Draupnir- Norse ArtifactArtifact"The Dripper"

The Forging

Draupnir, "The Dripper," was forged by the dwarf brothers Brokkr and Sindri during their contest with Loki, as told in Skáldskaparmál. Every ninth night, eight golden rings of equal weight drip from it.

The contest arose because Loki had cut off Sif's hair and needed to save his skin. He wagered his head with Brokkr that the brothers could not forge treasures finer than those the Sons of Ivaldi had made. While Sindri worked the forge, Brokkr pumped the bellows, warned that any pause would ruin the work. Loki turned himself into a fly and stung Brokkr's neck, but the dwarf kept pumping through the pain. The ring emerged perfect.

Baldur's Pyre

When Baldur was laid on his funeral ship Hringhorni, Odin placed Draupnir on his son's body as a last gift. Then the Allfather bent down and whispered something in the dead god's ear. No one heard what he said. No source records the words.

Hermóðr rode to Hel to plead for Baldur's return. When Hel refused, Baldur gave Hermóðr the ring to carry back to Odin as proof he had spoken with his son. The ring returned to the living world. Baldur did not.

The Refused Gift

In Skírnismál, Skírnir offers Draupnir to Gerðr as part of Freyr's suit. She turns it down. She has no need of gold, she says. The ring that multiplied wealth without end could not buy what Freyr wanted.