7

Thor’s Visit to Utgard

After Thor had recovered his hammer Miolnir, killed Thrym the Giant with all his household, and returned safely to Asgard without having to give up Freya the Beautiful, the Giants begged for peace with the Æsir. They even went so far as to promise Thor and Loki safe conduct if they would come on a visit to Utgard, the Giant city in the heart of Jotunheim where Utgardhaloki was king.

‘No harm shall come to the Æsir, Thor, and Loki, or to any attendants they may bring,’ vowed Utgardhaloki, ‘and I will send Skrymir my messenger to lead them through Jotunheim. If he is not afraid, Thor will surely come.’

A challenge like this was the sure way of bringing Thor, and he ordered out his chariot forthwith and harnessed his two goats, Gaptooth and Cracktooth.

‘They do not ask us out of friendship,’ said cautious Loki. ‘Some guile is intended, you may be certain.’

None the less he stepped into the chariot beside Thor, and off they drove in a great thundercloud across Midgard, the lightning flashing and flickering from the wheels as they went.

In the evening they came to a farmhouse on the edge of the river Ifing, the dark flood that never froze, which separated Midgard from Jotunheim. The good yeoman to whom it belonged welcomed his two strange guests, but confessed that he had very little food in the house, indeed scarcely enough for himself and his son and daughter, Thialfi and Roskva.

‘That is no matter!’ cried Thor, and killing his two goats Gaptooth and Cracktooth, he helped to flay and joint them. Very soon they were simmering in the pot, and the dinner was ready.

‘Whatever you do,’ Thor remarked, ‘let none of the bones of my goats be broken.’

Then the meal began, and Thor showed his usual good appetite by eating one whole goat and a good deal of the other.

‘What he said about the bones is only to keep the marrow for himself,’ whispered Loki the tempter to Thialfi, ‘for it has strange and wonderful powers, since these are no ordinary goats.’

So Thialfi split one of the thigh bones when Thor was looking the other way, and scraped out some of the marrow with his knife. But he noticed that Loki was careful not to break any of the bones, so he contented himself with the one taste of marrow.

Thor and Loki slept that night in the farmhouse, and in the morning Thor flung all the bones into the goat-skins, waved Miolnir over them, and at once Gaptooth and Cracktooth sprang up as full of life as ever.

But one of them limped a little in his hind leg, and seeing this Thor turned with a roar of fury and whirled his hammer above his head to slay the yeoman and his two children.

‘One of you has broken the thigh bone!’ he shouted, his eyes flashing fire and his knuckles growing white as he gripped Miolnir.

The yeoman cowered on the floor, realizing who his terrible guest was, and promised any recompense he chose to ask.

Seeing the man’s fear, Thor’s brow cleared and he said:

‘I will not smite. But your two children Thialfi and Roskva shall come with me, he to be my squire and she my handmaiden for ever more. See, it is an honour I do them and no evil … Now look well to my goats so that the bone is set and whole before our return. Roskva shall remain with you until then, but Thialfi comes with us now.’

So Thor and Loki continued their journey on foot, with Thialfi to attend on them. They went down beside the river Ifing until they reached the sea, and crossed where it was deepest in a boat that lay waiting for them. On the further shore they left the boat and advanced inland through a great forest. As evening approached they came out into open country among bare rocks and dark valleys; but nowhere could they find a house.

At last, just as darkness was beginning to fall, and they were feeling exceedingly tired and hungry, they came to a strange building. It was a great hall with an entrance so wide that it took up the whole end, but there was no one in it, no hearth nor fire, and no furniture.

It was better than nothing, however, in that freezing land, and the wayfarers made themselves as comfortable as possible in their strange lodging.

In the middle of the night they were wakened suddenly by a great earthquake, the ground shook all round them, and the hall trembled and swayed from side to side. Nothing else happened, but as he was exploring further Thor found a smaller room leading off the hall on the right-hand side, and into this his companions moved for greater warmth. Loki and the boy huddled together in the furthest corner, shaking with fear, but Thor gripped the handle of Miolnir firmly and stood on guard in the doorway. He could hear a roaring and a bellowing sound nearby, and from time to time a great crash: but he could see nothing.

