In the story of the death of Balder, a son of Odin, Hermodr rides Sleipnir down to Helheim in order to treat with the goddess Hel for his return. The special strength and speed of Sleipnir are emphasized in many stories from Norse mythology. It seems that Sleipnir also had his own children, as according to a riddle described in a 13th-century text, Sleipnir is an ancestor of Grani, a horse owned by the hero Sigurd, and probably given to him by Odin himself. It has been used many times in video games such as Final Fantasy, Ragnarok and others. Sometimes, it is being shown with a split from the hips and shoulders, as two legs both distinct and joined together, while often, the knee that the leg is divided is focused on. Sleipnir has each leg doubled which is 8 legs in total. According to a myth, its teeth were engraved with runes as Valkyries had requested. Its fur is grey, while its tail and mane are deep dark grey. Sleipnir is the incarnation of a powerful, muscular, great horse. It seems that for the northern peoples this winged horse embodied the hope that the heroically fallen would eventually be led to the residence of the gods. Sleipnir was the famous horse of the god Odin the All-father, with which he descended from heaven to earth and led to Asgard the heroes who fell in battle. From the meeting of the two horses, Sleipnir was born, a winged horse with eight legs. The god Loki transformed into a beautiful mare, attracted the giant's magic horse and led it to a forest. The gods promised the giant that if he completed the work in three winters, they would give him the Sun, the Moon and the goddess of love Freya.īut the gods, seeing that the giant was using the magic horse Svadilfari, to carry huge volumes of rock with incredible speed, changed their minds, so that the giant could not meet the terms of the agreement and so did not have to fulfill their promise. In order to build the castle, the gods were looking for a skilled craftsman, whom they found in the face of a giant.
Myth wants the Scandinavian gods to reside up in the sky in a castle called "Asgard". Traveling north, to the country of Vikings, Iceland, we meet this winged horse that does not simply belong to a hero, but to the leading deity of the Icelandic pantheon, the father of gods and humans, Odin. But, surprisingly, Loki was not the father, but the mother of Sleipnir. Sleipnir was a son of Loki, the trickster god that lived among the Asgardian gods. Odin is a warrior god, thus when going to war it is on the back of his eight-legged horse, Sleipnir (The origin of the name “Sleipnir” would come from the Old Norse “the sliding one”, due to his ability to slide between worlds). 320-323.Introducing Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse The Viking Way: Religion and War in Late Iron Age Scandinavia. I’ve also written a popular list of The 10 Best Norse Mythology Books, which you’ll probably find helpful in your pursuit. Looking for more great information on Norse mythology and religion? While this site provides the ultimate online introduction to the topic, my book The Viking Spirit provides the ultimate introduction to Norse mythology and religion period. Sleipnir was born when the god Loki shape-shifted into a mare and became pregnant by the stallion of a giant, as is recounted in the tale of The Fortification of Asgard. Sleipnir is “the shamanic horse par excellence,” just as Odin is the shamanic god par excellence. The eight-legged horse as a means of transportation used by shamans in their ecstatic travels throughout the cosmos is a motif that can be found in a staggering number of indigenous traditions from all over the world. Odin rides Sleipnir on his frequent journeys throughout the Nine Worlds, which are held in the branches and roots of the world-tree Yggdrasil. Sleipnir is one of Odin’s many shamanic helping spirits, ranks that also include the valkyries and Hugin and Munin, and he can probably be classified as a fylgja. Sleipnir (pronounced “SLAYP-nir” Old Norse Sleipnir, “The Sliding One”) is the eight-legged horse of the god Odin.
Odin riding Sleipnir (detail from the Tjängvide Runestone) Book Review: Neil Price’s The Viking Way: Magic and Mind in Late Iron Age Scandinavia.Who Were the Indo-Europeans and Why Do They Matter?.The Swastika – Its Ancient Origins and Modern (Mis)use.
Sleipnir symbol how to#
The Old Norse Language and How to Learn It.The 10 Best Advanced Norse Mythology Books.The Vikings’ Conversion to Christianity.
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