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diff --git a/29551-8.txt b/29551-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c99404f --- /dev/null +++ b/29551-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,7259 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Told by the Northmen:, by +E. M. [Ethel Mary] Wilmot-Buxton + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Told by the Northmen: + Stories from the Eddas and Sagas + +Author: E. M. [Ethel Mary] Wilmot-Buxton + +Release Date: July 30, 2009 [EBook #29551] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TOLD BY THE NORTHMEN: *** + + + + +Produced by Sankar Viswanathan, Suzanne Shell, and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + TOLD BY THE NORTHMEN: + + Stories from the Eddas and Sagas + + + + E. M. WILMOT-BUXTON + + + + + George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd., London + + 1908 + + * * * * * + + + + + Contents + + + Hakon's Lay ix + + CHAPTER + + I. How All Things Began 1 + + II. How All-Father Odin Became Wise 6 + + III. How the Queen of the Sky Gave Gifts to Men 14 + + IV. How a Giant Built a Fortress for the Asas 17 + + V. The Magic Mead 22 + + VI. How Loki Made a Wager with the Dwarfs 29 + + VII. The Apples of Youth 34 + + VIII. How the Fenris Wolf was Chained 41 + + IX. How the Pride of Thor was Brought Low 46 + + X. How Thor's Hammer was Lost and Found 56 + + XI. The Giant's Daughters 64 + + XII. The Story of Balder the Beautiful 69 + + XIII. How Hermod Made a Journey to the Underworld 78 + + XIV. How Loki was Punished at Last 83 + + XV. The Story of the Magic Sword 87 + + XVI. How Sigmund Fought His Last Battle 96 + + XVII. The Story of the Magic Gold 101 + + XVIII. How Sigurd Slew the Dragon 107 + + XIX. How Sigurd Won the Hand of Brunhild 114 + + XX. How the Curse of the Gold is Fulfilled 116 + + XXI. The Boyhood of Frithiof the Bold 123 + + XXII. Frithiof and Ingeborg 127 + + XXIII. Frithiof Braves the Storm 131 + + XXIV. Balder Forgives 134 + + XXV. How the End of All Things Came About 140 + + Pronouncing Index of Proper Names 145 + + * * * * * + + + + +Hakon's Lay + +_By James Russell Lowell_ + + + "O Skald, sing now an olden song, + Such as our fathers heard who led great lives; + And, as the bravest on a shield is borne + Along the waving host that shouts him king, + So rode their thrones upon the thronging seas!" + + Then the old man arose: white-haired he stood, + White-bearded, and with eyes that looked afar + From their still region of perpetual snow, + Over the little smokes and stirs of men: + His head was bowed with gathered flakes of years, + As winter bends the sea-foreboding pine, + But something triumphed in his brow and eye, + Which whoso saw it, could not see and crouch: + Loud rang the emptied beakers as he mused, + Brooding his eyried thoughts; then, as an eagle + Circles smooth-winged above the wind-vexed woods, + So wheeled his soul into the air of song + High o'er the stormy hall; and thus he sang: + + "The fletcher for his arrow-shaft picks out + Wood closest-grained, long-seasoned, straight as light; + And, from a quiver full of such as these, + The wary bow-man, matched against his peers, + Long doubting, singles yet once more the best. + Who is it that can make such shafts as Fate? + What archer of his arrows is so choice, + Or hits the white so surely? They are men, + The chosen of her quiver; nor for her + Will every reed suffice, or cross-grained stick + At random from life's vulgar fagot plucked: + Such answer household ends; but she will have + Souls straight and clear, of toughest fibre, sound + Down to the heart of heat; from these she strips + All needless stuff, all sapwood; hardens them, + From circumstance untoward feathers plucks + Crumpled and cheap, and barbs with iron will: + The hour that passes is her quiver-boy; + When she draws bow, 'tis not across the wind, + Nor 'gainst the sun, her haste-snatched arrow sings, + For sun and wind have plighted faith to her: + Ere men have heard the sinew twang, behold, + In the butt's heart her trembling messenger! + + "The song is old and simple that I sing: + Good were the days of yore, when men were tried + By ring of shields, as now by ring of gold; + But, while the gods are left, and hearts of men, + And the free ocean, still the days are good; + Through the broad Earth roams Opportunity + And knocks at every door of hut or hall, + Until she finds the brave soul that she wants." + + He ceased, and instantly the frothy tide + Of interrupted wassail roared along. + + + + +TOLD BY THE NORTHMEN: + +CHAPTER I + +How All Things Began + +_This is the tale which the Northmen tell +concerning the Beginning of Things._ + + +Once upon a time, before ever this world was made, there was neither +earth nor sea, nor air, nor light, but only a great yawning gulf, full +of twilight, where these things should be. + +To the north of this gulf lay the Home of Mist, a dark and dreary +land, out of which flowed a river of water from a spring that never +ran dry. As the water in its onward course met the bitter blasts of +wind from the yawning gulf, it hardened into great blocks of ice, +which rolled far down into the abyss with a thunderous roar and piled +themselves one on another until they formed mountains of glistening +ice. + +South of this gulf lay the Home of Fire, a land of burning heat, +guarded by a giant with a flaming sword which, as he flashed it to and +fro before the entrance, sent forth showers of sparks. And these +sparks fell upon the ice-blocks and partly melted them, so that they +sent up clouds of steam; and these again were frozen into hoar-frost, +which filled all the space that was left in the midst of the mountains +of ice. + +Then one day, when the gulf was full to the very top, this great mass +of frosty rime, warmed by the flames from the Home of Fire and frozen +by the cold airs from the Home of Mist, came to life and became the +Giant Ymir, with a living, moving body and cruel heart of ice. + +Now there was as yet no tree, nor grass, nor anything that would serve +for food, in this gloomy abyss. But when the Giant Ymir began to grope +around for something to satisfy his hunger, he heard a sound as of +some animal chewing the cud; and there among the ice-hills he saw a +gigantic cow, from whose udder flowed four great streams of milk, and +with this his craving was easily stilled. + +But the cow was hungry also, and began to lick the salt off the blocks +of ice by which she was surrounded. And presently, as she went on +licking with her strong, rough tongue, a head of hair pushed itself +through the melting ice. Still the cow went on licking, until she had +at last melted all the icy covering and there stood fully revealed the +frame of a mighty man. + +Ymir looked with eyes of hatred at this being, born of snow and ice, +for somehow he knew that his heart was warm and kind, and that he and +his sons would always be the enemies of the evil race of the Frost +Giants. + +So, indeed, it came to pass. For from the sons of Ymir came a race of +giants whose pleasure was to work evil on the earth; and from the Sons +of the Iceman sprang the race of the gods, chief of whom was Odin, +Father of All Things that ever were made; and Odin and his brothers +began at once to war against the wicked Frost Giants, and most of all +against the cold-hearted Ymir, whom in the end they slew. + +Now when, after a hard fight, the Giant Ymir was slain, such a river +of blood flowed forth from his wounds that it drowned all the rest of +the Frost Giants save one, who escaped in a boat, with only his wife +on board, and sailed away to the edge of the world. And from him +sprang all the new race of Frost Giants, who at every opportunity +issued from their land of twilight and desolation to harm the gods in +their abode of bliss. + +Now when the giants had been thus driven out, All-Father Odin set to +work with his brothers to make the earth, the sea, and the sky; and +these they fashioned out of the great body of the Giant Ymir. + +Out of his flesh they formed Midgard, the earth, which lay in the +centre of the gulf; and all round it they planted his eyebrows to make +a high fence which should defend it from the race of giants. + +With his bones they made the lofty hills, with his teeth the cliffs, +and his thick curly hair took root and became trees, bushes, and the +green grass. + +With his blood they made the ocean, and his great skull, poised aloft, +became the arching sky. Just below this they scattered his brains, and +made of them the heavy grey clouds that lie between earth and heaven. + +The sky itself was held in place by four strong dwarfs, who support it +on their broad shoulders as they stand east and west and south and +north. + +The next thing was to give light to the new-made world. So the gods +caught sparks from the Home of Fire and set them in the sky for stars; +and they took the living flame and made of it the sun and moon, which +they placed in chariots of gold, and harnessed to them beautiful +horses, with flowing manes of gold and silver. Before the horses of +the sun, they placed a mighty shield to protect them from its hot +rays; but the swift moon steeds needed no such protection from its +gentle heat. + +And now all was ready save that there was no one to drive the horses +of the sun and moon. This task was given to Mani and Sol, the +beautiful son and daughter of a giant; and these fair charioteers +drive their fleet steeds along the paths marked out by the gods, and +not only give light to the earth but mark out months and days for the +sons of men. + +Then All-Father Odin called forth Night, the gloomy daughter of the +cold-hearted giant folk, and set her to drive the dark chariot drawn +by the black horse, Frosty-Mane, from whose long wavy hair the drops +of dew and hoar-frost fall upon the earth below. After her drove her +radiant son, Day, with his white steed Shining-Mane, from whom the +bright beams of daylight shine forth to gladden the hearts of men. + +But the wicked giants were very angry when they saw all these good +things; and they set in the sky two hungry wolves, that the fierce, +grey creatures might for ever pursue the sun and moon, and devour +them, and so bring all things to an end. Sometimes, indeed, or so say +the men of the North, the grey wolves almost succeed in swallowing sun +or moon; and then the earth children make such an uproar that the +fierce beasts drop their prey in fear. And the sun and moon flee more +rapidly than before, still pursued by the hungry monsters. + +One day, so runs the tale, as Mani, the Man in the Moon, was hastening +on his course, he gazed upon the earth and saw two beautiful little +children, a boy and a girl, carrying between them a pail of water. +They looked very tired and sleepy, and indeed they were, for a cruel +giant made them fetch and carry water all night long, when they should +have been in bed. So Mani put out a long, long arm and snatched up +the children and set them in the moon, pail and all; and there you can +see them on any moonlit night for yourself. + +But that happened a long time after the beginning of things; for as +yet there was no man or woman or child upon the earth. + +And now that this pleasant Midgard was made, the gods determined to +satisfy their desire for an abode where they might rest and enjoy +themselves in their hours of ease. + +They chose a suitable place far above the earth, on the other side of +the great river which flowed from the Home of Mist where the giants +dwelt, and here they made for their abode Asgard, wherein they dwelt +in peace and happiness, and from whence they could look down upon the +sons of men. + +From Asgard to Midgard they built a beautiful bridge of many colours, +to which men gave the name of Rainbow Bridge, and up and down which +the gods could pass on their journeys to and from the earth. + +Here in Asgard stood the mighty forge where the gods fashioned their +weapons wherewith they fought the giants, and the tools wherewith they +built their palaces of gold and silver. + +Meantime, no human creature lived upon the earth, and the giants dared +not cross its borders for fear of the gods. But one of them, clad in +eagles' plumes, always sat at the north side of Midgard, and, whenever +he raised his arms and let them fall again, an icy blast rushed forth +from the Mist Home and nipped all the pleasant things of earth with +its cruel breath. In due time the earth was no longer without life, +for the ground brought forth thousands of tiny creatures, which +crawled about and showed signs of great intelligence. And when the +gods examined these little people closely, they found that they were +of two kinds. + +Some were ugly, misshapen, and cunning-faced, with great heads, small +bodies, long arms and feet. These they called Trolls or Dwarfs or +Gnomes, and sent them to live underground, threatening to turn them +into stone should they appear in the daytime. And this is why the +trolls spend all their time in the hidden parts of the earth, digging +for gold and silver and precious stones, and hiding their spoil away +in secret holes and corners. Sometimes they blow their tiny fires and +set to work to make all kinds of wonderful things from this buried +treasure; and that is what they are doing when, if one listens very +hard on the mountains and hills of the Northland, a sound of +tap-tap-tapping is heard far underneath the ground. + +The other small earth creatures were very fair and light and slender, +kindly of heart, and full of goodwill. These the gods called Fairies +or Elves, and gave to them a charming place called Elfland in which to +dwell. Elfland lies between Asgard and Midgard, and since all fairies +have wings they can easily flit down to the earth to play with the +butterflies, teach the young birds to sing, water the flowers, or +dance in the moonlight round a fairy ring. + +Last of all, the gods made a man and woman to dwell in fair Midgard; +and this is the manner of their creation. + +All-Father Odin was walking with his brothers in Midgard where, by the +seashore, they found growing two trees, an ash and an elm. Odin took +these trees and breathed on them, whereupon a wonderful transformation +took place. Where the trees had stood, there were a living man and +woman, but they were stupid, pale, and speechless, until Hoenir, the +god of Light, touched their fore-heads and gave them sense and wisdom; +and Loki, the Fire-god, smoothed their faces, giving them bright +colour and warm blood, and the power to speak and see and hear. It +only remained that they should be named, and they were called Ask and +Embla, the names of the trees from which they had been formed. From +these two people sprang all the race of men which lives upon this +earth. + +And now All-Father Odin completed his work by planting the Tree of +Life. + +This immense tree had its roots in Asgard and Midgard and the Mist +Land; and it grew to such a marvellous height that the highest bough, +the Bough of Peace, hung over the Hall of Odin on the heights of +Asgard; and the other branches overshadowed both Midgard and the Mist +Land. On the top of the Peace Bough was perched a mighty eagle, and +ever a falcon sat between his eyes, and kept watch on all that +happened in the world below, that he might tell to Odin what he saw. + +Heidrun, the goat of Odin, who supplied the heavenly mead, browsed on +the leaves of this wonderful tree, and from them fed also the four +mighty stags from whose horns honey-dew dropped on to the earth +beneath and supplied water for all the rivers of Midgard. + +The leaves of the Tree of Life were ever green and fair, despite the +dragon which, aided by countless serpents, gnawed perpetually at its +roots, in order that they might kill the Tree of Life and thus bring +about the destruction of the gods. + +Up and down the branches of the tree scampered the squirrel, Ratatosk, +a malicious little creature, whose one amusement it was to make +mischief by repeating to the eagle the rude remarks of the dragon, and +to the dragon those of the eagle, in the hope that one day he might +see them in actual conflict. + +Near the roots of the Tree of life is a sacred well of sweet water +from which the three Weird Sisters, who know all that shall come to +pass, sprinkle the tree and keep it fresh and green. And the water, as +it trickles down from the leaves, falls as drops of honey on the +earth, and the bees take it for their food. + +Close to this sacred well is the Council Hall of the gods, to which +every morning they rode, over the Rainbow Bridge, to hold converse +together. + +And this is the end of the tale of How All Things began. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +How All-Father Odin Became Wise + +_These are the tales which the Northmen tell +concerning the wisdom of All-Father Odin._ + + +On the highest hill of Asgard, upon a great chair, sat All-Father +Odin, watching from thence all that was happening on and above and +under the earth. + +The Father of Asas and of men had long grey locks and thick curling +beard, and he wore a great blue coat flecked with grey like unto the +sky when the fleecy clouds scud across it. + +In his hand he carried a spear, so sacred that, if anyone swore an +oath upon its point, that oath could never be broken. + +On his head he wore, when sitting upon his watch-tower throne, a +helmet shaped like an eagle; but when he wandered, as he loved to do, +about the earth, he wore a large broad-brimmed hat drawn low over his +forehead. + +Perched on his broad shoulders sat two inky-black ravens, Hugin and +Munin, whom every morning he sent to wing their flight about the world +that they might see what was going on. + +Every evening when they returned, they whispered all that they had +seen and heard in his ears. + +At Odin's feet crouched two great wolves, whom he fed from the meat +set before him; for he himself cared not to eat flesh-food, and +preferred rather to drink the sacred mead provided by the goat who fed +upon the leaves of the Tree of Life. + +Sometimes Odin left his watch-tower throne for the great Council Hall +where the twelve Asas sat and took counsel together; but his favourite +seat of all was in his own palace of Valhalla, or the Hall of the +Chosen Slain. This palace stood in the midst of a wonderful grove of +trees, whose leaves were all of red gold, rustling and shimmering in +the breeze. Five and forty doors opened into it, each wide enough to +allow eight hundred warriors to enter abreast, and over the chief +entrance was a boar's head and a great eagle, whose keen gaze looked +forth over all the world. The walls of the palace were built of spears +of polished steel, so bright that they lighted the whole building; and +the roof was made of golden shields. + + "And wondrous gleamed Valhalla on the heights,-- + Her walls shone bright as rows of glittering spears; + The roof resplendent like great golden shields; + Hundreds of open gates and welcoming doors + For myriad warriors from the fields of earth,-- + The chosen heroes of the future years, + To be great Odin's mighty bodyguard + Against the awful prophecies of doom." + +From end to end of the great hall stood long tables and benches loaded +with armour, ready prepared for the fortunate guests. And this was the +manner of their selection. Whenever a great battle was about to be +fought on the earth, Odin sent forth the nine Valkyrs, or Battle +Maidens, his especial attendants, to watch the progress of the fight +and to choose from the fallen warriors half of their number. These the +Battle Maidens carried on their swift steeds over the Rainbow Bridge +into the great hall of Valhalla, where they were welcomed by the sons +of Odin and taken to the All-Father's throne to receive his +greeting. But if one had shown himself especially heroic in the fight, +Odin would descend from his throne and advance to the door to bid him +welcome. + +And now, seated at the long tables, loaded with great beakers of mead +and dishes of boar flesh, the warriors feasted merrily, tended by the +fair Battle Maidens. + + "The blazing roof resounds + The genial uproar of those shades who fall + In desperate fight, or by some brave attempt." + +When they had eaten all they could, the warriors would call for their +weapons, ride out into the great courtyard, and there wage desperate +fights, in the course of which many a man would be sorely wounded. But +this mattered little, for at the sound of the dinner horn all wounds +were healed. + + "And all day long they there are hacked and hewn + 'Mid dust, and groans, and limbs lopped off, and blood + But all at night return to Odin's hall + Woundless and fresh; such lot is theirs in heaven." + +These warriors were Odin's special joy and delight, and he was never +weary of watching them at feast or in the combat. Sometimes, indeed, +when some battle on earth was impending, he would appear, riding upon +his eight-footed grey horse, and with white shield on arm would fling +his glittering spear into the ranks of the warriors as signal for the +fight to begin, and would rush into the fray with his war-cry, "Odin +has you all!" + +Now, though all this shows very clearly that All-Father Odin was a +warlike Asa and delighted in battles, there was another side to his +character, for beyond all the other Asas he cared for wisdom. + +Very early in the morn of time All-Father Odin discovered that beneath +the roots of the Tree of Life, just where sky and ocean met, there was +a marvellous spring of water, "the fountain of all wit and wisdom." +Looking into its crystal depths, all that was going to happen in the +future was revealed, and anyone drinking of it received the gifts of +wisdom, knowledge, and right judgment about all things. Now this +spring was guarded by the Giant Mimir, who prided himself upon being +wiser than any other giants or Asas could be, for he alone had the +right to draw water from the well; and every morning, dipping his +glittering horn therein, he drank a long draught, and with every +draught he grew wiser, till he knew everything that was past and +present and is to come. + +When Odin became aware of the marvellous properties of the spring, he +was eager to drink of it, "for," said he, "it is not fitting that a +giant should know more than the Father of Asas and men." + +So early one morn he entered a dark grove of trees, where, amidst +great arching roots fantastically intertwined, bubbled the spring; and +keeping watch beside it sat Giant Mimir, his long grey beard sweeping +over his knees, and his great piercing eyes shining with fierce light +as the new-comer approached. + +"What do you want here?" he demanded, in a voice that sounded like the +muttering of thunder before a storm. + +"I want a drink of yon water from your glittering horn, good Mimir," +said Odin. + +But Giant Mimir sunk his great head upon his chest, and looking from +under his shaggy eyebrows, growled again: + +"Begone, I tell you. I give no man drink from my well." + +Then Odin drew himself up to his full height, and in a voice that was +more thunderous than that of the giant himself, cried: + +"No man am I, O Mimir, but Odin, Father of Asas and men. Refuse not to +me the gift of wisdom; for though I can see all things that happen in +heaven and earth, I cannot see what lies beneath the deep, nor can I +see what shall happen in the future. Give me, therefore, the draught +of wisdom, and I will pay you whatsoever you demand." + +But Mimir still refused. "We giants are of elder race than ye Asas +be," he said, "and all the wisdom in the world is in our hands. If I +give you to drink of this water you will become wise even as we are, +and an enemy more dangerous than ever." + +"Nevertheless," replied Odin firmly, "you must give me the water, and +I will pay you whatsoever you may ask." + +Then Mimir, feeling sure that such a payment would be refused, said, +"I will give you the magic draught in return for one of your eyes." + +But to his amazement, for the god was very proud of his keen vision, +Odin at once plucked forth an eye and handed it to him, saying: + +"No price is too high to pay for wisdom." + +So Mimir was obliged to hand him the horn filled with precious water, +and Odin drank a full draught, caring not at all that henceforth he +was to have but one eye, for he knew that he had gained the precious +gift of wisdom beyond any in the world save Mimir himself. + +Meantime, Mimir dropped the eye of the Asa into the well, where it +shines bright as the moon reflected in still waters; and he bade Odin +depart, saying heavily, "This day is the beginning of trouble betwixt +your race and mine." + +Determined to put his new-found wisdom to the test, All-Father Odin +now disguised himself as a wandering minstrel and went to visit the +Most Learned of all the Giants save Mimir, who, of course, knew +everything in the whole world. And the Most Learned Giant received him +graciously, and consented readily to enter into a contest of wit, and +it was agreed that the loser should forfeit his head. + +The Most Learned Giant was the first to begin. He questioned Odin as +to the size and colour of the horses which bore the chariots of Night +and Day across the sky; he asked him the source of the river which +separated the Land of the Giants from Asgard, and finally he demanded +details about the last battle that was to be fought between Asas and +giants in far-distant days. + +All these questions were fully and promptly answered by Odin, and it +was now his turn. He questioned his rival first as to the Beginning of +All Things; then he asked what the heroes did in Valhalla, what was +the work of the Weird Sisters, and who would carry on the work of the +gods when they had passed away. + +And all these were fully answered by the Most Learned Giant. + +Then Odin bent down to the Giant's ear as he sat on his great seat, +and said softly: + +"Tell me, lastly, I pray you, what are the words that the All-Father +will whisper to his son Balder as he lies dead upon his funeral pyre?" + +At this the Most Learned Giant uprose, and looking hard into the sad +and troubled face of his questioner, said: + +"No one but Odin himself can answer that question, and no one but +Odin would have asked it. For only he who has drunk of the water of +wisdom would foresee the death in the far-off future of his dearest +son. Kill me now, therefore, for thou hast triumphed." + +Here the tale comes to an end; but we should like to think that Odin +spared the life of the Most Learned Giant, and perhaps he would have +done so the more readily because his heart was softened by the +knowledge, born of his new-found wisdom, that Balder, his beautiful +son, must die. + +Another story is told in which Odin's great wisdom seemed for a time +at fault. + +We have noticed how fond was the All-Father of watching the affairs of +mortal men. He was especially interested, at one time, in two handsome +little princes, the sons of a certain king, who were usually to be +found playing or wrestling or riding together on the seashore which +bounded their father's kingdom. + +Geirrod and Agnar were the names of these boys, and All-Father Odin +and his wife Frigga grew so fond of them both that, disguising +themselves as an old man and woman, they went to live upon a desert +island which lay far out at sea, opposite the beach where the children +played. Presently it came to pass, exactly as they hoped, that the +boys went fishing, and Odin made a storm to arise, and the rough wind +blew the little boat away from the land, and finally stranded it upon +the island. + +The boys, frightened, wet, and hungry, came timidly to the door of the +hut where the old people dwelt and asked for shelter. They were +received kindly by Odin and Frigga, who kept the boys all the long +winter, making much of them and delighting in their childish fun and +merriment. Geirrod was Odin's favourite. He taught him to fight, to +swim, and to use the bow and spear. But Frigga loved best the gentle +little Agnar, the elder boy, who would sit by her side and rest his +head upon her knee, well contented, while she told him strange tales +of beautiful Asgard, the home of the gods. + +Spring came at length, and, when the sea was calm and still, Odin put +the two boys aboard a boat and bade them sail back to their father. +And Agnar grieved at leaving his kind old friends, but Geirrod did not +even so much as look back to respond to their farewell. + +The favourable breezes which Odin had called up soon urged the boat to +land; but the moment it touched the shore Geirrod sprang out, and, +pushing it back into the sea with all his might, bade his brother sail +away to the Land of Giants and never return. + +Odin, feeling sure that all was well with the boys, had resigned his +care for their safety and had returned to Asgard, and thus the giants +were able to play him a trick, which they did by causing the wind to +veer round, whereby Agnar was carried away to the edge of the world. + +Meantime, the hard-hearted Geirrod ran cheerfully into his father's +palace, and announced that he had come back alone from a desert island +upon which his boat had been stranded, his elder brother having been +drowned in the sea. + +His father was overjoyed to see him, for he had given up hope of +setting eyes on either of his sons again. He made him his heir, and in +due time, when some years had passed away, he died, and Geirrod became +king in his stead. + +Now All-Father Odin had so many things to attend to that, as we have +seen, he thought no more of his boy friends for many years. + +Then at length, when Geirrod had sat for some time on his fathers +throne, Odin looked from his high seat in Asgard upon him, and seeing +with pleasure how great a man he had become, his thoughts turned to +Agnar. For a time he could see nothing of him, but at last he +discerned that he had returned in disguise to his brother's palace and +was living there, unknown to Geirrod, as a servant. + +Then Odin turned to Frigga, who sat by his side on the high seat, and +said tauntingly, "Did I not always say that Geirrod was by far the +better and braver and stronger of those two boys? Behold, although he +is the younger, he sits upon his father's throne, while Agnar brews +ale for his table." + +To this Frigga quietly replied: "It is better to be a poor servant +than a hard-hearted king. For see how rich is Geirrod; yet he turns +away the guest from the door, and ill-treats those who ask a kindness +at his hands." + +"I will never believe it," said Odin, who could be very obstinate when +he liked; "and to prove you are wrong I will disguise myself again as +a wanderer, and ask for food and shelter from the king." + +So he took his blue-grey cloak and broad-brimmed hat, and, with a +pilgrim's staff in his hand, set off adown the Rainbow Bridge. +Meantime, Frigga, determined to show that she was right, and to +prevent Geirrod from receiving Odin with favour by mere chance, sent a +swift and secret messenger, warning the king to beware of a man in a +blue-grey mantle and wide-brimmed hat, for that he, a pretended +wanderer, was an enchanter who would put the king under a spell. + +Scarcely had the messenger fulfilled his mission when Odin knocked at +the great door of the palace and begged for food and shelter. He had +not the slightest doubt that these would be granted him, for +inhospitality to strangers was one of the greatest crimes a Northman +could commit. + +Judge then of his surprise when, instead of being offered a seat at +the supper-table and a bed for the night, he was seized by the beard, +and dragged roughly into the presence of Geirrod. + +"Where do you come from, and what is your name, O miserable old man?" +asked the angry king. + +"My name is Grimnir," answered Odin, now well on his guard, "but where +I come from I will not say, since that is my concern alone." + +Then the king's wrath knew no bounds, and finding it impossible to +make the old man speak, he ordered that he should be chained to a +pillar between two fires, whose flames scorched him on either side +without actually burning him. + +For eight days and nights was Odin imprisoned thus, and during all +that time the cruel Geirrod would give him neither food nor drink, and +kept close watch to see that he obtained them from no one else. + +But one night, when the watchmen were drowsy from the heat of the +fire, a serving-man came stealthily over the floor, a horn of ale in +his hand. Holding this to the parched lips of the prisoner, he gave +him a long, cool drink; and then did Odin recognize the features of +Agnar, brother of the king, who should have been king in his stead. + +The next evening, as Geirrod sat at the head of the table gloating +over the sufferings of his prisoner, Odin suddenly began to sing. +Softly the notes began, but soon they grew louder and louder, till the +great hall echoed and re-echoed the song of triumph. And at length he +sang how Geirrod, who had so long enjoyed the favour of the gods, was +now about to meet the just reward of his misdeeds: + + "Thy life is now run out: + Wroth with thee are the gods: + Odin thou now shalt see: + Draw near me if thou canst." + +With these words the chain fell from off his hands, the flames shot up +to the roof and died away, and Odin stood in the midst of the hall, no +longer a poor and suffering wayfarer, but revealed in all the might +and majesty of a god. + +Directly he had understood the meaning of the song, Geirrod had risen +to his feet with drawn sword, meaning to kill his prisoner, but so +startled was he at the sudden change in his appearance that he +stumbled back, and, losing his footing, he fell upon the sharp point +of his own sword and miserably perished. + +When his words had been thus fulfilled, Odin turned to Agnar, who, +with the other servants, had rushed into the hall, and bade him take +his rightful place upon his father's throne, and in return for his +kind act in bringing the draught of ale he promised him prosperity and +happiness so long as he should live. