Asgard's Wall and the Giant Builder

Following the War between the Æsir and Vanir the gods realized they needed to rebuild the wall that had surrounded Asgard, as it had been destroyed during the war. While the gods were talented and well skilled in building magnificent halls and buildings, they thought the task of building a fortress like wall beyond them. One day a tall man came across Bifrost and told Heimdall that he had a plan to bring before the gods. Odhinn gathered all the god and goddesses to meet with the stranger and hear his plan. The stranger (who was the giant Hrimthurs in disguise) said he could rebuild the wall surrounding Asgard in 18 months. For payment he would take the sun and moon and also take Freya as his wife. Odhinn became angry and said the gods would never give up Freya, nor would they give up the sun and moon. He angrily bid the mason leave.

However, Loki begged the gods not to be so hasty and he asked the mason for some time to consider his offer. The mason left while all the gods and goddesses gathered around Loki . Loki suggested they get the mason to agree that if he could build the wall in six months, starting on the winter solstice and completing the wall by the summer solstice then he would get the prize he desired. Loki explained there was no way the mason would be able to complete the task in the time allotted, but he would get a portion of the work done, thereby making it easier for the gods to finish the task and the gods wouldn't have to pay the mason at all.

Odhinn called the mason back into the hall and put Loki's plan before him. The mason seemed hesitant, but said he would agree to the terms if he was allowed to use his horse, Svadilfari to help him. The gods agreed and the bargain was struck.

The mason quickly set to work and was making amazing progress on the construction. The mason cut huge blocks of stone and the horse hauled loads heavier than anything the gods had seen. Throughout the winter the wall began to take shape. As winter began to fade and spring was almost upon them the gods realized the wall would be completed and they would have to give up Freya along with the sun and moon. The gods shouted angrily at Loki as it was his idea that led to this. They demanded he use his cunning to insure that the wall would not be completed on time.

Three nights before the solstice Svadilfari was hauling the last of the stones toward the wall when the stallion spied a beautiful mare. He broke free of his harness and began chasing the mare. The mason pursued Svadilfari but could not catch him. The mason chased his stallion all night but could not catch him. The next day not as much work was done as had been done before. When the mason realized he would not be able to complete his work on time, stormed into Asgard shouting and raving. Dawn soon came and with it, summer. The mason had failed to complete the task. Over the course of the winter the gods had realized the mason was a giant. When the giant flew into a rage and threatened to destroy everything in Asgard Thor struck him a single blow with Mjollnir thus the giant died.

Several months later Loki returned to Asgard leading a young colt that had eight legs. The colt was the offspring of Svadilfari and Loki, who had disguised himself as the mare. Odhinn took the colt for his own and named him Sleipnir.

 Balder's Death

This story begins when Balder had some terrible dreams. In these dreams Balder saw his own death. The Æsir were gathered and Balder shared his dreams with them. When the Æsir heard these dreams they took counsel and it was decided to seek protection for Balder. Frigg went out and gathered an oath from every peril. She received an oath from fire and water, iron and all kinds of metals, stones, earth, trees, ailments, beasts, birds, poison and serpents that they would not harm Balder.

When this had been done and put to the test, the Æsir would amuse themselves by striking at Balder with all manner of weapons. Some threw darts, others struck at him and still others threw stones. No matter what was done, Balder remained free from harm. When Loki saw this it upset him. He went disguised as a woman to visit Frigg. Frigg asked this woman if she knew what the Æsir were doing at the assembly. Loki told her all the Æsir were striking at Balder and that he was not being hurt. Frigg said that neither weapons nor trees would injure Balder, as she had taken an oath from them all. The woman (Loki) asked if everything had sworn an oath to not harm Balder. Frigg responded that all things save one had given the oath. She said west of Valhalla there grows a little bush known as mistletoe. She went on to say that she thought it unable to bring harm. After hearing this, the woman (Loki) disappeared.

Loki took hold of the mistletoe and carried it to the assembly. There he saw all the Æsir striking at Balder, save one. This one was Hodur, Balder's brother. Loki asked Hodur why he wasn't showing Balder honor and throwing darts at him. Hodur replied that it was because he was blind and he had no weapon. Loki said I will show you where he is standing and you can throw this twig at him. Hodur took the mistletoe and, with Loki's guidance, aimed at Balder. Hodur then drew back the mistletoe and flung it at Balder. The dart pierced Balder and he fell to the ground, dead.

When Balder had fallen dead, the Æsir were struck dumb. They were unable to move a finger to lift him up. They looked at one another and all believed the same person responsible. They would have slain Hodur where he stood, but ancient laws forbade the shedding of blood in Idavoll. Hodur left that place, alone and weeping.

When the Æsir did try to speak, the wept, and none could tell the others his grief in words. Odhinn was the most affected by this disaster, for he best understood what a loss the death of Balder was for the Æsir. When the Æsir had recovered Frigg was the first to speak. She asked which of the Æsir wished to win her affection and favour by journeying to Hel to offer Hel a ransom to allow Balder to return home to Asgard.

