Geirröd

Role: son of Hraudung; later king · First appears: Elder Edda · The Lay of Grimnir · Part 1

After Hraudung died, Geirröd was taken for king and became famous. In the darkness, he abandoned his brother Agnar at sea, pushing their ship away and telling him, “Go where an evil spirit may get thee.” Agnar survived, while Geirröd later had a son whom he named Agnar after his brother.

When Frigg sent Fulla to warn Geirröd about an approaching trollmann, he ordered Odin, whom he did not recognize as Grimnir, to be tortured between two fires for eight nights. On learning the stranger was Odin, Geirröd rose to remove him from the fires, but stumbled onto his sword, which pierced and killed him. In the Lay of Grimnir, Odin calls Geirröd his foster-son and says he had lost his favour.

Relationship record

Life events

• After Hraudung's death, Geirröd was taken for king.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Grimnir · Part 1)
  • With: Hraudung
  • “They had a fair wind, and reached their father's place. Geirröd was at the ship's prow: he sprang on shore, but pushed the ship out, saying, ‘Go where an evil spirit may get thee.’ The vessel was driven out to sea, but Geirröd went up to the town, where he was well received; but his father was dead. Geirröd was then taken for king, and became a famous man.”
• Geirröd abandoned Agnar by pushing their ship out to sea.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Grimnir · Part 1)
  • With: Agnar
  • “Geirröd was at the ship's prow: he sprang on shore, but pushed the ship out, saying, ‘Go where an evil spirit may get thee.’”
• Frigg sent Fulla to warn Geirröd about an approaching trollmann.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Grimnir · Part 1)
  • With: Frigg Fulla
  • “Frigg sent her waiting-maid Fulla to bid Geirröd be on his guard, lest the trollmann who was coming should do him harm, and also say that a token whereby he might be known was, that no dog, however fierce, would attack him.”
• Geirröd had Grimnir tortured between two fires.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Grimnir · Part 1)
  • With: Odin
  • “The king ordered him to be tortured to make him confess, and to be set between two fires; and there he sat for eight nights.”
• Odin reveals his identity to Geirröd.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Grimnir · Part 2)
  • With: Odin
  • “but on finding that it was Odin, he rose for the purpose of removing him from the fires”
• Geirröd stumbles onto his sword and dies.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Grimnir · Part 2)
  • “the king having stumbled, the sword pierced him through and killed him.”

Elder Edda · The Lay of Grimnir · Part 1

• parent: Hraudung “King Hraudung had two sons, one named Agnar, the other Geirröd.”
• siblings with Agnar “King Hraudung had two sons, one named Agnar, the other Geirröd.”
• child: Agnar (son of Geirröd) “King Geirröd had a son ten years old, whom he named Agnar, after his brother.”
• enemies with Odin “The king ordered him to be tortured to make him confess, and to be set between two fires; and there he sat for eight nights.”
• guardian: Odin “Odin said, ‘Seest thou Agnar, thy foster-son, where he is, getting children with a giantess in a cave? while Geirröd, my foster-son, is a king residing in his country.’”

Elder Edda · The Lay of Grimnir · Part 2

• enemies with Odin (The preceding sentence says Geirröd was killed when his sword pierced him; Odin had just been identified.) “Odin then vanished, and Agnar was king for a long time after.”
• patron: Odin “Much didst thou lose, when thou wast of my help bereft, of all the Einheriar's and Odin's favour.”

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Extracted from the original text of The Eddas. Made with Rho MD.