Svipdag- Norse HeroHero
Also known as: Svipdagr
Description
Sent by his stepmother to find the mysterious Menglöð, Svipdag wakes his dead mother Gróa from her burial mound to receive nine protective charms, then journeys to a flame-ringed fortress where the gates open only when he speaks his true name.
Mythology & Lore
Gróa's Spell
Svipdag's stepmother lays an impossible task upon him: he must seek out Menglöð, a mysterious woman dwelling in a fortress far beyond the reach of ordinary men. Recognizing the danger, Svipdag travels to the burial mound of his mother Gróa, a völva who died when he was young, and calls her spirit forth from the earth. Gróa's shade rises and asks why her son disturbs her rest. When Svipdag tells her of the task his stepmother has set, Gróa sings nine galdr over him: charms against hostile waters and freezing cold, against enemies on the road and every other peril between him and his destination. Armed with her magic, Svipdag sets out.
The Flame-Ringed Fortress
Svipdag reaches a great fortress encircled by flickering flames, its gates guarded by fierce hounds. At the threshold he meets Fjölsviðr, a watchman whose name means "Much-Wise" and appears among Odin's many names. A long exchange follows in which Svipdag questions Fjölsviðr about the fortress, its defenses, the great tree Mímameiðr that stands nearby, and the woman enthroned within. Fjölsviðr describes Menglöð seated atop the healing mountain Lyfjaberg, attended by nine maidens. Only one man is fated to pass the gates. When Svipdag speaks his true name, they swing open.
Menglöð
Menglöð rises from her seat and comes down to meet him. She tells him she has sat on Lyfjaberg through long days and longer nights, waiting for him alone. Svipdag answers that he has suffered just as long in seeking her. The two embrace, and Menglöð declares they will never part again. The poem ends there, at the gates, with nothing left to overcome.