Hermod stepped forward and volunteered to journey to Hel to attempt to ransom Balder back to Asgard. Sleipnir was brought forward and Hermod mounted that steed and galloped away.

Balder's body was carried by the Æsir to the shore of the sea and was laid upon Ringhorn. The gods wished to launch the ship and build Balder's funeral pyre upon it, but they were unable to move the ship. They sent out a call to Jotunheim for the ogress Hyrrokkin. When she arrived, riding a wolf and using vipers as reins, she jumped off her steed and Odhinn called for four berserkers to guard it. They were unable to hold it until they struck it down. Then Hyrrokkin went to the prow of Ringhorn and at the first shove launched it into the sea.

Then Balder's body was carried out on to the ship, and when Nanna saw that, her heart broke from the grief and she died. Her body was carried on to the pyre and the pyre was set aflame. Thor stepped forward and was consecrating the funeral with Mjollnir when a dwarf, Lit, ran forward. Thor, being hot-tempered and extremely saddened by Balder's death, kicked the dwarf into the fire where he burned to ashes along with Balder and Nanna.

All manner of people came to the funeral. Odhinn was accompanied by Frigg, the Valkyries and his ravens. Freyr drove in a chariot drawn by Gold-Bristle, Heimdall rode Gulltop, and Freya arrived behind her cats. A great crowd of ogres and giants also came to witness the pyre for Balder. Odhinn came forward and laid Draupnir upon the pyre.

While these things were taking place, Hermod was riding down to Hel. For nine nights he rode until he came to the river Gjoll and rode across its bridge. Modgud is the guardian of that bridge and she asked him his name and family and said that the day before five troops of dead men had ridden over the bridge, but the bridge resounded as much under him alone, and he didn't look like a man who has died. She asked him why he was riding on the road to Hel. Hermod replied he was riding to Hel to seek for Balder and asked if she had seen anything of him on his way there. She replied that Balder had ridden past over the bridge of the Gjoll.

Hermod rode on until he came to the gates of Hel. Hermod dismounted, tightened the stirrups on Sleipnir, remounted and dug his spurs. Sleipnir jumped over the gate with such energy that he came nowhere near the gate. Hermod then rode up to Hel's hall and dismounted. Inside, he saw Balder sitting at the high seat there. Hermod stayed that night in Hel and in the morning he asked Hel if Balder might be allowed to ride home with him. Hermod told Hel how all the Æsir wept for Balder and Hel said that this test should be made as to whether Balder was loved as much as people said. If all things in the world, both dead or alive, would weep for Balder the he would be allowed to return to the Æsir, but if anyone objected or refused to weep he would have to remain in Hel. Hermod stood up and Balder led him out of the hall. Balder took off Draupnir and sent it back to Odhinn in remembrance. Hermod rode back to Asgard and related all that had transpired.

Upon hearing his message the Æsir sent messengers throughout the worlds to ask for tears to weep Balder out of Hel. Everywhere they went, the messengers were met with tears--men and beasts, stones and trees, all metals and even the earth--all these things wept for Balder. When the messengers were returning from their journey they met with a giantess, Thokk, sitting in a cave. They asked her to weep for Balder so that he would be released from Hel. Thokk answered, "Thokk will weep dry tears at Balder's embarkation; the old fellow’s son was no use to me alive or dead, let Hel hold what she has."

It is thought that the giantess was Loki in disguise. Because Thokk refused to weep, Balder was resigned to remain in Hel and he will remain there until the time of Ragnarok.

 The Creation

In the beginning there was no earth or heaven, no sand nor see nor cooling waves. There was only Ginnungagap, a great void. In the north there was Nilfheim, and from Nilfheim's spring flowed eleven rivers, known as Elivagar. As the rivers flowed south, they cooled and hardened into ice. In the south, there was the world of Muspelheim, a fiery world. The northern part of Ginnungagap became filled with the ice and hoar frost from the Elivagar. When that ice formed and was firm, a drizzling rain arose from the venomous rivers and poured over the ice where it cooled into rime, and one layer of ice formed on top of the other throughout Ginnungagap. The southern part of Ginnungagap was lit by the sparks and glowing embers, which flew out of Muspelheim. Where the heat from the south met the coolness in the north the ice was thawed and it began to drip and by the might that sent the heat, life appeared in the drops of the running fluid and this fluid formed into the likeness of a man.

He was given the name Ymir. As the frost continued to thaw another form was created. This form became a cow called Audhumbla. From her teats flowed four rivers of milk and it was upon this that Ymir was fed. While he fed, Ymir slept, and while he slept a male and female frost giant grew from his armpits and one leg fathered a six-headed troll with the other leg.

Audhumbla lived by licking the ice-blocks that were salty, and by the evening of the first day there appeared a man's hair where she licked. On the second day, a man's head appeared, and by the third day the whole man was freed from the ice. This man was called Buri. He had a son name Bor who married Bestla, who was the daughter of the giant Bolthurn. Bor and Bestla had three sons, Odhinn, Vili, and Ve.

There was great strife between the offspring of Ymir and the children of Bor and Bestla. Odhinn led his brothers against Ymir and they killed him. Ever since that time there has been hatred and enemity between the gods and the giants.

