THE YOUNGER EDDAS OF STURLESON.




THE DELUDING OF GYLFI.

GEFJON'S PLOUGHING.[125]

1. King Gylfi ruled over the land which is now called Svithiod
(Sweden). It is related of him that he once gave a wayfaring woman, as
a recompense for her having diverted him, as much land in his realm as
she could plough with four oxen in a day and a night. This woman was,
however, of the race of the Æsir, and was called Gefjon. She took four
oxen from the north, out of Jotunheim (but they were the sons she had
had with a giant), and set them before a plough. Now the plough made
such deep furrows that it tore up the land, which the oxen drew
westward out to sea until they came to a sound. There Gefjon fixed the
land, and called it Sælund. And the place where the land had stood
became water, and formed a lake which is now called "The Water"
(Laugur), and the inlets of this lake correspond exactly with the
headlands of Sealund. As Skald Bragi the Old saith:--

    "Gefjon drew from Gylfi,
    Rich in stored up treasure,
    The land she joined to Denmark.
    Four heads and eight eyes bearing,
    While hot sweat trickled down them,
    The oxen dragged the reft mass
    That formed this winsome island."


GYLFI'S JOURNEY TO ASGARD.


2. King Gylfi was renowned for his wisdom and skill in magic. He
beheld with astonishment that whatever the Æsir willed took place; and
was at a loss whether to attribute their success to the superiority of
their natural abilities, or to a power imparted to them by the mighty
gods whom they worshipped. To be satisfied in this particular, he
resolved to go to Asgard, and, taking upon himself the likeness of an
old man, set out on his journey. But the Æsir, being too well skilled
in divination not to foresee his design, prepared to receive him with
various illusions. On entering the city Gylfi saw a very lofty
mansion, the roof of which, as far as his eye could reach, was covered
with golden shields. Thiodolf of Hvina thus alludes to Valhalla being
roofed with shields.

    "Warriors all care-worn,
    (Stones had poured upon them),
    On their backs let glisten
    Valhalla's golden shingles."

At the entrance of the mansion Gylfi saw a man who amused himself by
tossing seven small-swords in the air, and catching them as they fell,
one after the other. This person having asked his name, Gylfi said
that he was called Gangler, and that he came from a long journey, and
begged for a night's lodging. He asked, in his turn, to whom this
mansion belonged. The other told him that it belonged to their king,
and added, "But I will lead thee to him, and thou shalt thyself ask
him his name." So saying he entered the hall, and as Gylfi followed
the door banged to behind him. He there saw many stately rooms crowded
with people, some playing, some drinking, and others fighting with
various weapons. Gangler, seeing a multitude of things, the meaning of
which he could not comprehend, softly pronounced the following verse
(from the Havamal, st. i.):--

    "Scan every gate
    Ere thou go on,
    With greatest caution;

    For hard to say 'tis
    Where foes are sitting
    In this fair mansion."

He afterwards beheld three thrones raised one above another, with a
man sitting on each of them. Upon his asking what the names of these
lords might be, his guide answered: "He who sitteth on the lowest
throne is a king; his name is Har (the High or Lofty One); the second
is Jafnhar (_i.e_. equal to the High); but he who sitteth on the
highest throne is called Thridi (the Third)." Har, perceiving the
stranger, asked him what his errand was, adding that he should be
welcome to eat and drink without cost, as were all those who remained
in Hava Hall. Gangler said he desired first to ascertain whether there
was any person present renowned for his wisdom.

"If thou art not the most knowing," replied Har, "I fear thou wilt
hardly return safe. But go, stand there below, and propose thy
questions, here sits one who will be able to answer them."


OF THE SUPREME DEITY.

3. Gangler thus began his discourse:--"'Who is the first, or eldest
of the gods?"

"In our language," replied Har, "he is called Alfadir (All-Father, or
the Father of all); but in the old Asgard he had twelve names."

"Where is this God?" said Gangler; "what is his power? and what hath
he done to display his glory?"

"He liveth," replied Har, "from all ages, he governeth all realms and
swayeth all things great and small."

"He hath formed," added Jafnhar, "heaven and earth, and the air, and
all things thereunto belonging."

"And what is more," continued Thridi, "he hath made man, and given him
a soul which shall live and never perish though the body shall have
mouldered away, or have been burnt to ashes. And all that are
righteous shall dwell with him in the place called Gimli, or Vingolf;
but the wicked shall go to Hel, and thence to Niflhel, which is below,
in the ninth world."

"And where did this god remain before he made heaven and earth?"
demanded Gangler.

"He was then," replied Har, "with the Hrimthursar."[126]


OF THE PRIMORDIAL STATE OF THE UNIVERSE.

4. "But with what did he begin, or what was the beginning of
things?" demanded Gangler.

"Hear," replied Har, "what is said in the Voluspa."

    "'Twas time's first dawn,
    When nought yet was,
    Nor sand nor sea,
    Nor cooling wave;
    Earth was not there,

    Nor heaven above.
    Nought save a void
    And yawning gulf.
    But verdure none.'"

"Many ages before the earth was made," added Jafnhar, "was Niflheim
formed, in the middle of which lies the spring called Hvergelmir, from
which flow twelve rivers, Gjoll being the nearest to the gate of the
abode of death."

"But, first of all," continued Thridi, "there was in the southern
region (sphere) the world called Muspell. It is a world too luminous
and glowing to be entered by those who are not indigenous there.[127]
He who sitteth on its borders (or the land's-end) to guard it is named
Surtur. In his hand he beareth a flaming falchion, and at the end of
the world shall issue forth to combat, and shall vanquish all the
gods, and consume the universe with fire."


ORIGIN OF THE HRIMTHURSAR, OR FROST-GIANTS.

5. "Tell me," said Gangler, "what was the state of things ere the
races mingled, and nations came into being."

"When the rivers that are called Elivagar had flowed far from their
sources," replied Har, "the venom which they rolled along hardened, as
does dross that runs from a furnace, and became ice. When the rivers
flowed no longer, and the ice stood still, the vapour arising from the
venom gathered over it, and froze to rime, and in this manner were
formed, in Ginnungagap, many layers of congealed vapour, piled one
over the other."

"That part of Ginnungagap," added Jafnhar, "that lies towards the
north was thus filled with heavy masses of gelid vapour and ice,
whilst everywhere within were whirlwinds and fleeting mists. But the
southern part of Ginnungagap was lighted by the sparks and flakes that
flew into it from Muspellheim."

"Thus," continued Thridi, "whilst freezing cold and gathering gloom
proceeded from Niflheim, that part of Ginnungagap looking towards
Muspellheim was filled with glowing radiancy, the intervening space
remaining calm and light as wind-still air. And when the heated blast
met the gelid vapour it melted it into drops, and, by the might of him
who sent the heat, these drops quickened into life, and took a human
semblance. The being thus formed was named Ymir, but the Frost-giants
call him Orgelmir. From him descend the race of the Frost-giants
(Hrimthursar), as it is said in the Voluspa, 'From Vidolf come all
witches; from Vilmeith all wizards; from Svarthofdi all
poison-seethers; and all giants from Ymir.' And the giant Vafthrûdnir,
when Gangrad asked, 'Whence came Orgelmir the first of the sons of
giants?' answered, 'The Elivagar cast out drops of venom that
quickened into a giant. From him spring all our race, and hence are we
so strong and mighty.'"

"How did the race of Ymir spread itself?" asked Gangler; "or dost thou
believe that this giant was a god?"

"We are far from believing him to have been a god," replied Har, "for
he was wicked as are all of his race, whom we call Frost-giants. And
it is said that, when Ymir slept, he fell into a sweat, and from the
pit of his left arm was born a man and a woman, and one of his feet
engendered with the other a son, from whom descend the Frost-giants,
and we therefore call Ymir the old Frost-giant."


OF THE COW AUDHUMLA, AND THE BIRTH OF ODIN.

6. "Where dwelt Ymir, and on what did he live?" asked Gangler.

"Immediately after the gelid vapours had been resolved into drops,"
replied Kar, "there was formed out of them the cow named Audhumla.
Four streams of milk ran from her teats, and thus fed she Ymir."

"But on what did the cow feed?" questioned Gangler.

"The cow," answered Har, "supported herself by licking the stones that
were covered with salt and hoar frost. The first day that she licked
these stones there sprang from them, towards evening, the hairs of a
man, the second day a head, and on the third an entire man, who was
endowed with beauty, agility and power. He was called Bur, and was the
father of Bor, who took for his wife Besla, the daughter of the giant
Bolthorn. And they had three sons, Odin, Vili, and Ve; and it is our
belief that this Odin, with his brothers, ruleth both heaven and
earth, and that Odin is his true name, and that he is the most mighty
of all the gods."


HOW THE SONS OF BOR SLEW YMIR AND FROM HIS BODY MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH.

7. "Was there," asked Gangler, "any kind of equality or any degree
of good understanding between these two races?"

"Far from it," replied Har; "for the sons of Bor slew the giant Ymir,
and when he fell there ran so much blood from his wounds, that the
whole race of Frost-giants was drowned in it, except a single giant,
who saved himself with his household. He is called by the giants
Bergelmir. He escaped by going on board his bark, and with him went
his wife, and from them are descended the Frost-giants."

8. "And what became of the sons of Bor, whom ye look upon as gods?"
asked Gangler.

"To relate this," replied Har, "is no trivial matter. They dragged the
body of Ymir into the middle of Ginnungagap, and of it formed the
earth. From Ymir's blood they made the seas and waters; from his flesh
the land; from his bones the mountains; and his teeth and jaws,
together with some bits of broken bones, served them to make the
stones and pebbles."

"With the blood that ran from his wounds," added Jafnhar, "they made
the vast ocean, in the midst of which they fixed the earth, the ocean
encircling it as a ring, and hardy will he be who attempts to pass
those waters."

"From his skull," continued Thridi, "they formed the heavens, which
they placed over the earth, and set a dwarf at the corner of each of
the four quarters. These dwarfs are called East, West, North, and
South. They afterwards took the wandering sparks and red hot flakes
that had been cast out of Muspellheim, and placed them in the heavens,
both above and below, to give light unto the world, and assigned to
every other errant coruscation a prescribed locality and motion. Hence
it is recorded in ancient lore that from this time were marked out the
days, and nights, and seasons."

"Such are the events that took place ere the earth obtained the form
it now beareth."

"Truly great were the deeds ye tell me of!" exclaimed Gangler; "and
wondrous in all its parts is the work thereby accomplished. But how is
the earth fashioned?"

"It is round without," replied Har, "and encircled by the deep ocean,
the outward shores of which were assigned for a dwelling to the race
of giants. But within, round about the earth, they (the sons of Bor)
raised a bulwark against turbulent giants, employing for this
structure Ymir's eyebrows. To this bulwark they gave the name of
Midgard[128] They afterwards tossed Ymir's brains into the air, and
they became the clouds, for thus we find it recorded.

"Of Ymir's flesh was formed the earth; of his sweat (blood), the seas;
of his bones, the mountains; of his hair the trees; of his skull, the
heavens; but with his eyebrows the blithe gods built Midgard for the
sons of men, whilst from his brains the lowering clouds were
fashioned."


OF THE FORMATION OF THE FIRST MAN AND WOMAN.

9. "To make heaven and earth, to fix the sun and the moon in the
firmament, and mark out the days and seasons, were, indeed, important
labours," said Gangler; "but whence came the men who at present dwell
in the world?"

"One day." replied Har, "as the sons of Bor were walking along the
sea-beach they found two stems of wood, out of which they shaped a man
and a woman. The first (Odin) infused into them life and spirit; the
second (Vili) endowed them with reason and the power of motion; the
third (Ve) gave them speech and features, hearing and vision. The man
they called Ask, and the woman, Embla. From these two descend the
whole human race whose assigned dwelling was within Midgard. Then the
sons of Bor built in the middle of the universe the city called
Asgard, where dwell the gods and their kindred, and from that abode
work out so many wondrous things, both on the earth and in the heavens
above it. There is in that city a place called Hlidskjalf, and when
Odin is seated there on his lofty throne he sees over the whole world,
discerns all the actions of men, and comprehends whatever he
contemplates. His wife is Frigga, the daughter of Fjorgyn, and they
and their offspring form the race that we call Æsir, a race that
dwells in Asgard the old, and the regions around it, and that we know
to be entirely divine. Wherefore Odin may justly be called All-father,
for he is verily the father of all, of gods as well as of men, and to
his power all things owe their existence. Earth is his daughter and
his wife, and with her he had his first-born son, Asa-Thor, who is
endowed with strength and valour, and therefore quelleth he everything
that hath life."


OF NIGHT AND DAY.

