Alvis
A lsvid ( A lsvith ; A lsvin ;
All-Swift or All-
Strong) One of the two horses that drew the
Sun’s chariot through the sky. The other horse
was Arvakr. The fair maiden Sol drove the pair
of horses. Although they pulled the heat of the
Sun, according to the poem G riminsmal , the gods
placed a cool iron under their yokes to keep them
comfortable.
Snorri Sturluson references Alsvid and Arvakr
in G ylfaginning when he tells the story of how the
gods punished Mundalfari for naming his children
Moon and Sun. Snorri says that it is a bellows that
keeps the horses cool.
A lvis (All-Wise) A dwarf, tricked by Thor, who
was turned to stone. Alvis had come to Asgard to
claim the bride (perhaps Thrud, daughter of the
god Thor) whom the gods had promised him. Thor,
knowing that Alvis, like many dwarfs, liked to show
off his considerable knowledge, lured the dwarf
into a lengthy question-and-answer game. Thor
asked Alvis for alternative names for the 13 words
that were most important in the lives of Viking-age
Scandinavians. These names the dwarf gave accord-
ing to the main groups of beings that inhabited
the worlds of Norse mythology. Alvis talked as
the night wore on. At dawn, the Sun, which the
dwarf had called “Dvalin’s Delight,” came up and
turned Alvis to stone, as was the fate of all dwarfs
caught in the sunlight.
The 13 words for which Alvis gave alternative
names are given in the A lvissmal (The Lay of Alvis)
in the P oetic E dda . They are as follows:
Alvis’s Answers
Thor men Aesir Vanir giants men Earth Field The Ways Ever Green heaven Heaven The Height
The Weaver
The Up-
The Dripping
of Winds World Hall moon Moon
Flame
The Goer
The
The Teller
Gleamer of Time
sun
Sun
Orb of the
The Ever
The Deceiver
Sun Bright of Dvalin clouds Clouds Rain Hope
Kites of the
Water-Hope
Weather
the Wind Might wind
Wind
The
The Wailer
Roaring
Waverer Wender
calm
Calm
The Quiet
The Hush of
The Sultry
The Shelter
the Winds of the Day sea
Sea
The Smooth The Wave
Eel Home
The Deep
Drink
Lying Stuff
fire woods The
The Mane
Wood of the Field night
Night
Darkness
The
The Weaver
Lightless of Dreams Sleep’s Joy
seed Grain Corn Growth The Eaten Drink Stuff
ale Ale Beer The Foaming Bright Draught
Fire
Flame
dwarves
Wildfire The Biter
The Wand Flame Food
elves
The Grower
The Fair-Roof
Fair Wheel
Day’s Stillness
The Burner
Fair Limbed