The horses of the Æsir

Æsir

In Old Norse, áss is the term denoting a member of the principal pantheon in Norse paganism. This pantheon includes Odin, Frigg, Thor, Baldr and Tyr. The second pantheon comprises the Vanir...

are listed twice.

The Eddic poem

Poetic Edda

The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems primarily preserved in the Icelandic mediaeval manuscript Codex Regius. Along with Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, the Poetic Edda is the most important extant source on Norse mythology and Germanic heroic legends, and from the early 19th century...

 Grímnismál

Grímnismál

Grímnismál is one of the mythological poems of the Poetic Edda. It is preserved in the Codex Regius manuscript and the AM 748 I 4to fragment. It is spoken through the voice of Grímnir, one of the many guises of the god Odin, who is tortured by King Geirröth...

gives the following names:

Glad and Gyllir,

Gler and Skeidbrimir,

Sillfrintopp and Sinir,

Gisl and Falhofnir

Falhófnir

In Norse mythology, Falhófnir is a horse listed in both Grímnismál and Gylfaginning among the steeds ridden by the gods each day when they go to make judgements at Yggdrasil. However, in both stanzas Falhófnir is not assigned to any specific deity....

,

Gulltopp

Gulltoppr

In Norse mythology, Gulltoppr is one of the horses of the gods. Gulltoppr is mentioned in a list of horses in the Poetic Edda poem Grímnismál and in Nafnaþulur section of the Prose Edda. According to Prose Edda book Gylfaginning, he is the horse of Heimdallr...

 and Lettfeti;

on these steeds the Æsir

each day ride,

when they to council go,

at Yggdrasil’s ash.

—Grímnismál (30), Thorpe's translation

Snorri Sturluson

Snorri Sturluson

Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing...

 paraphrases this stanza in his Gylfaginning

Gylfaginning

Gylfaginning, or the Tricking of Gylfi , is the first part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda after Prologue. The Gylfaginning deals with the creation and destruction of the world of the Norse gods, and many other aspects of Norse mythology...

:

Each day the Æsir ride thither up over Bifröst, which is also called the Æsir's Bridge. These are the names of the Æsir's steeds: Sleipnir

Sleipnir

In Norse mythology, Sleipnir is an eight-legged horse. Sleipnir is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson...

 is best, which Odin has; he has eight feet. The second is Gladr, the third Gyllir, the fourth Glenr, the fifth Skeidbrimir, the sixth Silfrintoppr, the seventh Sinir, the eighth Gisl, the ninth Falhófnir, the tenth Gulltoppr, the eleventh Léttfeti. Baldr's horse was burnt with him; and Thor walks to the judgment.

—Gylfaginning (15), Brodeur's translation

Apart from Sleipnir

Sleipnir

In Norse mythology, Sleipnir is an eight-legged horse. Sleipnir is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson...

, Odin's eight-legged horse, and Gulltoppr

Gulltoppr

In Norse mythology, Gulltoppr is one of the horses of the gods. Gulltoppr is mentioned in a list of horses in the Poetic Edda poem Grímnismál and in Nafnaþulur section of the Prose Edda. According to Prose Edda book Gylfaginning, he is the horse of Heimdallr...

, who belongs to Heimdallr according to the Prose Edda

Prose Edda

The Prose Edda, also known as the Younger Edda, Snorri's Edda or simply Edda, is an Icelandic collection of four sections interspersed with excerpts from earlier skaldic and Eddic poetry containing tales from Nordic mythology...

, nothing is known about these horses, especially their owner. These names are yet listed in the þulur.

Other horses are mentioned elsewhere: Gullfaxi

Gullfaxi

Gullfaxi is a horse in Norse mythology. Its name means Golden mane.It was originally owned by Hrungnir, and was later given to Magni by Thor as a reward for helping him in the fight against Hrungnir:...

, which originally belonged to Hrungnir

Hrungnir

Hrungnir was a jötunn in Norse mythology, slain by the god Thor with his hammer Mjölnir. The account is documented in the Skáldskaparmál, in the Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson....

, but who was given by Thor

Thor

In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...

 to his son Magni

Móði and Magni

In Norse mythology, Móði and Magni are the sons of Thor. Their names mean "Angry" and "Strong," respectively. Rudolf Simek states that, along with Thor's daughter Þrúðr , they embody their father's features....

 after he killed the giant (Skáldskaparmál, 17), Blóðughófi

Blóðughófi

According to Þulur, Blóðughófi is the horse of Freyr.In Skírnismál, Freyr gives Skírnir a horse able to run through fire to ride on to Jötunheimr to woo Gerðr. The horse isn't named in the poem but it might conceivably be Blóðughófi....

, which belongs to Freyr

Freyr

Freyr is one of the most important gods of Norse paganism. Freyr was highly associated with farming, weather and, as a phallic fertility god, Freyr "bestows peace and pleasure on mortals"...

 (Kálfsvísa

Kálfsvísa

The Kálfsvísa , sometimes mistakenly called Alsvinnsmál, is a poem partially preserved in Snorri Sturluson’s Skáldskaparmál....

) and Hófvarpnir, which is ridden by Gná

Gná

In Norse mythology, Gná is a goddess who runs errands in other worlds for the goddess Frigg and rides the flying, sea-treading horse Hófvarpnir . Gná and Hófvarpnir are attested in the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson...

 (Gylfaginning, 35).

Meanings

• Blóðughófi: "Bloody-hoof";
• Falhófnir: "Hairy-hoof" or "Hidden-hoof", i.e. whoses hoofs are covered with hair, or "Pale-hoof";
• Gulltoppr: "Gold-tuft";
• Gísl: related to "beam", "ray";
• Glaðr: "Glad" or "Bright";
• Glær
  Glær
  In Norse mythology, Glær or Glenr is a horse listed in both Grímnismál and Gylfaginning among the steeds ridden by the gods each day when they go to make judgements at Yggdrasil. However, in both poems Glær is not assigned to any specific deity....
  
  : "Clear", "Glassy";
• Gullfaxi: "Golden-mane"
• Gyllir: "Golden";
• Hófvarpnir : "Hoof-thrower";
• Léttfeti: "Light-foot";
• Silfrintoppr: "Silver-tuft";
• Sinir: "Sinewy";
• Skeiðbrimir: "the one which snorts as he runs";
• Sleipnir: "trickster";