which fell in one piece.
Thor and Tyr came forward;
the old giant
bent his gaze
upon his enemy.
[14] His thoughts were not kind
when he fixed his eyes
on Thor, killer of giants,
here, in his own home.
But the giant
ordered three bulls killed—
reluctantly,
he ordered them cooked.
[15] They beheaded
the bulls,
and brought them
to the cook-pot;
and before he went to bed,
Thor, son of Odin,
ate two whole bulls
of Hymir’s.
[16] Gray-haired old Hymir
saw it would be costly
to feed the hunger
of Thor.
“If all three of us
want to eat tomorrow,
then we’d better
go fishing.”
[17] Thor said
he was willing to row and fish,
if the bold giant
would let him have some bait.
{95} Hymir said:
“Well, giant-killer,
if you’re brave enough,
go out to my herd.
You’ll find some bait there.
[18] “I suspect
you’ll find it easy
to take some bait
from one of my oxen.”
So Thor went quickly
out in the forest,
and he saw before him
a black ox.
[19] Thor broke
the whole head
off the ox,
gripping its horns.
Hymir said:
“What you’ve done
here is even worse
than it was having you inside,
sitting and eating.”
[20] Then Thor
asked the giant
to come with him to sea,
to row out with him.
But Hymir
rowed a little,
and was unwilling
to row any further
out in the deep sea.
[21] Famous Hymir
caught a whale,
and then caught two whales
on one hook,
but Odin’s son
{96} sat in the rear
and craftily
baited his own hook.
[22] Thor,
friend of humans,
enemy of the serpent,
put the ox’s head on his hook.
Then the gaping Midgard-serpent
came up, the one
that hates the gods
and lives in the encircling sea.
[23] The bold Thor
pulled bravely
to bring that poison-slick
serpent up on board.
With his hammer,
he struck a blow
on the head of
Fenrir’s serpent brother.
[24] The monster howled,
volcanoes erupted,
and the old earth
trembled all over,
but that sea monster
sank back into the waves.
[25] The giant was gloomy
as they rowed home;
he sat at the oars
and said not a word
as they steered the boat
back toward land.
Hymir said:
[26] “Share my work
with me, do your half—
either take the whales
to my house,
{97} or stay and
tie up the boat.”
[27] Thor went and
grabbed up the boat and oars—
he didn’t bail out the water,
he just lifted the whole thing—
and he took the whole boat,
with its oars and buckets
(it was a good boat)
to the home of the giant.
Thor carried it
through the forest.
[28] But the giant
he demanded
a test of strength from Thor:
He said it was no test at all
to row a boat,
but a truly strong man
would be able to break his cup.
[29] So Thor
took the cup in hand,
but he broke a stone
trying to shatter that glass cup.
Then he threw it
through a wall,
but it was brought back
unbroken to Hymir.
[30] Till Hymir’s
pretty concubine
told Thor a
useful secret:
“Hit it on Hymir’s head!
That giant’s skull
is made of harder stuff
than any cup!”
{98} [31] Thor stood up
vigorously,
he summoned
all his godly strength;
he left not a mark
on that giant’s head,
but the wine cup
broke into pieces.
[32] Hymir said,
“I know my loss is great,
when I see my cup
fall broken at my knees;
I know that I will
never say again,
‘The drinks are ready!’
[33] “The cauldron is yours,
Thor and Tyr,
if you can carry it
out of my house!”
Tyr tried twice
to lift it,
but the cauldron
remained unmoved.
[34] Thor, strong father
of Mothi, took a turn.
His feet broke through the floor
while he lifted,
but he lifted that cauldron
over his head,
and the chains that held it
broke, and rattled at his heels.
[35] They walked a long time
before Thor, son of Odin,
turned around
to take a look behind him,
and he saw, coming from
the rocky east, Hymir, with
{99} an army of giants coming at him,
some with more than one head.
[36] Thor threw the cauldron
down from his shoulders
and stood, ready to fight.
He threw Mjollnir,
his killing hammer,
and he killed
all those
lava giants.
[37] They didn’t walk long
before Thor, son of Odin,
saw before him
one of his goats, half-dead.
The goat was walking
with a lame leg,
and this was caused
by lie-telling Loki.