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +How the Queen of the Sky Gave Gifts to Men + +_This is the tale which the Northmen tell +of Frigga, Queen of the Asas._ + + +By the side of All-Father Odin, upon his high seat in Asgard, sat +Frigga, his wife, the Queen of the Asas. Sometimes she would be +dressed in snow-white garments, bound at the waist by a golden girdle, +from which hung a great bunch of golden keys. And the earth-dwellers, +gazing into the sky, would admire the great white clouds as they +floated across the blue, not perceiving that these clouds were really +the folds of Frigga's flowing white robe, as it waved in the wind. + +At other times she would wear dark grey or purple garments; and then +the earth-dwellers made haste into their houses, for they said, "the +sky is lowering to-day, and a storm is nigh at hand." + +Frigga had a palace of her own called Fensalir, or the Hall of Mists, +where she spent much of her time at her wheel, spinning golden thread, +or weaving web after web of many-coloured clouds. All night long she +sat at this golden wheel, and if you look at the sky on a starry night +you may chance to see it set up where the men of the South show a +constellation called the Girdle of Orion. + +Husbands and wives who had dwelt lovingly together upon earth were +invited by Frigga to her hall when they died, so that they might be +for ever united within its hospitable walls. + + "There in the glen Fensalir stands, the house + Of Frigga, honoured mother of the gods, + And shows its lighted windows, and the open doors." + +Frigga was especially interested in all good housewives, and she +herself set them an excellent example in Fensalir. When the snowflakes +fell, the earth-dwellers knew it was Frigga shaking her great feather +bed, and when it rained they said it was her washing day. It was she +who first gave to them the gift of flax that the women upon earth +might spin, and weave, and bleach their linen as white as the clouds +of her own white robe. + +And this is how it came about. + +There once was a shepherd who lived among the mountains with his wife +and children; and so very poor was he that he often found it hard to +give his family enough to satisfy their hunger. But he did not +grumble; he only worked the harder; and his wife, though she had +scarcely any furniture, and never a chance of a new dress, kept the +house so clean, and the old clothes so well mended, that, all unknown +to herself, she rose high in the favour of the all-seeing Frigga. + +Now one day, when the shepherd had driven his few poor sheep up the +mountain to pasture, a fine reindeer sprang from the rocks above him +and began to leap upward along the steep slope. The shepherd snatched +up his crossbow and pursued the animal, thinking to himself: "Now we +shall have a better meal than we have had for many a long day." + +Up and up leaped the reindeer, always just out of reach and at length +disappeared behind a great boulder just as the shepherd, breathless +and weary, reached the spot. No sign of the reindeer was to be seen, +but, on looking round, the shepherd saw that he was among the snowy +heights of the mountains, and almost at the top of a great glacier. + +Presently, as he pursued his vain search for the animal, he saw to his +amazement an open door, leading apparently into the heart of the +glacier. He was a fearless man, and so, without hesitation, he passed +boldly through the doorway and found himself standing in a marvellous +cavern, lit up by blazing torches which gleamed upon rich jewels +hanging from the roof and walls. And in the midst stood a woman, most +fair to behold, clad in snow-white robes and surrounded by a group of +lovely maidens. + +The shepherd's boldness gave way at this awesome sight, and he sank to +his knees before the Asa, Frigga, for she it was. But Frigga bade him +be of good cheer, and said: "Choose now whatsoever you will to carry +away with you as a remembrance of this place." + +The shepherd's eyes wandered over the glittering jewels on the walls +and roof, but they came back to a little bunch of blue flowers which +Frigga held in her hand. They alone looked homelike to him; the rest +were hard and cold; so he asked timidly that he might be given the +little nosegay. + +Then Frigga smiled kindly upon him. + +"Most wise has been your choice," said she. "Take with the flowers +this measure of seed and sow it in your field, and you shall grow +flowers of your own. They shall bring prosperity to you and yours." + +So the shepherd took the flowers and the seed, and scarcely had he +done so when a mighty peal of thunder, followed by the shock of an +earthquake, rent the cavern, and when he had collected his senses he +found himself once more upon the mountain side. + +When he reached home and had told his tale, his wife scolded him +roundly for not bringing home a jewel which would have made them rich +for ever. But when she would have thrown the flowers away he prevented +her. Next day he sowed the seed in his field, and was surprised to +find how far it went. + +Very soon after this the field was thick with tiny green shoots; and +though his wife reproached him for wasting good ground upon useless +flowers, he watched and waited in hope until the field was blue with +the starry flax blooms. + +Then one night, when the flowers had withered and the seed was ripe, +Frigga, in the disguise of an old woman, visited the lowly hut and +showed the shepherd and his astonished wife how to use the flax +stalks; how to spin them into thread, and how to weave the thread into +linen. + +It was not long before all the dwellers in that part of the earth had +heard of the wonderful material, and were hurrying to the shepherd's +hut to buy the bleached linen or the seed from which it was obtained. +And so the shepherd and his family were soon among the richest people +in the land; and the promise of Frigga was amply fulfilled. + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +How a Giant Built a Fortress for the Asas + +_This is the tale the Northmen tell of how +a giant once built a fortress for the Asas._ + + +Although their city of Asgard was beautiful beyond compare, the Asas +who lived therein could not forget that the race of the giants kept +unwearying watch to do them despite. Even All-Father Odin was troubled +when he remembered Mimir's warning that the draught of wisdom would +ever work strife between the races of Asas and giants. And so at +length the Asas, meeting in their Council Chamber at the roots of the +Tree of Life, resolved that something more should be done to guard +themselves. Already, it is true, the watchman Heimdall kept ward over +the Rainbow Bridge by night and day, blowing a soft note on his horn +to announce the coming or going of the Asas, but prepared to give a +terrible blast should any of the Frost Giants attempt to cross the +bridge. + +Heimdall, however, might be overpowered before aid could reach him, +and so it was decided to build, just within Asgard, a great fortress, +which should be so strong that the Asas could rest safely behind its +walls, even if the Frost Giants should invade their city. + +The next question was, Who should build this fortress? + +None of the Asas knew of a likely architect, and while they were +discussing where one should be found, the horn of Heimdall rang out in +token of the approach of a stranger. + +Out rushed the Asas, and there, in parley with Heimdall, stood a +gigantic figure with powerful limbs, on which the muscles stood out +like ropes of iron. + +Heimdall was speaking sharply, for he did not altogether like the +stranger's look. "For what purpose do you come?" he was inquiring. + +"I am a Master Builder," replied the stranger. "I can build towers and +forts more strongly than any other builder in all the world. Have you +anything of the kind that wants doing here?" + +The eyes of the Asas met as they heard these words, and Odin, stepping +forward, said, "Can you build us a fortress so strong that not all the +strength of the Frost Giants could avail against it?" + +"Ay, that can I," replied the stranger. "Look at my strong arms and +see the breadth of my chest. If you will set me to work you shall soon +find my worth as a Master Builder." + +"How long will the fortress take to build?" asked Odin. + +"I will build it for you in three half years," replied the stranger. + +"And what do you ask as wages?" said Odin, and the Master Builder +answered promptly: + +"You must give me the sun, the moon, and Freya for my wife." + +At these words the Asas, who had been pressing forward to hear the +conference, fell back with muttered disapproval. For Freya was the +most beautiful maiden in Asgard, the joy and pride of the city, ever +young and ever fair; and the sun and moon were the light and life of +men in the world below. So they bade the Master Builder come again +next day, and meantime retired to their Council Hall to consider the +matter. + +All-Father Odin was for sending the Builder promptly about his +business when he returned for their decision, but his brother Loki +counselled a different course. + +Red Loki was a mischievous, sly fellow, full of wiles and deceit, and +always quick to suggest a way out of a difficulty. On this occasion +his plan was to allow the man to build the fortress, and to promise +him the terms demanded, but subject to the condition that he fulfilled +his task in a way that would be impossible for him fully to carry out. + +His eloquence persuaded the Asas, and next day, when the Builder +returned for their decision, Loki, as their spokesman, called to the +mighty fellow as he crossed the bridge: + +"Good man, we cannot wait for three half years for the completion of +our fortress. But if you will undertake to do the work in the course +of one winter, without any assistance, you shall have Freya, and the +sun and moon to boot. If, however, on the first day of summer, one +stone is missing from its place, the fortress will be ours without any +payment whatever, since you will have broken your plighted word." + +At this the Master Builder did not look well pleased. He pulled his +great beard and eyed the speaker doubtfully, muttering that the time +was too short for so great a task; but when Loki pretended to turn +away, as though the matter were ended, he called after him: + +"Well, have it so--the fortress shall be built in the time you set. +But you must at least let me have the help of my good horse Svadilfare +to carry stone." + +When they heard this request the Asas demurred, saying: "He means to +play us some trick." + +But Loki persuaded them to make this trifling concession. + +"For," said he, "of what use can a horse be in building a fortress? He +will never be able to finish the place in time, and we shall get our +fort for nothing. At least you can let him have his great clumsy horse +for any use that he may be." + +So the Asas agreed, and went their different ways, leaving the Master +Builder to his work. + +The winter months passed on, and while the Asas busied themselves with +their various occupations and amusements, the Master Builder was +toiling with might and main. But he could have done little in the time +if he had not had the help of his wonderful horse Svadilfare, who not +only dragged huge blocks of stone to the spot, but raised them into +position with his strong forefeet. And this was done with such speed +that, some days before the end of winter, the fortress was finished, +with the exception of three blocks of stone which were to form one of +the gateways. + +Then the Asas suddenly realised what was about to happen. In less than +three days more the fortress would be finished; it needed, in fact, +but one night's work to make all complete. They remembered with horror +the price they had undertaken to pay; the loss not only of Freya, +fairest of maidens, but also of sun and moon, whose light was the joy +of their life and the necessity of mankind. + +"It is Red Loki," said they, "who has brought us to this sad pass." So +they began to reproach him very bitterly, threatening even to kill him +if he did not find some way to evade the loss which threatened them. + +At length, being really frightened, Loki promised to do +something--anything, that would prevent the Master Builder from +finishing the work during the three days that yet remained of winter. + +That same night good Svadilfare was painfully dragging a great block +of stone along the path to the new-built fortress, when Red Loki, +changed into the semblance of a pretty little grey mare, came running +up, saying, as plainly as horses can speak: + +"Down below there is a delightful green meadow. Do come with me, and +take a holiday from this ever-lasting work." + +Scarcely had he heard her neigh when the steed kicked off his harness, +left the block of stone to roll down the steep hill, and rushed after +the mare. Away ran Loki, away ran Svadilfare, and after them rushed +the Master Builder, shouting and yelling in vain. The noise they made +was terrific, for the gallop of the horses and the _thud_, _thud_, of +the mighty Builder shook the walls of Asgard and made the +earth-dwellers shrink in terror from what they imagined to be +thunderstorms and earthquakes. But the Builder never found his horse, +for Loki had lured him to a meadow hidden safely away within a secret +grove. + +When the Master Builder returned to the fortress the first day of +summer had dawned, and lo! the winter was gone, and the gateway of the +building was unfinished. + +Before it stood the Asas, and All-Father Odin greeted the Builder +with: + +"See, fellow, here is the first day of summer and your task is not yet +fulfilled. Begone, then, from Asgard, for we are free from our bond, +and would have no further dealing with thee or thy evil brood." + +Then the Builder perceived that Odin knew who he really was, and with +a roar of rage he returned to his own form, and stood revealed as a +mighty Frost Giant, almost as huge as the fortress he had built. + +Shaking his great fist at the Asas, he shouted threateningly: + +"Ye have tricked and fooled me enough. Not for nothing does a Frost +Giant stand within the walls of Asgard. Were it not so strongly built +I would now tear down this fortress that I have raised; but your own +palaces are not giant-built, and see to it that they are not soon +tumbling about your ears!" + +And in good sooth he might have torn down the very halls of the Asas +in his rage, had not Thor at that moment dashed up the Rainbow Bridge +in his chariot drawn by goats. For all this while Thor, the strongest +of the Asas, had been away on a long journey; and had this not been +so, the giants would have had little cause to fear. + +Springing from his chariot as the furious giant was about to pull the +roof off Valhalla, Thor gave him so mighty a blow on the head with his +huge hammer that his skull broke into little bits and his body fell +down into the Land of Mists. + +"Take that for your wages," roared Thor, as he swung his hammer on +high, "and in this same manner will I repay all of the race of Frost +Giants who seek to set foot in Asgard." + +And so in this way was built for the Asas a fortress so strong that +none of the giant folk could dare to raise hand against it. But always +it lacked three stones in the gateway, for no one except a Frost Giant +could lift such mighty blocks into place. + + + + +CHAPTER V + +The Magic Mead + +_This is the tale the Northmen tell of how All-Father Odin +brought the Magic Mead to Asgard._ + + +There once lived among the earth-dwellers a certain man named Kvasir, +who was very wise. He did not keep his wisdom to himself, as Mimir +did, but went his way through all the world, answering questions and +sharing his gift with those who cared for it. And wherever he went men +were the better for his silver words, for Kvasir was a poet, the first +who ever lived, and by his gift of poetry he made glad the hearts of +gods and men. + +Now when the dwarf people saw how Kvasir was loved and honoured, they +grew jealous of him, and plotted to work him evil. So two of their +number, called Fialar and Galar, met Kvasir one day and begged him to +visit their cave under the earth and to take counsel with them +concerning a very secret and important matter. + +Glad, as was his wont, to help others, Kvasir agreed, whereupon the +dwarfs conducted him into a dark and dismal place underground; and +there, taking him unawares, they treacherously slew him, and poured +his blood into three jars. This they mixed with honey, and thus made a +Magic Mead, of such a nature that whoever drinks of it receives the +gift of poesy, and his speech is silver and his heart is filled with +wisdom. + +It was not long before the gods in Asgard, missing the sweet sound of +Kvasir's voice throughout the earth, began to make inquiries as to +what had become of him. + +The wicked dwarfs had spread the report that the wise man had choked +by reason of his great wisdom. But All-Father Odin knew well that this +absurd tale was not true, and was on the watch to see what mischief +Fialar and Galar had been brewing. + +Meantime, the dwarfs did not taste a drop of the Magic Mead, but hid +it away in a secret place, while they went off in search of further +adventures. + +After awhile they found the Giant Gilling fast asleep by the seashore, +and they began to pinch him till he was wide awake. + +"Take us for a row on the sea, Gilling," they shouted, in their +impudent little voices. + +So the Giant Gilling, who was good-natured and stupid, got into a +boat, and being very lazy, allowed the dwarfs to take the oars and row +where they would. + +Then Fialar and Galar rowed on to an unseen rock and upset the boat, +so that the giant, who could not swim, was drowned; but they +themselves perched astride on the keel, and the boat soon drifted +ashore. + +Hurrying to the giant's house they told his wife, with a fine pretence +of sympathy, that her husband had fallen into the sea and was drowned. +At this the poor giantess began to sob and groan until the walls shook +with the noise. Then Fialar said to his brother: + +"Tired am I of this bawling. I will now take her out, and as she +passes through the doorway, drop a millstone on her head; and then +there will be an end to them both." + +Forthwith he asked if it would not comfort her to look upon the sea +where her dear husband lay drowned; and she said it would. But as she +passed through the doorway wicked Galar, who had scrambled up above +the lintel, dropped a millstone on her head, and so she too fell an +easy victim to the malice of the cruel brothers. + +Now while the two dwarfs were jumping and skipping about in their +wicked glee at the success of their evil plans, the Giant Suttung, son +of Gilling, came home, and finding that his mother and father were +both dead, he quickly guessed who were at the bottom of the mischief, +and determined to put an end to the wretches. + +Before they could evade his wrath, he grasped one of the dwarfs in +each of his great hands, and, wading out into the ocean, he set them +down upon a rock which he knew would be flooded at high tide, and +there left them. + +Then Fialar and Galar began to scream with terror, and to offer +anything that Suttung chose to ask for, if only he would spare their +lives. + +Now Suttung had heard, as most people had done, of the Magic Mead, and +he thought that this was a fine opportunity of getting it into his +possession. So he bargained with the dwarfs, and they gladly promised +to give him the whole brew if only he would save them from their +perilous plight. + +Suttung waited till they had had a good fright, and then, as the first +wave washed over them, he waded to the rock and lifted them off. He +took good care, however, not to give them their liberty until they had +handed over the three jars of Magic Mead. + +The moment he had got the precious jars into his possession Suttung +hid them in a cave deep down in the centre of a mountain, and he set +his daughter, Gunlod, the Giant-Maiden, to keep watch and ward, +charging her to guard the cavern night and day, and to allow neither +gods nor men to have so much as a sip of the marvellous liquid. + +Meantime, All-Father Odin had sent forth his ravens, Hugin and Munin, +to find out what had become of the wise Kvasir. For a while even they +were puzzled by his complete disappearance, but presently they heard +men talk of the Magic Mead that had been made from his blood, and so, +little by little, they learned the truth, and flying back to Odin, +they perched on his shoulders, and whispered it into his ears. + +Now All-Father Odin was sorry for Kvasir, but he was still more vexed +to think that this wonderful gift of poetry should be in the hands of +his enemies, the giants. He began, therefore, to consider how he could +get it from them, for though he had drained the draught of wisdom in +speech and song, and nothing save a draught of the Magic Mead would +bring him that gift. + +So once more All-Father Odin disguised himself as an aged wanderer, +pulled his grey hat well over his brows, threw his storm-hued cloak +around him, and journeyed to the Land of Giants. + +Searching about for the home of Suttung, Odin presently passed by a +field where nine ugly serving-men were mowing hay. Now these were the +servants of Baugi, the brother of Suttung, as Odin very well knew; so, +after watching them for awhile, he called out: + +"Hi, fellows! Your scythes are blunt. Would you like me to whet them +for you?" + +Glad of an excuse to stop work, the men shouted, "Yes." + +Then Odin took a whetstone from his belt and whetted the scythes till +they were sharp as razors. + +The servants were much struck with the speed and skill with which this +was done, and they all called out together to ask if the whetstone was +for sale. + +Odin replied that he was willing to sell it if he could get a fair +price; upon which they all yelled at once that they would pay whatever +he asked. + +"Then let him have it who catches it," said Odin, and with that he +threw the whetstone up in the air. + +And then a tremendous struggle began. Each man fought with his +neighbour for the stone and hacked at him with his keen scythe; and +within a very few minutes all the nine serving-men lay dead on the +field. + +With a grim smile at the greed and quarrelsome behaviour which had +brought them to this end, Odin passed on to the house of the Giant +Baugi, and begged for supper and shelter for the night. The giant +received him hospitably enough, and was about to sit down to table +with him, when word was brought that his nine servants had killed each +other and lay dead in the field. + +Then Baugi began to complain and lament his bad luck, saying: "Here +have I never had a better harvest, and yet there is not a man left to +gather it in." + +"Suppose you give _me_ a trial," suggested Odin, "for though I look +old I can do the work of nine men, and that you will soon find." + +"What do you want for your wages?" asked Baugi doubtfully, for he +guessed that the stranger was somebody out of the common. + +"Nothing but a draught of the Magic Mead stored away by your brother +Suttung," answered Odin calmly. + +"'Tis no easy thing you ask of me, good fellow," replied Baugi, "nor +is it mine to give. But if you will do my work I will go with you to +my brother when all is done, and we will do our best to get the mead." + +So Odin set to work all that summer-time, and never before had Baugi +had such service done. Then, when the first breath of frost touched +the autumn leaves, the toiler laid aside his tools and, going to his +master, asked for his reward. + +But Baugi shook his head doubtfully. "'Tis a harder matter than you +think," said he. "Come with me, however, and I will do my best for +you." + +So they went together to the house of Suttung, and Baugi entered in +and boldly asked his brother to give him a drink of the Magic Mead, +wherewith to reward his servant. + +At this Suttung flew into a great rage, and reproached Baugi for +asking such a thing. "You have been fooled," he cried, "for this is +none other than one of the gods, our deadly enemies, who, when he +drinks the mead, will use his new-found wisdom in our despite. If you +take my advice, you will do this enemy an ill turn while you have him +in your power." + +So Baugi went back to Odin, his heart torn between hatred of the god +and fear as to what would happen if he did not keep his promise; but +he only told gloomily that he had failed to get the mead. + +Then Odin said, "If Suttung will not give the mead because of your +promise, we must get it by some trick. And you will have to help me in +this, because of your plighted word." + +To this Baugi pretended to agree, but all the while he was trying to +think of a plan whereby he could make an end of his troublesome +servant. + +They now made their way to the mountain where Gunlod kept watch over +her treasured jars of mead. But her cave was hidden far away in the +centre of the mountain, and none but Suttung knew how to find the +entrance. + +Baugi only pretended to join in the long and fruitless search, and at +length, tired out, Odin took from his pocket an auger, wherewith holes +are bored, and bade the giant use his great strength to drill a hole +through the mountain to the cave. + +Accordingly Baugi bored away and presently cried out, "See, there is +your hole right into the cave!" + +But Odin warily blew into the hole, and immediately chips of rock and +dust flew back into his face, showing that the hole extended only a +little way. + +Then Odin knew, what before he had only guessed, that Baugi was trying +to trick him; but he only looked at him grimly and said: + +"Bore deeper, master, bore deeper." + +And the giant was so frightened by the gleam in the iron-grey eye that +he seized the auger, and this time made a hole which really pierced +the mountain and penetrated to the hidden cave. + +Directly Odin had made sure that Baugi had fulfilled his task, he +changed himself into a snake and wriggled into the hole before Baugi +had realised what had happened. + +The next moment Baugi gave a stab at the snake with the sharp auger, +hoping to cut him in two, but Odin was too quick for him, and he +wriggled out of sight as the blow fell. + +Odin crept a long way through the mountain until he came at length to +a dark cave; and then he took again the form of the Father of Gods and +Men. + +Looking about him for awhile in the dimness of the cavern, he saw at +length the beautiful Giant-Maiden, resting her head wearily on her +hands and gazing at the great jars of mead which stood before her on a +ledge as though she hated their very sight. + +Coming softly to her side, Odin bent over her and gently kissed her +forehead. Gunlod at this sprang up in terror, but when she saw Odin's +kind face, her fears vanished and she smiled back at him. + +"Whence come you?" asked the beautiful Giant-Maiden. + +"I come from a long, long way off," replied the god, "and I am thirsty +after my journey. May I taste the mead that stands in yon vessels?" + +Gunlod shook her head till her long golden locks fell in confusion +over her like a shower of laburnum blossom; but Odin set himself so +winningly to coax her that, after she had held out for some long time, +she told him at last that he might take one sip from each jar. + +The words were hardly uttered ere Odin seized the first jar and in a +moment had drained it dry. Then he snatched up the second and the +third; and before Gunlod realised what had happened he had kissed her +again, and, passing rapidly through the hole, had flown forth into the +fresh air in the form of an eagle, and was bearing away the precious +mead in his mouth to Asgard. + +Meanwhile, Baugi had gone back to the Giant Suttung with the tale of +how he had seen the mysterious serving-man change into a snake and +wriggle through a hole in the mountain; and Suttung at once guessed +that they had to deal with Odin himself. So he hurried to the hole and +sat there to watch for the return of the snake. + +But he had to wait so long that at length he grew drowsy, and in +order to keep awake he was just pricking himself with the branch of a +neighbouring thorn-bush, when _birr! whizz!_ a great bird dashed out +of the hole and made off into the upper air. + +This awoke Suttung effectually. He knew he had missed a good chance of +killing Odin, and that, in all probability, in the very act of +carrying off the Magic Mead to Asgard; but he would not give up all +hope, and next moment, in the form of another eagle, he was pursuing +his enemy in eager flight. + +Now Odin was heavy with the mead he had drunk, and his head was dizzy, +so that he did not always fly along the straightest path. Little by +little Suttung gained on him therefore, till it became very uncertain +whether Odin could first reach the walls of Asgard. + +The loud rush of fast-beating wings through the air attracted the +attention of the gods, and they crowded to the walls of Asgard to +watch the progress of the eagle, in whom they easily recognised Odin. + +Some prepared great dishes in which to receive the Magic Mead from his +mouth; others, seeing that he might be caught by his pursuer before he +could reach the city, gathered a great pile of wood outside the walls, +and heaped it with tow and tar and turpentine. To this they set fire, +just as Odin flew over the battlements. And the flames shot up and +burnt the wings of the pursuing eagle, so that Suttung tumbled to the +earth and could fly no more. + +Odin, exhausted and breathless, was meantime filling the dishes which +the gods held ready for the Magic Mead, but so hurried was he that +some of it was spilt; a few scattered drops fell on to the earth +below. + +Men rushed eagerly to catch the precious drops in their mouths; but +none could get enough to be made wise with the true spirit of poesy. +Some caught enough to become makers of rhymes and verses, but this is +a different thing. + +The Magic Mead was henceforth kept in Asgard under the charge of +white-haired Bragi, the son of Odin, he who plays so beautifully upon +the harp that it seems to sing of itself. + +And once or twice in every hundred years or so, the gods allow some +very favoured babe of mortal man to drink a full draught of the Magic +Mead. Then, when the child grows up, he becomes a great poet, and +people say he is "inspired." + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +How Loki Made a Wager with the Dwarfs + +_This is the tale the Northmen tell of how +Loki once made a Wager with the Dwarfs._ + + +A most mischievous and tricky god was Loki, always on the look-out to +play some wicked prank which was sure to bring trouble upon himself or +others. It was, indeed, a wonder that the other Asas put up with him +so long in Asgard; but then, you see, he was Odin's brother. + +One day, when Loki was looking about him for diversions, he saw asleep +in the sunlight Sif, the beautiful wife of Thor the Thunderer. + +Now Sif was noted among all the dwellers in Asgard for her glorious +hair, which hung down to her heels and was like a thick web of golden +silk. When she stood up it covered her like a cloak, and when she lay +down it was like a golden coverlet; and Thor, her husband, thought it +was the most beautiful thing in all the habitation of the gods. + +Now mischievous Loki saw her sleeping under the gleaming mass of +golden web, and he took a pair of sharp scissors and cut it all off +close to her head, so that she looked quite bald and ugly. + +When Thor came home and saw what had happened, he was wild with fury, +and guessing at once who had done the deed, he stamped off to find Red +Loki, vowing that he would break every bone in his body. + +Then Loki, when he heard the thunder of Thor's tramp and saw the +lightning flash from his angry eyes, was terrified, and attempted to +change himself into another shape; but before he could do so the +wrathful god had gripped him by the throat and was shaking the life +out of him. + +"Let me go!" gasped Loki. "Let me go, and I will bring new hair for +Sif ere the daylight's gone." + +"Go, then," roared Thor, "but mind, if you break your word you will +have not only to reckon with _me_, but with Odin and Frey as well." + +Then, giving Loki a last shake, he sent him flying over the +battlements and down the Rainbow Bridge like a falling star. + +Now Loki was terrified at the result of his trick, and dread of the +punishment that Odin might have in store for him, when he returned +with the hair, began to assail him. So he determined to take back with +him two presents, one for his mighty brother, and one for Frey, the +god of the Golden Sunshine. + +Leaping on to the earth, he quickly made his way through a hillside +into the depths of the mountains, never stopping till he had reached +the dark and gloomy district of Dwarfland. + +For a time Loki could see nothing, though he heard on every side the +tapping hammers and heaving bellows of the Little Men. + +Presently, however, he distinguished a tiny furnace with its burning +flame, and saw by its light a little squat figure, who pulled off his +peaked cap and asked the visitor what he wanted. + +"I want you to make me three gifts," said Loki; "one for Odin, and one +for Frey, and the third must be golden hair that will grow upon Sif's +head." + +Now the dwarfs were anxious to keep on good terms with the gods, who +could protect them against the giants; and so, when they heard Loki's +request, they readily agreed to make the three things. Accordingly, +they set to work upon a pile of golden nuggets, and spun from them a +mass of the finest gold thread, so smooth and soft that it looked like +the loveliest hair. This they gave to Loki, telling him that directly +it touched the head of Sif it would become as a natural growth. + +"Now give me something for Odin," said Loki, well pleased. + +So the dwarfs set to work again, and presently fashioned the spear +called Gungnir, which, however badly it might be aimed, was always +sure to go straight to its mark. + +Loki gratefully took the spear, and there now only remained the gift +for Frey. + +The dwarfs thought awhile, and then set to work upon a ship which, +when pressed together, would fold up and go into one's pocket, but +which, when allowed to expand, would hold all the gods in Asgard and +their horses, would sail through air as well as on water, and would +always get a favourable wind directly it hoisted canvas. + +Loki was immensely pleased with these gifts, and went away, declaring +loudly that his dwarf friends were the cleverest smiths in all the +world. + +Now it so fell out that his words were heard by another dwarf, named +Brock, who came and stood in his way and looked with scorn at the ship +and the spear and the golden web which he carried in his hands. + +"A clumsy lot of things you have there!" he jeered. "Why, my brother +Sindri could make gifts that are far more wonderful than those." + +"My head against yours that he could not!" said Loki, getting angry. + +"Done!" chuckled Brock with a leer, and forthwith they made their way +to the underground cave where Sindri was at work in his forge. + +Now Sindri was quite ready to take up the challenge, but only on +condition that Brock would blow the bellows for him. Loki now began to +feel uneasy, for he had hoped the dwarf would decline to compete when +he heard what were the gifts he had to improve upon. But Sindri only +wagged his long beard at them contemptuously, and Loki's head began to +tremble for the result of his wager. + +So he determined to try and hinder the work. + +Meantime Sindri had thrown a pigskin into the furnace, and had gone +outside to find a magic charm, saying as he went: + +"Blow, brother, blow with all thy might till I return, and stay not +thy hand for an instant." + +Directly Loki heard this he changed himself into a great stinging fly, +and lighting on Brock's hand, he stung him with all his might. But the +dwarf never stopped blowing, though he stamped and roared with pain. +Then Sindri returned, and going to the furnace drew from it a golden +boar of great size, which had the power of flying through the sky and +scattering light from his golden bristles as he flew. But Brock did +not know all this, and looked somewhat scornfully at the gift, saying: + +"I thought you could do better than this." + +"Wait a bit," said Sindri, and with that he threw a lump of gold upon +the fire and went out, charging his brother not to stop blowing for an +instant. + +Then in flew Loki again, still disguised as a gadfly, and lighted on +Brock's neck and stung him so that the blood flowed. But though the +dwarf yelled with pain he did not cease blowing. + +When Sindri returned he pulled out of the fire a fine gold ring. And +this ring was made in such a marvellous fashion that every ninth night +nine other rings would drop from it, so that its owner would be the +richest being in the world. + +But Brock did not know all this, and only growled. + +"Wait a bit," said Sindri again, and this time he threw a lump of iron +on the fire, once more going out, and urging his brother, as he went, +to be specially careful this time, or he would spoil all. + +Then in flew Loki and lighted between Brock's eyelids, stinging them +so that the blood poured down and blinded him. Raising his hand for a +second the dwarf dashed away the blood, and just for that instant he +ceased to blow. Presently Sindri was back again, saying gloomily that +what lay in the furnace came nigh to being spoilt. Then he put in his +hand and pulled out a great hammer; but the handle of the hammer was +an inch too short. + +Now this hammer was so powerful that no one, not even a Frost Giant, +could resist its force, and it would smash a mountain as easily as it +would an egg-shell. So Brock, when he knew all that was to be known, +took the three gifts and hastened away to Asgard to pit them against +those of Loki, who had just returned. + +Enthroned in a circle sat the Asas, and in the midst, as judges of the +gifts, sat Odin, Thor and Frey. + +Loki of the red beard and cunning eye, bringing forward the magic +spear, bowed low to Odin, saying: "Here, brother Odin, is a spear that +will never miss its mark!" + +Then he turned to Frey and handed him the magic ship, saying: "Here is +a ship which will never lack a fair wind wherever you wish to go; and +though you may fold it up and carry it in your pocket, it will hold +all the gods of Asgard and their steeds besides." + +But to Thor he gave the golden web of hair, and said nothing, for he +feared him. + +Then Brock stood forth and produced his treasures, saying: "Here, +mighty Odin, is a ring that will produce nine other gold rings every +ninth night." + +Odin laughed with joy, and said: "Spears have I in abundance, but with +this ring I shall never want for gold." + +Next Brock opened the heavy bag with which his shoulders were +burdened, and out of it fell the golden boar, which he laid before +Frey, saying: "Here, good Frey, is a boar who will carry you through +the air or over the sea. And wherever you go on his back the sky will +be lighted up by his golden bristles." + +Then Frey laughed with joy, saying: "Better sport is it to ride on a +golden boar than in a ship." + +Lastly Brock drew out the short-handled hammer named Miölnir. And this +he gave to Thor, saying: "Most powerful one, here is a hammer whose +blows nothing can withstand, not even mountains or Frost Giants; and +however far you throw it, this hammer will always return to your +hand." + +Then Thor jumped from his seat joyfully crying out: "Better than the +golden hair of Sif is a weapon against which none of my enemies can +stand. Brothers, let us decide this wager forthwith. And for me, I +give my vote in favour of the gifts of Brock." + +Then the gods and goddesses put their heads together and came to the +conclusion that the hammer of Thor was worth all the gifts of Loki +twice over; for with it they could be protected against the Frost +Giants, who were always their secret dread. So they decided: + +"Brock has won the wager. Let Loki lose his head." + +Much dismayed, Red Loki offered to pay a huge ransom, but of this +Brock would not hear. + +Then Loki pretended to give in. "Come and take me then," he cried, but +when the dwarf tried to seize him he was already far away, for he wore +the shoes with which he could run through the air and over the sea. + +And knowing that he could never catch him, Brock was beside himself +with rage. Looking round him he saw that, though the others had +dispersed, Thor was still playing with his new hammer, smashing a +mountain here and a great tree there. + +"Mighty Thor," cried the dwarf, "will you do something for me in +return for my gift? Bring to me that fellow who has broken his word, +that I may slay him forthwith." + +With a nod of his great head Thor jumped into his goat chariot, and +was soon thundering through the air after wicked Loki. Driving with +the speed of lightning he quickly overtook the fugitive, whose plea +for help, however, touched him so that he relented and bethought him +of a way in which he might save his life. + +Justice must be done, however, so he dragged the culprit back to +Asgard and gave him over to Brock; but he warned the dwarf that +although the head of Loki was rightfully his, he must not touch his +neck. + +Now Brock could not possibly cut off the one without touching the +other, so he bethought him of another plan. He would at any rate sew +up the bragging lips that had caused so much trouble and told so many +lies since All Things began. + +So he took a strong piece of string and bored holes with his auger, +and firmly stitched up the lips of Red Loki, and broke off the thread +at the end of the sewing. + +For a time after this there was peace in Asgard, and this would have +lasted for long had not Loki managed at length to cut the string, when +he became as talkative as ever. + +And this is the end of the tale of How Loki made a Wager with the +Dwarfs. