The Younger Edda Part 10

Svolne's[81] widow[82] burst asunder When the span of goats Drew the sublime chariot And its divine master To the meeting with Hrungner.

Balder's brother[83] did not tremble Before the greedy fiend of men; Mountains quaked and rocks broke; The heavens were wrapped in flames.

Much did the giant Get frightened, I learn, When his bane man he saw Ready to slay him.

Swiftly the gray s.h.i.+eld flew 'Neath the heels of the giant.

So the G.o.ds willed it, So willed it the valkyries.

Hrungner the giant, Eager for slaughter, Needed not long to wait for blows From the valiant friend of the hammer.

The slayer[84] of Bele's evil race Made fall the bear of the loud-roaring mountain;[85]

On his s.h.i.+eld Bite the dust Must the giant Before the sharp-edged hammer, When the giant-crusher Stood against the mighty Hrungner,

And the flint-stone (So hard to break) Of the friend of the troll-women Into the skull did whiz Of Jord's son,[86]

And this flinty piece Fast did stick In Eindride's[87] blood;

Until Orvandel's wife, Magic songs singing, From the head of Thor Removed the giant's Excellent flint-stone.

All do I know About that s.h.i.+eld-journey.

A s.h.i.+eld adorned With hues most splendid I received from Thorleif.

[Footnote 77: Thor's.]

[Footnote 78: Thor.]

[Footnote 79: Jord's (= earth's) son = Thor.]

[Footnote 80: Thor.]

[Footnote 81: Odin's.]

[Footnote 82: The earth.]

[Footnote 83: Thor.]

[Footnote 84: Thor.]

[Footnote 85: The giant Hrungner.]

[Footnote 86: Thor.]

[Footnote 87: Thor's.]

THOR'S JOURNEY TO GEIRROD'S.

Then said aeger: Much of a man, it seems to me, was that Hrungner. Has Thor accomplished any other great deeds in his intercourse with trolls (giants)? Then answered Brage: It is worth giving a full account of how Thor made a journey to Geirrodsgard. He had with him neither the hammer Mjolner, nor his belt of strength, Megingjard, nor his steel gloves; and that was Loke's fault,--he was with him. For it had happened to Loke, when he once flew out to amuse himself in Frigg's falcon-guise, that he, out of curiosity, flew into Geirrodsgard, where he saw a large hall. He sat down and looked in through the window, but Geirrod discovered him, and ordered the bird to be caught and brought to him. The servant had hard work to climb up the wall of the hall, so high was it. It amused Loke that it gave the servant so much trouble to get at him, and he thought it would be time enough to fly away when he had gotten over the worst. When the latter now caught at him, Loke spread his wings and spurned with his feet, but these were fast, and so Loke was caught and brought to the giant. When the latter saw his eyes he suspected that it was a man. He put questions to him and bade him answer, but Loke refused to speak. Then Geirrod locked him down in a chest, and starved him for three months; and when Geirrod finally took him up again, and asked him to speak, Loke confessed who he was, and to save his life he swore an oath to Geirrod that he would get Thor to come to Geirrodsgard without his hammer or his belt of strength.

On his way Thor visited the giantess whose name is Grid. She was the mother of Vidar the Silent. She told Thor the truth concerning Geirrod, that he was a dog-wise and dangerous giant; and she lent him her own belt of strength and steel gloves, and her staff, which is called Gridarvol. Then went Thor to the river which is called Vimer, and which is the largest of all rivers. He buckled on the belt of strength and stemmed the wild torrent with Gridarvol, but Loke held himself fast in Megingjard. When Thor had come into the middle of the stream, the river waxed so greatly that the waves dashed over his shoulders. Then quoth Thor:

Wax not Vimer, Since I intend to wade To the gards of giants.

Know, if you wax, Then waxes my asa-might As high, as the heavens.

Then Thor looked up and saw in a cleft Gjalp, the daughter of Geirrod, standing on both sides of the stream, and causing its growth. Then took he up out of the river a huge stone and threw at her, saying: At its source the stream must be stemmed.[88] He was not wont to miss his mark.

At the same time he reached the river bank and got hold of a shrub, and so he got out of the river. Hence comes the adage that _a shrub saved Thor_.[89] When Thor came to Geirrod, he and his companion were shown to the guest-room, where lodgings were given them, but there was but one seat, and on that Thor sat down. Then he became aware that the seat was raised under him toward the roof. He put the Gridarvol against the rafters, and pressed himself down against the seat. Then was heard a great crash, which was followed by a loud screaming. Under the seat were Geirrod's daughters, Gjalp and Greip, and he had broken the backs of both of them. Then quoth Thor:

Once I employed My asa-might In the gards of the giants.

When Gjalp and Greip, Geirrod's daughters, Wanted to lift me to heaven.

[Footnote 88: Icelandic proverb.]

[Footnote 89: Icelandic proverb.]

Then Geirrod had Thor invited into the hall to the games. Large fires burned along the whole length of the hall. When Thor came into the hall, and stood opposite Geirrod, the latter seized with a pair of tongs a red-hot iron wedge and threw it at Thor. But he caught it with his steel gloves, and lifted it up in the air. Geirrod sprang behind an iron post to guard himself. But Thor threw the wedge with so great force that it struck through the post, through Geirrod, through the wall, and then went out and into the ground. From this saga, Eilif, son of Gudrun, made the following song, called Thor's Drapa:

The Midgard-serpent's father exhorted Thor, the victor of giants, To set out from home.

A great liar was Loke.

Not quite confident, The companion of the war-G.o.d Declared green paths to lie To the gard of Geirrod.

Thor did not long let Loke Invite him to the arduous journey.

They were eager to crush Thorn's descendants.

When he, who is wont to swing Megingjard, Once set out from Odin's home To visit Ymer's children in Gandvik,

The giantess Gjalp, Perjured Geirrod's daughter, Sooner got ready magic to use Than the G.o.d of war and Loke.

A song I recite.

Those G.o.ds noxious to the giants Planted their feet In Endil's land,

And the men wont to battle Went forth.

The message of death Came of the moon-devourer's women, When the cunning and wrathful Conqueror of Loke Challenged to a contest The giantess.

And the troll-woman's disgracer Waded across the roaring stream,-- Rolling full of drenched snow over its banks.

He who puts giants to flight Rapidly advanced O'er the broad watery way, Where the noisy stream's Venom belched forth.

Thor and his companions Put before him the staff; Thereon he rested Whilst over they waded: Nor sleep did the stones,-- The sonorous staff striking the rapid wave Made the river-bed ring,-- The mountain-torrent rang with stones.

The wearer of Megingjard Saw the flood fall On his hard-waxed shoulders: He could do no better.

The destroyer of troll-children Let his neck-strength Wax heaven high, Till the mighty stream should diminish.

But the warriors, The oath-bound protectors of Asgard,-- The experienced vikings,-- Waded fast and the stream sped on.

Thou G.o.d of the bow!

The billows Blown by the mountain-storm Powerfully rushed Over Thor's shoulders.

Thjalfe and his companion, With their heads above water, Got over the river,-- To Thor's belt they clung.

Their strength was tested,-- Geirrod's daughters made hard the stream For the iron rod.

Angry fared Thor with the Gridarvol.

Nor did courage fail Those foes of the giant In the seething vortex.

Those sworn companions Regarded a brave heart Better than gold.

Neither Thor's nor Thjalfe's heart From fear did tremble.

And the war companions-- Weapons despising-- 'Mong the giants made havoc, Until, O woman!

The giant destroyers The conflict of helmets With the warlike race Did commence.