Chapters 44-95 - Germanic Mythology

giant dwelling in the lower world who presides over mead, and whose hall is situated in a
domain to which cold cannot penetrate. The myth has put this giant in connection with
Ymir, who in relative opposition to him is called Leirbrimir, clay-Brimir (Fjölsvinnsmál
12). These circumstances refer to Mimir. So also Sigurdrífumál 14, where it is said that
"Odin stood on the mountain with Brimir's sword" (Brimis eggjar), when Mimir's head
spoke with him for the first time. The expression "Brimir's sword" is ambiguous. As a
head was once used as a weapon against Heimdall, a sword and a head can, according to
Skáldskaparmál, be employed as paraphrases for each other, therefore "Brimir's sword"
may be the same as "Mimir's head" (see Skáldskaparmál 85; cp. Skáldskaparmál 15, and
Gylfaginning 27). 7 Sigurdrífumál certainly also employs the phrase in its literal sense of a
famous mythological sword, for, in the case in question, it represents Odin as fully
armed, with helmet on his head; and the most excellent mythological sword, according to
an added line in strophe 44 of Grímnismál (Cod. A.), bore Brimir's name, 8 just as the
same sword in the German saga has the name Miminc (Biterolf, v. 176, in Þidreks Saga
af Bern changed to Mimmung), doubtless because it at one time was in Mimir-Nidhad's
possession; for the German saga (Biterolf, 157; cp. Þidreks Saga af Bern, ch. 23)
remembers that a sword called by Mimir's name was the same celebrated weapon as that
made by Völund (Wieland in Biterolf; Velint in Þidreks Saga af Bern), and thus the same
work of art as that which, according to Þidreks Saga af Bern, Nidhad captured from him
during his stay in Wolfdales.
89.
THE MEAD MYTH.
We have seen (Nos. 72, 73) that the mead which was brewed from the three
subterranean liquids destroys the effects of death and gives new vitality to the departed,
and that the same liquid is absorbed by the roots of the world-tree, and in its trunk is
distilled into that sap which gives the tree eternal life. From the stem the mead rises into
the foliage of the crown, whose leaves nourish the fair giver of "the sparkling drink," in
Grímnismál symbolized as Heidrun, from the streams of whose teats the mead-horns in
Asgard are filled for the einherjes. The morning dew which falls from Yggdrasil down
into the dales of the lower world contains the same elements. From the bridle of Hrimfaxi
and from the horses of the valkyries some of the same dew also falls in the valleys of
Midgard (see No. 74). The flowers receive it in their chalices, where the bees extract it,
and thus is produced the earthly honey which man uses, and from which he brews his
mead (cp. Gylfaginning 16). Thus the latter too contains some of the strength of Mimir's
and Urd's fountains (veigar - see Nos. 72, 73), and thus it happens that it is able to
stimulate the mind and inspire poetry and song - nay, used with prudence, it may suggest
excellent expedients in important emergencies (cp. Tacitus, Germania).
Thus the world-tree is among the Teutons, as it is among their kinsmen the
Iranians (see below), a mead-tree. And so it was called by the latter, possibly also by the
7 Skáldskaparmál 85 (Faulkes tr. Skáldska. 69) Head: "Heimdall's sword, it is normal to use any term for
sword you like and qualify it with one of Heimdall's names"; cp. Skáldskaparmál 15 "A sword is called
Heimdall's head; it is said he was struck through with a man's head. …and ever since the head has been
called Heimdall's doom; man's doom is an expression for sword."; Gylfaginning 27 "The head is referred to
as Heimdall's sword".
8 ænn Brimir sverða, "and of swords, Brimir" (Bugge's Sæmundar Edda, pg. 85)