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +The Apples of Youth + +_This is the tale which the Northmen tell of how the Apples +of Youth were once very nearly lost to Asgard._ + + +Sweetest of all the Asa folk was Idun, the fair young goddess of +Springtime and Youth, and dearly loved was she by the other Asas, both +for herself and for her magic apples. + +Fast locked in a golden casket were her apples, ripe and sweet and +rosy. And each day, at dawn, Idun came to the table where the gods +sat and feasted together, and gave those who wished a taste of the +fruit. + +And it came to pass that everyone who ate the magic fruit grew fresh +and young again, however old and weary he had been before. For even +the gods of Asgard grew old and weary sometimes; and then nothing +would make them young again but the Apples of Youth. + +So Idun treasured the fruit with the greatest care, and never let it +out of her charge for a moment. And however many she took out of her +casket wherewith to feed the gods, there always remained just the same +number as before. + + "Bright Iduna, maid immortal! + Standing at Valhalla's portal, + In her casket has rich store + Of rare apples, gilded o'er; + Those rare apples, not of earth, + To ageing Asas gave new birth." + +It was only to be expected, of course, that the fame of this magic +fruit should spread, and as nobody liked to grow old, many of the +giants, as well as the little dwarf people, used to come to the gates +of Asgard and beg that Idun would give them a taste of her apples. But +this, though they offered her the richest gifts they could think of, +she never would do. + +Now one day it so fell out that Odin grew weary of watching his heroes +feast and fight in Valhalla, and determined to go forth and seek an +adventure elsewhere. + +So he called for his brother Hoenir, the clear-eyed Asa who first +gave hope to the heart of man, and Loki, the mischievous fellow who +yet by reason of his fun and gaiety was no bad travelling companion, +and bade them accompany him on a journey. + +Speeding over the Rainbow Bridge they came down to the world below, +and presently found themselves in a desolate region of mountain and +moorland, through which they wandered for a long, long time, without +coming across any kind of human habitation. + +At length, grown weary and very hungry, they began to look about for +food, and presently saw, to their great joy, a herd of oxen feeding +upon the mountain side. It took no long time to kill a fine bull and +to kindle an immense fire; after which the Asas hung up the animal to +roast and sat down to wait till it was done. + +But though the fire flamed bravely over the logs, it made no +difference whatever to the meat, which remained raw and cold. + +Heaping on fresh fuel, the three Asas put the carcass still nearer the +flame and waited hungrily. All in vain, the meat remained uneatable. + +Looking at each other in dismay, the Asas exclaimed: + +"There is some magic spell at work here." + +And at that very moment they heard the loud croak of a bird in the +tree above them. + +Hastily searching the branches, the Asas soon found an immense eagle +perched there and looking down upon them with an evil expression. + +"Ho!" cried Odin, "is it you who has bewitched our food?" + +The eagle nodded and croaked maliciously again. + +"Then come at once and remove the spell," cried the famished Hoenir. + +"If I do so, will you give me as much as I want to eat?" asked the +eagle. + +At this Odin hesitated, for he feared a trick, but Loki's mouth was +watering, and he called out: + +"Yes, yes, anything you like if you will only let the meat be cooked." + +Then the great bird swooped down and began to fan the flame with his +huge wings, and behold! in a very few minutes the gravy began to run, +a delicious smell of roast beef filled the air, and there was the meat +done to a turn. + +Just as the three Asas were putting out hungry hands to seize their +portions, however, the eagle, which had been hovering overhead, +swooped down and seized more than three-quarters of the animal, +leaving barely enough for one of the famished gods. + +This was too much for Loki. With a roar of rage like that of an angry +lion, he seized a great stake that stood near and struck with all his +might at the greedy bird. + +The eagle shook himself after the blow, but instead of dropping his +booty he rose slowly into the air. And then, to Loki's dismay, he +found that one end of the pole had stuck fast to the body of the bird, +the other to his own hands. + +Try as he would he could not let go, and so found himself being +dragged along over stones and bushes and briers, while his arms were +almost torn out of their sockets. + +In vain he begged and implored the eagle to let him go; it took no +notice of him whatever, but flew on and on, just a little way above +the earth, until at length Loki, feeling that he could endure no +longer, promised to give him anything he asked if he would only +release him. + +Then at last the eagle spoke, telling him that he would set him free +on one condition only, and that was that he should manage, by some +trick, to tempt Idun out of Asgard, in order that he could obtain +possession of her and of the magic fruit. He told Loki, moreover, that +he was the Storm Giant Thiassi in disguise, and bade him beware of the +consequences if he broke his solemn promise to one of giant race. + +By this time Loki was ready to promise anything to save his life, and +so at length he found himself free. + +Bruised and torn he made his way back to Odin and Hoenir, by whom he +was closely questioned concerning his adventures. + +But Loki never hesitated to depart from the truth, and, knowing that +it would not do to tell what he had promised, he answered glibly that +the eagle had captured him in mistake for someone else, and that when +he found out it was Red Loki himself, he had set him free, with many +expressions of sorrow for his error. + +So the three Asas returned to Asgard, and from that moment Loki did +not cease to plot and plan the means by which he could entice Idun +outside the gates. + +And indeed this was no easy matter, for the Apples of Youth were so +precious to the gods that Idun was well guarded by night and day. +Sometimes, however, even the Asas were off their guard, and that was +the opportunity for Loki. + +Strolling one day through the groves of Asgard, Loki found the +beautiful maiden all alone in a sunny corner playing at ball with her +golden fruit. + +"Aha!" cried he, approaching gently so as not to startle her, "what a +fair game thou playest here, maiden!" + +But Idun only smiled at him happily and went on tossing her apples. + +Then Loki pulled a long face, and came nearer, and said: + +"Till this day, fair Idun, I had said that nowhere in the wide world +grew apples like thine. But now have I found a tree whereon the fruit +is of finer gold, and of greater size than these, and a taste of it +needs not to be renewed again, but makes one young for evermore." + +Then Idun stopped playing and her blue eyes grew dark and stormy, for +she could not bear to think that her apples would no longer be the joy +and delight of the Asas. + +But then she remembered Loki's deceitful ways, and said: "I believe +thee not. This is one of thy tricks, Red Loki." + +"Ho, you think so, do you?" said the crafty one. "Then come and see +them for yourself, and bring your own to compare with them." + +"Are they near by?" said Idun, rising doubtfully to her feet, and +still holding fast to the casket of fruit. + +"Only just a little way off," replied Loki, and taking hold of her +hand he drew her outside the thicket. + +On and on they went, and when she asked where they were going he +always replied that the grove where the apples grew was just a little +farther than he had thought. + +At length, without noticing that she had passed the boundaries, Idun +stood outside the walls of Asgard on a dreary region of barren heath, +and then she at last began to suspect mischief. + +"Where am I?" she cried, "and where, O Loki, are the golden apples?" + +But she only heard the jeering ha! ha! ha! of the Asa as he returned +to Asgard, and that was soon lost in the _whirr-r-r_ of wings as a +mighty eagle, swooping down upon her, fixed his talons in her girdle +and rose with her into the air. + +And this, of course, was Thiassi, the Storm Giant, who had been on the +watch for her all the time, and who now carried her off, casket and +all, to the bleak and desolate abode over which he ruled. Well had it +been said that Loki was at the bottom of all the misfortunes that ever +befell in Asgard. And never until the End of All Things would he work +so dire a mischief again. + +Poor Idun grew pale and thin and sad in her captivity, but she would +not purchase freedom with a taste of the Apples of Youth, although the +Storm Giant coaxed and begged and threatened by turns. + +For a time the Asas took little notice of her absence, for they +thought she was amusing herself somewhere in the sunny groves of +Asgard and had forgotten her daily visit. Then they began to feel old +and weary, and at first scarcely knew what was wrong. + +Glancing at each other they saw, with startled eyes, wrinkles and +lines and grey hairs where these things were not wont to be. Their +youth and beauty were disappearing, and then they suddenly awoke to +the need of a thorough search for the missing Idun. + +And, when she could nowhere be found, All-Father Odin, mindful of +former tricks, sent for Red Loki and began very closely to question +him. Others had seen Idun in his company on that eventful day when she +had been carried away, and so, finding it impossible to keep the +matter hidden, Loki confessed, with a mocking laugh, that he had +betrayed her into the power of the Storm Giant. + +Then all the Asas arose in hot wrath and threatened Loki with death or +torture if he did not at once restore the beautiful Goddess of Youth +with her magic fruit. And at length, being fairly frightened, he +undertook to bring her back, if Freya would lend him her falcon plumes +that he might disguise himself as a bird. + +Thus equipped, Loki flew off to Giantland, and arrived, fortunately +for him, just as Thiassi had gone out a-fishing. + +High up at the window of a great stone castle fair Idun looked with +tearful eyes upon the stormy sea, and, as she thought of the sunny +groves of Asgard, suddenly the plumage of a great falcon almost +brushed against her face. Drawing back in alarm, she saw the cunning +red eyes of Loki looking at her from the bird's head. + +"See how kind am I!" he jeered. "I am come to take thee back to +Asgard." + +Then Idun almost wept for joy, till she remembered that she was a +prisoner, and so cried pitifully: + +"I cannot win forth from this cold stone tower, O Loki, and even if I +could, thou canst never carry me and my casket back to Asgard. And +lo! I cannot outrun the wicked Storm Giant, and though the fruit be +heavy, I will not leave it behind." + +Then Loki soothed her, and by his magic arts he changed her into a +nut, which he took up in one talon, while the casket he carried with +the other, and so set off to fly back to Asgard. + +Now Thiassi, the Storm Giant, was ill at ease that day, for he felt +the pangs and pains of old age upon him as he went a-fishing. So he +determined to return earlier than usual, in order to try once more to +get the magic fruit from Idun. + +Judge then of his dismay when he found his prisoner flown! + +Hastily transforming himself into an eagle, Thiassi began to scour the +regions of the air, looking everywhere for the maiden, and before long +he noted the steady flight of a falcon towards the walls of Asgard. + +Sweeping towards him through the air, the keen eyes of the eagle saw +the gleam of a golden casket in his talons, and he knew that it was an +Asa who had come to the rescue of Idun. + +And now it seemed that Loki would be hard put to it to reach Asgard +before he was overtaken; for the eagle swept through the air with his +great wings much faster than the falcon could fly, and the Asas, who +had assembled on the battlements of the city to watch the race, +trembled for its issue. + +Then some of them remembered how once before they had played a trick +upon the pursuer in a similar conflict, and they collected pine +shavings in great abundance and piled them on the walls, and stood +ready to fire them when the moment came. + +On, on flew Loki, hard beset; and close behind him came, with steady +rush, the mighty eagle Thiassi. He was almost upon his prey as they +neared the walls, but Loki made a last violent effort, which was +successful, and he fell exhausted into the midst of the Asas. + +At the same moment the pile of fuel was lighted, and Thiassi, blinded +with smoke and singed with flame, dropped over the battlements, and +thus fell an easy prey to his waiting enemies. In admiration of his +good race, however, the Asas placed his eyes as stars in the heavens, +and there they shine to this day. + +So the Apples of Youth returned to Asgard, and all the Asas hastened +to eat of them and became young and beautiful again. And fair Idun +once more resumed her shape, and never again was tricked by wicked +Loki, but played with her magic fruit in the golden groves of Asgard +till the End of All Things. + +And this is how the Apples of Youth were once very nearly lost to +Asgard. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +How the Fenris Wolf was Chained + +_This is the tale the Northmen tell of +how the Fenris Wolf was chained._ + + +Fair as were the meads of Asgard, we have seen that the Asa folk were +fond of wandering far afield in other regions. Most restless of all +was Red Loki, that cunning fellow who was always bringing trouble upon +himself or upon his kindred. And because he loved evil, he would often +betake himself to the gloomy halls of Giantland and mingle with the +wicked folk of that region. + +Now one day he met a hideous giantess named Angur-Boda. This creature +had a heart of ice, and because he loved ugliness and evil she had a +great attraction for him, and in the end he married her, and they +lived together in a horrible cave in Giantland. + +Three children were born to Loki and Angur-Boda in this dread abode, +and they were even more terrible in appearance than their mother. The +first was an immense wolf called Fenris, with a huge mouth filled with +long white teeth, which he was constantly gnashing together. + +The second was a wicked-looking serpent with a fiery-tongue lolling +from its mouth. + +The third was a hideous giantess, partly blue and partly flesh-colour, +whose name was Hela. + +No sooner were these three terrible children born than all the wise +men of the earth began to foretell the misery they would bring upon +the Asa folk. + +In vain did Loki try to keep them hidden within the cave wherein +their mother dwelt. They soon grew so immense in size that no dwelling +would contain them, and all the world began to talk of their frightful +appearance. + +It was not long, of course, before All-Father Odin, from his high seat +in Asgard, heard of the children of Loki. So he sent for some of the +Asas, and said: + +"Much evil will come upon us, O my children, from this giant brood, if +we defend not ourselves against them. For their mother will teach them +wickedness, and still more quickly will they learn the cunning wiles +of their father. Fetch me them here, therefore, that I may deal with +them forthwith." + +So, after somewhat of a struggle, the Asas captured the three +giant-children and brought them before Odin's judgment-seat. + +Then Odin looked first at Hela, and when he saw her gloomy eyes, full +of misery and despair, he was sorry, and dealt kindly with her, +saying: "Thou art the bringer of Pain to man, and Asgard is no place +for such as thou. But I will make thee ruler of the Mist Home, and +there shalt thou rule over that unlighted world, the Region of the +Dead." + +Forthwith he sent her away over rough roads to the cold, dark region +of the North called the Mist Home. And there did Hela rule over a grim +crew, for all those who had done wickedness in the world above were +imprisoned by her in those gloomy regions. To her came also all those +who had died, not on the battlefield, but of old age or disease. And +though these were treated kindly enough, theirs was a joyless life in +comparison with that of the dead warriors who were feasting and +fighting in the halls of Valhalla, under the kindly rule of All-Father +Odin. + +Having thus disposed of Hela, Odin next turned his attention to the +serpent. And when he saw his evil tongue and cunning, wicked eyes, he +said: + +"Thou art he who bringest Sin into the world of men; therefore the +ocean shall be thy home for ever." + +Then he threw that horrid serpent into the deep sea which surrounds +all lands, and there the creature grew so fast that when he stretched +himself one day he encircled all the earth, and held his own tail fast +in his mouth. And sometimes he grew angry to think that he, the son of +a god, had thus been cast out; and at those times he would writhe with +his huge body and lash his tail till the sea spouted up to the sky. +And when that happened the men of the North said that a great tempest +was raging. But it was only the Serpent-son of Loki writhing in his +wrath. + +Then Odin turned to the third child. And behold! the Fenris Wolf was +so appalling to look upon that Odin feared to cast him forth, and he +decided to endeavour to tame him by kindness so that he should not +wish them ill. + +But when he bade them carry food to the Fenris Wolf, not one of the +Asas would do so, for they feared a snap from his great jaws. Only the +brave Tyr had courage enough to feed him, and the wolf ate so much and +so fast that the business took him all his time. Meantime, too, the +Fenris grew so rapidly, and became so fierce, that the gods were +compelled to take counsel and consider how they should get rid of him. +They remembered that it would make their peaceful halls unholy if they +were to slay him, and so they resolved instead to bind him fast, that +he should be unable to do them harm. + +So those of the Asa folk who were clever smiths set to work and made a +very strong, thick chain; and when it was finished they carried it out +to the yard where the wolf dwelt, and said to him, as though in jest: + +"Here is a fine proof of thy boasted strength, O Fenris. Let us bind +this about thee, that we may see if thou canst break it asunder." + +Then the wolf gave a great grin with his wide jaws, and came and stood +still that they might bind the chain about him; for he knew what he +could do. And it came to pass that directly they had fastened the +chain, and had slipped aside from him, the great beast gave himself a +shake, and the chain fell about him in little bits. + +At this the Asas were much annoyed, but they tried not to show it, and +praised him for his strength. + +Then they set to work again upon a chain much stronger than the last, +and brought it to the Fenris Wolf, saying: + +"Great will be thy renown, O Fenris, if thou canst break this chain as +thou didst the last." + +But the wolf looked at them askance, for the chain they brought was +very much thicker than the one he had already broken. He reflected, +however, that since that time he himself had grown stronger and +bigger, and moreover, that one must risk something in order to win +renown. + +So he let them put the chain upon him, and when the Asas said that all +was ready, he gave a good shake and stretched himself a few times, and +again the fetters lay in fragments on the ground. + +Then the gods began to fear that they would never hold the wolf in +bonds; and it was All-Father Odin who persuaded them to make one more +attempt. + +So they sent a messenger to Dwarfland bidding him ask the Little Men +to make a chain which nothing could possibly destroy. + +Setting at once to work, the clever little smiths soon fashioned a +slender silken rope, and gave it to the messenger, saying that no +strength could break it, and that the more it was strained the +stronger it would become. + +It was made of the most mysterious things--the sound of a cat's +footsteps, the roots of a mountain, the sinews of a bear, the breath +of fishes, and other such strange materials, which only the dwarfs +knew how to use. + +With this chain the messenger hastened back over the Rainbow Bridge to +Asgard. + +By this time the Fenris Wolf had grown too big for his yard, so he +lived on a rocky island in the middle of the lake that lies in the +midst of Asgard. And here the Asas now betook themselves with their +chain, and began to play their part with wily words. + +"See," they cried, "O Fenris! Here is a cord so soft and thin that +none would think of it binding such strength as thine." + +And they laughed great laughs, and handed it to one another, and tried +its strength by pulling at it with all their might, but it did not +break. + +Then they came nearer and used more wiles, saying: + +"We cannot break the cord, though 'tis stronger than it looks, but +thou, O mighty one, will be able to snap it in a moment." + +But the wolf tossed his head in scorn, and said: + +"Small renown would there be to me, O Asa folk, if I were to break yon +slender string. Save, therefore, your breath, and leave me now alone." + +"Aha!" cried the Asas. "Thou fearest the might of the silken cord, +thou false one, and that is why thou wilt not let us bind thee!" + +"Not I," said the Fenris Wolf, growing rather suspicious, "but if it +is made with craft and guile it shall never come near my feet." + +"But," said the Asas, "thou wilt surely be able to break this silken +cord with ease, since thou hast already broken the great iron +fetters." + +To this the wolf made no answer, pretending not to hear. + +"Come!" said the Asas again, "why shouldst thou fear? For even if thou +couldst not break the cord we would immediately let thee free again. +To refuse is a coward's piece of work." + +Then the wolf gnashed his teeth at them in anger, and said: + +"Well I know you Asas! For if you bind me so fast that I cannot get +loose you will skulk away, and it will be long before I get any help +from you; and therefore am I loth to let this band be laid upon me." + +But still the Asas continued to persuade him and to twit him with +cowardice, until at length the Fenris Wolf said, with a sullen growl: + +"Have it your own way then. But, as a pledge that this is done without +deceit, let one of you lay his hand in my mouth while you are binding +me, and afterwards while I try to break the bonds." + +Then the Asa folk looked at one another in dismay, for they knew very +well what this would mean. + +And while they consulted together the wolf stood gnashing his teeth at +them with a horrid grin. + +At length Tyr the Brave hesitated no longer. Boldly he stalked up to +the wolf and thrust his arm into his enormous mouth, bidding the Asas +bind fast the beast. Scarce had they done so when the wolf began to +strain and pull, but the more he did so the tighter and suffer the +rope became. + +The gods shouted and laughed with glee when they saw how all his +efforts were in vain. But Tyr did not join in their mirth, for the +wolf in his rage snapped his great teeth together and bit off his hand +at the wrist. + +Now when the Asas discovered that the animal was fast bound, they took +the chain which was fixed to the rope and drew it through a huge +rock, and fastened this rock deep down in the earth, so that it could +never be moved. And this they fastened to another great rock which was +driven still deeper into the ground. + +When the Fenris Wolf found that he had been thus secured he opened his +mouth terribly wide, and twisted himself right and left, and tried his +best to bite the Asa folk. He uttered, moreover, such terrible howls +that at length the gods could bear it no longer. So they took a sword +and thrust it into his mouth, so that the hilt rested on his lower, +and the point against his upper jaw. And there he was doomed to remain +until the end of All Things shall come, when he + + "Freed from the Chain + Shall range the Earth." + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +How the Pride of Thor was Brought low + +_This is the tale the Northmen tell of how the +Pride of Thor was once brought low._ + + +From the sunny heights of Asgard the Asa folk were wont to look upon +the earth and to take pleasure in its welfare and in the happiness of +its people. But all too often they saw with dismay that the Frost +Giants from their cold Northern home of ice and snow sent forth cruel +blasts which nipped the buds, withered the flowers of spring, and +saddened the hearts of men. So, one day, that mighty Asa who is called +Thor determined to go forth and teach these Giant folk how to behave +themselves better. Calling for his chariot of brass, which was drawn +by two mighty goats, from whose teeth and hoofs sparks continually +flew, he was about to drive away, when Red Loki came running up and +begged to be taken too. + +To this Thor agreed, for he had rather a liking for Loki, in spite of +his mischievous tricks, and in a few minutes they were hurtling +through the air at a great rate. + +All day long they drove, and at evening time reached the borders of +Giantland, where stood the hut of a poor peasant. Seeing this, the two +Asas determined to try to obtain shelter for the night. + +The peasant was a good-hearted fellow, and gladly welcomed them under +his roof; but he had only a bit of black bread to offer them for +supper, and this was by no means a satisfactory meal for two hungry +gods. + +But Thor was quite equal to the occasion. + +"Fear not," said he kindly, "I will provide meat in plenty for you and +your family as well as for ourselves." + +Then he went out, killed his two goats, cut them up and threw them +into a great cauldron, which the peasant's wife, at his request, had +set to boil upon the fire. The skins, meantime, he spread with care +upon the floor. + +The stew was soon cooked to perfection, whereupon Thor invited the man +and his wife and children to eat as much as they would. + +"Be careful, however," said he, "not to break a single bone, but to +throw them all into the skins spread out on the floor." + +This they promised to do, but during the meal Red Loki, wishing to see +what would happen if they disobeyed, persuaded the boy, Thialfi, the +peasant's son, to break one of the bones in order to suck out the +marrow, saying that no one could possibly know that he had done so. +Then they lay down to sleep, the bones of the animals wrapped in the +goat skins being upon the floor. + +Next morning, just before daybreak, Thor arose, and, having stretched +himself, took up his mighty hammer and gave the goat skins a tap. +Immediately the goats sprang up, as much alive as ever they were, and +perfectly well, save that one of them limped. + +Then Thor knew at once that his commands had been disobeyed, and the +whole household soon knew it too. His brows sank over his eyes, and he +grasped his hammer so hard that his knuckles grew white. The terrified +peasant fell down on his face before him; and when Thor lifted the +hammer to destroy him the whole household wept aloud and begged for +mercy, promising to give him all they had in the world as an +atonement. + +When Thor saw their terror, his anger left him, and he agreed to take +as a ransom the children of the peasant, a boy and girl, called +Thialfi and Roskva. And they became his servants, and have been always +in his company since that time. + +Leaving his goats in charge of the peasant, Thor went forward towards +Giantland, accompanied by Loki and the two children; and the boy +Thialfi, who was the fleetest of foot of all living creatures, carried +Thor's bag. + +After walking all day through a bleak and barren country wrapped in a +thick mist, they came at nightfall to a great wood, which seemed to +offer neither provisions, nor roof to shelter under for the night. + +At length, after searching about for a very long time, they came to +what seemed to be a large hall of misty and uncertain shape, the door +of which was as wide as the whole building. + +So they entered, and, finding everything within empty and dark, they +determined to go no farther, and stretched themselves, hungry and +weary as they were, upon the ground. + +In the middle of the night they were awakened by what seemed to be a +great earthquake. The earth trembled beneath them and the house shook. + +Calling upon his companions, Thor arose, and fearing lest the roof +should fall upon them he drew them into an inner room and, seating +himself in the doorway, took up his hammer and prepared to defend +himself and them, if anything should befall. But nothing further +happened save a renewed trembling of the ground and a curious, +regularly recurring sound, like a loud groan or roar. + +When it began to grow light Thor went out and saw, not far off, a huge +giant lying on the ground fast asleep; and he understood that it was +his snores which had caused the ground to shake and which had sounded +like a roar or groan. + +Suddenly the giant awoke and sprang up, so quickly that Loki and the +children, who had followed Thor, jumped behind a tree. But Thor, who +was afraid of nothing, only grasped his hammer tightly and asked his +name. + +"I am called Skrymir," said the giant, looking down at him, and, +catching sight of his hammer, of which all in heaven and earth had +heard, he went on: "I don't need to ask _your_ name, for I see you are +Thor. But what have you done with my glove?" + +As he said these last words, he stretched out a huge hand and picked +up his glove, which Thor, to his great astonishment, found to be the +house in which he had spent the night; and the inner room was the +place for the thumb. + +Hearing that they were on their way towards Giantland, Skrymir asked +if he might accompany them; and as he seemed a good-natured fellow +they agreed. But first they sat down to eat their breakfast. + +Skrymir ate his huge meal out of a great provision sack, and eyed with +much merriment the wallet which held the food of Thor and his +companions. + +"'Tis like a little toy," said he; but Thialfi answered crossly: + +"Toy it may be to you, but it has made my shoulders ache very finely, +I can tell you. I could hardly sleep all night for the pain." + +Then Skrymir laughed, and took the bag and put it into his sack, +slinging the whole over his shoulder as if it had been a +feather-weight. + +After this they all set off together, and that day they covered an +immense distance, for the giant took such huge strides that they had +to run the whole time in order to keep up with him. + +When it grew dark, Skrymir led them into a vast wood where no +habitation was to be found, and bade them take up their quarters under +a huge oak. The others were weary and hungry beyond words, for they +had not stopped all day either to eat or rest; but Skrymir seemed only +sleepy, and was preparing to begin his snores when Loki, whom fasting +had put decidedly out of temper, sharply reminded him that they had +had no supper. Pushing the great sack over to them, the giant sleepily +replied that they were welcome to all that it contained, and +immediately fell into a deep slumber. + +But when Loki tried to undo the mouth of the sack he could not get one +knot loosened, nor could he even get one of the strings to stir. Then +Thor tried with all his strength, but could do nothing. This was a +serious matter, for they were all starving with hunger by this time; +so Thor, in a great rage, snatched up his hammer in both hands, +stepped up to where Skrymir was lying and dashed the hammer, with all +his force, at his head. + +At this blow, which would have smashed the skull of most men, the +giant drowsily opened one eye, saying: "Did a leaf fall on my head +just now? Good-night to all of you. I suppose you have now had your +supper and are going to bed." + +At this the Asas were so astonished that they meekly replied that they +were just going to do that very thing. And they went and lay down +under another oak. But there was no sleep for them, for, besides their +fear and hunger, the whole wood resounded with the giant's snores, so +that it seemed as though it thundered all the time. + +At last Thor could stand it no longer, so he went over to him, and +swinging his hammer with all his skill brought it down with such a +crash that he knew by the feel of it that it had sunk deep into the +head. + +But the giant only turned over, saying sleepily: "What was that? Did +an acorn fall upon my head? How is it with you, friend Thor?" + +Then Thor answered hastily that he had only just waked up, and that it +was midnight and still time to sleep. + +The god was now alarmed, and he decided that, if it were possible, he +would get in a third blow which should put an end altogether to the +most extraordinary companion he had ever had. + +So he lay watching for Skrymir to go fast asleep again, and shortly +before daybreak his chance came. + +Creeping up, he clutched the hammer with all his might and dashed it +at the giant's temples with such force that it sank up to the handle. + +Scarcely had he time to pull it out again than Skrymir sat up and +began to yawn, rubbing his eyes and stroking his temples and saying: + +"Are there any birds sitting in the tree above me? I thought, as I +woke up, that some moss from the branches fell upon my head. Ho, +there! Thor, are you awake? You seem to be moving early this morning. +Let us all get up and continue our journey, for we are now not far +from Giant Town." + +Filled with astonished dismay at the failure of his attempts, Thor +roused his companions, and all set off, hungry and dispirited, at the +giant's heels. Presently they began to whisper together as to the +events of the night, and of the enormous strength and size of their +companion, but after awhile Skrymir looked down at them and said: + +"We have now come to two ways; mine goes to the north where you see +yon mountains; yours, if you still wish to reach Giant Town, lies +there to the east. So here we part company, but first let me give you +some useful advice. + +"I have heard you whispering to one another that I am not small of +stature; but when you come to Giant Town you will see greater folk +still. So do not brag too much of your own powers, for the Giant folk +will not put up with the boasting of such insignificant little fellows +as you be. + +"But if you want to be quite wise, turn back now to your own place, +for that is the best thing you can do." + +So saying, Skrymir shouldered his great sack and, turning his back +upon them, went off through the forest with such huge strides that he +was soon lost to sight. + +Now Loki was much disposed to follow the advice of the giant and turn +back to Asgard, but of this Thor would not hear. So they continued +their journey until noonday, when they saw before them a great town +standing in the midst of an immense plain. The walls and gates of the +town were so high that they had to bend their necks right back before +they could see to the top of them, and when they came nearer still +they found the gate was fast shut. + +But this gate had bars, and was made to keep in the Giant folk, not to +keep out smaller people, of whose visits they had never thought. So +the two Asas and their servants found little difficulty in creeping +through the bars, and so getting into the town. + +The first thing they saw was a great hall, towards which they went, +and finding the door open they entered, and saw in the centre of it +two benches, enormously high and wide, upon which sat a number of +giants. In their midst, upon a platform high as the roof of an +ordinary house, sat the King of the Giants, to whom they advanced and +made their bows. At first the King looked about on the floor as though +they were too small for him to see, but at length he cast a scornful +glance upon them, and with a grin that showed all his teeth, said: + +"Is this little fellow the great god Thor, of whom we have heard so +much? Perhaps, however, you are bigger in strength than in size. Now, +for what feats are you and your companions prepared? For you must know +this, that no one is allowed to stay here unless he be more skilled +in some craft or accomplishment than any other man." + +At this Red Loki, who was so dreadfully hungry that he scarcely knew +what he was saying, called out: "I know what I can do better than +anyone else! I will soon prove that there is no one present who can +eat his food faster than I can." + +Then said the King of the Giants: "That is a feat to be proud of, if +you speak the truth, and you shall try it immediately." + +So he called from the bench a man called Logi, and bade him come out +on the floor and try his strength against Loki. + +The others took a huge trough full of meat and set it on the floor, +and they put Logi at one end and Loki at the other. + +Both of them ate as fast as they possibly could, and met in the middle +of the trough. But though Loki had such an immense appetite, and had +eaten every scrap of meat off the bones, Logi had eaten up the flesh +and the bones and the trough as well. + +So Loki had to confess that he had been beaten. + +Then the Giant-King looked at the boy Thialfi and asked: "What use is +that lad in heaven or earth?" + +And Thialfi answered that he would run faster than anyone whom the +Giant-King liked to name. + +"That is a good feat," said the King, "but it is to be hoped you can +run _really_ fast, for you will have something to do to win this +race." + +So saying he took them outside, where there was an excellent +racecourse along the flat plain; and he called up a young man, whose +name was Hugi, and bade him run a race with Thialfi. + +In the first heat of that race, although Hugi ran so fast, yet, when +he turned to run back, he met Thialfi face to face. Then the King of +the Giants encouraged the lad, saying: "Never before has come anyone +hither who was swifter of foot than you." + +Then they ran the second heat, and when Hugi reached the goal, Thialfi +was three quarters of the way thither. + +Then said the giant: "Well run, Thialfi; yet I do not think that you +will win this race. However, we shall see what happens in the third +heat." + +When this was run, Hugi had reached the goal and turned back again ere +poor Thialfi was barely halfway there. + +At this all the giants began to applaud Hugi, saying that he had +fairly won the race; and Thialfi was obliged to go sadly away. + +The King of the Giants next inquired what feats Thor could show to +prove the truth of the tales men told of his great strength; and the +Asa, who was now very thirsty, and at all times a mighty man at the +bowl, said that he would drink deeper than anyone in the whole world. + +So they returned to the hall, where the King called upon his +cup-bearer to bring the horn out of which his valiant giants drank; +and this was filled with ale and handed to Thor. + +Then said the King of the Giants: "With us 'tis thought that the man +is a good drinker who empties this horn at one draught; he who takes +it off in two is but moderately thirsty; but he who cannot empty it in +three is but a wretched drinker, and not worthy of the name." + +Thor looked at the horn, and thinking within himself: "This is not a +difficult task, for the horn, though it seems deep, is not very +large," took a drink which he quite thought would have drained the +vessel. But when he could drink no longer, for lack of breath, he +looked in the horn, and there was the ale still brimming over the +edge. + +Then the giant chuckled and said: "Well drunk, good Thor, but you have +by no means emptied the horn. It seems to me, indeed, that men have +boasted too much of your fine deeds. I would not have believed that +you would have taken so long to drink up the ale. However, I don't +doubt you will finish it at the second draught." + +Thor reddened with wrath at these scoffing words, and took up the +horn, intending to drink the ale to the last dregs. But, try as he +would, he could not get the end of the horn to tip up completely, and +when he set it down it seemed to him that he had drunk less than at +the first time. Yet some difference had been made, for the horn could +now be carried without spilling. + +"Ha! ha!" laughed the giant. "Is this your skill, good Thor? Are you +not leaving rather much for your third draught? It looks to me as if +that will have to be the greatest of them all." + +Then Thor got very angry indeed, and, setting the horn to his mouth, +drank with all his might and main, so that when he could do no more +and had set it down again, the ale had certainly grown less. + +"Ha! ha!" roared the giant. "They think too highly of you in the world +above, my little Thor. Now what other game would you like to try?" + +"Whatever you like," answered Thor very grumpily, for none of the Asas +liked being laughed at. + +So the giant said: "Young lads here think it nothing but play to lift +my cat up from the ground, and I should never have suggested such a +feat to the strength of Asa Thor had I not discovered that he is much +less of a man than I thought." + +Then he called: "Puss! Puss!" in a voice that shook the house; upon +which an enormous grey cat sprang forth on the floor before them. + +Rather annoyed at being asked to do such an easy thing, Thor went over +to the animal, put his arm round it and tried to lift it up. But the +more he tugged and strained the more the cat arched its back, so that +his strength was exerted vainly; and in the end, when he was black in +the face with the efforts he had made, he had only succeeded in +lifting up one paw. + +Then the giant repeated his scornful laugh, saying: "That's just as I +expected. The cat is rather large, and Thor is small--tiny, indeed, +compared with the great men who are here with us." + +"Tiny, indeed!" roared Thor, in great wrath. "Let anyone you like come +and wrestle with me and I will show you if my strength is as tiny as +you seem to think." + +At this the giant pretended to look about him on the benches, saying: +"I don't see anyone here who would not think it beneath him to wrestle +with such a puny fellow. Let me see! Let me see! Ah! call hither my +old nurse, Elli, and let Thor wrestle with her if he wants to. She has +thrown to the ground before now men who thought themselves as strong +as this little Thor." + +At his call there came into the hall an old woman--so old that Thor +refused at first to close with her. But the giants mocked him so that +at length he seized her round the waist. Yet the tighter he grasped +her the firmer she stood. At length she began to grip him in her turn. +Thor lost his footing almost at once and, though he wrestled +valiantly, she brought him on to his knee. + +At this the giant interfered, saying that no more was necessary to +show who was the stronger, and that it was getting too late for any +more such contests. Then he bade them seat themselves at supper, and +after a royal feast conducted them to their beds with the kindest +hospitality. But Thor spent all that night in bitterness, for his +pride had been brought very low. + +At daybreak next morning the Asas and their companions arose and +prepared to depart. Before they set out, however, their host appeared +on the scene and insisted upon their eating a hearty breakfast, after +which he offered to show them the most direct way out of the city. + +As they set out, the Giant-King grew strangely silent and thoughtful +and did not speak to them until they stood outside the gates. Then as +they were about to bid him farewell, he suddenly asked Thor how he +thought his journey had turned out. + +To this Thor, deeply humbled and mortified by all that had occurred, +said that he felt much disgraced at the knowledge that henceforth the +giants would call him a man of little account. But to his intense +surprise the giant shook his head, saying: "Had I my way, you should +never enter this city again, and if I had known before how strong you +were, you should never have come into it, for you have very nearly +brought utter ruin upon us all. + +"Know then, first of all, that I have deceived you with magical +delusions the whole time. For I was that giant Skrymir who met you in +the woods, and who tied up the mouth of the provision sack with +invisible iron threads, so that you could not unloose it. + +"That same night you struck with your hammer three great blows upon my +head, the least of which would have made an end of me if it had hit +me. But in the darkness I managed each time to bring a mountain +between me and your hammer without your seeing it; and if you want to +see the marks you made in it you have but to look at that mountain +above my city, with its top cloven into three great dales. + +"Next, when you came to my hall, Loki contested with Logi, my +courtier, as to who should eat the fastest. But he whose name was Logi +is really _Fire_, and in consequence he could eat up trough and bones +and all in no time. When Thialfi ran his race, he ran against Hugi, +who is no other than _Thought_, and no one, of course, can run as fast +as he. + +"When you yourself drank from that horn, then indeed was seen a marvel +which I should never have thought possible. You did not see that one +end of the horn stood in the sea, which you were drinking all the +time. And when you reach the shore you will see how much the sea has +ebbed by your draughts. + +"Nor was it less marvellous to me that you lifted up the paw of the +cat. For that cat was none other than the Serpent which lies around +the whole earth with its tail in its mouth. When it took the form of a +cat you lifted it so that it was obliged to arch itself almost up to +the sky; and then we all trembled, for we feared that you would pull +it altogether out of the sea. + +"Your struggle with Elli was perhaps the most amazing of all. For she +is _Old Age_, of whom none has ever got the better. + +"And now depart, O Asa folk, and 'twill be better for us both if we +never see each other again." + +Now when Thor heard how he had been tricked, he grasped his hammer +with intent to dash both the giant and his city in pieces. But when he +looked for them, both had disappeared, and he found himself standing +with his companions in the midst of a large plain, on which was no +sign of habitation. + +Then he knew that the power of the Giant folk would not yield to +force, and thinking of their strange adventures Thor and his +companions returned to Asgard. + + + + +CHAPTER X + +How Thor's Hammer was Lost and Found + +_This is the tale the Northmen tell of how +Thor's Hammer was lost and found._ + + +Most precious in the eyes of Thor was his magic hammer, Miölnir, of +which even the mighty Frost Giants stood in dread. + +Always he laid it by his side when he went to rest, and always it was +the first thing for which his hand was outstretched when he awoke. +Judge then of his horror and dismay when, on opening his eyes one +morning, the hammer was nowhere to be seen. + +Starting up with a roar of rage, Thor commenced to search everywhere +for the missing weapon. Up and down his wonderful palace, built of the +thunder clouds, he tramped, with a noise that shook the whole city of +Asgard. But the hammer was not to be found. + +Then he called upon golden-haired Sif, his wife, and bade her help in +the search; and still the hammer was nowhere to be seen. It was clear +that someone must have stolen it, and, when he realised this, Thor's +wrath broke all bounds. His bristling red hair and beard stood up on +end, and from them flew a whole volley of fiery sparks. + +Presently, as the angry Asa was shaking the palace with his thunderous +voice, Red Loki came along to inquire into the trouble. He was not +likely to sympathise with Thor, but, always brimful of curiosity, he +loved to have a part in everything that happened. + +"What's the matter, Asa Thor?" said he; and Thor replied, lowering his +voice as he spoke, for he did not want his loss to be too widely +known: + +"Now listen to what I tell thee, Loki--'tis a thing which is known +neither on earth below nor in heaven above. My hammer's gone." + +This news was most interesting to Loki, who had long owed Thor a +grudge, which he was afraid to pay openly. "Ho, ho!" said he. "Then +shall we soon have the giants turning us out of Asgard, brother Thor." + +"Not if you use your wits as you know how," growled Thor, still in a +very bad temper. "Come, you call yourself a clever fellow. Find out +for me who has robbed me of my thunderbolt, my hammer, my Miölnir." + +Then Loki gave a grin and a wink, and promised to do what he +could--not because he cared for Thor, but because he loved to be of +importance, and was, moreover, really frightened as to what might +happen to Asgard if the magic hammer was not at hand. + +It was not long before he noticed that an extraordinary kind of +tempest was raging in the regions below--not an orderly kind of +tempest, with first some thunder, and then some rain, and then a gust +of wind or two, such as Thor was wont to arrange, but a mixture of +hail and wind and thunder and lightning and rain and snow, all raging +together in a tremendous muddle, so that the earth folk thought the +end of the world was come. + +This gave Loki a hint, and he began to peer about between the clouds, +until at length he saw that the trouble was coming from a certain hill +which stood in the centre of Giantland. + +Now on the top of this hill lived a certain Thrym, prince of the Frost +Giants, who for a long time past had been very envious of the might of +Thor. He had, indeed, done his best to imitate him as far as he could, +and had managed to get up a very good imitation of lightning and hail +and rain; but he had not been able to manage the thunderbolts, for +they could only be made by means of Thor's hammer, Miölnir. + +All this was well known to Red Loki, and he was therefore not at all +surprised to find that, somehow or other, Thrym must have got hold of +the magic weapon; for here were thunderbolts crashing about the earth +and sky at a terrible rate. + +When informed of the discovery, Thor flew into a still more tremendous +rage, and wanted to rush off at once to try conclusions with the +giant. But Loki, who loved rather to get a thing by trickery and +deceit, persuaded him that violence would never do. + +"Remember," said he, "that Thrym _with_ the hammer is much stronger +than Thor without it. This is a matter which must be managed by clever +wit and craft, not by force and loud talking. Leave therefore the +whole matter to me." + +To this Thor very reluctantly agreed. + +Then Loki bethought him of some disguise wherein he might visit +Giantland in safety, for he was not at all anxious to risk his life. +He betook himself to the House of Maidens, over which ruled Freya, +fairest of all in Asgard, she who was wont to shake the spring flowers +from her golden locks as she passed over the frozen uplands, leaving +behind her a region of green and smiling beauty. Loki found the +goddess, and begged the loan of her magic falcon plumes, in which she +was wont to flit to and fro over the earth; and when she learnt for +what purpose he needed them she gladly assented. + +Then Loki took the appearance of a great brown bird, and spreading his +wings he flew away towards Giantland. + +It was a long journey, as he already knew, and, although the tempest +had now ceased to rage, he found the country of the giants darker and +colder and drearier than ever. + +The longest journey comes to an end, and at length Loki reached a +mountain where sat the Giant Thrym, his huge legs dangling to the +ground, playing with a puppy as large as an elephant. + +Perching as near as he dared, Loki gazed at the giant with his bright, +round eyes, and was wondering how to begin, when Thrym, who, at a +glance, had seen completely through his disguise, said calmly, in a +voice as much as possible like Thor's thunderous roar: "Oh, ho! Loki, +what are you doing so far from Asgard? Are you not afraid, little +fellow as you are, to venture alone into our country?" + +Then Loki, thinking to win his way by flattery, replied: "Sad indeed +is it in Asgard, now that Miölnir has vanished. Clever was that one +who spirited it away from the very side of Thor. Methinks none but you +could have done it, O mighty Thrym!" + +Pleased with the compliment to his cleverness the giant chuckled +before admitting: "Ay, Loki, the hammer is mine, 'tis very true; and +now men will know who really is the Thunderer." + +"Ah well!" sighed cunning Loki, "some men are strong by reason of +their weapons, and some are just as strong without. Small need have +you, O mighty Thrym, for hammers, but Thor is naught without it. Yet, +since all the world knows that you are his master, let him have his +plaything back, that we may cease to be troubled by his peevish +outcry." + +But though Thrym was as stupid as he was big, he was not to be caught +thus. + +"No, no, my little Loki," he said. "Mine is the hammer, and deep have +I buried it beneath the bottom of the sea. Go, tell this to your Asa +folk, and say to them that I will give it back on one condition +only--and that is, that they send me Freya, that fairest of maidens, +to be my wife." + +At this suggestion Loki could scarcely keep from laughing, for the +idea of sending the beautiful Freya, the joy and delight of Asgard, to +be the wife of this ill-favoured Frost Giant was too absurd for +words. + +It was not much to him, however, what happened to anyone except +himself, so he hastened to reply: "Be sure, O Thrym, that everything I +can do to further the matter shall be done. And if Freya is of the +same mind as I you will soon be welcoming that most sweet maiden to +Giantland--farewell!" + +So saying, he spread his brown wings and flew back to Asgard, +delighted to think of the mischief he could now set brewing. + +First of all he visited Thor, and told him of what had passed. And the +Thunderer, when he heard of Thrym's boastful words, was filled with +wild wrath and wanted to start off, then and there, and wrest the +hammer from the depths of the sea. But Loki pointed out the +difficulties that stood in the way and, leaving the Asa to ponder over +his words, he hurried off to Freya and informed her of Thrym's +proposal. + +The beautiful Freya was walking in her garden, and round her neck she +wore her famous necklet of stars. When she heard Loki's suggestion +that she should wed a hideous giant she fell into such a rage that she +broke her necklace, and all the stars went falling through the sky, so +that men cried: "See how the stars are shooting!" + +Meantime the Asa folk had met together to consider all that had +happened, and, having calmed the fury of Thor, they pointed out to him +that Asgard stood in the gravest danger of an attack which would find +them quite unprotected. When they had said this several times over, +Thor began to weary of the subject, and he replied with great +surliness: "Very well, then. Let Freya go to Thrym as his wife, and +then shall we be as before, with Miölnir to defend us." + +When Freya heard this, her rage turned to tears and lamentations, and +she declared that it would be death to her to send her to the gloomy +halls of Giantland, whence she could never hope to revisit the flowery +meads and grassy slopes of Asgard. And the Asas, unable to bear the +sight of her grief, with one voice declared that they would never +spare her from the Home of Bliss. + +Then there stepped forward Heimdall, the watchman who sits on guard +over the Rainbow Bridge by night and day. + +Now Heimdall had the gift of seeing into the future, and the Asas were +always ready to hear his words, well knowing them to be wise. + +"My plan is this," said he. "Let Thor borrow the clothes of Freya and +put a thick veil over his face; and let him go thus to Thrym's castle +and pass for his bride. And if he cannot by some means manage to get +hold of the hammer when he is there--why, he must give it up +altogether." + +At this suggestion the Asas clapped their hands with approval--all, +indeed, save Thor, who looked most glum, and was extremely unwilling +to agree to the plan. + +"Dress me as a bride!" he grumbled. "A pretty maiden I shall make. +Ready enough am I to fight, but I will not make myself a +laughing-stock if I know it." + +But the Asas besought him to give way, while Loki twitted him with +cowardice. Fair Freya, too, appealed with tearful eyes; and so at +length, with great reluctance, the Thunderer agreed to do what they +wished. + +Fortunately the maiden Freya was very tall, but even so it was with +some difficulty that they managed to cover the burly form of Thor with +her robes. + +He insisted, moreover, upon wearing his own shirt of mail and his +girdle of strength; and these took much drapery to hide. Great was the +laughter in the halls of Asgard that night as the Battle Maidens +brushed and curled Thor's long yellow hair, and set a jewelled +headdress upon it; and finally, when the maidens proceeded to cover up +his thick beard and angry eyes with a silken veil, the mirth of the +Asas was unrestrained. To complete the disguise, the maidens hung +round his neck the famous necklet, which had now been re-strung, and +finally Frigga, the wife of All-Father Odin, secured at his girdle the +great bunch of keys proper to brides at a wedding in the Northland. + +While this was being done, Loki, more than all, had been convulsed +with merriment at the success of his mischief-making. The very sight +of Thor's disgusted looks, and of his great hands clenched with rage +under the delicate veil, nearly killed him with laughter; and when all +was ready he declared himself unable to lose an atom of the fun in +store. + +"Let me go with you," he implored. "See, I will dress myself as your +handmaiden. Ah, you had better agree, for without me to prompt you, +you will never play your part." + +So Loki was dressed as a waiting-maid, and took his seat very +demurely by the side of Thor in the goat-car. Loud was the laughter in +Asgard as the Asas watched the two drive off together and heard the +roar of the Thunderer's voice issuing from the folds of a meek +maiden's veil as he urged his goats upon their course. Long and stormy +was that ride to Giantland, for Thor was still in the worst of +tempers, and drove his chariot so furiously that + + "The mountains crashed, + The earth stood in flames," + +as the hoofs of the goats clattered over mountains and waters, +striking sparks wherever they touched a rock. + +Thrym was much overjoyed when he heard that a chariot containing the +two maidens was approaching his door. Away ran his servants in +different directions, some with orders to make ready a grand banquet, +some to prepare the chamber of the bride, some to receive her at the +door. + +The giant himself assisted them to alight, and looked with admiration +at the stately figure of his bride; but he made no attempt to see her +face, since it is the custom in the Northland for the bride to remain +veiled until the marriage has been completed. + +"A bride worthy of a giant!" murmured his servants, as he led her to a +lofty seat beside his own great throne of gold; and they looked with +approval also on the buxom form of the waiting-maid, who stood, +closely veiled, behind her mistress' chair. + +Now the journey had been long and cold, and it was with joy that the +new-comers noticed that the preparations for the banquet were +complete, for they were exceedingly hungry. + +The giants are huge eaters, and they gathered round the board, whereon +were displayed an enormous ox roasted whole, a vast dish of salmon and +various other dainties. But because the bride was a woman, and modest +withal, they brought her tiny morsels on a dainty golden plate. + +This was too much for Thor, who had always possessed a most healthy +appetite, and was now more than usually ready for his supper. +Gradually drawing nearer to the table, whilst the others were busy +with the meal, he managed to get hold of the dish of roasted ox, and +within a few minutes the whole of the animal had disappeared. + +Then he put out his hand to the platter of salmon, and in eight +mouthfuls disposed of eight of the great fish. After this he noticed a +large plate full of cakes and sweetmeats, which was set apart for the +ladies of the party. Of these, too, he made short work. Finally, +feeling thirsty after his huge meal, he took up two barrels of mead, +and tossed them off, one after another, down his capacious throat. +Then he sat back on his chair with a sigh of deep content. + +These proceedings had been watched by Loki with uneasiness, but by +Thrym with open-mouthed dismay. Was this the usual appetite of this +dainty maiden, who had eaten more than the company of giants? But Loki +bent towards him and whispered in his ear that the thought of marrying +had so excited Freya that she had eaten nothing for eight days, and +had therefore been on the point of starvation. + +This reassured the giant, and being now himself filled with mead he +drew nearer and, lifting a corner of the veil, tried to kiss the cheek +of his future bride. + +But Thor, who was longing to be at close grips with him, threw him +such a fiery glance that he drew quickly back, saying: "Why does fair +Freya's eye burn like a spark from a furnace?" "Pooh!" whispered Loki +again, "that is nothing but her love for you, which for eight days has +raged like a flaming fire." + +This news was still more pleasant to hear, and Thrym, in high good +humour, cried: "Bring in the hammer, my wedding gift, wherewith to +plight the maid. For when I have laid it on her lap she will be my own +for ever, and together we will work dire evil against the Asa folk, +whom I hate with all my heart." + +What was that unmaidenly sound that issued from under the silken veil +at these words? But though Loki turned pale to hear it, Thrym, busy +sending for the hammer, did not pay any heed. + +Back came the giant's servants at length, bending under the weight of +Miölnir. And as they bowed before the silent maiden, sitting with +meekly bent head upon the throne, Thrym cried with a merry jest: "See, +here is little Thor's tiny plaything--a pretty toy truly for his +feeble hands. Take it, fair Freya, as my wedding gift." + +"And take _that_ as mine!" roared Thor, in a voice of thunder, as he +flung off the veil and rose to his full height. And with the words he +swung the hammer once--and ere the eye could follow its movement, it +had crashed through Thrym's skull, and had knocked over a round dozen +of his guests. Yet again did it swing in the Asa's hand, and this time +it left not a giant standing in the hall. + +A third time it was swung, and on this occasion the roof and walls of +the palace came tumbling on every side, and only Thor and Loki were +left alive amid the ruins. + +"Ha! ha!" laughed Red Loki, "that was neatly done, fair Freya." + +Thor, who was now busily tearing off the hated robes and veil, stayed +to look threateningly at his companion. "No more of that, Loki," said +he, "the thing had to be done, 'tis true, but talk not to me again of +this woman's work. We will remember only that I am the Thunderer, and +that my hammer that was lost is found." + +So they drove back peacefully to Asgard. + +And this is the end of the tale of How Thor's Hammer was lost and +found. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +The Giant's Daughters + +_This is the tale the Northmen tell of how +the Giant's Daughters tried to kill Thor._ + + +Ugliest and wickedest of all the giants was Geirrod, who lived in a +great gloomy castle away in a dark corner of Giantland, with his two +giant daughters, Gialp and Greip. + +Hideous, indeed, were they, for, besides being of huge misshapen +figure and clumsy of feature, the one had red eyes and the other had +perfectly black teeth. + +Now, when Geirrod heard of the death of Thrym, his brother, he waxed +very wroth, and swore with a great oath that he would never rest till +he had wreaked vengeance on Thor. + +Loudly he described the terrible things he would do to him if only he +could catch him without his hammer, his belt of power, and his gloves +of might; and one ugly daughter blinked her red eyes, and the other +gnashed her black teeth, and both clamoured to have what might be left +of the Asa when their father had finished with him. + +Meantime Thor was not even aware of the existence of these folk, and +it did not seem at all likely that he would put himself in their way. + +About the time that Geirrod was thus breathing out threats against the +Thunderer, Loki grew restless within the walls of Asgard, and, +recalling the fun he had had when he visited Giantland in the guise of +a bird, he went to Freya once more with intent to borrow her falcon +dress. But Freya would not lend it again, for she had no liking for +Red Loki. So the mischievous fellow waited for a moment when she was +busy watering the blades of young corn, and stole the dress. + +Only a few moments passed ere Loki was on the wing. To and fro he +flitted for awhile, and then directed his flight towards Giantland, +until at length, as luck would have it, he found himself hovering +above the towers of Geirrod's castle. + +The giant and his family were sitting at their great table as Loki +arrived upon the scene. Peering through the open window he could see +the ugly trio snatching at the joints from the smoking dishes, and +half choking themselves in their efforts each to eat faster than the +rest. + +Perching on the window-sill, Loki could not resist a croaking chuckle +of amusement, and at the same time his great wings shut out much of +the light, so that the giant's attention was attracted, and he looked +quickly up. + +"Ho! Catch me yon bird!" he cried to one of his servants, for there +was that about the appearance of the falcon that revealed the truth to +Geirrod at a glance. + +The servant leapt at once to the window-sill; but the ledge was too +high for him, and Loki croaked and chuckled at his vain attempts, +keeping all but within reach in order to increase the fun. + +But suddenly the servant, giving an extra high spring, managed to get +a grip of the sill, and as Loki spread his wings in flight he found +his feet firmly caught in some ivy. In vain he struggled to get free, +the servant seized him fast and carried him off in triumph to Geirrod. + +"Who are you?" asked the giant; but Loki only blinked and made no +reply. + +"What are you doing here?" he demanded again; but still he got only a +blink for answer. + +"Who sent you to spy upon us?" roared Geirrod; Loki gave only another +blink. + +Then the giant arose in wrath, and, declaring that hunger and thirst +were the best things in the world to teach a bird to talk, he locked +the unfortunate Asa in a strong cage, with neither food nor drink. + +For three whole months he languished, and then at last, being at the +point of death, he croaked out feebly that he was Asa Loki, and +promised anything in his power if Geirrod would only set him free. + +This was the chance which the giant had been waiting for. + +"Bring me here," said he, "yon Thor of whom I hear so much, and see +that he comes without his hammer or his belt of strength or his gloves +of might." + +And this Loki promised to do. + +As soon as he was able, Loki flew back to Asgard, with a fine story +composed upon the way. He told Thor that during his three months' +absence he had been a welcome guest at the hall of a friendly giant, +Geirrod by name; and that, when he had reluctantly torn himself away, +the giant had expressed the strongest wish that he would revisit him, +along with Thor the Thunderer, of whose brave deeds he had often heard +tell. + +Flattered by these honeyed words, Thor readily fell into the trap and +agreed to accompany Loki to Geirrod's hall. He even laid aside his +hammer, girdle, and gloves, when Loki pointed out that to wear such +things would not be courteous to their friendly host. + +Then the two set forth together. + +Now on their way they passed the house of Grid, a kindly old giantess, +who had long been a friend of Thor's. Sitting in her doorway, she saw +them pass by, and beckoned to Thor to come to her, while Loki, +unsuspecting, went on his way. + +"Whence goest thou, Asa Thor?" asked the old giantess. + +"To Geirrod's hall, good mother," he cheerfully replied. "Do you know +him?" + +"Know him!" said Grid, with a hoarse chuckle. "Is there anyone who +does not know Geirrod? But why, my son Thor, do you go unarmed to the +hall of the strongest and wickedest of all the giants?" + +Then Thor ground his teeth, exclaiming: "This is another trick of that +rascal Loki! And now, what is to be done, for if I return to fetch +Miölnir, and my girdle of strength and my gloves of might, they will +say that Thor is afraid." + +Now Grid was possessed of a girdle of strength, a staff of power, and +gloves of might, and these she produced and gave to Thor, bidding him +say not a word about them. + +And when Thor had thanked her he resumed his way after Loki. + +Presently the two Asas came to the brink of a river which is the +largest in all the world, and the waves were dashing far above their +heads. Then Thor buckled on the belt of strength and, taking the staff +firmly in his grasp, he stepped boldly into the water, while Loki +clung to his belt, for he was afraid. Higher and higher rose the +waves, and if Thor had not kept a firm grip on the staff of power he +must have been washed away. But Loki, overcome with fear, let go of +the belt and was carried by the waves back whence he came; and from +thence he hastened back to Asgard as fast as he could run. + +When Thor had reached midstream he saw Gialp, the red-eyed daughter of +the giant, stirring up the water at its source with intent to +overwhelm him. So, stooping quickly, he took up out of the river an +enormous rock and threw it at her. He was not wont to miss his mark, +and the giantess fled, howling. At once the waters abated, and Thor, +seeing a mountain ash over-hanging the river caught at it and pulled +himself safely ashore. + +This is why the mountain ash from that time has been called "Thor's +Salvation." + +Wearied with his journey, Thor gladly turned his steps towards +Geirrod's hall, which loomed out of the darkness near by. He was +received with much honour by the giant's servants, though Geirrod +himself had not yet returned home. + +A banquet had been prepared within the hall, and thither Thor was +conducted. But, somewhat to his surprise, he could see only one chair. +This, however, was large and roomy, draped round the legs and +comfortably cushioned, so the Asa was glad to throw his tired limbs +upon it. + +But scarcely had he done so, when the chair began to rise beneath him, +and it ascended towards the rafters with such force and speed that in +another moment Thor would have been crushed to death, had he not +retained his hold of the staff of power. This he now pushed against +the rafters, and at the same time he pressed down on the seat with +such force that he descended again with a loud crash, which was +mingled with shrieks and screams. For Gialp and Greip, the giant's +daughters, had hidden themselves under the chair, intending to kill +Thor, and had now met the fate which they had prepared for him. + +After this, Thor proceeded to eat a good supper, and scarcely had he +finished when the Giant Geirrod came striding into the hall. + +He gnashed his teeth horribly when he saw Thor sitting quite at home, +but he pretended that he was pleased at his visit, and at once invited +him into another hall, where a number of large fires were burning. + +Here he proceeded to challenge Thor to a contest of skill in throwing. +The Thunderer, nothing loth, bade Geirrod give the signal. + +But Geirrod, thinking to catch Thor off his guard, snatched up a +red-hot wedge of iron from the fire and flung it at him. + +Quick as lightning, Thor caught the wedge in his glove of might, and +so forcibly did he throw it back that it passed through the giant, +through the pillar in front of which he stood, through the wall of his +castle, and at last buried itself fathoms deep in the rock without. + +Nor was this all, for at the touch of the red-hot iron the body of +Geirrod was turned into stone; this Thor now took and set up on top of +a high mountain in Giantland; and it was long before any of the folk +of that country dared try conclusions with the Thunderer again. + +And this is the end of the tale of How the Giant's Daughters tried to +kill Thor. