The Name That Opens the Gate

Whose name opens the gate to the hall?

At a hall surrounded by flames, the gatekeeper Fjolsvid tries to send Svipdag away. Svipdag asks question after question about the things around the hall. Neither fire nor iron can bring down the tree Mimameid. In its branches sits Vidofnir, a rooster shining with gold.

The dogs guarding the gate take turns sleeping, one by day and the other by night. Since they never sleep at the same time, no one can enter. The weapon that can kill the rooster is Laevatein. It is kept in a chest secured with 9 locks.

At last, Svipdag asks whether anyone may sleep in Menglod's arms. The answer is Svipdag alone. He is the man destined to become her husband. So he reveals his name: Svipdag.

The hall opens, and even the dogs are glad. Menglod tells him she has been waiting for him all this time. Now, she says, they will spend the rest of their lives together.

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