Skírnismál is an Eddic poem consisting of 42 stanzas in ljóðaháttr, preceded by a prose introduction. All the stanzas are in direct speech. The whole poem is preserved in the manuscript Codex Regius nr. 2365 4to (c.1270) and the first 27 stanzas also in A 748 Ia 4to (c. 1300). The former manuscript uses the name Fǫr Skírnis [Skírnir’s journey], while the latter uses the name Skírnismál. Snorri Sturluson quotes st. 42 in his Edda (Gylfaginning, ch. 23) after a short summary of the poem. In Codex Regius, Skírnismál is placed between Grímnismál and Hárbarðsljóð, as the only Freyr poem in the collection.
Skírnismál tells the story of how Freyr, assisted by his servant Skírnir, wins the giantess Gerðr as his wife or mistress. The poem itself is preceded by a prose introduction, telling that...
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Citation: Sävborg, Daniel. "Skírnismál". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 14 March 2024 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=40935, accessed 13 December 2025.]
