Ottar- Norse FigureMortal

Freya's Devotee

Óttar built a hörgr to Freya and made blood sacrifices upon it so often that the stones turned to glass from the heat. Stanza 10 of the Hyndluljóð gives that detail plainly. In return, Freya took him under her protection.

The Ride to Hyndla's Cave

Óttar had an inheritance dispute with a rival named Angantýr. To win his claim he needed to prove his noble descent, and he could not do it alone. Freya disguised him as her battle-boar Hildisvíni through seiðr and rode him to the cave of the giantess Hyndla, a völva who knew every bloodline.

Inside, Freya demanded that Hyndla recite Óttar's ancestry in full. The giantess grudgingly complied, tracing his line through the Skjöldungar and the Ylfingar. But she saw through the disguise, recognized the boar as Óttar, and mocked Freya for bringing her lover on such an errand. Freya denied the charge and turned to threats.

The Beer of Memory

Freya commanded Hyndla to bring a minnisöl, a beer of memory, for Óttar. The enchanted drink would fix every name and lineage from Hyndla's recitation in his mind so he could recall the whole genealogy when he faced Angantýr. Hyndla yielded. Óttar drank, and the giantess's lore became his own.