MÃÂmir or Mim is a figure in Norse mythology, renowned for his knowledge and wisdom, who is beheaded during the ÃÂsirâÂÂVanir War. Afterward, the god Odin carries around MÃÂmir's head and it recites secret knowledge and counsels him.
MÃÂmir is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson of Iceland, and in euhemerized form as one of the ÃÂsir in Heimskringla, also written by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century. MÃÂmir's name appears in the names of the well MÃÂmisbrunnr, and the names MÃÂmameiðr and HoddmÃÂmis holt, which scholars generally consider to be names for Yggdrasil. Scholars have proposed that Bestla may be MÃÂmir's sister, and therefore MÃÂmir would be Odin's maternal uncle.
The proper names MÃÂmir and Mim present difficulties for historical linguists. However, the most generally accepted etymology among philologists is that MÃÂmir stems from a reduplication of the Proto-Indo-European verb *(s)mer-, meaning 'to think, recall, reflect, worry over' (compare Sanskrit smárati, Avestan hi-à ¡maraiti, Ancient Greek mermaÃÂrà Â, Gothic maúrnan).
In turn, scholars note that the names MÃÂmir and Mim are therefore likely ultimately to be related to the modern English word 'memory' and its associated concepts. For example, scholar Rudolf Simek renders the name as meaning 'the rememberer, the wise one'.
MÃÂmir is mentioned in the Poetic Edda poems Völuspá and SigrdrÃÂfumál. In Völuspá, MÃÂmir is mentioned in two stanzas. Stanza 28 references Odin's sacrifice of his eye to MÃÂmir's Well, and states that MÃÂmir drinks mead every morning "from the Father of the Slain's [Odin] wager." Stanza 46 describes that, in reference to Ragnarök, the "sons" of MÃÂm are at play while "fate burns" (though no further information about these "sons" has survived), that the god Heimdallr blows the Gjallarhorn, and that MÃÂmir's severed head gives counsel to Odin. The single mention in stanza 14 of SigrdrÃÂfumál is also a reference to MÃÂmir's speaking, decollated head. Stanzas 20 and 24 of the poem Fjölsvinnsmál refer to Yggdrasil as MÃÂmameiðr.
In chapter 15 of the Prose Edda book Gylfaginning, as owner of his namesake well, MÃÂmir himself drinks from it and gains great knowledge. To drink from the well, he uses the Gjallarhorn, a drinking horn which shares its name with the sounding horn used by Heimdallr intended to announce the onset of Ragnarök. The section further relates that the well is located beneath one of the three roots of Yggdrasil, in the realm of the frost jötnar.
Chapter 51 relates that, with the onset of Ragnarök, "Heimdall stands up and blows the Gjallarhorn with all his strength. He wakens all the gods who then hold an assembly. Odin now rides to Mimir's Well, seeking council for both himself and his followers. The ash Yggdrasil shakes, and nothing, whether in heaven or on earth, is without fear."
In the Prose Edda book Skáldskaparmál, MÃÂmir's name appears in various kennings. These kennings include "MÃÂm's friend" (for "Odin") in three places, "mischief-MÃÂmir" (a kenning for "jötunn"), and among a list of names for jötunn.
MÃÂmir is mentioned in chapters 4 and 7 of the saga Ynglinga Saga, as collected in Heimskringla. In chapter 4, Snorri presents a euhemerized account of the ÃÂsir-Vanir War. Snorri states that the two sides eventually tired of the war and both agree to meet to establish a truce. The two sides meet and exchanged hostages. Vanaheimr are described as having sent to Asgard their best men: NjörðrâÂÂdescribed as wealthyâÂÂand his son Freyr in exchange for Asaland's Hà ÂnirâÂÂdescribed here as large, handsome, and thought of by the people of Vanaheimr well suited to be a chieftain. Additionally, the ÃÂsir send MÃÂmirâÂÂdescribed as a man of great understandingâÂÂin exchange for Kvasir, who Snorri describes as the wisest man of Vanaheimr.
Snorri continues that, upon arrival in Vanaheimr, HÃ Ânir was immediately made chief and MÃÂmir often gave him good counsel. However, when HÃ Ânir was at meetings and at the Thing without MÃÂmir by his side, he would always answer the same way: "Let others decide." Subsequently, the Vanir suspected they had been cheated in the exchange by the ÃÂsir, so they seized Mimir and beheaded him and sent the head to Asgard. Odin took the head of MÃÂmir, embalmed it with herbs so that it would not rot, and spoke charms over it, which gave it the power to speak to him and reveal to him secrets. The head of MÃÂmir is again mentioned in chapter 7 in connection with Odin, where Odin is described as keeping MÃÂmir's head with him and that it divulged information from other worlds.
On the basis of Hávamál 140 â where Odin learns nine magic songs from the unnamed brother of his mother Bestla â some scholars have theorized that Bestla's brother may in fact be MÃÂmir, who would then be Odin's maternal uncle. This also means that Mimir's father would be Bölþorn.
In the theories of Viktor Rydberg, MÃÂmir's wife is Sinmara, named in the poem Fjölsvinnsmal. According to Rydberg, the byname Sinmara ("sinew-maimir") refers to "MÃÂmir-Niðhad"'s "queen ordering Völund's hamstrings to be cut".
MÃÂmir features in Santa Monica Studio's 2018 action-adventure video game God of War and its 2022 sequel God of War Ragnarök. He is voiced by Scottish actor Alastair Duncan in both entries.