Now, it was the builder’s turn to be enraged, and in his fury he revealed that he was actually one of the banished race of giants-so Odin smashed his skull in with his foe hammer. Sure enough, the stallion tore away from the builder and pursued the mare into the forest.
That same night, he shapeshifted into a beautiful mare and went out to attract the builder’s stallion. Loki was terrified, but his crafty brain didn’t fail him. If Loki didn’t find a way to interrupt the builder’s progress, the gods swore they would sentence him to a cruel death. They took their wrath out on Loki, as it was obvious that the builder couldn’t have completed his task without the help of his stallion. They had never intended to pay the builder and had depended on him failing to meet the project’s deadline. The stallion hauled enormous rocks to the building site day in and day out, and by the time the project’s deadline approached, it was clear the builder would finish his work. Much to the amazement and chagrin of the gods, they soon found that the builder and his stallion were equal to their task. Loki convinced the other gods to allow this, and the builder began work. When he heard the gods’ conditions, the builder begged to be allowed the help of his stallion, Svaoilfair. After a heated debate, the gods agreed to the deal, but they stipulated that no man could help the builder, and if the fortress was not complete in three seasons, he would receive no payment. The builder claimed that he could complete this fortress in three seasons, but in exchange, he wanted the goddess Freyja and the sun and the moon as payment. During the early days of Midgard, the gods were approached by a builder who offered to build a fortification for them to keep out invaders. The extraordinary circumstances that surround the birth of Sleipnir make up a very famous Norse legend. He also rears his head in a number of smaller sagas, including the Volsunga Saga, the Gesta Danorum, and the Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks. Sleipnir is discussed in both the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, which together form the largest volume of our knowledge about early Norse culture. The Tjangvide Stone (dated back to the eighth century) shows a rider and an eight-legged horse, whose hooves are nested in Norse runes, while the Ardre VIII Stone (also dated to the eighth or ninth century) shows a similar horse and rider tramping through a majestic hall. Cultural Representation Archaeological RecordĮight-legged horses appear in several of the “picture stones” that have been recovered from ancient Norse Settlements. He also has an important role to play whenever Odin must confront death, as he does on his trip to Hel and during the battle of Ragnarok. As a fylgja, Sleipnir might represent Odin’s power and nobility. He is a spirit animal who manifests Odin’s true character to other people and who appears to the god himself as an omen before a fated event.
Some scholars speculate that Sleipnir is one of Odin’s fylgur. Grani takes after his father in size, coloration, and strength, but he doesn’t have eight legs. Sleipnir later has a child of his own, an exceptional young stallion named Grani. Despite being the product of the devious god Loki and a stallion belonging to the banished race of giants, Sleipnir was accepted by the Norse goods and proved to be a noble-hearted ally. Loki, in the shape of a mare, was impregnated by Svaoilfair and later gave birth to Sleipnir. He is the child of Loki and Svaoilfari, a giant stallion who was employed in building a fortification for the gods. Sleipnir’s lineage explains his freakish form and incredible power. Famously, he is even able to ferry Odin safely in and out of Hel, the realm of the dead. In addition to racing over the ground, Odin’s mighty steed can also fly through the air and swim through water. His strength knows no equal, and his heart knows no fear. Sleipnir is “the best among horses.” He can gallop faster, jump higher, kick harder, and whinny louder than any other horse, whether it is found grazing on the grass of Midgard or feasting in the rich stables of Asgard. In one story, a Valkyrie mandates that Norse runes should be carved into Sleipnir’s teeth. Sleipnir’s coat is as gray as a thundercloud, and his mane and tail are streams of darker grey. Other works of art show him using all his legs independently. In some depictions of Odin riding Sleipnir, the mighty horse’s extra legs are shackled to his regular legs at the knee. His extra legs are coupled with his regular legs, growing from his shoulders and his haunches. Sleipnir is a large, muscular horse with eight legs instead of four.
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