‘Thor, accompanied by Thjalfi, went to the duelling ground. Thjalfi ran ahead to where Hrungnir stood and said to him: “You stand unprepared, giant, holding your shield in front of you. Thor has seen you. He is travelling underneath in the earth and will come at you from below.”
‘Hrungnir then shoved his shield under his feet and stood on top of it, grasping the whetstone with both hands. He saw flashes of lightning and heard enormous claps of thunder. Then he saw Thor in his divine rage. Thor was rushing towards him, but when still at a long distance away, he raised his hammer and threw it at Hrungnir. The giant, using both hands, lifted his whetstone and threw it towards Thor. The whetstone struck the hammer in mid flight and broke into two. One part fell to the earth, and from it come all whetstones. The other part pierced Thor’s head so that he fell to the earth. But the hammer Mjollnir landed right in the middle of Hrungnir’s head. It smashed his skull into small pieces, and he fell forward, landing on top of Thor with his leg lying across Thor’s neck. Meanwhile Thjalfi attacked Mokkurkalfi, who fell in such a way that it is hardly worth a story.
‘Thjalfi then went to Thor, intending to lift Hrungnir’s leg off him, but he could not move it. When they learned that Thor had fallen, all the Æsir came and tried to lift the leg, but they could not budge it. Then Magni, the son of Thor and Jarnsaxa, arrived; he was three years old3 at the time. He flung Hrungnir’s leg off Thor and said, “It is a great shame, Father, that I came so late. I imagine that with my fist I would have killed this giant, had I met him.”
‘Thor stood up and, greeting his son warmly, declared that he would become powerful. “And,” he said, “I want to give you the horse Gullfaxi”, which Hrungnir had owned.
‘Then Odin spoke. He said that Thor was wrong to give so fine a horse to the son of a giantess, instead of to Thor’s own father.
‘Thor returned home to Thrudvangar, and the whetstone remained stuck in his head. Then the seeress called Groa arrived, the wife of Aurvandil the Bold. She sang her spells over Thor until the whetstone began to loosen. When Thor felt that, he expected the whetstone would soon be removed. Wanting to please and reward Groa for her healing, he told the story of his return from the north, and how he had waded across the river Elivagar, carrying Aurvandil southwards from Giant Land on his back in a basket. He recounted that one of Aurvandil’s toes had stuck out from the basket and had frozen. Thor broke it off and threw it up into the heavens as a token, making from it the star called Aurvandil’s Toe.4 Thor added that it would not be long before Aurvandil returned home. Then Groa became so happy that she couldn’t remember any of her magic, and the whetstone got no looser but remained lodged in Thor’s head. And it is offered as a warning that one should not throw a whetstone across a floor, because then the whetstone in Thor’s head moves. Thjodolf of Hvin tells this story in his poem Haustlong.’
4
Thor Journeys to Geirrod’s Courts
Then Ægir said, ‘To me Hrungnir seems to have been extremely powerful. Did Thor work any other great feats in his dealings with the trolls?’
Bragi replied, ‘The story of Thor’s journey to Geirrod’s courts is well worth the telling. Loki was with him on the journey and, because of Loki, Thor did not have the hammer Mjollnir, his belt of strength or his iron gloves. This was because of what had happened to Loki earlier when, in order to amuse himself, he put on Frigg’s falcon shape, and then, driven by curiosity, he flew into Geirrod’s courts. Seeing there a great hall, he landed and looked in through a window. But Geirrod looked in his direction, and then commanded that the bird be seized and brought to him. The henchman charged with doing so, however, had trouble climbing up the wall of the hall because it was so high. Loki was amused to see so much effort expended in getting to him, so he delayed flying away until the man had almost finished the difficult climb.
‘Just as the man rushed at him, Loki finally started to fly. He beat his wings but discovered that his feet were stuck fast. So Loki was seized and brought to the giant Geirrod. When Geirrod looked into the bird’s eyes he suspected that it was a person, and he demanded that it answer him. But Loki remained silent. Then Geirrod locked Loki in a chest, starving him there for three months. This time, when Geirrod lifted him out and asked him to speak, Loki told him who he was. As ransom for his life he swore to Geirrod an oath that he would devise a way to bring Thor to Geirrod’s courts and that Thor would have neither his hammer nor his belt of strength.
