Mimisbrunnr- Norse LocationLocation · Landmark"Well of Wisdom"
Also known as: Mímisbrunnr
Description
Beneath Yggdrasil's second root, in the land of frost giants, a well holds wisdom beyond what the gods possess. Mímir guards it and drinks from it daily through the horn Gjallarhorn. Odin paid one of his eyes for a single draught.
Mythology & Lore
The Well
Yggdrasil has three roots. One reaches into the realm of the frost giants, and at its base sits Mímisbrunnr. Snorri in the Gylfaginning says its waters contain wisdom and understanding. Mímir, who guards the well, drinks from it every day through the Gjallarhorn. He is full of wisdom because of it. The well does not give knowledge freely. It keeps what it takes.
Odin's Eye
Odin came to Mímisbrunnr wanting what Mímir had. The Völuspá tells what happened in a single stanza: Mímir demanded a pledge, and Odin gave his eye. He placed it in the well and drank. The stanza says Mímir drinks mead each morning from the pledge of the Allfather, which means the eye stayed in the water. Odin left the well seeing less and knowing more. That trade defined him for the rest of the age.
Relationships
- Guarded by