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
Sleipnir fetched and led forward." Hermóðr mounts Sleipnir and rides away. Hermóðr rides for nine nights in deep, dark valleys where Hermóðr can see nothing. The two arrive at the river Gjöll and then continue to Gjöll bridge, encountering a maiden guarding the bridge named Móðguðr. Some dialogue occurs between Hermóðr and Móðguðr, including that Móðguðr notes that recently there had ridden five battalions of dead men across the bridge that made less sound than he. Sleipnir and Hermóðr continue "downwards and northwards" on the road to Hel, until the two arrive at Hel's gates. Hermóðr dismounts from Sleipnir, tightens Sleipnir's