Seiðr Loom

creature

Árvakr and Alsviðr

Árvakr ok Alsviðr

The two horses that pull the sun across the sky, cooled by an 'iron cool' that the gods set under their yokes.

Árvakr and Alsviðr are the horses of the sun. Grímnismál names them and gives their burden: they "drag / Weary the weight of the sun", and the gods long ago set "an iron cool" under their yokes Grímnismál 37. The sun burns, and the horses need protecting from it.

Snorri repeats the names, which Brodeur translates as Early-Wake and All-Strong, and puts Sól in the chariot as their driver Gylfaginning 11. He explains the cooling device as "two wind-bags", that is, bellows, set under the horses' shoulders, and notes that "in some records" it is called "iron-coolness". That phrase is the poem's, and it suggests that Snorri was unsure what the line in Grímnismál meant and offered his own explanation. The next stanza of the poem describes a different protection, the shield Svalinn that stands before the sun Grímnismál 38.

In Sigrdrífumál the valkyrie lists the places where runes were cut, among them "Arvak's ear, and ... Alsvith's hoof" Sigrdrífumál 15. A Skáldskaparmál list of horses repeats that they "draw the Sun" Skáldskaparmál 57.

The name Alsviðr also belongs to a different figure in Hávamál, who wrote runes for the giants Hávamál 144.

In the sources

Quoted from the hosted translations; each line is checked against the text when the site is built. Select a reference to read it in context.

Arvak and Alsvith up shall drag Weary the weight of the sun; But an iron cool have the kindly gods Of yore set under their yokes.
Grímnismál 37 The sun-horses and the cooling device under their yokes.
Those horses are called thus: Early-Wake and All-Strong; and under the shoulders of the horses the gods set two wind-bags to cool them, but in some records that is called 'iron-coolness.'
Gylfaginning 11 Snorri's version, with Sól as their driver and the cooling device explained as bellows.
On Arvak's ear, and on Alsvith's hoof
Sigrdrífumál 15 Runes were cut on the sun-horses' ear and hoof.

Myths with Árvakr and Alsviðr

Sun, Moon, Night and Day How the Norse sources explain the sky's clock: Night and Day ride round the world on two horses, the children of Mundilfari drive the sun and moon, and two wolves chase them until the end of the world.

Related

Sól The sun as a goddess: daughter of Mundilfari and sister of the Moon, she drives the sun's horses across the sky with a wolf at her heels. Svalinn The shield that stands before the sun; if it fell, Grímnismál says, mountains and sea would burst into flame. Skinfaxi and Hrímfaxi Skinfaxi ok Hrímfaxi The horses of Day and Night: Skinfaxi's mane lights the earth and sky, and the foam from Hrímfaxi's bit falls each morning as dew. Mundilfari The father of the Sun and the Moon; Snorri says the gods took his children into the sky because he dared to name them after the heavenly lights. Sleipnir Odin's grey, eight-legged horse, best of all steeds, foaled by Loki after he lured away the giant builder's stallion Svaðilfari.