‘Thor came to stay with the giantess named Grid as a guest for the night; she was the mother of Vidar the Silent. She told Thor the truth about Geirrod: that he was a cunning giant and that there was much danger in dealing with him. She lent Thor a belt of strength and iron gloves which she owned. She also lent him her staff, Gridarvol [Grid’s Staff].
‘Thor then travelled to the river Vimur; a great waterway. He buckled on the belt of strength and supported himself against the current by placing Grid’s pole on the downstream side while Loki held on to the belt of power. But when Thor got to the middle of the river, the water had risen so high that it reached to his shoulders. Then Thor spoke this verse:
“Rise not, Vimur,
as I want to wade you,
crossing to the giant’s courts.
Beware. If you grow,
divine might will grow in me
as high as heaven!”
‘Thor looked up and saw in a certain cleft Gjalp, the daughter of Geirrod, straddling the river with one leg on either side, and it was she who was causing the river to rise. Thor took a large stone from the river and threw it at her, saying: “At the source will a river be stemmed!” He did not miss his target.
‘Just then he was swept towards the shore, where he was able to grab hold of some rowan branches,1 and so was able to climb up from the river. This event is the origin of the expression that rowan trees are Thor’s salvation.
‘When Thor arrived at Geirrod’s, he and his companions were first directed to a goat shed as their lodgings. There was only one chair, and Thor sat on it. But he soon noticed that the chair under him was rising towards the roof. He stuck Grid’s pole up into the rafters and pushed down hard on the chair. Then came the sound of a loud crack, followed by a loud scream. Geirrod’s daughters, Gjalp and Greip, had been under the chair, and he had broken both their backs.
‘Then Geirrod had Thor called into the hall for contests. Large fires were burning down the length of the hall, and Thor approached until he stood opposite Geirrod. With his tongs, Geirrod grabbed a glowing piece of iron and threw it at Thor. Thor caught the red-hot piece in the iron gloves and, lifting it into the air, he threw it back at Geirrod, who ran behind an iron pillar to save himself. But the lump of glowing metal was thrown in such a way that it pierced the pillar and then Geirrod himself, before crashing through the wall and landing on the ground outside.’
5
The Dwarves Make Treasures for the Gods
‘Why is gold called Sif’s hair?’
‘As a prank, Loki, son of Laufey, cut off all Sif’s hair. When Thor learned of this, he grabbed hold of Loki and would have broken every bone in his body had Loki not sworn to find a way to get the dark elves to make hair from gold for Sif, which would grow like any other hair. Then Loki went to those dwarves called the sons of Ivaldi, and they made the hair, Skidbladnir, and Odin’s spear, called Gungnir.
‘Loki then wagered his head with the dwarf named Brokk that Eitri, Brokk’s brother, could not make three treasures equally as good. When they entered the smithy, Eitri placed a pigskin in the forge. He told Brokk to work the bellows and not let up until Eitri had removed from the forge what he had put into it. But as soon as Eitri left the smithy and the other began to pump the air, a fly landed on Brokk’s hand and bit him. Brokk continued, nevertheless, to work the bellows as before, and kept on until the smith pulled the work from the forge. It was a boar with bristles of gold.
‘Next Eitri put gold in the forge. He asked the other to work the bellows and not to stop p
umping until he returned. Then he left. The fly returned and settled on Brokk’s neck, and this time it bit twice as hard. Still Brokk continued to pump until the smith took from the forge a gold ring, the one called Draupnir.
‘Then the smith placed iron in the forge, telling the other to pump air with the bellows. He said that his work would be ruined if the bellows failed. This time the fly landed between Brokk’s eyes, biting his eyelids. Finally, with blood flowing into his eyes, he was unable to see. So, as quickly as he could, he took his hand from the bellows on the down stroke and swatted the fly away. At that moment the smith returned and said that everything in the forge had just barely escaped ruin. Then he took a hammer from the forge, and, entrusting all the treasures to his brother Brokk, he asked him to go to Asgard to settle the wager.
