Norse mythology; or, The religion of our forefathers, containing all the myths of the Eddas, systematized and interpretedAnderson, Rasmus Björn
Religion
Norse mythology; or, The religion of our forefathers, containing all the myths of the Eddas, systematized and interpreted
Anderson, Rasmus Björn
Mythology, Norse; Northmen -- Religion; Old Norse literature; Tales, Medieval
It is worth relating how Thor made a journey to Geirrodsgard without his
hammer Mjolner, or belt Megingjarder, or his iron gloves; and that was
Loke’s fault. For when Loke once, in Frigg’s falcon-guise, flew out to
amuse himself, curiosity led him to Geirrodsgard, where he saw a large
hall. He sat down and looked in through an opening in the wall, but
Geirrod observed him and ordered one of his servants to seize the bird
and bring it to him. But the wall was so high that it was difficult to
climb up, and it amused Loke that it gave the servant so much trouble,
and he thought was time enough to fly away when the servant had got over
the worst. As the latter now caught at him, he spread his wings and made
efforts (stritted) with his feet, but the feet were fast, so that he was
seized and brought to the giant. When the latter saw his eyes he
mistrusted that it was no bird; and when Loke was silent and refused to
answer the questions put to him, Geirrod locked him down in a chest and
let him hunger for three months. Thus Loke finally had to confess who he
was, and to save his life he had to make an oath to Geirrod that he
should get Thor to Geirrodsgard without his hammer or his belt of
strength.
On the way Thor visited the hag Grid, mother of Vidar the Silent. She
informed him, in regard to Geirrod, that he was a dogwise and dangerous
giant, and she lent him her belt of strength, her iron gloves and her
staff, which is called Gridarvold. Thor then went to the river Vimer,
which is exceedingly large; then he buckled the belt around him and
stemmed the wild torrent with his staff, but Loke and Thjalfe held
themselves fast in the belt. When he had come into the middle of the
river it grew so much that the waves washed over his shoulders. Then
quoth Thor:
Wax not, Vimer,
Since to wade I desire
To the realms of giants!
Know, if thou waxest
Then waxes my asamight
As high as the heavens!
Up in a cleft he saw Geirrod’s daughter, Gjalp, who stood on both sides
of the stream and caused its growth; then took he a large stone and
threw after her. At its source the stream must be stemmed, and he always
hit what he aimed at. At the same time he reached the land and got hold
of a shrub, and so he escaped out of the river; hence comes the adage
that a shrub saved Thor. When Thor with his companions had now come to
Geirrod, lodgings were given them in a house, but there was only one
chair in it, and on this Thor sat down. Then he noticed that the chair
was raised under him toward the roof. He then put Grid’s staff against
the beams and pressed himself down against the chair; then a noise was
heard, upon which followed a great screaming, for Geirrod’s daughters,
Gjalp and Greip, had been sitting under the chair and he had broken the
backs of both or them. Then quoth Thor:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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