The Children of Odin: The Book of Northern MythsColum, Padraic
General
The Children of Odin: The Book of Northern Myths
Colum, Padraic
Mythology, Norse -- Juvenile literature
But still in Asgard there was one who wept for Loki--Siguna, his wife.
Although he had left her and had shown his hatred for her, Siguna wept
for her evil husband.
He left Muspelheim as he had left Jötunheim and he came to live in the
World of Men. He knew that he had now come into a place where the wrath
of the Gods might find him, and so he made plans to be ever ready for
escape. He had come to the River where, ages before, he had slain the
otter that was the son of the Enchanter, and on the very rock where the
otter had eaten the salmon on the day of his killing, Loki built his
house. He made four doors to it so that he might see in every direction.
And the power that he kept for himself was the power of transforming
himself into a salmon.
Often as a salmon he swam in the River. But even for the fishes that
swam beside him Loki had hatred. Out of flax and yarn he wove a net that
men might have the means of taking them out of the water.
The wrath that the Gods had against Loki did not pass away. It was he
who, as Thaukt, the Hag, had given Hela the power to keep Baldur
unransomed. It was he who had put into Hödur's hand the sprig of
Mistletoe that had bereft Baldur of life. Empty was Asgard now that
Baldur lived no more in the Peace Stead, and stern and gloomy grew the
minds of the Æsir and the Vanir with thinking on the direful things that
were arrayed against them. Odin in his hall of Valhalla thought only of
the ways by which he could bring heroes to him to be his help in
defending Asgard.
The Gods searched through the world and they found at last the place
where Loki had made his dwelling. He was weaving the net to take fishes
when he saw them coming from four directions. He threw the net into the
fire so that it was burnt, and he sprang into the River and transformed
himself into a salmon. When the Gods entered his dwelling they found
only the burnt-out fire.
But there was one amongst them who could understand all that he saw. In
the ashes were the marks of the burnt net and he knew that these were
the tracing of something to catch fishes. And from the marks left in the
ashes he made a net that was the same as the one Loki had burnt.
With it in their hands the Gods went down the River, dragging the net
through the water. Loki was affrighted to find the thing of his own
weaving brought against him. He lay between two stones at the bottom of
the River, and the net passed over him.
But the Gods knew that the net had touched something at the bottom. They
fastened weights to it and they dragged the net through the River again.
Loki knew that he might not escape it this time and he rose in the water
and swam toward the sea. The Gods caught sight of him as he leaped over
a waterfall. They followed him, dragging the net. Thor waded behind,
ready to seize him should he turn back.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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