It now no man
E’er may bring back,
Save when he fetches me
IX.
Away then flew Loki,
Feather-fledge flutter’d,
Till he came outside
Ogreland ugly,
Till he came inside
Asa-garth holy;
Met him there Thorr,
Moody in mid-yard,
And this was the speech
He first of all spoke:
X.
“Hast thou thy errand’s toil
Taken in vain?
Utter aloft now
All thy long story;
Often a sitting man’s
Mind misses something,
And lying men’s stories
Are lengthened with lies.”
XI.
Loki quoth:
“Sped has my errand,
Not mis-spent my toil;
Thrym hath thy hammer,
Lord of the Thursa-kin;
It now no man
E’er may bring back,
Save when he fetches him
Freyja to wife.”
XII.
Off they go fair
Freyja to find,
And this was the speech
He first of all spoke:
“Bind thyself, Freyja,
In bridal array,
We two must drive off
To Ogreland down.”
XIII.
Wrath then waxed Freyja,
Fiercely she foam’d,
All that high Asa-hall
Under her quivered,
Up on her bosom leapt
Brising’s broad jewel:[1]
“Wanton and wedding-sick
Call thou this woman,
If I drive with thee
To Ogreland down.”
XIV.
Then the great Gods all
Gather’d in meeting,
Goddesses proud too
In parley there met,
And they devised then,
Those deities mighty,
How they the Hardhitter’s
Hammer might get.
XV.
Then thus spoke Heimdall,
Fairest-hued As,
Wise-minded master,
More cunning than most:
“Bind we now Thorr here
In bridal array;
Brising’s broad collar
We’ll clasp round his throat;
Down at his girdle
The house-keys shall dangle;
Full round his knees, too,
Women’s weeds fall;
Broad stones and bright
He shall bear on his breast;
Tidily, too, let us
Top up his head.”
XVI.
Out stuttered Thorr,
Sturdiest of Asa-stock:
“Me will ye Asa-kin
Craven heart call,
If o’er my body
These bride-weeds ye bind.”
XVII.
Then thus spoke Loki,
Laufey’s son shifty:
“Hush, Thorr! nor utter
These idle words;
Straightway will Ogres
As-garth abide in,
Save thou thy hammer
May’st hope to get back.”
XVIII.
Then they bound Thorr
In bridal array;
Clasp’d round his throat
Brising’s broad collar;
Down at his girdle
The housewife’s keys dangled;
Full round his knees, too,
Women’s weeds fell;
Broad stones and bright
He bore on his breast;
Ay, and so tidily
Topp’d up his head.
XIX.
Then thus spoke Loki,
Laufey’s son shifty:
“I too with thee now
Will go as thy maid;
We two will drive off
To Ogreland down.”
XX.
Then were Thorr’s he-goats[2]
Soon driven home;
Tied to the traces
They trotted off fast:
Rocks rent asunder,
Earth roar’d with flame:
So drove great Odin’s son
Down into Ogreland.
XXI.
Then thus quoth Thrym,
Lord of the Thursa-kin:
