Gullinbursti- Norse CreatureCreature · Beast"Golden Bristles"
Also known as: Slíðrugtanni and Slidrugtanni
Description
Forged from pigskin by the dwarf Sindri, this golden boar blazes so brightly it banishes the darkest night. Freyr rides it through air and over sea, faster than any horse — never lost to the dark.
Mythology & Lore
The Wager of Loki
After Loki cut off Sif's golden hair and was forced to seek replacements from the dwarven Sons of Ívaldi, he wagered his own head that no other dwarves could match their craft. Brokkr and Sindri accepted.
Sindri laid a pigskin in the forge and told Brokkr to work the bellows without stopping. Loki, in the shape of a biting fly, stung Brokkr's hand. The dwarf kept pumping. Loki stung his neck. Still the bellows did not falter. When Sindri drew the pigskin from the fire, it had become a boar with bristles of pure gold, blazing so brightly it could banish the darkest night.
Freyr's Boar
The gods judged Brokkr and Sindri's treasures superior to the Sons of Ívaldi's work. Loki lost the wager but wriggled free of death on a technicality: Brokkr could claim his head but not cut his neck. Brokkr settled for sewing Loki's lips shut.
Gullinbursti went to Freyr. The Skáldskaparmál says the boar could run through air and over sea faster than any horse, and its golden bristles lit the way so that its rider was never lost in darkness. It is also called Slíðrugtanni, "Dangerous Tusk."
Relationships
- Associated with