Place
Ifing
The river Odin names in the contest as lying between gods and giants.
Overview
Ifing appears only in Vafthruthnir’s question and Odin’s answer: it lies between gods and giants and never freezes. It is a poetic boundary image, insufficient to locate on a modern map or to supply crossings the poem does not narrate.
Key facts
Between two peoples
Stanzas 15–16 place Ifing between gods and giants.
Never freezes
Stanza 16 says the river is always open and has no ice.
Relationships
- Odinnames as a boundary
Odin answers that the river between gods and giants is Ifing.
Story appearances
- The Ballad of VafthruthnirSource-scoped record in this wisdom contest
The river Odin names in the contest as lying between gods and giants.
Ancient sources
MythWeave distinguishes ancient-source evidence from later adaptations and modern interpretation.