Sleipnir's Origin

Then spoke Gangleri: ‘Whose is the horse Sleipnir? And what is
there to tell about it?’

High said: ‘You do not know details of Sleipnir and are not
acquainted with the circumstances of its origin!—but you will find
this worth listening to. It was right at the beginning of the gods’
settlement, when the gods had established Midgard and built
Val-hall, there came there a certain builder and offered to build
them a fortification in three seasons so good that it would be
reliable and secure against mountain-giants and frost-giants even
though they should come in over Midgard. And he stipulated as
his payment that he should get Freyia as his wife, and he wished to
have the sun and moon. Then the Æsir went into discussion and
held a conference, and this bargain was made with the builder that
he should get what he demanded if he managed to build the
fortification in one winter, but on the first day of summer if there
was anything unfinished in the fortification then he should forfeit
his payment. He was to receive from no man help with the work.
And when they told him these terms, then he asked that they
should permit him to have the help of his stallion called Svadilfæri.
And it was Loki that was responsible for this being granted
him. He set to work the first day of winter to build the fortification,
and at night he hauled up stone with the stallion. And the
Æsir thought it a great marvel what enormous rocks this stallion
hauled, and the stallion performed twice the deed of strength that
the builder did. But at their agreement there had been mighty
witnesses invoked and many oaths, for the giants did not think it
safe to be among the Æsir without a guarantee of safety if Thor
were to return home, but at the time he was gone away into
eastern parts to thrash trolls. And as winter passed the building of
the fortification advanced rapidly and it was so high and strong
that it could not be stormed. And when summer was three days
away then he had almost got round to the entrance of the
fortification. Then the gods took their places on their judgment
seats and tried to think of what to do and asked each other who
had been responsible for the decision to marry Freyia into
Giantland and to spoil the sky and heaven by taking away sun and
moon and giving them to giants. And there was agreement among
them all that he must have been responsible for this decision who
is responsible for most evil, Loki Laufeyiarson, and declared he
would deserve an evil death if he did not find a scheme whereby
the builder would forfeit his payment, and they offered to attack
Loki. And he, being afraid, swore oaths that he would manage
things so the builder would forfeit his payment, whatever it cost
him to do it. And the same evening, when the builder drove out for
stone with his stallion Svadilfæri, there ran out of a certain wood a
mare up to the stallion and neighed at it. And when the stallion
realized what kind of horse it was, it went frantic and tore apart
the tackle and ran towards the mare, and she away to the wood
and the builder after them, trying to catch the stallion, and these
horses ran around all night and the building work was held up for
that night. The next day not as much building was done as had
been the case previously. And when the builder realized that the
work was not going to be completed, then the builder got into a
giant rage. But when the Æsir saw for certain that it was a
mountain-giant that they had there, then the oaths were disregarded
and they called upon Thor and he came in a trice and the
next thing was that Miollnir was raised aloft. Then he paid the
builder’s wages and it wasn’t the sun and moon, instead he
stopped him from living in Giantland and struck the first blow so
that his skull was shattered into fragments and sent him down
beneath Niflhel. But Loki had had such dealings with Svadilfaeri
that somewhat later he gave birth to a foal. It was grey and had
eight legs, and this is the best horse among gods and men. Thus it
says in Voluspa:

Then went all the powers to their judgment seats, most holy.
gods, and deliberated upon this, who had tainted all the sky
with darkness and to die family of giants given Od’s beloved.

Oaths were gone back on, pledged words and promises, all
the solemn vows that passed between them. Thor achieved
this alone, bursting with wrath. He seldom sits idle when he
learns of such things.’

Then spoke Gangieri: ‘What is there to be told about Skidbladnir
if it is the best of ships? Is there no other ship as good as it
or as big?’


- Prose Edda, Gylfaginning