


In the Poetic Edda, Bestla receives a single mention. This sole attestation appears in the poem Hávamál, where Odin recounts his gaining of nine magical songs from Bestla's unnamed brother—in other words, Odin's maternal uncle:

Benjamin Thorpe translation:
Potent songs nine from the famed son I learned
of Bolthorn, Bestla's sire,
and a draught obtained of the
precious mead, drawn from Odhrærir.[1]
Henry Adams Bellows translation:
Nine mighty songs I got from the son
Of Bolthorn, Bestla's father;
And a drink I got of the goodly mead
Poured out from Othrorir.[2]

In his translation of the Poetic Edda, scholar Henry Adams Bellows comments that the placement of the stanza at the point in which it appears in Hávamál appears to be the result of manuscript interpolation and that its meaning is obscure.[2]


Theories and interpretations



  1. Thorpe (1907:45).
  2. 2.0 2.1 Bellows (1923:92).
  3. Faulkes (1995:11).
  4. Faulkes (1995:69).
  5. Examples include Bellows (1923:92) and Puhvel (1989:212).


  • Puhvel, Jaan (1989). Comparative Mythology. Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 9 780801 839382
  • Thorpe, Benjamin (Trans.) (1907). Edda Sæmundar Hinns Frôða The Edda of Sæmund the Learned. Part I. London Trübner & Co
This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The original article was at Bestla. The list of authors can be seen in the page history.

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