Myths of the Norsemen Part 33

Valhalla (J.C. Jones).

The unknown architect agreed to these seemingly impossible conditions, and immediately set to work, hauling ponderous blocks of stone by night, building during the day, and progressing so rapidly that the G.o.ds began to feel somewhat anxious. Ere long they noticed that more than half the labour was accomplished by the wonderful steed Svadilfare, and when they saw, near the end of winter, that the work was finished save only one portal, which they knew the architect could easily erect during the night:

"Horror and fear the G.o.ds beset; Finished almost the castle stood!

In three days more The work be o'er; Then must they make their contract good, And pay the awful debt."

Valhalla (J. C. Jones).

Terrified lest they should be called upon to part, not only with the sun and moon, but also with Freya, the personification of the youth and beauty of the world, the G.o.ds turned upon Loki, and threatened to kill him unless he devised some means of hindering the architect from finis.h.i.+ng the work within the specified time.

Loki's cunning proved once more equal to the situation. He waited until nightfall of the final day, when, as Svadilfare pa.s.sed the fringe of a forest, painfully dragging one of the great blocks of stone required for the termination of the work, he rushed out from a dark glade in the guise of a mare, and neighed so invitingly that, in a trice, the horse kicked himself free of his harness and ran after the mare, closely pursued by his angry master. The mare galloped swiftly on, artfully luring horse and master deeper and deeper into the forest shades, until the night was nearly gone, and it was no longer possible to finish the work. The architect was none other than a redoubtable Hrim-thurs, in disguise, and he now returned to Asgard in a towering rage at the fraud which had been practised upon him. a.s.suming his wonted proportions, he would have annihilated the G.o.ds had not Thor suddenly returned from a journey and slain him with his magic hammer Miolnir, which he hurled with terrific force full in his face.

The G.o.ds had saved themselves on this occasion only by fraud and by the violent deed of Thor, and these were destined to bring great sorrow upon them, and eventually to secure their downfall, and to hasten the coming of Ragnarok. Loki, however, felt no remorse for his part, and in due time, it is said, he became the parent of an eight-footed steed called Sleipnir, which, as we have seen, was Odin's favourite mount.

"But Sleipnir he begat With Svadilfari."

Lay of Hyndla (Thorpe's tr.).

Loki performed so many evil deeds during his career that he richly deserved the t.i.tle of "arch deceiver" which was given him. He was generally hated for his subtle malicious ways, and for an inveterate habit of prevarication which won for him also the t.i.tle of "prince of lies."

Loki's last Crime

Loki's last crime, and the one which filled his measure of iniquity, was to induce Hodur to throw the fatal mistletoe at Balder, whom he hated merely on account of his immaculate purity. Perhaps even this crime might have been condoned had it not been for his obduracy when, in the disguise of the old woman Thok, he was called upon to shed a tear for Balder. His action on this occasion convinced the G.o.ds that nothing but evil remained within him, and they p.r.o.nounced unanimously upon him the sentence of perpetual banishment from Asgard.

aegir's Banquet

To divert the G.o.ds' sadness and make them, for a short time, forget the treachery of Loki and the loss of Balder, aegir, G.o.d of the sea, invited them to partake of a banquet in his coral caves at the bottom of the sea.

"Now, to a.s.suage the high G.o.ds' grief And bring their mourning some relief, From coral caves 'Neath ocean waves, Mighty King aegir Invited the aesir To festival In Hlesey's hall; That, tho' for Baldur every guest Was grieving yet, He might forget Awhile his woe in friendly feast."

Valhalla (J. C. Jones).

The G.o.ds gladly accepted the invitation, and clad in their richest garb, and with festive smiles, they appeared in the coral caves at the appointed time. None were absent save the radiant Balder, for whom many a regretful sigh was heaved, and the evil Loki, whom none could regret. In the course of the feast, however, this last-named G.o.d appeared in their midst like a dark shadow, and when bidden to depart, he gave vent to his evil pa.s.sions in a torrent of invective against the G.o.ds.

"Of the aesir and the Alfar That are here within Not one has a friendly word for thee."

aegir's Compotation, or Loki's Altercation (Thorpe's tr.).

Then, jealous of the praises which Funfeng, aegir's servant, had won for the dexterity with which he waited upon his master's guests, Loki suddenly turned upon him and slew him. At this wanton crime, the G.o.ds in fierce wrath drove Loki away once more, threatening him with dire punishment should he ever appear before them again.

Scarcely had the aesir recovered from this disagreeable interruption to their feast, and resumed their places at the board, when Loki came creeping in once more, resuming his slanders with venomous tongue, and taunting the G.o.ds with their weaknesses or shortcomings, dwelling maliciously upon their physical imperfections, and deriding them for their mistakes. In vain the G.o.ds tried to stem his abuse; his voice rose louder and louder, and he was just giving utterance to some base slander about Sif, when he was suddenly cut short by the sight of Thor's hammer, angrily brandished by an arm whose power he knew full well, and he fled incontinently.

