Drink Mead

Odin sought lodging for the night with a giant
called Baugi, Suttung’s brother. Baugi reckoned his economic
affairs were going badly, and said his nine slaves had killed each
other, and declared he did not know where he was going to get
workmen from. Odin told him his name was Bolverk; he offered
to take over the work of nine men for Baugi, and stipulated as his
payment one drink of Suttung’s mead. Baugi said he had no say in
the disposal of the mead, said that Suttung wanted to have it all to
himself, but he said he would go with Bolverk and try whether
they could get the mead. Bolverk did the work of nine men for
Baugi during the summer, and when winter came he asked Baugi
for his hire. Then they both set off. Baugi told his brother Suttung of
his agreement with Bolverk, but Suttung flatly refused a single drop
of the mead. Then Bolverk told Baugi that they would have to try
some stratagems to see if they could get hold of the mead, and Baugi
said that was a good idea. Then Bolverk got out an auger called
Rati and instructed Baugi to bore a hole in the mountain, if the
auger would cut. He did so. Then Baugi said that the mountain
was bored through, but Bolverk blew into the auger-hole and the
bits flew back up at him. Then he realized that Baugi was trying to
cheat him, and told him to bore through the mountain. Baugi
bored again. And when Bolverk blew a second time, the bits flew
inwards. Then Bolverk turned himself into the form of a snake
and crawled into the auger-hole, and Baugi stabbed after him with
the auger and missed him. Bolverk went to where Gunnlod was
and lay with her for three nights and then she let him drink three
draughts of the mead. In the first draught he drank everything out
of Odrerir, and in the second out of Bodn, in the third out of Son,
and then he had all the mead. Then he turned himself into the
form of an eagle and flew as hard as he could. And when Suttung
saw the eagle’s flight he got his own eagle shape and flew after
him. And when the Æsir saw Odin flying they put their containers
out in the courtyard, and when Odin came in over Asgard he spat
out the mead into the containers, but it was such a close thing for
him that Suttung might have caught him that he sent some of the
mead out backwards, and this was disregarded. Anyone took it
that wanted it, and it is what we call the rhymester’s share. But
Odin gave Suttung’s mead to the Æsir and to those people who
are skilled at composing poetry. Thus we call poetry Odin’s booty
and find, and his drink and his gift and the Æsir’s drink.’


- Prose Edda, Skaldskaparmal