The Most Special Norse Drink: Mead of Poetry

We all know that one of the most common as well as awesome drink in the Viking culture is mead. They drink and cheer with beers of mead. In Norse mythology, there was a type of mead known as the Mead of Poetry

How the Mead come into being?

Long ago, two god tribes sealed their peace with the creation of a being – Kvasir. They chewed berries and spat into a vessel. The liquid from the vessel later turned into Kvasir the most intelligent creature in Norse mythology. Then Kvasir took the life a wanderer travelling the world to spread his knowledge. He could answer nearly all questions people asked him.

The murder and Odin’s pursuit of knowledge

One day, Kvasir happened to come at the door of two dwarves’ house. And this was where all of the tragedy began.

The dwarves knew who Kvasir was and how powerful his blood could become. Norse mythology had it that, Kvasir’s blood could bring knowledge and many skills for the drinkers. Then the dwarves made a plan to kill Kvasir.

Then they stored the blood of the creature into two cauldrons and mixed it with honey turning it into the Mead of Poetry.

The two dwarf brothers were the enemies of many in mythology. And finally the fate knocked at their door. A giant came to take a revenge on the dwarves and took away the Mead of Poetry. He (the giant) kept the Mead inside a mountain and let his only daughter to watch over the mead.

Odin somehow learnt about the death of Kvasir and the Mead of Poetry. He set out to find the Mead. And after many attempts to approach and seduce the giantess, Odin managed to take the Mead of Poetry. But he never kept the Mead for himself only, he gave it to all of the gods in Asgard. The Mead of Poetry could help any creature to have an infinite source of knowledge and the ability to persuade anyone to follow their words.