the Dead, and Jörmungandr the World Serpent.In all the nine realms, no other horse comes close to the power and speed of Sleipnir, making the stallion the most popular horse in Norse mythology. He thus symbolizes not just loyalty, but also represents strength, royalty, speed, and exploration. The eight-legged horse, who is one of Odin’s most trusted companions, accompanies Odin on so many adventures. Photos by Gunnar Freyr Gunnarsson.Most known for being Odin’s powerful stallion, Sleipnir in Norse mythology is the offspring of the Norse trickster god Loki. The name means “Shelter for Gods” and Ásbyrgi is said to be a place where mythological creatures gather.Īs in indication of how deeply ingrained Norse mythology is in Icelandic culture, Sleipnir, Svaðilfari and Loki are popular names for Icelandic horses and even of horse associations, as are many other names of the same origin, for example, Freyr, Hrímnir and Mjölnir. ![]() The ground collapsed under the weight of his hoof, creating the horseshoe-shaped canyon Ásbyrgi. Loki, as the mare, later gives birth to an eight-legged foal, the fruit of his encounter with Svaðilfari in the woods.Īccording to legend, once when Óðinn was riding across the sky, observing the state of the world as he regularly did, Sleipnir moved too close to the earth and stepped down with one of his legs. Upon discovering that he is a hrímþurs, an evil giant, Þór, the god of thunder, smashes his head in with his hammer Mjölnir. When Svaðilfari notices the mare, he becomes wild with lust, tears himself loose and chases after her into the woods. Furious with Loki for having given the builder permission, the gods order him to halt the construction by any means necessary. Prepared to do anything to appease the gods, Loki turns himself into a mare and gallops to the place where the builder is fetching rocks. ![]() Svaðilfari proves to have enormous strength, pulling huge rocks, and a few days before the end of winter, the wall is almost finished. The builder asks permission to use his stallion Svaðilfari for work, and through Loki’s intervention, his request is approved. This way, the builder will never be able to finish on time, they believe. Tempted, yet not prepared to pay such a high price for a fortress, the gods agree on the condition that no man may help with the construction work. Shortly after the gods settle in Ásgarður, a builder appears at their palace, Valhöll, offering to build a fortification in three seasons in exchange for the goddess Freyja, the sun and the moon. The story of Sleipnir’s origin is rather curious, for he is the offspring of trickster god Loki, who turns himself into a mare, and a giant’s stallion called Svaðilfari (from the old Norse/Icelandic word svaðilför, meaning “Troublesome Traveller”).
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