Sindri (Norse mythology)
In
Norse mythology,
Sindri is the name of both a
dwarf and a hall that will serve as a dwelling place for the souls of the virtuous during
Ragnarök.
In
Skáldskaparmál, Sindri is used as a common alternate name for the dwarf
Eitri who, with the help of his brother
Brokk, fashioned some of the magical objects used by the
gods including the boar of
Freyr (
Gullinbursti), the golden ring of
Odin (
Draupnir) and the hammer of
Thor (
Mjolnir), as the result of a bet made by
Loki that Eitri could not match the craftsmanship displayed by another group of dwarves known as the
Sons of Ivaldi. Sindri as a dwarf name also appears in
Völuspá in reference to a dwelling place of the dwarves:
"Northward a hall in
Nidavellir:Of gold there rose for Sindri's race"
In
Gylfaginning,
Snorri used the
Völuspá passage as the basis of his conception of Sindri as the name of a golden hall that will serve as a dwelling place for the good and righteous during Ragnarök:
"That too is a good hall which stands in Nida Fells (
Nidafjöll), made of red gold; its name is Sindri. In these halls shall dwell good men and pure in heart".
This usage, however, presents some confusion since Nidafjöll is a mountain chain located in the
underworld which would seem to contrast with the connotation of Sindri as a place of goodness.
*Torp, Alf:
Nynorsk Etymologisk Ordbok (Oslo 1992) ISBN 82-90520-17-4