10. "A giant called Njorvi," continued Har, "who dwelt in Jotunheim,
had a daughter called Night (Nott) who, like all her race, was of a
dark and swarthy complexion. She was first wedded to a man called
Naglfari, and had by him a son named Aud, and afterwards to another
man called Annar, by whom she had a daughter called Earth (Jord). She
then espoused Delling, of the Æsir race, and their son was Day, (Dagr)
a child light and beauteous like his father. Then took All-father,
Night, and Day, her son, and gave them two horses and two cars, and
set them up in the heavens that they might drive successively one
after the other, each in twelve hours' time, round the world. Night
rides first on her horse called Hrimfaxi, that every morn, as he ends
his course, bedews the earth with the foam that falls from his bit.
The horse made use of by Day is named Skinfaxi, from whose mane is
shed light over the earth and the heavens."


OF THE SUN AND MOON.

11. "How doth All-father regulate the course of the sun and moon?"
asked Gangler.

"There was formerly a man," replied Har, "named Mundilfari, who had
two children so lovely and graceful that he called the male, Mani
(moon), and the female, Sol (sun), who espoused the man named Glenur.
But the gods being incensed at Mundilfari's presumption, took his
children and placed them in the heavens, and let Sol drive the horses
that draw the car of the sun, which the gods had made to give light to
the world out of the sparks that flew from Muspellheim. These horses
are called Arvak and Alsvid, and under their withers the gods placed
two skins filled with air to cool and refresh them, or, according to
some ancient traditions, a refrigerant substance called
_isarnkul_.[129] Mani was set to guide the moon in his course, and
regulate his increasing and waning aspect. One day he carried off from
the earth two children, named Bil and Hjuki, as they were returning
from the spring called Byrgir, carrying between them the bucket called
Saegr, on the pole Simul. Vidfinn was the father of these children,
who always follow Mani (the moon), as we may easily observe even from
the earth."


OF THE WOLVES THAT PURSUE THE SUN AND MOON

12. "But the sun," said Gangler, speeds at such a rate as if she
feared that some one was pursuing her for her destruction."

"And well she may," replied Har, "for he that seeks her is not far
behind, and she has no way to escape than to run before him."

"But who is he," asked Gangler, "that causes her this anxiety?"

"There are two wolves," answered Har; "the one called Skoll pursues
the sun, and it is he that she fears, for he shall one day overtake
and devour her; the other, called Hati, the son of Hrodvitnir, runs
before her, and as eagerly pursues the moon that will one day be
caught by him."

"Whence come these wolves?" asked Gangler.

"A hag," replied Har, "dwells in a wood, to the eastward of Midgard,
called Jarnvid, (the Iron Wood,) which is the abode of a race of
witches called Jarnvidjur. This old hag is the mother of many gigantic
sons, who are all of them shaped like wolves, two of whom are the
wolves thou askest about. There is one of that race, who is said to be
the most formidable of all, called Managarm: he will be filled with
the life-blood of men who draw near their end, and will swallow up the
moon, and stain the heavens and the earth with blood. Then shall the
sun grow dim, and the winds howl tumultuously to and fro."


OF THE WAY THAT LEADS TO HEAVEN.

13. "I must now ask," said Gangler, "which is the path leading from
earth to heaven?"

"That is a senseless question," replied Har, with a smile of derision.
"Hast thou not been told that the gods made a bridge from earth to
heaven, and called it Bifrost? Thou must surely have seen it; but,
perhaps, thou callest it the rainbow. It is of three hues, and is
constructed with more art than any other work. But, strong though it
be, it will be broken to pieces when the sons of Muspell, after having
traversed great rivers, shall ride over it."

"Methinks," said Gangler, "the gods could not have been in earnest to
erect a bridge so liable to be broken down, since it is in their power
to make whatever they please."

"The gods," replied Har, "are not to be blamed on that account;
Bifrost is of itself a very good bridge, but there is nothing in
nature that can hope to make resistance when the sons of Muspell sally
forth to the great combat."


THE GOLDEN AGE.

14. "What did All-father do after Asgard was made?" demanded
Gangler.

"In the beginning," answered Har, "he appointed rulers, and bade them
judge with him the fate of men, and regulate the government of the
celestial city. They met for this purpose in a place called Idavoll,
which is in the centre of the divine abode. Their first work was to
erect a court or hall wherein are twelve seats for themselves, besides
the throne which is occupied by All-father. This hall is the largest
and most magnificent in the universe, being resplendent on all sides,
both within and without, with the finest gold. Its name is Gladsheim.
They also erected another hall for the sanctuary of the goddesses. It
is a very fair structure, and called by men Vingolf. Lastly they built
a smithy, and furnished it with hammers, tongs, and anvils, and with
these made all the other requisite instruments, with which they worked
in metal, stone and wood, and composed so large a quantity of the
metal called gold that they made all their moveables of it. Hence that
age was named the Golden Age. This was the age that lasted until the
arrival of the women out of Jotunheim, who corrupted it."


ORIGIN OF THE DWARFS.

15. "Then the gods, seating themselves upon their thrones,
distributed justice, and bethought them how the dwarfs had been bred
in the mould of the earth, just as worms are in a dead body. It was,
in fact, in Ymir's flesh that the dwarfs were engendered, and began to
move and live. At first they were only maggots, but by the will of the
gods they at length partook both of human shape and understanding,
although they always dwell in rocks and caverns.

"Modsognir and Durin are the principal ones. As it is said in the
Voluspa--

    "'Then went the rulers there,
    All gods most holy,
    To their seats aloft,
    And counsel together took,
    Who should of dwarfs
    The race then fashion,
    From the livid bones
    And blood of the giant.

    Modsognir, chief
    Of the dwarfish race,
    And Durin too
    Were then created.
    And like to men
    Dwarfs in the earth
    Were formed in numbers
    As Durin ordered.'"


OF THE ASH YGGDRASILL, MIMIR'S WELL., AND THE NORNS OR DESTINIES.

16. "Where," asked Gangler, "is the chief or holiest seat of
the gods?"

"It is under the ash Yggdrasill," replied Har, "where the gods
assemble every day in council."

"What is there remarkable in regard to that place?" said Gangler.

"That ash," answered Jafnhar, "is the greatest and best of all trees.
Its branches spread over the whole world, and even reach above heaven.
It has three roots very wide asunder. One of them extends to the Æsir,
another to the Frost-giants in that very place where was formerly
Ginnungagap, and the third stands over Nifelheim, and under this root,
which is constantly gnawed by Nidhogg, is Hvergelmir. But under the
root that stretches out towards the Frost-giants there is Mimir's
well, in which wisdom and wit lie hidden. The owner of this well is
called Mimir. He is full of wisdom, because he drinks the waters of
the well from the horn Gjoll every morning. One day All-father came
and begged a draught of this water, which he obtained, but was obliged
to leave one of his eyes as a pledge for it.

"The third root of the ash is in heaven, and under it is the holy
Urdar-fount. 'Tis here that the gods sit in judgment. Every day they
ride up hither on horseback over Bifrost, which is called the Æsir
Bridge. These are the names of the horses of the Æsir. Sleipnir is the
best of them; he has eight legs, and belongs to Odin. The others are
Gladr, Gyllir, Glær, Skeidbrimir, Silfrintoppr, Synir, Gils,
Falhofnir, Gulltoppr, and Lettfeti. Baldur's horse was burnt with his
master's body. As for Thor, he goes on foot, and is obliged every day
to wade the rivers called Kormt and OErmt, and two others called
Kerlaung.

"Through these shall Thor wade every day, as he fares to the doomstead
under Yggdrasill's ash, else the Æsir Bridge would be in flames, and
boiling hot would become the holy waters."[130] "But tell me," said
Gangler, "does fire burn over Bifrost?"

"That," replied Har, "which thou seest red in the bow, is burning
fire; for the Frost-giants and the Mountain-giants would go up to
heaven by that bridge if it were easy for every one to walk over it.
There are in heaven many goodly homesteads, and none without a
celestial ward. Near the fountain, which is under the ash, stands a
very beauteous dwelling, out of which go three maidens, named Urd,
Verdandi, and Skuld.[131] These maidens fix the lifetime of all men,
and are called Norns. But there are, indeed, many other Norns, for,
when a man is born, there is a Norn to determine his fate. Some are
known to be of heavenly origin, but others belong to the races of the
elves and dwarfs; as it is said--

"'Methinks the Norns were born far asunder, for they are not of the
same race. Some belong to the Æsir, some to the Elves, and some are
Dvalin's daughters."

"But if these Norns dispense the destinies of men," said Gangler,
"they are, methinks, very unequal in their distribution; for some men
are fortunate and wealthy, others acquire neither riches nor honours,
some live to a good old age, while others are cut off in their prime."

"The Norns," replied Har, "who are of a good origin, are good
themselves, and dispense good destinies. But those men to whom
misfortunes happen ought to ascribe them to the evil Norns."

17. "What more wonders hast thou to tell me," said Gangler,
"concerning the ash?"

"What I have further to say respecting it," replied Har, "is, that
there is an eagle perched upon its branches who knows many things:
between his eyes sits the hawk called Vedurfolnir. The squirrel named
Ratatosk runs up and down the ash, and seeks to cause strife between
the eagle and Nidhogg. Four harts run across the branches of the tree,
and bite the buds. They are called Dainn, Divalinn, Duneyr, and
Durathror. But there are so many snakes with Nidhogg in Hvergelmir
that no tongue can recount them."

"It is also said that the Norns who dwell by the Urdar-fount draw
every day water from the spring, and with it and the clay that lies
around the fount sprinkle the ash, in order that its branches may not
rot and wither away. This water is so holy that everything placed in
the spring becomes as white as the film, within an eggshell. As it is
said in the Voluspa--

    "'An Ash know I standing,
    Named Yggdrasill,
    A stately tree sprinkled
    With water the purest;

    Thence come the dewdrops
    That fall in the dales;
    Ever blooming, it stands
    O'er the Urdar-fountain."'

"The dew that falls thence on the earth men call honey-dew, and it is
the food of the bees. Two fowls are fed in the Urdar-fount; they are
called swans, and from them are descended all the birds of this
species."


OF THE VARIOUS CELESTIAL REGIONS.

18. "Thou tellest me many wonderful things of heaven," said Gangler,
"but what other homesteads are to be seen there?"

"There are many other fair homesteads there," replied Har; "one of
them is named Elf-home (Alfheim), wherein dwell the beings called the
Elves of Light; but the Elves of Darkness live under the earth, and
differ from the others still more in their actions than in their
appearance. The Elves of Light are fairer than the sun, but the Elves
of Darkness blacker than pitch. There is also a mansion called
Breidablik, which is not inferior to any other in beauty; and another
named Glitnir, the wall, columns and beams of which are of ruddy gold,
and the roof of silver. There is also the stead called Himinbjorg,
that stands on the borders where Bifrost touches heaven, and the
stately mansion belonging to Odin, called Valaskjalf, which was built
by the gods, and roofed with pure silver, and in which is the throne
called Hlidskjalf. When All-father is seated on this throne, he can
see over the whole world. On the southern edge of heaven is the most
beautiful homestead of all, brighter than the sun itself. It is called
Gimli, and shall stand when both heaven and earth have passed away,
and good and righteous men shall dwell therein for everlasting ages."

"But what will preserve this abode when Surtur's fire consumes heaven
and earth?" asked Gangler.

"We are told," replied Har, "that towards the south there is another
heaven above this called Andlang, and again above this a third heaven
called Vidblain. In this last, we think Gimli must be seated, but we
deem that the Elves of Light abide in it now."


OF THE WIND AND THE SEASONS.

19. "Tell me," said Gangler, "whence comes the wind, which is so
strong that it moves the ocean and fans fire to flame, yet, strong
though it be, no mortal eye can discern it? wonderfully, therefore,
must it be shapen."

"I can tell thee all about it," answered Har; "thou must know that at
the northern extremity of the heavens sits a giant called Hræsvelgur,
clad with eagles' plumes. When he spreads out his wings for flight,
the winds arise from under them."

20. "Tell me further," said Gangler, "why the summer should be hot,
and the winter cold."

"A wise man would not ask such a question, which every one could
answer," replied Har; "but, if thou hast been so dull as not to have
heard the reason, I will rather forgive thee for once asking a foolish
question than suffer thee to remain any longer in ignorance of what
ought to have been known to thee. The father of Summer is called
Svasuth, who is such a gentle and delicate being that what is mild is
from him called sweet. The father of Winter has two names, Vindloni
and Vindsval. He is the son of Vasad, and, like all his race, has an
icy breath, and is of a grim and gloomy aspect."


OF ODIN.

21. "I must now ask thee," said Gangler, "who are the gods that men
are bound to believe in?"

"There are twelve gods," replied Har, "to whom divine honours ought to
be rendered."

"Nor are the goddesses," added Jafnhar, "less divine and mighty."

