Aurvandil (mythology)

Aurvandil
Vital Statistics
Full Name:	Aurvandil the Brave
Gender:	Male
Race:	God/Giant
Friends/Allies:	Thor
Family
Other:	Groa (wife)
Out-of-UniverseInformation
FirstAppearance:	"Fright of Passage"
LastAppearance:	Dragons: Rise of Berk

Aurvandil is a minor figure in Norse Mythology, mentioned several times in the How to Train Your Dragon Franchise.

Mythology

Aurvandil the Brave or Aurvandil the Valiant, is a male, sometimes called a giant, who was an associate of Thor. Both men went into the land of the Giants called Jötunheim, where Thor fought and killed the giant Hrungnir. Aurvandil needed assistance, so Thor carried him across the frigid river, Élivágar, in a basket. Unfortunately Aurvandil's toe stuck out of the basket and froze. Thor then snapped it off and tossed it into the sky to form a bright star named 'Aurvandil's Toe'. It is unclear which star in the sky this 'toe' is referring to, but some speculate it might be Rigel, Sirius, or the planet Venus.

Later, Thor visited Aurvandil's wife Gróa to heal the sharpening stones bit stuck in his head from his fight with Hrungnir. She used spells and magic to remove the pieces, but never finished. This is because Thor told her that Aurvandil was returning to her, and she grew so excited at the return of her husband that her magic healing was interrupted.

Appearances

Dragons: Riders of Berk

In the episode, "Fright of Passage", Aurvandil's Fire is mentioned as a reference to the Northern Lights. While Aurvandil is an authentic figure in Norse mythology, this reference to the Aurora Borealis is exclusive to the How to Train Your Dragon Franchise.

Games

Dragons: Rise of Berk

Aurvandil is referenced in the description of a Thunderclaw by the same name - Aurvandil

“	This Thunderclaw was named after an ancient Norse star because of its legendary tracking abilities. He's said to be able to follow you to the moon and back!	”
	— Dragons: Rise of Berk

References

Aurvandil on Wikipedia
Gróa on Wikipedia