breidablik 13 the other was Son. The dwarfs also used the kettle, Odrerir, when they killed the wise poet, Kvasir( 1), and used his blood to make the mead.
Snorri Sturluson uses the names Bodn and Son in Skaldsaparmal, his work of advice to young poets. Odrerir, the kettle, is named in early works of Norse mythology.( See“ The Mead of Poetry” under Odin.)
Bolthur( BolÞorn; Bolthorn; Thorn of Evil) The Hrimthurggar father of Bestla and a son whose name is unknown but is probably the god mimer. Bestla married Bor and bore him three sons, Odin, Vili, and Ve. Thus Bolthur was Odin’ s grandfather.
When Odin hanged himself from the World Tree, Yggdrasil, to gain wisdom, he learned nine songs from the son of Bolthor, Odin’ s uncle( see“ Lord of the Gallows,” under Odin). In Norse mythology, and folklore, there was often a close bond between a man and his maternal uncle, who sometimes acted as godfather or surrogate father. Bolthur is identified in the poem Havamal and in Gylfaginning.
Bolverk( Evil-Doer) The name Odin used when he went to Jotunheim to steal back the mead of poetry. Odin took the form of a tall, strong man. When he found nine slaves working wearily in a field, he offered to sharpen their scythes with his whetstone.
The slaves were so impressed with the sharpness of their blades after Bolverk had honed them that they asked for the whetstone. Odin-Bolverk threw it up in the air. As they scrambled to catch it, the nine workers managed to kill one another with their scythes. Thus Odin-Bolverk was able to ingratiate himself with their master, Baugi, who now had no workers and was glad to employ the stranger.
As a reward for his work, Baugi eventually led Odin to the cave where the mead of poetry was hidden. The story is told in the poem Havamal and in Snorri Sturluson’ s Gylfaginning.
Bor( BUR) Son of Buri, who was known as the father of the gods. According to early Norse poetry, Bor married Bestla, the daughter of a rime-giant. Bor’ s sons killed the first giant, Ymir, and created the world from his body parts. According to Snorri Sturluson, Bor’ s sons were Odin, Vili, and Ve.
bracteates( bractates) Small stamped pendants or amulets of metal, usually gold, similar to handmade coins from around 400 – 550 a. d. Bracteates are found across most of Scandinavia, usually in graves or sites of ship burials.
Many have depictions of scenes or objects that scholars connect to Norse mythology. For example, one shows a man’ s hand being bitten off by a wolf, part of the story of Tyr and Fenrir. Some bracteates even depict runes; several contain the complete runic alphabet.
Some scholars suggest that bracteates were magical charms worn to bring the blessings of the gods or to ward off evil.
Bragi The god of poetry, eloquence, and music. Bragi was the son of Odin and Gunlod and husband of Idunn. Bragi does not play a major role in Norse myths. He played a harp and sang so sweetly that even the trees and flowers were charmed by him. Norsemen called their poets or skalds bragamen or bragawomen. Because Odin had a great knowledge of poetry, some scholars see Bragi as another facet of Odin’ s personality.
Breidablik( Broad Splendor; Wide View) The shining hall of the god Balder, located in Asgard. Breidablik is the seventh of the gods’ homes described in the poem Grimnismal. It is located in a land free from evil, where only fair things dwell, including
Bracteate from Funen, Denmark, featuring an inscription that includes the term“ The High One,” a name for Odin( Photo by Bloodofox / Used under a Creative Commons license)