"The first and eldest of the Æsir," continued Thridi, "is Odin. He
governs all things, and, although the other deities are powerful, they
all serve and obey him as children do their father. Frigga is his
wife. She foresees the destinies of men, but never reveals what is to
come. For thus it is said that Odin himself told Loki, 'Senseless
Loki, why wilt thou pry into futurity, Frigga alone knoweth the
destinies of all, though she telleth them never?'

"Odin is named Alfadir (All-father), because he is the father of all
the gods, and also Valfadir (Choosing Father), because he chooses for
his sons all of those who fall in combat. For their abode he has
prepared Valhalla and Vingolf, where they are called Einherjar (Heroes
or Champions). Odin is also called Hangagud, Haptagud, and Farmagud,
and, besides these, was named in many ways when he went to King
Geirraudr," forty-nine names in all.

"A great many names, indeed!" exclaimed Gangler; "surely that man must
be very wise who knows them all distinctly, and can tell on what
occasions they were given."

"It requires, no doubt," replied Har, "a good memory to recollect
readily all these names, but I will tell thee in a few words what
principally contributed to confer them upon him. It was the great
variety of languages; for the various nations were obliged to
translate his name into their respective tongues, in order that they
might supplicate and worship him. Some of his names, however, have
been owing to adventures that happened to him on his journeys, and
which are related in old stories. Nor canst thou ever pass for a wise
man if thou are not able to give an account of these wonderful
adventures."


OF THOR.

22. "I now ask thee," said Gangler, "what are the names of the other
gods. What are their functions, and what have they brought to pass?"

"The mightiest of them." replied Har, "is Thor. He is called Asa-Thor
and Auku-Thor, and is the strongest of gods and men. His realm is
named Thrudvang, and his mansion Bilskirnir, in which are five hundred
and forty halls. It is the largest house ever built."

"Thor has a car drawn by two goats called Tanngniost and Tanngrisnir.
From his driving about in this car he is called Auku-Thor
(Charioteer-Thor). He likewise possesses three very precious things.
The first is a mallet called Mjolnir, which both the Frost and
Mountain Giants know to their cost when they see it hurled against
them in the air; and no wonder, for it has split many a skull of their
fathers and kindred. The second rare thing he possesses is called the
belt of strength or prowess (Megingjardir). When he girds it about
him his divine might is doubly augmented; the third, also very
precious, being his iron gauntlets, which he is obliged to put on
whenever he would lay hold of the handle of his mallet. There is no
one so wise as to be able to relate all Thor's marvellous exploits,
yet I could tell thee so many myself that hours would be whiled away
ere all that I know had been recounted."


OF BALDUR.

23. "I would rather," said Gangler, "hear something about the other
Æsir."

"The second son of Odin," replied Har, "is Baldur, and it may be truly
said of him that he is the best, and that all mankind are loud in his
praise. So fair and dazzling is he in form and features, that rays of
light seem to issue from him; and thou mayst have some idea of the
beauty of his hair, when I tell thee that the whitest of all plants is
called Baldur's brow. Baldur is the mildest, the wisest, and the most
eloquent of all the Æsir, yet such is his nature that the judgment he
has pronounced can never be altered. He dwells in the heavenly mansion
called Breidablik, in which nothing unclean can enter."



OF NJORD.

24. "The third god," continued Har, "is Njord, who dwells in the
heavenly region called Noatun. He rules over the winds, and checks the
fury of the sea and of fire, and is therefore invoked by sea-farers
and fishermen. He is so wealthy that he can give possessions and
treasures to those who call on him for them. Yet Njord is not of the
lineage of the Æsir, for he was born and bred in Vanaheim. But the
Vanir gave him as hostage to the Æsir, receiving from them in his
stead Hoenir. By this means was peace re-established between the Æsir
and Vanir. Njord took to wife Skadi, the daughter of the giant
Thjassi. She preferred dwelling in the abode formerly belonging to her
father, which is situated among rocky mountains, in the region called
Thrymheim, but Njord loved to reside near the sea. They at last agreed
that they should pass together nine nights in Thrymheim, and then
three in Noatun. One day, when Njord came back from the mountains to
Noatun, he thus sang--

    "'Of mountains I'm weary,
    Not long was I there,
    Not more than nine nights;

    But the howl of the wolf
    Methought sounded ill
    To the song of the swan-bird.'

"To which Skadi sang in reply--

    "'Ne'er can I sleep
    In my couch on the strand,
    For the screams of the sea-fowl,
    The mew as he comes
    Every morn from the main
    Is sure to awake me.'

"Skadi then returned to the rocky mountains, and abode in Thrymheim.
There, fastening on her snow-skates and taking her bow, she passes her
time in the chase of savage beasts, and is called the Ondur goddess,
or Ondurdis. As it is said--

    "'Thrymheim's the land
    Where Thjassi abode
    That mightiest of giants.
    But snow-skating Skadi
    Now dwells there, I trow,
    In her father's old mansion.'"


OF THE GOD FREY, AND THE GODDESS FREYJA.

25. "Njord had afterwards, at his residence at Noatun, two children,
a son named Frey, and a daughter called Freyja, both of them beauteous
and mighty. Frey is one of the most celebrated of the gods. He
presides over rain and sunshine, and all the fruits of the earth, and
should be invoked in order to obtain good harvests, and also for
peace. He, moreover, dispenses wealth among men. Freyja is the most
propitious of the goddesses; her abode in heaven is called Folkvang.
To whatever field of battle she rides, she asserts her right to one
half of the slain, the other half belonging to Odin. As it is said--

    "'Folkvang 'tis called
    Where Freyja hath right
    To dispose of the hall seats

    Every day of the slain,
    She chooseth the half,
    And half leaves to Odin.'

"Her mansion, called Sessrumnir, is large and magnificent; thence she
sallies forth in a car drawn by two cats. She lends a very favourable
ear to those who sue to her for assistance. It is from her name that
women of birth and fortune are called in our language Freyjor. She is
very fond of love ditties, and all lovers would do well to invoke
her."


OF TYR.

26. "All the gods appear to me," said Gangler, "to have great power,
and I am not at all surprised that ye are able to perform so many
great achievements, since ye are so well acquainted with the
attributes and functions of each god, and know what is befitting to
ask from each, in order to succeed. But are there any more of them
besides those you have already mentioned?"

"Ay," answered Har, "there is Tyr, who is the most daring and intrepid
of all the gods. 'Tis he who dispenses valour in war, hence warriors
do well to invoke him. It has become proverbial to say of a man who
surpasses all others in valour that he is _Tyr-strong_, or valiant as
Tyr. A man noted for his wisdom is also said to be 'wise as Tyr.' Let
me give thee a proof of his intrepidity. When the Æsir were trying to
persuade the wolf, Fenrir, to let himself be bound up with the chain,
Gleipnir, he, fearing that they would never afterwards unloose him,
only consented on the condition that while they were chaining him he
should keep Tyr's right hand between his jaws. Tyr did not hesitate to
put his hand in the monster's mouth, but when Fenrir perceived that
the Æsir had no intention to unchain him, he bit the hand off at that
point, which has ever since been called the wolf's joint. From that
time Tyr has had but one hand. He is not regarded as a peacemaker
among men."


OF THE OTHER GODS.

27. "There is another god," continued Har, "named Bragi, who is
celebrated for his wisdom, and more especially for his eloquence and
correct forms of speech. He is not only eminently skilled in poetry,
but the art itself is called from his name _Bragr_, which epithet is
also applied to denote a distinguished poet or poetess. His wife is
named Iduna. She keeps in a box the apples which the gods, when they
feel old age approaching, have only to taste of to become young again.
It is in this manner that they will be kept in renovated youth until
Ragnarok."

"Methinks," interrupted Gangler, "the gods have committed a great
treasure to the guardianship and good faith of Iduna."

"And hence it happened," replied Har, smiling, "that they once ran the
greatest risk imaginable, as I shall have occasion to tell thee when
thou hast heard the names of the other deities.

28. "One of them is Heimdall, called also the White God. He is the
son of nine virgins, who were sisters, and is a very sacred and
powerful deity. He also bears the appellation of the Gold-toothed, on
account of his teeth being of pure gold, and also that of
Hallinskithi. His horse is called Gulltopp, and he dwells in
Himinbjorg at the end of Bifrost. He is the warder of the gods, and is
therefore placed on the borders of heaven, to prevent the giants from
forcing their way over the bridge. He requires less sleep than a bird,
and sees by night, as well as by day, a hundred miles around him. So
acute is his ear that no sound escapes him, for he can even hear the
grass growing on the earth, and the wool on a sheep's back. He has a
horn called the Gjallar-horn, which is heard throughout the universe.
His sword is called Hofud (Head).


HODUR THE BLIND, ASSASSIN OF BALDUR

29. "Among the Æsir," continued Har, "we also reckon Hodur, who is
blind, but extremely strong. Both gods and men would be very glad if
they never had occasion to pronounce his name, for they will long have
cause to remember the deed perpetrated by his hand.[132]

30. "Another god is Vidar, surnamed the Silent, who wears very thick
shoes. He is almost as strong as Thor himself, and the gods place
great reliance on him in all critical conjunctures.

31. "Vali, another god, is the son of Odin and Rinda, he is bold in
war, and an excellent archer.

32. "Another is called Ullur, who is the son of Sif, and stepson of
Thor. He is so well skilled in the use of the bow, and can go so fast
on his snow-skates, that in these arts no one can contend with him. He
is also very handsome in his person, and possesses every quality of a
warrior, wherefore it is befitting to invoke him in single combats.

33. "The name of another god is Forseti, who is the son of Baldur
and Nanna, the daughter of Nef. He possesses the heavenly mansion
called Glitnir, and all disputants at law who bring their cases before
him go away perfectly reconciled.

"His tribunal is the best that is to be found among gods or men.


OF LOKI AND HIS PROGENY.

34. "There is another deity," continued Har, "reckoned in the number
of the Æsir, whom some call the calumniator of the gods, the contriver
of all fraud and mischief, and the disgrace of gods and men. His name
is Loki or Loptur. He is the son of the giant Farbauti. His mother is
Laufey or Nal; his brothers are Byleist and Helblindi. Loki is
handsome and well made, but of a very fickle mood, and most evil
disposition. He surpasses all beings in those arts called Cunning and
Perfidy. Many a time has he exposed the gods to very great perils, and
often extricated them again by his artifices. His wife is called
Siguna, and their son Nari.

35. "Loki," continued Har, "has likewise had three children by
Angurbodi, a giantess of Jotunheim. The first is the wolf Fenrir; the
second Jormungand, the Midgard serpent; the third Hela (Death). The
gods were not long ignorant that these monsters continued to be bred
up in Jotunheim, and, having had recourse to divination, became aware
of all the evils they would have to suffer from them; their being
sprung from such a mother was a bad presage, and from such a sire was
still worse. All-father therefore deemed it advisable to send one of
the gods to bring them to him. When they came he threw the serpent
into that deep ocean by which the earth is engirdled. But the monster
has grown to such an enormous size that, holding his tail in his
mouth, he encircles the whole earth. Hela he cast into Nifelheim, and
gave her power over nine worlds (regions), into which she distributes
those who are sent to her, that is to say, all who die through
sickness or old age. Here she possesses a habitation protected by
exceedingly high walls and strongly barred gates. Her hall is called
Elvidnir; Hunger is her table; Starvation, her knife; Delay, her man;
Slowness, her maid; Precipice, her threshold; Care, her bed; and
Burning Anguish forms the hangings of her apartments. The one half of
her body is livid, the other half the colour of human flesh. She may
therefore easily be recognized; the more so, as she has a dreadfully
stern and grim countenance.

"The wolf Fenrir was bred up among the gods; but Tyr alone had the
daring to go and feed him. Nevertheless, when the gods perceived that
he every day increased prodigiously in size, and that the oracles
warned them that he would one day become fatal to them, they
determined to make a very strong iron fetter for him, which they
called Læding. Taking this fetter to the wolf, they bade him try his
strength on it. Fenrir, perceiving that the enterprise would not be
very difficult for him, let them do what they pleased, and then, by
great muscular exertion, burst the chain and set himself at liberty.
The gods, having seen this, made another fetter, half as strong again
as the former, which they called Dromi, and prevailed on the wolf to
put it on, assuring him that, by breaking this, he would give an
undeniable proof of his vigour.

"The wolf saw well enough that it would not be so easy to break this
fetter, but finding at the same time that his strength had increased
since he broke Læding, and thinking that he could never become famous
without running some risk, voluntarily submitted to be chained. When
the gods told him that they had finished their task, Fenrir shook
himself violently, stretched his limbs, rolled on the ground, and at
last burst his chains, which flew in pieces all around him. He then
freed himself from Dromi, which gave rise to the proverb, 'to get
loose out of Læding, or to dash out of Dromi,' when anything is to be
accomplished by strong efforts.


