Bilbo mirroring Odin...

[Haerangil]

I recently read the Heidrekssaga in which King Heidrek gives Gestumblindi a chance to escape his likely death penalty by playing the riddle game with the King , which leads to a longwinded exchange of Kenningar

In the end however Odin cheats to win.As the Kings creative powers of interpreting anything as a functional kenning are obviously too big he stops making up riddles and asks a question instead.

Well, he didn't ask what was in his pockets, he did in fact ask what Odin whispered into his son Thor's ear in some situation and thereby exposes himself as Odin in Gestumblindi's assumed shape...

But the principle's the same, isn't it?

So Gollum and Bilbo mirror Heidrek and Odin.

Did we already mention this before?

 

[Forodan]

But is this the only example of such cheating in the Norse sagas? If it's something that multiple characters did, it hardly merits attributing Odin as the person being imitated. It's then merely a common trick that Tolkien borrowed.

But even if this is something unique to Odin, it's not the only borrowing from Odin's bag of tricks. As I pointed out some time ago, there are other clear parallels between Odin and Bilbo.

 

[Haerangil]

I haven't read any other sagas yet where this did happen ,but on the other hand i certainly havent read all sagas! I believe Odin did exactly the same tjing on an other occasion innthe poetic edda where he cheated in the riddle game onnThor... but i am not certain.