In Norse mythology

Norse mythology

Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...

, Óðrerir, Óðrørir or Óðrœrir refers either to one of the vessels that contain the mead of poetry

Mead of poetry

In Norse mythology, the Poetic Mead or Mead of Poetry , also known as Mead of Suttungr , is a mythical beverage that whoever "drinks becomes a skald or scholar" to recite any information and solve any question. This myth was reported by Snorri Sturluson...

 (along with Boðn and Són) or to the mead itself.

Poetic Edda

Óðrerir is mentioned in two ambiguous passages of the Hávamál

Hávamál

Hávamál is presented as a single poem in the Poetic Edda, a collection of Old Norse poems from the Viking age. The poem, itself a combination of different poems, is largely gnomic, presenting advice for living, proper conduct and wisdom....

. In a first stanza (107), it is sometimes assumed that Óðrerir is synonymous with mead of poetry, but both interpretations are possible.

Of a well-assumed form

I made good use:

few things fail the wise;

for Odhrærir

is now come up

to men’s earthly dwellings

—Hávamál (108), Thorpe's translation

In another stanza (140), the meaning of Óðrerir depends on the translation.

Fimbulljóð níu nam ek af inum frægja syni Bölþorns, Bestlu föður, ok ek drykk of gat ins dýra mjaðar, ausinn Óðreri. —Hávamál (140), Guðni Jónsson's edition

Potent songs nine from the famed son I learned of Bölthorn, Bestla’s sire, and a draught obtained of the precious mead, drawn from Odhrærir. —Hávamál (142), Thorpe's translation

In most translations, Óðrerir seems to refer to a vessel, but other interpretations of ausinn Óðreri are possible, which can lead to understand Óðrerir to be the mead itself.

Prose Edda

For Snorri Sturluson

Snorri Sturluson

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

, Óðrerir is the name of the kettle in which Kvasir

Kvasir

In Norse mythology, Kvasir was a being born of the saliva of the Æsir and the Vanir, two groups of gods. Extremely wise, Kvasir traveled far and wide, teaching and spreading knowledge. This continued until the dwarfs Fjalar and Galar killed Kvasir and drained him of his blood...

's blood was mixed with honey to create the mead:

[Kvasir] went up and down the earth to give instruction to men; and when he came upon invitation to the abode of certain dwarves, Fjalar and Galarr, they called him into privy converse with them, and killed him, letting his blood run into two vats and a kettle. The kettle is named Ódrerir, and the vats Són and Bodn; they blended honey with the blood, and the outcome was that mead by the virtue of which he who drinks becomes a skald or scholar.

—Skáldskaparmál

Skáldskaparmál

The second part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda the Skáldskaparmál or "language of poetry" is effectively a dialogue between the Norse god of the sea, Ægir and Bragi, the god of poetry, in which both Norse mythology and discourse on the nature of poetry are intertwined...

(V), Brodeur's translation

Similarly, Snorri considers that "liquid of Óðrerir and Boðn and Són" (lögr Óðreris ok Boðnar ok Sónar) is a kenning

Kenning

A kenning is a type of literary trope, specifically circumlocution, in the form of a compound that employs figurative language in place of a more concrete single-word noun. Kennings are strongly associated with Old Norse and later Icelandic and Anglo-Saxon poetry...

for the mead of poetry (Skáldskaparmál, 3).

But in skaldic poetry, Óðrerir is a synonym of mead of poetry and it is therefore assumed that Óðrerir as a vessel is Snorri's invention. Moreover, the etymology of the name – which can be rendered into "stirrer of inspiration" or "stirrer of fury" – suggests that it rather refers to the mead. Boðn probably means "vessel" and Són signifies either "reconciliation" or "blood".
Alternatively, if Boðn and Són are related to the Danish words "Bod" and "Soning", Boðn could mean something like "penance" and Són "repentance".