Dáinsleif

Dáinsleif ("Dáinn's Heirloom"^[1][2]) is king Högni's sword, according to Snorri Sturluson's account of the battle known as the Hjaðningavíg.

When Heðinn offers him compensation for the abduction of his daughter, Högni replies:

Thou hast made this offer over-late, if thou wouldst make peace: for now I have drawn Dáinsleif, which the dwarves made, and which must cause a man's death every time it is bared,^[a] nor ever fails in its stroke; moreover, the wound heals not if one be scratched with it.

— Skáldskaparmál (50), Brodeur's translation^[3]

In popular culture

• In Final Fantasy Type-0 and its remake, the first chapter ends with the player fighting a "l'Cie" named Qun'mi, who pilots a magitek weapon called "Dáinsleif".
• Genshin Impact, a 2020 action role-playing game, features a character named Dainsleif.
• Senki Zesshō Symphogear, a Japanese anime television franchise animated by Satelight features an ancient relic in the form of a sword, named 'Dáinsleif'.
• Several games in the Castlevania series feature 'Dáinsleif' as a usable weapon.
• Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans The Dainsleif was introduced as a banned weapon of war. It was a mobile suit hand held rail gun that fired rods at hyper velocity that would rip through anything it hit with ease.
• Black Summoner Dainsleif was the S rank sword made for Gerard Fragarach by Kelvin Celsius.
• For Honor, a Viking finisher named "Dainsleif" from For Honor, a fighting game by Ubisoft.
• Black Clover, a character named Zenon Zogratis, uses the sword as an ultimate finishing-move
• Monster Hunter Frontier Z, 'Dainsleif' was a pair of Dual Blades that were able to be crafted as a reward for players who played consistently through Internet cafés. Its final upgrade was considered by players to be the strongest Dual Blades in the game.
• In Odin Sphere, 'Dáinsleif' was featured as playable character Oswald's special skill, rather than being a physical weapon.

Notes

1. Like Tyrfing.

References

1. Bane, Theresa (2020). Encyclopedia of mythological objects. Jefferson, North Carolina. ISBN 9781476639208.
2. Daly, Kathleen N. (2010). Norse mythology A to Z (3rd ed.). New York: Chelsea House Publishers. p. 19. ISBN 9781438128016.
3. Brodeur, Arthur Gilchrist (trans.). 1916. Snorri Sturluson: The Prose Edda. New York: The American-Scandinavian Foundation.