#draupnir

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Baldr, the norse god of light, depicted with the magic ring Draupnir on his arm.

Draupnir is a gold ring in Norse mythology that drips eight rings of equal value on every ninth night. It was created by the dwarven brothers Eitri (or Sindri) and Brokk.

Most of our information on it comes from Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda. A tale in the Skáldskaparmál  explains how Draupnir was created by the dwarves after a bet by Loki that Eitri could not make treasures as fine as the ones Brokk had made. Eitri would create three items, one of which being Draupnir. It was then presented to Odin, who would later set it on the funeral pyre of Baldr as described in Gylfaginning. This sends Draupnir down to Hel along with Baldr. When Hermod rode into the Gates of Hel to retrieve Baldr, he is instead given Draupnir again and returns it to Odin as a token (Sturluson).

Another time we see Draupnir is in Skírnismál. Frey, determined to marry the giant Gerdr, sends Skirnir to convince Gerdr to accept his proposal. Skirnir takes Draupnir to give to her as a gift should she accept (which she does, one way or another). Interestingly, it is unclear how Frey came to possess Draupnir to begin with (The Poetic Edda).

From these myths, we get several kennings for gold.  It is known that “Draupnir” means “dripper” when it is referencing the golden ring.1 Sources from the 10th century use Draupnir in two kennings: Draupnir’s dew and Draupnir’s precious sweat. In the 13th-14th centuries, we see more kennings from Draupnir: Draupnir’s dripping, Draupnir’s rain or shower, Draupnir’s maple, Draupnir’s blood, Draupnir meal, and Draupnir’s snow (Battaglia).

Additionally, examaning who Draupnir belongs to could provide more information on it’s purpose in the myths. Who exactly that owner is, however, is not clear. Scholars have made arguments for Odin, Frey, and Baldr (Battaglia). Draupnir is initially given to Odin by Eitri, who then sets it on Baldr’s funeral pyre to send it to Hel with him. Later, Frey is in possession of the ring. Is Draupnir a symbol for lordship under Odin’s ownership? Or is it a symbol of fertility that ties in with Baldr, a dead god, or Frey, a god of fertility? Regardless, Draupnir plays an interesting role in mythology, tying together different tales across sources as it is passed from dwarf to god, living to dead, and groom to bride.  

 References

1.      Sturluson, Snorri. “The Prose Edda.” Trans. Jesse Byock. Penguin UK, 2005.

2.      Knutson, Sara Ann. "The Materiality of Myth." Temenos-Nordic Journal of Comparative Religion 55.1 (2019): 29-53.

3.      Anonymous. “The Poetic Edda.” Trans. Henry Adam Bellows. Sacred-texts.com. Princeton University Press, 1936.