Skip to content
Mímir, a MythSource painting
Norse

Mímir

The Wise One · Keeper of Mímisbrunnr · The Speaking Head

01Identity

Mímir in Norse tradition

Wisdom made Mímir valuable to both sides of the war between the Aesir and Vanir. He was a wise god, a friend and adviser to Odin, and a hostage sent to Vanaheim with Hœnir after the truce. Unlike Odin, who sought knowledge by giving an eye for a drink, Mímir guarded the well of wisdom and later continued to counsel the gods through his preserved, speaking head.

Top questions

The quick answers

  • Who is Mímir?

    Mímir is a Norse deity associated with Wisdom, Knowledge, Counsel, and Hidden lore.
    Source

    Source

    • Dictionary of northern mythology
    • Treasury of Norse Mythology
    • Price, The Viking Way

  • What is Mímir the god of?

    Mímir is associated with Wisdom, Knowledge, Counsel, and Hidden lore.
    Source

    Source

    • Dictionary of northern mythology
    • Treasury of Norse Mythology

  • What family links are recorded for Mímir?

    Spouse: Sinmara.
02Family

Mímir’s family, at a glance

Mímir

with Sinmara

03The names

The names Mímir answers to

Mímr

A variant form of Mímir's name

SourceDictionary of northern mythology

Mímis höfuð

Mímir's preserved and speaking head

SourcePrice, The Viking Way

The Wise Mímir

Mímir characterized by exceptional wisdom

SourceDictionary of northern mythology

04The myths

The myths of Mímir

2 myths, with sources recorded for each.

Mímir’s Beheading by the Vanir

The Aesir and Vanir ended their war, made peace, exchanged oaths, and traded hostages. The Aesir sent Hoenir and Mímir to Vanaheim. Hoenir was tall, handsome, and strongly built, so he looked fit to lead. Mímir was wise, and he stood beside Hoenir as his adviser. The Vanir placed Hoenir in power and accepted both men.

When Mímir stayed beside Hoenir, Hoenir spoke well and made sound decisions. He answered difficult questions and acted like a capable chief. Whenever Mímir left him, Hoenir fell silent. When the Vanir asked him to decide a serious matter, he refused to speak or told them to let others decide. The Vanir suspected that the Aesir had cheated them in the exchange.

The angry Vanir seized Mímir and cut off his head. They sent it to Odin. Odin grieved because Mímir had been his close and trusted friend. He held the severed head in his arms, covered it with herbs that kept it from decaying, and sang magic words over it.

The spells restored Mímir’s power of speech. His head then spoke to Odin and revealed secret matters. It remained with Odin as a source of counsel.

Mímir’s Beheading by the Vanir, a MythSource painting of the scene

3 sources· checked 2026-08-24

  1. 1Treasury of Norse MythologyT1
  2. 2the ancient sourcesT1

    Quote

    “The Vanir cut off Mímir’s head after Hoenir proved unable to govern without his adviser, and Odin preserved it with herbs and spells so that it could speak and give him counsel.”

    the ancient sources

  3. 3Legends of Norse MythologyT1

Mímir and the Well of Wisdom

Odin put on a long cloak and a hat, took the form of a wanderer, and travelled into Jotunheim, the land of the giants. He risked his life to reach Mímir, who guarded the well beneath one root of Yggdrasil. The well fed the world-tree, and its water concealed wisdom and understanding. Each morning, Mímir dipped the Gjallarhorn into the water and drank. No other being drank from the well.

Odin asked Mímir for one drink from it. Mímir refused because nobody drank from the well but him. Odin then said that he was Mímir’s nephew, since his mother, Bestla, was Mímir’s sister. Mímir answered that this was not enough. He demanded a greater price for the water and waited for Odin’s reply.

Odin agreed to give one of his eyes for a single draught. He willingly took the eye from his own skull and hid it. He then used a drinking horn to draw water from the well. When he drank, the water spread through him, and he gained greater wisdom and understanding. He knew more than before, saw hidden matters more clearly, and grasped truths that had escaped him. He also learned that the highest wisdom, clairvoyance, still lay beyond him.

Mímir and the Well of Wisdom, a MythSource painting of the scene

2 sources· checked 2026-08-24

  1. 1the ancient sourcesT1

    Quote

    “Mímir allowed Odin one draught from the well only after Odin gave an eye in payment, and the drink increased his wisdom while leaving the highest knowledge beyond his reach.”

    the ancient sources

  2. 2Treasury of Norse MythologyT1

Also mentioned in

Stories elsewhere on MythSource that mention Mímir, each on that figure’s page.