Editing Kvasir (section)

==Interpretations==
[[Rudolf Simek]] comments that ''kvasir'' likely originally referred to juice squeezed from [[berries]] and then fermented. In some ancient cultures, berries were communally chewed before being spat into a container, which exactly parallels Kvasir's mythical creation.<ref name=SIMEK184-185/>

Simek says that Snorri's description is further proven faithful by way of the (above-mentioned) 10th-century skaldic kenning "Kvasir’s blood" ([[Old Norse]] ''Kvasis dreyra''). He also points out strong parallels exist between the Old Norse tale of the theft of the Mead of Poetry by Odin (in the form of an eagle) and the [[Sanskrit]] tale of the theft of [[Soma (drink)|Soma]] (beverage of the gods) by the god [[Indra]] (or an eagle), and that these parallels point to a common [[Proto-Indo-European]] basis.<ref name=SIMEK184-185/>

Further, the mixing of spit in a vat between the two groups of gods points to an ancient basis for the myth: The customs of mixing spittle and the group drinking of the intoxicating beverage are well rooted in traditional peacemaking and group binding customs among various ancient peoples.<ref name=SIMEK184-185>Simek (2007:184-185)</ref>