Skidbladnir- Norse ArtifactArtifact"The Best of Ships"
Also known as: Skíðblaðnir
Titles & Epithets
Domains
Description
Large enough to carry every god in full war gear, yet small enough to fold into a pocket. Skíðblaðnir sails wherever its master wills, the wind always at its back. Grímnismál calls it the best of ships.
Mythology & Lore
The Sons of Ivaldi's Work
Skíðblaðnir, "assembled from thin pieces of wood," was crafted by the Sons of Ivaldi, the same dwarf-smiths who forged Odin's spear Gungnir and the golden hair to replace what Loki cut from Sif. Snorri describes it in Gylfaginning: a ship large enough to hold all the Æsir in full armor, yet when its sail is furled, it can be folded like cloth and tucked into a pouch. Whenever the sail rises, a fair wind fills it, carrying the ship in whatever direction its captain wishes.
The Prose Edda states the ship was given to Freyr. Grímnismál 44 confirms the pairing and calls it the best of ships. Freyr carried it with him always, a vessel that could cross any sea the moment he unfolded it.
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