Dwarf tricked by Thor into staying until the sun turned him to stone.
Alviss (Old Norse Alvíss, 'all-wise') is a dwarf who comes to Asgard to claim Thor's daughter, whom he believes was promised to him. The poem Alvíssmál describes how Thor, unwilling to give up his daughter, delays the dwarf by asking questions about what various things are called in the languages of the different peoples.
Alviss answers every question, demonstrating deep knowledge of the names used by gods, elves, dwarfs, and giants. Thor continues asking until dawn arrives, and the sun's rays turn the dwarf to stone. Alvíssmál is a unique wisdom poem that functions both as a cosmological glossary and as a tale of cunning.
Sources in the Eddas
- Alvíssmál 1-35
- Thor asks the dwarf Alviss about the names of all things until the sun turns him to stone.
Interpretive traditions
A What we know
Alviss came to claim Thor's daughter and was turned to stone by sunlight (Alvíssmál).
The poem catalogues cosmological names used by gods, elves, dwarfs, and giants.
B What we think we know
Whether Alvíssmál is an older wisdom poem with an added narrative frame or a unified composition is debated.
C What we do not know
Alviss's role outside Alvíssmál lacks attestation in surviving sources.