Giantess who launched Baldr's funeral ship Hringhorni.
Hyrrokkin (Old Norse Hyrrokkin) is a giantess summoned to launch Baldr's funeral ship Hringhorni, the greatest of all ships. None of the gods could push it into the sea. Hyrrokkin rode to the site on a wolf with a serpent for reins. With a single shove she launched the ship so forcefully that the rollers caught fire and the whole earth trembled.
Thor became so enraged by the display of strength that he wanted to strike her with Mjölnir, but the other gods pleaded for peace. The tale is told in Gylfaginning 49. Hyrrokkin also appears on Viking Age picture stones from Gotland.
Sources in the Eddas
- Gylfaginning 49
- Snorri describes how Hyrrokkin launched Hringhorni when the gods could not.
Interpretive traditions
A What we know
Hyrrokkin launched Baldr's ship Hringhorni with a single shove (Gylfaginning 49).
B What we think we know
Hyrrokkin's appearance on Gotlandic picture stones suggests she may have had broader mythological significance.