þrymskviða: Texts and Translations

Wrathful was Vingthor
As he awaked
And his hammer
Did miss;
His beard shook,
His hair trembled,
The son of earth
Looked around him.

Thus first of all

He spoke:

Mark now Loke

What I say!

What no one knows

Either on earth

Or in high heaven,—

The hammer is stolen.

Went they to Freyja's
Fair dwelling;

There in these words
Thor first spoke:
Wilt thou, Freyja, lend
Me thy feather-guise,
That I my hammer
Mjolner may fetch?

I gave it thee gladly
Though it were of gold;
I would instantly give it
Though it were of silver.

Flew then Loke —

The feather-guise whizzed;

Out he flew

From home of Asas,

In he flew

To home of giants.

On the hill sat Thrym;
The king of giants
Twisted gold-bands
For his dogs,
Smoothed at leisure
The manes of his horses.

THRYM:
How fare the Asas?
How fare the elves?
Why comest thou alone
To Jotunheim?

LOKE:
111 fare the asas,
111 fare the elves.
Hast thou concealed
The hammer of Thor?

THRYM:
I have concealed
The hammer of Thor
Eight rasts
Beneath the ground;
No man
Brings it back
Unless he gives me
Freyja as my bride.

Flew then Loke —

The feather-guise whizzed;

Out he flew

From home of giants,

In he flew

To home of asas.

Met him Thor

First of all

And thus addressed him:

Hast thou succeeded
In doing thine errand
Then tell before perching
Long messages;
What one says sitting
Is often of little value,
And falsehood speaks he
Who reclines.

LOKI:
Well have I succeeded
In doing my errand ;
Thrym has thy hammer.
The king of the giants.
No man
Brings it back
Unless he gives him
Freyja as bride.

Went they then the fair
Freyja to find,
First then Thor
Thus addressed her:
Dress thyself, Freyja,
In bridal robes,
Together we will ride
To Jotunheim.

Angry grew Freyja,

And she raged

So the hall of the asas

Mast shake.

Her heavy necklace,

Brisingamen, broke:

Then would I be

A lovesick maid

If with thee I would ride

To Jotunheim.

Then all the asas
Went to the Thing,
To the Thing went
All the asynjes.
The powerful divinities,
And held consult,
How they should get
The hammer back.

Then spake Heimdal
The whitest god —
Foreknowing was he,
As the vans are all:
Dress we Thor
In bridal robes,
Brisingamen
Must he wear.

Let jingle keys
About his waist;
Let a woman's dress
Cover his knees;
On his bosom we put
Broad broaches,
And artfully we
His hair braid.

Spoke then Thor,
The mighty god:
Mock me all
The asas would,

If in bridal robes
I should be dressed.

Spoke then Loke
Laufeyarson:
Be silent Thor;
Stop such talk.
Soon will giants
Build in Asgard
If thou thy hammer
Bring not back.

Dressed they then Thor

In bridal-robes;

Brisingamen

He had to wear;

Keys let they jingle

About his waist,

And a woman's dress

Fell over his knees;

On his bosom they placed

Broad broaches,

And artfully they

His hair did braid.

Spoke then Loke
Laufeyarson:
For thee must I
Be servant-maid ;
Ride we both
To Jotunheim.

Home were driven
Then the goats,
And hitched to the car;
Hasten they must —
The mountains crashed,
The earth stood in flames,
Odin's son
Rode to Jotunheim.

Spoke then Thrym.
The king of giants :

Giants! arise

And spread my benches I

Bring to me

Freyja as bride,

Njord's daughter,

From Noatun.

Cows with golden horns
Go in the yard.
Black oxen
To please the giant;
Much wealth have I,
Many gifts have 1;
Freyja, methinks,
Is all I lack.

Early in the evening

Came they all;

Ale was brought

Up for the giant.

One ox Thor ate,

Eight salmon

And all the delicacies

For the women intended;

Sif's husband beside

Drank three barrels of mead.

Spoke then Thrym,
The king of giants:
Where hast thou seen
Such a hungry bride?
I ne'er saw a bride
Eat so much.
And never a maid
Drink more mead.

Sat there the shrewd
Maid-servant near;[1]
Thus she replied
To the words of Thrym:
Nothing ate Freyja
In eight nights,

So much did she long
For Jotunheim.

Behind the veil
Thrym sought a kiss,
But back he sprang
The length of the hall:
Why are Freyja's
Eyes so sharp!
From her eyes it seems
That fire doth burn.

Sat there the shrewd
Maid-servant near,
And thus she spake,
Answering the giant:
Slept has not Freyja
For eight nights,
So much did she long
For Jotunheim.

In came the poor
Sister of Thrym;
For bridal gift
She dared to ask:
Give from thy hand
The golden rings,
If thou desirest
Friendship of me,
Friendship of me —
And love.

Spoke then Thrym,
The king of giants:
Bring me the hammer
My bride to hallow:
Place the hammer
In the lap of the maid;
Wed us together
In the name of Var.[2]

Laughed then Thor's
Heart in his breast;
Severe in mind
He knew his hammer.
First slew he Thrym,
The king of giants,
Crashed then all
That race of giants;

Slew the old
Sister of Thrym,
She who asked
For a bridal gift;
Slap she got
For shining gold,
Hammer blows
For heaps of rings;
Thus came Odin's son
Again by his hammer.