"Silence, thou impure being!

My mighty hammer, Miollnir, Shall stop thy prating.

I will thy head From thy neck strike; Then will thy life be ended."

aegir's Compotation, or Loki's Altercation (Thorpe's tr.).

The Pursuit of Loki

Knowing that he could now have no hope of being admitted into Asgard again, and that sooner or later the G.o.ds, seeing the effect of his evil deeds, would regret having permitted him to roam the world, and would try either to bind or slay him, Loki withdrew to the mountains, where he built himself a hut, with four doors which he always left wide open to permit of a hasty escape. Carefully laying his plans, he decided that if the G.o.ds should come in search of him he would rush down to the neighbouring cataract, according to tradition the Fraananger force or stream, and, changing himself into a salmon, would thus evade his pursuers. He reasoned, however, that although he could easily avoid any hook, it might be difficult for him to effect his escape if the G.o.ds should fas.h.i.+on a net like that of the sea-G.o.ddess Ran.

Haunted by this fear, he decided to test the possibility of making such a mesh, and started to make one out of twine. He was still engaged upon the task when Odin, Kvasir, and Thor suddenly appeared in the distance; and knowing that they had discovered his retreat, Loki threw his half-finished net into the fire, and, rus.h.i.+ng through one of his ever-open doors, he leaped into the waterfall, where, in the shape of a salmon, he hid among some stones in the bed of the stream.

The G.o.ds, finding the hut empty, were about to depart, when Kvasir perceived the remains of the burnt net on the hearth. After some thought an inspiration came to him, and he advised the G.o.ds to weave a similar implement and use it in searching for their foe in the neighbouring stream, since it would be like Loki to choose such a method of baffling their pursuit. This advice seemed good and was immediately followed, and, the net finished, the G.o.ds proceeded to drag the stream. Loki eluded the net at its first cast by hiding at the bottom of the river between two stones; and when the G.o.ds weighted the mesh and tried a second time, he effected his escape by jumping up stream. A third attempt to secure him proved successful, however, for, as he once more tried to get away by a sudden leap, Thor caught him in mid-air and held him so fast, that he could not escape. The salmon, whose slipperiness is proverbial in the North, is noted for its remarkably slim tail, and Nors.e.m.e.n attribute this to Thor's tight grasp upon his foe.

Loki's Punishment

Loki now sullenly resumed his wonted shape, and his captors dragged him down into a cavern, where they made him fast, using as bonds the entrails of his son Narve, who had been torn to pieces by Vali, his brother, whom the G.o.ds had changed into a wolf for the purpose. One of these fetters was pa.s.sed under Loki's shoulders, and one under his loins, thereby securing him firmly hand and foot; but the G.o.ds, not feeling quite satisfied that the strips, tough and enduring though they were, would not give way, changed them into adamant or iron.

"Thee, on a rock's point, With the entrails of thy ice-cold son, The G.o.ds will bind."

Saemund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.).

Skadi, the giantess, a personification of the cold mountain stream, who had joyfully watched the fettering of her foe (subterranean fire), now fastened a serpent directly over his head, so that its venom would fall, drop by drop, upon his upturned face. But Sigyn, Loki's faithful wife, hurried with a cup to his side, and until the day of Ragnarok she remained by him, catching the drops as they fell, and never leaving her post except when her vessel was full, and she was obliged to empty it. Only during her short absences could the drops of venom fall upon Loki's face, and then they caused such intense pain that he writhed with anguish, his efforts to get free shaking the earth and producing the earthquakes which so frighten mortals.

"Ere they left him in his anguish, O'er his treacherous brow, ungrateful, Skadi hung a serpent hateful, Venom drops for aye distilling, Every nerve with torment filling; Thus shall he in horror languish.

By him, still unwearied kneeling, Sigyn at his tortured side,-- Faithful wife! with beaker stealing Drops of venom as they fall,-- Agonising poison all!

Sleepless, changeless, ever dealing Comfort, will she still abide; Only when the cup's o'erflowing Must fresh pain and smarting cause, Swift, to void the beaker going, Shall she in her watching pause.

Then doth Loki Loudly cry; Shrieks of terror, Groans of horror, Breaking forth in thunder peals With his writhings scared Earth reels.

Trembling and quaking, E'en high Heav'n shaking!

So wears he out his awful doom, Until dread Ragnarok be come."

Valhalla (J. C. Jones).

In this painful position Loki was destined to remain until the twilight of the G.o.ds, when his bonds would be loosed, and he would take part in the fatal conflict on the battlefield of Vigrid, falling at last by the hand of Heimdall, who would be slain at the same time.