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They call me many things: Murderer. Cutthroat. Thief. But you may call me Gæfuleysi. This article is about a subject that lacks an official name and is known only by its nickname, title, or alias. |
Gæfuleysi was a dwarf so known for his misfortune in life[1] that it became the only name by which others referred to him. Tales of his ill luck were collected into a series of tomes known as the "Heroic Sagas".[2]
History[]
Many of the tales about Gæfuleysi centered around his battles or misadventures. He was known to have lost a fight with a one-eyed elf and allegedly had won a duel through ingenuity against a so-called "invincible man". His other exploits included such things as being robbed by bandits, drinking cursed mead, and fighting a belching giant. However, his lack of any sense of self-preservation twice was the source of his suffering bodily harm, the latter time proving fatal.[2]
The first occasion was after he openly insulted a member of the Æsir by telling "embarrassing rumors about the size of Thor's manhood". This public humiliation so enraged the Norse god that he would regularly strike the offending dwarf with lightning bolts at inopportune moments as reminders to teach him a lesson. This effort was wasted, though, as his second and last incident was when he drank alcohol until inebriation before foolishly deciding to strip naked and fistfight a bear, only to be devoured whole.[2]
Legacy[]
In Eivor Varinsdottir's visions of Odin's time at Svartálfaheimr, the All-Father collected the Heroic Sagas to inspire new boasts for him to use at Kára's Domain.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
According to Icelandic linguist Geir Zoëga's 1910 dictionary A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, "gæfuleysi" is a noun that literally means "lucklessness".[3]
Appearances[]
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Dawn of Ragnarök (mentioned only)
References[]
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Dawn of Ragnarök – Hyrrokin's Gift
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Dawn of Ragnarök – Heroic Scholar
- ↑ Zoëga, Geir Tómasson Zoëga (1910). A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic. p. 176. Oxford University Press. Retrieved on 5 September 2023.