BINDING THE WOLF FENIR

"After this, the gods despaired of ever being able to bind the wolf;
wherefore All-father sent Skirnir, the messenger of Frey, into the
country of the Dark Elves (Svartalfaheim) to engage certain dwarfs to
make the fetter called Gleipnir. It was fashioned out of six things;
to wit, the noise made by the footfall of a cat; the beards of women;
the roots of stones; the sinews of bears; the breath of fish; and the
spittle of birds. Though thou mayest not have heard of these things
before, thou mayest easily convince thyself that we have not been
telling thee lies. Thou must have seen that women have no beards, that
cats make no noise when they run, and that there are no roots under
stones. Now I know what has been told thee to be equally true,
although there may be some things thou art not able to furnish a proof
of."

"I believe what thou hast told me to be true," replied Gangler, "for
what thou hast adduced in corroboration of thy statement is
conceivable. But how was the fetter smithied?"

"This can I tell thee," replied Har, "that the fetter was as smooth
and soft as a silken string, and yet, as thou wilt presently hear, of
very great strength. When it was brought to the gods, they were
profuse in their thanks to the messenger for the trouble he had given
himself; and taking the wolf with them to the island called Lyngvi, in
the Lake Amsvartnir, they showed him the cord, and expressed their
wish that he would try to break it, assuring him at the same time that
it was somewhat stronger than its thinness would warrant a person in
supposing it to be. They took it themselves, one after another, in
their hands, and after attempting in vain to break it, said, 'Thou
alone, Fenrir, art able to accomplish such a feat.'

"'Methinks,' replied the wolf, 'that I shall acquire no fame in
breaking such a slender cord; but if any artifice has been employed in
making it, slender though it seems, it shall never come on my feet.'

"The gods assured him that he would easily break a limber silken cord,
since he had already burst asunder iron fetters of the most solid
construction. 'But if thou shouldst not succeed in breaking it,' they
added, 'thou wilt show that thou art too weak to cause the gods any
fear, and we will not hesitate to set thee at liberty without delay.'

"'I fear me much,' replied he wolf, 'that if ye once bind me so fast
that I shall be unable to free myself by my own efforts, ye will be in
no haste to unloose me. Loath am I, therefore, to have this cord wound
round me; but in order that ye may not doubt my courage, I will
consent, provided one of you put his hand into my mouth as a pledge
that ye intend me no deceit.'

"The gods wistfully looked at each other, and found that they had
only the choice of two evils, until Tyr stepped forward and intrepidly
put his right hand between the monster's jaws. Hereupon the gods,
having tied up the wolf, he forcibly stretched himself as he had
formerly done, and used all his might to disengage himself, but the
more efforts he made the tighter became the cord, until all the gods,
except Tyr, who lost his hand, burst into laughter at the sight.

"When the gods saw that the wolf was effectually bound, they took the
chain called Gelgja, which was fixed to the fetter, and drew it
through the middle of a large rock named Gjoll, which they sank very
deep into the earth; afterwards, to make it still more secure, they
fastened the end of the cord to a massive stone called Thviti, which
they sank still deeper. The wolf made in vain the most violent efforts
to break loose, and opening his tremendous jaws endeavoured to bite
them. The gods seeing this, thrust a sword into his mouth, which
pierced his under-jaw to the hilt, so that the point touched the
palate. He then began to howl horribly, and since that time the foam
flows continually from his mouth in such abundance that it forms the
river called Von. There will he remain until Ragnarok."

"Verily," said Gangler, "an evil progeny is that of Loki, yet most
mighty and powerful; but since the gods have so much to fear from the
wolf, why did they not slay him?"

"The gods have so much respect for the sanctity of their
peace-steads," replied Har, "that they would not stain them with the
blood of the wolf, although prophecy had intimated to them that he
must one day become the bane of Odin."


OF THE GODDESSES.

36. "Tell me now," said Gangler, "which are the goddesses?"

"The first," replied Har, "is Frigga, who has a magnificent mansion
called Fensalir. The second is Saga, who dwells at Sokkvabekk, a very
large and stately abode. The third is Eir, the best of all in the
healing art. The fourth, named Gefjon, is a maid, and all those who
die maids become her hand-maidens. The fifth is Fulla, who is also a
maid, and goes about with her hair flowing over her shoulders, and her
head adorned with a gold ribbon. She is entrusted with the toilette
and slippers of Frigga, and admitted into the most important secrets
of that goddess. Freyja is ranked next to Frigga: she is wedded to a
person called Odur, and their daughter, named Hnossa, is so very
handsome that whatever is beautiful and precious is called by her name
(_hnosir_.) But Odur left his wife in order to travel into very remote
countries. Since that time Freyja continually weeps, and her tears are
drops of pure gold. She has a great variety of names, for having gone
over many countries in search of her husband, each people gave her a
different name. She is thus called Mardoll, Horn, Gefn, and Syr, and
also Vanadis. She possesses the necklace Brising. The seventh goddess
is Sjofna, who delights in turning men's hearts and thoughts to love;
hence a wooer is called, from her name, _Sjafni_. The eighth, called
Lofna, is so mild and gracious to those who invoke her, that by a
peculiar privilege which either All-Father himself or Frigga has given
her, she can remove every obstacle that may prevent the union of
lovers sincerely attached to each other. Hence her name is applied to
denote love, and whatever is beloved by men. Vora, the ninth goddess,
listens to the oaths that men take, and particularly to the troth
plighted between man and woman, and punishes those who keep not their
promises. She is wise and prudent, and so penetrating that nothing
remains hidden from her. Syn, the tenth, keeps the door in the hall,
and shuts it against those who ought not to enter. She presides at
trials when any thing is to be denied on oath, whence the proverb,
'Syn (negation) is set against it,' when ought is denied. Hlina, the
eleventh, has the care of those whom Frigga intends to deliver from
peril. Snotra, the twelfth, is wise and courteous, and men and women
who possess these qualities have her name applied to them. Gna, the
thirteenth, is the messenger that Frigga sends into the various worlds
on her errands. She has a horse that can run through air and water,
called Hofvarpnir. Once, as she drove out, certain Vanir saw her car
in the air, when one of them exclaimed,

    "'What flieth there?
    What goeth there?
    In the air aloft what glideth?'

"She answered,

    "'I fly not though I go,
    And glide through the air
    On Hofvarpnir,
    Whose sire's Hamskerpir,
    And dam Gardrofa.'

"Sol and Bil are also reckoned among the goddesses, but their nature
has already been explained to thee.

37. "There are besides these a great many other goddesses, whose
duty it is to serve in Valhalla; to bear in the drink and take care of
the drinking-horns and whatever belongs to the table. They are named
in Grimnismal, and are called Valkyrjor. Odin sends them to every
field of battle, to make choice of those who are to be slain, and to
sway the victory. Gudur, Rota, and the youngest of the Norns, Skuld,
also ride forth to choose the slain and turn the combat. Jord (earth),
the mother of Thor, and Rinda, the mother of Vali, are also reckoned
amongst the goddesses."


OF FREY AND GERDA.

38. "There was a man," continued Har, "named Gymir, who had for wife
Aurboda, of the race of the Mountain-giants. Their daughter is Gerda,
who is the most beautiful of all women. One day Frey having placed
himself in Hlidskjalf, to take a view of the whole universe,
perceived, as he looked towards the north, a large and stately mansion
which a woman was going to enter, and as she lifted up the latch of
the door so great a radiancy was thrown from her hand that the air and
waters, and all worlds were illuminated by it. At this sight, Frey, as
a just punishment for his audacity in mounting on that sacred throne,
was struck with sudden sadness, insomuch so, that on his return home
he could neither speak, nor sleep, nor drink, nor did any one dare to
inquire the cause of his affliction; but Njord, at last, sent for
Skirnir, the messenger of Frey, and charged him to demand of his
master why he thus refused to speak to any one. Skirnir promised to do
this, though with great reluctance, fearing that all he had to expect
was a severe reprimand. He, however, went to Frey, and asked him
boldly why he was so sad and silent. Frey answered, that he had seen a
maiden of such surpassing beauty that if he could not possess her he
should not live much longer, and that this was what rendered him so
melancholy. 'Go, therefore,' he added, 'and ask her hand for me, and
bring her here whether her father be willing or not, and I will amply
reward thee.' Skirnir undertook to perform the task, provided he might
be previously put in possession of Frey's sword, which was of such
excellent quality that it would of itself strew a field with carnage
whenever the owner ordered it. Frey, impatient of delay, immediately
made him a present of the sword, and Skirnir set out on his journey
and obtained the maiden's promise, that within nine nights she would
come to a place called Barey, and there wed Frey. Skirnir having
reported the success of his message, Frey exclaimed,

    "'Long is one night,
    Long are two nights,
    But how shall I hold out three?
    Shorter hath seemed
    A month to me oft
    Than of this longing-time the half.'

"Frey having thus given away his sword, found himself without arms
when he fought with Beli, and hence it was that he slew him with a
stag's antlers."

"But it seems very astonishing," interrupted Gangler, "that such a
brave hero as Frey should give away his sword without keeping another
equally good for himself. He must have been in a very bad plight when
he encountered Beli, and methinks must have mightily repented him of
the gift."

"That combat," replied Har, "was a trifling affair. Frey could have
killed Beli with a blow of his fist had he felt inclined: but the time
will come when the sons of Muspell shall issue forth to the fight, and
then, indeed, will Frey truly regret having parted with his falchion."


OF THE JOYS OF VALHALLA.

39. "If it be as thou hast told me," said Gangler, "that all men who
have fallen in fight since the beginning of the world are gone to
Odin, in Valhalla, what has he to give them to eat, for methinks there
must be a great crowd there?"

"What thou sayest is quite true," replied Har, "the crowd there is
indeed great, but great though it be, it will still increase, and will
be thought too little when the wolf cometh. But however great the band
of men in Valhalla may be, the flesh of the boar Sæhrimnir will more
than suffice for their sustenance. For although this boar is sodden
every morning he becomes whole again every night. But there are few,
methinks, who are wise enough to give thee, in this respect, a
satisfactory answer to thy question. The cook is called Andhrimnir,
and the kettle Eldhrimnir. As it is said,--'Andhrimnir cooks in
Eldhrimnir, Sæhrimnir.' 'Tis the best of flesh, though few know how
much is required for the Einherjar."

"But has Odin," said Gangler, "the same food as the heroes?"

"Odin,' replied Har, 'gives the meat that is set before him to two
wolves, called Geri and Freki, for he himself stands in no need of
food. Wine is for him both meat and drink.

"Two ravens sit on Odin's shoulders and whisper in his ear the tidings
and events they have heard and witnessed. They are called Hugin and
Munin.[133] He sends them out at dawn of day to fly over the whole
world, and they return at eve towards meal time. Hence it is that Odin
knows so many things, and is called the Raven's God. As it is said,--

    'Hugin and Munin
    Each dawn take their flight
    Earth's fields over.

    I fear me for Hugin,
    Lest he come not back,
    But much more for Munin.'"

40. "What have the heroes to drink," said Gangler, "in sufficient
quantity to correspond to their plentiful supply of meat: do they only
drink water?"

"A very silly question is that," replied Har; "dost thou imagine that
All-Father would invite kings and jarls and other great men and give
them nothing to drink but water! In that case, methinks, many of those
who had endured the greatest hardships, and received deadly wounds in
order to obtain access to Valhalla, would find that they had paid too
great a price for their water drink, and would indeed have reason to
complain were they there to meet with no better entertainment. But
thou wilt see that the case is quite otherwise. For the she-goat,
named Heidrun, stands above Valhalla, and feeds on the leaves of a
very famous tree called Lærath, and from her teats flows mead in such
great abundance that every day a stoop, large enough to hold more than
would suffice for all the heroes, is filled with it."

"Verily," said Gangler, "a mighty useful goat is this, and methinks
the tree she feeds on must have very singular virtues."

"Still more wonderful," replied Har, "is what is told of the stag
Eikthyrnir. This stag also stands over Valhalla and feeds upon the
leaves of the same tree, and whilst he is feeding so many drops fall
from his antlers down into Hvergelmir that they furnish sufficient
water for the rivers that issuing thence flow through the celestial
abodes."

41. "Wondrous things are these which thou tellest me of," said
Gangler, "and Valhalla must needs be an immense building, but methinks
there must often be a great press at the door among such a number of
people constantly thronging in and out?"

"Why dost thou not ask," replied Har, "how many doors there are, and
what are their dimensions; then wouldst thou be able to judge whether
there is any difficulty in going in and out. Know, then, that there is
no lack of either seats or doors. As it is said in Grimnismal:--

    "'Five hundred doors
    And forty more
    Methinks are in Valhalla.
    Eight hundred heroes through each door
    Shall issue forth
    Against the wolf to combat.'"

