Byggvir is a figure in
Norse mythology. The only surviving mention of Byggvir appears in the prose beginning of Lokasenna, and stanzas 55 through 56 of the same poem, where he is referred to as one of
Freyr's servants and as the husband of
Beyla.
Bygg is the
Old Norse word for
barley. Subsequently, Byggvir [ˈbyɡːvir] is often identified with this
etymology of his name and connections have been placed with the mentioning of Byggvir's described involvement with mill-grinding as being potential references to barley processing.[1] Comparisons to the
Anglo-Saxon figure of
Beowa (
Old English "barley") have been put forth.[2]
Lokasenna
In Lokasenna, Loki is depicted as degrading Byggvir for being of slight stature and as a gossiper:
In relation to Loki's comments in Lokasenna, proposals have been made that Beyla and her husband are personifications of
agriculture associated with Freyr: Beyla as the
manure that softens the earth and develops the seed, Byggvir as the refuse of the mill,
chaff.[4]