Timeless Myths Logo
Aphrodite Apollo Ares Artemis Athena Atlas Coeus Crius Cronus Demeter Dionysus Gaia Hades Hephaestus Hera Hermes Hestia Hyperion Iapetus Mnemosyne Oceanus Phobos Phoebe Poseidon Prometheus Rhea Tethys Themis Uranus Zeus
Bacchus Ceres Diana Juno Jupiter Mars Mercury Minerva Neptune Pluto Venus Vesta Vulcan
Amun Anubis Aten Atum Babi Bastet Bes Geb Hapi hathor heqet Horus Isis Khepri Khnum Khonsu Maat Nephthys Nut Osiris Ptah Ra Seshat Seth Shu Sobek Thoth
Alfheim Baldur Freya Freyr Frigg Heimdallr Helheim Idun Jotunheim Loki Nerthus Njord Odin Thor Tyr
Aengus Arawn Badb Brigid Cailleach Ceridwen Cernunnos Cu Chulainn Dagda Danu Gwydion Herne the Hunter Lugh Medb Morrigan Neit Nuada Taliesin Taranis
Chalchiuhtlicue Coatlicue Huitzilopochtli Mictlantecuhtli Mixcoatl Ometeotl Quetzalcoatl Tezcatlipoca Tlaloc Tonatiuh Xipe Totec Xochiquetzal Xolotl
Amaterasu Ame no Uzume Benzaiten Bishamonten Daikokuten Ebisu Fujin Fukurokuju Inari Izanagi Kagutsuchi Raijin Susanoo Tsukuyomi
Caishen Cangjie Dragon King Eight Immortals Erlang Shen Fuxi Guanyin Hou Yi Huxian Jade Emperor King Yama Leizi Lu-ban Mazu Nezha Nuwa Pangu Shennong Sun Wukong Xiwangmu Yue Lao Zhong Kui
Norse Classical Celtic Arthurian
Literature Stories Names
Aphrodite Apollo Ares Artemis Athena Atlas Coeus Crius Cronus Demeter Dionysus Gaia Hades Hephaestus Hera Hermes Hestia Hyperion Iapetus Mnemosyne Oceanus Phobos Phoebe Poseidon Prometheus Rhea Tethys Themis Uranus Zeus
Bacchus Ceres Diana Juno Jupiter Mars Mercury Minerva Neptune Pluto Venus Vesta Vulcan
Amun Anubis Aten Atum Babi Bastet Bes Geb Hapi hathor heqet Horus Isis Khepri Khnum Khonsu Maat Nephthys Nut Osiris Ptah Ra Seshat Seth Shu Sobek Thoth
Alfheim Baldur Freya Freyr Frigg Heimdallr Helheim Idun Jotunheim Loki Nerthus Njord Odin Thor Tyr
Aengus Arawn Badb Brigid Cailleach Ceridwen Cernunnos Cu Chulainn Dagda Danu Gwydion Herne the Hunter Lugh Medb Morrigan Neit Nuada Taliesin Taranis
Chalchiuhtlicue Coatlicue Huitzilopochtli Mictlantecuhtli Mixcoatl Ometeotl Quetzalcoatl Tezcatlipoca Tlaloc Tonatiuh Xipe Totec Xochiquetzal Xolotl
Amaterasu Ame no Uzume Benzaiten Bishamonten Daikokuten Ebisu Fujin Fukurokuju Inari Izanagi Kagutsuchi Raijin Susanoo Tsukuyomi
Caishen Cangjie Dragon King Eight Immortals Erlang Shen Fuxi Guanyin Hou Yi Huxian Jade Emperor King Yama Leizi Lu-ban Mazu Nezha Nuwa Pangu Shennong Sun Wukong Xiwangmu Yue Lao Zhong Kui
Norse Classical Celtic Arthurian
Literature Stories Names
  1. Norse Mythology
    Asgard Valhalla Norse Sagas About Norse Mythology Facts and Figures Genealogy Bibliography
  2. Asgard
    Aesir Vanir Teutonic Deities Giants Of Dwarves and Elves Monsters
  3. Giants
    Ymir (Aurgelmir) Buri Bor Bergelmer Surt Vafthrudnir Hrimthurs Thrym Hrungnir Hymir Geirrod Thiassi Suttung Hrym Hræsvelg Aspilian Bestla Angerboda Skadi Grid Gerd Jarnsaxa Gunnlod Fenia & Menia
  4. Vafthrudnir

Vafthrudnir

Vafthrudnir was the wisest of giants, according to one of the poems from the Poetic Edda – Vafthrudnismal ("Vafthrudnir's Sayings").

Apart from Vafthrudnir being the son of the giant Im, not much is known about Vafthrudnir. He is not mentioned in any other poems.