42. "A mighty band of men must be in Valhalla," said Gangler, "and
methinks Odin must be a great chieftain to command such a numerous
host. But how do the heroes pass their time when they are not
drinking?"

"Every day," replied Har, "as soon as they have dressed themselves
they ride out into the court (or field), and there fight until they
cut each other to pieces. This is their pastime, but when meal-time
approaches they remount their steeds and return to drink in Valhalla.
As it is said:--

    "'The Einherjar all
    On Odin's plain
    Hew daily each other,
    While chosen the slain are.
    From the fray they then ride,
    And drink ale with the Æsir.'

"Thou hast thus reason to say that Odin is great and mighty, for there
are many proofs of this. As it is said in the very words of the
Æsir:--

    "'The ash Yggdrasill
    Is the first of trees,
    As Skidbladnir of ships,
    Odin of Æsir,
    Sleipnir of steeds,
    Bifrost of bridges,
    Bragi of bards,
    Habrok of hawks,
    And Garm of hounds is.'


OF THE HORSE SLEIPNIR.

43. "Thou mad'st mention," said Gangler, "of the horse Sleipnir. To
whom does he belong, and what is there to say respecting him?"

"Thou seemest to know nothing either about Sleipnir or his origin,"
replied Har, "but thou wilt no doubt find what thou wilt hear worthy
of thy notice. Once on a time when the gods were constructing their
abodes, and had already finished Midgard and Valhalla, a certain
artificer came and offered to build them, in the space of three half
years, a residence so well fortified that they should be perfectly
safe from the incursion of the Frost-giants, and the giants of the
mountains, even although they should have penetrated within Midgard.
But he demanded for his reward the goddess Freyja, together with the
sun and moon. After long deliberation the Æsir agreed to his terms,
provided he would finish the whole work himself without any one's
assistance, and all within the space of one winter, but if anything
remained unfinished on the first day of summer, he should forfeit the
recompense agreed on. On being told these terms, the artificer
stipulated that he should be allowed the use of his horse, called
Svadilfari, and this, by the advice of Loki, was granted to him. He
accordingly set to work on the first day of winter, and during the
night let his horse draw stone for the building. The enormous size of
the stones struck the Æsir with astonishment, and they saw clearly
that the horse did one half more of the toilsome work than his master.
Their bargain, however, had been concluded in the presence of
witnesses, and confirmed by solemn oaths, for without these
precautions a giant would not have thought himself safe among the
Æsir, especially when Thor returned from an expedition he had then
undertaken towards the east against evil demons.

"As the winter drew to a close the building was far advanced, and the
bulwarks were sufficiently high and massive to render this residence
impregnable. In short, when it wanted but three days to summer the
only part that remained to be finished was the gateway. Then sat the
gods on their seats of justice and entered into consultation,
inquiring of one another who among them could have advised to give
Freyja away to Jotunheim, or to plunge the heavens in darkness by
permitting the giant to carry away the sun and moon. They all agreed
that no one but Loki, the son of Laufey, and the author of so many
evil deeds, could have given such bad counsel, and that he should be
put to a cruel death if he did not contrive some way or other to
prevent the artificer from completing his task and obtaining the
stipulated recompense. They immediately proceeded to lay hands on
Loki, who, in his fright, promised upon oath that let it cost him what
it would, he would so manage matters that the man should lose his
reward. That very night, when the artificer went with Svadilfari for
building stone, a mare suddenly ran out of a forest and began to
neigh. The horse being thus excited, broke loose and ran after the
mare into the forest, which obliged the man also to run after his
horse, and thus between one and the other the whole night was lost, so
that at dawn the work had not made the usual progress. The man seeing
that he had no other means of completing his task, resumed his own
gigantic stature, and the gods now clearly perceived that it was in
reality a Mountain-giant who had come amongst them. No longer
regarding their oaths, they, therefore, called on Thor, who
immediately ran to their assistance, and lifting up his mallet Mjolnir
paid the workman his wages, not with the sun and moon, and not even by
sending him back to Jotunheim, for with the first blow he shattered
the giant's skull to pieces, and hurled him headlong into Nifelhel.
But Loki had run such a race with Svadilfari that shortly after he
bore a grey foal with eight legs. This is the horse Sleipnir, which
excels all horses ever possessed by gods or men."


OF THE SHIP SKIDBLADNIR.

44. "What hast thou to say," demanded Gangler, "of Skidbladnir,
which thou toldst me was the best of ships? Is there no other ship as
good or as large?"

"Skidbladnir," replied Har, "is without doubt the best and most
artfully constructed of any, but the ship Nagffar is of larger size.
They were dwarfs, the sons of Ivaldi, who built Skidbladnir, and made
a present of her to Frey. She is so large that all the Æsir with their
weapons and war stores find room on board her. As soon as the sails
are set a favourable breeze arises and carries her to her place of
destination, and she is made of so many pieces, and with so much
skill, that when she is not wanted for a voyage Frey may fold her
together like a piece of cloth, and put her in his pocket."

"A good ship truly, is Skidbladnir," said Gangler, "and many cunning
contrivances and spells must, no doubt, have been used in her
construction."


THOR'S ADVENTURES ON HIS JOURNEY TO THE LAND OF THE GIANTS.

45. "But tell me," he (Gangler) continued, "did it ever happen to
Thor in his expeditions to be overcome either by spells or by
downright force?"

"Few can take upon them to affirm this," replied Har, "and yet it has
often fared hard enough with him; but had he in reality been worsted
in any rencounter there would be no need to make mention of it, since
all are bound to believe that nothing can resist his power."

"It would, therefore, appear," said Gangler, "that I have asked of you
things that none of you are able to tell me of."

"There are, indeed, some such rumours current among us," answered
Jafnhar, "but they are hardly credible; however, there is one sitting
here can impart them to thee, and thou shouldst the rather believe
him, for never having yet uttered an untruth, he will not now begin to
deceive thee with false stories."

"Here then will I stand," said Gangler, "and listen to what ye have to
say, but if ye cannot answer my question satisfactorily I shall look
upon you as vanquished."

Then spake Thridi and said, "We can easily conceive that thou art
desirous of knowing these tidings, but it behooves thee to guard a
becoming silence respecting them. The story I have to relate is
this:--

46. "One day the God Thor set out in his car drawn by two he-goats,
and accompanied by Loki, on a journey. Night coming on, they put up at
a peasant's cottage, where Thor killed his goats, and after flaying
them, put them in the kettle. When the flesh was sodden, he sat down
with his fellow-traveller to supper, and invited the peasant and his
family to partake of his repast. The peasant's son was named Thjalfi,
and his daughter Roska. Thor bade them throw all the bones into the
goats' skins which were spread out near the fire-place, but young
Thjalfi broke one of the shank bones with his knife to come to the
marrow. Thor having passed the night in the cottage, rose at the dawn
of day, and when he was dressed took his mallet Mjolnir, and lifting
it up, consecrated the goats' skins, which he had no sooner done than
the two goats re-assumed their wonted form, only that one of them now
limped on one of its hind legs. Thor perceiving this, said that the
peasant, or one of his family, had handled the shank bone of this goat
too roughly, for he saw clearly that it was broken. It may readily be
imagined how frightened the peasant was when he saw Thor knit his
brows, and grasp the handle of his mallet with such force that the
joints of his fingers became white from the exertion. Fearing to be
struck down by the very looks of the god, the peasant and his family
made joint suit for pardon, offering whatever they possessed as an
atonement for the offence committed. Thor, seeing their fear, desisted
from his wrath, and became more placable, and finally contented
himself by requiring the peasant's children, Thjalfi and Roska, who
became his bond-servants, and have followed him ever since.

'Leaving his goats with the peasant, Thor proceeded eastward on the
road to Jotunheim, until he came to the shores of a vast and deep sea,
which having passed over he penetrated into a strange country along
with his companions, Loki, Thjalfi, and Roska. They had not gone far
before they saw before them an immense forest, through which they
wandered all day. Thjalfi was of all men the swiftest of foot. He bore
Thor's wallet, but the forest was a bad place for finding anything
eatable to stow in it. When it became dark, they searched on all sides
for a place where they might pass the night, and at last came to a
very large hall with an entrance that took up the whole breadth of one
of the ends of the building. Here they chose them a place to sleep in;
but towards midnight were alarmed by an earthquake which shook the
whole edifice. Thor, rising up, called on his companions to seek with
him a place of safety. On the right they found an adjoining chamber,
into which they entered, but while the others, trembling with fear,
crept into the furthest corner of this retreat, Thor remained at the
doorway with his mallet in his hand, prepared to defend himself,
whatever might happen. A terrible groaning was heard during the night,
and at dawn of day, Thor went out and observed lying near him a man of
enormous bulk, who slept and snored pretty loudly. Thor could now
account for the noise they had heard over night, and girding on his
Belt of Prowess, increased that divine strength which he now stood in
need of. The giant awakening, rose up, and it is said that for once in
his life Thor was afraid to make use of his mallet, and contented
himself by simply asking the giant his name.

"'My name is Skrymir, said the other, 'but I need not ask thy name,
for I know thou art the God Thor. But what hast thou done with my
glove?' And stretching out his hand Skrymir picked up his glove, which
Thor then perceived was what they had taken over night for a hall, the
chamber where they had sought refuge being the thumb. Skrymir then
asked whether they would have his fellowship, and Thor consenting, the
giant opened his wallet and began to eat his breakfast. Thor and his
companions having also taken their morning repast, though in another
place, Skrymir proposed that they should lay their provisions
together, which Thor also assented to. The giant then put all the meat
into one wallet, which he slung on his back and went before them,
taking tremendous strides, the whole day, and at dusk sought out for
them a place where they might pass the night under a large oak tree.
Skrymir then told them that he would lie down to sleep. 'But take ye
the wallet,' he added, 'and prepare your supper.'

"Skrymir soon fell asleep, and began to snore strongly, but incredible
though it may appear, it must nevertheless be told, that when Thor
came to open the wallet he could not untie a single knot, nor render a
single string looser than it was before. Seeing that his labour was in
vain, Thor became wroth, and grasping his mallet with both hands while
he advanced a step forward, launched it at the giant's head. Skrymir,
awakening, merely asked whether a leaf had not fallen on his head, and
whether they had supped and were ready to go to sleep. Thor answered
that they were just going to sleep, and so saying, went and laid
himself down under another oak tree. But sleep came not that night to
Thor, and when he remarked that Skrymir snored again so loud that the
forest re-echoed with the noise, he arose, and grasping his mallet,
launched it with such force that it sunk into the giant's skull up to
the handle. Skrymir awakening, cried out--

"'What's the matter? did an acorn fall on my head? How fares it with
thee, Thor?'

"But Thor went away hastily, saying that he had just then awoke, and
that as it was only midnight there was still time for sleep. He
however resolved that if he had an opportunity of striking a third
blow, it should settle all matters between them. A little before
daybreak he perceived that Skrymir was again fast asleep, and again
grasping his mallet, dashed it with such violence that it forced its
way into the giant's cheek up to the handle. But Skrymir sat up, and
stroking his cheek, said--

"'Are there any birds perched on this tree? Methought when I awoke
some moss from the branches fell on my head. What! Art thou awake,
Thor? Methinks it is time for us to get up and dress ourselves; but
you have not now a long way before you to the city called Utgard. I
have heard you whispering to one another that I am not a man of small
dimensions; but if you come into Utgard you will see there many men
much taller than myself. Wherefore I advise you, when you come there,
not to make too much of yourselves, for the followers of Utgard-Loki
will not brook the boasting of such mannikins as ye are. The best
thing you could do would probably be to turn back again, but if you
persist in going on, take the road that leads eastward, for mine now
lies northward to those rocks which you may see in the distance.'

"Hereupon, he threw his wallet over his shoulders and turned away from
them, into the forest, and I could never hear that Thor wished to meet
with him a second time.

47. "Thor and his companions proceeded on their way, and towards
noon descried a city standing in the middle of a plain. It was so
lofty that they were obliged to bend their necks quite back on their
shoulders ere they could see to the top of it. On arriving at the
walls they found the gateway closed with a gate of bars strongly
locked and bolted. Thor, after trying in vain to open it, crept with
his companions through the bars, and thus succeeded in gaining
admission into the city. Seeing a large palace before them, with the
door wide open, they went in and found a number of men of prodigious
stature sitting on benches in the hall. Going further, they came
before the king, Utgard-Loki, whom they saluted with great respect.
Their salutations were however returned by a contemptuous look from
the king, who, after regarding them for some time, said with a
scornful smile--

"'It is tedious to ask for tidings of a long journey, yet if I do not
mistake me, that stripling there must be Aku-Thor. Perhaps,' he added,
addressing himself to Thor, 'thou mayst be taller than thou appearest
to be. But what are the feats that thou and thy fellows deem
yourselves skilled in, for no one is permitted to remain here who does
not, in some feat or other, excel all other men.'

