Extracts From the Poetical Diction (Skaldskaparmal)
Thor's Journey To Geirrod's
Then said Ęger: Much of a man, it seems to me, was that Hrungner. Has Thor accomplished
any other great deeds in his intercourse with trolls (giants)? Then answered
Brage: It is worth giving a full account of how Thor made a journey to Geirrodsgard.
He had with him neither the hammer Mjolner, nor his belt of strength, Megingjard,
nor his steel gloves; and that was Loke's fault,---he was with him. For it happened
to Loke, when he once flew out to amuse himself in Frigg's falcon-guise, that
he saw a large hall. He sat down and looked in through the window, but Geirrod
discovered him, and ordered the bird to be caught and brought to him. The servant
had hard work to climb up the wall of the hall, so high was it. It amused Loke
that it gave the servant so much trouble to get at him, and he thought it would
be time enough to fly away when he had gotten over the worst. When the latter
now caught at him, Loke spread his wings and spurned with his feet, but these
were fast, and so Loke was caught and brought to the giant. When the latter
saw his eyes he suspected that it was a man. He put questions to him and bade
him answer, but Loke refused to speak. Then Geirrod locked him down in a chest,
and starved him for three months; and when Geirrod finally took him up again,
and asked him to speak, Loke confessed who he was, and to save his life he swore
an oath to Geirrod that he would get Thor to come to Geirrodsgard without his
hammer or his belt of strength.
On his way Thor visited the
giantess whose name is Grid. She was the mother of Vidar the Silent. She told
Thor the truth concerning Geirrod, that he was a dog-wise and dangerous giant;
and she lent him her own belt of strength and steel gloves, and her staff, which
is called Gridarvol. Then went Thor to the river which is called Vimer, and
which is the largest of all rivers. He buckled on the belt of strength and stemmed
the wild torrent with Gridarvol, but Loke held himself fast in Megingjard. When
Thor had come into the middle of the stream, the river waxed so greatly that
the waves dashed over his shoulders. The quoth Thor:
Wax
not Vimer,
Since
I intend to wade
To
the gards of giants.
Know,
if you wax,
Then
waxes my asa-might
As
high as the heavens.
Then Thor looked up and saw
in a cleft Gjalp, the daughter of Geirrod, standing on both sides of the stream,
and causing its growth. Then took he up out of the river a huge stone and threw
at her, saying: At its source the stream must be stemmed. He was not wont to
miss his mark. At the same time he reached the river bank and got hold of a
shrub, and so he got out of the river. Hence comes the adage that a shrub saved
Thor. When Thor came to Geirrod, he and his companion were shown to the guest-room,
where lodgings were given them, but there was but one seat, and on that Thor
sat down. Then he became aware that the seat was raised under him toward the
roof. He put the Gridarvol against the rafters, and pressed himself down against
the seat. Then was heard a great crash, which was followed by a loud screaming.
Under the seat were Geirrod's daughters, Gjalp and Greip, and he had broken
the backs of both of them. Then quoth Thor:
Once
I employed
My
asa-might
In
the gards of the giants.
When
Gjalp and Greip,
Geirrod's
daughters,
Wanted
to lift me to heaven.
Then Geirrod had Thor invited
into the hall to the games. Large fires burned along the whole length of the
hall. When Thor came into the hall, and stood opposite Geirrod, the latter seized
with a pair of tongs a red-hot iron wedge and threw it at Thor. But he caught
it with his steel gloves, and lifted it up in the air. Geirrod sprang behind
an iron post to guard himself. But Thor threw the wedge with so great force
that it struck through the post, through Geirrod, through the wall, and then
went out and into the ground. From this saga, Eilif, son of Gudrun, made the
following song, called Thor's Drapa:
The
Midgard-serpent's father exhorted
Thor,
the victor of giants,
To
set out from home.
A
great liar was Loke.
Not
quite confident,
The
companion of the war-god
Declared
green paths to lie
To
the gard of Geirrod.
Thor
did not long let Loke
Invite
him to the arduous journey.