‘When Brokk and Loki arrived and displayed their treasures, the Æsir took their places on their thrones of fate. Odin, Thor and Frey were to be the judges, thus settling the matter. Loki gave to Odin the spear Gungnir; to Thor, the hair for Sif; and to Frey, Skidbladnir. He then described the characteristics of each of the treasures: the spear always pierced cleanly through, never stopping during the thrust; the hair would grow fast to the skin as soon as it came on to Sif’s head; and Skidbladnir would receive a fair wind whenever its sail was raised, no matter where it was going. It could also be folded up like a cloth and put into one’s pouch if so desired.
‘Brokk then brought out his treasures. He gave the ring to Odin, saying that every ninth night eight rings of equal weight would drip from it. To Frey he gave the boar, remarking that night or day it could race across the sky and over the sea better than any other mount. Furthermore, night would never be so murky nor the worlds of darkness so shadowy that the boar would not provide light wherever it went, so bright was the shining of its bristles. Then he gave the hammer to Thor, and said that with it Thor would be able to strike whatever came before him with as mighty a blow as he wished, because the hammer would never break. And if he decided to throw the hammer, it would never miss its mark, nor could it ever be thrown so far that it would not find its way back home to his hand. It was also so small that, if he wished, he could keep it inside his shirt. There was, however, one defect: the handle was rather short. It was their judgment that the hammer was the best of all the treasures, and that it provided the best protection against the frost giants. Therefore they decided that the dwarf had won the wager.
‘Loki then asked to be allowed to ransom his head, but the dwarf replied that there was no hope of that. “Catch me then,” said Loki. But when the dwarf tried to grab hold of him, Loki was already far away.
‘Loki had shoes that allowed him to race through the air and over the sea. The dwarf told Thor that he should catch Loki, and Thor did so. The dwarf wanted to cut off Loki’s head, but Loki said that the dwarf had a right to his head but not to the neck. The dwarf then took a narrow strip of leather and a knife. He intended to cut holes in Loki’s lips and to sew his mouth shut, but the knife would not cut. The dwarf said that it would be better if his brother Awl were there. No sooner had he mentioned it than the awl was there, and it punched holes through the lips.1 He then stitched the lips together before ripping away the outer edges. The thong sewing shut Loki’s mouth is called Vartari.’
6
Ægir’s Feast
‘Why is gold called the fire of Ægir?’
‘The story is that Ægir, as mentioned previously, came as a guest to Asgard, and when he was ready to return home he invited Odin and all the gods to visit him in three months. Odin, Njord, Frey, Tyr, Bragi, Vidar and Loki went on this journey, and with them were the goddesses Frigg, Freyja, Gefjun, Skadi, Idunn and Sif. Thor was not among them. He had gone to the east to kill trolls. When the gods had taken their seats, Ægir commanded that gleaming gold be brought in and placed on the floor of the hall. It lit up the hall, shining like fire, and was used for light at his feast in the manner that swords replaced fires for light in Valhalla. Then Loki exchanged insults with all the gods, and he killed Fimafeng, Ægir’s slave. Another of Ægir’s slaves was called Eldir. Ran was the name of Ægir’s wife and they had nine daughters. At this feast everything, the food, the ale and all the necessary tableware, served itself. Then the Æsir became aware that Ran had a net and with it she caught all men who came into the sea. This story explains why gold is called the fire or the light or the brightness of Ægir, Ran or Ægir’s daughters.’
7
Otter’s Ransom: The Rhinegold and Sigurd the Dragon Slayer
‘Why is gold called Otter’s ransom?’1
‘It is said that once when the Æsir, Odin, Loki and Hoenir, were travelling to find out about the wide world, they came to a river and walked along its bank until they arrived at a waterfall. Beside it was an otter who had caught a salmon in the falls and was dozing as he ate it. Loki picked up a stone and, throwing it at the otter, struck its head. Loki was pleased with his catch, having with one blow caught both an otter and a salmon.
‘The gods, taking both the salmon and the otter with them, continued on until they came to a house and went in. The farmer living there was named Hreidmar; he was a powerful man and very skilled in magic. The Æsir asked to stay there for the night. They said that they had with them enough food and showed the master of the house their catch. But when Hreidmar saw the otter he called his sons, Fafnir and Regin, to tell them that their brother Otter had been killed, and who was responsible.
