Fjalarr and Galarr Give up the Mead of Poetry

The dwarves Fjalarr and Galarr had murdered Kvasir and brewed his blood into the mead of poetry. They were not finished making trouble. Next they invited a giant named Gillingr and his wife to stay with them.

Gillingr’s Demise

The dwarves asked Gillingr to row out to sea with them. Along the coast they steered onto a rock and capsized the boat. Gillingr couldn’t swim, and he drowned.

Gillingr’s Wife Dies

Back home, Gillingr’s wife wept and wailed. Fjalarr asked if it would ease her grief to look out at the sea where her husband died. Then, saying he was tired of her howling, he told his brother Galarr to climb above the doorway, and when she went out, Galarr dropped a millstone on her head.

Suttungr’s Revenge

Gillingr’s son, Suttungr, returned home to find the two dwarves jumping up and down and laughing. His dead mother laid on the ground at their feet. Suttungr picked up Fjalarr and Galarr, one in each hand, and took them out to sea. He placed them on a rock where they would be submerged and drowned when the tide came in.

The dwarves, fearing for their lives, screamed at Suttungr. They promised him anything he wanted if he would only save them.

Suttungr’s Deal

To save their lives, the dwarves offered Suttungr the only thing they had worth giving: the precious mead brewed from Kvasir’s blood.

Though furious to part with their prize, the dwarves valued life over treasure. They swore the mead to Suttungr, who ferried them back to shore. True to their word, they delivered Odrerir—the mead of poetry—into the giant’s hands, sealing the next chapter of its fateful journey.