InNorse mythology,Sindri (Old Norse:[ˈsindre], fromsindr, "slag")[1] is the name of both adwarf and a hall that will serve as a dwelling place for the souls of the virtuous after the events ofRagnarök. Sindri is also referred to asEitri, the brother ofBrokkr.
Völuspá(37) mentions "a hall of gods, of the lineage of Sindri"[2] located northward, inNiðavellir. There are several reasons to think that Sindri is a dwarf:[3] his name is related with forging and the hall is made of gold (dwarves are said to be skillful smiths), the location of the hall is Niðavellir, which possibly means "dark fields" (dwarves live away from the sunlight).
In thePoetic Edda, Sindri's name is Eitri.[4] The names of the dwarves are not given in the three other main manuscripts of theProse Edda but in theCodex Regius, an unknown author added more recently the names of Brokkr and Sindri.[5] Despite the difference in names, the story of the dwarf brothers and the creation of the gifts for the gods remain the same.
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In theSkáldskaparmál (Codex Wormianus version),Snorri Sturluson tells how the dwarvesBrokkr and Sindri fashioned some of the magical objects used by thegods. The objects used by the gods were created afterLoki cutSif's hair. To avoid punishment, Loki pleaded withThor to let him go down to Svartalfheim, to have the dwarves create a new, golden head of hair for Sif. After having thesons of Ivaldi create the golden hair for Sif, the spear ofOdin,Gungnir, and a magic ship forFreyr,Skidbladnir, Loki bet Brokkr and Sindri that they couldn't create equally impressive items. Loki even bet his head that the brothers couldn't. Loki, being the trickster he is, turned into a fly and pestered the brothers as they were fashioning the gods' objects. Sindri placed gold into the fire and Loki bit Sindri on the hand. Sindri pulledGullinbursti, the boar ofFreyr, out of the fire. Sindri put another piece of gold into the fire as Brokkr operated the bellows. The fly bit Brokkr on the neck and Sindri pulledDraupnir, the ring ofOdin, out of the fire. Sindri then put iron in the fire and the fly stung Brokkr in between the eyes, drawing blood and preventing Brokkr from seeing his work. Sindri pulled outMjölnir, the hammer ofThor. Although mighty, the hammer’s handle was short due to the fly’s harassment. Loki made it to the gods before the dwarves and presented the gifts. However, the gods still decided that Loki owed the dwarves his head. The dwarves approached Loki, but he said he promised his head, not his neck. The brothers were content sewing Loki’s mouth shut and returned to their forge.[3][4][6][7]
Sindri is also a dwarf inÞorsteins saga Víkingssonar. He helps Þorstein to defeat a powerful enemy(22–23) and to escape when he is taken prisoner(25).
InGylfaginning, Snorri refers to Sindri as the name of a golden hall that will serve as a dwelling place for the good and righteous after Ragnarök (along withBrimir andGimlé):
For Rudolf Simek, this seems to be a transposition of theChristian belief inHeaven, despite the fact that Sindri is in Snorri's account located in Niðafjöll, the mountains from which the corpse-sucking dragonNíðhöggr comes according toVöluspá.[9]
Some argue that Snorri's view of Sindri as a place rather than as a character may come from a misinterpretation of the stanza ofVöluspá.[10] InNorse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals and Beliefs, John Lindow talks about how Sindri might be a golden hall, or it might be a hall related to a person named Sindri.[3]
Both Sindri and his brother Brokkr (referred to as Brok) appear as main characters in the video gamesGod of War andGod of War Ragnarök developed bySanta Monica Studio. The brothers serve as friends and allies to the protagonists Kratos and his son Atreus.