Odhinn and his brothers dragged Ymir's body into the void. His flesh became the earth, his blood the sea. His bones became the mountains, his hair the trees, and his teeth the stones. Odhinn and his brothers discovered maggots living in what had been Ymir's flesh. They turned these into the dwarves and dark elves and these beings reside in the depths of the earth, mining the ore and minerals beneath the mountains and hills. The world of the dwarves is known as Nidavellir and the world of the dark elves is called Svartalfheim. Odhinn and his brothers also discovered some fine creatures living in the soil formed from Ymir's flesh. They named these creatures light elves and placed them in the world known as Alfheim. As Ymir's blood flowed, it created a flood that killed all the giants, save one. Bergelmir escaped with his household and they made their escape in the first boat, a hollowed out tree-trunk.

The sons of Bor then took Ymir's skull and fashioned from it the sky and set it over the earth. Under each corner they placed a dwarf and it is from the names of these dwarves that we get the directions, North, South, East and West. The sons of Bor then took the sparks and burning embers that were flying about and cast them into the midst of Ginnungagap to light the heavens and the earth. They gave stations to all the stars and planets.

They then fashioned a world for the families of giants and this world is known as Jotunheim. Away from this land they fashioned a stronghold to surround the world, to defend it from the giants. This land was fashioned from Ymir's eyebrows, and it is called Midgard. They then took the brains of Ymir and cast them into the air and these became the storm-threatening clouds.

One day while Odhinn and his brothers were walking along the seashore they came upon two tree trunks. The gods saw great beauty in the trunks and set forth to bring them to life. Odhinn gave them soul, Vili gave motion and sense, and Ve gave being and blooming hue. These beings were the first humans and they were called Ask and Embla. Midgard was given to them to inhabit.

Once the world had been created and the gods had placed the sun and moon in the sky they made night and day. Night is a beautiful giantess with a dark complexion and hair of midnight black. Night's first husband was a man called Naglifari. Their son is called Aud. Next, Night married Annar and their daughter is called Earth. Last she married Delling and their son was Day. Odhinn then took Night and Day and gave them horses and chariots to ride across the heavens.

The sun and moon are guided across the heavens by the children of Mundilfari. They were so fair and beautiful that he called the son, Moon, and the daughter, Sun. The gods became angry at his arrogance and took the brother and sister and put them in the sky where they draw the sun and moon across the sky in chariots. They made Sun drive the horses which drew the chariot of the sun that the gods had made to light the worlds from a spark which had flown from Muspelheim. The horses, which draw this chariot, are called Arvak and Alsvidh. Moon is made to guide the chariot that draws the moon across the sky. This chariot is drawn by Aldsvider. Sun and Moon can never pause in their journey because they are constantly pursued by the wolves Skoll and Hati.

Now that the earth was made and had been filled with all manner of beings the gods created a home for themselves. The gods then built for themselves a stronghold in the middle of the world and it is known as Asgard. They built a bridge to connect Asgard and Midgard, and this bridge is Bifrost. Asgard is sheltered by the great world tree, Yggdrasil, which touches upon all of the worlds.
 

 Frey and Gerda

One day Freyr seated himself upon Hlithskjalf, Odhinn's high seat from which the all the Nine Worlds can be seen. As Freyr looked out over the worlds his vision came to Jotunheim. There he saw a house, large and beautiful, and to this house went a woman. When the woman raised her arms to open the doors, her arms shone so brightly that they illuminated the sky and the sea, and the whole world grew bright. After seeing this sight Freyr grew sad and despondent. He did not sleep or speak, he took no drink, and all were afraid to speak to him.

Njord summoned Skirnir, Freyr's servant, and asked him to go talk to Freyr and discover the cause of his anger. Skirnir agreed to do this, though he expected a harsh answer.

Skirnir went to Freyr and asked him why he sat lonely and with heavy heart all day in his (Freyr's) hall. Freyr replied that from on high he had seen the halls of Gymir, and in those halls he had seen a maiden whose arms shone so bright that they lit up the sea and the sky. He said that maiden was to him more dear than any maiden to any man. But Freyr knew that the Æsir and the Alf's would say that he and this giantess should stay strangers. Freyr then asked Skirnir to journey to Jotunheim and woo this woman for him. Skirnir asked Freyr to lend him his steed, to lift him over the weird ring of flickering flame, and also his sword that swings itself against the tribe of trolls. Freyr agreed to the loan of these things and Skirnir set off on his journey.

Skirnir rode into Jotunheim and to Gymir's court. There were savage dogs tied to the gate of the enclosure about Gerda's bower. Skirnir then rode to where a shepherd sat on a mound and asked the shepherd how he (Skirnir) might win the welcome of Gerda and win his way through the hounds. The shepard replied that there was no way Skirnir would ever win the welcome to have of the good daughter of Gymir. Skirnir then caused his steed to leap over the wall of flames and then he came to Gymir's hall. Gerda then bid her handmaiden to invite the stranger into her (Gerda's) bower to meet her and drink mead.