Suttungr- Norse GiantGiant

Avenging Gillingr

The dwarves Fjalar and Galar had murdered Suttungr's father Gillingr and his mother. When Suttungr found out, he seized the dwarves and carried them to a tidal skerry to drown. They offered him the Mead of Poetry, brewed from the blood of Kvasir, as compensation. Suttungr took it.

He carried the mead to his mountain stronghold Hnitbjörg and hid it inside, with his daughter Gunnlöð as its sole guardian.

Odin's Theft

Odin came disguised as a laborer named Bölverkr and worked a full summer for Suttungr's brother Baugi, who promised him a drink of the mead as payment. Baugi brought Bölverkr to Suttungr and asked. Suttungr refused.

Odin persuaded Baugi to bore through the mountain with the auger Rati. He became a serpent, slipped through the hole, and spent three nights with Gunnlöð. She let him drink: one draught from each vessel. He drained them all, turned into an eagle, and flew for Asgard.

The Eagle Chase

Suttungr took eagle form and pursued him. The Skáldskaparmál says the chase was close, but Suttungr could not catch Odin before he crossed the walls of Asgard. The gods had set out vats, and Odin spat the mead into them. In his haste, some fell outside the walls. That portion, Snorri says, is the share of bad poets.

Suttungr lost his treasure. He does not appear in the sources again.