At last the sky turned grey, and going out of the hall Thor saw in the first light of morning a Giant lying on the hillside a little distance away, snoring loudly. He was not a small Giant by any means – indeed he was the largest that Thor had ever seen.

Then Thor knew what the noises were that he had heard in the night, and in a fit of anger he girded himself with his belt of strength, and swung Miolnir in his hands, wondering where to strike.

At that moment the Giant woke, and Thor decided that it was safer not to use his hammer just then. Instead he asked:

‘Who are you that have disturbed our slumbers with your snores?’

‘I am Skrymir,’ answered the Giant in a voice that echoed among the mountains. ‘I have come to lead you to Utgard. I need not ask if you are Thor, for your hammer betrays you. But indeed you are rather smaller than I expected … Hallo, what have you been doing with my glove?’

With that he picked up what Thor had taken for a hall, shook Loki and Thialfi out of it, and put it on, slipping his thumb into the room where they had passed the night.

Then he opened his bag and made a huge breakfast, leaving Thor and his companions to be content with what they could find.

‘I’ll carry your bag of provisions in my own,’ said Skrymir when he had finished his breakfast. ‘Then we can dine together tonight in a more friendly fashion.’

Thor agreed readily, and Thialfi handed over the empty wallet, which Skrymir dropped into his own bag before lacing up the top and slinging it over his shoulder.

‘Now follow me!’ he boomed, and went striding away over the mountains while Thor and Loki did their best to keep up with him, and Thialfi followed painfully behind – though indeed he was the swiftest-footed of all men.

Late in the evening Skrymir found them shelter for the night under a mighty oak tree where they could get out of the bitter wind among its roots, and he lay on the hillside beyond its huge trunk.

‘I am too tired to bother about supper,’ said the Giant as he stretched himself out. ‘But here is the food-bag: open it and help yourselves.’

He flung down his sack, and a few moments later was snoring like a volcano on the other side of the tree.

Thor set himself to unlace the food-bag; but pull and lever as he might, not a single thong could he loosen. Nor could he cut through the stiff leather.

‘This Giant is mocking us!’ he exclaimed at last, and in a rage he rushed round the tree and hit Skrymir on the head with Miolnir.

The Giant stirred in his sleep, yawned, and muttered sleepily:

‘That was a big leaf which dropped on my head! … What are you doing, Thor? You have finished supper, I suppose, and are ready for bed?’

‘We’re just thinking about going to sleep,’ growled Thor, and when Skrymir was snoring once more, he led Loki and Thialfi to another oak tree at a little distance where they settled down in hungry discomfort to get what rest they could.

Midnight came and Thor still could not sleep. Giant Skrymir had rolled on to his back and was snoring until the trees shook as if a great storm was raging.

‘I’ll silence that monster!’ grumbled Thor. ‘If we cannot eat, we might at least get a little sleep!’

He strode round to where Skrymir lay, planted his feet firmly, whirled Miolnir round his head and struck him on the crown with all his strength so that the hammer-head sank almost out of sight.

‘What’s happening now?’ asked the Giant sitting up. ‘Curse this oak tree! An acorn landed right on my head and woke me! … Or was it you, Thor, with news of some danger threatening us?’

‘There’s no danger that I know of,’ answered Thor. ‘It’s now about midnight, and I had just woken and was stretching my legs for a few moments.’

Skrymir grunted, and went to sleep again; but Thor, bristling with fury, sat with hammer in hand planning how he would strike one more blow which should make an end of the Giant.

‘If I can strike a really good one,’ he thought to himself, ‘he shall never see the light of day again!’

When dawn was just beginning to break Thor decided that his time had come. Skrymir appeared to be sleeping soundly, lying in such a way that Thor could reach one of his temples quite easily. So he rushed upon him whirling Miolnir with all his strength, and delivered a crashing blow.

Skrymir sat up suddenly and rubbed his head.

‘It’s those birds up in the oak tree!’ he exclaimed. ‘One of them dropped a twig on my forehead … Ah, Thor! So you’re awake already. A good thing, for we have a long journey before us if you are to reach Utgard before night.’

