WHEN Thor awoke, his rage was great
To see his hammer was lost;

He shook his beard, he groped around,
His red hair he tossed.

 

And these were the first words he spoke:
'Listen, Loki, to what I say-

A thing unheard-of in heaven or earth-
A god's hammer stolen away!'

 

Then they went to Freyja's fair home,
And these first words he spoke:

"Freyja, to find my hammer again.

Will you lend me your feather-cloak?'

 

'To you I would give my feather-cloak,
Though of gold it were;

To you I would grant my feather-cloak,
Though of silver it were.'

 

 

Then Loki he flew, and on he flew
(The feather-cloak whistled shrill),

Till he left the land of the gods, and came
To the world where giants dwell.

 

There Thrym, the lord of the giants, sat;
He sat on a burial mound,

Twisting a chain of shining gold

As a leash to hold his hound.

 

'How fare the gods?' asked the giant Thrym,
Trimming his horse's mane;

'How fare the elves? And why come you
To Giant-Land alone?'

 

'Ill fare the gods now, ill fare the elves',
Loki replied again;

'Have you hidden the hammer of Thundering Thor,
Sender of Storm and Rain?'

 

'I've hidden the hammer of Thundering Thor
Eight leagues beneath the ground;

Unless he brings Freyja to be my wife,

By no man shall it be found.'

 

Then Loki he flew, and on he flew
(The feather-cloak whistled shrill),

Till he left the world of giants, and came
To the homes where high gods dwell.

 

There he met Thor in the high gods' home,
And these first words Thor spoke:

'Have you won any news for all your pain,
For the toil you undertook?

 

'Tell me whatever long tale you bring,
But tell it as you fly,

For a man who sits down will forget his news,
And one who lies down will lie.'

 

"Thrym has your hammer, the giants' lord,
(This news I won for my pain);

Unless he brings Freyja to be Thrym's wife,
No man shall find it again.'

 

So then Thor went to Freyja the fair,
And these first words spoke he:
'Freyja, bind on your bridal veil,
Come to Giant-Land with me.'

 

Then Freyja gave such a snort of rage
That all the gods' halls shook,

And the great necklace the Brisings made,
About her neck it broke.

 

'I'd know that I must be running mad
With lusting for a man,

If ever I did set out with you
To go to Giant-Land!'

 

The high gods then in council met,
And goddesses in talk;

They sought a plan, the mighty lords,
To win Thor's hammer back.

 

Then up and spoke Heimdall the white
(The future he could see):

'Put a bridal veil on Thor himself,
And a skirt about his knee;

 

'Let him have the necklace the Brisings made,
Broad jewels on his breast;

And on his head a pleated coif

Most cunningly we'll twist.'

 

Then up and spoke the valiant Thor:
'How unmanly you'd call me,

If I let you dress me in bridal veil,
With a skirt about my knee!'

 

‘But giants will live in Asgard soon',
Said Loki, Laufey's son,

'Unless you win your hammer back,
So, Thor, now hold your tongue!'

 

So early, as the evening fell,

The guests came to the hall;
Before the giants horns were placed,
Filled with bridal ale.

 

So they dressed Thor then in the bridal veil,
With a skirt about his knees,

And from his belt they hung a bunch
Of rattling, jingling keys.

 

But one there was, the bride herself,
Who ate a huge ox whole

Eight salmons too, and all the cakes,
And drank three vats of ale.

 

They gave him the necklace the Brisings made,
Broad jewels for his breast,

And on his head a pleated coif

Most cunningly did twist.

 

'Who ever saw', cried giant Thryrn,
'So keen an appetite?

No girl I've seen could drink so deep,
No bride so hugely bite!'

 

Then up spoke Loki, Laufey's son:
'I'll travel by your side;

I'll go to Giant-Land with you,
As handmaid to the bride.'

 

But the crafty handmaid sat near by,
And she an answer found:

'For eight days Freyja never ate,

She so longed for Giant-Land.'

 

Thor's goats were fetched and harnessed fast,
And well and fast they ran;

The mountains split, the wildfire flashed-
Thor drove to Giant-Land.

 

Thryrn raised the veil to beg a kiss.

But reeled back through the hall:
'Oh why are Freyja's eyes so fierce:

Fire darts from her eyeball!'

 

Then up spoke Thrym, the giants' lord:
'Up, ogres all!' he cried,

'Adorn tbe hall, for Freyja comes,
Njord's daughter, as my bride!

 

But the crafty handmaid sat near by,
And she an answer found:

'For eight nights Freyja never slept.

She so longed for Giant-Land.'

 

'Bring here, bring here the gold-horned cows,
Bring here the oxen black,

And slaughter them for our delight,
That no joy we may lack.

 

In came the giant's foul sister,
Who dared a gift to crave:

'Give me the gold rings from your hands,
And my friendship you will have.'

 

'Much is my treasure, many my gems,
Much gold as well I own;

I think there is nothing that now I lack,
Excepting Freyja alone.'

 

'Bring in the holy hammer now!'
Thryrn, lord of giants, cried.

'Lay Mjollnir on this maiden's knee,
As blessing to the bride!'

 

Then Thor the Thunderer laughed aloud
When he his hammer saw-

With the first blow laid the great Thrym low
And felled him to the floor.

 

He slew the giant's foul sister,
Who'd dared a gift to crave;
She got a blow instead of rings,
Instead of gold, a grave.

 

And one by one he struck them down,
Slew all the giant's kin;

And thus the son of Odin won
His hammer back again.