Vafþrúðnismál
Eddic poem
Vafþrúðnismál (Old Norse: 'The Lay of Vafþrúðnir') is the third poem in the Poetic Edda. It is a conversation in verse form conducted initially between the Æsir Odin and Frigg, and subsequently between Odin and the jötunn Vafþrúðnir, as they engage in a battle of wits. The poem goes into detail about the Norse cosmogony and was evidently used extensively as a source document by Snorri Sturluson in the construction of the Prose Edda who quotes it. The poem is preserved in Codex Regius and partially in AM 748 I 4to. There are preservation problems relating to stanzas 40-41. Vafþrúðnismál is believed to be a 10th century poem.
Structure
The poem consists of 55 stanzas in total, which are composed in a ljóðaháttr meter. Stanzas 1-4 are a conversation between Odin and Frigg, which set up the plotline and stanza 5 sends him off on his journey. Stanzas 6-55 are solely between Gagnráð (Odin) and Vafþrúðnir.
Synopsis
The lay commences with Odin asking advice and directions of Frigg as to whether it would be wise to seek out the hall of Vafþrúðnir to compete with the all-wise jötunn in a contest of knowledge.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Vafþrúðnismál” is eddic poem. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Vafþrúðnismál, Eddic and poem, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “eddic poem” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 26, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1546735. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Later fame can flatten the distinction between original context, subsequent adaptation and institutional collecting history. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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Three-step research path
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Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Vafþrúðnismál” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.