Svipdag

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Freyja and Svipdag illustrated by John Bauer in 1911 for Our Fathers' Godsaga by Viktor Rydberg. Rydberg maintains that Svipdag is another name of Freyja's husband, Óðr.

Svipdag is the hero of the two Old Norse Eddaic poems, Grógaldr and Fjölsvinnsmál, which are contained within the body of one work; Svipdagsmál. Svipdag is set a task by his stepmother to win the hand of the giantess Mengloth in marriage. In order to accomplish this he summons, by means of necromancy the shade of his dead mother, Gróa, a völva, to cast nine spells for him. This she does and he duly arrives at the castle where he is interrogated in a game of riddles by the watchman, from whom he conceals his true name. Ultimately he learns that the castle is occupied by Mengloth and the gates will only open to one person: Svipdag. On revealing his identity, the gates of the castle open and Mengloth greets her saviour.

A champion by the same name, perhaps the same character, appears in the Heimskringla and in Gesta Danorum as one of Hugleik's champions. He fought with his friend Geigad.

In his Our Fathers' Godsaga, the Swedish scholar Viktor Rydberg identified Óðr/Óttar with the hero Svipdag.

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Svipdag

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