Just as Thor was accustomed to make adventurous sorties in order to discomfit the Giants with material weapons, so Odin from time to time undertook to match wits with them; to this end he would send out challenges inviting them to try their wisdom against his own. Among the Giants was an old wiseacre named Vafthrudnir, famous for his knowledge of the ancient history of the universe and of the gods themselves; with him Odin wished to debate for mastery. Frigg begged him to forgo his purpose on the plea that no one could compete with Vafthrudnir; but since Odin was determined, Frigg could do nothing else than wish him luck and express the hope that his wisdom would not be found wanting in the hour of trial. Odin accordingly sought out Vafthrudnir; presenting himself under the name of Gagnrad,1 he let it be known that he had come to discover whether Vafthrudnir was really so wise as rumor had made him out to be. “You shall not escape from my hall,” said Vafthrudnir, “if your wisdom does not surpass my own; meanwhile, take a seat and we shall see which of us two knows the more.” Gagnrad, declining the proffered seat, declared that a poor man coming to a rich man’s house should either speak sound sense or remain silent; if he let his words run wild, he courted certain misfortune. “Tell me, then, Gagnrad, since you choose to plead your cause from the floor,” said Vafthrudnir — and he forthwith began to put questions about the horses of Night and Day, about the river Iving that forms the boundary between gods and Giants, and about the plains of Vigrid, where the battle between the gods and the Giants is destined to take place. Gagnrad made ready response to all these questions and then took a seat to propound his own queries. The one who suffered defeat was to lose his head. Gagnrad in his turn questioned Vafthrudnir about the making of the earth from Ymir’s body, about the sun and moon, about day and night, about Ymir’s or Aurgelmir’s origin in the Elivagar, about Ræsvælg, about Njord, about the life of the Heroes in Valhalla, about which of gods and men were to survive the ruin of the universe, and about the passing of Odin. Vafthrudnir had an answer for every question. Finally Gagnrad asked what it was that Odin whispered in Balder’s ear as Balder was being laid on the funeral pile. This question Vafthrudnir was at a loss to answer, and thus he understood that his opponent was none other than Odin himself. Then he confessed that with the mouth of one doomed to death had he bandied words with his guest; Odin after all remained the wisest of the wise.
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