Yggdrasil · Giants and Dwarves

The Sons of Ivaldi

Dwarf smiths named in Grímnismál as makers of Skíðblaðnir, and in Snorri also of Gungnir and Sif’s hair.

Myth and literature · Quotation

In Thorpe’s translation

43. Ivaldi’s sons went in days of old Skidbladnir to form, of ships the best, for the bright Frey, Niörd’s benign son.

Myth and literature · Quotation

In Anderson’s translation

“Then went Loke to the dwarfs that are called Ivald’s sons, and they made the hair and Skidbladner, and the spear that Odin owned and is called Gungner.”

Myth and literature

What the sources say

Grímnismál says only that the sons of Ivaldi made the ship Skidbladnir, best of ships, for Frey. Snorri repeats this in Gylfaginning, where he calls them dwarfs and says the ship is large enough for all the Æsir with their weapons and can be folded like cloth and carried in a pocket.

Skáldskaparmál adds more. When Loki must get Sif golden hair to replace what he cut off, he goes to the dwarfs called Ivald’s sons, and they make the hair, Skidbladner and Odin’s spear Gungner. The poem credits them with the ship alone, while Snorri gives them three works. The texts do not say where the brothers work.

Myth and literature · Context

Names and background

The sources give the sons no individual names and say nothing of Ivaldi himself beyond being their father. The treasures they make are given to gods: the ship to Frey, the spear to Odin, and the golden hair to Thor’s wife Sif.

In Skáldskaparmál, after receiving these works Loki goes on to wager with Brok, which leads to the smiths Sindri and Brokkr; that story has its own entry.