"'The feat I know,' replied Loki, 'is to eat quicker than any one
else, and in this I am ready to give a proof against any one here who
may choose to compete with me.'

"'That will indeed be a feat,' said Utgard-Loki, 'if thou performest
what thou promisest, and it shall be tried forthwith.'

"He then ordered one of his men, who was sitting at the further end of
the bench, and whose name was Logi,[134] to come forward and try his
skill with Loki. A trough filled with flesh meat having been set on
the hall floor, Loki placed himself at one end, and Logi at the other,
and each of them, began to eat as fast as he could, until they met in
the middle of the trough. But it was found that Loki had only eaten
the flesh, whereas his adversary had devoured both flesh and bone, and
the trough to boot. All the company therefore adjudged that Loki was
vanquished.

"Utgard-Loki then asked what feat the young man who accompanied Thor
could perform. Thjalfi answered that he would run a race with any one
who might be matched against him. The king observed that skill in
running was something to boast of, but that if the youth would win the
match he must display great agility. He then arose and went with all
who were present to a plain where there was a good ground for running
on, and calling a young man named Hugi,[135] bade him run a match with
Thjalfi. In the first course Hugi so much outstripped his competitor
that he turned back and met him not far from the starting-place.

"'Thou must ply thy legs better, Thjalfi,' said Utgard-Loki, 'if thou
wilt win the match, though I must needs say that there never came a
man here swifter of foot than thou art.'

"In the second course, Thjalfi was a full bow-shot from the goal when
Hugi arrived at it.

"'Most bravely dost thou run, Thjalfi,' said Utgard-Loki, 'though thou
wilt not, methinks, win the match. But the third, course must decide.'

"They accordingly ran a third time, but Hugi had already reached the
goal before Thjalfi had got half way. All who were present then cried
out that there had been a sufficient trial of skill in this kind of
exercise.

50. "Utgard-Loki then asked Thor in what feats he would choose to
give proofs of that dexterity for which he was so famous. Thor
replied, that he would begin a drinking match with any one.
Utgard-Loki consented, and entering the palace, bade his cupbearer
bring the large horn which his followers were obliged to drink out of
when they had trespassed in any way against established usage. The
cupbearer having presented it to Thor, Utgard-Loki said--

"'Whoever is a good drinker will empty that horn at a single draught,
though some men make two of it, but the most puny drinker of all can
do it at three.'

"Thor looked at the horn, which seemed of no extraordinary size,
though somewhat long; however, as he was very thirsty, he set it to
his lips, and without drawing breath pulled as long and as deeply as
he could, that he might not be obliged to make a second draught of it;
but when he set the horn down and looked in, he could scarcely
perceive that the liquor was diminished.

"''Tis well drunken,' exclaimed Utgard-Loki, 'though nothing much to
boast of; and I would not have believed had it been told me that
Asa-Thor could not have taken a greater draught, but thou no doubt
meanest to make amends at the second pull.'

"Thor, without answering, went to it again with all his might, but
when he took the horn from his mouth it seemed to him as if he had
drunk rather less than before, although the horn could now be carried
without spilling.

"'How now, Thor,' said Utgard-Loki; 'thou must not spare thyself more
in performing a feat than befits thy skill; but if thou meanest to
drain the horn at the third draught thou must pull deeply; and I must
needs say that thou wilt not be called so mighty a man here as thou
art among the Æsir, if thou showest no greater prowess in other feats
than, methinks, will be shown in this.'

"Thor, full of wrath, again set the horn to his lips, and exerted
himself to the utmost to empty it entirely, but on looking in found
that the liquor was only a little lower, upon which he resolved to
make no further attempt, but gave back the horn to the cupbearer.

51. "'I now see plainly,' said Utgard-Loki, 'that thou are not quite
so stout as we thought thee, but wilt thou try any other feat, though,
methinks, thou art not likely to bear any prize away with thee hence.'

"'I will try another feat,' replied Thor, 'and I am sure such draughts
as I have been drinking would not have been reckoned small among the
Æsir; but what new trial hast thou to propose?'

"'We have a very, trifling game here,' answered Ut-gard-Loki, 'in
which we exercise none but children. It consists in merely lifting my
cat from the ground, nor should I have dared to mention such a feat to
Asa-Thor if I had not already observed that thou art by no means what
we took thee for.'

"As he finished speaking, a large grey cat sprung on the hall floor.
Thor advancing put his hand under the cat's belly, and did his utmost
to raise him from the floor, but the cat bending his back had,
notwithstanding all Thor's efforts, only one of his feet lifted up,
seeing which, Thor made no further attempt.

"'This trial has turned out,' said Utgard-Loki, 'just as I imagined it
would; the cat is large, but Thor is little in comparison to our men.'

"'Little as ye call me,' answered Thor, 'let me see who amongst you
will come hither now I am in wrath, and wrestle with me.'

"'I see no one here,' said Utgard-Loki, looking at the men sitting on
the benches, 'who would not think it beneath him to wrestle with thee;
let somebody, however, call hither that old crone, my nurse Elli,[136]
and let Thor wrestle with her if he will. She has thrown to the
ground many a man not less strong and mighty than this Thor is.'

53. "A toothless old woman then entered the hall, and was told by
Utgard-Loki to take hold of Thor. The tale is shortly told. The more
Thor tightened his hold on the crone the firmer she stood. At length,
after a very violent struggle, Thor began to lose his footing, and was
finally brought down upon one knee. Utgard-Loki then told them to
desist, adding that Thor had now no occasion to ask any one else in
the hall to wrestle with him, and it was also getting late. He
therefore showed Thor and his companions to their seats, and they
passed the night there in good cheer.

54. "The next morning, at break of day, Thor and his companions
dressed themselves and prepared for their departure. Utgard-Loki then
came and ordered a table to be set for them, on which there was no
lack either of victuals or drink. After the repast Utgard-Loki led
them to the gate of the city, and, on parting, asked Thor how he
thought his journey had turned out, and whether he had met with any
men stronger than himself. Thor told him that he could not deny but
that he had brought great shame on himself. 'And what grieves me
most,' he added, 'is that ye will call me a man of little worth.'

55. "'Nay,' said Utgard-Loki, 'it behooves me to tell thee the truth
now thou are out of the city which so long as I live, and have my way,
thou shalt never re-enter. And by my troth, had I known beforehand
that thou hadst so much strength in thee, and wouldst have brought me
so near to a great mishap, I would not have suffered thee to enter
this time. Know then that I have all along deceived thee by my
illusions; first, in the forest, where I arrived before thee, and
there thou wert not able to untie the wallet, because I had bound it
with iron wire, in such a manner that thou couldst not discover how
the knot ought to be loosened. After this, thou gavest me three blows
with thy mallet; the first, though the least, would have ended my days
had it fallen on me, but I brought a rocky mountain before me which
thou didst not perceive, and in this mountain thou wilt find three
glens, one of them remarkably deep. These are the dints made by thy
mallet. I have made use of similar illusions in the contests ye have
had with my followers. In the first, Loki, like hunger itself,
devoured all that was set before him, but Logi was, in reality,
nothing else than ardent fire, and therefore consumed not only the
meat but the trough which held it. Hugi, with whom Thjalfi contended
in running, was Thought, and it was impossible for Thjalfi to keep
pace with that. When thou, in thy turn, didst try to empty the horn,
thou didst perform, by my troth, a deed so marvellous, that had I not
seen it myself I should never have believed it. For one end of that
horn reached the sea, which thou wast not aware of, but when thou
comest to the shore thou wilt perceive how much the sea has sunk by
thy draughts, which have caused what is now called the ebb. Thou didst
perform a feat no less wonderful by lifting up the cat, and to tell
thee the truth, when we saw that one of his paws was off the floor, we
were all of us terror-stricken, for what thou tookest for a cat was
in reality the great Midgard serpent that encompassed the whole earth,
and he was then barely long enough to inclose it between his head and
tail, so high had thy hand raised him up towards heaven. Thy wrestling
with Elli was also a most astonishing feat, for there was never yet a
man, nor ever shall be, whom Old Age, for such in fact was Elli, will
not sooner or later lay low if he abide her coming. But now as we are
going to part, let me tell thee that it will be better for both of us
if thou never come near me again, for shouldst thou do so, I shall
again defend myself by other illusions, so that thou wilt never
prevail against me.'

"On hearing these words, Thor, in a rage, laid hold of his mallet and
would have launched it at him, but Utgard-Loki had disappeared, and
when Thor would have returned to the city to-destroy it, he found
nothing around him but a verdant plain. Proceeding, therefore, on his
way, he returned without stopping to Thrudvang. But he had already
resolved to make that attack on the Midgard serpent which afterwards
took place. I trust," concluded Thridi, "that thou wilt now
acknowledge that no one can tell thee truer tidings than those thou
hast heard respecting this journey of Thor to Jotunheim."


HOW THOR WENT TO FISH FOR THE MIDGARD SERPENT.

56. "I find by your account," said Gangler, "that Utgard-Loki
possesses great might in himself, though he has recourse to spells and
illusions; but his power may be seen by his followers, being in every
respect so skillful and dexterous. But tell me, did Thor ever avenge
this affront?"

"It is not unknown," replied Har, "though nobody has talked of it,
that Thor was determined to make amends for the journey just spoken
of, and he had not been long at home ere he set out again so hastily
that he had neither his car nor his goats, nor any followers with him.
He went out of Midgard under the semblance of a young man, and came at
dusk to the dwelling of a giant called Hymir. Here Thor passed the
night, but at break of day, when he perceived that Hymir was making
his boat ready for fishing, he arose and dressed himself, and begged
the giant would let him row out to sea with him. Hymir answered, that
a puny stripling like he was could be of no great use to him.
'Besides,' he added, 'thou wilt catch thy death of cold if I go so far
out and remain so long as I am accustomed to do.' Thor said, that for
all that, he would row as far from the land as Hymir had a mind, and
was not sure which of them would be the first who might wish to row
back again. At the same time he was so enraged that he felt sorely
inclined to let his mallet ring on the giant's skull without further
delay, but intending to try his strength elsewhere, he stifled his
wrath, and asked Hymir what he meant to bait with. Hymir told him to
look out for a bait himself. Thor instantly went up to a herd of oxen
that belonged to the giant, and seizing the largest bull, that bore
the name of Himinbrjot, wrung off his head, and returning with it to
the boat, put out to sea with Hymir. Thor rowed aft with two oars, and
with such force that Hymir, who rowed at the prow, saw with surprise,
how swiftly the boat was driven forward. He then observed that they
were come to the place where he was wont to angle for flat fish, but
Thor assured him that they had better go on a good way further. They
accordingly continued to ply their oars, until Hymir cried out that if
they did not stop they would be in danger from the great Midgard
serpent. Notwithstanding this, Thor persisted in rowing further, and
in spite of Hymir's remonstrances was a great while before he would
lay down his oars. He then took out a fishing-line, extremely strong,
furnished with an equally strong hook, on which he fixed the bull's
head, and cast his line into the sea. The bait soon reached the
bottom, and it may be truly said that Thor then deceived the Midgard
serpent not a whit less than Utgard-Loki had deceived Thor when he
obliged him to lift up the serpent in his hand: for the monster
greedily caught at the bait, and the hook stuck fast in his palate.
Stung with the pain, the serpent tugged at the hook so violently, that
Thor was obliged to hold fast with both hands by the pegs that bear
against the oars. But his wrath now waxed high, and assuming all his
divine power, he pulled so hard at the line that his feet forced their
way through the boat and went down to the bottom of the sea, whilst
with his hands he drew up the serpent to the side of the vessel. It is
impossible to express by words the dreadful scene that now took place.
Thor, on one hand, darting looks of ire on the serpent, whilst the
monster, rearing his head, spouted out floods of venom upon him. It is
said that when the giant Hymir beheld the serpent, he turned pale and
trembled with fright and seeing, moreover, that the water was
entering his boat on all sides, he took out his knife, just as Thor
raised his mallet aloft, and cut the line, on which the serpent sunk
again under the water. Thor, however, launched his mallet at him, and
there are some who say that it struck off the monster's head at the
bottom of the sea, but one may assert with more certainty that he
still lives and lies in the ocean. Thor then struck Hymir such a blow
with his fist, nigh the ear, that the giant fell headlong into the
water, and Thor, wading with rapid strides, soon came to the land
again."


THE DEATH OF BALDUR THE GOOD.

57. "Verily," said Gangler, "it was a famous exploit which Thor
performed on that journey, but did any other such events take place
among the Æsir?"

"Ay," replied Har, "I can tell thee of another event which the Æsir
deemed of much greater importance. Thou must know, therefore, that
Baldur the Good having been tormented with terrible dreams, indicating
that his life was in great peril, communicated them to the assembled
Æsir, who resolved to conjure all things to avert from him the
threatened danger. Then Frigga exacted an oath from fire and water,
from iron, and all other metals, as well as from stones, earths,
diseases, beasts, birds, poisons, and creeping things, that none of
them would do any harm to Baldur. When this was done, it became a
favourite pastime of the Æsir, at their meetings, to get Baldur to
stand up and serve them as a mark, some hurling darts at him, some
stones, while others hewed at him with their swords and battle-axes,
for do they what they would none of therm could harm him, and this was
regarded by all as a great honour shown to Baldur. But when Loki, the
son of Laufey, beheld the scene, he was sorely vexed that Baldur was
not hurt. Assuming, therefore, the shape of a woman, he went to
Fensalir, the mansion of Frigga. That goddess, when she saw the
pretended woman, inquired of her if she knew what the Æsir were doing
at their meetings. She replied, that they were throwing darts and
stones at Baldur without being able to hurt him.

"'Ay,' said Frigga, 'neither metal nor wood can hurt Baldur, for I
have exacted an oath from all of them.'

"'What!' exclaimed the woman, 'have all things sworn to spare Baldur?'

"'All things,' replied Frigga, 'except one little shrub that grows on
the eastern side of Valhalla, and is called Mistletoe, and which I
thought too young and feeble to crave an oath from.'

"As soon as Loki heard this he went away, and, resuming his natural
shape, cut off the mistletoe, and repaired to the place where the gods
were assembled. There he found Hodur standing apart, without partaking
of the sports, on account of his blindness, and going up to him, said,
'Why dost thou not also throw something at Baldur?"

"'Because I am blind,' answered Hodur, 'and see not where Baldur is,
and have, moreover, nothing to throw with.'

"'Come then,' said Loki, 'do like the rest, and show honour to Baldur
by throwing this twig at him, and I will direct thy arm, toward the
place where he stands.'

58. "Hodur then took the mistletoe, and under the guidance of Loki,
darted it at Baldur, who, pierced through and through, fell down
lifeless. Surely never was there witnessed, either among gods or men,
a more atrocious deed than this! When Baldur fell the Æsir were struck
speechless with horror, and then they looked at each other, and all
were of one mind to lay hands on him who had done the deed, but they
were obliged to delay their vengeance out of respect for the sacred
place (Peace-stead) where they were assembled. They at length gave
vent to their grief by loud lamentations, though not one of them could
find words to express the poignancy of his feelings. Odin, especially,
was more sensible than the others of the loss they had suffered, for
he foresaw what a detriment Baldur's death would be to the Æsir. When
the gods came to themselves, Frigga asked who among them wished to
gain all her love and good will; 'For this,' said she, 'shall he have
who will ride to Hel and try to find Baldur, and offer Hela a ransom
if she will let him return to Asgard;' whereupon Hermod, surnamed the
Nimble, the son of Odin, offered to undertake the journey. Odin's
horse Sleipnir was then led forth, on which Hermod mounted, and
galloped away on his mission.

59. "The Æsir then took the dead body and bore it to the seashore,
where stood Baldur's ship Hringhorn, which passed for the largest in
the world. But when they wanted to launch it in order to make Baldur's
funeral pile on it, they were unable to make it stir. In this
conjuncture they sent to Jotunheim for a certain giantess named
Hyrrokin, who came mounted on a wolf, having twisted serpents for a
bridle. As soon as she alighted, Odin ordered four Berserkir to hold
her steed fast, who were, however, obliged to throw the animal on the
ground ere they could effect their purpose. Hyrrokin then went to the
ship, and with a single push set it afloat, but the motion was so
violent that the fire sparkled from the rollers, and the earth shook
all around. Thor, enraged at the sight, grasped his mallet, and but
for the interference of the Æsir would have broken the woman's skull.
Baldur's body was then borne to the funeral pile on board the ship,
and this ceremony had such an effect on Nanna, the daughter of Nep,
that her heart broke with grief, and her body was burnt on the same
pile with her husband's. Thor then stood up and hallowed the pile with
Mjolnir, and during the ceremony kicked a dwarf named Litur, who was
running before his feet, into the fire. There was a vast concourse of
various kinds of people at Baldur's obsequies. First came Odin,
accompanied by Frigga, the Valkyrjor and his ravens; then Frey in his
car drawn by a boar named Gullinbursti or Slidrugtanni; Heimdall rode
his horse called Gulltopp, and Freyja drove in her chariot drawn by
cats. There were also a great many Frost-giants and giants of the
mountains present. Odin laid on the pile the gold ring called
Draupnir, which afterwards acquired the property of producing every
ninth night eight rings of equal weight. Baldur's horse was led to the
pile fully caparisoned, and consumed in the same flames on the body
of his master.


BALDUR IN THE ABODE OF THE DEAD

60. "Meanwhile, Hermod was proceeding on his mission. For the space
of nine days, and as many nights, he rode through deep glens so dark
that he could not discern anything until he arrived at the river
Gjoll, which he passed over on a bridge covered with glittering gold.
Modgudur, the maiden who kept the bridge, asked him his name and
lineage, telling him that the day before five bands of dead persons
had ridden over the bridge, and did not shake it so much as he alone.
'But,' she added, 'thou hast not death's hue on thee, why then ridest
them here on the way to Hel?'

"'I ride to Hel,' answered Hermod, 'to seek Baldur. Hast thou
perchance seen him pass this way?'

"'Baldur,' she replied, 'hath ridden over Gjoll's bridge, but there
below, towards the north, lies the way to the abodes of death.'

"Hermod then pursued his journey until he came to the barred gates of
Hel. Here he alighted, girthed his saddle tighter, and remounting,
clapped both spurs to his horse, who cleared the gate by a tremendous
leap without touching it. Hermod then rode on to the palace, where he
found his brother Baldur occupying the most distinguished seat in the
hall, and passed the night in his company. The next morning he
besought Hela (Death) to let Baldur ride home with him, assuring her
that nothing but lamentations were to be heard among the gods. Hela
answered that it should now be tried whether Baldur was so beloved as
he was said to be.

"'If therefore,' she added, 'all things in the world, both living and
lifeless, weep for him, then shall he return to the Æsir, but if any
one thing speak against him or refuse to weep, he shall be kept in
Hel.'

"Hermod then rose, and Baldur led him out of the hall and gave him the
ring Draupnir, to present as a keepsake to Odin. Nanna also sent
Frigga a linen cassock and other gifts, and to Fulla a gold
finger-ring. Hermod then rode back to Asgard, and gave an account of
all he had heard and witnessed.

"The gods upon this dispatched messengers throughout the world, to beg
everything to weep, in order that Baldur might be delivered from Hel.
All things very willingly complied with this request, both men and
every other living being, as well as earths and stones, and trees and
metals, just as thou must have seen these things weep when they are
brought from a cold place into a hot one. As the messengers were
returning with the conviction that their mission had been quite
successful, they found an old hag named Thaukt sitting in a cavern,
and begged her to weep Baldur out of Hel.

"It was strongly suspected that this hag was no other than Loki
himself who never ceased to work evil among the Æsir."


THE FLIGHT AND PUNISHMENT OF LOKI.


61. "Evil are the deeds of Loki truly," said Gangler; "first of all
in his having caused Baldur to be slain, and then preventing him from
being delivered out of Hel. But was he not punished for these crimes?"

"Ay," replied Har, "and in such a manner that he will long repent
having committed them. When he perceived how exasperated the gods
were, he fled and hid himself in the mountains. There he built him a
dwelling with four doors, so that he could see everything that passed
around him. Often in the daytime he assumed the likeness of a salmon,
and concealed himself under the waters of a cascade called
Franangursfors, where he employed himself in divining and
circumventing whatever stratagems the Æsir might have recourse to in
order to catch him. One day, as he sat in his dwelling, he took flax
and yarn, and worked them into meshes in the manner that nets have
since been made by fishermen. Odin, however, had descried his retreat
out of Hlidskjalf, and Loki becoming aware that the gods were
approaching, threw his net into the fire, and ran to conceal himself
in the river. When the gods entered the house, Kvasir, who was the
most distinguished among them all for his quickness and penetration,
traced out in the hot embers the vestiges of the net which had been
burnt, and told Odin that it must be an invention to catch fish.
Whereupon they set to work and wove a net after the model they saw
imprinted in the ashes. This net, when finished, they threw into the
river in which Loki had hidden himself. Thor held one end of the net,
and all the other gods laid hold of the other end, thus jointly
drawing it along the stream. Notwithstanding all their precautions the
net passed over Loki, who had crept between two stones, and the gods
only perceived that some living thing had touched the meshes. They
therefore cast their net a second time, hanging so great a weight to
it that it everywhere raked the bed of the river. But Loki, perceiving
that he had but a short distance from the sea, swam onwards and leapt
over the net into the waterfall. The Æsir instantly followed him, and
divided themselves into two bands. Thor, wading along in mid-stream,
followed the net, whilst the others dragged it along towards the sea.
Loki then perceived that he had only two chances of escape, either to
swim out to sea, or to leap again over the net. He chose the latter,
but as he took a tremendous leap Thor caught him in his hand. Being,
however, extremely slippery, he would have escaped had not Thor held
him fast by the tail, and this is the reason why salmons have had
their tails ever since so fine and thin.

"The gods having thus captured Loki, dragged him without commiseration
into a cavern, wherein they placed three sharp-pointed rocks, boring a
hole through each of them. Having also seized Loki's children, Vali
and Nari, they changed the former into a wolf, and in this likeness he
tore his brother to pieces and devoured him. The gods then made cords
of his intestines, with which they bound Loki on the points of the
rocks, one cord passing under his shoulders, another under his loins,
and a third under his hams, and afterwards transformed these cords
into thongs of iron. Skadi then suspended a serpent over him in such a
manner that the venom should fall on his face, drop by drop. But
Siguna, his wife, stands by him and receives the drops as they fall in
a cup, which she empties as often as it is filled. But while she is
doing this, venom falls upon Loki, which makes him howl with horror,
and twist his body about so violently that the whole earth shakes, and
this produces what men call earthquakes. There will Loki lie until
Ragnarok."


OF RAGNAROK, OR THE TWILIGHT OE THE GODS, AND THE CONFLAGRATION OF THE
UNIVERSE.

63. "I have not heard before of Ragnarok," said Gangler; "what hast
thou to tell me about it?"

"There are many very notable circumstances concerning it," replied
Har, "which I can inform thee of. In the first place will come the
winter, called Fimbul-winter, during which snow will fall from the
four corners of the world; the frosts will be very severe, the wind
piercing, the weather tempestuous, and the sun impart no gladness.
Three such winters shall pass away without being tempered by a single
summer. Three other similar winters follow, during which war and
discord will spread over the whole globe. Brethren for the sake of
mere gain shall kill each other, and no one shall spare either his
parents or his children.

64. "Then shall happen such things as may truly be accounted great
prodigies. The wolf shall devour the sun, and a severe loss will that
be for mankind. The other wolf will take the moon, and this too will
cause great mischief. Then the stars shall be hurled from the heavens,
and the earth so violently shaken that trees will be torn up by the
roots, the tottering mountains tumble headlong from their foundations,
and all bonds and fetters be shivered in pieces. Fenrir then breaks
loose, and the sea rushes over the earth, on account of the Midgard
serpent turning with giant force, and gaining the land. On the waters
floats the ship Naglfar, which is constructed of the nails of dead
men. For which reason great care should be taken to die with pared
nails, for he who dies with his nails unpared, supplies materials for
the building of this vessel, which both gods and men wish may be
finished as late as possible. But in this flood shall Naglfar float,
and the giant Hrym be its steersman.

"The wolf Fenrir advancing, opens his enormous mouth; the lower jaw
reaches to the earth, and the upper one to heaven, and would in fact
reach still farther were there space to admit of it. Fire flashes from
his eyes and nostrils. The Midgard serpent, placing himself by the
side of the wolf, vomits forth floods of poison which overwhelm the
air and the waters. Amidst this devastation heaven is cleft in twain,
and the sons of Muspell ride through the breach. Surtur rides first,
and both before and behind him flames burning fire. His sword
outshines the sun itself. Bifrost, as they ride over it, breaks to
pieces. Then they direct their course to the battlefield called
Vigrid. Thither also repair the wolf Fenrir and the Midgard serpent,
and also Loki, with all the followers of Hel, and Hrym with all the
Hrimthursar. But the sons of Muspell keep their effulgent bands apart
on the field of battle, which is one hundred miles long on every side.

