Ynglingatal (15) reads:
En Dagskjarr
Durnis nidja
salvördudr
Svegdi velti,
tha er i stein
hinn stórgedi
Dulsa konr
ept dvergi hljóp,
ok sal bjartr
theirra Sökkmimis
jotunbyggdr
vid jofri gein.
"The day-shy hall-guard of Durnir's descendants deceived Svegdir when he, the dauntless son of Dulsi, ran after the dwarf into the rock, and when the shining giant-inhabited hall of Sökkmimir's kinsmen yawned against the chief." (In regard to Dulsi, see No. 83).
What attracts attention in a comparison of these two strophes is that the epithet Sökkmimir is common to both of them, while this name does not occur elsewhere in the whole Old Norse literature.
In both the strophes Sökkmimir is a giant. Grimnersmal calls him inn aldna iotun, "the ancient giant," with which we may compare Odin's words in Havamál (104): enn aldna iotun ec sotta, "the ancient giant I sought," when he visited that giant-chief, to whose clan Suttung-Fjalar, the possessor of the skald-mead, belonged.
In both the strophes the giant Sökkmimir is the lord and chief of those giants to whom, according to Grimnersmal, Odin comes, and outside of whose hall-door, according to Ynglingatal, a certain Svegdir is deceived by the ward of the hall. This position of Sökkmimir in relation to his surroundings already appears, so far as Grimnersmal is concerned, from the expression at Sauccmimis, which means not only "with Sokmimer," but also "at Sokmimer's," that is to say, with that group of kinsmen and in that abode where Sokmimer is chief and ruler. It is with this giant-chief, and in his rocky hall, that Midvitnir and his son sojourns when Odin visits him, presents himself to him, and by the name Svidur (Svidrir) acts the part of another person, and in this connection causes Midvitner's death. The same quality of Sokmimer as clan-chief and lord appears in the Ynglingatal strophe, in the form that the hall, outside of whose door Svegder was deceived, is theirra Sökkmimis, that is to say, is the abode of Sokmimer's kinsmen and household, "is their giant-home." Thus all the giants who dwell there take their clan-name from Sokmimer.
The appellation Sökkmimir is manifestly not a name in the strictest sense, but one of the epithets by which this ancient giant-chief could be recognised in connection with mythological circumstances. We shall point out these mythological circumstances further on.
The Ynglingatal strophe gives us, in fact, another epithet for the same mythic person. What the latter half of the strophe calls the hall of Sokmimer's kinsmen and household, the former half of the same strophe calls the hall of Durnir's descendants. Thus Sokmimer and Durnir are the same person.
Durnir, on the other hand, is a variation of Durinn (cp. the parallel variations Dvalnir and Dvalinn). Of Durinn we already know (see No. 53) that he is one of the ancient beings of mythology who in time's morning, together with Modsognir-Mimer and in accordance with the resolve of the high-holy powers, created clans of artists. One of the artists created by Durin, and whose father he in this sense became, is, according to Völuspa (11), Mjödvitnir. Rask and Egilsson have for philological reasons assumed that Midvitnir and Mjödvitnir are variations of the same name, and designate the same person (mjödr, in the dative midi). It here appears that the facts confirm this assumption. Durinn and Mjödvitnir, in Völuspa correspond to Durnir and Midvitnir in the strophes concerning Sökkmimir.
Mjödvitnir means the mead-wolf, he who captured the mead celebrated in mythology. As Odin, having assumed the name of another, visits the abode of the descendants of Durner-Sokmimer, he accordingly visits that rocky home, where that giant dwells who has secured and possesses the mead desired by Odin.