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +The Story of Balder the Beautiful + +_This is the tale the Northmen tell of the +sad fate of Balder the Beautiful._ + + +Fair beyond all the sons of Odin was Balder the Beautiful, Balder of +the snow-white brow and golden locks, and he was well beloved not only +by the Asa folk, but also by the men of the earth below. + + "Of all the twelve round Odin's throne, + Balder, the Beautiful, alone, + The Sun-god, good and pure and bright, + Was loved by all, as all love light." + +Balder had a twin-brother named Hoder, who was born blind. Gloomy and +silent was he, but none the less he loved his bright sun-brother best +of all in heaven or earth. + +The home of Balder was a palace with silver roof and pillars of gold, +and nothing unclean or impure was allowed to come inside its doors. + +Very wise in all magic charms was this radiant young god; and for all +others save himself he could read the future; but "to keep his own +life safe and see the sun" was not granted to him. + +Now there came a time when Balder's bright face grew sad and downcast; +and when his father Odin and his mother Frigga perceived this they +implored him to tell them the cause of his grief. Then Balder told +them that he had been troubled by strange dreams; and, since in those +days men believed that dreams were sent as a warning of what was about +to happen, he had gone heavily since these visions had come to him. + +First he had dreamt that a dark cloud had arisen which came before the +sun and shut out all brightness from the land. + +The next night he dreamt again that Asgard lay in darkness, and that +her bright flowers and radiant trees were withered and lifeless, and +that the Asa folk, dull and withered also, were sorrowing as though +from some great calamity. + +The third night he dreamt yet again that Asgard was dark and lifeless +and that from out of the gloom one sad voice cried: + +"Woe! Woe! Woe! For Balder the Beautiful is dead--is dead!" + +Odin listened to the recital of this story with heavy heart, and at +its conclusion he mounted his coal-black horse and rode over many a +hard and toilsome road till he came to the dark abode of Hela. And +there he saw, to his surprise, that a great banquet was being prepared +in the gloomy hall. Dishes of gold were set upon the table and all the +couches were covered with the richest silken tapestry, as though some +honoured guest were expected. But a throne that stood at the head of +the table was empty. + +Very thoughtfully Odin rode on through those dim halls till he came to +one where dwelt an ancient prophetess, whose voice no man had heard +for many a long year. + +Silent he stood before her, until she asked in a voice that sounded as +though it came from far away: "Who art thou, and from whence dost thou +come to trouble my long rest?" + +Now Odin was fearful that she would not answer him did he give his +real name, so he told her that he was the son of Valtam, and asked +anxiously for whom the grim goddess of death was preparing her +banquet. + +Then, to his great grief, the hollow voice of the prophetess replied +that Balder was the expected guest, and that he would shortly be sent +thither, slain by the hand of Hoder, the blind god of darkness. + +"Who then," asked Odin, in sorrowful tones, "shall avenge the death of +Balder?" + +And she answered that the son of the Earth-goddess, Vali by name, +should neither + + "Comb his raven hair + Nor wash his visage in the stream, + Nor see the sun's departing beam, + Till he on Hoder's corse shall smile + Flaming on the funeral pile." + +And learning thus of the fate of his two favourite sons, All-Father +Odin went sadly back to Asgard. + +Meantime Mother Frigga had not been idle. Filled with anxiety for her +darling son, she decided to send her servants throughout the earth, +bidding them exact a promise from all things--not only living +creatures, but plants, stones, and metals, fire, water, trees and +diseases of all kinds--that they would do harm in no way to Balder the +Beautiful. + +Theirs was an easy task, for all things loved the bright Sun-god, and +readily agreed to give the pledge. Nothing was overlooked save only +the mistletoe, growing upon the oak-tree that shaded the entrance to +Valhalla. It seemed so insignificant that no one thought it worth +while to ask this plant to take the oath. + +The servants returned to Frigga with all the vows and compacts that +had been made; and the Mother of Gods and Men went back with heart at +ease to her spinning-wheel. + +The Asa folk, too, were reassured, and, casting aside the burden of +care that had fallen upon them, they resumed their favourite game upon +the plains of Idavold, where they were wont to contend with one +another in the throwing of golden disks. + +And when it became known among them that nothing would hurt Balder the +Beautiful they invented a new game. + +Placing the young Sun-god in their midst, they would throw stones at +him, or thrust at him with their knives, or strike with their wooden +staves; and the wood or the knife or the stone would glance off from +Balder and leave him quite unhurt. + +This new game delighted both Balder and the Asa folk, and so loud was +their laughter that Loki, who was some distance away pursuing one of +his schemes in the disguise of an old woman, shook with rage at the +sound. For Loki was jealous of Balder and, as is usual with people who +make themselves disliked, nothing gave him such displeasure as to see +a group of the Asas on such happy terms with each other. + +Presently, in his wanderings, Loki passed by the house of Fensalir, in +the doorway of which sat Frigga, at her spinning-wheel. She did not +recognise Red Loki, but greeted him kindly and asked: + +"Old woman, dost thou know why the gods are so merry this evening?" + +And Loki answered: "They are casting stones and throwing sharp knives +and great clubs at Balder the Beautiful, who stands smiling in their +midst, daring them to hurt him." + +Then Frigga smiled tranquilly and turned again to her wheel, saying: +"Let them play on, for no harm will come to him whom all things in +heaven and earth have sworn not to hurt." + +"Art thou sure, good mother, that _all_ things in heaven and earth +have taken this vow?" + +"Ay, indeed," replied Frigga, "all save a harmless little plant, the +mistletoe, which grows on the oak by Valhalla, and this is far too +small and weak to be feared." + +And to this Loki replied in musing voice, nodding his head as he +spoke: "Yea, thou art right, great Mother of Gods and Men." + +But the wicked Asa had learnt what he desired to know. The instrument +by which he might bring harm to Balder the Beautiful was now awaiting +him, and he determined to use it, to the dire sorrow of Asgard. + +Hastening to the western gate of Valhalla, he pulled a clump of the +mistletoe from the oak, and fashioned therefrom a little wand, or +stick, and with this in his hand he returned to the plain of Idavold. +He was far too cunning, however, to attempt to carry out his wicked +design himself. His malicious heart was too well known to the Asa +folk. But he soon found an innocent tool. Leaning against a tree, and +taking no part in the game, was Hoder, the blind god, the twin-brother +of Balder, and to him he began: + +"Hark to the Asas--how they laugh! Do you take no share in the game, +good Hoder?" + +"Not I," said Hoder gloomily, "for I am blind, and know not where to +throw." + +"I could show you that," said Loki, assuming a pleasant tone; "'tis no +hard matter, Hoder, and methinks the Asas will call you proud and +haughty if you take no share in the fun." + +"But I have nothing to throw," said poor blind Hoder. + +Then Loki said: "Here, at least, is a small shaft, 'twill serve your +purpose," and leading innocent Hoder into the ring he cunningly guided +his aim. Hoder, well pleased to be able to share in a game with his +beloved brother, boldly sped the shaft, expecting to hear the usual +shouts of joyous laughter which greeted all such attempts. There fell +instead dead silence on his ear, and immediately on this followed a +wail of bitter agony. For Balder the Beautiful had fallen dead without +a groan, his heart transfixed by the little dart of mistletoe. + + "So on the floor lay Balder dead; and round + Lay thickly strewn swords, axes, darts, and spears, + Which all the gods in sport had idly thrown + At Balder, whom no weapon pierced or clove; + But in his breast stood fixed the fatal bough + Of mistletoe, which Loki the Accuser gave + To Hoder, and unwitting Hoder threw-- + 'Gainst that alone had Balder's life no charm." + +Dreading he knew not what, Hoder stood in doubt for some moments. But +soon the meaning of that bitter wail was borne in upon him, piercing +the cloud of darkness in which he always moved. He opened wide his +arms as though to clasp the beloved form, and then with: "I have slain +thee, my brother," despair seized him and he fell prostrate in utter +grief. + +Meantime, the Asa folk crowded round the silent form of Balder, +weeping and wailing; but, alas! their moans and tears could not bring +Balder back. At length, All-Father Odin, whose grief was too deep for +lamentations, bade them be silent and prepare to bear the body of the +dead Asa to the seashore. + +The unhappy Hoder, unable to take part in these last offices, made his +way sadly through Asgard, beyond the walls and along the seashore, +until he came to the house Fensalir. + +Frigga was seated upon her seat of honour before the fire against the +inner wall, and standing before her, with bent head and woeful +sightless gaze, Hoder told her of the dread mishap that had befallen. + +"Tell me, O mother," he cried in ending, and his voice sounded like +the wail of the wind on stormy nights, "tell me, is there aught I can +do to bring my brother back? Or can I make agreement with the dread +mother of the Underworld, giving my life in exchange for his?" + +Woe crowded upon woe in the heart of Frigga as she listened to the +story. The doom was wrought that she had tried so vainly to avert, +and not even her mother's love had availed to safeguard the son so +dearly cherished. + +"On Balder Death hath laid her hand, not thee, my son," she said, "yet +though we fail in the end, there is much that may be tried before all +hope is lost." + +Then she told Hoder of a road by which the abode of Hela could be +reached, one which had been travelled by none living save Odin +himself. + + "Who goes that way must take no other horse + To ride, but Sleipnir, Odin's horse, alone. + Nor must he choose that common path of gods + Which every day they come and go in heaven, + O'er the bridge Bifrost, where is Heimdall's watch. + + But he must tread a dark untravelled road + Which branches from the north of heaven, and ride + Nine days, nine nights, toward the northern ice, + Through valleys deep engulfed, with roaring streams. + And he will reach on the tenth morn a bridge + Which spans with golden arches Giöll's stream. + Then he will journey through no lighted land, + Nor see the sun arise, nor see it set; + + And he must fare across the dismal ice + Northward, until he meets a stretching wall + Barring his way, and in the wall a grate, + But then he must dismount and on the ice + Tighten the girths of Sleipnir, Odin's horse, + And make him leap the grate, and come within." + +There in that cheerless abode dead Balder was enthroned, but, said +Frigga, he who braves that dread journey must take no heed of him, nor +of the sad ghosts flitting to and fro, like eddying leaves. First he +must accost their gloomy queen and entreat her with prayers: + + "Telling her all that grief they have in heaven + For Balder, whom she holds by right below." + +A bitter groan of anguish escaped from Hoder when Frigga had finished +her recital of the trials which must be undergone: + + "Mother, a dreadful way is this thou showest; + No journey for a sightless god to go." + +And she replied: + + "... Thyself thou shalt not go, my son; + But he whom first thou meetest when thou com'st + To Asgard and declar'st this hidden way, + Shall go; and I will be his guide unseen." + +Meantime the Asa folk had felled trees and had carried to the seashore +outside the walls of Asgard a great pile of fuel, which they laid upon +the deck of Balder's great ship, _Ringhorn_, as it lay stranded high +up on the beach. + + "Seventy ells and four extended + On the grass the vessel's keel; + High above it, gilt and splendid, + Rose the figurehead ferocious + With its crest of steel." + +Then they adorned the funeral pyre with garlands of flowers, with +golden vessels and rings, with finely wrought weapons and rich +necklets and armlets; and when this was done they carried out the fair +body of Balder the Beautiful, and bearing it reverently upon their +shields they laid it upon the pyre. + +Then they tried to launch the good ship, but so heavily laden was she +that they could not stir her an inch. + +The Mountain-Giants, from their heights afar, had watched the tragedy +with eyes that were not unpitying, for even they had no ill-will for +Balder, and they sent and told of a giantess called Hyrroken, who was +so strong that she could launch any vessel whatever its weight might +be. + +So the Asas sent to fetch her from Giantland, and she soon came, +riding a wolf for steed and twisted serpents for reins. + +When she alighted, Odin ordered four of his mightiest warriors to +hold the wolf, but he was so strong that they could do nothing until +the giantess had thrown him down and bound him fast. + +Then with a few enormous strides, Hyrroken reached the great vessel, +and set her shoulder against the prow, sending the ship rolling into +the deep. The earth shook with the force of the movement as though +with an earthquake, and the Asa folk collided with one another like +pine-trees during a storm. The ship, too, with its precious weight, +was well-nigh lost. At this Thor was wroth and, seizing his hammer, +would have slain the giantess had not the other Asas held him back, +bidding him not forget the last duty to the dead god. So Thor hallowed +the pyre with a touch of his sacred hammer and kindled it with a thorn +twig, which is the emblem of sleep. + +Last of all, before the pyre blazed up, All-Father Odin added to the +pile of offerings his magic ring, from which fell eight new rings +every ninth night, and bending he whispered in Balder's ear. + +But none to this day know the words that Odin spake thus in the ear of +his dead son. + +Then the flames from the pyre rose high and the great ship drifted out +to sea, and the wind caught the sails and fanned the flames till it +seemed as though sky and sea were wrapped in golden flame. + + "And while they gazed, the sun went lurid down + Into the smoke-wrapt sea, and night came on. + But through the dark they watched the burning ship + Still carried o'er the distant waters.... + But fainter, as the stars rose high, it flared; + And as, in a decaying winter fire, + A charr'd log, falling, makes a shower of sparks-- + So, with a shower of sparks, the pile fell in, + Reddening the sea around; and all was dark." + +And thus did Balder the Beautiful pass from the peaceful steads of +Asgard, as passes the sun when he paints the evening clouds with the +glory of his setting. + + _Note._--Most of the poetical extracts throughout this + chapter are taken from Matthew Arnold's "Balder Dead." + + +THE PASSING OF BALDER + + I heard a voice, that cried, + "Balder the Beautiful + Is dead, is dead!" + And through the misty air + Passed like the mournful cry + Of sunward sailing cranes. + + I saw the pallid corpse + Of the dead sun + Borne through the Northern sky. + Blasts from Niffelheim + Lifted the sheeted mists + Around him as he passed. + + And the voice for ever cried, + "Balder the Beautiful + Is dead, is dead!" + And died away + Through the dreary night, + In accents of despair. + + Balder the Beautiful, + God of the summer sun, + Fairest of all the Gods! + Light from his forehead beamed, + Runes were upon his tongue, + As on the warrior's sword. + + All things in earth and air + Bound were by magic spell + Never to do him harm; + Even the plants and stones; + All save the mistletoe, + The sacred mistletoe! + + Hoder, the blind old God, + Whose feet are shod with silence, + Pierced through that gentle breast + With his sharp spear, by fraud + Made of the mistletoe, + The accursed mistletoe! + + They laid him in his ship, + With horse and harness, + As on a funeral pyre. + Odin placed + A ring upon his finger, + And whispered in his ear. + + They launched the burning ship! + It floated far away + Over the misty sea, + Till like the sun it seemed, + Sinking beneath the waves. + Balder returned no more! + + LONGFELLOW. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +How Hermod Made a Journey to the Underworld + +_This is the tale which the Northmen tell of how +Hermod journeyed to the Underworld to bring +back Balder the Beautiful to Asgard._ + + +Of all the Asa folk most fleet of foot was Hermod, but on that sad eve +when Balder was laid upon the funeral pyre his step was lagging and +slow as he went to his home by the city wall. + +As he approached, there met him in the gloom a vague figure, that +walked with outstretched hands and faltering steps like one that is +blind. And Hermod knew it to be the form of Hoder of the sightless +eyes, brother to Balder and to him. + +But when he would have spoken Hoder brushed past, murmuring in his +ear: + + "Take Sleipnir, Hermod, and set forth with dawn + To Hela's kingdom, to ask Balder back; + and they shall be thy guides who have the power." + +Hermod bowed his head and passed on; but poor blind Hoder, +heartbroken, went his way to his own house and shut the door upon his +grief. + +When the first rosy fingers of dawn touched the clouds of morning +Hermod led out Sleipnir, the steed of Odin, from Valhalla, and rode +away. Sleipnir was not wont to permit any to mount him, or even to +touch his mane, save the All-Father himself; but he stood meekly as +Hermod mounted; for he knew upon what errand they were bound. + +Nine long days and nine long nights rode Hermod towards the realms of +ice and snow; and on the tenth morn he drew near to the golden bridge +which spanned Giöll, the greatest river in the world. + +A maiden of pale and downcast mien kept this bridge, with unsleeping +vigilance, and she now challenged Hermod as he approached: + + "Who art thou on thy black and fiery horse, + Under whose hoofs the bridge o'er Giöll's stream + Rumbles and shakes? Tell me thy race and home. + But yestermorn, five troops of dead passed by, + Bound on their way below to Hela's realm, + Nor shook the bridge so much as thou alone. + And thou hast flesh and colour on thy cheeks, + Like men who live, and draw the vital air; + Nor look'st thou pale and wan, like men deceased, + Souls bound below, my daily passers here." + +Then Hermod told his name and whence he came, and asked eagerly if +Balder had already crossed that bridge. And the maiden told him that +Balder had indeed passed that way along the road to Hela's kingdom. + +So Hermod galloped over the golden bridge, and resumed his way through +a darksome tract of frozen country, and over fields of ice unlighted +save by dim stars that shone uncertainly through the mist. At length +further passage was barred by a high wall in which was a grate. +Without hesitation Hermod put Sleipnir to this obstacle, he surmounted +it with the ease and grace of a fawn, and they found themselves in +Hela's realm. + +On passed Hermod, unheeding the murmuring shades that flocked around, +and he did not draw rein until, coming to Hela's hall, he saw there +Balder, his brother, and, near by, the awful goddess. + +Leaping from Sleipnir, the young Asa knelt before Hela and besought +her that Balder might ride home with him, that the heavy hearts of all +in Asgard might be comforted. + +But dark Hela shook her head, reminding him how Odin had cast her out +with her two brothers, the Serpent and the Fenris Wolf; why should she +grant the Asa folk this boon? + +Then Hermod laid his hands upon her knees. "All things in heaven and +earth grieve for Balder, therefore restore him, good mother, and +darken not our lives for evermore," he answered. + +The appeal in his mournful eyes, as well as in his words, somewhat +moved Hela, though her heart was still hardened against Odin, and she +said: "Come now, let us see if all things love Balder as you say, + + "Show me through all the world the signs of grief! + Fails but one thing to grieve, here Balder stops! + Let all that lives and moves upon the earth + Weep him, and all that is without life weep: + Let gods, men, brutes, beweep him; plants and stones. + So shall I know the lost was dear indeed, + And bend my heart, and give him back to heaven." + +Then Hermod was given permission to greet his brother, and Balder +answered him with faint voice. They spoke of Asgard, the beloved land +of living gods and heroes, and at parting Balder charged his brother +to carry the magic ring, Draupnir, back to Odin, and a kerchief and +other gifts to Frigga, as tokens of his love. And Hermod rode sadly +back along the weary road to Asgard. + +All-Father Odin from his high seat saw his son returning, and he +hastened forth to receive him. + + "And Hermod came, and leapt from Sleipnir down, + And in his father's hand put Sleipnir's rein + And greeted Odin and the gods." + +Then all the Asa folk assembled in the Council Hall, at the root of +the Tree of Life, to hear the message that Hermod had brought from the +joyless realms; and he told them of Hela's reply to his request, +saying: + + "... To your prayer she sends you this reply: + _Show her through all the world the signs of grief! + Fails but one thing to grieve, there Balder stops! + Let gods, men, brutes, beweep him; plants and stones; + So shall she know your loss was dear indeed, + And bend her heart, and give you Balder back._" + +When Hermod had ceased speaking, All-Father Odin arose, and leaning on +his great staff he looked slowly around and commanded: "Go ye quickly +forth through all the world and pray all living and unliving things to +weep for Balder dead." + +Then the gods arose willingly and went their way through all the +world, Thor in his goat chariot, and Freya in her carriage drawn by +white cats, but most of the others on swift horses. North, South, +East, and West, they rode, entreating all things to weep for Balder's +death. + + "And all that lived, and all without life, wept." + +Just as at the end of winter, before the springtime, when a warm +south-west wind blows over the land and melts the ice and snow, + + "A dripping sound is heard + In all the forests.... + And, in fields sloping to the south, dark plots + Of grass peep out amid surrounding snow, + And widen, and the peasant's heart is glad"-- + +so through the whole world was now heard the sound of falling tears, +as all things living and dead wept for Balder's sake. + +Hermod rode with the Storm-god, Niörd, who knew all the creeks and +hidden bays of the coastline of the earth; and when the sea-creatures +and those that live on the borders of the ocean heard the message they +all added their tribute of tears to the common cause. + +Now, as the Asas rode home together they came to a great wood upon the +borders of Giantland, where all the trees are of iron. And in the +midst of this wood was a cave, at the mouth of which sat an ancient +giantess, gnashing her teeth at all who passed by. + +This seeming giantess was none other but wicked Loki in disguise, but +this Hermod did not know. + +As the Asas came near, she greeted them with shrill laughter, and +asked them if it was dull in Asgard that they came thither to her iron +wood. But they answered that they came not for gibes but for tears, +that Balder might be saved. Then she laughed louder and cried: + + "Is Balder dead? And do ye come for tears? + Weep him all other things, if weep they will: + I weep him not! let Hela keep her prey." + +And with these mocking words she fled to the dark recesses of her +cave, repeating again and again: + + "Neither in life, nor yet in death, + Gave he me gladness. + Let Hela keep her prey." + +Heavy were the steps with which Hermod returned to Asgard, and when +they had heard the news of how one creature had refused her tears, the +eager faces of the Asa folk grew dark with woe, for they knew that +never more would they see Balder--Balder the Beautiful. + +But the future days brought peace to the tormented soul of Hoder, the +innocent cause of all their grief. + +For there was born to Odin a child who grew to his full size within a +few short hours. And on the first day that he arrived in Asgard he +fared forth with bow and arrow, and one of his shafts found mark in +the heart of Hoder. + +And so, from henceforth, the blind god and his twin-brother are +together in the realms of Hela. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +How Loki was Punished at Last + +_This is the tale the Northmen tell of how Red Loki +was punished at last for his sins._ + + +When the Asas knew that it was Loki, disguised as Thok, the +giant-woman, who had refused to shed the tears that would have won +Balder's release, they determined to bear with his presence in Asgard +no longer. + +So with many a hard word and ugly look they drove him forth, bidding +him never enter those gates again. + +But the Asa folk were still sad and heavy of heart: for at every +moment the gloom that lay over the city reminded them of the loss of +their bright young Balder. + +Ægir, god of the sea, saw their forlorn condition, and he prepared a +great banquet in the caves of coral that lie underneath the sea, and +bade all the Asas attend it as his guests. + + "That though for Balder every guest + Was grieving yet, + He might forget + Awhile his woe in friendly feast." + +The invitation was pleasing to the gods, and on the day appointed they +came, attired in their richest cloaks of silk and satin, green and +blue and yellow and purple, by a path through the waters whereby they +reached the coral caves of the Sea-god. + +Very beautiful were these caves. The walls and ceilings were carved +with the most delicate fret-work of pink and cream and white, and a +faint green light shone into them from the ocean without. + +The floor was covered with the finest silver sand, encrusted with +beautiful sea-shells, and the flowers with which the tables were +adorned were feathery sea-weeds and glowing sea-anemones. In the midst +of the floor was a mass of gold, so bright that it lighted up the +whole place as though with fire. + +The dishes upon the table were filled with the most delicious fish, of +every kind and variety, and the gods sat down to the feast well +pleased, regretting only the absence of the well-loved Balder, and the +fact that Thor had been detained by a tempest, which kept him busy in +the regions of the dwarfs, from whence he hoped to travel to the +sea-caves directly his work was done. + +Merrily went the banquet, for all the Asas were filled with goodwill +towards one another and towards their burly host, who sat at the head +of the board with his long grey beard sweeping his broad chest. + +Suddenly into the midst of this cheerful scene fell a black shadow +from the entrance to the cave; and there, red and gaunt, and evil of +countenance, stood Loki, glowering upon them all. + +At first the Asas sat in silence, their anger too deep for words. Then +Odin arose and sternly bade the intruder begone. + +This was the signal for a storm of hatred in words so evil that they +poisoned the air. For a time the Asas pretended not to heed, but went +on quietly with the meal. One of them even tried to drown his speech +by talking loudly to old Ægir in praise of the servant who waited so +deftly upon them all. But at the word Loki sprang forward, knife in +hand, and killed the unfortunate serving-man before their eyes. + +Then the Asa folk arose and cast out Loki with violence, threatening +him with dire punishment should he appear in their presence again. + +Resuming their seats at the interrupted feast, they made brave efforts +to appear gay and cheerful; but scarcely had they begun to eat when +Loki came creeping in again disguised as a sea-serpent. Once in, he +resumed his proper form and began as before to revile the gods, +taunting them one after another with the mistakes which each had made, +and telling his malicious stories, so that the gods were filled with +dismay, and with suspicion, each of his neighbour. + +Louder and louder grew the voice of Loki, the Asas all the time +sitting as if turned to stone, and now he began to heap abuse on the +head of Sif, the fair-haired wife of Thor. + +Suddenly there was heard outside the noise of goats' feet clattering +over the rocks, and in another moment the Thunderer entered, +brandishing his hammer about his head and crying: + +"Silence, thou wicked wretch, or my mighty hammer shall put a stop to +thy prating. At one blow will I strike thy head from thy neck, and +then will thy evil tongue be silenced once for all!" + +But Loki did not wait for Thor to strike. Quick as light he dashed out +of the cave and disappeared. He well knew that now at length he had +indeed lost all hope of forgiveness. + +Wandering in dismal wise about the earth, fear seized him after a time +lest Odin or the Thunderer should find and slay him, in order to +prevent further annoyance. + +So he made his way to the mountains of the North, and there he built +for himself a hut with four doors, open to every quarter of the earth, +that, if need arose, he might be able to escape quickly. + +He built this hut, moreover, close to a mountain side, down which +rushed a mighty cataract of water. For he intended, if the Asas found +him, to spring into the stream, change himself into a salmon, and so +make good his escape. + +But when, sitting within his cold and draughty hut, he began to +consider the matter afresh, he remembered that, even if he carried out +this plan, he would not yet be quite safe. + +For though he could easily avoid any hook that ever was made, he would +find it very difficult to evade capture if the gods should think of +making a net like that which the Sea-goddess, Ran, spreads for unwary +men when they are fishing or bathing in the sea, and all the time she +is lurking near in some cavern on the shore, or enmeshed in the dark +folds of a giant sea-weed in the ocean depths. + +So much and so long did Loki brood over the thought of Ran's +fishing-net, that at length he began to wonder if such a thing could +really be made, and then to try to weave one out of twine as much like +it as possible. + +He had not quite finished his curious task when upon the mountain, +just above the hut, he suddenly perceived the two mighty figures of +his dreaded foes. + +Knowing that their intention must be to enter his hut and make him +prisoner, Loki hastily threw the half-made net upon the fire, and +rushing forth he flung himself into the waterfall, where he quickly +changed himself into a salmon and lurked unseen among the stones in +the torrent's bed. + +Meantime, the two Asas had entered the hut. + +"Ho! ho!" said Odin, as he noted the silence of the place, "our bird +has flown." + +"What fresh mischief doth he plan?" muttered Thor, looking closely +about him. + +"Let us look further afield," urged Odin; but Thor kicked over the +logs on the hearth and picked out the half-burned net. + +Now Odin well knew the net of Ran, and the half-burnt strands +suggested to him the truth. So he set to work and, with Thor's +assistance, quickly mended the net, and they proceeded to drag the +mountain stream with it. + +At their first attempt sly Loki hid between two stones at the bottom +of the river, laughing in scorn as the net passed over his head. + +Then the Asas weighted the net with stones and tried again; but Loki +gave a great leap over the net, and dashed up stream. + +A third time they made the attempt, and now Loki, grown reckless, +leaped out of the water. But this time Thor caught him by his tail, +and held it fast in spite of its slipperiness. + +Then the gods forced him to resume his usual shape, and they carried +him off to an underground cavern, far below the earth, and there they +bound him fast to a rock with iron fetters. + +Most things in heaven and earth rejoiced at the downfall of wicked Red +Loki, but above all rejoiced Skadi the giantess. Her home was in the +cold mountain stream which Loki had invaded, and he had done her many +an ill turn in bygone days. + +This Skadi now took a poisonous serpent and fastened it above his +head, so that the venom of the reptile falling, drop by drop, upon his +face, would cause the most terrible pain. But Sigyn, Loki's loyal +wife, the only person in heaven or earth who cared what became of him, +took a cup and held it up to catch the burning drops as they fell, and +she only left his side when the cup was full and she had to empty it. + +In these brief periods, the fettered god howled with rage and pain, in +tones which echoed through the dismal caverns of earth like mighty +peals of thunder, and his writhing shook the earth to its foundations, +bringing the Northmen from their dwellings in terror of what they +thought to be violent earthquakes. + +But his efforts can avail nothing until the day of Ragnarok. Then +shall his bonds be loosed, and he shall fight his last battle and +fall, never to rise again. + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +The Story of the Magic Sword + +_This is the tale the Northmen tell of how a great feud +arose between the Volsungs and the Goths._ + + +Sigi, the son of Odin, was a man mighty in the hunt, and he lived in +the house of Skadi. And one day he went out to the woods with Bredi, +Skadi's servant, and they hunted deer all day long. But when they +gathered their spoil in the evening, it was found that Bredi had slain +far more than Sigi, and it vexed the soul of Sigi that a servant +should hunt better than his master. So, in his jealous rage, he fell +upon Bredi and killed him, and hid his body in a snowdrift, after +which he rode home in the gloaming, with the tale that Bredi had +ridden away from him into the wild woods. + +"Out of the sight of mine eyes he rode," said he, "and I know not what +has become of him." + +But Skadi did not believe his words--for Sigi's eyes looked sideways +as he spoke--and he sent and searched the woods, and the body of Bredi +was found in a snowdrift. Then, his dark suspicion being confirmed, he +took Sigi and put him forth from the land and commanded that he be an +outlaw for ever. + +Sigi embarked upon the ocean in a small boat, and he had not been +sailing long when a little skiff drew near, wherein was an old man +with one eye, wearing a broad-brimmed grey hat. This was none other +than Odin, who had come to succour his son, and he took the boat in +tow and brought Sigi to a war vessel manned with a brave crew, well +armed and provided, which he gave into his charge, promising that +victory in battle should always be his. + +Then Sigi took fresh heart and, ever aided by the powerful favour of +Odin, he won at length dominion and lordship over the great empire of +the Huns. + +Yet did he not escape punishment for the evil deed of his youth, for +when he was very old the favour of Odin forsook him; and the brother +of his wife, whom he trusted above all men, fell upon him with +treachery and slew him. + +But the son of Sigi was now a brave youth, and gathering the warriors +of his land he drove out his mother's kindred and took the kingdom for +himself. When peace had settled upon it he took unto him a wife, and +Frigga blessed them with a fine little son, whom they named Volsung. +But while the boy was yet quite young Rerir, his father, went out to +the wars and was killed, and the Battle Maidens carried him away to +Odin and the festal halls of Valhalla. + +The young Volsung grew mightily in valour and in strength, so that +when he had come to man's estate his renown was greater than that of +his father or grandfather, and all men knew him to be a true son of +the race of Odin. + +So in due time he became the founder of a great family, and the +builder of a mighty house. The walls of his dwelling were hung with +battle shields taken from the foe, and in the midst of the floor + + "Sprang up a mighty tree + That reared its blessings roofward, and wreathed the roof-tree dear + With the glory of the summer and the garland of the year." + +Underneath the branches of this gigantic "Branstock," as the tree was +named, dwelt Volsung and his wife and their eleven children. Ten +stalwart sons had he and one fair daughter, Signy by name. + +Now when Signy was become a tall and stately maiden, it came to pass +that Siggeir, King of the Goths, sent messages to beg that she might +be given to him in marriage. And because Volsung had heard a good +report of his success in war, he promised his daughter to him without +setting eyes upon his face. + +But when he came to claim the promise, Signy saw that her bridegroom +was small and dark and evil of countenance, different indeed from the +tall, fair, open-faced Northmen, and her heart sank within her. + +The sacred pledge had been given, however, and no Northland maiden +could draw back from the plighted word. + +True to her hero-blood, Signy went through the marriage ceremony with +seeming cheerfulness, and none but her twin-brother Sigmund knew her +grief. + +The wedding feast was celebrated with magnificence. Great fires burned +brightly along the hall, and the flickering flames cast a lurid glow +upon the huge oak which upreared its massive and fantastic shape in +the centre. + +Now, while the merry-making was at its height, there suddenly entered +a tall, old man with hat slouched over his eyes and huge grey cloak +around his majestic shoulders. + +Advancing to the Branstock, he drew his sword, and plunged it to the +very hilt in the great trunk. + +Then, as the assembled guests gazed at him in awe-struck silence, he +said: "Whoso draweth the sword from this stock shall have the same as +a gift from me, and it shall give him victory in every battle." + +There was something so attractive in the voice and mien of the speaker +that all men sat chained to their seats, as in a dream. And none +roused himself as the old man turned and passed through the hall and +out of the door. + +But as soon as Odin, for he it was, had vanished, all tongues were +loosed and there arose a great hubbub. And the men of noblest rank +went up one after another to the Branstock and pulled and tugged and +strained at the goodly sword. First of all went up King Siggeir, but +though he pulled till his eyes nearly started from his head, yet the +sword moved not an inch. + +Then Volsung put his hand to the sword, but it was not meant for him. +Neither could the Volsung princes, who followed one by one, do aught +to move it, until last of them came Sigmund, the youngest, and as soon +as he grasped the hilt he pulled the weapon out of the trunk as if it +had lain loose therein. + +It was indeed a weapon worthy of the gods, and when Siggeir looked +upon its shapely proportions his heart was fired with desire, and he +offered to buy it from the youth at thrice its weight in gold. + +But Sigmund answered: "Thou mightst have taken the sword as easily as +I if it had been thy lot to wear it. But now it has fallen to me, thou +shalt never have it, though thou dost offer all the gold thou hast." + +And thus began the fatal quarrel between the race of Siggeir and the +Volsungs, for at the words Siggeir's heart grew bitter against +Sigmund; and he determined that, when the time was ripe, he would put +an end to the Volsung race and take that sword to himself. + +But outwardly Siggeir was all that was fair and gentle. And when he +set sail with his bride to his own land, he begged King Volsung and +his sons to visit him as soon as possible. + +So, at an appointed time, King Volsung and his ten stalwart sons set +off to the kingdom of Siggeir with three brave ships; and after a fair +voyage they cast anchor late one eventide. + +During the night, as they lay on their ships, thinking to land next +morning, Signy, who had received tidings of their arrival, came in +secret to her father and brothers and begged them not to go ashore, +saying that her treacherous husband had laid an ambush for them, +whence they could not escape alive. She bade them therefore return to +their own land, and together, with a mighty army, come again to take +revenge upon King Siggeir. + +But the brave old Volsung shook his great white head, saying that +never yet had he or his turned back before fire or sword or hurt--and +he would not play the coward in his old age. + +"A hundred fights have I fought," said he, "and ever I had the +victory, nor shall it be said of me that I fled from a foe or prayed +for peace." + +Then Signy wept right sore, and prayed that she might stay with her +kinsmen, and not return to her husband. + +But this seemed not good in the eyes of Volsung, and he sent her back +sadly to her home. + +As soon as it was day, King Volsung went ashore with his folk, and all +were fully armed. But that availed them little; for Siggeir fell upon +them with a great army. The Volsungs were few in number, but they +fought with desperate courage, and no fewer than eight times did they +cut their way through their foes. They would have done so yet again, +had not Volsung fallen in the midst of his folk, and his followers +with him, save only his ten sons. + +Then the princes were taken and led, fast bound, into the presence of +Siggeir, who had watched the fight from afar; and when he had secured +the sword of Odin he condemned the young men to die. + +But Signy, wild with grief, besought her husband: "I will not pray +thee to spare their lives, but let them be first set awhile in the +forest, chained fast to a fallen oak; for there comes to me an old +saying--_'Sweet to eye while eye can see.'