They continued all day across the mountains, but as afternoon was advancing, Skrymir stopped and said to Thor:

‘I must leave you here and go northwards. If you turn east you will reach Utgard before evening. But before we part, let me give you some advice. I heard you talking among yourselves and remarking that you had seen Giants smaller than I am. Let me warn you that in the castle of Utgard you will find several far taller than I. So when you get there be careful not to utter boastful words – for the followers of Utgardhaloki will not take them from such mere babes as you … In fact, my advice would be to turn back while you have the chance, and get home as quickly as you can.’

With that, Skrymir slung his bag over his shoulder and strode away towards the snow-covered mountains of the far north. And neither Thor nor Loki nor Thialfi was sorry to see him go.

They did not turn back, however, but went on towards the east, and as night was falling they came to a castle which was so high that it hurt the backs of their necks to look up to the top of it. There was an iron grating in the gateway, and this was closed. Thor strained his hardest to open it, but in vain; however, they soon found that they were small enough to squeeze between the bars.

Inside they saw a mighty hall with wide-open doors, and on walking into it found many Giants sitting on benches along either side, while Utgardhaloki, the Giant King, sat at the high table on the dais at the end.

Thor and Loki saluted him politely, but at first he took no notice of them and went on picking his teeth. At length, however, he smiled at them scornfully, and said:

‘As you seem to have come on a long journey, I suppose you are the Æsir from Asgard, and this small boy here must be Thor himself. Perhaps, however, you are greater than you seem: so tell us if you pride yourselves on any special accomplishments. We are all skilled here in feats of strength and endurance, and in craft and cunning as well. Now which of you will challenge one of us to prove his worth?’

‘That I will!’ cried Loki. ‘There is one craft in which I excel, particularly at the moment, and that is eating. I’ll have an eating match with any of you, and wager that no one can eat faster than I.’

‘Well, that is a good contest,’ said Utgardhaloki, ‘and we will put you to the test at once. Our champion eater is called Logi, and he is ready to eat against you or anyone at any time.’

Then a great wooden trough was placed in the middle of the floor and filled with meat, and Loki sat down at one end and Logi at the other. Each set to work as fast as he could, and they met exactly in the middle.

‘But Logi has won,’ Utgardhaloki pointed out. ‘For while Loki ate only the flesh, leaving the bare bones on the dish, Logi ate bones and dish and all!’

Presently Utgardhaloki looked at Thialfi and said: ‘And this child? Is there anything he can do?’

‘I’ll run a race with any one of you who cares to try,’ answered Thialfi boldly.

‘A good accomplishment is running,’ said Utgardhaloki, ‘but you must be very swift if you are to outdistance my champion.’

Then he led the way out of the hall to a long strip of ground inside the castle walls. ‘We will put you to the test at once,’ he said, and called for Hugi, a young Giant, and bade him race with Thialfi.

The course was set and the two runners sped away. But in the first heat Hugi was so much ahead that when he reached the winning-post he turned round and went back to meet Thialfi.

Then said Utgardhaloki: ‘You will need to exert yourself a bit more, Thialfi, if you are to beat Hugi – though no one who has come here has ever run faster than you have just done. Now try a second heat.’

They set off again, but this time Hugi reached the end of the course so long before Thialfi that he had time to turn and meet him a quarter of the way back.

‘Thialfi has run this heat well also,’ said Utgardhaloki, ‘but I do not think that he can beat Hugi. However, he may have one more chance, and that shall decide the match.’

They set off for the third time, but now Hugi ran so fast that he was able to reach the winning-post, turn round, and meet Thialfi halfway back along the course.

‘So Hugi is a better runner than Thialfi,’ said Utgardhaloki as he led the way back into the hall. ‘But these were only small contests. Thor, I am certain, will wish to show his strength, for we have heard great tales of his mighty deeds – and indeed we know that he has won victories against a Giant or two before now.’

‘We came here in peace, and not to perform the deeds of war,’ said Thor warily. ‘But I am quite ready to contend with anyone in a drinking match.’

‘An excellent notion,’ cried Utgardhaloki, and he bade one of his servants bring in the sconce-horn which was handed round among his warriors when they boasted of their powers of drinking.

‘If one of us drinks this horn full at a single draught,’ he said, ‘we think well of him. Many a Giant, however, needs to pull at it twice; but we think very little of anyone who needs to raise it to his lips a third time.’

Thor took the horn, and it did not seem particularly big, except for its great length. He was very thirsty, and as he raised it to his lips he was confident that he would need to take no second draught to empty it. But when his breath failed and he raised his head from the horn and looked to see how much he had drunk, it seemed hardly any emptier than when he started.

‘That was well drunk,’ exclaimed Utgardhaloki, ‘and yet it was not much. I would not have believed if I had not actually seen it that Thor of Asgard was so poor a drinker. Still, I feel sure you are only waiting to drain the horn at your next draught.’

Thor answered nothing, but raised the horn to his lips again, thinking that he would drink deeply indeed this time, and he strained at it until his breath gave out. Yet as he took the horn from his lips he realized that the end had not tilted up as far as it should; and when he came to look inside, it seemed as if less had gone than before: but now he could at least see below the rim.

‘How now, Thor!’ cried Utgardhaloki. ‘You’ll drink again, surely, even if the third draught is more than is good for you? The third will surely be the greatest – but even if you empty the horn this time, you are not so mighty a champion as you are said to be among the Æsir. Though what you may yet do in other contests remains to be seen.’

At that Thor became angry. He raised the horn again and drank with all his might, straining until he could hold his breath no longer. He set down the horn and as he drew back gasping, he saw that at least the liquid in it had sunk quite a distance from the top. But he would not try again, and declared that he had drunk enough for one night.

‘Now it is evident that you are not as mighty as we thought,’ remarked Utgardhaloki. ‘You cannot even swallow a little drink such as this. But will you try your hand at other games? You may do better in some feat of strength.’

‘We hardly call such drinks as that little ones in Asgard,’ grumbled Thor. ‘But what game do you suggest now to try my strength?’

‘Young lads here,’ said Utgardhaloki, ‘begin by a small trial of strength which is to lift my cat off the ground. I would not suggest so easy a test to Thor of the Æsir, did I not realize how very much less powerful you are than I expected.’

As he said this an enormous grey cat leapt into the middle of the floor and stood there spitting. Thor went forward and set his hands under its belly meaning to lift it by the middle. But the cat arched its back as Thor lifted, and though he strained upwards with all his strength he could only raise one paw off the ground.

‘It is just as I expected,’ smiled Utgardhaloki. ‘But indeed my cat is a very large one, and our people are big and strong, not weak and puny like Thor the Thunderer.’

‘Small as I am,’ shouted Thor, ‘I’ll wrestle with any of you. For now you have angered me, my strength grows double!’

‘I see no Giant here who would not think it a disgrace to wrestle with such a midget,’ said Utgardhaloki looking round the hall. ‘But we must not be deceived by appearances. Summon my old nurse, Elli, and let Thor wrestle with her. She has thrown men who seemed to me no less mighty than this great god of Asgard.’

Straightway there came into the hall an old woman, bent and stricken with years. Thor flushed angrily when he saw her, but Utgardhaloki insisted on the match, and when at last Thor took hold of her and tried to throw her, he discovered that it was not as easily done as he expected. In fact, the harder he gripped her the firmer she stood; and when she caught hold of him in her turn, Thor felt himself tottering on his feet, and in spite of all he could do she brought him to his knees.

‘Enough of this!’ cried Utgardhaloki. ‘It is useless for Thor to try his strength with any of my warriors since he cannot even hold his own against this old woman. Sit down now, all three of you, and let us eat and drink. Only Loki has eaten and only Thor has drunk; but doubtless you can both take more of food and ale – for I would like you to see how well we in Utgard can entertain our guests.’

So they made good cheer far into the night, and slept there in the hall. And in the morning, when they were dressed and ready, Utgardhaloki drank a parting cup with them, and led them out of Utgard and well on their way back towards Midgard.

