Apples and Ring

Gerd said:
16 ‘Tell him to come in into our hall
and drink the famous mead;
though I am afraid that out here may be
my brother’s slayer.*

17 ‘Who are you, of the elves or of the Æsir’s sons,
or of the wise Vanir?
Why do you come alone over the wild fire
to see our company?’

Skirnir said:
18 ‘I am not of the elves or of the Æsir’s sons,
or of the wise Vanir,
though I come alone over the wild fire
to see your company.

19 ‘Eleven apples here I have all of gold,*
those I will give you, Gerd,
to buy your favour, that you may say that to you
Freyr’s the least loathsome man alive.’

Gerd said:
20 ‘Eleven apples I will never accept
at any man’s desire,
nor will Freyr and I settle down together
as long as our lives last.’

Skirnir said:
21 ‘I shall give you a ring, the one which was burnt
with Odin’s young son;
eight are the equally heavy ones, that drop from it
every ninth night.’*

Gerd said:
22 ‘I won’t accept a ring, even if it was burnt
with Odin’s young son;
I lack no gold in Gymir’s courts,
my father’s wealth at my disposal.’


- Poetic Edda, Skírnismál


("Eleven apples: apples are normally the attribute of Idunn, who prevented the Æsir from ageing with her apples of youth. Eleven is not normally a significant number in Norse, and it may be there has been confusion between ellifo, ‘eleven’, as the manuscript reads, and ellilyf, ‘old-age drug’, which would confirm the connection with Idunn." - from the Explanatory Notes section included with the translation)

("every ninth night: this must be the famous ring Draupnir which belonged to Odin and which has the self-replicating property mentioned. Odin placed it on Baldr’s funeral pyre and Baldr sent it back to him from Hel with the messenger, Hermod: Snorri, Edda, p. 50. How, or indeed whether, Skirnir has it within his gift is not clear." - from the Explanatory Notes section included with the translation)