Óðinn's Secret in Heiðreks gátur and Vafþrúðnismál
Pierre-Brice Stahl (Associate Professor of Medieval History and the History of Religions in Nordic Studies, Sorbonne University) will speak on verbal contests and riddling contexts.
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This paper examines the final question in Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks and Vafþrúðnismál. In both texts, Óðinn concludes the verbal contest by posing a question to his opponent: what did he whisper into the ear of his son before the latter was placed upon the funeral pyre? Since only the god possesses the answer, scholars have traditionally interpreted this question as unfair and deceptive. However, through a detailed analysis of the neck-riddle genre, this paper proposes a reevaluation of these passages, arguing that the question serves not as an unjust maneuver but as a device that underscores Óðinn’s omniscient authority.
Forthcoming related publication: Stahl, Pierre-Brice, Vafþrúðnismál. Edition critique, traduction et commentaire, Strasbourg : Institut d’histoire des religions, 2025.
Recent publications by the speaker:
- “Boreal Medievalism: The Imaginary of the Viking Age.” Scandinavica 62 (2), 2023.
- Dieux et personnages de la mythologie nordique. Paris : Librio, 2023.