They
were eager to crush
Thorn's
descendants.
When
he, who is wont to swing Megingjard,
Once
set out from Odin's home
To
visit Ymer's children in Gandvik,
The
giantess Gjalp,
Perjured
Geirrod's daughter,
Sooner
got ready magic to use
Than
the god of war and Loke.
A
song I recite.
Those
gods noxious to the giants
Planted
their feet
In
Endil's land,
And
the men wont to battle
Went
forth.
The
message of death
Came
of the moon-devourer's women,
When
the cunning and wrathful
Conqueror
of Loke
Challenged
to a contest
The
giantess.
And
the troll-woman's disgracer
Waded
across the roaring stream,---
Rolling
full of drenched snow over its banks.
He
who puts giants to flight
Rapidly
advanced
O'er
the broad watery way,
Where
the noisy stream's
Venom
belched forth.
Thor and his companions
Put
before him the staff;
Thereon
he rested
Whilst
over they waded:
Nor
sleep did the stones,---
The
sonorous staff striking the rapid wave
Made
the river-bed ring,---
The
mountain-torrent rang with stones.
The
wearer of Megingjard
Saw
the flood fall
On
his hard-waxed shoulders:
He
could do no better.
The
destroyer of troll-children
Let
his neck-strength
Wax
heaven high,
Till
the mighty stream should diminish.
But
the warriors,
The
oath-bound protectors of Asgard,---
The
experienced vikings,---
Waded
fast and the stream sped on.
Thou
god of the bow!
The
billows
Blown
by the mountain-storm
Powerfully
rushed
Over
Thor's shoulders.
Thjalfe
and his companions,
With
their heads above water,
Got
over the river,---
To
Thor's belt they clung.
Their
strength was tested,---
Geirrod's
daughters made hard the stream
For
the iron rod.
Angry
fared Thor with the Gridarvol.
Nor
did courage fail
Those
foes of the giant
In
the seething vortex.
Those
sworn companions
Regarded
a brave heart
Better
than gold.
Neither
Thor's nor Thjalfe's heart
From
fear did tremble.
And
the war companions---
Weapons
despising---
'Mong
the giants made havoc,
Until,
O woman!
The
giant destroyers
The
conflict of helmets
With
the warlike race
Did
commence.
The
giants of Iva's capes
Made
a rush with Geirrod;
The
foes of the cold Svithiod
Took
to flight.
Geirrod's
giants
Had
to succumb
When
the lightning wielder's kinsmen
Closely
pursued them.
Wailing
was 'mongst the cave-dwellers
When
the giants,
With
warlike spirit endowed,
Went
forward.
There was war.
The
slayer of troll-women,
By
foes surrounded,
The
giant's hard head hit.
With
violent pressure
Were
pressed the vast eyes
Of
Gjalp and Greip
Against
the high roof.
The
fire-chariot's driver
The
old backs broke
Of
both these maids
For
the cave-woman.
The
man of the rocky way
But
scanty knowledge got;
Nor
able were the giants
To
enjoy perfect gladness.
Thou
man of the bow-string!
The
dwarf's kinsman
An
iron beam, in the forge heated,
Threw
against Odin's dear son.
But
the battle-hastener,
Freyja's
old friend,
With
swift hands caught
In
the air the beam
As
it flew from the hands
Of
the father of Greip,---
His
breast with anger swollen
Against
Thruda's father.
Geirrod's
hall trembled
When
he struck,
With
his broad head,
'Gainst
the old column of the house-wall.
Uller's
splendid flatterer
Swung
the iron beam
Straight
'gainst the head
Of
the knavish giant.
The
crusher of the hall-wont troll-women
A
splendid victory won
Over
Glam's descendants;
With
gory hammer fared Thor.
Gridarvol-staff,
Which
made disaster
'Mong
Geirrod's companion,
Was
not used 'gainst that giant himself.
The
much worshipped thunderer,
With
all his might, slew
The
dwellers in Alfheim
With
that little willow-twig,
And
no shield
Was
able to resist
The
strong age-diminisher
Of
the mountain-king.