In the earliest days of the cosmos, after the bloody and wearying war between the Aesir and the Vanir had finally reached its conclusion, a peace was brokered that would change the nature of wisdom forever. To seal their truce, the two factions of gods gathered around a single vat and spat into it, merging their essences in a communal gesture of harmony. From this divine mixture of saliva, the gods did not merely let the substance waste away; instead, they shaped from it a man named Kvasir. Kvasir was unlike any being that had ever lived; he was so wise that no question could be put to him for which he did not have a satisfying and profound answer. He traveled the world, from the icy wastes of Jotunheim to the bustling halls of Midgard, spreading knowledge and counsel to all who sought it.
However, wisdom is often envied by those with dark hearts. Two dwarfs, the brothers Fjalar and Galar, encountered Kvasir during his travels. Driven by a hollow desire for the power that knowledge brings, they invited Kvasir to a private feast. In the shadows of their cavernous home, they murdered the wise man. They drained his blood into three large vessels: a cauldron named Óðrerir and two vats called Boðn and Són. They mixed the blood with honey, and through a process of dark alchemy, they brewed a magical mead. This was the Poetic Mead, a beverage of such potency that whoever drank of it would instantly become a skald—a poet—or a scholar, capable of reciting any information and mastering every art of the tongue.
The dwarfs did not keep their prize for long. After murdering the giant Gilling and his wife, they were confronted by the giant’s son, Suttungr. To save their own lives from Suttungr’s wrath, the dwarfs offered him the Mead of Poetry as a wergild, or blood-payment. Suttungr took the three vessels to his mountain stronghold, Hnitbjörg, and placed them deep within the stone. He appointed his daughter, the giantess Gunnlöð, to stand guard over the treasure day and night. The mead remained hidden from the world, a secret hoard of genius locked away in the cold heart of the mountain.
In Asgard, Odin, the Allfather, felt the absence of Kvasir and sensed the presence of the mead. Odin’s hunger for wisdom was insatiable; he had already sacrificed an eye at Mimir’s well, and he was willing to go to even greater lengths to secure the gift of poetry for the gods. He set out for Jotunheim, disguised not as a king, but as a humble traveler named Bolverk, which translates to 'Evil-doer' or 'Worker of bale.' His journey led him to a field where nine thralls were mowing hay for the giant Baugi, the brother of Suttungr. Odin approached them and offered to sharpen their scythes. Using a magical whetstone, he made their blades so sharp that the thralls were amazed. When they asked to buy the stone, Odin tossed it into the air. In their greedy scramble to catch the miraculous tool, the thralls accidentally slit each other's throats with their newly sharpened blades, leaving Baugi with no workers to finish the harvest.
Odin, as Bolverk, then approached the distraught Baugi. He offered to perform the work of all nine men for the entire summer, provided that Baugi help him obtain a single draught of Suttungr’s mead. Baugi, desperate to save his crops, agreed to the bargain, though he warned Bolverk that he had no control over his brother’s treasure and could only promise to advocate for him. Throughout the long, grueling summer, Odin worked with the strength of ten men, never complaining, his mind always fixed on the mountain of Hnitbjörg. When winter arrived and the work was done, Odin demanded his payment. Baugi took him to Suttungr, but the giant flatly refused to give even a drop of the mead to the stranger.
Odin was not deterred. He turned to Baugi and reminded him of their pact. He produced a drill called Rati and instructed Baugi to bore a hole through the side of the mountain. Baugi attempted to trick Odin twice, claiming the hole was through when it was not, but Odin blew into the hole to see if the dust came back out. When the dust finally stayed inside, Odin knew the passage was clear. He then transformed himself into a slender snake and slithered through the narrow tunnel, escaping Baugi’s treacherous attempt to stab him with the drill at the last moment. Inside the mountain, Odin resumed his form as a handsome man and found himself in the presence of Gunnlöð.