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Kavasir and the Mead of Inspiration

The war of the gods and the embodiment of wisdom

The Aesir and Vanir were once engaged in a futile war, and so calling a truce, all the gods spat in a pot, as a gesture of peace. To preserve the peace, they formed the all wise Kavasir from their saliva, a man who never lacked the answer to a question.

Wisdom’s doom and the Mead of Inspiration

Kavasir travelled the Earth sharing his wisdom with Humankind, until he encountered two brothers, dwarfs called Fjalar and Galar, who invited him back to their abode so they could discuss certain matters in private. There, the dwarfs murdered Kavasir, and drained his blood into two pots, named Son and Bodn, and a kettle, named Odrerir. They mixed honey with Kavasir’s blood, creating the mead of inspiration, that bestowed the power of knowledge and poetry upon all who drank. The dwarfs reported to the Aesir, that Kavasir choked on his own omniscience, because no one could prove him other-wise.

Fjalar and Galar also extended their cruel hospitality to the giant Gilling and his wife. Gilling accepted the Dwarfs offer of a row upon the ocean, but after travelling some distance from the shore, they deliberately capsized the boat, and the giant, unable to swim, was drowned. The Brothers turned the boat upright and rowed back to shore. They reported the news of Gilling’s death to his wife, who, torn apart with grief, wept loudly. Fjalar, unable to bear the wailing any longer, pretended to comfort the giant’s wife, and advised that it might ease her suffering if she were to look out to sea where her husband had died. Fjalar whispered to his brother that he should climb above the doorway, and as she passed over the threshold, Galar dropped a millstone upon her head and she also died.

Concealment of the Mead

When the giant Suttung learned of his parent’s death, he captured the two dwarfs, and left them stranded upon a rock in the ocean. As the tide rose, the brothers pleaded for mercy, and offered Suttung the Mead of Inspiration, in exchange for their lives. Suttung accepted, and returned home, hiding the mead in the Hnitbjorg mountain, along with his daughter Gunnlod as the mead’s guardian.

This is why poetry is named ‘Kvasir’s Blood’, and also ‘Dwarf’s Drink’, or various kinds of intoxicating drink of Son and Bodn, and Odrerir. And again the kenning ‘Dwarf’s Ship’, due to the mead that provided them ransom from death’s rock. Further, poetry is called ‘Suttung’s Mead’ and ‘Hnitbjorg’s ocean.’

Odin seeks the Mead of Inspiration

Odin once ventured from home and came across nine Thralls cutting hay. He offered to sharpen their scythes, and with their approval, produced a whetstone from his belt. The Thralls, impressed with the sharpness of their blades, and implored with the All-Father to sell the whetstone to them. Odin replied that the Whetstone could only be paid for at great cost, but still they persisted. And so, he gave them what they desired, tossing the whetstone among them, and as they fought over the precious stone, they sliced open each other’s necks with their own scythes.

Odin spent the night in the dwelling of the giant Baugi, the brother of Suttung, who was troubled over the death of his Thralls, as there was no one to complete the harvest. Calling himself Bolverk, Odin offered to complete the work of the nine Thralls, in exchange for a single drink of Suttung’s mead. Baugi admitted that his brother maintained complete control over the mead, but offered to accompany Bolverk in an attempt to obtain a draught.

Summer long, Bolverk did the work of nine Thralls, and when winter arrived he asked Baugi for payment. Together they met Suttung, and Baugi explained his arrangement with the stranger Bolverk, for a drink of the Mead. Suttung refused to part with a single drop. Bolverk convinced Baugi that they must obtain the mead using deception.

Bolverk produced his auger, named Rati, and told Baugi to drill a hole through the side of the mountain. Baugi finished drilling, and Bolverk blew into the hole, but chips of rock flew back in his face. Realizing that Bolverk was trying to trick him, he ordered the giant to continue drilling into the rock. Baugi resumed his work, and when he had finished, Bolverk blew again into the hole, and this time the chips were blown straight through.

Odin transforms into a serpent and recovers the mead

Bolverk transformed himself into a serpent, and slithering into the hole, narrowly avoided being stabbed by Baugi with the auger. Soon enough, Bolverk reached Gunnlod, and slept with her for three nights, and she offered him three draughts of the mead. Three draughts was all Bolverk required to completely drain the two pots and kettle, and transforming himself into an eagle, he flew away.

Suttung saw the eagle, and also assumed the shape of an eagle, flying off in pursuit. As Odin approached the court of Asgard, he spat out the mead into a number of pots the Aesir had gathered. Suttang almost caught Odin, and as a result the god let some drops of the mead fall, but this was of no concern, becoming the meager portion given to bad poets. To the Aesir and those who possess the poetic gift, Odin would give to drink Suttang’s mead, and so poetry is also named ‘Odin’s treasure’, and ‘Odin’s discovery’, both his drink and gift, and the drink of the Aesir.

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