_ I pray not for longer life +for them, because well I know that my prayer will avail nothing." + +At this Siggeir laughed an evil laugh: "Surely thou art mad," he said, +"to wish that the suffering of thy brothers should be prolonged. I +care not, however, for the more pain they have to bear the better +shall I be pleased." + +So the ten young men were chained to an oak in the woods with a heavy +beam upon their feet, and Signy meantime was shut up in the palace +under close watch, lest she should try to succour them. + +Now it came to pass that at midnight there came up a great she-wolf +out of the wild woods, and she fell upon one of the brothers and +devoured him and went upon her way. + +Next morning Signy sent a trusty servant to bring tidings of her +brothers, and grievously she mourned when she heard that one was dead; +for she feared that the same fate would overtake all. + +Every morning she sent the man to the forest, and every morning he +returned with the news that the she-wolf had eaten up another of the +Volsung princes, until all save Sigmund were dead. Then Signy, in dire +despair, bethought herself of a plan, and she sent the messenger with +honey in his hand to her twin-brother, and bade him smear it over +Sigmund's face and feet and a little of it in his mouth. And it was +done as she commanded. + +And that same night, as Sigmund sat alone in the wild woods, the +she-wolf came up, according to her wont, and would have slain and +eaten him like his brothers. But first she smelt the honey and began +to lick his face all over, and finally thrust her tongue into his +mouth. + +Then Sigmund caught the she-wolf's tongue in his strong teeth and held +fast to it; and she, in her pain and terror, set her feet against the +beam and against the oak, and strained so mightily that beam and oak +gave way, and the chain that bound the prince snapped in twain. And +springing up, he killed the murderer of his brothers, that gaunt +she-wolf, and ran through the wild woods a free man. + +Now when Signy knew what had happened she was full of joy; and as her +husband thought that all the Volsungs were dead, and so kept watch +over her no longer, she was able to visit her brother where he lay +hiding in secret. Together they built for him a hut underground in the +wild woods, and they covered up the entrance with branches, moss, and +leaves, so that it was quite hidden from sight. To this retreat Signy +brought food and all things that were needed, and together in secret +they made plans to revenge their father and his nine brave sons. + +Now to Siggeir and Signy had been born two sons who, both in nature +and in face, were exactly like their father. When the eldest was ten +years of age, his mother sent him to Sigmund, that he might be trained +by a Volsung to avenge the death of his grandfather. + +Late at eventide he came to the earth-dwelling, and when Sigmund had +welcomed the boy he bade him make ready the bread for their evening +meal. "For I," said he, "must go seek firewood." And with these words +he gave the meal bag into his hands and left the hut. + +But he could see no trace of any bread making when he came back, so he +asked if the food was ready. + +"No," said the boy, "I dared not set hand in the meal sack, because I +saw something move in the meal." + +Then Sigmund knew that the boy had the heart of a mouse, and he sent +him back to his mother. + +The next winter Signy sent her second son to him, and Sigmund tested +him in like manner. But he too showed his coward's heart, and was sent +home again. + +As time went on Signy had another son, whom she called Sinfiotli. He +was tall and strong and fair of face, like unto the Volsungs; and +before he was ten years of age, she sent him to Sigmund. But first she +tested him herself by sewing his shirt to his skin and then suddenly +snatching it off again, whereat the child did but laugh at her, +saying: "Full little would a Volsung care for such a smart as that." + +So the boy came to Sigmund, who bade him knead the meal while he went +to fetch firewood. + +This time the bread stood ready baked upon the hearth when he came +back, whereupon he asked Sinfiotli if he had found nothing in the +meal. + +"Ay," said the boy, "I saw there was something living in the meal when +I first began to knead it; but I have kneaded all together, both the +meal and whatever was therein." + +Then Sigmund gave a great laugh, and caught the boy in his arms, +saying: "Naught wilt thou eat of this bread to-night, for thou hast +kneaded up therewith the most deadly of serpents." + +Though no sting from outside could harm Sinfiotli, he could neither +eat nor drink venom and live. But Sigmund could eat of the bread, +since no poison could harm him. + +From that day the training of the lad became Sigmund's constant care, +and he grudged no pains in the effort to make him worthy of a +Volsung's teaching. + +In his desire to make him hardy and daring beyond his years he took +Sinfiotli with him on all his expeditions. Together they lived the +wild life of outlaws, faring far and wide through the woods, and +slaying men for their wealth. And the boy forgot his father and +thought as a Volsung. + +Now it befell that on a day, as they roamed through the woods, they +came upon a certain house, wherein lay two men, with great gold rings +on wrists and ankles, fast asleep. Over their heads hung the skins of +two grey wolves, and by this Sigmund knew that they were king's sons +who had been turned into were-wolves. Every tenth night would they +come out of their wolf skins and return to them again at dawn. + +Then did Sigmund and Sinfiotli, half in jest, put on the wolf skins +while the men lay asleep; and having done this they could in nowise +rid themselves of them till the appointed time. They rushed forth +howling as wolves howl, though each knew the meaning of the sound, and +they lay out in the wild woods all that night. + +Next morning each prepared to go his separate way to seek food, and +first they made a compact that they would risk the attack of seven +men; but if more set upon them, each would howl for the other in +wolfish wise. + +"For thou art young and over-bold," said Sigmund, "and men will think +well of themselves when they take thee." + +Then each went his way, but before Sigmund had gone far he was +attacked by a band of eight men. Then he gave forth the long wolf +howl, and Sinfiotli came and slew them all, and returned his way +again. + +A few hours later eleven men met Sinfiotli in the woods and tried to +kill him, but he fought them in such wise that they were all slain. +Then, being weary, he crawled under an oak to take his rest. Soon came +Sigmund, and seeing the dead men lying on the ground, he asked: "Why +didst thou not call for help?" + +But Sinfiotli only yawned and said: "I was loth to call on thee to +help me slay so few as eleven men." + +These words so offended Sigmund that he sprang upon Sinfiotli and bit +him in the throat so sorely that he lay dead upon the ground. + +Then was Sigmund heavy at heart, for he had grown to love the boy, and +he cursed the wolf skin, from which he could not get free. With much +difficulty, however, he succeeded in dragging the body to the hut, +where he crouched beside it, howling for grief. + +Now, as he sat, he saw two weasels come from behind a tree, and one +bit the other in the throat, so that it lay to all appearance dead +upon the ground. Then the first weasel ran into a thicket and brought +a leaf in its mouth and laid it upon the wound; and immediately its +companion sprang up and scampered off, perfectly cured. A moment later +a raven, in his flight overhead, dropped a leaf of the same kind at +Sigmund's feet. + +Then he knew that Odin had sent to his aid, and he took the leaf and +drew it over Sinfiotli's hurt, and the lad sprang up quite well and +strong again. + +So they lay down together in their earth-house till the time came to +put off their wolf skins; and then they burnt them with fire and +prayed the Asa folk to let no further harm come through the spell of +the evil shapes. + +Now when Sinfiotli was grown to manhood, Sigmund having tried him +fairly and found him of true Volsung blood, plotted with him to avenge +his kinsmen and exact the penalty from King Siggeir. Wherefore, on a +certain day they left the earth-house and came to the palace of the +king; and they gained, unperceived, a lurking-place amongst the casks +of ale which were stacked in the entrance to the hall. + +Now Signy and the king were sitting in the hall, and two of their +younger children were trundling a golden ball along the floor. +Suddenly a golden ring came off the ball and rolled behind the casks +of ale, and the little ones ran after it and discovered the two big, +grim men with helmets on their heads and swords in their hands. + +Screaming with fright the children rushed to their father with news of +what they had seen. + +Then the king summoned his warriors, and a rush was made to where +Sigmund and Sinfiotli lay hidden. They were quickly surrounded; and +though they fought desperately, they were taken and fast bound. + +That night the king pondered what would be the worst and most +lingering death he could mete out to them; and when morning came he +ordered a great hollow mound of stones and turf to be made, with a +large flat stone, extending from wall to wall, in the midst; and he +ordered the prisoners to be buried alive, one on each side of this +stone, so that they could hear each other speak but might in nowise +pass through to one another. + +Now, while the servants were closing in the mound, came Signy along +with a bundle of straw in her arms, and this she cast down to +Sinfiotli, bidding the men say nothing of this to the king; and they +promised, and set the topmost stones, and left the two to die. + +Presently Sinfiotli called to Sigmund and said: "I at anyrate shall +not starve for awhile, for the queen has thrown in a lump of swine's +flesh wrapped in straw." + +A moment later he gave a shout of joy, for hidden in the meat he found +the magic sword of Sigmund, which he knew by the hilt, for Sigmund had +often talked to him of this weapon. + +He now drove the point with all his strength into the big stone, and +it passed quite through, so that Sigmund caught the point and pulled +to and fro; and in this wise they sawed right through that mighty +stone, and stood together in the mound. But they stayed not there, for +with that good sword they soon cut their way through stones and iron +and turf. + +Then, very softly, they crept to the king's hall where all men slept, +and set wood around it; and having secured the door they set fire to +the wood. + +It was not long ere the folk within were awakened by the smoke and +flames, and the king cried out: "Who kindled this fire in which I +burn?" + +"I," replied Sigmund, "with Sinfiotli, my sister's son, that you may +know well that all the Volsungs are not yet dead." + +Then he entreated his sister to come out into a place of safety; but +she would not. "Merrily now will I die with King Siggeir, though I was +not merry to wed him," said she, and she perished in the fire with her +husband and his men. + +Sigmund and Sinfiotli now gathered together folk and ships and +returned to the land of the Volsungs, where they were warmly welcomed. + +And thus ended the great feud between the Volsungs and the Goths. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +How Sigmund Fought His Last Battle + +_This is the tale the Northmen tell of how Sigmund took +Hiordis to wife, and was slain of the might of Odin._ + + +Now Sigmund in course of time became the greatest king of all the +Volsungs; and Sinfiotli was the captain of his host. + +And it came to pass that Sinfiotli loved a fair woman and desired to +have her for his wife; but the brother of Sigmund's queen was also in +love with her. So they fought together in a distant land, and +Sinfiotli slew his rival. + +Many another battle did he fight, until he had become renowned above +all men; and in the autumn-tide he turned home again. + +And when he had told all his news to King Sigmund he went to the +queen, and told how he had slain her brother in fair fight. Now when +she heard this the queen was wroth, and bade him begone from the +kingdom, nor would she listen to his words about the quarrel. But +Sigmund forbade him to depart, and, declaring that her brother had +been slain in fair fight, offered to his wife much gold in atonement +for the unhappy deed. + +Then the queen, seeing that her will was not likely to prevail, bowed +her head, and said: "Have thy way in this matter, my lord, for it is +right that so it should be." + +But in her heart she harboured evil thoughts against Sinfiotli. Then +she held a funeral feast for her dead brother, and bade thither many +great men. + +And at that feast, as was the custom in those days, the queen carried +horns of mead to the chief guests. And when she came to Sinfiotli in +his turn she put the mighty horn into his hands, saying, with a smile: +"Come now and drink, fair nephew." + +But Sinfiotli looked therein and said: "Nay; for there is a charm +within the mead." + +"Give it to me," quoth Sigmund, when he heard those words. And he took +the horn and drank off the mead. + +But the queen's face darkened, and she taunted Sinfiotli, saying: +"Must other men quaff thy drink for thee?" + +And she came a second time and gave the horn into his hands, saying: +"Art thou a coward after all? Come now and drink." + +But he looked into the horn, and lo: "Guile is in the drink," said he. + +Sigmund again seized the vessel, saying: "Give it then to me," and +drank the full draught. + +Then the queen came to Sinfiotli a third time, and mocked him, saying: +"How is this that thou fearest to take thy mead like a man? If thou +hast the heart of a Volsung, drink now thy portion." + +But again he looked on the horn, and said: "Venom is therein." + +Now Sigmund by this time was weary of drinking, and he said: "Pour it +through thy beard then, and all will be well." But Sinfiotli mistook +his meaning, and thought he desired him to drink the mead; and he +drank, and straightway fell down dead to the ground. + +Then the heart of Sigmund was full of grief at his kinsman's end. He +would let no man touch him, but took him in his arms and fared away to +the wild woods and so to the seashore. And behold, there was an old +man sitting in a little boat; on his head was a grey hat pulled well +over his face, and over his shoulders a blue-grey cloak. + +"Wilt thou be ferried across the bay?" asked the old man; and Sigmund +bowed his head. But the boat was too little to carry all at once; so +Sinfiotli was laid therein and Sigmund stood by on the shore. + +A moment later both boat and ferryman had vanished from before his +eyes. + +Then Sigmund knew that All-Father Odin had himself come for his +kinsman and had carried him to the halls of Asgard, and, after he had +mused awhile upon what had befallen, he returned to his folk; but +because of the wrong that she had done he would not look upon his +queen again, and soon afterwards she died. + +Now there lived in a neighbouring kingdom a mighty and famous king, +who had a daughter named Hiordis; and she was the fairest and wisest +of women. And it came to pass that King Sigmund heard it told of her +that she was the only woman who was fitted to be his wife; and he made +a journey to the court of the king her father, and looked on her and +loved her. And her father listened graciously to his proposal that he +should marry his daughter. + +But at that same time came King Lygni, son of Hunding; and he also +demanded the hand of Hiordis in marriage. And the king, fearful lest +trouble should come, called his daughter, and said: "Full wise art +thou, my daughter, and it is fitting that thou alone shalt choose thy +husband. Say now which of these two kings thou wilt have, and I will +abide by thy choice." + +And Hiordis said: "I will choose King Sigmund, though he is old and +stricken in years, for the greater valour has been his." + +So to him she was betrothed, and King Lygni was obliged to depart. And +in due time a great wedding feast was made, and Sigmund and Hiordis +were married with all the rites customary in the Northland, after +which they returned to Sigmund's own kingdom. + +But within a few months news was brought that King Lygni had gathered +together a vast army, and was marching upon the Volsungs with intent +to destroy them utterly. So King Sigmund hastily got together his +fighting men and went out to his enemy, and they met in an open space +in the middle of a wood. And Hiordis carried away the king's treasure +and hid herself in the wood with her handmaid, in a place from whence +she could watch the fight. + +The Vikings that came up from the sea were greater in number by far +than the warriors of Sigmund. But Sigmund was a host in himself, and +all the fierce strength of the Volsungs was in his arm that day. +Wherever he went his foes made way before him, and full many were the +Vikings who fell by his magic sword. But the king, who was the father +of his wife, was killed in the foremost rank. + +Now, when the battle had raged for a long time, suddenly a strange +warrior, tall of form, with slouched hat upon his head, and blue-grey +cloak about his shoulders, was seen making his way through the press +to where Sigmund towered above the host of those who came against him. +Soon he confronted Sigmund, and his flashing weapon whirled like a +flail ere it descended. The Volsung king lifted his magic sword to +ward off the blow, but it fell with terrific force upon the blade and +broke it in two pieces. From that moment the fortune of the battle +turned against the Volsungs, and they fell fast around their king. But +Sigmund stood as in a trance, and the war rage faded from his face. +All-Father Odin had come to claim the sword he had given all those +many years ago, and had left him defenceless against the foe who now +pressed hot upon him. + + "And there they smote down Sigmund, the wonder of all lands, + On the foemen, on the death-heap his deeds had piled that day." + +When he saw that his rival had fallen, King Lygni made for the king's +abode, meaning to take both queen and treasure for himself. But he +found all empty and silent within. Then, thinking that he had slain +every one of the Volsung race, and that he need dread them no more, he +went through the kingdom to take possession of it. + +When night had fallen upon the scene of bloodshed, Hiordis crept out +of the thicket and searched among the dead for her beloved Sigmund. +Presently she found him lying, and the life was still in him; and +taking him in her arms she thought to staunch his wounds. But with +faint voice he said: "War have I waged as long as it was Odin's will, +but never will I draw sword again, since the blade he gave me has +broken in two. My good fortune has departed, and I will not suffer +myself to be healed." + +Then Hiordis wept sore and answered: "Naught would I care if but one +Volsung was left to avenge thee and my father." + +And Sigmund said: "A son shall be born to thee who shall be mightier +than I. Our boy shall be the noblest and most famed of all the Volsung +race. See to it that thou keep the pieces of my good sword, for from +it he shall fashion a goodly blade, and shall work many a great work +therewith, and his name shall abide and flourish as long as the world +shall endure. + +"But now am I weary, and would fain go to join my kindred that have +gone before me." + +All through the night Hiordis kept watch beside him, till, at the +dawn, he died. + +And as the queen mourned over the lifeless body she heard the sound of +many ships upon the seashore, and she said to her handmaid: "Let us +now exchange garments and flee into the woods, and do thou play the +part of king's daughter, and I will be thy handmaid." + +Then there came up a great band of Vikings from the shore, and their +leader was Alf, son of the King of Denmark. And they saw how a great +company of men lay slain, and also how two women had escaped into the +woods. + +So Alf bade his followers go seek the maidens, and bring them before +him. This they did, and when he questioned them, the handmaid spoke as +though she were queen, and answered for both, and told of the fall of +King Sigmund, and who it was who had brought the war trouble into the +land. + +Then the prince asked if they knew where the wealth of the king was +hidden, and the maiden replied: "Ay, we know full well where it is +laid." + +And she guided them to the place, and this pleased the prince, and he +put the treasure aboard his ships, and took the women also with him. +But first he gave ear to the tale of Sigmund, and it won his +admiration, and he caused the king to be buried as beseemed his rank +and valour. + +Then did Hiordis and the handmaid sail away with Alf to his own land. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +The Story of the Magic Gold + +_This is the tale the Northmen tell of how +Sigurd was nurtured in Denmark._ + + +When Hiordis and her handmaid came to the kingdom of Prince Alf, they +were treated with all honour and goodwill. But soon the queen-mother +of Prince Alf called him to her and said: + +"Tell me, my son, why the fairer of these women has the fewer rings +and the commoner garments? For methinks that she whom you have held of +least account is the nobler of the two." + +And he answered: "I, too, have had my doubts, since she is little like +a bond-servant, and when we first met she greeted me in noble wise. +But let us make trial of the matter." + +So it came to pass that, as they sat at table, the prince said: "How +is it that you know the hour for rising in the winter mornings, seeing +that there are then no lights in heaven?" + +And the handmaid, who was playing the part of mistress, forgot +herself, and answered: "At a certain hour I was ever wont to drink +milk before wending to feed the cows; and now that I no longer do +this, I still awake thereby at that self-same time." + +At this the prince laughed aloud, saying: "That is ill manners for a +king's daughter." + +Then he turned to Hiordis and asked her the same question, and she +answered unthinkingly: "My father once gave me a little gold ring of +such a nature that it grows cold on my finger in the day-dawning; and +that is the sign by which I know it is time to rise." + +Then the prince sprang up, saying: "Gold rings for a bond-maid! Come +now, thou has deceived me, for I perceive that thou art a king's +daughter." + +So the queen told him the whole truth, and then was she held in the +greatest honour. + +Soon after, Prince Alf succeeded to his father's throne and became +King of Denmark, and about this time a fair son was given to Hiordis, +as had been foretold by Sigmund, his father. His hair was fair as the +morning light and his eyes were keen and blue. + +And when, as happened shortly afterwards, the king married Hiordis, +the young Sigurd, as he was named, was brought up at the palace, with +all care and love, as the king's foster-son. Tall and straight did he +grow, and very comely of countenance; and there was no man but loved +him. + +In due time the young prince was sent to Regin, the wisest man in that +realm, to be taught by him. + +So old was he that none could recall his first coming to the land, and +his wisdom embraced all things known to men. He had great skill in all +the arts of peace, but chiefly was he famed for the mighty works he +had wrought at the forge and upon the anvil. + + "The Master of the Masters in the smithying craft was he; + And he dealt with the wind and the weather and the stilling of + the sea." + +But though he was so wise, he had an evil heart, and he soon +determined to use the young Sigurd for his own ends. + +So one day he began to instil a spirit of discontent within the lad, +asking him if he knew how much wealth his father Sigmund had and who +now had it in charge. + +And the boy answered: "The king himself has it in charge." + +"Dost thou then trust him so utterly?" sneered Regin. + +"It is but right he should have it so," answered Sigurd, "for he knows +better how to guard it than I." + +So Regin waited awhile, and then tried again, saying: "Surely it is a +marvellous thing that thou, a king's son, should run about on thy feet +like a horse-boy, and do the bidding of King Alf!" + +"That is not so," said Sigurd, "for I have my way in all things, and +whatever I desire is granted to me." + +"Well, then," said Regin, "ask for a horse for thyself." + +"Yes," said the boy; "and that shall I have when I have need of such a +thing." + +After this Sigurd went to the king, who smiled on him and said: "What +wilt thou of me?" + +And Sigurd said: "I would have a horse of my very own." + +To which the king replied: "Choose for thyself a horse from any part +of the kingdom it seems good to thee." + +So Sigurd went away to the wild woods to consider where he should +search for the finest steed in all the world; and as he pondered he +met in the way a tall, old man, with a grey hat drawn over his +forehead and a grey-blue cloak about his shoulders, who asked him +where he was going. + +"I want to choose a horse," said Sigurd. "Come thou with me, old man, +and give me thy counsel." + +So they went together to a meadow where all the finest horses in the +king's dominions were feeding, in charge of the royal grooms. And the +stranger said: "See now, let us drive all these horses into the deeps +of the river and choose the one that best can cross the foaming tide." + +And this they did. And it came to pass that, because of the strong +swirl of the waters, all but one of the horses turned back and +scrambled again to land. + +But one not only breasted the tide as though it were still water, but, +having gained the opposite bank, he raced round the meadow as though +he were a colt. Then plunging into the river again he swam back quite +easily and rejoined his companions. + +"That is the horse that I will choose," said young Sigurd, and running +out, he caught the beautiful creature by the mane. Young of years was +he, grey of colour, and very great and fair of limb; and as yet no man +had thrown foot across his back. + +Then said the old man: "This horse is of the kin of Sleipnir, the +steed of Odin. Nourish him well, for he will prove the best of horses +to thee." + +And with those words he vanished. + +Then Sigurd called the steed Greyfell, and he proved, as Odin had +promised, the best of all horses in the world. + +And after awhile Regin spoke again to Sigurd and said: "It grieves me +sore to see thee in this poor and humble guise at the court. But thou +art a brave lad, and I will tell thee where there is much wealth to be +won, as well as fame and honour in the winning of it, if thou wilt." + +These words roused Sigurd's curiosity, and he asked where that wealth +might be, and who had watch and ward over it. + +And Regin answered: "Fafnir is his name, and he lies not so far away, +on a lonely waste of heath. And when thou comest to that place, thou +mayest well say that thou hast never seen or heard of such abundance +of treasure." + +"But I have already heard of Fafnir," said Sigurd thoughtfully. "Is +he not the most terrible of dragons, so huge and evil that no man dare +go out against him?" + +"Not so," said the cunning Regin, "he is like unto other dragons of +his kind. Men make too great a tale about him, that is all. But there, +thy forefathers would have thought nothing of such a beast, but 'tis +hardly to be expected that thou, though thou be of Volsung blood, +shall have the heart and mind of those great ones whose deeds of fame +still ring throughout the lands." + +Then Sigurd grew angry. "Why shouldst thou lay on me the name of +coward, who am yet but a child?" he said. "I have had as yet no chance +to win renown. And tell me, why dost thou egg me on to this so +strongly?" + +"Hundreds of years ago," replied Regin, "when I was but a boy, I lived +in the house of my father Hreidmar, the king of the dwarfs. His eldest +son was named Fafnir, his second Otter, and I was the youngest and +least; for I could never wield a sword in battle, though I was a +cunning worker in iron and silver and gold. My brother Otter was +cleverer than I, for he was a great fisher, and excelled all other men +as such. + +"By day he took the form of an otter, and dwelt in the river, and +brought fish in his mouth to the bank. He lived usually thus, coming +home only to eat and slumber, for on dry land he could see nothing. +But Fafnir was by far more grim, as he was greater than us all, and he +would have everything we possessed called his. + +"Now in the waterfall hard by our house lived a dwarf called Andvari, +who had changed himself into the likeness of a pike; and this he did +that he might eat the smaller fishes, of which the river was full. + +"And one day it came to pass that three of the Asa folk, Odin, Loki, +and Hoenir, being on a journey, came to Andvari's waterfall just as +Otter, having eaten a large salmon, was slumbering on the river bank. +When Loki saw him he took up a stone, and threw it with such force +that my brother fell dead on the ground. At this the Asas were well +content, for they did not know that he was a dwarf's son. And they +flayed off his skin and Loki carried it away with him, hanging it over +his shoulder. + +"Now at eventide they came to the house of my father, and entered in, +suspecting no evil. But when Loki, coming last, threw his burden on +the floor, the dwarf king recognised the skin, and his face grew +black with rage. Before the Asas could defend themselves or flee, he +made signs to his servants who bound them fast in the midst of the +floor. + +"Then the Asas asked what ransom they should pay, and Hreidmar +answered and said: 'In the depth of the waterfall lies the Flame of +the Waters, the Gold of the Sea, hidden there by the dwarfs, and +called by men Andvari's Hoard. Find this for me, and fill with it the +otter skin, and cover it outside with the same red gold, and then, and +then only, will I let you go free.' + +"Now this was a heavy ransom indeed, for not only was Andvari's hoard +hidden cunningly away, but the otter skin had the property of +stretching itself to an enormous size. + +"The Asas, however, determined to do their best, and they sent Loki, +who was set free for the purpose, to find the Magic Gold. + +"So Loki went down to the river bank and peered and poked and +searched. This he did for days, but nowhere could he discover either +the dwarf Andvari or his hoard. At length he noticed a wonderfully +fine pike, with gills of gold, which each day sported in the foam of +the waterfall, and he suspected that this was the dwarf in the form of +a fish. + +"So he went to Ran, the goddess of the sea, and borrowed her magic +net, and taking this to the waterfall he cast it therein; and the pike +swam into the net and was caught. Then said Loki: + + "What fish of all fishes + Swims strong in the flood, + But hath learnt little wit to unfold? + Thine head must thou buy + If fate thou would'st fly, + And find me the water's red gold." + +"The dwarf now resumed his proper form, and answered sulkily: + + "Andvari folk call me, + A dwarf is my father, + And deep in the fall is my home. + For of ill-luck a fay + This fate on me lay, + Through wet ways ever to roam." + +"Slowly, and very reluctantly, the dwarf accepted the situation; but +at last he consented to yield up the golden hoard as ransom for his +life, and diving into the depths of the waterfall he brought up +thence, little by little, his marvellous pile of treasure. + +"Last of all he laid upon the bank, which now shone like a sea of +gold, the glittering Helmet of Dread and a massive breastplate, all of +the precious metal. + +"'This is the full measure,' said he, as he laid his burden at Loki's +feet. + +"But Loki caught sight of a ring gleaming upon his thumb. 