Tradition: German Mythology
Alternative Names: Fasold, Vasolt
Category: Giant
The Myth
Fasolt, also known as Fasold or Vasolt, is a giant or formidable knight who appears in several medieval works of Germanic legend. He features in the Middle High German heroic poem Eckenlied, dating to around 1230, and the Old Norse Thidrekssaga, a compilation of Germanic legends from approximately 1250. He later appeared in Richard Wagner’s opera Das Rheingold, first performed in 1869.
The name Fasolt may derive from a root related to the Old High German word faso, meaning “thread.” This interpretation is thought to refer to the long, braided hair attributed to him in the Eckenlied. His appearance and role vary across literary traditions, in which he is remembered as a formidable figure belonging to the world of giants and legendary warriors.
Fasolt may also preserve traces of an older supernatural tradition. A seventeenth-century prayer associated with witches on Jochgrimm, a mountain near Bolzano in the Italian Alps, invoked “ffasolt” to send storms far away. This reference has led to the suggestion that Fasolt may originally have been a storm demon, a being associated with violent weather and the power of the elements. Although his precise origins remain uncertain, the surviving accounts connect him with both medieval heroic literature and older beliefs about supernatural forces.
Sources
“Fasolt.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 16, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasolt