Hvergelmir

"Seething cauldron." A well in Niflheimr which is fed by the exudation that falls from the horns of the hart Eikþyrnir and which in turn feeds several major rivers. Grímnismál lists these rivers as: Síð and Víð, Sækin and Eikin, Svöl and Gunnþró, Fjörm and Fimbulþul, Rín and Rennandi, Gípul and Göpul, Gömul and Geirvimul, that flow through the fields of the gods; Þyn and Vín, Þöll and Höll, Gráð and Gunnþorin. Vína is one, another Vegsvinn, and a third Þjóðnuma; Nyt and Nöt, Nönn and Hrönn, Slíðr and Hríð, Sylgr and Ylgr, Víð and Ván, Vönd and Strönd, Gjöll and Leiftr; these (two) fall near to men, but fall hence to Hel.

Snorri Sturluson virtually quotes stanzas 27-28 in Gylfaginning 39, though not consecutively. He has the character of Hárr say, "those rivers are called thus: Síð, Víð, Sækin, Ekin, Svöl, Gunnþró, Fjörm, Fimbulþul, Gípul, Göpul, Gömul, Geirvimul. Those fall about the abodes of the gods; these are also recorded: Þyn, Vín, Þöll, Gunnþráin, Nyt, Nöt, Nönn, Hrönn, Vína, Vegsvínn, and Þjódnuma."

Earlier in Gylfaginning 4, he names the rivers that flow from Hvergelmir as Svöl, Gunnþrá, Fjörm, Fimbulþul, Slíðr and Hríð, Sylgr and Ylgr, Víð, and Leiftr. These appear to be the Élivágar.

Snorri adds that Níðhöggr and uncountable other serpents inhabit Hvergelmir. He also says that one of the three roots of Yggdrasil stands over Niflheimr, and that under that root is Hvergelmir.

The spelling of the names of the rivers vary greatly in the manuscripts and editions.

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