Chapters 44-95 - Germanic Mythology

him they have called Svithiod geiri Svigðis. Odin, who acted Sviðurr's part, has also been
called Sveigðir, Svegðir.
Svigðir is an epithet, and means "the champion drinker" (Anglo-Saxon swig: to
drink deep draughts). 25 "The champion drinker" is accordingly on his way to the "Meadwolf,"
while Odin is in his abode. All goes to show that the event belongs to the domain
of the mead-myth.
Accordingly, the situation is this: A pretended race-hero and namer of Svithiod is
in the abode of Sökkmimir, while a person who, from a mythological standpoint, is the
real race-hero and namer of Svithiod is on his way to Sökkmimir's abode and about to
enter. The myth could not have conceived the matter in this way, unless the pretended
race-hero was believed to act the part of the real one. The arrival of the real one makes
Odin's position, which was already full of peril, still more dangerous, and threatens him
with discovery and its consequences.
(5) If Odin appeared in the part of a "champion drinker," he was compelled to
drink much in Sökkmimir's halls in order to maintain his part, and this, too, must have
added to the danger of his position.
(6) Still the prudent Asa-father seems to have observed some degree of caution, in
order that his plans might not be frustrated by the real Sveigðir. That which happens
gives the strongest support to this supposition, which in itself is very probable.
Sökkmimir's doorkeeper keeps watch in the darkness outside. When he discovers the
approach of Sveigðir, he goes to meet him and informs him that Odin is inside.
Consequently the doorkeeper knows that Sviðurr is Odin, who is unknown to all those
within excepting to Odin himself. This and what follows seems to show positively that
the wise Odin and the cunning dwarf act upon a settled plan. It may be delusion or
reality, but Sveigðir sees the mountain door open to the illuminated giant-hall, and the
information that Odin is within (the dwarf may or may not have added that Odin pretends
to be Sveigðir) causes him, the "proud one," "of noble race," the kinsman of Dulsi
(epithet of Mundilfari, see No. 83), to rush with all his might after the dwarf against the
real or apparent door, and the result is that the dwarf succeeded in "deceiving" him (he
vélti Sveigðir), so that he never more was seen.
This is what we learn from the strophes in Grímnismál and Ynglingatal, with the
prose text of the latter. If we now compare this with what Hávamál and Eyvind relate, we
get the following parallels:
25 This etymology is not sound. Webster's 9 th New Collegiate Dictionary (1983) lists swig as first appearing
in 1621, origin unknown. Interestingly for the variant Sviðrir, Simek notes the possibility of a derivation
from the word sviða, spear, and applies this to Odin, "the spear-god." Later Rydberg demonstrates the true
Sviðrir's (Ivaldi's) position as a mythic spear champion. On this point see Nos. 111 & 123.