d Gangler, "that all men who
have fallen in fight since the beginning of the world are gone to
Odin, in Valhalla, what has he to give them to eat, for methinks there
must be a great crowd there?"

"What thou sayest is quite true," replied Har, "the crowd there is
indeed great, but great though it be, it will still increase, and will
be thought too little when the wolf cometh. But however great the band
of men in Valhalla may be, the flesh of the boar Saehrimnir will more
than suffice for their sustenance. For although this boar is sodden
every morning he becomes whole again every night. But there are few,
methinks, who are wise enough to give thee, in this respect, a
satisfactory answer to thy question. The cook is called Andhrimnir,
and the kettle Eldhrimnir. As it is said,--'Andhrimnir cooks in
Eldhrimnir, Saehrimnir.' 'Tis the best of flesh, though few know how
much is required for the Einherjar."

"But has Odin," said Gangler, "the same food as the heroes?"

"Odin,' replied Har, 'gives the meat that is set before him to two
wolves, called Geri and Freki, for he himself stands in no need of
food. Wine is for him both meat and drink.

"Two ravens sit on Odin's shoulders and whisper in his ear the tidings
and events they have heard and witnessed. They are called Hugin and
Munin.[133] He sends them out at dawn of day to fly over the whole
world, and they return at eve towards meal time. Hence it is that Odin
knows so many things, and is called the Raven's God. As it is said,--

'Hugin and Munin
Each dawn take their flight
Earth's fields over.

I fear me for Hugin,
Lest he come not back,
But much more for Munin.'"

40. "What have the heroes to drink," said Gangler, "in sufficient
quantity to correspond to their plentiful supply of meat: do they only
drink water?"

"A very silly question is that," replied Har; "dost thou imagine that
All-Father would invite kings and jarls and other great men and give
them nothing to drink but water! In that case, methinks, many of those
who had endured the greatest hardships, and received deadly wounds in
order to obtain access to Valhalla, would find that they had paid too
great a price for their water drink, and would indeed have reason to
complain were they there to meet with no better entertainment. But
thou wilt see that the case is quite otherwise. For the she-goat,
named Heidrun, stands above Valhalla, and feeds on the leaves of a
very famous t