In the surviving Old Norse sources Býleistr is presented only as a brother of Loki. Snorri Sturluson lists Býleistr alongside Helblindi as Loki's brothers (Gylfaginning ch. 34; Skáldskaparmál), and skaldic/Eddic verses identify Loki by the kenning “Býleistr's brother” (examples cited in Völuspá verse 51, Hyndluljóð verse 40, and Skáldskaparmál). The primary texts do not provide a narrative origin for Býleistr; some modern scholars infer that he may belong to the same household as Loki (son of Fárbauti and Laufey) but that parentage is speculative and not explicitly stated for Býleistr in the cited medieval sources.
No physical description of Býleistr is preserved in the cited Old Norse sources. The attestations record only his name and kin-term usage; there are no extant textual attributes, depictions, or iconography tied to him in the referenced material.
The primary and cited secondary materials do not attribute any actions, powers, or behaviors to Býleistr. He functions in the corpus as a genealogical and poetic referent (a named sibling used in kennings for Loki). Etymological proposals connecting his name to elements meaning 'storm' or similar (e.g., byl- compounds) exist in scholarship, but these remain uncertain suggestions and are not presented in the sources as narrative powers or deeds.
Adils
Adils (Old Norse Aðils; also Eadgils, Adillus, Athisl, Adhel) is a semi‑legendary sixth‑century Swedish king attested in Old Norse saga material and later medieval traditions. He appears in saga episodes as a storied royal figure involved in warfare, court acts, and marriage suits rather than as a supernatural being.
Agilaz (Egil)
Agilaz (reconstructed Proto-Germanic) — commonly recorded in medieval sources as Egil or Ægil — is a legendary archer attested in Germanic heroic tradition. He appears as the brother of Völund (Wayland/Weland) in the Old Norse poem Völundarkviða and in the Thidreks saga, and his name is also inscribed on early medieval objects (Franks Casket, Pforzen buckle). The attested material presents him as a named heroic human archer within saga and inscriptional contexts rather than as a recurrent supernatural species.
Agnarr Geirröðsson
Agnarr Geirröðsson is a mortal prince attested only in the Poetic Edda poem Grímnismál; he aids Odin (disguised as Grímnir) during Geirröðr's torture and, after Odin reveals himself and King Geirröðr dies, Agnarr succeeds as king.
Agne
Agne (also attested Agni, Hogne, Agni Skjálfarbondi) is a semi-legendary king of Sweden in Old Norse saga tradition, preserved in the Ynglingatal corpus and prose expansions such as Snorri Sturluson's Ynglinga saga. He is portrayed as a mighty and famous warrior-king whose campaign in Finland, marriage to Skjalf, and death by hanging form a remembered episode connected to local place-names and a burial mound.
Alf and Alfhild
Alf and Alfhild are legendary human figures from Old Norse/early Scandinavian narrative tradition preserved principally in Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum. The tale presents Alf as a Danish prince and Alfhild as a Geatish princess who becomes a shieldmaiden and leader of a fleet of female raiders; their story includes combat, recognition, marriage, and later dynastic conflict.
Algaut
Algaut (also rendered Algöt or Algaut Gautreksson) is a semi-legendary Geatish king of West Götaland recorded in Scandinavian saga and genealogical tradition. Saga summaries (via Snorri Sturluson's Heimskringla as reported in later compilations) record that he was the father of Gauthild and was burnt to death by his son-in-law, the Swedish king Ingjald Ill-ruler.
Almáttki áss
Almáttki áss is an epithet-attested divine figure invoked in an Icelandic legal oath recorded in Landnámabók (Hauksbók 268). In the sole attestation the phrase functions as an invoked áss (god) described with the adjective almáttki ('almighty') and serves as the divine guarantor or witness for an oath sworn on a temple ring. Scholarly sources debate whether the epithet refers to a named Norse god (Thor, Ullr, Odin, or Týr) or is a Christianizing formulation by a later author.
Alrek and Eirík
Alrek and Eirík (also rendered Alaric and Eric) are legendary Swedish kings from the Old Norse saga tradition who are presented as joint rulers and as members of the Ynglinga royal genealogies. They appear in saga narratives as sons and heirs of King Agni, famed for martial and athletic prowess, and as hosts who receive the hero Starkaðr after the sacrificial death of Vikar.
Alvaldi
Alvaldi (Old Norse: Alvaldi / Ölvaldi) is a jötunn in Norse mythic genealogies, attested chiefly as the father of the notable jötunn Þjazi and described in one source as exceedingly rich in gold. He survives in the record mainly as a familial antecedent and an etiological figure rather than as an active participant in preserved narratives.
Alvíss
Alvíss (Old Norse: 'All‑Wise') is a dwarf in Norse mythology who appears in the Poetic Edda poem Alvíssmál as a prospective husband for Thor's daughter Þrúðr. In the surviving narrative Thor tests Alvíss's wisdom through a lengthy question-and-answer session that lasts until sunrise, whereupon the dwarf is petrified by exposure to sunlight.
Amleth
Amleth (Old Norse: Amlóði; Latinized Amlethus) is a legendary medieval Scandinavian prince and saga-hero best known from Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum. He is a human protagonist whose story centers on feigned madness, cunning survival, exile to Britain, marriage, wealth-gathering, and eventual vengeance against his father's murderer; the tale later inspired the character of Shakespeare's Hamlet and numerous adaptations.
Ancient Kings of Finland
In early literary sources, the Ancient Kings of Finland are described as hypothetical or mythical monarchic systems associated with ancient Finland. (Note: 1. Power tier: Lower to Primordial (given the lack of specific abilities and behaviors) 2. Abilities and behaviors are described as 'generally vague', so this section should be reworded or removed 3. )
Community Record
- [1]Býleistr (Wikipedia). Wikipedia, 'Býleistr' (lead, Name, Attestations sections), accessed from provided research noteswiki
- [2]Wikidata: Býleistr. Wikidata entry for Býleistr, cited in provided research notesother
- [3]Prose Edda: Gylfaginning and Skáldskaparmál (attestations referenced). Snorri Sturluson: Gylfaginning (ch. 34) and Skáldskaparmál (chapter listings) where Býleistr is named as Loki's brother (as cited in the provided material)literary
- [4]Eddic and skaldic verses (Völuspá, Hyndluljóð, Skáldskaparmál references). Attested kenning 'Býleistr's brother' occurs in verses cited in the provided notes (Völuspá v.51; Hyndluljóð v.40; Skáldskaparmál ch.16 references to kennings), as recorded in the collected materialliterary
- [5]Archive.org: Nature Vs Nurture: Where Do I Belong?. Modern creative reuse of the name cited in the provided notes (archive.org item)other
- [6]Fire Emblem Wiki: Býleistr (modern usage). Modern videogame-related reuse of the name cited in the provided notesother