The god Óðinn goes to Suttungr's hall to retrieve some object (Óðreri) or drink (mead of poetry), when he meets a woman called Gunnlöð.
elements
1. Æsir and Vanir create Kvasir
2. Kvasir travels the world
3. Kvasir is killed by Fjalar and Galar
4. Fjalar and Galar ferment Kvasir's blood with honey into the 'mead of poetry'
5. The mead is stored in a vessel called Óðroerir
6. The mead is also stored in vessels called Són and Boðn
7. Fjalar and Galar kill Gilling and his wife
8. Suttungr threatens dwarves through drowning and receives the mead as compensatio
9. Suttungr gives the mead to his daughter Gunnlöð to safe guard
10. Óðinn kills Baugi's nine servants with a whetstone
11. Óðinn calls himself Bolverk
12. Óðinn works one summer for Baugi to receive a drink in exchange
13. Óðinn visits Suttungr's hall
14. Suttungr refuses Óðinn a drink of the mead
15. Óðinn uses an auger
16. Óðinn instructs Baugi to use auger called Rati to bore a hole in the mountain
17. Baugi tries to cheat Óðinn
18. Óðinn transforms into a snake
19. Óðinn crawls in stone/mountain
20. Baugi tries to stab him through the hole
21. Gunnlöð lets Óðinn drink mead
22. Óðinn empties all three containers
23. Óðinn lies (sleeps?) with Gunnlöð
24. Óðinn transforms into an eagle and flies off
25. Suttungr chases after Óðinn in eagle form
26. Óðinn spits mead into containers at Ásgarðr
27. Óðinn disregards some mead backwards
28. Óðinn brought up Óðroerir
29. Óðinn broke a sacred oath
map
commentary
context
This story appears as part of Hávamál in the Poetic Edda and in Skáldskaparmál of the Prose Edda .
commentary
(Contributed by Lisa Nitsche.)