How Odin Stole the Mead

How did Odin bring the mead home?

In *Skaldskaparmal*, Odin uses a whetstone to sharpen the scythes of 9 slaves who are cutting grass. The slaves all want the stone. When Odin throws it into the air, they scramble to catch it. In the scramble, they slash one another's necks with their scythes and die.

Calling himself Bolverk, Odin asks the giant Baugi for a sip of mead in return for his work. All summer, he does the work of 9 men. But Suttung, who owns the mead, refuses to give him any. Odin has Baugi bore a hole into the rocky mountain with an auger. Then he turns into a snake and slips inside.

After spending 3 nights with Gunnlod, Odin receives permission to take 3 drinks of mead. In 3 drinks, he empties all 3 vessels. He turns into an eagle and flies away, but Suttung becomes an eagle too and chases him.

In Asgard, the gods set out vessels in the courtyard. Odin spits the mead into them. He gives the mead he has brought home to the gods and to people who can compose poetry. In *Skaldskaparmal*, poetry is also called “Odin's gift.”

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