Poetic EddaNorse MythologyAncient Myth / ComparativeOld NorseSharePoetic Edda 17Bellows - EnglishMoreVersion - 1 availableBellowsLanguageEnglishEspañol‹Poetic Edda 1Poetic Edda 2Poetic Edda 3Poetic Edda 4Poetic Edda 5Poetic Edda 6Poetic Edda 7Poetic Edda 8Poetic Edda 9Poetic Edda 10Poetic Edda 11Poetic Edda 12Poetic Edda 13Poetic Edda 14Poetic Edda 15Poetic Edda 16Poetic Edda 17Poetic Edda 18Poetic Edda 19Poetic Edda 20Poetic Edda 21Poetic Edda 22Poetic Edda 23Poetic Edda 24Poetic Edda 25Poetic Edda 26Poetic Edda 27Poetic Edda 28Poetic Edda 29Poetic Edda 30Poetic Edda 31Poetic Edda 32Poetic Edda 33Poetic Edda 34Poetic Edda 35Poetic Edda 36Poetic Edda 37Poetic Edda 38Poetic Edda 39Poetic Edda 40Poetic Edda 41Poetic Edda 42Poetic Edda 43Poetic Edda 44Poetic Edda 45Poetic Edda 46Poetic Edda 47Poetic Edda 48Poetic Edda 49Poetic Edda 50Poetic Edda 51Poetic Edda 52Poetic Edda 53Poetic Edda 54Poetic Edda 55Poetic Edda 56Poetic Edda 57Poetic Edda 58Poetic Edda 59Poetic Edda 60Poetic Edda 61Poetic Edda 62Poetic Edda 63Poetic Edda 64Poetic Edda 65Poetic Edda 66Poetic Edda 67Poetic Edda 68Poetic Edda 69Poetic Edda 70Poetic Edda 71Poetic Edda 72Poetic Edda 73Poetic Edda 74Poetic Edda 75Poetic Edda 76Poetic Edda 77Poetic Edda 78Poetic Edda 79Poetic Edda 80Poetic Edda 81Poetic Edda 82Poetic Edda 83Poetic Edda 84Poetic Edda 85Poetic Edda 86›Introductory NotePoetic Edda 17ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter1The Thrymskvitha is found only in the Codex Regius, where it follows the Lokasenna. Snorri does not quote from it, nor, rather oddly, does the story occur in the Prose Edda. 2Artistically the Thrymskvitha is one of the best, as it is, next to the Voluspo, the most famous, of the entire collection. It has, indeed, been called “the finest ballad in the world,” and not without some reason. Its swift, vigorous action, the sharpness of its characterization and the humor of the central situation combine to make it one of the most vivid short narrative poems ever composed. Of course we know nothing specific of its author, but there can be no question that he was a poet of extraordinary ability. The poem assumed its present form, most critics agree, somewhere about 900, and thus it is one of the oldest in the collection. It has been suggested, on the basis of stylistic similarity, that its author may also have composed the Skirnismol, and possibly Baldrs Draumar. There is also some resemblance between the Thrymskvitha and the Lokasenna (note, in this connection, Bugge’s suggestion that the Skirnismol and the Lokasenna may have been by the same man), and it is not impossible that all four poems have a single authorship. 3The Thrymskvitha has been preserved in excellent condition, without any serious gaps or interpolations. In striking contrast to many of the poems, it contains no prose narrative links, the story being told in narrative verse—a rare phenomenon in the poems of the Edda. 41. Wild was Vingthor | when he awoke, And when his mighty | hammer he missed; He shook his beard, | his hair was bristling, As the son of Jorth | about him sought. 52. Hear now the speech | that first he spake: “Harken, Loki, | and heed my words, Nowhere on earth | is it known to man, Nor in heaven above: | our hammer is stolen.” 63. To the dwelling fair | of Freyja went they, Hear now the speech | that first he spake: “Wilt thou, Freyja, | thy feather-dress lend me, That so my hammer | I may seek?” 74. “Thine should it be | though of silver bright, And I would give it | though ’twere of gold.” Then Loki flew, | and the feather-dress whirred, Till he left behind him | the home of the gods, And reached at last | the realm of the giants. 85. Thrym sat on a mound, | the giants’ master, Leashes of gold | he laid for his dogs, And stroked and smoothed | the manes of his steeds. 96. “How fare the gods, | how fare the elves? Why comst thou alone | to the giants’ land?” 10“Ill fare the gods, | ill fare the elves! Hast thou hidden | Hlorrithi’s hammer?” 