65. "Meanwhile Heimdall stands up, and with all his force sounds the
Gjallar-horn to arouse the gods, who assemble without delay. Odin
then rides to Mimir's well and consults Mimir how he and his warriors
ought to enter into action. The ash Yggdrasill begins to shake, nor is
there anything in heaven or earth exempt from fear at that terrible
hour. The Æsir and all the heroes of Valhalla arm themselves and speed
forth to the field, led on by Odin, with his golden helm and
resplendent cuirass, and his spear called Gungnir. Odin places himself
against the wolf Fenrir; Thor stands by his side, but can render him
no assistance, having himself to combat with the Midgard serpent. Frey
encounters Surtur, and terrible blows are exchanged ere Frey falls;
and he owes his defeat to his not having that trusty sword he gave to
Skirnir. That day the dog Garm, who had been chained in the Gnipa
cave, breaks loose. He is the most fearful monster of all, and attacks
Tyr, and they kill each other. Thor gains great renown for killing the
Midgard serpent, but at the same time, recoiling nine paces, falls
dead upon the spot suffocated by the floods of venom which the dying
serpent vomits forth upon him. The wolf swallows Odin, but at that
instant Vidar advances, and setting his foot on the monster's lower
jaw, seizes the other with his hand, and thus tears and rends him till
he dies. Vidar is able to do this because he wears those shoes for
which stuff has been gathering in all ages, namely, the shreds of
leather which are cut off to form the toes and heels of shoes, and it
is on this account that those who would render a service to the Æsir
should take care to throw such shreds away. Loki and Heimdall fight,
and mutually kill each other.

"After this, Surtur darts fire and flame over the earth, and the
whole universe is consumed."


OF THE ABODES OF FUTURE BLISS AND MISERY.

66. "What will remain," said Gangler, "after heaven and earth and
the whole universe shall be consumed, and after all the gods, and the
heroes of Valhalla, and all mankind shall have perished? For ye have
already told me that every one shall continue to exist in some world
or other, throughout eternity."

"There will be many abodes," replied Thridi, "some good, others bad.
The best place of all to be in will be Gimli, in heaven, and all who
delight in quaffing good drink will find a great store in the hall
called Brimir, which is also in heaven in the region Okolni. There is
also a fair hall of ruddy gold called Sindri, which stands on the
mountains of Nida, (Nidafjoll). In those halls righteous and
well-minded men shall abide. In Nastrond there is a vast and direful
structure with doors that face the north. It is formed entirely of the
backs of serpents, wattled together like wicker work. But the
serpents' heads are turned towards the inside of the hall, and
continually vomit forth floods of venom, in which wade all those
who-commit murder, or who forswear themselves."


THE RENOVATION OF THE UNIVERSE.

67. "Will any of the gods survive, and will there be any longer a
heaven and an earth?" demanded Gangler.

"There will arise out of the sea," replied Har, "another earth most
lovely and verdant, with pleasant fields where the grain shall grow
unsown. Vidar and Vali shall survive; neither the flood nor Surtur's
fire shall harm them. They shall dwell on the plain of Ida, where
Asgard formerly stood. Thither shall come the sons of Thor, Modi and
Magni, bringing with them their father's mallet Mjolnir. Baldur and
Hodur shall also repair thither from the abode of death (Hel). There
shall they sit and converse together, and call to mind their former
knowledge and the perils they underwent, and the fight of the wolf
Fenrir and the Midgard serpent. There too shall they find in the grass
those golden tablets (orbs) which the Æsir once possessed. As it is
said,--

    "'There dwell Vidar and Vali
    In the gods' holy seats,
    When slaked Surtur's fire is
    But Modi and Magni
    Will Mjolnir possess,
    And strife put an end to.'

"Thou must know, moreover, that during the conflagration caused by
Surtur's fire, a woman named Lif (Life), and a man named Lifthrasir,
lie concealed in Hodmimir's forest. They shall feed on morning dew,
and their descendants shall soon spread over the whole earth.

"But what thou wilt deem more wonderful is, that the sun shall have
brought forth a daughter more lovely than herself, who shall go in the
same track formerly trodden by her mother.

"And now," continued Thridi, "if thou hast any further questions to
ask, I know not who can answer thee, for I never heard tell of any
one who could relate what will happen in the other ages of the world.
Make, therefore, the best use thou canst of what has been imparted to
thee."

Upon this Gangler heard a terrible noise all around him: he looked
everywhere, but could see neither palace nor city, nor anything save a
vast plain. He therefore set out on his return to his own kingdom,
where he related all that he had seen and heard, and ever since that
time these tidings have been handed down by oral tradition.


ÆGIR'S JOURNEY TO ASGARD.

68. Ægir, who was well skilled in magic, once went to Asgard, where
he met with a very good reception. Supper time being come, the twelve
mighty Æsir,--Odin, Thor, Njord, Frey, Tyr, Heimdall, Bragi, Vidar,
Vali, Ullur, Hoenir and Forseti, together with the Asynjor,--Frigga,
Freyja, Gefjon, Iduna, Gerda, Siguna, Fulla and Nanna, seated
themselves on their lofty doom seats, in a hall around which were
ranged swords of such surpassing brilliancy that no other light was
requisite. They continued long at table, drinking mead of a very
superior quality. While they were emptying their capacious drinking
horns, Ægir, who sat next to Bragi, requested him to relate something
concerning the Æsir. Bragi instantly complied with his request, by
informing him of what had happened to Iduna.


IDUNA AND HER APPLES.

69. "Once," he said, "when Odin, Loki, and Hoenir went on a journey,
they came to a valley where a herd of oxen were grazing, and being
sadly in want of provisions did not scruple to kill one for their
supper. Vain, however, were their efforts to boil the flesh; they
found it, every time they took off the lid of the kettle, as raw as
when first put in. While they were endeavouring to account for this
singular circumstance a noise was heard above them, and on looking up
they beheld an enormous eagle perched on the branch of an oak tree.
'If ye are willing to let me have my share of the flesh,' said the
eagle, 'it shall soon be boiled;' and on their assenting to this
proposal, it flew down and snatched up a leg and two shoulders of the
ox--a proceeding which so incensed Loki, that he laid hold of a large
stock, and made it fall pretty heavily on the eagle's back. It was,
however, not an eagle that Loki struck, but the renowned giant
Thjassi, clad in his eagle plumage. Loki soon found this out to his
cost, for while one end of the stock stuck fast to the eagle's back,
he was unable to let go his hold of the other end, and was
consequently trailed by the eagle-clad giant over rocks and forests,
until he was almost torn to pieces. Loki in this predicament began to
sue for peace, but Thjassi told him that he should never be released
from his hold until he bound himself by a solemn oath to bring Iduna
and her apples out of Asgard. Loki very willingly gave his oath to
effect this object, and went back in a piteous plight to his
companions.

70. "On his return to Asgard, Loki told Iduna that, in a forest at a
short distance from the celestial residence, he had found apples
growing which he thought were of a much better quality than her own,
and that at all events it was worth while making a comparison between
them. Iduna, deceived by his words, took her apples, and went with him
into the forest, but they had no sooner entered it than Thjassi, clad
in his eagle-plumage, flew rapidly towards them, and catching up
Iduna, carried her treasure off with him to Jotunheim. The gods being
thus deprived of their renovating apples, soon became wrinkled and
grey; old age was creeping fast upon them, when they discovered that
Loki had been, as usual, the contriver of all the mischief that had
befallen them. They therefore threatened him with condign punishment
if he did not instantly hit upon some expedient for bringing back
Iduna and her apples to Asgard. Loki having borrowed from Freyja her
falcon-plumage, flew to Jotunheim, and finding that Thjassi was out at
sea fishing, lost no time in changing Iduna into a sparrow and flying
off with her; but when Thjassi returned and became aware of what had
happened, he donned his eagle-plumage, and flew after them. When the
Æsir saw Loki approaching, holding Iduna transformed into a sparrow
between his claws, and Thjassi with his outspread eagle wings ready to
overtake him, they placed on the walls of Asgard bundles of chips,
which they set fire to the instant that Loki had flown over them; and
as Thjassi could not stop his flight, the fire caught his plumage, and
he thus fell into the power of the Æsir, who slew him within the
portals of the celestial residence. When these tidings came to
Thjassi's daughter, Skadi, she put on her armour and went to Asgard,
fully determined to avenge her father's death; but the Æsir having
declared their willingness to atone for the deed, an amicable
arrangement was entered into. Skadi was to choose a husband in Asgard,
and the Æsir were to make her laugh, a feat which she flattered
herself it would be impossible for any one to accomplish. Her choice
of a husband was to be determined by a mere inspection of the feet of
the gods, it being stipulated that the feet should be the only part of
their persons visible until she had made known her determination. In
inspecting the row of feet placed before her, Skadi took a fancy to a
pair which she flattered herself, from their fine proportions, must be
those of Baldur. They were however Njord's, and Njord was accordingly
given her for a husband, and as Loki managed to make her laugh, by
playing some diverting antics with a goat, the atonement was fully
effected. It is even said that Odin did more than had been stipulated,
by taking out Thjassi's eyes, and placing them to shine as stars in
the firmament.[137]


THE ORIGIN OF POETRY.

71. Ægir having expressed a wish to know how poetry originated,
Bragi informed him that the Æsir and Vanir having met to put an end to
the war which had long been carried on between them, a treaty of
peace was agreed to and ratified by each party spitting into a jar. As
a lasting sign of the amity which was thenceforward to subsist between
the contending parties, the gods formed out of this spittle a being to
whom they gave the name of Kvasir, and whom they endowed with such a
high degree of intelligence that no one could ask him a question that
he was unable to answer. Kvasir then traversed the whole world to
teach men wisdom, but was at length treacherously murdered by the
dwarfs, Fjalar and Galar, who, by mixing up his blood with honey,
composed a liquor of such surpassing excellence that whoever drinks of
it acquires the gift of song. When the Æsir inquired what had become
of Kvasir, the dwarfs told them that he had been suffocated with his
own wisdom, not being able to find any one who by proposing to him a
sufficient number of learned questions might relieve him of its
superabundance. Not long after this event, Fjalar and Galar managed to
drown the giant Gilling and murder his wife, deeds which were avenged
by their son Suttung taking the dwarfs out to sea, and placing them on
a shoal which was flooded at high water. In this critical position
they implored Suttung to spare their lives, and accept the
verse-inspiring beverage which they possessed as an atonement for
their having killed his parents. Suttung having agreed to these
conditions, released the dwarfs, and carrying the mead home with him,
committed it to the care of his daughter Gunnlauth. Hence poetry is
indifferently called Kvasir's blood, Suttung's mead, the dwarf's
ransom, etc.


ODIN BEGUILES THE DAUGHTER OF BAUGI

72. Æsir then asked how the gods obtained possession of so valuable
a beverage, on which Bragi informed him that Odin being fully
determined to acquire it, set out for Jotunheim, and after journeying
for some time, came to a meadow in which nine thralls were mowing.
Entering into conversation with them, Odin, offered to whet their
scythes, an offer which they gladly accepted, and finding that the
whetstone he made use of had given the scythes an extraordinary
sharpness, asked him whether he was willing to dispose of it. Odin,
however, threw the whetstone in the air, and in attempting to catch it
as it fell, each thrall brought his scythe to bear on the neck of one
of his comrades, so that they were all killed in the scramble. Odin
took up his night's lodging at the house of Suttung's brother, Baugi,
who told him that he was sadly at a loss for labourers, his nine
thralls having slain each other. Odin, who went under the name of
Baulverk, said that for a draught of Suttung's mead he would do the
work of nine men for him. The terms agreed on, Odin worked for Baugi
the whole summer, but Suttung was deaf to his brother's entreaties,
and would not part with a drop of the precious liquor, which was
carefully preserved in a cavern under his daughter's custody. Into
this cavern Odin was resolved to penetrate. He therefore persuaded
Baugi to bore a hole through the rock, which he had no sooner done
than Odin, transforming himself into a worm, crept through the
crevice, and resuming his natural shape, won the heart of Gunnlauth.
After passing three nights with the fair maiden, he had no great
difficulty in inducing her to let him take a draught out of each of
the three jars, called Odhroerir, Bodn, and Son, in which the mead was
kept. But wishing to make the most of his advantage, he pulled so deep
that not a drop was left in the vessels. Transforming himself into an
eagle, he then flew off as fast as his wings could carry him, but
Suttung becoming aware of the stratagem, also took upon himself an
eagle's guise, and flew after him. The Æsir, on seeing him approach
Asgard, set out in the yard all the jars they could lay their hands
on, which Odin filled by discharging through his beak the
wonder-working liquor he had drunken. He was however, so near being
caught by Suttung, that some of the liquor escaped him by an impurer
vent, and as no care was taken of this it fell to the share of the
poetasters. But the liquor discharged in the jars was kept for the
gods, and for those men who have sufficient wit to make a right use of
it. Hence poetry is also called Odin's booty, Odin's gift, the
beverage of the gods, &c, &c.