'Give me +also that ring,' said he. + +"Now this ring was a talisman and had the power of attracting to it +all precious metal like itself; therefore Andvari would not part with +it. + +"Then Loki snatched the ring from him with a wicked laugh, and went +his way chuckling. But Andvari crept into a cleft of the rocks, and +from thence called out angry curses upon him. + + "That gold hoard of mine + Shall be to all thine + A cause of dissension and woe; + And no good at all + Shall ever befall + The man to whose hands it shall go." + +"Meanwhile, Loki had carried the treasure to Hreidmar, and they placed +it on the otter skin, which ever stretched and widened, so that, with +all that large store, one hair of the bristle remained uncovered. And +on this Loki placed the magic ring, that was called 'Andvari's Loom,' +because it made much gold, and at last the skin was entirely covered. +Then Loki chanted: + + "Gold enow, gold enow, + A great treasure hast thou, + That our heads on our necks we may hold, + But thou and thy son, + Are now both undone, + For a curse has been placed on the gold." + +"Now scarcely had the Asas departed than the curse began to work. For +though Hreidmar watched night and day over the treasure, it was plain +that Fafnir coveted it. At last he slew his father, and having thus +obtained possession of the hoard he donned the Helmet of Dread and the +glittering breastplate, and," said Regin, "he drove me out when I came +to claim my share, and bade me get my bread as best I could. + +"And so evil did Fafnir grow with gloating over the treasure, +begrudging any man a share in his wealth, that he took the shape of a +vile dragon, and to this day he lies brooding over his hoard. + +"As for me, I went to the king, who made me master smith." + + "Hast thou hearkened, Sigurd? Wilt thou help a man that is old + To avenge him for his father? Wilt thou win the treasure of gold + And be more than the kings of the earth? Wilt thou rid the earth of + a wrong + And heal the woe and the sorrow my heart hath endured o'er long?" + +Then Sigurd answered: "Much wrong has been thine and exceeding evil +has thy kinsman been to thee. Make me, therefore, a sword by thy +craft, such as none has ever been made before; and with it I will go +forth to slay this mighty dragon." + +"Trust me well in that task," said Regin, "and with that same sword +shalt thou slay Fafnir." + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +How Sigurd Slew the Dragon + +_This is the tale the Northmen tell of how Sigurd slew +Fafnir and Regin with the Magic Sword._ + + +Regin set to work, and exercising all his skill as a cunning worker in +metals he fashioned a sword, very fine and keen and strong, and this +he brought to Sigurd. + +Sigurd received it with joy, but the weapon which was to slay Fafnir +must be severely tested; and, raising it aloft, the youth smote with +all his might upon the iron anvil, and the sword broke in pieces. + +"Behold thy sword, O Regin!" he laughed. + +Then Regin forged another sword and said: "Surely thou wilt be content +with this, though thou be hard to please in the matter of a weapon." + +But again Sigurd struck upon the anvil, and again the sword fell to +pieces. Then he turned wrathfully to Regin: "Art thou also a liar and +a traitor like thy father and brother?" + +And thus saying he went to his mother, and seating himself at her +feet, he began: "Is it true, my mother, that Sigmund, my father, gave +thee the Magic Sword of Odin in two pieces?" + +"That is true enough," said she. + +Then Sigurd entreated: "Give them then to me, I pray thee, for only in +such wise shall I get a sword to my mind." + +Then the queen knew that he looked to win great fame with that weapon, +and she gave him the pieces; and he took them to Regin and bade him +make a sword therefrom. + +And though Regin's evil heart was wroth because of the words that the +youth had spoken, he dared not refuse. So he set to work, and when he +carried the finished sword from out the forge, it seemed to his +helpers that fire burned along its edges. + +"Take thy sword," said the old man, "and if this fails, I have lost my +skill in sword-making." + +This time when Sigurd smote upon the anvil the keen steel clove into +the metal right up to the hilt, and he pulled it out unhurt. Then he +went to the river and flung up-stream a tuft of wool, and when the +tide carried the wool against the edge of the sword it was cut in two. +And then was Sigurd satisfied and his heart rejoiced. + +Upon his return Regin met him. "Now that I have made thee this good +sword," said he, "wilt thou, for thy part, keep thy word, and go +against Fafnir the dragon?" + +"Surely will I do that thing," said Sigurd, "but first I must avenge +my father." + +So he went to the king, and bowing before him said: "Here have I now +lived all my lifetime, and thanks and gratitude are owing from me to +you, with all due honour. But now will I go hence to meet the sons of +Hunding, that they may know that the Volsungs are not all dead; and I +would have your goodwill go with me upon the journey." + +The king approved of Sigurd's spirit, and said he would give him +whatsoever he desired; and therewith a great army was prepared, with +ships and weapons, so that he might proceed on his journey in due +state and power. And Sigurd himself steered the ship with the dragon's +head, which was the finest of the fleet. + +At first they ran before a fair wind; but after a few days there arose +a great storm, and the sky and sea were red like blood. And as they +sailed close along the shore, a certain man hailed them and asked who +was captain of that array; and they told him that their chief was +Sigurd, son of Sigmund, on his way to win fame for himself. + +And the stranger said: "There is none like Sigurd, son of Sigmund, on +this earth; so now, I pray thee, take me on board." + +So they made for land and took the man aboard. Old he was and +one-eyed; and his grey hat was slouched far over his face. And Sigurd +saw that he was no ordinary traveller, and asked therefore if he could +tell, before ever they reached land, what their fate would be on those +stormy waters and in the battle that was to come. + +Then said the Traveller: "Thou shalt land safe and sound, and victory +shall be thine in the fight if thou shalt see these signs: First, a +raven sitting on a tree; next, two warriors coming into the courtyard +to meet thee, when the tramp of thy feet is heard; third, a wolf +howling under boughs of ash. But see to it, that none of thy warriors +look at the moon as she sets, nor trip up their feet as they march out +to meet their foe. Let each warrior be well washed, well combed, and +well fed--and if all these things come to pass, then have no fear as +to who shall win the day." + +Even as he spoke the wind abated, and the waves were stilled, and the +ships were thenceforth wafted by friendly breezes to the shores of the +realm of the sons of Hunding. But the instant they landed the +mysterious stranger vanished, and by this Sigurd knew that once again +he had been visited by All-Father Odin; and he went on his way +rejoicing. + +And as he passed up the strand a raven sitting upon a tree croaked at +him; a short way farther on a wolf crouched howling under an ash; and +as he approached the court of the king, the two sons of Hunding +advanced from the courtyard to see what was meant by the tramp of +armed men. + +Now the news of the coming of the strangers soon spread far and wide +over the land, and the people rose with one accord in defence of Lygni +their king. + +So he advanced upon Sigurd with a vast host, and an exceedingly fierce +fight began. Skulls were split, helmets shivered, and shields cut in +two, full many times ere that day's work was done. Ever in the front +of the fight rode Sigurd, with his good sword flashing, and +wheresoever he went his foes fell back before him, for his like had +never been seen by any man. + +Then came against him the sons of Hunding, and Sigurd smote them down, +one after the other, beginning with Lygni the king, until there were +none left, and very few of their folk. + +Then away sailed Sigurd, flushed with victory, to his mother and his +stepfather, by whom he was received with much honour. But when he had +been at home a little while, Regin came to him and said: "Perhaps now +thou wilt have leisure to keep thy word and humble the crest of Fafnir +to the earth, since thou hast avenged thy father and others of the +Volsung kin." + +And Sigurd answered: "That will I hold to, for I have pledged my +word." + +So it came to pass that Sigurd and Regin rode together to the heath +where Fafnir dwelt; and they passed along the way by which the dragon +was wont to creep down to the water to drink. So long was this +terrible creature that he would lie crouched on a cliff sixty feet +high when he drank of the water below. When Sigurd saw the huge tracks +that he had made he said to Regin: "Sayest thou that this dragon is no +greater than other such beasts? Methinks he leaves tracks behind him +that are strangely well marked." + +"There is naught to fear," said Regin. "Make thee a hole and sit down +in it, and when the dragon comes to drink, smite him through the +heart, and so shalt thou win for thyself great fame." + +"But," said Sigurd, "what will happen when the burning blood of the +dragon falls upon me?" + +Now Regin well knew that no man could endure that frightful stream and +live, and he wished to make an end of Sigurd when he had slain the +beast. Therefore he answered wrathfully: "Of what use is it to give +advice if thou art fearful of everything? Not like thy kin art thou, +careless of perils." + +With this undeserved taunt he rode away, for he himself was sore +afraid, and dared not abide the coming of the dragon. + +So Sigurd rode alone over the heath, and when he came to the marks +where the tracks lay deep he began to dig a pit, as Regin had told +him. But while he was busy at work an old man, wearing a big grey hat +over his face, passed by and asked what he was doing. And when he had +been told, he said: + +"That was no wise advice that was given thee. Rather dig trenches in +the midst of the dragon track, that the blood may run therein; and do +thou then crouch in one of these and run thy sword through his heart +as he drags his huge shape overhead." + +And with these words he vanished. + +Sigurd could not doubt the wisdom of this advice and he did as he had +been bidden; and when he heard the dragon approaching he hid himself, +his sword ready in his hand. + +The roar of the dragon shook the earth for miles around, and Sigurd +saw streams of venom issuing from his jaws as he drew near. But this +did not affright him; he waited until the huge shape loomed overhead, +and then thrust his sword, with all the strength he could command, as +far as it would go into the loathsome breast. + +Then followed a scene of violence beyond the power of words to +express. A great roar, which shook the very heavens, went up from the +cavernous throat, and well it was for Sigurd that he darted aside with +the quickness of light. The huge coils unwound and contracted again in +the monster's agony, and the furious lashing of his enormous tail +utterly destroyed the surrounding vegetation, while his cruel talons, +all powerless now to do aught else, ploughed deep furrows in the hard +and rocky soil. All nature seemed to be undergoing its final +convulsions in the few moments which elapsed ere the monster at length +lay limp and gasping in the last throes of death. + +Then, with the voice of Fafnir the dwarf, he asked in feeble accents: +"Who art thou, and what is thy kin, that thou wast bold to lift weapon +against me?" + +And his foe made answer: "Sigurd am I called, of Volsung kin." + +Then Fafnir asked: "Who urged thee to this deed, O bright-eyed boy?" + +And Sigurd replied: "A bold heart urged me, and a strong hand and +sharp sword aided me in the doing thereof." + +But Fafnir's eyes were opened at the approach of death, and he said: +"Regin, my brother, has brought about my end, and even now he is +plotting to bring about thine also. Full soon shall the red gold of +Andvari's hoard begin to work thy destruction. I give thee counsel, +therefore, that thou ridest swiftly away without the gold; for often +it happens that he who gets a death wound is none the less avenged." + +But Sigurd answered: "I will not follow thy counsel, but even now will +I rise to thy lair and take that great treasure which thou hast +hoarded there." + +And Fafnir answered: "Have thine own will. Yet shalt that gold be a +curse to thee, and a curse to whosoever possesses it hereafter." + +With this warning the loathsome creature breathed his last, and at the +same moment the sun broke through the clouds, casting a glamour over +the heath which only so lately had been the haunt of evil and a place +of desolation. + +Now, when it was plain that nothing more was to be feared from the +dragon, came Regin from the place of safety where he lurked. And since +he feared lest Sigurd should claim the treasure as his reward for +slaying Fafnir, he began to accuse him of having murdered his kinsman, +and to remind him that, according to the law of the Northmen, he could +now require Sigurd's own life. + +But Sigurd said: "I did but kill him at thy wish, O Regin, and with +the good sword that thou thyself did make for me." + +"Ah yes," said the traitor warily, "it was my good sword and not thy +arm that has done the deed, and therefore no thanks are due to thee. +But now will I count thee guiltless of my brother's blood if thou wilt +cut out the heart of the dragon and give me to eat of it." + +This Sigurd promised to do, and he made a fire and set about roasting +the heart of the monster upon a rod. But presently, as he felt the +heart to see if it were cooked enough, he burnt his fingers so +severely that at once he set them in his mouth to soothe the smart. +And the moment the heart-blood of Fafnir touched his tongue his ears +were open to the voices of the birds, and he understood the meaning of +their songs in the bushes hard by. + +And this was what the woodpeckers sang, chuckling all the time: "There +thou sittest, Sigurd, roasting the heart of Fafnir for another, +whereas if thou ate it thyself thou wouldst become wisest of men." + +And the swallows twittered: "See where lies Regin, who is in mind to +kill the man who trusts in him." + +And the raven croaked: "Let Sigurd then cut off his head and so have +all the gold-hoard for his own." + +And the eagle screamed: "Why did he not ride away with that hoard at +once? Then might he have found the hill where Brunhild lies." + +And the owl hooted: "Ay, let him now take his chance and slay the man +who will surely kill him if he lets him live." + +Then Sigurd arose, and he scrupled not to slay Regin; for he knew that +he was about to betray him unto his death. + +Then once more the birds began to sing. And this time they sang with +glee of a warrior-maiden sleeping fast on a high mountain in the midst +of a ring of glittering flames; and through this fiery ring only the +bravest of heroes might pass and awake her from sleep. + + "On a mountain fell + A warrior-maid fast sleeps + Where a ring of flame + Perfect safety keeps. + None may take her hence + Save a hero bold, + For only at a hero's touch + Will those fires burn cold." + +Then was Sigurd fired with desire to find that fair maiden. So, after +partaking of the dragon's heart, he leapt on his horse and rode along +in the monster's tracks till he reached the place where, deep down in +the earth, the gold lay hoarded. And there he found the store of +treasure, which he placed in two great chests upon the back of his +good horse, meaning to walk along-side. But the horse would not stir a +foot until Sigurd, guessing what was in his mind, leapt upon his back; +whereat Greyfell galloped away at once as though he were carrying no +weight at all. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX + +How Sigurd Won the Hand of Brunhild + +_This is the tale the Northmen tell of how +Sigurd braved the flames, and what befell._ + + +On and on, over level plain, by wild marshes, through winding ways, +galloped Greyfell, until at last he brought Sigurd to the foot of a +mountain that is called Hindfell. And before him, on the crest of that +height, he saw a great light as of a fire burning, so that the flames +seemed to touch the sky. + +Riding up the slope Sigurd found himself at length face to face with a +ring of lurid fire, crackling and roaring with a noise like thunder. +But without a moment's hesitation he plunged into the very midst of +this. + +Naught did he care for peril who had come to seek such prize, and, as +if daunted by the courage of the Volsung, the fierce flames shrank +back as he advanced, leaving ever a magic circle in which he rode +unscathed, while all around they roared like some hungry lion robbed +of its prey. They rose wave upon wave to the very sky, but their +fierce glare shone with glory upon Sigurd, and his form was as that of +the Sun-god when he rises from the ever-lasting hills at the dawn of +day. + +And suddenly, as though their work was done, the flames flickered and +fell, leaving only a broad ring of pale ashes behind the hero as he +rode on to where loomed the massive shape of a great castle hung with +shields. + +The doors of this castle stood wide open, and not a warrior was to be +seen; so, dismounting, Sigurd entered the great hall, and at first saw +no one--neither man, woman, nor child. But presently he came to a +room where he saw a figure, clad all in armour, lying stretched upon a +couch. Approaching thither, Sigurd removed the helmet, and saw, to his +astonishment, the face of a beautiful maiden fast asleep. He called to +her and tried to awaken her, but in vain. Then he cut off the +breastplate, which was fastened so closely that it seemed as though it +had grown into her flesh, and then the sleeves and the long steel +boots; and at length she lay before him in her garments of fine white +linen, over which fell long, thick tresses of golden hair. Sigurd bent +over her in admiration, and at that moment she opened her beautiful +eyes and gazed in wonder at his face. Then she arose, and looked with +joy at the rising sun, but her gaze returned to Sigurd; and the two +loved each other at first sight. + +When they had communed tenderly together, Sigurd told who he was and +whence he came; and Brunhild rejoiced to hear the tale. "For," said +she, "none but a hero might pass through that ring of fire." + +Then said Sigurd: "Tell me now, fair Brunhild, how thou camest to this +lonely fire-girt castle." + +And she told him this tale: + +"A warrior-maiden am I--chief of those Valkyrs who carry off the +valiant dead to the halls of Valhalla and ply them with mead at the +banquet. But many years ago I gave dire offence to All-Father Odin, as +thou shalt hear. + +"Two kings had a quarrel, and determined to put their feud to the +issue of the sword. One was named Helm Gunnar. He was an old man and a +mighty warrior, and to him had Odin promised the victory. + +"But for the other, young Agnar, my heart was filled with pity; and so +I disregarded the command of Odin and struck down Helm Gunnar in the +fight, the victory thus going to Agnar. + +"Then did All-Father Odin, in his wrath, decree that I should be cast +out from Valhalla and be banished to the earth, there to find a +husband like any other maiden of Midgard. But I was sore afraid, for I +feared to mate with a coward--I, who had been a warrior-maiden from my +birth. And All-Father Odin was pitiful, and placed me in this castle +on Hindfell, and surrounded me with a barrier of flames, through which +none but a hero would dare to pass. But first he pierced me with the +Thorn of Sleep, that I might not grow old in the years of +waiting--that I should awake, as thou seest me, just as I was when I +began to sleep, at the touch of a brave man." + +Then Sigurd told her all his story, and when she knew that he was +bound on adventurous quests she would not let him stay long by her +side, but bade him go forth and win honour for himself and afterwards +return to her again. Meantime she promised to await his return in the +castle, protected by the ring of flames, which should be rekindled on +his departure. "For none but Sigurd," said she, "will be brave enough +to make his way through such flames as these, and so shall I be safe +until thy return." + +So Sigurd made ready to depart; but first he took Andvari's golden +ring, and placing it upon Brunhild's finger, as they stood together on +the mountain crest, he vowed to love none but her as long as his life +should last. + + + + +CHAPTER XX + +How the Curse of the Gold is Fulfilled + +_This is the tale the Northmen tell of how Sigurd +was foully slain in the land of the Niblungs._ + + +Now when Sigurd had ridden far upon his way, he came to the land of +the Niblungs, a place of eternal mists, ruled over by Giuki and his +wife Grimhild. Three fine sons had they and one daughter, Gudrun, the +fairest maiden upon earth. + +But Grimhild was a witch-wife--a fierce-hearted woman, learned in +magic and filled with crafty wile. + +When they saw Sigurd riding into the courtyard with his glittering +armour and his burden of treasure, the king and queen said to one +another: "Surely one of the Asas has come hither; for the array of +this stranger shines with the gold-gleam, and his horse is mightier +than other horses, and the man himself excels in bearing all that we +have ever seen." + +So the king went out with his court to greet Sigurd, and asked: "Who +art thou, who ridest into my kingdom without the leave of my sons, as +none have dared to do before?" + +And he answered: "Sigurd am I, the son of Sigmund." + +And the king said: "Be thou welcome here then, and take from our hands +whatsoever thou wilt have." + +So for a time Sigurd lived in great honour at the court of the +Niblungs, from whence he fared forth upon many adventures with the +princes of that land, and ever was he foremost of them all. + +During this time Brunhild was always in his memory, and he talked so +often of her that at length the evil heart of Grimhild, the queen, was +roused to jealousy. She bethought herself that, could he but be made +to forget the maiden of the Flaming Castle, he might marry Gudrun, her +daughter; and so all the wealth of Andvari's hoard might remain in the +court of the Niblungs for ever. On a day, therefore, she mixed a magic +potion, and gave it to Sigurd, saying: + +"We have great joy in thy visit here, and would give thee the best +that we enjoy. Now take this horn, and drink therefrom." + +So he drank with gladness; and from that moment all remembrance of +Brunhild was blotted from his mind, as though she had never been. And, +as the queen had hoped, he began to look with eyes of affection upon +Gudrun, the fair maiden whom he saw every day, so that the Niblung +princes, who had grown to love and honour Sigurd more and more, came +to him and said: "Great good thou hast brought us, Sigurd, and +exceeding strength thou givest to our realm. We pray thee therefore to +abide with us for ever, and thou shalt have rule in our land, and we +will give thee our sister in marriage, whom another man would not get +for all his prayers." Then the heart of the Volsung responded, and +they swore brotherhood together, even as if they were children of one +father and mother; and in due time Gudrun was married to Sigurd with +all joy and festivity. + +Yet, in the midst of all this glee, a strange feeling oppressed the +heart of Sigurd. Some old memory seemed to be striving within him, +but, try as he would, he could not give it definite shape. + +Time passed and King Giuki died, Gunnar, his son, succeeding him. And +as he had no wife, his mother, Grimhild, said: "Fair is thy life and +fortune, O my son, but one thing thou lackest. Go, seek for thyself a +wife who shall be a joy to thy house." + +"But where can I find one who will be a worthy queen of the Niblungs?" +asked Gunnar. + +And his mother answered: "Fair among the daughters of the earth and +bravest of warrior-maidens is Brunhild. In her Castle of Flames she +awaits the bridegroom who shall dare to penetrate the barrier of fire. +Go then, seek her out, and Sigurd will ride with thee." + +So Gunnar and Sigurd arrayed themselves joyously and rode away, till +on the crest of a high mountain they saw a castle with a golden roof +and all about it a ring of flaming fire. + +Then right eagerly they pricked their steeds, but all too long it +seemed ere they gained the summit. At length they reached the fiery +wall, and Gunnar put his tired horse at it without pause. But the +horse trembled and stood stock still. Again and again he tried him, +but always with the same result, until, at length, Gunnar cried to +Sigurd: "Lend me thy steed, Sigurd, for mine will not brave this +fire." + +"With all my heart," replied Sigurd, leaping off Greyfell. But when +Gunnar had mounted the horse, Greyfell would not stir, and he too +trembled before the flames. + +Then Gunnar sprang to earth, and stamped with impatience, for he +thought it shame to go afoot into the presence of the maid. Presently +he remembered that his witch-mother had given him a magic potion which +would enable a man to take the face and form of another at will. So he +proposed that Sigurd should take his appearance and win Brunhild for +him by proxy, for he knew that Greyfell would dare anything with his +beloved master astride his back. + +Remembering naught, Sigurd eagerly accepted the mission, and when he +had drunk of the potion prepared by Gunnar he leaped again upon the +back of Greyfell, who sprang at once into the heart of the fire. + +Then the flames roared with a thunderous sound, and shot up high into +the sky; but next moment they died away into a heap of grey ashes, and +Sigurd, unharmed, entered the hall where Brunhild sat and waited for +her faithless lover. + +As he entered she started up with a cry of joy, which quickly died +away when, in place of Sigurd's fair hair and bright blue eyes, she +saw the dark locks and flashing black eyes of Gunnar. + +"What man art thou?" she asked. + +"Gunnar am I called," said Sigurd, "and through the flames have I +ridden to woo thee for my bride." + +But she looked sadly at the floor and said: "Methought none but Sigurd +the Volsung could have dared those awful flames." + +Then Sigurd thought to entice the maiden. "Much gold shall be thine," +said he, "if thou wilt marry Gunnar the Niblung." + +But she said: "Talk not to me of gold. All-Father Odin promised me a +hero-husband, and I, a warrior-maiden, will marry no silken knight for +gold." + +Now Brunhild had bound herself by a solemn pledge to marry him who +should ride through the fire, so in the end she was obliged to submit +to her wooer's will; wherefore she took off the ring from Andvari's +hoard that Sigurd had placed upon her finger, and gave it to him, with +her promise to appear at the court of the Niblungs in ten days' time. +Sigurd gave her another ring in exchange, and then rejoined Gunnar, +with whom he rode back home, after having taken back his own form and +likeness. + +And only to Gudrun, his wife, did Sigurd reveal the secret of how +Brunhild had been won for her brother Gunnar, and to her he gave the +ring from Andvari's hoard which she had returned to him. + +Now, when ten days had passed by, Brunhild came to the land of the +Niblungs, and was met in solemn state by Gunnar at the door of his +palace. Then was held high festival at the marriage celebration, after +which Gunnar led his bride into the great hall where Sigurd and Gudrun +sat side by side upon the high dais. When Brunhild saw her old lover +she trembled violently and her face went ashy pale, then her beautiful +eyes met Sigurd's with a look of such intense sadness and meaning that +the spell was dissolved, and the remembrance of the love he had given +her rushed suddenly back into his mind, well-nigh overwhelming him +with grief. + +Yet was he bound to Gudrun, as Brunhild was to Gunnar, so no more +passed at that time. + +Now one day, when the birds sang pleasantly and all nature rejoiced in +the warmth of the summer sun, the two princesses, Gudrun and Brunhild, +went down to the river to bathe; and Gudrun waded the farther into the +water, saying scornfully that thus it became the wife to do whose +husband was the bravest in the world. + +Then the bitter feelings which for long had vexed the soul of Brunhild +would not be restrained, and they poured forth in a torrent of wrath +like some mighty waters when the dam gives way before its constant +force. + +Gudrun retorted upon her by telling how that it was Sigurd, not +Gunnar, who had braved the fiery flames, and in proof of this she +showed in triumph the ring from Andvari's hoard which she wore upon +her finger. + +Now when she heard this, Brunhild was beside herself with rage that +she should have been thus tricked, and she went to her husband and +said: "Never again shalt thou see me glad in thy hall, nor hear me +speak words of peace and gladness within thy borders, for thou hast +deceived me, and art no hero as I thought." + +And for many days after that Brunhild neither ate nor drank, but set +wide the doors of her bower and lamented, so that all folk heard and +marvelled. + +In vain they tried to comfort her; she would not hear even the +soothing words of Sigurd, whom Gudrun had sent to her, saying +scornfully, however, as he went: "Give her red gold, forsooth, and +smother up her grief and anger therewith." + +At length Brunhild sent for her husband, and bade him put Sigurd to +death, saying that she had vowed to marry the man who should come to +her through the fire, and, since this was now impossible, Sigurd must +surely die, that she might be released from her oath. + +And at that Gunnar was sorely troubled, for he loved Sigurd very +dearly. But he said to himself: "Brunhild is better to me than all +things else, and the fairest of all women, and I will lay down my life +rather than lose her love." + +So he sent for his brother and told him that he had made up his mind +to kill Sigurd. And Högni, his brother, was very loth, and declared +that such an act of treachery would bring great shame upon the land. +But Gunnar reminded him of the gold-hoard, and of how all would be +theirs if Sigurd were out of the way. And at length they determined to +incite their younger brother, Guttorm, to do the deed. + +But Guttorm, in his turn, was unwilling until they mixed for him a +magic drink, which made him fierce and wild and eager for bloodshed, +so that he was ready for whatever might befall. + +At midnight, therefore, Guttorm crept, sword in hand, to Sigurd's +chamber; but, as he bent over his pillow, he saw the bright blue eyes +of the young hero fixed steadily upon him; and he fled, for so keen +and eager were the eyes of Sigurd that few might look upon him. A +second time he went in, and again the same thing happened. + +But the third time Sigurd lay asleep; then Guttorm took his sword and +drove it through his breast. + +Wounded to death, the young man had just strength to raise himself, +seize his good sword and hurl it after Guttorm as he fled, and the +magic weapon cut him in two ere he reached the door. Then Sigurd fell +back into the arms of Gudrun and died. + +Then did great grief fall upon the land of the Niblungs; and a mighty +funeral pyre was built for Sigurd, and his body was laid thereon. + +Gudrun, his wife, sat silent and apart, her heart breaking for her +hero-husband; but Brunhild, when she saw what she had done, was filled +with grief and despair beyond endurance, and snatching a dagger from +her handmaidens, she stabbed herself and so died. + +In such wise had the doom of the Magic Gold descended upon Regin and +Fafnir, and upon Sigurd and Brunhild. Nor was this the end of the +misery it was to work. + +Loathing the thought of life in her brother's palace, Gudrun now fled +to the court of Alf, the foster-father of Sigurd, where for some years +she remained, busying herself in working a vast piece of tapestry on +which she embroidered the heroic deeds of Sigurd. + +But after a time Atli, King of the Huns, the brother of Brunhild, sent +to Gunnar to demand that compensation should be made to him for his +sister's death; and to him Gunnar promised that, in satisfaction for +this, he should receive the hand of his sister Gudrun in marriage. So +the Niblung princes sent and fetched her from the court of Alf, and +forced her to marry Atli, much against her will. + +Now at Atli's court her talk was ever of Sigurd and of the wondrous +gold-hoard he had brought to the Niblungs' land. And so it came to +pass that the greed of Atli was kindled when he heard of that +treasure, and he determined to make it his own. + +So he sent a messenger to invite all the Niblung princes to visit his +court, intending, when he had them in his power, to put an end to +them. Now Gudrun guessed what was in Atli's mind, and therefore she +took off the gold ring from Andvari's hoard, and twined about it a +wolf's hair as a sign of warning; and this she sent by the same +messenger to her brothers. + +But this messenger untwined the wolf's hair and gave only the ring to +Gunnar, who took it as a signal of good faith and gladly accepted the +invitation. + +Högni alone was unwilling to accept the invitation, but when he found +that Gunnar would pay no heed to him, he prepared to go along with +him. + +First, however, he persuaded his brother to take that great +treasure-hoard and to cast it into a deep hole at the bottom of a +mighty river, where none might find it save themselves. + +So Gunnar agreed, and Högni took the gold, and, standing on a great +rock in the midst of the river, he flung it, with a huge splash, into +the water. + + "Down then and whirling outward the ruddy gold fell forth, + As a flame in the dim grey morning flashed out a kingdom's worth; + Then the waters roared above it, the wan water and the foam + Flew up o'er the face of the rock-wall as the tinkling gold fell home, + Unheard, unseen, forever, a wonder and a tale, + Till the last of earthly singers from the sons of men shall fail." + +Not yet, however, had the curse of that gold-hoard been entirely +fulfilled. For when the brave Niblungs reached the hall of Atli, they +found no welcome awaiting them, but sharp swords and hostile looks. +Fiercely they fought, but to no avail, and at length all were slain +save only Gunnar and Högni. + +Then Atli had each brought before him in turn, fast bound as they +were, and promised to give freedom to him who would first reveal to +him the hiding-place of the gold-hoard. But they laughed in contempt, +even when they were put to the torture in his presence. + +Then Högni, being weary of his life in chains, made an agreement with +Gunnar, so that when next King Atli asked the latter to tell him the +secret, he replied that he had made an oath not to reveal the +hiding-place while Högni lived, but that when he saw his brother was +dead, he would do all that Atli bade him. So they killed Högni, and +the Battle Maidens carried him away to the joys of Valhalla. But when +they showed proofs of his death to his brother, and bade him tell the +whereabouts of the hoard, Gunnar laughed a proud laugh and declared +that now the secret rested with him alone, and it should never be +revealed. + +So, in his fury of disappointment, the king ordered him to be thrown, +with chained hands, into a den full of poisonous serpents; and his +harp was flung in after him. Then did Gunnar sit smiling in their +midst, and played with his toes upon the instrument until all the +creatures, save one, were fast asleep. + +But this one serpent, whom men say was the witch-mother of Atli in +disguise, bit Gunnar in the side, and thus died the last of the +Niblungs. + +Of that race Gudrun still remained, and she now planned a thing which +should avenge the blood of her kinsmen and end her own unhappy life. + +So she took the sword of Sigurd, which Gunnar had given into her +hands, and slew Atli and placed him dead upon a ship. And when she had +cast it adrift, she flung herself into the sea; and so died. + +Thus did Andvari's hoard fulfil the curse that had been set upon all +those who should be concerned with it. But the glittering treasure +itself lies hidden far beneath the waves of the mighty river Rhine, +and only the water-sprites know where it is hid. + + + + +CHAPTER XXI + +The Boyhood of Frithiof the Bold + +_This is the tale the Northmen tell of how Frithiof +the Bold asked for the hand of Ingeborg the Fair._ + + +Once upon a time there lived in Norway a king named Bele, who had +three children. Helge and Halfdan were his sons, and his daughter was +called by the name of Ingeborg. + +Now Ingeborg was the fairest of maidens, and had moreover such a fine +wit and understanding that all men said she was the first and best of +the good king's children. + +To the west of the settlement in which King Bele lived rose up a great +white temple, hedged around with a lofty wall of wood. This temple was +sacred to Balder the Beautiful; and so much did men honour him in +those days of old, that they made strict laws that within the +enclosure in which his temple stood no man should hold converse with a +woman, nor should any harm be done to man or beast. + +On the other side of the inlet on which stood the abode of Bele was a +village ruled by a mighty man of valour named Thorsten. This Thorsten +had a son called Frithiof, who at the time of his birth was bigger and +stronger than all other babes, and grew up not only tall but also bold +and brave of heart; so that men named him Frithiof the Bold. + +Now Thorsten was a sea-rover. So he sent his little son to a sturdy +yeoman called Hilding, that he might be brought up by him and taught +all that a Viking ought to know. For the education of a Viking was no +small thing. He might not claim the title till he had lifted the +mighty stone that stood before the door of the king and had borne it +across the pathway. And he had to learn what was meant by the "triple +oath"--that he would not capture woman or child in battle, nor seek +refuge in a tempest, nor wait to bind up his wounds before the fight +was spent. + +Now it so happened that, while the children of the king were still +young, their mother died, and the little princess was also placed in +the care of Hilding and his wife. Thus Frithiof and Ingeborg grew up +together, and were more beautiful and brave and clever than all the +other boys and girls of that place. + +Thorsten, Frithiof's father, was the king's right hand, and now that +Bele was grown old and feeble he managed most of the affairs of the +kingdom. And Frithiof too was useful to the king, more so, indeed, +than were his own two sons. + +Thorsten had a famous swift ship, called _Ellida_, which was rowed by +fifteen men on each side, and each oar required the strength of two +men to pull it; but Frithiof was so strong that he would row two oars +at once. + +The king's two sons, Helge and Halfden, differed much from each other +in their appearance and characters, but they were alike in their +jealous dispositions. In particular they grudged Frithiof his growing +renown, and hated him in their hearts for his great strength, which +far exceeded theirs. + +At length King Bele fell very sick, and, knowing that he was about to +die, he sent for Thorsten and their three sons and said: + +"I know that this sickness will be to my death, and I have called you, +my children, to hear the last counsel of your father. + +"My sons, govern the realm in peace, and let force stand sentinel at +the borders. The king is helpless who hath not the confidence and +affection of his people, and the throne is insecure if it rest not on +a foundation of just and equal laws. + +"Choose not the forward for your counsellors, but confide, rather, in +the wisdom and valour of one tried friend. Thorsten and I have +faithfully kept friendship's troth in steadfast union, so do ye, in +weal or woe, wend together with Frithiof. If ye three will hold +together as one man, your match shall not be seen through all our +Northland. + +"Let my last words be for my beloved Ingeborg. She hath grown lovely +in peace as the rose. Helge, be thou her guardian, and let no +storm-wind scatter those fair petals." + +Then Thorsten, in his turn, addressed Frithiof: + +"My son, I too must shortly wend to Valhalla, and I rejoice to think +that Odin has bestowed upon thee much strength and courage of heart. +It is good, but remember that strength without wit is soon brought to +naught, even as the bear, who wields in his paw the strength of twelve +men, is laid low by a thrust from the sword of one. Beware of +arrogance, which goes before a fall, and bend before the will of the +king's sons. Above all, will noble deeds and do thou every right." + +After this the old men gave directions for their burial, and they +charged their sons to lay them beneath two barrows or mounds, one on +each side of the narrow firth, whose murmurs would ever be sweet music +as they slept, and across whose waves their spirits would hold +converse as of yore. + +After the death of Thorsten, Frithiof took his land and ruled in his +stead, with the aid of his two foster-brothers, Björn and Osmund. And +he was now the owner of _Ellida_, the good ship which understood every +word that was spoken to her, as though she were alive; and of two +other heirlooms of priceless value. The first was a sword, Angurvadel +it was named, which tradition said had been forged in Eastern lands by +the dwarfs. Its hilt was of hammered gold, and the blade was covered +with magic runes, which in peace were dull, but which flamed blood-red +when the sword was brandished in war. The other was a marvellous +arm-ring, carved with all the wonders of the heavens. + +It had always been the custom of the House of Thorsten to invite the +household of the king each year to a banquet, and so, soon after he +had succeeded to his father's place, Frithiof gave a feast more +magnificent than any that had been given hitherto. For he knew that, +with her two brothers, would come also Ingeborg the Fair, whom he +loved with his whole heart. And while the two young kings sat at the +board with hostile looks and downcast faces, this sweet princess +laughed among her maidens like a sunny day in June. Her hair was as +golden as the butter-cups in the spring meadows, her eyes were blue +like a summer sea, and her face fair as a hawthorn bush when it first +opens its buds of red and white. + +But Frithiof was silent in her presence, for he had no words save "I +love thee" in his mind. + +After this festival, the two kings turned home again in deeper wrath +than ever, for they saw how all men loved Frithiof and had him in +honour. + +But after their departure, Frithiof grew silent and sad of +countenance, and when his foster-brother Björn questioned him as to +the cause he answered: "Sad am I because I love the Princess Ingeborg +with all my heart, and now would I ask for her in marriage. But I am +not of royal birth, and much I fear that my suit will be refused." + +"Let us at least make trial," said practical Björn; and so, together +with a band of followers, they set off in the swift dragon-ship +_Ellida_ to the strand where, upon their father's burial mound, the +kings sat in judgment with their people. + +Then Frithiof stood forth and in manly words made his request for the +hand of Ingeborg the Fair. But the kings said scornfully: + +"Think not that we would give our sister to a peasant's son. She is +for a proud Northland chieftain, not for such as you, though all men +may boast of your wondrous deeds." + +"Then," said Frithiof, in slow-gathering wrath, "my errand is soon +finished. Remember, that if this is your final answer, I will never +give you help in trouble, however much you may require it." + +"Our kingdom requires not your service," they answered jeeringly, "we +can protect it ourselves. But if you need employment, why, we can give +you a servant's place among our household men." + +Then Frithiof reared his great head, saying proudly: + +"No man of yours am I, but, as my father was, I am a man for myself. +And now, were it not for the honour I bear to our fathers' graves, +your words would cost you dear. Hereafter come not within range of my +sword." + +And as he spoke, with one blow he cleft the golden war shield of Helge +with his good sword, and the two halves fell clashing to the ground. + + + + +CHAPTER XXII + +Frithiof and Ingeborg + +_This is the tale the Northmen tell of how +Ingeborg went to dwell in Balder's grove._ + + +Far in the south of that land lived a mighty ruler, whose name was +Ring. Wise was he, and king of a land like the groves of the gods, +where the corn crops waved each year and peace and justice flourished +within its borders. For thirty years had he ruled his kingdom, and +each year his people rose up and called him blessed. + +Now one day this king sat deep in thought upon his golden chair, and +when he at length pushed it back from the board, his chieftains rose +up gladly to hear his words. + +And the king said: "It is now a weary while since the queen, my wife, +left me sorrowful upon the earth and went to dwell in the bowers of +the blessed ones in Asgard. Never again shall I find a queen so good +and fair; but my children cry to me for a mother's care and I must +seek another wife for their sake. + +"Now it comes to my remembrance that often King Bele visited my hall, +and with him sometimes came his fair daughter Ingeborg. 