Talk:Sleipnir

Number of legs

There seems to be a disparity in the article about the number of legs Sleipnir has.Six legs or eight legs?Jutari 04:54, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Eight, according to all I have ever heard about him. 惑乱 分からん * \)/ (\ (< \) (2 /) /)/ * 20:20, 21 August 2007 (UTC)

I note that the wiki page leaves out an important notion on the tradition of the eight legs. Namely that the horse, Sleipnir, is actually a mythic metaphor for the coffin. The eight legs are the legs of the four mourners who bear the coffin to the grave. This metaphor describes the coffin as the true steed of Odin, who is in some of his manifestations seen as a death god, or "the god of the gallows". Odin is considered a patron of heroes, but as a treacherous one, who will draw a hero to great glory, but withdraw his favour at a key moment, causing the hero’s dramatic death (and, presumably, expediate his passage to Valhalla, and an afterlife serving Odin there). --24.69.160.130 (talk) 08:18, 25 November 2008 (UTC)— Just an anonymous contributer, trying to help.

The Germanic Peoples never used coffins!2601:806:4301:C100:7005:E02D:C510:793B (talk) 01:56, 23 June 2017 (UTC)

The Giant and his task

The article mentions that there is a time limit for the giant to receive the sun, moon and Freya. But it doesn't say what the time limit was. How long? RJFJR 03:11, 2 February 2006 (UTC)

Does the gian have a name? If so, what is it. RJFJR 03:12, 2 February 2006 (UTC)

It is said the task had to be done in 6 months, presumably from solstice to solstice, or equinox to equinox (I lean toward the latter, if only because working around Yuletime must not have been very practical). And the giant is never named. My English translation of the Prose Edda (the only source on that episode) calls him a mountain giant, while other versions I've read call him a Hrimthurs (frost giant), so I don't even know for sure what Snorri's text says. --Svartalf 17:31, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

the giant had time from start of winter until start of summer.

According to my icelandic "translation" he is a (bergþurs), I dont know if it should be translated as mountain giant.My suggestions would be something like "rock giant","cliff giant" or "crag giant". Maybe "berg" was used for mountain when Snorri wrote the book.

I would like to say that I am not an expert on this subject and that I am just someone trying to help and I would like it very much if someone corrected me if I am wrong.

i am sorry for changing this so often,its just that there was always something that was not the way i wanted it

Sleipnir vs Sleipner

He is named "Sleipner" in modern Swedish aswell.

Actually, the only Wiki page related to him that calls him Sleipnir is the Icelandic one, all the other Norse languages have shifted to Sleipner. Surprisingly, though, both German and Dutch call him Sleipnir. --Svartalf 17:31, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, I guess many languages tend to borrow the Norse forms. I tried to look up the Faroese name, though, but I couldn't find any info on Faroese Wikipedia... 惑乱 分からん 22:59, 24 September 2006 (UTC)

"Sleipner" in German as well. Maybe that is why they do not use it. Anything German is evil. That is why we say "Norse Mythology" rather than "German Mythology". Even though it is the Folk religion of the Germans. 2601:806:4301:C100:7005:E02D:C510:793B (talk) 01:59, 23 June 2017 (UTC)

Ragnarok

Someone ought to mention taht 'sleipnir' is a godly item in the mmorpg Ragnarok. Its a footware type item that enables the user to move faster and also gives a boost to hit points and mana points.

Considering practically every hack video game out there (especially JRPGs) heavily references mythology, especially Nordic, listing a comprehensive list of every occurence of "Sleipnir" would actually take up a significant volume of this article, for a venture I don't beleive to be particularly worthwhile. Frankslapperinni (talk) 02:56, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

I do!2601:806:4301:C100:7005:E02D:C510:793B (talk) 02:01, 23 June 2017 (UTC)

In Popular Culture

The Sleipnir is a monster that can be encountered in the video game Final Fantasy VIII. It is a six-legged animal that is horse-like in appearance except for metal plating on its topside and large spines that extend from the plating in the areas of its head, neck and tail.

The Sleipnir is also an eight-legged horse in the Anime Series Ah! My Goddess

The Black Sleipnir is a lucky animal in .Hack//G.U.

Amon Amarth's album The Crusher features a song called The Sound of Eight Hooves, a reference to Sleipnir

Also, Sleipnir is directly mentioned in Amon Amarth's song Loke's Treachery – Hermod's Ride To Hel.

Manowar's album 'Gods of War' contains a song entitled Sleipnir, the entire album in general containing many mythos-related themes.

About that "citation needed".

"It has been suggested that Sleipnir having eight legs is symbolic of the four men who carry a coffin, i.e. a steed to carry the rider into the underworld." Yeah, I remember this was mentioned in H. R. Ellis Davidson's Gods and Myths of Northern Europe. I'd dig up a page reference, only I don't have the book handy. If someone else does, maybe replace "Sleipnir having" with "Sleipnir's having" while you're at it. DanielCristofani 12:01, 29 October 2007 (UTC)

Problem solved. :bloodofox: (talk) 01:07, 28 November 2008 (UTC)

The Germanics did not use coffins.2601:806:4301:C100:7005:E02D:C510:793B (talk) 02:03, 23 June 2017 (UTC)

slippy?

The lead begins saying Sleipnir means "slippy", referencing Cassell's Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. Does it actually use that word? Most references I have ever seen translate his name as "smooth or gliding" (a lot of occurrences of that wording were taken from this wikipage prior to last November rewrite though) or as "Gliding One", or simply as "slippery", which looks a lot better, to be honest. What kind of a word is "slippy" anyway? --Cubbi (talk) 20:58, 15 June 2009 (UTC)

This is a direct quote from Orchard. I presume he has his reasons. If you have additional translations, feel free to add them with their references. :bloodofox: (talk) 02:20, 16 June 2009 (UTC)

Connection to Saxons

Is there a connection between Sleipnir and the white horses in various crests and banners current Saxon areas have, such as Niedersachsen (Germany), Twente (the Netherlands) and Kent (England)? 213.148.243.41 (talk) 19:52, 23 June 2009 (UTC)

Does not look like it. They all have 4 legs...2601:806:4301:C100:7005:E02D:C510:793B (talk) 02:06, 23 June 2017 (UTC)