D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths by Ingri d'Aulaire

Author:Ingri d'Aulaire
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: New York Review Books
Published: 2023-10-30T00:00:00+00:00

The Theft of Thor’s Hammer

WHEN THOR woke up in the morning, the first thing he did, was reach for his hammer. But one morning the hammer was gone! Thor jumped to his feet and tore at his hair and tugged at his beard and bellowed, “Loki, come here!” When Loki came, Thor whispered close to his ear, “My hammer has been stolen.”

Loki turned pale. He knew that Thor’s hammer must be found before the jotuns heard of its loss and gathered to attack Asgard. “Ask Freya to lend me her swift falcon wings and I will fly off and look for the thief,” said Loki. He was in a trustworthy mood just then.

Together they rushed to Freya’s hall. She also turned pale when she heard the terrible news. “I would gladly entrust my falcon wings to Loki, even if they were made of gold,” she cried. “Only be quick and find Thor’s hammer.”

Like an arrow Loki flew off. When he came to Jotunheim, he saw the jotun Thrym sitting on a hillock, plaiting the manes of his mares with ribbons of gold. He was in a very merry mood, and when he saw Loki he greeted him politely. “How are the Aesir, how are the elves, and what might your errand be today?” he said, and made a show of good manners. Such smooth words from an uncouth jotun made Loki suspicious, but he returned the greeting just as politely and asked if Thrym by any chance might happen to know something about Thor’s hammer.

“I stole it while he slept,” the jotun said with a leer. “And what is more, I have hidden it eight miles underground. I will give it back to him, but only if Freya becomes my bride. I have plenty of gold, herds of black cows, and all these fine mares. The only thing I want that I do not have is beautiful Freya.”

Swiftly Loki flew back to Asgard, where Thor and Freya were waiting for him.

“Hurry,” he said to Freya, “put on your bridal veil. The jotun Thrym has Thor’s hammer and he won’t give it back unless you go to Jotunheim and take him for your husband.”

“Never!” cried Freya, huffing and puffing so hard in her rage that her necklace broke and flew from her bosom. “Never shall it be said that Freya was so lovelorn she took a jotun for a husband!” At the mere thought, angry golden teardrops sprang from her eyes.

The other Aesir were now called in and the goddesses too. They all agreed that Freya must not marry a jotun, but that Thor must have his hammer back. They thought hard, and at last Heimdall spoke up.

“You must go yourself, Thor,” he said. “You must wear Freya’s wedding dress and play the blushing bride.”

Thor protested loudly, but all in vain. The Aesir hid his sturdy legs beneath a trailing skirt, put a belt with dangling keys around his waist, and covered his chest with jewels and Freya’s sparkling necklace. Then they tied his hair up in a topknot and hid his face behind the bridal veil.

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