The well of wisdom at Yggdrasil's root, guarded by Mímir, where Odin sacrificed an eye.
Mímisbrunnr lies at one of Yggdrasil's three roots, near the home of the jötnar. The well holds cosmic wisdom and memory. Mímir, its guardian, drinks from it daily using Gjallarhorn.
Odin offered one of his eyes as payment for a draught from the well and thereby gained profound insight into the nature of existence. The sacrifice underlines that supreme knowledge demands a personal and painful price.
Attestations
- Völuspá str. 28, Poetisk Edda (ca. 1270, Codex Regius)
- Odin's eye sacrifice at Mímisbrunnr is recounted in Völuspá.