The Legend
Svalinn is a great shield placed before the sun as it crosses the sky. Its name means the cooling one, and its purpose is to guard the earth and sea from the sun's full and terrible heat.
The old poems warn that if Svalinn were ever to slip from its place, the mountains and the ocean alike would burst into flame. The whole world is shielded by this single object, standing between all living things and destruction.
Svalinn also protects the two horses, Arvakr and Alsvin, who draw the sun's chariot across the heavens. The shield keeps them from being scorched as they run their endless course, one of the many quiet mechanisms that keep the Norse cosmos in motion.
Powers and Purpose
Shelter from the Sun
Blocks the sun's full heat, sparing the world from burning
Guardian of the Horses
Protects Arvakr and Alsvin, who draw the chariot of the sun
Quick Facts
The Sun's Horses
Arvakr & Alsvin
The two horses that pull the sun, shielded by Svalinn from its heat
A World at Risk
Were the shield to fail, sea and mountain would burn to ash