Norse mythology
Bestla
The Giantess Who Bore the Gods
- Mythology
- Norse mythology
- Group
- Jotnar · Fate
- Appears in
- Ymir, Audhumla, and the First Creation
- Places
- Jotunheim
Listen to “Ymir, Audhumla, and the First Creation” in the app
Bestla is a giantess, daughter of the jotunn Bolthorn, who marries Borr, son of Buri. From their union come the three brothers Odin, Vili, and Ve, the gods who slay Ymir and raise the world from his body. Through her, the chief of the Aesir carries frost-giant blood in his veins. Odin recalls learning nine mighty charms from her father, his maternal grandfather. Mother of the highest gods yet giant-born herself, Bestla makes the line of the Aesir a mingling of divine and giant kin from its very root.
Related figures
Real episode from the app
Ymir, Audhumla, and the First Creation
Chapter 1
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Bestla?
- Bestla is a giantess, daughter of the jotunn Bolthorn, who marries Borr, son of Buri. From their union come the three brothers Odin, Vili, and Ve, the gods who slay Ymir and raise the world from his body. Through her, the chief of the Aesir carries frost-giant blood in his veins.
- Which mythology does Bestla belong to?
- Bestla belongs to Norse mythology.
- Which stories does Bestla appear in?
- Bestla appears in Ymir, Audhumla, and the First Creation, told as chaptered audio dramas in MythologyNow.
Cite this page
MythologyNow. (2026). Bestla. https://www.mythologynow.app/en/gods/bestla"Bestla." MythologyNow, 2026, https://www.mythologynow.app/en/gods/bestla.MythologyNow. "Bestla." Accessed 2026. https://www.mythologynow.app/en/gods/bestla.Listen to the stories of Bestla
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