What is Sleipnir?
Sleipnir is the divine horse ridden by Odin, chief god of Norse mythology. A grey horse with eight legs, it is the fastest of all horses and can race across the sky, the land and the sea. Its name is said to mean something like “the one that glides along” in Old Norse.
The birth of Sleipnir
According to the Edda compiled by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century, a giant stonemason undertook to build the walls of Asgard, home of the gods, in a short time. With the help of his stallion Svadilfari, the giant worked astonishingly fast. Not wanting him to finish by the deadline, the gods ordered the trickster god Loki to do something about it. Loki turned himself into a beautiful mare, lured the giant’s horse away and stopped the work. Afterward, Loki gave birth to an eight-legged foal: Sleipnir, it is said.
A horse that can go to the land of the dead
Sleipnir can ride even to Helheim, the land of the dead, where the living cannot go; in the myths, a messenger rides Sleipnir to the land of the dead to bring back Baldr, god of light. There is also a legend that Asbyrgi, a horseshoe-shaped canyon in Iceland, is the hoofprint of Sleipnir. It is a half-sibling of Fenrir, as both are children of Loki.
