Tale and Mythology

The twelve major deities in the mythology of the Eddas were, as already, enumerated, — in addition to Odin — Thor, Njord, Frey, Balder, Tyr, Heimdal, Bragi, Forseti, Hod, Vidar, Vali, and Ull. Next after these is mentioned, among the foremost Æsir, Loki or Lopt, although he is more properly to be counted their enemy. By race he was a Giant, his father being the Giant Farbauti and his mother the Giantess Laufey or Nal; yet he became the foster brother of Odin and was numbered among the Æsir. His brothers were Byleist (also called Byleipt) and Helblindi. Loki was well- favored, but crafty and malicious. To be sure, he was sometimes compelled to make good the evil he had done, and occasionally he even placed his cunning at the service of the Æsir in seasons of great need; yet in all that really mattered he remained their enemy and the secret friend of the Giants. Loki was the actual instigator of the death of Balder. At the last day he will reappear as one of the captains of the Gian

Loki went through Asgard silent and with head bent, and everyone in Asgard said to each other, “This will teach Loki not to work anymore mischief.” They did not know that what Loki had done had sown the seeds of mischief and that these seeds were to sprout up and bring sorrow to the beautiful Freya, who the Giant wanted to carry off with the Sun and the Moon as payment for his building the wall around Asgard. Freya had looked at the wonders that Loki had brought into Asgard— the golden threads that were Sif’s hair, and Frey’s boar that shone light from its bristles as it flew. The gleam of these golden things dazzled her, and made her dream constantly of the wonders that she herself might possess. She often thought, “What wonderful things the Three Giant Women would give me if I could go to them on their mountaintop.” Long before this, when the wall around their City was not yet built, and when the Gods had set up only the court with their twelve seats and the Hall that was for Od

Loki wanted the Æsir and the Vanir to be friendly to him again so he brought out the wonderful things he had obtained from the Dwarfs - the spear Gungnir and the boat Skidbladnir. The Æsir and the Vanir marveled at such wonderful things. Loki gave the spear as a gift to Odin, and he gave the boat Skidbladnir to Frey, who was chief of the Vanir. Everyone in Asgard was pleased that things so wonderful had been brought to them. Loki, who had made a great show in giving these gifts, said boastingly, “None but the Dwarfs who work for me could make such things. There are other Dwarfs, but they are as clumsy as they are ugly. The Dwarfs who are my servants are the only ones who can make such wonders.” Loki in his boastfulness had said a foolish thing. There were other Dwarfs besides those who had worked for him, and one of these was there in Asgard. Unknown to Loki he stood in the shadow of Odin’s seat, listening to what was being said. Brock, the most spiteful of all the Dwarfs went

Everyone who lived in Asgard, the Æsir and the Asyniur, who were the Gods and the Goddesses, and the Vanir, who were the friends of the Gods and the Goddesses, were furious with Loki. It was no wonder they were angry with him, for he had let the Giant Thiassi abduct Iduna and her golden apples. However, their anger made Loki want to do more mischief in Asgard. One day he saw a chance to do mischief that made his heart rejoice. Sif, the wife of Thor, was lying asleep outside her house. Her  beautiful golden hair flowed all round her. Loki knew how much Thor loved that shining hair, and how greatly Sif prized it because of  Thor’s love. Here was his chance to do a great mischief. Smilingly, he took out his shears and cut off the shining hair, every strand and every tress. She did not awaken while her treasure was being taken from  her. Loki left Sif’s head bare. Thor was away from Asgard. Coming back to the City of the Gods, he went into his house. Sif, his wife, was not there to we

A tone time ago, in a land near the ocean, there lived a king called Sigeband. He was a very rich and powerful king and had many knights in his army. Often he held tournaments, so that his knights might show their skill in the use of sword and spear and battle-ax. Once he held a tournamentthat lasted a week. Hagen, the king’s little son, who was some day to be king of the land, ran about among the horses and knights. He looked at the sharp swords and shining armor. He heard the jingling of the golden spurs. He saw the gay plumes on the helmets and wished that he too were a man. He patted the shining coats of the war-horses and was nevertired looking at them. One day he forgot to follow the men into the palace. There was a feast that day, and no one saw that the little boy had not come in. The king and queen sat at the middle of the table. Oneither hand sat long rows of knights. All were jesting and laughing. Suddenly the windows were darkened as if a cloud had come over the sun. A ro

Iy a great forest lived a blacksmith. With him lived a boy called Siegfried. No one knew whoSiegfried’s father and mother were. One day when the smith was returning from a journey, he found a baby lying on a bed of leaves under a tree. The baby smiled and reached out his little hands, and the smith carried him home. And very pleasant and bright the little boy made the lonely hut for many years, and the smith loved him as his own son. One day when Siegfried was grown to be a man he went into the forest tohunt. There he found a dragon’s trail and followedit until he lost himself in the wood. As he wandered about, trying to find his way home, he met a dwarf who rode a coal-black horse and wore a glittering crown. The dwarf told Siegfried that he was near the home of the dragon. The dragon, he said, had carried away the beautiful Princess Kriemhild and held her captive. Siegfried forced the dwarf to go with himto show the way. As they came to the entrance to the dragon’s realm, they saw a

A GREAT army of men cameinto the Northland. They overcame all the warriors of that land, killed the king, and took possession of the kingdom. The queen fled away through the mountains with her little son, to the home of one of her old vassals. But soon the soldiers came to find and kill the little prince. Again the queen fled, but her enemies always found her. At last she was afraid to stay in any part of her own country. So she sailed away to another land. On the way the ship was attacked by pirates. Thelittle prince was taken andsold as slave. One day the king of the country in which he was a slave saw him and bought him. He was given to the queen for a page. The little Olaf was brave and handsome. 'The king had no son, so he madethelittle slave his son. Olaf was taught to be courteous and truthful. He was trained to fight with sword and spear. He could hunt, and skate, and swim, and walk on snow-shoes. When he was at sea, he could run outside the ship on the oars. He could stan

In the Northland, among the mountains, lived Hilding, a vassal of King Bele. With himlived Ingeborg, the daughter of the king, and Frithiof, the son of Thorsten Vikingsson. Thorsten Vikingsson was King Bele’s best friend and bravest warrior. The people of the Northland had many enemies, who came in ships. They burned the houses and the harvests, slew the men, and carried the womenand children away captive. King Bele and Thorsten Vikingsson were always fighting battles with them on the land or driving them across the sea to their own country. So Frithiof and Ingeborg were sent away into the mountains to live with old Hilding, where they would be safe. All day long the two children wandered through the forest. Frithiof held the little Ingeborg’s hand andled her along the roughpaths. As they sat on the groundclose beside the tiny brook, they heard the soft, sweet notes of the water-nixies’ wonderful music. In the waterfalls, the stromkarls sang; and sometimes, under ground, they could h

OnE Yule-tide, King Volsungentertained his friends and vassals. All down the great hall burned roaring fires. King Volsung sat in the high-seat with his guests on either hand. In the middle of the hall grew a large tree, the foliage of which covered the roof. This was called Odin’stree. Asthe ale horns passed around, and the hall resounded with the laughter of the warriors, a tall old manstrode in with a sword in his hand. With one blow he drove the sword into the roof-tree up to the hilt. Then he exclaimed, “ He who draws out this sword shall have it as a gift from me, and he will find that he has never wielded a better sword.” With that he strode out, and no man dared ask his name or whither he went. But the guests whispered that it was Odin himself. All tried to draw out the sword, but it was immovable. When Sigmund, King Volsung’s son, touched the sword it was so loose that he drew it out with no effort. After many years Sigmund wasslain in battle and the sword was broken. But th

Once Odin and Loke set out to explore the whole world. As they traveled they came to a stream by which sat an otter eating a fish. Loke threw a stone and killed the otter. Taking the otter and the fish, they went on until they came to a farmhouse. There they asked to stay until morning. They showed the fish and the otter and said they would need no other food. The farmer saw that Loke had killed his son, who often changed himself into an otter when he wantedto fish. He said nothing aboutit, but went out and told his two sons, Regin and Fafner. When the skin had been taken off the otter, the two sons came in. They and their father overcame the gods and bound them. Odin offered to pay a ransom. The farmer demanded enough gold to fill the otter skin and cover it.  So Odin sent Loke to the dwarf, Andvare, who was the richest of all dwarfs. He was also the wariest of all dwarfs. He changed himself into a fish and hid in the water. But Loke borrowed a net from Ran, the seagod’s wife, and

Oxce E two children, the sons of a giant, strayed into Asgard. They were too young to know the way back to their home. Odin and Frigg, his wife, adopted the two boys and called them their sons. Odin cared most for Geirrod. But Frigg loved Aganor, the younger one, best. When they were grown, Odin gave each of them a kingdom in his own realm. But Aganor left his kingdom and went back to Jotunheim. Odin was pleased more than ever with Geirrod because he did not follow his brother. But Frigg heard it said that Geirrod only appeared to be good, and that he tortured strangers to make themgive up their gold. When Odin heard this, he determined to go to see Geirrod and prove that it was not true. So he made himself look like a very old man, and went to Geirrod’s house. Instead of giving him a seat at the table and a bed, Geirrod chained him between twofires. For eight days the old man was silent, although no food was given him. He had not even any water, but once when Aganor, Geirrod’s son,

Once there lived on earth a poet who sang songs so beautiful that all created things were charmed by them. Two hill trolls, who hated the poet because he was noble and good, invited him to their home under ground and there killed him. They caught his blood in two cups and mixed it with honey and made mead. If any man drank the mead it would make him a poet too. But the trolls hid it in a dark place and would give it to no one. One day the trolls enticed a giant into a boat with them, and drowned him. When his wife came to inquire about him they sent her down to the sea-shore. Then they threw a rock from the cliff and killed her. Suttung, the son of the giant, came to see what had become of his father and mother. He threatened to kill the trolls. To save their lives, they gave him the precious song mead. Suttung took it home and put it in-to his cellar. His daughter, Gunlad, guardedit night and day. Odin wished to drink the mead. So he made a journey to Jotunheim. There he saw nine th

No god was allowed to sit on Odin’s throne but Odin himself. One day when Frey was alone in the palace, he sat upon the throne and looked over into Jotunheim. There he saw a maiden come out of a low, dark house. As she walked down the pathway, the air became clearer and warmer. The earth brightened and grew green. Whenshe went inside and shut the door, the light faded, and the earth grew black again. Around the low, dark house was a wavering wall of fire, and within the wall fierce dogs kept watch, night and day. When the door was shut and Frey could no longer see the maiden, he went away sadly. He could neither eat nor sleep for longing to see her. So sad was he that no one dared ask him his trouble. Skade, his mother, sent Skirner, his faithful friend, to find out what ailed him. Frey told Skirner of the beautiful maiden, and that he could never be happy unless she came to Asgard. Then Skirner said if he could have Frey’s horse and sword, he would ride through the flame wall, kill

Arter the death of Balder, the gods set Hermod, his brother, to the realm of the dead to beg the goddess of death to release him. Hermodrode nine days and nine nights through valleys so dark that he could see nothing. At last he came to a bridge made of glittering gold. Modgud, the maiden who kept the bridge, stopped him and said: “ What is your name?” Hermodtold his name, but did not say he was a god. Then the maiden said: “ Why do you who are living try to cross this bridge? You shake it more than a whole army of dead men.” Hermod replied : “I come to seek Balder, the Beautiful, and I pray you Jet me pass quickly,for the gods wait wearily in Asgard.” When the maiden saw that he was a god she hindered him no longer. Hermod rode on until he came to the kingdom of the dead. Spurring bis horse he leaped over the gates without touching them. He rode swiftly to the palace and entered. There he saw Balderin the highest seat and spent the night with him. Next morning he begged the goddess

Tue gods feared that the frost giants would invade. Asgard while Thor was away fighting monsters. Often they spoke together of the danger. One day Loke advised them to hire a workman whom he knew, to build a fort strong enough to keep out the frost giants. The gods listened to him, although they knew he seldom gave good advice. The workman was brought into Asgard. Very strange wages he demanded. Hesaid he would build the fort if they would give him Freyja, or the sun and moon, when it was finished. The gods agreed to this. But they said he should have nothing if the fort were not finished by the first day of summer. The work man said he would do the work if he could have Svadilfare, his horse, to draw the stones. On the first day of winter he began the work, and worked night and day. At this the gods were frightened. They feared the fort would be finished on the first day of summer. Sure enough, three days before the first day of summer only one pillar was unfinished. Seeing this, th

Tue gods feared that the frost giants would invade. Asgard while Thor was away fighting monsters. Often they spoke together of the danger. One day Loke advised them to hire a workman whom he knew, to build a fort strong enough to keep out the frost giants. The gods listened to him, although they knew he seldom gave good advice. The workman was brought into Asgard. Very strange wages he demanded. Hesaid he would build the fort if they would give him Freyja, or the sun and moon, when it was finished. The gods agreed to this. But they said he should have nothing if the fort were not finished by the first day of summer. The workmansaid he would do the work if he could have Svadilfare, his horse, to draw the stones. Onthe first day of winter he began the work, and worked night and day. At this the gods were frightened. They feared the fort would be finished on the first day of summer. Sure THE