Seiðr Loom

creature

Gullinbursti

Freyr's golden boar, forged by the dwarf Sindri. It runs through air and water faster than a horse and lights up the darkness with its bristles.

Gullinbursti is the boar of Freyr, one of the treasures of the gods. Snorri tells how it was made (see The treasures of the gods: Sif's hair and Brokkr's wager). Loki wagered his head that the dwarf Brokkr's brother Sindri could not match the treasures made by the sons of Ivaldi. Sindri laid a pigskin in the forge and set Brokkr to work the bellows; a fly (Loki in disguise, most readers assume, though the text does not say so) stung Brokkr's hand, but he kept blowing, and Sindri drew out "a boar, with mane and bristles of gold" Skáldskaparmál 35. Brokkr gave it to Freyr, saying it could outrun any horse through air and water and would light the darkest night with its bristles Skáldskaparmál 35.

Snorri gives the boar two names in Skáldskaparmál, "Gold-Bristle" and "Fearful-Tusk" Skáldskaparmál 7. Freyr drove it to Baldr's funeral: in Gylfaginning it pulls his chariot Gylfaginning 49, and in a verse by Úlfr Uggason Freyr rides it "First on the golden-bristled Barrow-boar" Skáldskaparmál 7. In the Gylfaginning passage Brodeur translates the name as "Gold-Mane", the same English he uses for the giant Hrungnir's horse Skáldskaparmál 17, so readers of the translation should not confuse the two.

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.

to Freyr he gave the boar, saying that it could run through air and water better than any horse, and it could never become so dark with night or gloom of the Murky Regions that there should not be sufficient light where be went
Skáldskaparmál 35 Brokkr presents the boar and lists its powers.
He is the possessor of Skídbladnir and of that boar which is called Gold-Bristle
Skáldskaparmál 7 The boar among the kennings for Freyr.
The battle-bold Freyr rideth First on the golden-bristled Barrow-boar to the bale-fire Of Baldr
Skáldskaparmál 7 Úlfr Uggason's verse: Freyr rides the boar to Baldr's funeral.

Where the sources disagree or fall silent

  • Whether Gullinbursti and Freyja's golden-bristled boar Hildisvíni, made by different dwarves (Hyndluljóð 7), were once the same animal.

Myths with Gullinbursti

The treasures of the gods: Sif's hair and Brokkr's wager Loki shaves Sif's head, and to save his own skin sets two families of dwarf-smiths competing. The result is six treasures — golden hair, a folding ship, a spear, a ring, a golden boar and Thor's hammer — and Loki's lips sewn shut.

Related

Freyr The Vanir god of rain, sunshine, harvest and peace, son of Njörðr. He gave away his sword to win the giantess Gerðr, and will fall unarmed against Surtr at Ragnarök. Brokkr The dwarf who bet Loki his head that his brother could out-forge Ívaldi's sons, worked the bellows while a fly stung him, won, and sewed Loki's lips shut. Eitri The dwarf smith, Brokkr's brother, who forged the boar Gullinbursti, the ring Draupnir and Thor's hammer Mjöllnir; Brodeur's translation calls him Sindri. Loki The giant-born trickster counted among the Æsir: father of Fenrir, the Midgard Serpent and Hel, contriver of Baldr's death, bound until Ragnarök. Hildisvíni Freyja's golden-bristled boar in Hyndluljóð, made by the dwarves Dáinn and Nabbi. The giantess Hyndla claims it is really Freyja's human lover Óttarr in disguise. Draupnir Odin's gold ring, forged by a dwarf, from which eight rings of equal weight drop every ninth night; Odin lays it on Baldr's pyre and Baldr sends it back from Hel. Mjölnir Mjöllnir Thor's short-handled hammer, forged by the dwarf brothers Brokkr and Sindri: it never misses, always returns to his hand, kills giants, and hallows brides, pyres and the dead goats it brings back to life.