accents, or beats, should fall as much as possible on the words which in each line begin with the alliterative letters. After so much preface, here follows
THE HUNT FOR THE HAMMER.
I.
Wrath was Wing-Thorr
When he woke from his rest,
Felt for his hammer
And found it was gone;
Beard he ’gan bristle,
Locks he ’gan tug,
Earth’s boy[1] took to beating
About with his fists.
II.
And this was the speech
He first of all spoke:
“Listen now, Loki,[2]
Come list to my tale,—
Nor here on earth below,
Nor in high heaven above,
Knoweth man aught of this,—
The God’s maul is missing.”
III.
Off they went fair
Freyja’s[3] town toward,
And this was the speech
He first of all spoke:
“Wilt thou now, Freyja,
Thy feather-suit lend me?
So I my hammer
May hope to regain.”
IV.
Freyja quoth:
“Give it I would thee,
Though golden it were;
Lend it? ay, surely,
Though silvern it were.”
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V.
Away then flew Loki,
Feather-wings whirring,
Till he came outside
Asa-garth holy,
Till he came inside
Ogreland ugly.
VI.
Thrym sat on hillock,
Lord of the Thursa-kin,[4]
For his greyhounds
Gold bands twisting,
And his grey mares’
Manes a-smoothing.
VII.
Thrym quoth:
“How is’t with Asa-kin?
How is’t with elves?
Why art thou come alone
Down into Ogreland?”
Loki quoth:
Ill is’t with Asa-kin,
Ill is’t with elves;
Hast thou the Hardhitter’s[5]
Hammer here hid?”
VIII.
Thrym quoth:
“I have the Hardhitter’s
Hammer here hidden,
Miles measured eight
Deep down in mould.
- ↑ Thorr, who was son of Odin and Earth.
- ↑ Loki, the Norse Mercury, who was always getting the Æsir into scrapes, out of which his shrewdness set them free.
- ↑ The Goddess of Love and Beauty.
- ↑ Thursa-kin, Giant-kin, Ogre-kin. The word survives in some British proper names, as Tuskar, Thurs-skar, “the Giant’s skerry.”
- ↑ Hardhitter, a name of Thorr.
