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Living with the Gods. Living for the Gods. Living through the Gods.

The Poetic Edda Online
In the translation of Bellows 
 

Lays of the Gods
Thrymskvitha

The Lay of Thrym 

1. Wild was Vingthor   when he awoke,
And when his mighty   hammer he missed;
He shook his beard,   his hair was bristling,
As the son of Jorth   about him sought.

2. Hear now the speech   that first he spake:
"Harken, Loki,   and heed my words,
Nowhere on earth   is it known to man,
Nor in heaven above:   our hammer is stolen."

3. To the dwelling fair   of Freyja went they,
Hear now the speech   that first he spake:
"Wilt thou, Freyja,   thy feather-dress lend me,
That so my hammer   I may seek?"

Freyja spake:
4. "Thine should it be   though of silver bright,
And I would give it   though 'twere of gold."
Then Loki flew,   and the feather-dress whirred,
Till he left behind him   the home of the gods,
And reached at last   the realm of the giants.

5. Thrym sat on a mound,   the giants' master,
Leashes of gold   he laid for his dogs,
And stroked and smoothed   the manes of his steeds.

Thrym spake:
6. "How fare the gods,   how fare the elves?
Why comst thou alone   to the giants' land?"

Loki spake:
"III fare the gods,   ill fare the elves!
Hast thou hidden   Hlorrithi's hammer?"

Thrym spake:
7. "I have hidden   Hlorrithi's hammer,
Eight miles down   deep in the earth;
And back again   shall no man bring it
If Freyja I win not   to be my wife."

8. Then Loki flew,   and the feather-dress whirred,
Till he left behind him   the home of the giants,
And reached at last   the realm of the gods.
There in the courtyard   Thor he met:
Hear now the speech   that first he spake:

9. "Hast thou found tidings   as well as trouble?
Thy news in the air   shalt thou utter now;
Oft doth the sitter   his story forget,
And lies he speaks   who lays himself down."

Loki spake:
I0. "Trouble I have,   and tidings as well:
Thrym, king of the giants,   keeps thy hammer,
And back again   shall no man bring it
If Freyja he wins not   to be his wife."

11. Freyja the fair   then went they to find
Hear now the speech   that first he spake:
"Bind on, Freyja,   the bridal veil,
For we two must haste   to the giants' home."

12. Wrathful was Freyja,   and fiercely she snorted,
And the dwelling great   of the gods was shaken,
And burst was the mighty   Brisings' necklace:
"Most lustful indeed   should I look to all
If I journeyed with thee   to the giants' home."

13. Then were the gods   together met,
And the goddesses came   and council held,
And the far-famed ones   a plan would find,
How they might Hlorrithi's   hammer win.

14. Then Heimdall spake,   whitest of the gods,
Like the Wanes he knew   the future well:
"Bind we on Thor   the bridal veil,
Let him bear the mighty   Brisings' necklace;

15. "Keys around him   let there rattle,
And down to his knees   hang woman's dress;
With gems full broad   upon his breast,
And a pretty cap   to crown his head."

16. Then Thor the mighty   his answer made:
"Me would the gods   unmanly call
If I let bind   the bridal veil."

17. Then Loki spake,   the son of Laufey:
"Be silent, Thor,   and speak not thus;
Else will the giants   in Asgarth dwell
If thy hammer is brought not   home to thee."

8. Then bound they on Thor   the bridal veil,
And next the mighty   Brisings' necklace.

19. Keys around him   let they rattle,
And down to his knees   hung woman's dress;
With gems full broad   upon his breast,
And a pretty cap   to crown his head.

20. Then Loki spake,   the son of Laufey:
"As thy maid-servant thither   I go with thee;
We two shall haste   to the giants' home."

21. Then home the goats   to the hall were driven,
They wrenched at the halters,   swift were they to run;
The mountains burst,   earth burned with fire,
And Othin's son   sought Jotunheim.

22. Then loud spake Thrym,   the giants' leader:
"Bestir ye, giants,   put straw on the benches;
Now Freyja they bring   to be my bride,
The daughter of Njorth   out of Noatun.

23. "Gold-horned cattle   go to my stables,
Jet-black oxen,   the giant's joy;
Many my gems,   and many my jewels,
Freyja alone   did I lack, methinks."

24. Early it was   to evening come,
And forth was borne   the beer for the giants;
Thor alone ate an ox,   and eight salmon,
All the dainties as well   that were set for the women;
And drank Sif's mate   three tuns of mead.

25. Then loud spake Thrym,   the giants' leader:
"Who ever saw bride   more keenly bite?
I ne'er saw bride   with a broader bite,
Nor a maiden who drank   more mead than this!"

26. Hard by there sat   the serving-maid wise,
So well she answered   the giant's words:
"From food has Freyja   eight nights fasted,
So hot was her longing   for Jotunheim."

[24. Grundtvig thinks this is all that is left of two stanzas describing Thor's supper. Some editors reject line 4. in line 3 the manuscript has "he," the reference being, of course, to Thor, on whose appetite cf. Hymiskvitha, 15. Sif: Thor's wife; cf. Lokasenna, note to introductory prose and stanza 53.]

{p. 181}

27. Thrym looked 'neath the veil,   for he longed to kiss,
But back he leaped   the length of the hall:
"Why are so fearful   the eyes of Freyja?
Fire, methinks,   from her eyes burns forth."

28. Hard by there sat   the serving-maid wise,
So well she answered   the giant's words:
"No sleep has Freyja   for eight nights found,
So hot was her longing   for Jotunheim."

29. Soon came the giant's   luckless sister,
Who feared not to ask   the bridal fee:
"From thy hands the rings   of red gold take,
If thou wouldst win   my willing love,
(My willing love   and welcome glad.)"

30: Then loud spake Thrym,   the giants' leader:
"Bring in the hammer   to hallow the bride;
On the maiden's knees   let Mjollnir lie,
That us both the band   of Vor may bless."

31. The heart in the breast   of Hlorrithi laughed
When the hard-souled one   his hammer beheld;
First Thrym, the king   of the giants, he killed,
Then all the folk   of the giants he felled.

32. The giant's sister   old he slew,
She who had begged   the bridal fee;
A stroke she got   in the shilling's stead,
And for many rings   the might of the hammer.

33. And so his hammer   got Othin's son.

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