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On arriving at Vafþrúðnir's hall, Odin seeks to test Vafþrúðnir's wisdom through the classic mechanism of a wisdom contest. Vafþrúðnir's response is to accept the wanderer in his hall and only allow him to leave alive if Odin proves to be wiser. Odin, a master of dissimulation, attempts to pass
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During the course of stanza 19, Vafþrúðnir was unwise enough to wager his head in the case of defeat: victory for Odin will result in his death. In stanza 55, at the conclusion of the contest, Vafþrúðnir is obliged to capitulate to Odin's cunning when Odin asks him what Odin whispered in
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himself off as Gagnráðr (trans. "victory"), and beseeches the traditional hospitality which should be afforded to wayfarers. Vafþrúðnir, wrong-footed, invites him in and to seat himself. A game of riddling then ensues between the pair.
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to compete with the all-wise jötunn in a contest of knowledge. Frigg counsels against this course of action, saying that Vafþrúðnir is the most powerful one she knows. Nevertheless Odin continues with his quest.
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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.
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Vafþrúðnismál. Northern
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Vafþrúðnir, as they engage in a battle of wits. The poem goes into detail about the
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Illustrations of Vafþrúðnismál from manuscripts and early print books.
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A depiction of Frigg asking Odin not to go to Vafþrúðnir (1895) by
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The poem consists of 55 stanzas in total, which are composed in a
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258:"A contest of cosmic fathers: God and giant in Vafþrúðnismál"
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Guðni Jónsson's edition of the text with normalized spelling
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Odin and Vafþrúðnir battle in a game of knowledge (1895) by
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and was evidently used extensively as a source document by
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as to whether it would be wise to seek out the hall of
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168:And staked my wit against the wit of Odin,
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156:You alone know that, what long ago
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83:and partially in
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234:. Cassell.
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811:AM 738 4to
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184:References
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101:ljóðaháttr
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42:Vafþrúðnir
16:Eddic poem
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228:(1997).
107:Synopsis
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