'Tis on her my +choice shall fall, for though I am old and she is but a young girl, I +know that she will be a good mother to my children." + +"Take therefore gold and gems from yon oak presses, and let the +minstrels tune their harps and go forth to ask her in marriage from +the sons of Bele." + +So a long line of harpers went forth, followed by youths in glad +array, and they stood before King Helge and King Halfdan, and gave to +them the message of King Ring. + +Now Helge was nothing loth to give his fair sister to the king, +although he was an old man and she but a young girl; but, since he was +always very heedful of the will of the gods, he offered sacrifice and +carefully consulted the wise men and the wise women and all the omens +as to whether this thing should be. And all with one consent answered +that the marriage must not be allowed. + +So Helge refused the king's request courteously enough, saying that +man must obey when the gods decree; but Halfdan, being rude and +waggish of tongue, said: "King Greybeard himself should have ridden +hither for his bride if he is not too old to mount his horse!" + +Then the messenger returned wrathful, and King Ring said grimly: "They +shall soon see if King Greybeard be too old to take revenge," and with +that he struck his war shield, as it hung on the tree above him, such +a blow that the echo of it was borne even to the hall of Helge and +Halfdan. Then he sent messengers, this time in warlike array, to the +two kings, bidding them submit to his authority and pay him tribute. +"If ye refuse," said they, "our king will send a great army and take +the kingdom and utterly destroy you and your people." + +But Helge and Halfdan answered with spirit: + +"Not in our young days will we learn to do that which we will never +know when old, and that is how to do shameful service to a neighbour +king." + +Then they summoned Hilding, their foster-father, and bade him go to +Frithiof and pray him to come with his followers to their aid. And +meantime, being in fear for their sister's safety, they sent her away +to the dim grove where Balder's temple rose grey among the shadows. +There, day by day, fair Ingeborg sat among her maidens at her +embroidery, and as she drew the thread it was wet with her tears. + +Now when Hilding, that good old yeoman, reached the hall of Frithiof, +he found the hero sitting with Björn at a game of chess. Gladly was he +greeted by the young man, who pointed to the High Chair, the chief +seat at the board, and bade him sit and drink a horn of mead while +they finished their game. + +But Hilding, full of his errand, began at once to speak: "I am sent by +the sons of Bele," said he. "They now salute thee and pray that thou +wouldst go up to their help to battle against King Ring, who is about +to attack their land with violence." + +But Frithiof seemingly paid no heed to his words, saying only to his +opponent: "Björn, thy king is in danger, beware! Yet a pawn can +recover him even now." + +Then Hilding urged: "Frithiof, my son, anger not the kings. Remember +that they too have power, and that they threaten thee with a terrible +fate if thou wilt not go forth to their aid." + +But Frithiof only said to Björn: + +"See how thou threatenest my castle in vain!" + + "Grim and high the fierce wall rises, + Bright the Shield-tower shines within." + +Then Hilding tried another argument. + +"Son!" he cried, "knowest thou not how Ingeborg weeps all day within +the Place of Balder? Wilt thou not fight for her release? Wilt thou +leave her blue eyes to melt in vain?" + +But Frithiof answered Björn, as though unheeding: "Björn, 'tis in vain +thou tryest to take my queen, ever so dear and true to me. She is my +favourite piece in all the game, and, come what will, I'll save my +queen." + +"What!" cried the old man. "Must I go forth unheeded, without even a +reply, because of this child's game?" + +Then Frithiof rose and pressed his hand kindly, saying: "Father, +naught will make me change my mind, and what thou hast heard me say +here in this place, thou mayest tell again to those who sent thee." + +When the kings received the report of Hilding concerning Frithiof, +they waited but to see that their sister Ingeborg was safe within the +walls of Balder's grove, and then prepared to march with all the +forces they could muster to meet King Ring. + +Meantime Frithiof attired himself in his richest dress, and placed his +golden ring upon his arm, and called on Björn and his servants to +follow him. + +"Whither now do we go, my brother?" asked Björn. + +"To the grove of Balder," answered Frithiof shortly. + +"That is not well," said Björn anxiously. "It will draw down the anger +of the gods upon us." + +"That remains to be seen," replied Frithiof. + +So they rowed over the firth and entered Balder's grove, and made +their way into Ingeborg's bower. + +Now when she saw Frithiof, the blue eyes of Ingeborg flashed with joy, +but she said gravely, as she rose to receive him: "Now wherefore art +thou so bold, Frithiof, to come hither against the will of my brothers +and to bring the wrath of the gods upon us?" + +But Frithiof replied: "Nay, love, no perils attend us. Fear not the +wrath of Balder; that gentle god will not punish true lovers. Let us +kneel at his shrine. No incense is more grateful to his soul than the +faith of two young hearts vowing eternal love." + +So when they had knelt for a space they sat down side by side, and +Frithiof drew the ring from off his arm and gave it to Ingeborg, +saying: "This ring will I give thee if thou wilt promise never to part +with it, but to send it to me when thou no longer hast need of it. And +with it I plight thee my troth." + +And in the same manner did Ingeborg give her own ring to Frithiof. + +And then Ingeborg with fond entreaties implored her lover to seek +Helge once again, and offer his hand, lest haply he might be +reconciled. Long did Frithiof hesitate, but at last the melting eyes +of Ingeborg could be denied no longer, and he promised that once again +would he seek the kings in peace and friendship. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII + +Frithiof Braves the Storm + +_This is the tale the Northmen tell of how Frithiof +the Bold went on a perilous adventure._ + + +Now when the two young kings met with Ring, and found that his forces +were far stronger than theirs, their hearts failed them and they sent +messengers to sue for peace. And it was arranged that they should +submit to King Ring, and should give Ingeborg their sister to him in +marriage, together with the third part of all their possession. + +Now one morning tidings were brought to Frithiof by Björn, who cried: +"The kings are returned home, and short enough will be our time of +peace, for we have broken the law of Balder, and we shall have to +pay." + +But Frithiof, who knew no fear, bade him be at rest, saying that +directly the kings had taken their seat upon their father's +grave-mound, to hear the suits brought before them, he intended once +again to claim the hand of Ingeborg. + +So on the day appointed he sought the place where Helge sat, black as +a thunder-cloud, with his warriors around him, and foolish Halfdan, +jesting as usual, and playing with his sword, stood by his side. And +Frithiof stood forth and said: "Not yet is thy kingdom free, O Helge, +from the threat of battle. Give me then thy sister and my strong right +arm shall fight for thee. Come, let this grudge between us be +forgotten, for I am loth to bear myself ill towards the brother of +Ingeborg and the sons of Bele. Here is my hand; but by the gods I +swear that, if thou refuse, it shall never be stretched forth to thee +in peace again." + +At these words a shout broke from the listening throng and the air was +rent with the noise of clashing weapons. + +"Ay! Give him Ingeborg, for what swordsman in our land is like to +him?" + +And even foolish Halfdan joined in the prayer. + +But Helge, still cold and hard, made reply: + +"The peasant's son might indeed have claimed the Princess Ingeborg, +but not he who has broken Balder's peace. Say, Frithiof, hast thou +not spurned the law of Balder's house and spoken to my sister within +his sacred walls?" + +Then from the crowd of warriors came the murmur: "Say but nay, say +nay! The word of Thorsten's son is good as any king's. Say nay! Say +nay!" + +But Frithiof made reply: "I will not lie to gain the joys of Asgard. I +have seen thy sister and spoken to her within yon walls, yet have I +not disturbed Balder nor broken his good peace." + +Then all that assembly was filled with horror as they heard his words, +for they all feared the wrath of the god. Hoarse and gloomy was the +voice of Helge as he said: + +"Now, by my great father's laws, I could condemn thee to banishment or +death, but, even as great Balder was mild, so shall my judgment be. + +"Far away on the isles of the west dwells a mighty jarl named +Angantyr, who in my father's days paid yearly tribute to our land, and +since his death has kept all back. Away then to his realm, collect the +money, and bring it back to us. 'Tis said he is hard-handed, and will +meet with the sharp sword him who asks for his gold, but what is that +to thee? Hence, Frithiof, or be branded coward for evermore." + +Then Frithiof bowed his head and departed, for he knew that it was the +will of Balder that this thing should be. + +But first he went again to visit his betrothed and to bid her a sad +farewell. Heavy of heart was Ingeborg, for she knew that her brother +had planned an expedition that should cost Frithiof his life; but +Frithiof cheered her, reminding her that this Angantyr, whom men so +dreaded, was his father's oldest friend. + +So Frithiof prepared to set out on his journey, but first he made a +pact with Helge that his possessions should rest in peace during his +absence, and the promise was confirmed with oaths. + +Then Frithiof set out with eighteen of his companions, and they went +on board the swift ship _Ellida_ and sailed out beyond the bay. + +But no sooner had he departed than the kings plundered and burnt his +village. After this, they sent two witches, and bade them send such a +terrible tempest against Frithiof and his followers that they should +all perish in the sea. To this the evil hags readily agreed, and, +having climbed to the top of a high mountain, began to cast their +wicked spells upon the winds. + +Thus it came to pass that when Frithiof and his men had left the land +far behind them there arose a great storm, and a mighty wind, which +lashed the waves to the very stars and drove the ship violently along. + +But Frithiof only smiled and sang: + + "Run, good ship, before the wind, + Ingeborg thou soon shalt find. + Ingeborg, the maid I love, + Waits for me in Balder's grove." + +Then said Björn, in fear and wrath: "Well would it be if thou hadst +something better to do than to sing of Balder's grove." + +But Frithiof laughed aloud, and showed him how the north wind was +blowing them straight to the Solundar Isles, where they might find +safe harbour. They did not bide there long, however, for the weather +suddenly became calmer, and for awhile they sailed along before a +favourable breeze. Then the wind began to freshen again, and when they +were far out at sea a still mightier tempest arose, with so much sleet +and snow that they could not see the prow of the vessel from the +stern. The waves also beat over the ship, so that they had to bale +incessantly. But Frithiof, though he toiled harder than them all, +continued to laugh and sing, though Björn growled: "He who wanders far +meets many a hindrance." + +Then a great sea swept over the boat and nearly swamped her; and +Frithiof cried: "See how the Swan Maidens are pledging us!" and set to +work to bale with a good heart. + +Still higher rose the storm, till the waves, like snow mountains, +reared themselves above the ship; and Björn cried in despair: "Sure +woe is now at hand, my foster-brother. Why didst thou ever enter the +bower of Balder's grove?" + +But Frithiof said with a laugh: "Methinks some of our good fellows +will have to journey to the realms of Ran, the Sea-goddess, and we +shall cut but a sorry figure there unless we go with a brave face and +red gold in our hands." + +So saying he took the gold ring that Ingeborg had given him and cut it +in pieces and divided it among his men. + +At last the storm grew still and the waves calm; but the ship was +water-logged, and Frithiof called loudly on the men to bale her out. + +"It is useless to try to do it," said the faint-hearted Björn, but +Frithiof cried: "Come, brother, never despair, for it hath ever been a +hero's custom to give what help he can as long as possible, come what +may hereafter." + +So they baled _Ellida_ clear, and, seeing his companions were now worn +out with toil, Frithiof bade them lie down in the boat and rest. And +he himself took two oars at the prow and rowed onwards with his mighty +strength till they came to land; and finding that his followers were +still weak and weary he carried them over the surf on his shoulders +and set them safely on shore. + +Now the island on which they had landed was part of the domain of that +Jarl Angantyr, and soon a message him: + +"Tidings, my jarl. Men have come ashore, but they seem weary and +helpless enough. Yet one of them is so strong and fresh that he +carries all the others to land." + +"Surely," said the jarl, "that man must be Frithiof, son of my old +friend Thorsten, a man renowned for all good deeds." + +Then Angantyr sent messengers to bid Frithiof welcome and to bring him +to his hall. And he prevailed upon his guest to pass the winter with +him, and showed high hospitality to him and to all his men. But when +Frithiof spoke of the errand on which he had come, the jarl said +proudly: "No tribute shall King Helge have of me, but thou, my friend, +shall take back such treasure as thou wilt, and tribute thou mayest +call it, or any other name, as thou desirest. For now it is clear to +me that Helge hath laid a trap for thee, and such kings are but +ill-esteemed in this land." + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV + +Balder Forgives + +_This is the tale the Northmen tell of how Frithiof +the Bold was wedded to Ingeborg the Fair._ + + +Now while Frithiof was absent in the Western Isles there came Ring, +that good old chieftain, northward to the land of the two young +rulers, Helge and Halfdan. + +Sorely grieved was Ingeborg when she knew that she must wed the +stranger king, but she knew naught of what had happened to Frithiof, +and was obliged to obey her brothers' will. + +And as they sat at the marriage feast, Ring saw the bracelet upon her +arm and knew that it had been Frithiof's; and he bade her take it off +and give it to the wife of Helge that she might give it to the +wanderer on his return. + +In the following spring came Frithiof back again to Norway, having +parted from Angantyr with much love and goodwill. But as he neared his +home, one met him whom he knew, who said: "Black have grown the +buildings here, and traces there are none of the hands of friends." + +Then Frithiof held counsel with his men and they shaped their course +to the hall of the kings. But upon arrival there he heard that they +were away at Balder's grove offering a sacrifice. So he set off +thither with Björn, leaving the rest with orders to make holes in all +the ships, both large and small, that lay in that harbour. When they +came to the entrance of the temple, Frithiof bade Björn stay outside +and, entering alone, stood silent in the shadows watching where King +Helge stood, crowned, by the altar of fire, whose flickering flames +painted the great wooden image of Balder with a golden glory. Around +the walls were ranged the ancient priests, silver-bearded, some with +burning brands and others with flint knives for the sacrifice. + +Up to King Helge then strode Frithiof and, taking from his girdle the +bag of silver which he had received from Angantyr, he flung it in the +face of the king, saying: "Receive thy tribute thus!" And so hard did +he fling the money that it struck out two of Helge's teeth, and he +fell senseless on the floor. + +Now there were few but old men in the temple hall, and they were awed +by the sight of Frithiof's gleaming blade. + +So for a time he stood unmolested, but as he turned to go the arm-ring +he had given to Ingeborg caught his eye, for it had been placed upon +Balder's arm. "Pardon, O Balder," he said, "but thou wilt no claim a +stolen jewel!" As he spoke he tugged at the ring, but it seemed to +have grown fast to the wooden arm. Frithiof put forth all his +strength, and suddenly the ring came away, but the great figure of the +god fell prone across the altar, whose flames immediately enveloped +it and leapt up as though in triumph to the rafters of the hall. + +Then was there great confusion as the flames spread rapidly. Frithiof +stayed to render what aid was possible, but when it was seen that the +temple was doomed to utter destruction he turned grief-stricken away, +and rejoining his companions they put out to sea. + +When King Helge came to his senses again his first thought was +vengeance, and he summoned his men to pursue after Frithiof. But his +ships had barely got under way when they began to sink, so that they +had to put back quickly into harbour. Then in his fury did Helge +snatch his bow to shoot an arrow after Frithiof, but so strongly did +he pull it that the string broke and the bow fell useless from his +hand. + +Meantime, Frithiof sailed merrily out to sea; and when Björn +questioned him as to what he meant to do next he replied: "Since I may +no longer stay in Norway, I will learn the customs of the sea-chief, +and will rove as a Viking." + +So all through the summer they sailed to distant islands and far-off +countries, winning both goods and renown, until he had become +exceeding rich and famous. Wicked and cruel men he slew, but peasants +and merchants and women he let go free, like the good Viking that he +was. + +At length, after four years had thus passed away, Frithiof said to +Björn: "Weary am I of these expeditions, and therefore will I sail +away to Uplands and hold discourse with good King Ring." + +"It is not good," said Björn, "to trust thyself in a rival's power. If +thou must do this rash thing at least go not alone." + +"I am never alone," replied the hero, "while my sword hangs at my +side." + +Frithiof now made preparation for his journey, and when he said +farewell to his companions he was clad in a cloak of skin which +completely covered him, and he walked with two staves as one who is +bowed down with years. His face, too, was covered with a great beard. + +It was eventide when he entered the king's hall and stood far down by +the door with his cloak drawn over his face. + +Then the king said to the queen as she sat by him at table: "There has +just come a man into the hall taller by far than other men." + +And she answered without interest that that was no great news. + +Then the king sent for the stranger and questioned him as to whence he +came; and because he loved to show hospitality he bade him seat +himself at his side. "But," said he, "let fall that shaggy hide, which +covers, as I think, a proper man." + +Then Frithiof showed himself in a dark-blue kirtle, with the ring +gleaming on his arm and his sword girt to a broad silver belt, from +which hung a well-filled purse. And when the queen saw that arm-ring +she knew Frithiof, in spite of the great beard that he had grown; but +she betrayed her recognition only by her changing colour and the +heaving of her breast. + +Now the king soon grew to love Frithiof, whom he compelled to stay +with him all the winter through. Little and seldom spoke the queen to +him, but by the king he was ever regarded with a glad and smiling +countenance. + +Then it came to pass that one day Frithiof had accompanied them to a +banquet, and their way lay over a lake. And Frithiof warned the king +that the ice on this lake was not safe. Scarcely had the king thanked +him for his care when the ice broke, and the sledge with the royal +pair upon it must have been submerged had not Frithiof dragged it +forth and saved their lives. Then said the king, looking at him very +kindly: "Well done, good friend, Frithiof the Bold could not have done +better had he been here." + +The winter passed away, and one day, when the woods were full of green +leaves, the king went forth into them with Frithiof as his only +companion. Presently said the king: "Heavy am I with sleep, and here +must I rest." + +But Frithiof said: "Not so; let my lord journey home, for here is +danger to those who sleep in the open air." + +"I care not," said the king, and so laid himself down to sleep. + +And as he slept Frithiof came and looked on him, and then quickly took +his sword from its scabbard and flung it away. + +Then the king opened his eyes and said: "Well hast thou resisted that +temptation, Frithiof; for Frithiof I knew thee to be when first thou +camest into my hall. Now stay with me, for my heart yearns towards +thee and I am far stricken in years, and if thou wilt be my right hand +for the days that are left, thou shalt have my land after my death for +thine own." + +But Frithiof shook his head sadly, saying: "not so, O king, for even +now must I journey away from these shores." + +Shortly after this Frithiof prepared to depart, and his dragon-ship +lay at her moorings tugging as though eager to breast the waves of +ocean once again. Then came he to Ring and Ingeborg, but the old king +was at the point of death. "Valhalla calls to me," said he, "and my +weary spirit would fain be at rest. Frithiof, take thou my kingdom and +guard the crown." He then placed the hand of his queen in that of +Frithiof, and a moment later his spirit was borne by the Valkyrs into +the Regions of the Blessed. + +So they raised a mighty cairn above King Ring, and great was the +mourning and lamentation in the land. Then all men looked to Frithiof +as his successor, but he bade them give their allegiance to the son of +King Ring, who was a right noble boy, and when they looked upon him +they saw that he was worthy to wear his father's crown. + +But because the people loved Frithiof, they cried: "Govern thou the +realm while our king is young, and let us celebrate thy marriage with +Ingeborg, as King Ring desired." + +But Frithiof answered sadly: "I must fare over the seas to Balder's +sacred grove. The mild god's wrath still burns against me. He took, he +only can restore, my cherished bride." + +The farewells have been spoken, the swift ship has cleaved the waves, +and the hero stands in the desolate grove where once stood the temple +of Balder, but where wild animals are now in hiding. + +"Mild, blue-eyed Balder," speaks the hero, "will no atonement quit me +of my guilt? Blood-fines take we for kinsmen slain, and the high gods +are not wont to nurse their wrath when altar flames consume the +sacrifice. Some offering ask, all that thou wilt is thine." + + "Then sudden, o'er the western waters pendent, + An Image comes, with gold and flames resplendent, + O'er Balder's grove it hovers, night's clouds under, + Like gold crown resting on a bed of green. + At last to a temple settling, firm 'tis grounded-- + Where Balder stood, another temple's founded." + +Frithiof gazed in wonderment, and his heart went out in praise for the +sign vouchsafed. He would raise a shrine more glorious than the one +which had been destroyed by fire, and thus would he be at rest. + +Now, while the timbers were being hewn and the carved pillars were +taking shape, King Helge was absent upon a foray amongst the Finnish +mountains. One day his band passed by a crag where stood the lonely +shrine of some forgotten god, and King Helge scaled the rocky summit +with intent to raze the ruined walls. The lock held fast and, as Helge +tugged fiercely at the mouldered gate, suddenly a sculptured image of +the deity, rudely summoned from his ancient sleep, started from his +niche above. + +Rudely he fell upon the head of the intruder, and Helge stretched his +length upon the rocky floor, nor stirred again. + +And now Balder's temple is finished, and its noble proportions look +over the firth, in whose clear waters it is reflected. Its vast hall +is filled melody, and the Chief Priest of Balder stands ready to +receive a bride. But who stands frowning upon the threshold? King +Halfdan it is, who approaches, sword in hand. + +Frithiof with quick hands unbuckled the sword from his thigh and +leaned it, with his golden shield, against the altar. Then with +outstretched hand he advanced saying: + + "Most noble in this strife will he be found + Who first is right hand good + Offers in pledge of peaceful brotherhood." + +Halfdan, blushing deeply, hastened to doff his iron gauntlet, and the +two men, severed so long, forgot their enmity and pledged abiding +faith with friendly grasp. + + "And as the last deep accents + Of reconcilement sounded, + Lo! Ingeborg sudden enters, rich adorn'd, + And to her brother's heart she trembling sinketh. + He with his sister's fears + Deep-moved, her hand all tenderly in Frithiof's linketh, + His burden soft transferring to the Hero's breast." + + + + +CHAPTER XXV + +How the End of All Things Came About + +_This is the tale the Northmen tell of how +the End of All Things Came About._ + + +When the Asa folk had banished wicked Loki to earth, and bound him +fast in his gloomy cavern, they thought they had heard and seen the +last of his evil ways. + +But this was not to be the case. Finding he could not free himself, +but must endure his bonds till the end of All Things, Loki tried to +divert himself by enticing the earth people to him and teaching them +to do every manner of evil. And so fast did knowledge of this evil +spread, that the whole world soon became full of wickedness. Brothers +fought and killed each other, men were for ever at war with other men, +no one had time or room in his heart for pity or for kindliness. + +Sol and Mani, who were wont to drive radiant through the sky in their +golden chariots, grew pale with dismay, for they knew that these +things portended their end, when those hungry wolves, who were ever +pursuing them, would overtake and devour them utterly. + +And they ceased to smile upon the land, wherefore the earth grew cold +and dark, and a long, long winter began. From North, South, East, and +West great snowstorms blew over the world, the Frost Giants waved +their great wings and breathed an icy blast, and a thick layer of ice +spread over the whole surface of the earth. + +For six seasons this terrible winter held the world in its grip, and +during all that time the earth people grew more wicked, until all +traces of goodness disappeared. Meantime, deep down in the dark shades +of the Ironwood, an evil Frost Giantess fed the pursuing wolves, so +that they gained strength each day, and at length they were able to +overtake Sol and Mani in their head-long course, and to devour them. + +Now when that dreadful thing had happened, the whole earth shook to +its foundations, and Loki, the Fenris Wolf, and the Sea-serpent, +making one last tremendous effort, broke their bonds and rushed to +wreak revenge upon their captors. + +At that moment the dragon that lies at the root of the Tree of Life +gnawed it through, so that it quivered and shook to its very top. The +red cock who stood perched above the halls of Valhalla gave a shrill +crow of alarm, and this was taken up by the white cock who roosts upon +the tallest tree on the earth, and echoed by Hela's blood-red bird in +the depths of the Mist Home. + +Heimdall knew the meaning of these sounds, and putting the horn to his +lips he gave the last long call from Asgard, which resounded across +the Rainbow Bridge throughout the whole world. + +Then the Asa folk sprang from their flower-strewn couches, and seizing +their weapons, they mounted their battle steeds and rode across the +Rainbow Bridge to the great plain where they were to wage their last +fight. + +Meantime, the Sea-serpent was lashing the waters of the ocean with his +tail as he made his way through the blood-red waves to that dread +battlefield. And Loki, who had roused all the host of the Fire Giants, +was sailing thither as fast as the tossing ocean would carry his fatal +barque; while from the foggy regions of the north issued the whole +race of Frost Giants, eager for their revenge upon the hated Asa folk. + +From a cleft in the earth came also Hela, the goddess of the +underworld, followed by her gaunt watchdog and by all the evil dregs +of her gloomy realm. Lastly, from a blinding flash of lightning that +seemed to rend the skies in twain, came forth the troop of Flame +Giants, each with his fiery sword in hand. + +Loki gladly placed himself at the head of all those hosts, and he led +them forward boldly against the gods. + +And first they thought to storm Asgard in one wild onset, but the +Rainbow Bridge sank with a mighty crash under their horses' feet. + +Meanwhile, the Asas had been gathering their forces upon the +battlefield, where with calm, stern faces they awaited the attack of +their foes--the red Flame Giants, the grim army of Hela, the +grey-white host of the Frost Giants, led by Loki, with the Fenris Wolf +on one hand and the Sea-serpent, breathing out clouds of deadly +vapour, on the other. + + "And all are marshalled in one flaming square + Against the gods, upon the plains of heaven." + +Then came the crash of battle, in which, for all their courage, the +Asas were bound to meet with defeat. Desperately they fought, but all +to no avail, for, at the moment that Heimdall and Loki fell dead +before each other's swords, and Thor, after killing the Sea-serpent, +was drowned in the poisonous stream that flowed from the creature's +mouth, the Fenris Wolf came at All-Father Odin with jaws open so wide +that they reached from earth to heaven; and rushing upon the mighty +Asa he engulfed him in that horrid tomb. + +Most of the Asas, as well as their foes, now lay dead on the +battlefield, and, seeing this, the Flame Giants suddenly grasped their +fiery brands and flung them over earth and heaven and all the +underworld. + +The mighty Tree of Life withered and fell; the golden halls of Asgard +melted away; the green things of earth turned black, and still the +fire raged, until the whole world, burnt to a cinder, sank beneath the +waves of the sea. + +Thus did the End of All Things come about. + +But because the End of All Things is also very often the Beginning of +Others, the Northmen say that, after many long years, the old Earth +rose again, clean and pure and bright from her long cleansing +underneath the sea. And in the sky above a daughter of Sol again drove +her sun-chariot, and smiled upon the earth, so that it grew young and +fresh and green again. + +And when this came to pass, a man and a woman, who, sunk in sleep in +the depths of a forest, had escaped the universal destruction, came +forth and took possession of the sweet green lands, for themselves and +for their children for ever. + + "So perish the old Gods! + But out of the sea of Time + Rises a new land of song. + Fairer than the old. + Over is meadows green + Walk the young bards and sing. + + Build it again, + O ye bards, + Fairer than before! + Ye fathers of the new race, + Feed upon morning dew, + Sing the new Song of Love! + + The law of force is dead! + The law of love prevails! + Thor, the thunderer, + Shall rule the earth no more, + No more, with threats, + Challenge the meek Christ. + + Sing no more, + O ye bards of the North, + Of Vikings and of Jarls! + Of the days of Eld + Preserve the freedom only, + Not the deeds of blood." + + LONGFELLOW. + + + + +PRONOUNCING INDEX OF PROPER NAMES + +(_a as in hate; e as in tea; o as in note; ä as in arm; e +as in merit_) + +Transcriber's Note: [=oo] represents two 'o's with a line on top. There +is no Unicode representation for the letter. + +These letters can be represented only in Unicode. Correct letters are +provided in the Unicode text. + + +Ægir (a´jir) + +Agnar (ag´nar) + +Andvari (änd´vä-re) + +Angantyr (än-gän´ter) + +Angurvadel (än-gur-vä´del) + +Angur-boda (än-gur-bo´dà) + +Asa (a´sa) + +Asgard (as´gärd) + +Ask (äsk) + +Atli (at´le) + + +Balder (baul´der) + +Baugi (bow´ge) + +Bele (be-la´) + +Björn (byern) + +Bragi (brä´ge) + +Branstock (bran´stok) + +Bredi (bre´de) + +Brock (brock) + +Brunhild (br[=oo]n´hild) + + +Draupnir (drowp´nir) + + +Elli (el´le) + +Ellida (el-li´da) + +Embla (em´bla) + + +Fafnir (faf´nir) + +Fenga (fengá) + +Fenris (fen´ris) + +Fensalir (fen´säl-ir) + +Fialar (fyäl´ar) + +Fiorgyn (fyôr´gen) + +Frey (fri) + +Freya (fri´a) + +Frigga (frig´a) + +Frithiof (frit´yof) + + +Galar (gäl´ar) + +Geirrod (gir´rod) + +Geri (ger´e) + +Gersemi (ger´se-me) + +Gialp (gyälp) + +Gilling (gil´ling) + +Giöll (gyel) + +Giuki (gi´[=oo]ki) + +Gnomes (nomz) + +Greip (grip) + +Greyfell (gra-fel) + +Grid (gred) + +Grimnir (grim´nir) + +Grimhild (grim´hild) + +Gudrun (goo´droon) + +Gungnir (goong´nir) + +Gunlod (goon´lod) + +Gunnar (gun´när) + +Guttorm (goot´torm) + + +Hamdir (ham´dir) + +Halfdan (half´dan) + +Heidrun (hi´dr[=oo]n) + +Heimdall (him´däl) + +Hela (helá) + +Helge (hel´ge) + +Hermod (her´mod) + +Hindfell (hind´fel) + +Hiordis (hyôr´dis) + +Hoder (ho´der) + +Hoenir (he´nir) + +Högni (heg´ne) + +Hreidmar (hrid´mar) + +Hugi (hu´gi) + +Hugin (hu´gin) + +Hunding (hundíng) + +Hyrroken (her´ro-kin) + + +Idun (e´doon) + +Ingeborg (in´ge-borg) + + +Jarl (yärl) + + +Kari (kär´e) + +Kvasir (kvä´sir) + + +Logi (lo´ge) + +Loki (lo´ke) + +Lygni (leg´ni) + + +Mani (mä´ne) + +Midgard (mid´gärd) + +Mimir (me´mir) + +Miölnir (myel´nir) + +Modir (mo´dir) + +Munin (mu´nin) + + +Niblungs (ne´bloongz) + +Niffelheim (nifl´him) + +Niörd (nyerd) + + +Odin (o´din) + +Odur (o´door) + + +Ragnarok (rag´na-ruk) + +Ran (rän) + +Ratatosk (rä´ta-tusk) + +Rati (rä´te) + +Regin (ra´gin) + +Rerir (ra´rir) + +Ring (ring) + +Ringhorn (ring´horn) + +Roskva (ros´kva) + + +Sif (sif) + +Siggeir (sig´ir) + +Sigi (sig´e) + +Sigmund (sig´moond) + +Signy (sig´ni) + +Sigurd (se´goord) + +Sigyn (se´gen) + +Sindri (sin´dre) + +Sinfiotli (sin-fe-ot´li) + +Skadi (skä´de) + +Skrymir (skrim´ir) + +Sleipnir (slip´nir) + +Sol (sol) + +Suttung (soot´t[=oo]ng) + +Svadilfare (svä´dil-fär´e) + + +Thialfi (te´älf´e) + +Thiassi (te-äs-se) + +Thok (tok) + +Thor (thor or tor) + +Thorsten (tor-sten) + +Thrym (trim) + +Tyr (ter) + + +Uplands (up´lands) + + +Valhalla (väl-häl´la) + +Vali (väl´e) + +Valkyrs (val´kirz) + +Valtam (väl´tam) + +Vikings (vik´ingz) + +Volsung (vol´soong) + + +Ymir (e´mir) + + * * * * * + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Told by the Northmen:, by +E. 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