Myths of the Norsemen by Roger Green

Author:Roger Green
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780141388724
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2017-02-15T05:00:00+00:00

9

Geirrodur the Troll King

Thor rested in Thrudvangar after his battle with Rungnir, and the Giants were left in peace. And indeed the truce between Asgard and Jotunheim still held, whatever battle there might be between an occasional Giant and one of the Æsir.

But Loki, ever in search of mischief, set out in his favourite disguise as a falcon to spy in Midgard and Jotunheim and to stir up what trouble he could. For Loki’s mischief grew more spiteful the more he indulged in it, and his evil Giant-nature was slowly triumphing over his blood-brotherhood with the Æsir.

On this occasion, after dawdling through Midgard and leading men astray, Loki came to the Vimur, widest of all rivers, which separated Midgard from that province of Jotunheim where the Stone Trolls and the Fire Trolls had their dwellings.

The Trolls were strange, misshapen creatures related to both the Giants and the Dwarfs. Their homes were under low hills which they could raise on red pillars to let in an occasional glimmer of light; they were smiths like the Dwarfs, and hoarded great treasures, but they had little of the Dwarfs’ skill. They lived wild, savage lives, delighting in dirt and evil smells, and they were often servants of the Giants and usually in league with them against the Æsir and the Men of Midgard.

In the land beyond the Vimur the Giant Geirrodur was king, and his castle was a Troll house larger than any of the rest, a great mountain with a chimney in the centre that belched out black smoke which would sweep down over all the country like an evil fog.

Loki was interested in the Trolls, and most curious to see what they were at in Geirrodur’s huge castle. So he perched on the sill of a window high up in the outer wall, and looked down into the hall where the Giant and his two daughters, Gialp and Greip, were sitting at dinner in golden chairs set on a floor that was thick with filth.

Geirrodur looked up and saw Loki at the window and called to his Troll servants:

‘Fetch me that bird which is perching up there. I have often longed for a falcon such as the Æsir and the thanes and kings of Midgard carry on their wrists.’

Loki was not in the least frightened, and as the Trolls came clambering awkwardly up the rough stone wall he decided to give them as much trouble and danger as possible before he flew away.

As the first Troll drew near the window, Loki hopped up the side of it, and kept just out of reach, holding on to the stones of the wall with his claws. Backwards and forwards over the castle wall he went, always getting a little bit higher. The Trolls climbed after him, cursing and grunting as again and again the bird slipped out of their hands just as one of them was about to clutch him.

At last Loki came to the top of the wall, and as one of

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