In the bright morning, when the sun rose over the mountains of Midgard, old Mimer drank from his bubbly well a draught of the wise water that flowed over Odin’s pledge.  Doing so, from his underground grotto he saw all that befell in heaven and on earth.  So that he also was wiser by the bargain.  Mimer seemed to have secured rather the best of it; for he lost nothing that he could not spare, while Odin lost what no man can well part with—­one of the good windows wherethrough his heart looks out upon the world.  But there was a sequel to these doings which made the balance swing down in Odin’s favour.

Not long after this, the AEsir quarrelled with the Vanir, wild enemies of theirs, and there was a terrible battle.  But in the end the two sides made peace; and to prove that they meant never to quarrel again, they exchanged hostages.  The Vanir gave to the AEsir old Nioerd the rich, the lord of the sea and the ocean wind, with his two children, Frey and Freia.  This was indeed a gracious gift; for Freia was the most beautiful maid in the world, and her twin brother was almost as fair.  To the Vanir in return Father Odin gave his own brother Hoenir.  And with Hoenir he sent Mimer the wise, whom he took from his lonely well.

Now the Vanir made Hoenir their chief, thinking that he must be very wise because he was the brother of great Odin, who had lately become famous for his wisdom.  They did not know the secret of Mimer’s well, how the hoary old giant was far more wise than anyone who had not quaffed of the magic water.  It is true that in the assemblies of the Vanir Hoenir gave excellent counsel.  But this was because Mimer whispered in Hoenir’s ear all the wisdom that he uttered.  Witless Hoenir was quite helpless without his aid, and did not know what to do or say.  Whenever Mimer was absent he would look nervous and frightened, and if folk questioned him he always answered: 

“Yes, ah yes!  Now go and consult someone else.”

Of course the Vanir soon grew very angry at such silly answers from their chief, and presently they began to suspect the truth.  “Odin has deceived us,” they said.  “He has sent us his foolish brother with a witch to tell him what to say.  Ha!  We will show him that we understand the trick.”  So they cut off poor old Mimer’s head and sent it to Odin as a present.

The tales do not say what Odin thought of the gift.  Perhaps he was glad that now there was no one in the whole world who could be called so wise as himself.  Perhaps he was sorry for the danger into which he had thrust a poor old giant who had never done him any wrong, except to be a giant of the race which the AEsir hated.  Perhaps he was a little ashamed of the trick which he had played the Vanir.  Odin’s new wisdom showed him how to prepare Mimer’s head with herbs and charms, so that it stood up by itself quite naturally and seemed not dead.  Thenceforth Odin kept it near him, and learned from it many useful secrets which it had not forgotten.