Giant who survived the blood-flood after Ymir's slaying. Ancestor of all later giants.
Bergelmir (Old Norse Bergelmir) is the giant who, together with his wife, survived the blood-flood that arose when Borr's sons slew Ymir. In Vafþrúðnismál 35 the giant Vafthrudnir answers that Bergelmir was placed 'á lúðr' (on a log-vessel or coffin) and thereby saved. All subsequent giant lineages descend from him.
Bergelmir is mentioned briefly in Gylfaginning 7 where Snorri confirms that he and his wife climbed onto a log-vessel and founded a new giant lineage. The parallel with the biblical Noah narrative has been noted by scholars, but whether it reflects Christian influence or an independent flood myth is unclear.
Sources in the Eddas
- Vafþrúðnismál 35
- Vafthrudnir tells that Bergelmir was placed 'á lúðr' and survived the blood-flood after Ymir's slaying.
- Gylfaginning 7
- Snorri confirms that Bergelmir and his wife survived on a log-vessel and became the progenitors of the giants.
Interpretive traditions
A What we know
Bergelmir survived the blood-flood after Ymir's slaying and became the progenitor of the giants, attested in Vafþrúðnismál and Gylfaginning.
B What we think we know
Whether the Bergelmir myth reflects Christian influence from the Noah narrative or an independent Norse flood tradition is debated.