Branstock, in Norse legend, a great oak tree that grew in the hall of the
Volsungs (the descendants of Odin). Odin, chief of the gods, placed the magic
sword Gram (or Balmung) into the tree, saying that it could belong only to
the warrior who could pull it out, and whosoever could would be assured victory
in battle. Many tried and failed to pull the sword out of the tree, including
nine Volsung princes. But when the tenth, the youngest of the Volsung princes,
took the sword's hilt in his hand, he was easily able to remove it from the
Branstock tree.