‘The father and sons now attacked the Æsir, seizing and binding them. They told the Æsir about Otter, saying that he was Hreidmar’s son. The Æsir offered to ransom their lives with as much wealth as Hreidmar himself would demand, and these terms, bound by oaths, became the basis of their agreement. Then the otter was flayed. Hreidmar took the otter skin, shaped like a bag, and commanded them to fill the skin with red gold and also to cover the outside completely. This would be the terms of the reconciliation between them.
‘Odin then sent Loki into Svartalfaheim, and there he found the dwarf called Andvari. He was a fish in water, and Loki caught him, demanding as ransom all the gold that the dwarf had in his home of stone. Then they entered into the rock, and the dwarf brought forward all his gold. It was a huge treasure. But the dwarf hid in his hand a little gold ring. Loki saw him do this and told him to hand over the ring. The dwarf begged Loki not to take the ring. He confided that if the ring remained in his possession, he would be able to make more wealth for himself. Loki said that not one coin2 was to remain with Andvari and, taking the ring from the dwarf, he left. The dwarf called after him, saying that the ring would be the death of whoever possessed it. Loki replied that was fine with him. He said that this foretelling would hold, because he would bring these words of warning to the ears of those who would get the ring.
‘Loki then returned to Hreidmar’s and showed Odin the gold. When Odin saw the ring, he found it beautiful and removed it from the treasure, paying Hreidmar the rest of the gold. Then Hreidmar stuffed the otter skin with as much of the treasure as he could and set it upright when it was full. Odin then came forward and started to cover the skin with the gold, as he was required to do. He then told Hreidmar to come and see whether the skin was completely covered. Hreidmar looked carefully. When he saw that one whisker stuck out, he asked that it be covered; otherwise, their agreement would be broken. Odin then brought out the ring and with it he covered the whisker, saying that they were now free from the otter’s ransom.
‘When Odin had taken his spear and Loki his shoes, so that they no longer had anything to fear, Loki recounted Andvari’s words, saying that the ring and the gold would be the death of anyone who owned it. And so it happened ever afterwards.
‘Now it has been told why gold is called Otter’s ransom, the forced payment of the Æsir or the metal of strife.’
The Curse on the Gold Begins to Work
‘What more is there to tell about the gold?’
‘Hreidmar took the gold as compensation for his son, but Fafn
ir and Regin asked for part of it as payment for their brother. Hreidmar, however, would not grant them a single gold coin, and the tragic response of these brothers was that they killed their father for that gold. Then Regin asked Fafnir to divide the gold equally between them. Fafnir replied that there was little hope of his sharing the gold with his brother after he had killed his own father for it. He told Regin to leave, otherwise he would follow the same path as Hreidmar. Fafnir had by then taken Hreidmar’s helmet and placed it on his head.
It was called the Ægis-Helm [the Helm of Dread], and it brought fear to all living things when they saw it. Also he took the sword called Hrotti, whereas Regin had the sword called Refil. Regin now fled, and Fafnir went up on to Gnita-Heath. There he made for himself a lair, and, changing himself into the likeness of a serpent, he lay down on the gold.
Sigurd the Volsung
‘Regin then went to King Hjalprek in Thjod and became his smith. He took Sigurd, the son of Sigmund, who was the son of Volsung, as his foster son. Sigurd’s mother was Hjordis, the daughter of Eylimi. Sigurd was the finest of all warrior kings because of his family, his strength and his courage. Regin told him where Fafnir lay on the gold and urged him to seek the treasure.
‘Regin then forged the sword called Gram. It was so sharp that when Sigurd lowered it into running water it sliced through a tuft of wool carried by the current against the sword’s edge. Next Sigurd used the sword to cut Regin’s anvil in two, starting from its top down to the log on which it rested.
‘Sigurd and Regin next travelled together to Gnita-Heath. Sigurd dug a pit in the path used by Fafnir and lowered himself into it. As Fafnir crawled to the water he passed over the pit, and at that instant Sigurd thrust his sword through him. That was his death. Regin then came forward and said that Sigurd had killed his brother. As settlement between him and Sigurd, he asked Sigurd to take Fafnir’s heart and roast it on the fire. Regin then lay down, drank Fafnir’s blood and went to sleep.
The Prose Edda Page 12
