Víðblindi

Víðblindi or Viðblindi ("Very blind") is a jötunn in Norse mythology.

Attestations

The skald Hallar-Steinn uses the kenning "Viðblindi's boar" (Viðblinda gǫltr) for whale in a stanza quoted by Snorri Sturluson in his Skáldskaparmál. Snorri explains it as follows:

Here the whale is called Boar of Viðblindi; this Viðblindi was a giant who drew whales out of the sea like fishes.

—Skáldskaparmál (XLVI), Brodeur's translation

A similar kenning for whale, "Víðblindi's pig" (Old Norse: Víðblinda svín), can be found in an anonymous stanza from the 13th century preserved in Laufás-Edda.

Víðblindi is also listed among the jötnar in the þulur.

Interpretation and discussion

Rudolf Simek noted that the only jötunn known for fishing whales is Hymir, but he is never called Víðblindi / Viðblindi.

References

• Brodeur, Arthur Gilchrist (trans.). 1916. Snorri Sturluson: The Prose Edda. New York: The American-Scandinavian Foundation.
• Simek, Rudolf. 1996. Dictionary of Northern Mythology. Translated by Angela Hall. First published: Alfred Kröner Verlag, 1984. Cambridge: D. S. Brewer. ISBN 0-85991-513-1.