[1] Loke.

[2] The goddess who presides over marriages.

Þrymskviða The Lay of Thrym
	BACK 1884 Rasmus Anderson Lay of Thrym HOME
	Wrathful was Vingthor As he awaked And his hammer Did miss; His beard shook, His hair trembled, The son of earth Looked around him. Thus first of all He spoke: Mark now Loke What I say! What no one knows Either on earth Or in high heaven,— The hammer is stolen. Went they to Freyja's Fair dwelling; There in these words Thor first spoke: Wilt thou, Freyja, lend Me thy feather-guise, That I my hammer Mjolner may fetch? I gave it thee gladly Though it were of gold; I would instantly give it Though it were of silver. Flew then Loke — The feather-guise whizzed; Out he flew From home of Asas, In he flew To home of giants. On the hill sat Thrym; The king of giants Twisted gold-bands For his dogs, Smoothed at leisure The manes of his horses. THRYM: How fare the Asas? How fare the elves? Why comest thou alone To Jotunheim? LOKE: 111 fare the asas, 111 fare the elves. Hast thou concealed The hammer of Thor? THRYM: I have concealed The hammer of Thor Eight rasts Beneath the ground; No man Brings it back Unless he gives me Freyja as my bride. Flew then Loke — The feather-guise whizzed; Out he flew From home of giants, In he flew To home of asas. Met him Thor First of all And thus addressed him: Hast thou succeeded In doing thine errand Then tell before perching Long messages; What one says sitting Is often of little value, And falsehood speaks he Who reclines. LOKI: Well have I succeeded In doing my errand ; Thrym has thy hammer. The king of the giants. No man Brings it back Unless he gives him Freyja as bride. Went they then the fair Freyja to find, First then Thor Thus addressed her: Dress thyself, Freyja, In bridal robes, Together we will ride To Jotunheim. Angry grew Freyja, And she raged So the hall of the asas Mast shake. Her heavy necklace, Brisingamen, broke: Then would I be A lovesick maid If with thee I would ride To Jotunheim. Then all the asas Went to the Thing, To the Thing went All the asynjes. The powerful divinities, And held consult, How they should get The hammer back. Then spake Heimdal The whitest god — Foreknowing was he, As the vans are all: Dress we Thor In bridal robes, Brisingamen Must he wear. Let jingle keys About his waist; Let a woman's dress Cover his knees; On his bosom we put Broad broaches, And artfully we His hair braid. Spoke then Thor, The mighty god: Mock me all The asas would, If in bridal robes I should be dressed. Spoke then Loke Laufeyarson: Be silent Thor; Stop such talk. Soon will giants Build in Asgard If thou thy hammer Bring not back. Dressed they then Thor In bridal-robes; Brisingamen He had to wear; Keys let they jingle About his waist, And a woman's dress Fell over his knees; On his bosom they placed Broad broaches, And artfully they His hair did braid. Spoke then Loke Laufeyarson: For thee must I Be servant-maid ; Ride we both To Jotunheim. Home were driven Then the goats, And hitched to the car; Hasten they must — The mountains crashed, The earth stood in flames, Odin's son Rode to Jotunheim. Spoke then Thrym. The king of giants : Giants! arise And spread my benches I Bring to me Freyja as bride, Njord's daughter, From Noatun. Cows with golden horns Go in the yard. Black oxen To please the giant; Much wealth have I, Many gifts have 1; Freyja, methinks, Is all I lack. Early in the evening Came they all; Ale was brought Up for the giant. One ox Thor ate, Eight salmon And all the delicacies For the women intended; Sif's husband beside Drank three barrels of mead. Spoke then Thrym, The king of giants: Where hast thou seen Such a hungry bride? I ne'er saw a bride Eat so much. And never a maid Drink more mead. Sat there the shrewd Maid-servant near;[1] Thus she replied To the words of Thrym: Nothing ate Freyja In eight nights, So much did she long For Jotunheim. Behind the veil Thrym sought a kiss, But back he sprang The length of the hall: Why are Freyja's Eyes so sharp! From her eyes it seems That fire doth burn. Sat there the shrewd Maid-servant near, And thus she spake, Answering the giant: Slept has not Freyja For eight nights, So much did she long For Jotunheim. In came the poor Sister of Thrym; For bridal gift She dared to ask: Give from thy hand The golden rings, If thou desirest Friendship of me, Friendship of me — And love. Spoke then Thrym, The king of giants: Bring me the hammer My bride to hallow: Place the hammer In the lap of the maid; Wed us together In the name of Var.[2] Laughed then Thor's Heart in his breast; Severe in mind He knew his hammer. First slew he Thrym, The king of giants, Crashed then all That race of giants; Slew the old Sister of Thrym, She who asked For a bridal gift; Slap she got For shining gold, Hammer blows For heaps of rings; Thus came Odin's son Again by his hammer. [1] Loke. [2] The goddess who presides over marriages.
[HOME] [BACK]