Wroth was Wing-Thor when he awoke
And missed his hammer, Miollner hight.
His beard gan shake, his hair gan tremble;
The Son of Earth groped about him.
And first of all this word he spake:

Hearken now, Loki! List to my tale!
What nobody knows in earth below
Or in heaven above: my hammer is lost.
The house of Freya the fair they seek,
And first of all this word he spake:
Wilt thou, Freya, thy feather-fell lend me,
That I may hunt for my hammer lost?

Though were it of gold, I'd give it thee, Thor;
And were it of silver, it still should be thine.

Flew then Loki, the feather-fell whistled,
Till without the courts of the Gods he came
And the land of the Giants within.

Thrym, the Giant-lord, sat on a hill,
Braiding golden braids for his dogs,
And smoothing the manes of his horses.

And first of all this word he spake:
How fare the Anses?* How fare the Elves?
Why earnest alone into Giant-land?
The Aesir, Northern Gods.
Quoth then Loki, Laufey's son:
Ill fare the Anses; ill fare the Elves.
Hast hid the hammer of Thor?

Quoth then Thrym, the Giant-lord:
Ay, I've hid the hammer of Thor
Eight miles deep the earth below.
No man shall e'er it return
Save Freya he fetch me to wife.

Flew then Loki, the feather-fell whistled,
Till without the country of Giants he came,
And the courts of the Gods within.
Thor him met i' the mid o' the yard,
And first of all this word he spake:

How art thou paid for the pains thou tookst?
Tell, ere thou light, the tidings long.
Oft one seated his tale forgets,
And reclining but falsehood broods.

Quoth then Loki, Laufey's son:
Well am I paid for the pains I took.
Thrym has thy hammer, the Giant-lord.
No man can ever fetch it back
Save Freya he bring him to wife.

The house of Freya the fair they seek,
And first of all this word he spake:
Gird thee, Freya, with bridal robes.
We twain will drive to Giant-land.

Wroth was Freya and snorted loud,
The hall of the Anses trembled beneath her.
The heavy necklace quivered and snapped,
And first of all this word she spake:

Man-maddest then were I of maids
If with thee I drove to Giant-land.

Quickly the Gods all gathered in council,
And all the Goddesses met at the moot.
Thereon pondered the powerful Gods
How they Hlorridi's hammer could find.

Quoth then Heimdall, whitest of Gods
(The future he wist, like the other Wanes) ;*
About his neck the necklace hang.

*The Vanir, who with the Aesir (Anses) made up the Northern Gods.

Down from his girdle let jingle the keys,
And a woman's skirt his knees let cover.
Broad brooches fix we on his breast,
And let his headgear trim be tied.

Then up spake Thor, the mighty Ans;
A coward the Gods would call me sure,
If I should don the bridal dress.

Quoth then Loki, Laufey's son:
Cease thou, Thor, from such discourse!
In Ansgard at once the Giants will dwell
If thou thy hammer fetch not back.

Decked they then Thor in the bridal dress
And gave him the heavy Brising necklace.
Down from his girdle jingled the keys,
And a woman's skirt his knees did cover.
Broad brooches on his breast they fixed
And trimly his headgear tied.

Quoth then Loki, Laufly's son:
Now let me be thy bridal maid.
We twain will drive to Giant-land.

Quickly the goats** were gathered home
And hitched to the shafts, for hasten they should.
The rocks were rent, the earth was ablaze.
Thus Odin's son drove to Giant-land.

**That draw Thor's Chariot.

Quoth then Thrym, the Giant-Lord:
Stand up, ye Giants! The benches strew!
Now they fetch me Freya to wife,
Niord's daughter from Noatun.

In the yards are grazing gold-horned kine
And oxen black to my delight.
I've treasures enow, I've jewels enow.
Freya alone I still do lack.

It was in the early evening tide,
And ale to the Giants was offered.
Thor eat an ox and salmons eight,
And the dainties all for the women dight,
And drank besides three casks of mead
The husband of Sif.*

*Thor's wife.

Quoth then Thrym, the Giant-lord:
Did ever a bride more sharply bite?
No bride I saw such mouthfuls take,
Nor knew a maid more mead to drink.

There by his side sat clever Loki,
And answer he gave to the Giant's talk:
Naught eat Freya for eight long nights,
So longed she to be in Giant-land.

Thrym raised the veil a kiss to steal,
But started back across the hall.
Why are Freya's eyes so fierce?
From them fire seems to flash.

There by his side sat clever Loki,
And answer he gave to the Giant's talk:
Naught slept Freya for eight long nights,
So longed she to be in Giant-land.


In came the Giant's aged sister,
Boldly to beg for a bridal fee:
Loose the red rings off thy arms
If thou desire my love to win,
My love and good will.

Quoth then Thrym, the Giant-lord:
Bring in the hammer to hallow the bride.
Lay Moillnir on the maiden's lap,
And let us twain by the hand of War.*

*The goddess of marriage and plighted troth.

Hlorridi's heart laughed in his breast
When he, stout-hearted, his hammer felt.
First slew he Thrym, the Giant-lord,
And then the whole race of Giants crushed.

He slew the Giant's sister old,
Who dared to beg for a bridal fee.
In place of coins she cuffs received,
And hammer blows for heavy rings.

Thus Odin's son his hammer found.