Dwarf and smith who together with Sindri forged Mjölnir.
Brokkr (Old Norse Brokkr) is a dwarf who, together with his brother Sindri (Eitri), forges three of the gods' mightiest treasures: the ring Draupnir, the boar Gullinbursti, and the hammer Mjölnir. The tale is recounted in Skáldskaparmál and begins with Loki wagering with Brokkr that the brothers cannot forge finer items than the Sons of Ivaldi.
During the forging, Loki, transformed into a fly, disrupts Brokkr at the bellows, causing Mjölnir's handle to be too short. Despite this, the gods judge the brothers' work superior. Loki loses the wager and Brokkr demands his head, but Loki objects that his neck was not part of the bet, whereupon Brokkr settles for sewing Loki's lips shut.
Sources in the Eddas
- Skáldskaparmál 35
- Snorri tells of the wager between Loki and Brokkr, the forging of Mjölnir, and Loki's sewn lips.
Interpretive traditions
A What we know
Brokkr forged Mjölnir, Draupnir, and Gullinbursti together with his brother Sindri (Skáldskaparmál 35).
Mjölnir's short handle is explained by Loki's disruption at the bellows.
B What we think we know
Whether Brokkr and Sindri represent an older smithing topos or are specific to the Norse tradition is uncertain.
C What we do not know
Brokkr's role outside the smithing wager lacks attestation in surviving sources.