Sökkmímir Explained

Sökkmímir or Søkkmímir was a Norse, Old: [[jötunn]] who appears in two sources from Norse mythology, suggesting that he was once a well-known Norse, Old: jötunn in Scandinavia.

In Grímnismál, stanza 50, it appears that Odin killed the Norse, Old: jötunn:

Sviðurr ok Sviðrir

er ek hét at Søkkmímis,

ok dulða ek þann inn alda iötun,

þá er ek Miðviðnis vark

ins mæra burar

orðinn einbani.[1]

So. I deceived the giant

Sokkmimir old

As Svithur and Svithrir of yore;

Of Mithvitnir's son

the slayer I was

When the famed one found his doom.[2]

Svidur and Svidrir

I was at Sökkmimir's called,

and beguiled that ancient Jötun,

when of Midvitnir's

renowned son

I was the sole destroyer.[3]

He notably appears in Ynglingatal, where subterranean abodes of Norse, Old: jötnar are called Sökkmímir's halls:

En dagskjarr

Dúrnis niðja

salvörðuðr

Sveigði vétti,

þá er í stein

enn stórgeði

Dusla konr

ept dvergi hljóp,

ok salr bjartr

þeira Sökmímis

jötunbyggðr

við jöfri gein.[4] [5]

By Diurnir's elfin race,

Who haunt the cliffs and shun day's face,

The valiant Swegde was deceived,

The elf's false words the king believed.

The dauntless hero rushing on,

Passed through the yawning mouth of stone:

It yawnedit shutthe hero fell,

In Saekmime's hall, where giants dwell.[6] [7]

Notes

  1. http://skaldic.arts.usyd.edu.au/db.php?table=verses&id=12612 Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages
  2. http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/poe06.htm Bellow's translation
  3. Web site: Benjamin Thorpe's translation . 2006-11-03 . 2005-11-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20051104235652/http://northvegr.org/lore/poetic2/003_02.php . dead .
  4. Web site: Ynglinga saga at Norrøne Tekster og Kvad . 2006-11-03 . 2005-12-31 . http://web.archive.bibalex.org/web/20051231070651/http://www.heimskringla.no/original/heimskringla/ynglingasaga.php . dead .
  5. http://www.home.no/norron-mytologi/sgndok/kvad/yngli.htm A second online presentation of Ynglingatal
  6. http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/heim/02ynglga.htm Laing's translation at the Internet Sacred Text Archive
  7. http://www.northvegr.org/lore/heim/001_05.php Laing's translation at Northvegr