Mead of poetry facts for kids
In Norse mythology, the Poetic Mead is a special magical drink. It is also called the Mead of Poetry or Mead of Suttungr. Anyone who drinks it becomes a great poet or a very wise scholar. They can remember anything and answer any question. This old story was written down by Snorri Sturluson in a book called Skáldskaparmál. The mead is a symbol for how poets get their amazing ideas. It is often linked to Odin, the chief god, who is known for inspiring poets.
Contents
The Story of the Poetic Mead
How the Mead Was Made
The story begins with two clever dwarfs named Fjalar and Galar. They invited a giant named Gilling and his wife to visit. The dwarfs took Gilling out on the sea in a boat. Sadly, the boat tipped over, and Gilling drowned.
When the dwarfs returned home, they told Gilling's wife what had happened. She was very sad and cried a lot. Galar, one of the dwarfs, became annoyed by her constant weeping. He then caused her death.
Suttungr Gets the Mead
Gilling's son, a powerful giant named Suttungr, soon learned about his parents' deaths. He was very angry. Suttungr captured the dwarfs and took them to a dangerous reef. This reef was covered by water when the tide was high.
The dwarfs begged Suttungr to spare them. They offered him a special mead as payment for his parents' lives. This mead was the Poetic Mead. Suttungr agreed to their offer. He took the mead and brought it back to his home. He stored it in a secret place called Hnitbjörg. His daughter, Gunnlöð, was put in charge of guarding this precious drink.
Odin's Plan to Steal the Mead
One day, Odin, the wise god, met nine slaves who were cutting hay. He offered to sharpen their tools. His special sharpening stone worked so well that everyone wanted to buy it. Odin threw the stone into the air. The slaves fought over it, and sadly, they all died.
Odin then spent the night at the home of Baugi, who was Suttungr's brother. Baugi complained that his work was not going well because his slaves had died. He could not find anyone to replace them. Odin, who was pretending to be someone named Bölverk, offered to do the slaves' work. In return, he asked for a drink of Suttungr's mead.
Baugi agreed to this deal. He said he would try to convince his brother, Suttungr. Bölverk (Odin) worked hard all summer as he promised. When winter came, he asked Baugi for his payment. They both went to Suttungr, but Suttungr refused to give them even a single drop of the mead.
The Theft and Escape
Bölverk then suggested a trick to Baugi. He gave Baugi a drill called Rati. He asked Baugi to drill a hole into the mountain Hnitbjörg, where the mead was hidden. Baugi tried to trick Odin at first, but eventually, a hole was made. Bölverk quickly changed into a snake and slipped into the mountain. Baugi tried to hit him but failed.
Inside the mountain, Odin found Gunnlöd, who was guarding the mead. He stayed with her for three nights. Because of this, he was allowed to have three drinks of the mead. But with each drink, he emptied an entire container!
After drinking all the mead, Odin changed into a mighty eagle and flew away. When Suttungr discovered the theft, he also turned into an eagle and chased after Odin. The other gods, the Æsir, saw Odin coming. They quickly set out large containers to catch the mead. Just in time, Odin arrived and spat the mead into the containers.
Suttungr was very close behind him. In his fear and haste, Odin accidentally let some of the precious liquid fall. This small, spilled part was called the "rhymester's share." Anyone could drink this small portion, but it was not as good. The main part of the Poetic Mead, which Odin had carefully kept in his mouth, he gave to the gods and to truly gifted poets.
Modern Adaptations
The story of the Poetic Mead has been retold in modern times. For example, the comic book The Magic Mead is part of the Danish comic series Valhalla. This comic book tells the story of the mead of poetry in a new way. The creator, Peter Madsen, even won an award for this comic.
