The Poetic Edda on Hymir
The > Volume I > Introductory Note
attestation: Hymir is characterized by greatness in the verse.
"The Hymiskvitha is found complete in both manuscripts; in Regius it follows the Harbarthsljoth, while in the Arnamagnæan Codex it comes after the Grimnismol. Snorri does not quote it, although he tells the main story involved. "
attestation: Hymir is characterized by wisdom in the verse.
"5. "There dwells to the east | of Elivagar Hymir the wise | at the end of heaven; A kettle my father | fierce doth own, A mighty vessel | a mile in depth."
Thor spake:"
attestation: The stanza describes warfare or combat involving Hymir.
"7. Forward that day | with speed they fared, From Asgarth came they | to Egil's home; The goats with horns | bedecked he guarded; Then they sped to the hall | where Hymir dwelt."
attestation: The stanza describes travel or movement involving Hymir.
"7. Forward that day | with speed they fared, From Asgarth came they | to Egil's home; The goats with horns | bedecked he guarded; Then they sped to the hall | where Hymir dwelt."
attestation: The stanza describes death or destruction involving Hymir.
"10. Late to his home | the misshapen Hymir, The giant harsh, | from his hunting came; The icicles rattled | as in he came, For the fellow's chin-forest | frozen was."
relationship: Hymir is the spouse of Sif.
"15. By a head was each | the shorter hewed, And the beasts to the fire | straight they bore; The husband of Sif, | ere to sleep he went, Alone two oxen | of Hymir's ate."
attribution: Hymir delivers a speech in the verse.
"17. . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . Fain to row on the sea | was Veur, he said, If the giant bold | would give him bait.
Hymir spake:"
- attestation: Hymir is characterized by age in the verse.
"17. . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . Fain to row on the sea | was Veur, he said, If the giant bold | would give him bait.
Hymir spake:"
- attestation: Hymir is characterized by boldness in the verse.
"17. . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . Fain to row on the sea | was Veur, he said, If the giant bold | would give him bait.
Hymir spake:"
attestation: Hymir is characterized by power in the verse.
"22. Two whales on his hook | did the mighty Hymir Soon pull up | on a single cast; In the stern the kinsman | of Othin sat, And Veur with cunning | his cast prepared."
attribution: Hymir delivers a speech in the verse.
"26. . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . Joyless as back | they rowed was the giant; Speechless did Hymir | sit at the oars, With the rudder he sought | a second wind.
Hymir spake:"
attestation: Hymir is characterized by age in the verse.
"31. But the loved one fair | of the giant found A counsel true, | and told her thought: "Smite the skull of Hymir, | heavy with food, For harder it is | than ever was glass.""
attestation: The stanza describes death or destruction involving Hymir.
"32. The goats' mighty ruler | then rose on his knee, And with all the strength | of a god he struck; Whole was the fellow's | helmet-stem, But shattered the wine-cup | rounded was.
Hymir spake:"
- attestation: The stanza references rulership or authority involving Hymir.
"32. The goats' mighty ruler | then rose on his knee, And with all the strength | of a god he struck; Whole was the fellow's | helmet-stem, But shattered the wine-cup | rounded was.
Hymir spake:"
attestation: The stanza describes travel or movement involving Hymir.
"40. The mighty one came | to the council of gods, And the kettle he had | that Hymir's was; So gladly their ale | the gods could drink In Ægir's hall | at the autumn-time."
attestation: Hymir is characterized by power in the verse.
"40. The mighty one came | to the council of gods, And the kettle he had | that Hymir's was; So gladly their ale | the gods could drink In Ægir's hall | at the autumn-time."
attestation: Hymir is characterized by gladness in the verse.
"40. The mighty one came | to the council of gods, And the kettle he had | that Hymir's was; So gladly their ale | the gods could drink In Ægir's hall | at the autumn-time."
The > Volume I > Notes
attestation: Hymir's glance broke a beam and shattered all kettles except one where Thor and Tyr were hiding
"the giant's glance, besides breaking the beam, knocks down all the kettles with such violence that all but the one under which Thor and Tyr are hiding are broken"
attestation: Hymir's wrath could not override his obligation to show hospitality to guests
"Hymir's wrath does not permit him to ignore the duties of a host to his guests, always strongly insisted on"
attestation: Hymir is called the comrade of Hrungnir because both are giants
"The comrade of Hrungnir: Hymir, presumably simply because both are giants"
attestation: In Snorri's version, Hymir declined to fish with Thor because Thor was too small to bother with
"Hymir declines to go fishing with Thor on the ground that the latter is too small a person to be worth bothering about. "You would freeze," he says, "if you stayed out in mid-ocean as long as I generally do.""
attestation: The motif of an unbreakable glass appears in folklore across multiple cultures
"The glass which cannot be broken appears in the folklore of various races"
attestation: Hymir's mother is the only many-headed giant to actually appear in the action of the Eddic poems
"Hymir's mother is, however, the only many-headed giant actually to appear in the action of the poems"
attestation: Hymir is the frost-giant from the Hymiskvitha, and his daughters are mentioned in connection with Njorth
"Daughters of Hymir: we have no clue to who these were, though Hymir is doubtless the frost-giant of the Hymiskvitha"