Svaðilfari

Attestations

Svaðilfari is a horse from Norse mythology, known for his strength and for being the father of Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse. According to the poem Völuspá hin skamma, which is part of Hyndluljóð, Svaðilfari fathered Sleipnir with Loki. A more detailed story appears in chapter 42 of the Prose Edda's Gylfaginning. In the early days after the gods built Midgard and Valhöll, an unnamed builder came to them. He offered to construct a fortress that would protect the gods from mountain giants and frost giants. On Loki's advice, the gods agreed to a deal: if the builder finished the work in one winter with only the help of his horse Svaðilfari, he would receive Freyja, the sun, and the moon. Svaðilfari worked so effectively that the builder was nearly finished three days before summer. The gods then told Loki he would face severe punishment if he did not make the builder fail. That night, as the builder drove out with Svaðilfari to fetch stones, a beautiful mare ran from the woods into the clearing. This mare was actually Loki in disguise. Svaðilfari became frantic and chased her into the woods. The two horses ran all night, preventing the builder from completing his work on time. Enraged, the builder revealed himself as a mountain giant. The gods broke their oaths and called Thor, who killed the builder with his hammer Mjöllnir. Because of his night with Svaðilfari, Loki became pregnant and later gave birth to Sleipnir.