When he turned to bid them farewell he said: ‘Now tell me, before we part, what you think of my castle of Utgard and the greatest of the Giant kind who live there? Do you admit that you have at last met Giants who are mightier than you?’

‘I must confess,’ said Thor sadly, ‘that I have got little but shame from my dealings with you. When I am gone you will speak of me as a weakling, and I am ill content with that. It was with a very different purpose that I came to visit Utgard as the envoy of the Æsir.’

‘Now I will tell you the truth,’ said Utgardhaloki, ‘since you are well away from my castle – which, if it is in my power, you shall never enter again. Indeed had I known how mighty you were, you had never come here at all: for so great is your strength that you have put us and all the world in deadly peril.

‘Know then that I have cheated you with false seemings and illusions of the eye.

‘To go back to the beginning: it was I who met you on the way, calling myself Skrymir; and as for my provision-bag, it was tied with iron made by Trolls – so that you could not possibly have untied it. Of the three blows you dealt me with your hammer Miolnir, the first was far the lightest, but it would have killed me if it had really landed on me. On your way home you will see a long mountain shaped like a saddle, with three deep gorges in it, one far deeper than the rest: those gorges you made with your hammer, for in each case I slipped aside so that the mountain received the blows and not I.

‘In the same way I cheated you over your contests in my castle hall. The Giant against whom Loki ate so well was called Logi – and he was Fire itself which burned up the trough and bones as well as the meat. Thialfi ran against Hugi, who is Thought: and no man can run as swiftly as thought.

‘When you drank from my horn, and the drink seemed to sink but slowly, you performed a wonder which I should not have believed possible. For the other end of the horn was joined to the sea, and it sank visibly throughout all the world when you drank. You caused the first ebb-tide: and the tides shall ebb and flow for ever more in memory of your deed.

‘When you strove to lift my cat we were all in deadly terror. For he was the Midgard Serpent which stretches round the whole world – and when you raised it, the head and tail of Jormungand scarcely touched the ground.

‘Finally, your last feat was as remarkable as the rest. For Elli with whom you wrestled was Old Age – and yet she only brought you to your knees, though never a man lived, nor shall ever live, who will not at the last be vanquished by Old Age.

‘Now we must part, and it will be best for both of us if you never come here to seek me again. Should you do so, I will defend my castle by wiles such as I have already used against you – or by others. But if you stay away from Jotunheim, there may be peace between the Æsir and the Giants.’

Then a sudden gust of fury filled Thor, and he whirled up Miolnir to fling at Utgardhaloki, deeming that this time there should be no mistake.

But Utgardhaloki was gone; and suddenly the mist came down from the mountains so that when Thor turned back to destroy the castle of Utgard and crush it to pieces, there was no castle to be seen.

So Thor, Loki, and Thialfi turned and groped their way through the fog, back into the mountains, and they could scarcely see more than a few yards in front of them until they came to the great mountain with the three gorges which Thor had cleft with his hammer.

Beyond it the fog cleared, and they made their way easily enough until they came to the farmhouse where Thor had left his chariot.

The goat whose bone had been broken by Thialfi had now quite recovered, and next day they set out for Asgard, taking Roskva with them.

When Thor told Odin and the other Æsir how Utgardhaloki had tricked him, and repeated what he had told him before they parted, Odin said:

‘You have done well in the Land of the Giants, though at first it seemed but ill. For now they know our strength – and we know what they can do to outwit us. We may not be able to destroy them, but I do not think that they will come against Asgard, nor overrun Midgard. Yet they will come against us at Ragnarok, on the Day of the Last Great Battle.’

‘Nevertheless I am determined to wipe out this insult to my prowess in Giant blood,’ growled Thor.

‘You need not doubt that Giant blood will still be shed,’ answered Odin. ‘Though we are at peace with Utgardhaloki, there are Giants who will still try to harm us or to bring ruin to men in Midgard. I do not think the hammer Miolnir will ever grow rusty!’

‘No!’ muttered Thor. ‘And when I have conquered the Giants, I am determined to try my strength against the Midgard Serpent! Had I known that Utgardhaloki’s cat was Jormungand, instead of trying to lift its paw from the ground I would have stroked its head with Miolnir!’