[38] But audience,
you have heard all this,
this story is often
told among the stories of the gods.
It’s told how Thor
was paid back
by the lava giant Egil;
Thor took both his children.
[39] Then Thor,
mightiest of gods,
returned to Asgard
with the cauldron of Hymir.
And now the gods
drink good beer
every winter’s day
in Aegir’s hall.
{100} Lokasenna (Loki’s Taunts)
In Lokasenna, a clear picture of the trickster figure Loki appears. Having been cast out of a feast of the gods for killing a servant, Loki returns to the feast and offers insults to each god and goddess in turn. He is tolerated because Odin has made an oath never to drink without Loki present (st. 9). Loki’s insults are sometimes phrased in surprisingly explicit scatological terms (as in st. 32 and 34), and his insults toward the goddesses are invariably
of a sexual nature, as are the insults that he and Odin trade with one another. Note that many stanzas, especially Loki’s, begin with “You know …” (Old Norse Veiztu …); this is a fairly common opening to stanzas elsewhere in the Edda as well, but here it may also be intended ironically, since much of what Loki reveals of the gods’ indecency was probably concealed from the other gods prior to this disclosure. Finally, after Loki has slandered everyone present, Thor appears and threatens Loki into leaving, and we learn at last how Loki was punished for insulting the gods by being chained beneath a poisonous snake, dripping venom on his face. The prose sections are original to the manuscript.
Lokasenna
Aegir, also called Gymir, prepared ale for the gods after he had acquired the great kettle, which has been told of. Odin came to the feasting with Frigg, his wife. Thor did not come, since he was out east, but Thor’s wife Sif was there. Bragi came with his wife Ithunn. Tyr was there as well—he was one-handed, because Fenrir had bitten his hand off when he was chained. Njorth was there with his wife Skathi, and his children Frey and Freyja. Vithar, son of Odin, was there. Loki was there, and so were Frey’s servants, Byggvir and Beyla. There were many other gods and elves as well. Aegir had two servants: Fimafeng and Eldir. Shining gold lit the hall, and the beer served itself. It was a great place of peace, and everyone praised how good Aegir’s servants were. Loki could not tolerate hearing good things said about servants, and so he killed Fimafeng. Then the Aesir shook their shields at Loki and shouted at him, and drove him out into the forest, and went back {101} to drinking. But Loki came back, and in the darkness outside he met Eldir. Loki said:
[1] “TELL ME, ELDIR,
before you take
another step forward:
What are the gods
sitting in there
talking about, over their beer?”
Eldir said:
[2] “They are comparing
their weapons,
and judging their readiness for war.
Of the elves and gods
sitting inside,
not one is your friend.”
Loki said:
[3] “I will go in
to Aegir’s hall
and see this feast.
I will bring them
slanders and rumors,
Eldir said:
[4] “You know that if
you go in to Aegir’s hall
to visit this feast,
bringing slanders and rumors
to spill out on their floor,
they will wipe those words right off on you.”
Loki said:
[5] “You know, Eldir,
if you and I were to compete
at exchanging insults,
it would be
lucky for me
if you said too much.”
{102} Then Loki went into the hall. And when the feasters saw who had come in, they went silent.
Loki said:
[6] “I come thirsty
into this hall,
I, Loki, after a long road,
to ask the gods
to offer me
just one drink of their famous mead.
[7] “Why are you so silent,
you proud gods,
why do you say nothing?
You ought to show me to my seat
at such a feast,
or else order me to leave.”
Bragi said:
[8] “The gods will never
show you to a seat
at this feast.
The gods know what company
they want to share
a happy evening’s drinking with.”
Loki said:
[9] “Do you remember, Odin,
when in bygone days
we blended our blood?
You told me then
that you would never taste a drink
that was not served to us both.”
Odin said:
[10] “Get up, Vithar,
let this father of wolves
take a seat and have a drink.
Let’s not let Loki
slander us here
in Aegir’s hall.”
{103} Then Vithar stood up and served Loki a drink. Before he drank, Loki said:
[11] “Hail, gods and goddesses,
all the high and holy Aesir!
Except for
that one god
who sits furthest down the bench,
that one there—Bragi.”
Bragi said:
[12] “I will give you
a horse and a sword,
I offer you these freely, and a ring—
but in exchange,
please don’t slander
the gods, don’t awake their anger.”
