The birth of Sleipnir

One day a man came to Asgard and told them that if he was able to build a wall which could protect the aesirs from the giants, in only three winters, he wanted to marry Freya, and he also wanted Sun and Moon. The gods agreed to this, but they told him he had to build the wall during one winter only, and if it wasn't finished when the summer came, he weren't going to have anything. The man started to build really fast, because he had a cart horse named Svadilfari who worked harder than any horse the gods had seen before with dragging huge stones to the wall. The gods hesitated, but Loki told them that it was impossible for the man to get the wall ready in time.

The months passed by and the summer came closer and closer, and the wall was soon ready. The gods started to worry and Freya told them she was definitely not marrying this man. When it was three days left until the wall would stand ready, the gods told Loki that he was going to pay for this. Loki got frightened and turned himself into a mare in the forest. When Svadilfari heard the neights he run out in the woods. The man, who realized he wasn't going to get the wall ready in time got really angry. The gods understood that he must be a giants himself, trying to fool them. Thor grabbed his hammer, Mjollnir and finished him off. When Loki returned to the gods he had to foal. He gave birth to a little, grey foal with eight legs. The foal was named Sleipnir and he became the fastest horse in the world. He was given to Odin.

Related Links: Freya Loki Mjollnir Moon Odin Sleipnir Sun Svadilfari Thor