thumb|Ǫrvar-Oddr informs [[Hjalmar and Ingeborg|Ingeborg about Hjalmar's death, by August Malmström (1859)]]
Ǫrvar-Oddr, also spelt Örvar-Oddr ( , "Arrow-Odd" or "Arrow's Point") is a legendary hero about whom an anonymous Icelander wrote a fornaldarsaga in the latter part of the 13th century. Ǫrvar-Odds saga, the Saga of Ǫrvar-Odd, became very popular and contains old legends and songs. He also appears in Hervarar saga and, concerning the battle on Samsø, in Gesta Danorum.
Plot summary
Prophecy
Oddr was the son of Grímr Loðinkinni and the grandson of Ketill Hœngr (both of whom have their own sagas) of Hålogaland. When he was an infant, a vǫlva predicted that he would be killed by his own horse, Faxi, at the place where he was born, at the age of three hundred (which may signify 360, as the unit in question is probably the "long hundred" commonly used in medieval Germanic languages, denoting 120 rather than 100).
In order to thwart the prediction, he killed his horse, buried it deep in the ground and left his home intending never to return again. As he was leaving, his father gave him some magic arrows (Gusisnautar) which soon earned him the cognomen arrow. After a voyage to Finnmark, Bjarmaland, Holmgård, Constantinople and Jotunheim, he fought successfully against several Vikings.
Hjalmar and Angantyr
However, when he encountered the Swedish champion Hjalmar, he met his match. The fight was even and the two warriors not only became friends, but entered sworn brotherhood.
The two heroes fought many battles together (for more see Hjalmar), until after the famous battle of Samsø against the sons of Arngrim, Ǫrvar-Oddr had to bring the dead Hjalmar (killed by Angantyr) to Uppsala and his betrothed Ingeborg, the daughter of the Swedish king.
Ǫrvar-Oddr travelled in the South fighting against the corsairs of the Mediterranean, he was baptised in Sicily, was shipwrecked and arrived alone in the Holy Land.
Ǫgmundr Flóki
Oddr sought vengeance against Ǫgmundr Flóki ("Ogmund Tussock" or Ǫgmundr 'tuft';
Ǫgmundr Flóki owned a cloak made from the beards of kings he collected, as did the giant of Mont Saint-Michel, enemy of King Arthur in Brittany.