Odin's two wolves, whom he feeds from his own table while sustaining himself on wine alone.
Geri and Freki are Odin's wolves and are named in Grímnismál 19, where Odin states that he gives them all the meat placed before him at table, since he himself needs no nourishment other than wine. The names mean roughly 'the greedy one' and 'the ravenous one', underscoring their wild nature.
In Gylfaginning 38, Snorri mentions the pair alongside Odin's other animals. Wolves are intimately associated with Odin as god of war and death; they appear on the battlefield among the fallen and connect to his role as war-leader and death deity.
Sources in the Eddas
- Grímnismál 19
- Odin names his wolves Geri and Freki. Own translation.
- Gylfaginning 38
- Snorri mentions the wolves in connection with Odin's animals. Own translation.
Interpretive traditions
A What we know
Geri and Freki are Odin's wolves, clearly attested in Grímnismál.
B What we think we know
The wolf pair may reflect an Indo-European conception of the war god's animals consuming the slain.