Vafthrudnir was involved in a game of questions and answers between himself and Odin. However, Odin had disguised himself as a human wanderer, calling himself Gagnrad and seeking Vafthrudnir's wisdom. Vafthrudnir accepted Gagnrad's challenge, only recognising Odin at the end of the poem when the giant couldn't answer the last question from Odin.

See Vafthrudnir: Contest of Wisdom in the Search for Wisdom.

Related Information

Name

Vafthrudnir.

Related Articles

Odin.

Vafthrudnir: Contest of Wisdom.

Jimmy Joe Timeless Myths

By Jimmy Joe

Giants:

  • • Ymir (Aurgelmir)
  • • Buri
  • • Bor
  • • Bergelmer
  • • Surt
  • • Vafthrudnir
  • • Hrimthurs
  • • Thrym
  • • Hrungnir
  • • Hymir
  • • Geirrod
  • • Thiassi
  • • Suttung
  • • Hrym
  • • Hræsvelg
  • • Aspilian
  • • Bestla
  • • Angerboda
  • • Skadi
  • • Grid
  • • Gerd
  • • Jarnsaxa
  • • Gunnlod
  • • Fenia & Menia
Vafthrudnir: Contest of Wisdom

Vafthrudnir: Contest of Wisdom

The dialogue in Vafthrudnismal ("Vafthrudnir's Sayings") begin with Odin telling his wife Frigg that he would visit the giant Vafthrudnir , who was reputed to be the wisest of giants. Frigg would have preferred that Odin stay at home, rather than ...

October 10th, 2000 • Jimmy Joe
Mimir

Mimir

The wisest god of the Aesir. During the peace between two warring tribes of gods, the Aesir and Vanir, the two sides exchanged hostages. The Aesir received Njörd (Njord) and Freyr , while the Vanir received Mimir and Hoenir . When they discovered ...

July 23rd, 1999 • Jimmy Joe
Search for Wisdom

Search for Wisdom

The following tales were about the god Odin's search for wisdom and magical powers to avoid his doom and the destruction of the gods and the Nine Worlds at Ragnarök . His search leads him to break solemn oaths and terrible sacrifices. Related Page...

October 10th, 2000 • Jimmy Joe
Vidar

Vidar

Vidar was the son of Odin and the giantess Grid "peace". Vidar was known as the silent god or silent As, because he rarely talked. Vidar was thesecond strongest As after Thor . Vidar lived in Brushwood. Brushwood was either the name of his hall or...

July 23rd, 1999 • Jimmy Joe
Odin

Odin

Odin: The Norse King of the Gods Odin was the chief of all the gods in Norse mythology. Because of his high status as king of the gods, he was also called the All-Father. He was a warrior, poet, and magician, and he ruled over the Aesir tribe of t...

April 2nd, 2002 • Timeless Myths
Kvasir

Kvasir

Kvasir was the wisest of the Vanir. Kvasir was born from the saliva of the two groups of gods, Aesir and Vanir. It was how the two warring deities made peace by spitting in a vessel. Kvasir wandered around the world, teaching people about his know...

July 23rd, 1999 • Jimmy Joe
Thirst for Knowledge and Power

Thirst for Knowledge and Power

Knowledge is power, so the saying goes. Which means that secret knowledge is secret power. Odin did not seek knowledge for its own sake. Rather, he tried to find a way to circumvent the destruction of the gods and the world that he helped to creat...

October 10th, 2000 • Jimmy Joe
Hrungnir

Hrungnir

Hrungnir was a giant from Griotunagardar, frontier of Giantland. He was considered to be the strongest giant in the world. His head and heart was made of stone. Hrungnir owned a horse called Gullfaxi ("Golden Mane"), the fastest horse in the Giant...

August 27th, 1999 • Jimmy Joe
Vili (Hœnir)

Vili (Hœnir)

Vili was the son of the giants Bor and Bestla . Vili was sometimes called Hœnir (Hoenir or Haenir). Vili, along with his brothers, Odin and Ve , killed the giant Ymir and created the universe. As Hœnir, he gave the gifts of spirit and understandin...

July 23rd, 1999 • Jimmy Joe
Odin

Odin

Ruler of universe and leader of the Aesir. Odin was the son of the giants Bor and Bestla . He, along with his brothers, Ve (Lodur) and Vili (Hœnir) created the universe. When he and his brothers created the first man and woman, named Askr and Embl...

July 23rd, 1999 • Jimmy Joe

Explore Myths

All Stories

Characters

All Articles

Search

Site Map

Mythologies

Norse Mythology

Classical Mythology

Celtic Mythology

Arthurian Legends

Mythology Gods

Ancient Literature

About Us

Introduction

About Jimmy

Bibliography

FAQs

Retro Version

Resources

Timeless Myths

All Stories

All Articles

Characters

Copyright Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Contact

© 1999-2025

Timeless Myths

© 2025 Timeless Myths