2-37“The Sayings of Grimnir” Stanza 1–3, 42, 45, 51–54

The God Bound Between the Fires

Who helped the guest between the fires?

In *The Sayings of Grimnir*, Odin and Frigg make a wager about how King Geirrod treats his guests. Frigg sends a messenger to warn the king to beware of a sorcerer who has entered his land.

The man the king captures wears a dark blue cloak. He calls himself Grimnir but answers no other questions. To make him speak, the king places him between two fires. He remains there for 8 nights.

The king's son Agnar believes the man is being made to suffer for no reason. He offers him a drinking horn filled to the brim. The man drinks, then begins to speak of the halls of the gods. He also reveals how the world is formed.

The man reveals that he is Odin. The king rises to free him from the fires, but his sword slips from his hand. He stumbles, falls onto the blade and dies. The god vanishes. Afterward, Agnar rules as king for many years.

Illustration of The God Bound Between the Fires