Loki said:
[13] “Since when have you
had a treasure or a horse to give?
Of all the gods
and elves
inside this hall,
you’re the biggest coward!”
Bragi said:
[14] “If we were outside,
and you had not come
inside Aegir’s hall,
I would be holding your severed head.
I’d pay you back that way
for all your lies.”
Loki said:
[15] “You’re brave while you’re sitting.
But you wouldn’t do that,
Bragi, you benchwarmer.
Go ahead and strike me,
if you’re so angry.
A brave man wouldn’t be afraid to do it.”
{104} Ithunn said:
[16] “I beg you, Bragi,
think of your children
by blood and by adoption,
and don’t slander
even Loki
here in Aegir’s hall.”
Loki said:
[17] “Silence, Ithunn.
I don’t think there’s any woman
more lustful than you.
Not since you wrapped
your pretty arms
around the killer of your brother.”
Ithunn said:
[18] “I will not slander
even Loki
here in Aegir’s hall.
I will calm you,
beer-maddened Bragi;
I don’t want you two to fight.”
Gefjun said:
[19] “Why should two gods
exchange insulting words
here inside this hall?
I think Loki
is a cheerful fellow;
everybody loves him.”
Loki said:
[20] “Silence, Gefjun.
I remember that boy
who seduced you into his bed.
That handsome boy
gave you a necklace,
and you opened your thighs for him.”
{105} Odin said:
[21] “You’re mad, Loki,
out of your wits,
if you want to make Gefjun angry.
I think she foresees the fates
of all living things
as well as I do.”
Loki said:
[22] “Silence, Odin.
You always judge battles
unfairly for humans.
You have often given
defeat to the better side,
when you shouldn’t have.”
Odin said:
[23] “You know,
even if I did judge unfairly,
and made the better side lose,
I know that you,
for eight years,
lived on the earth down below
as a cow in milk, and as a woman,
and you’ve given birth to children—
I call that a pervert’s way of living.”
Loki said:
[24] “But people say that you
practiced womanly magic
&
nbsp; on Samsey, dressed as a woman.
You lived as a witch
among the humans—
and I call that a pervert’s way of living.”
Frigg said:
[25] “You should not
discuss your histories
openly in front of everyone.
Whatever you two gods
went about doing in your younger days—
that belongs in the past, and should stay there.”
{106} Loki said:
[26] “Silence, Frigg.
You’re Fjorgyn’s girl,
and you’ve always been lustful—
think of when you, Odin’s wife,
accepted both Vilir and Ve
into your embrace.”
Frigg said:
[27] “You know, if I had a son
like Balder, sitting here
with me in Aegir’s hall,
in the presence of these gods,
I declare you would never come out
alive, you’d be killed shortly.”
Loki said:
[28] “You must want me
to recount even more
of my mischief, Frigg.
After all, I’m the one
who made it so that Balder
will never ride home again.”
Freyja said:
[29] “You are mad, Loki,
when you boast
of your sins.
I believe that Frigg
knows everyone’s fate,
even if she never speaks of it.”
Loki said:
[30] “Silence, Freyja.
You are not free from faults;
I know you too well.
You’ve played the whore
with every god and every elf
who sits in this hall.”
{107} Freyja said:
[31] “You speak lies,
and soon this kind of talk
will cause you real trouble.
The gods are angry at you
and all the goddesses, too—
you will go home friendless.”
Loki said:
[32] “Silence, Freyja.
You are a witch,
and have dealt out many curses.
I hear the gods found you
lying with your brother,
and that you farted then, Freyja.”
Njorth said:
[33] “It is a small matter
whether women sleep
with their own men or others’.
But it’s a surprise to hear
such a sissy god talking here,
when he’s borne children.”
Loki said:
[34] “Silence, Njorth.
You were sent from the west
as a hostage for the gods.
The daughters of Hymir
used your mouth as a urinal,
and you’ve tasted plenty of piss.”
Njorth said:
[35] “I had some good from that,
when I was sent from the west
as a hostage for the gods.
I fathered a son
beloved by all,
considered a hero among gods.”
{108} Loki said:
[36] “Stop this now, Njorth,
control yourself.
I will not conceal this any longer: