Suttung

Norse mythology

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 14, 2026

Quick Summary

In Norse mythology, Suttung was a giant who possessed the mead of poetry. This mead was created from the blood of Kvasir, a wise being born from the saliva of the Aesir and Vanir gods. After Kvasir was killed by two dwarfs, his blood was collected and distilled into the magic caldron Odhrir. Suttung then mixed this blood with honey, forming the mead that granted wisdom and poetic inspiration to anyone who drank it. The god Odin later stole this mead from Suttung.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Kvasir
…with honey by the giant Suttung, his blood formed mead that gave wisdom and poetic inspiration to those who drank it. The story of Kvasir’s murder is told in the Braga Raedur (“Conversations of Bragi”), one of the Eddas.
Read More
…with honey by the giant Suttung, his blood formed mead that gave wisdom and poetic inspiration to those who drank it. The story of Kvasir’s murder is told in the Braga Raedur (“Conversations of Bragi”), one of the Eddas.
Read More