Horses of the Æsir Horses of the Æsir The horses of the Æsir are listed twice. The Eddic poem "Grímnismál" gives the following names: Snorri Sturluson paraphrases this stanza in his "Gylfaginning": Apart from Sleipnir, Odin's eight-legged horse, and Gulltoppr, who belongs to Heimdallr according to the "Prose Edda", nothing is known about these horses, especially their owner. These names are yet listed in the "þulur". Other horses are mentioned elsewhere: Gullfaxi, which originally belonged to Hrungnir, but who was given by Thor to his son Magni after he killed the giant ("Skáldskaparmál", ), Blóðughófi, which belongs to Freyr ("Kálfsvísa") and Hófvarpnir, which is
Freyja of red gold. High notes that Freyja has many names, and explains that this is because Freyja adopted them when looking for Óðr and traveling "among strange peoples". These names include "Gefn", "Hörn", "Mardöll", "Sýr", and "Vanadís". Freyja plays a part in the events leading to the birth of Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse. In chapter 42, High recounts that, soon after the gods built the hall Valhalla, a builder (unnamed) came to them and offered to build for them in three seasons a fortification so solid that no jötunn would be able to come in over from Midgard. In exchange,