117. “I have hidden | Hlorrithi’s hammer, Eight miles down | deep in the earth; And back again | shall no man bring it If Freyja I win not | to be my wife.” 128. Then Loki flew, | and the feather-dress whirred, Till he left behind him | the home of the giants, And reached at last | the realm of the gods. There in the courtyard | Thor he met: Hear now the speech | that first he spake: 139. “Hast thou found tidings | as well as trouble? Thy news in the air | shalt thou utter now; Oft doth the sitter | his story forget, And lies he speaks | who lays himself down.” 1410. “Trouble I have, | and tidings as well: Thrym, king of the giants, | keeps thy hammer, And back again | shall no man bring it If Freyja he wins not | to be his wife.” 1511. Freyja the fair | then went they to find; Hear now the speech | that first he spake: “Bind on, Freyja, | the bridal veil, For we two must haste | to the giants’ home.” 1612. Wrathful was Freyja, | and fiercely she snorted, And the dwelling great | of the gods was shaken, And burst was the mighty | Brisings’ necklace: “Most lustful indeed | should I look to all If I journeyed with thee | to the giants’ home.” 1713. Then were the gods | together met, And the goddesses came | and council held, And the far-famed ones | a plan would find, How they might Hlorrithi’s | hammer win. 1814. Then Heimdall spake, | whitest of the gods, Like the Wanes he knew | the future well: “Bind we on Thor | the bridal veil, Let him bear the mighty | Brisings’ necklace; 1915. “Keys around him | let there rattle, And down to his knees | hang woman’s dress; With gems full broad | upon his breast, And a pretty cap | to crown his head.” 2016. Then Thor the mighty | his answer made: “Me would the gods | unmanly call If I let bind | the bridal veil.” 2117. Then Loki spake, | the son of Laufey: “Be silent, Thor, | and speak not thus; Else will the giants | in Asgarth dwell If thy hammer is brought not | home to thee.” 2218. Then bound they on Thor | the bridal veil, And next the mighty | Brisings’ necklace. 2319. Keys around him | let they rattle, And down to his knees | hung woman’s dress; With gems full broad | upon his breast, And a pretty cap | to crown his head. 2420. Then Loki spake, | the son of Laufey: “As thy maid-servant thither | I go with thee; We two shall haste | to the giants’ home.” 2521. Then home the goats | to the hall were driven, They wrenched at the halters, | swift were they to run; The mountains burst, | earth burned with fire, And Othin’s son | sought Jotunheim. 2622. Then loud spake Thrym, | the giants’ leader: “Bestir ye, giants, | put straw on the benches; Now Freyja they bring | to be my bride, The daughter of Njorth | out of Noatun. 2723. “Gold-horned cattle | go to my stables, Jet-black oxen, | the giant’s joy; Many my gems, | and many my jewels, Freyja alone | did I lack, methinks.” 2824. Early it was | to evening come, And forth was borne | the beer for the giants; Thor alone ate an ox, | and eight salmon, All the dainties as well | that were set for the women; And drank Sif’s mate | three tuns of mead. 2925. Then loud spake Thrym, | the giants’ leader: “Who ever saw bride | more keenly bite? I ne’er saw bride | with a broader bite, Nor a maiden who drank | more mead than this!” 3026. Hard by there sat | the serving-maid wise, So well she answered | the giant’s words: “From food has Freyja | eight nights fasted, So hot was her longing | for Jotunheim.” 3127. Thrym looked ’neath the veil, | for he longed to kiss, But back he leaped | the length of the hall: “Why are so fearful | the eyes of Freyja? Fire, methinks, | from her eyes burns forth.” 3228. Hard by there sat | the serving-maid wise, So well she answered | the giant’s words: “No sleep has Freyja | for eight nights found, So hot was her longing | for Jotunheim.” 3329. Soon came the giant’s | luckless sister, Who feared not to ask | the bridal fee: “From thy hands the rings | of red gold take, If thou wouldst win | my willing love, (My willing love | and welcome glad.)” 3430. Then loud spake Thrym, | the giants’ leader: “Bring in the hammer | to hallow the bride; On the maiden’s knees | let Mjollnir lie, That us both the hand | of Vor may bless.” 3531. The heart in the breast | of Hlorrithi laughed When the hard-souled one | his hammer beheld; First Thrym, the king | of the giants, he killed, Then all the folk | of the giants he felled. 3632. The giant’s sister | old he slew, She who had begged | the bridal fee; A stroke she got | in the shilling’s stead. And for many rings | the might of the hammer. 3733. And so his hammer | got Othin’s son. ‹Previous chapterPoetic Edda 16Next chapterPoetic Edda 18›Similar passagesBy tradition and source labelFind similarCompare selectedCompare with similarAsk Deep ThoughtSelect passages to search for parallels.Tap any verse to select it, then compare selected passages or ask Deep Thought. Public domain in the United States via Project Gutenberg