The Hostage Exchange

“The Vanaland people sent their best men, Njord the Rich, and his son Frey. The people of Asaland sent a man called Hone, whom they thought well suited to be a chief, as he was a stout and very handsome man; and with him they sent a man of great understanding called Mime.”

“They took Mime, therefore, and beheaded him, and sent his head to the Asaland people.”

“But the Vanir gave him as hostage to the Æsir, receiving from them in his stead Hoenir. By this means was peace re-established between the Æsir and Vanir.”

In Ynglinga saga the two sides tire of war and swap hostages. The Vanaland people send Njörðr and his son Freyr, and, as the wisest man among them, Kvasir. The Æsir send Hœnir, thought fit to be a chief because he was stout and handsome, and with him Mímir, a man of great understanding. Hœnir is made a chief in Vanaheim, but he always answers “Now let others give their advice” when Mímir is not beside him. The Vanir decide they have been cheated, behead Mímir and send his head to the Æsir. Odin treats it with herbs and sings spells over it, so that it speaks and tells him secrets.

Odin makes Njörðr and Freyr priests of the sacrifices, and Njörðr’s daughter Freyja teaches the Æsir the magic of the Vanir.

Gylfaginning, in Blackwell’s translation, is shorter and differs: it names Njörðr as the Vanir’s hostage, with Hœnir given in exchange. Freyr is born later, to Njörðr at Nóatún.

The two accounts disagree on who was sent: Ynglinga saga has Njörðr, Freyr and Kvasir for the Vanir, while Gylfaginning has Njörðr alone. Ynglinga saga makes Kvasir a man among the Vanir, whereas in Skáldskaparmál Kvasir is made from the spit of both sides, which is a different story; see Kvasir and the Peace Pledge.

The head of Mímir that speaks to Odin is told in a single sentence in the saga and is not elaborated there. Mímir’s well has its own entry, Mímisbrunnr.