Age of Fable or Beauties of Mythology

by Thomas Bulfinch

  "who would not think it beneath him to wrestle with thee; let somebody, however, call

  hither that old crone, my nurse Elli, and let Thor wrestle with her if he will. She has

  thrown to the ground many a man not less strong than this Thor is.

  A toothless old woman then entered the hall, and was told by Utgard- Loki to take

  hold of Thor. The tale is shortly told. The more Thor tightened his hold on the crone

  the firmer she stood. At length after a very violent struggle, Thor began to lose his

  footing, and was finally brought down upon one knee. Utgard-Loki then told them to

  desist, adding that Thor had now no occasion to ask any one else in the hall to wrestle

  with him, and it was also getting late; so he showed Thor and his companions to their

  seats, and they passed the night there in good cheer.

  The next morning at break of day, Thor and his companions dressed themselves

  and prepared for their departure. Utgard-Loki ordered a table to be set for them, on

  which there was no lack of victuals or drink. After the repast Utgard-Loki led them to

  the gate of the city, and on parting asked Thor how he thought his journey had turned

  out, and whether he had met with any men stronger than himself. Thor told him that

  he could not deny but that he had brought great shame on himself. "And what grieves

  me most," he added, "is that ye will call me a person of little worth."

  "Nay," said Utgard-Loki, "it behooves me to tell thee the truth, now thou art out of

  the city, which so long as I live and have my way thou shalt never enter again. And, by

  my troth, had I known beforehand, that thou hadst so much strength in thee, and

  wouldst have brought me so near to a great mishap, I would not have suffered thee to

  enter this time. Know then that I have all along deceived thee by my illusions; first in

  the forest, where I tied up the wallet with iron wire so that thou couldst not untie it.

  After this thou gavest me three blows with thy mallet; the first, though the least, would

  have ended my days had it fallen on me, but I slipped aside and thy blows fell on the

  mountain where thou wilt find three glens, one of them remarkably deep. These are

  the dints made by thy mallet. I have made use of similar illusions in the contest you

  have had with my followers. In the first, Loki, like hunger itself, devoured all that was

  set before him, but Logi was in reality nothing else than Fire, and therefore consumed

  not only the meat, but the trough which held it. Hugi, with whom Thialfi contended in

  running, was Thought, and it was impossible for Thialfi to keep pace with that. When

  thou in thy turn didst attempt to empty the horn, thou didst perform, by my troth, a deed

  so marvellous, that had I not seen it myself, I should never have believed it. For one

  end of that horn reached the sea, which thou wast not aware of, but when thou comest

  to the shore thou wilt perceive how much the sea has sunk by thy draughts. Thou

  didst perform a feat no less wonderful by lifting up the cat, and to tell thee the truth,

  when we saw that one of his paws was off the floor, we were all of us terror-stricken,

  for what thou tookest for a cat was in reality the Midgard serpent that encompasseth

  the earth, and he was so stretched by thee, that he was barely long enough to enclose

  it between his head and tail. Thy wrestling with Elli was also a most astonishing feat,

  for there was never yet a man, nor ever will be, whom Old Age, for such in fact was

  Elli, will not sooner or later lay low. But now, as we are going to part, let me tell thee

  that it will be better for both of us if thou never come near me again, for shouldst thou

  do so, I shall again defend myself by other illusions, so that thou wilt only lose thy labor

  and get no fame from the contest with me."

  On hearing these words Thor in a rage laid hold of his mallet and would have

  launched it at him, but Utgard-Loki had disappeared, and when Thor would have

  returned to the city to destroy it, he found nothing around him but a verdant plain.

  Chapter XL: Death Of Baldur - The Elves - Runic Letters - Skalds - Iceland

  The Death Of Baldur.

  Baldur the Good, having been tormented with terrible dreams indicating that his

  life was in peril, told them to the assembled gods, who resolved to conjure all things to

  avert from him the threatened danger. Then Frigga, the wife of Odin, exacted an oath

  from fire and water, from iron and all other metals, from stones, trees, diseases,

  beasts, birds, poisons, and creeping things, that none of them would do any harm to

  Baldur. Odin, not satisfied with all this, and feeling alarmed for the fate of his son,

  determined to consult the prophetess Angerbode, a giantess, mother of Fenris, Hela,

  and the Midgard serpent. She was dead, and Odin was forced to seek her in Hela's

  dominions. This Descent of Odin forms the subject of Gray's fine ode beginning, -

  "Uprose the king of men with speed

  And saddled straight his coal-black steed.'

  But the other gods, feeling that what Frigga had done was quite sufficient,

  amused themselves with using Baldur as a mark, some hurling darts at him, some

  stones, while others hewed at him with their swords and battle-axes, for do what they

  would none of them could harm him. And this became a favorite pastime with them and

  was regarded as an honor shown to Baldur. But when Loki beheld the scene he was

  sorely vexed that Baldur was not hurt. Assuming, therefore, the shape of a woman, he

  went to Fensalir, the mansion of Frigga. That goddess, when she saw the pretended

  woman, inquired of her if she knew what the gods were doing at their meetings. She

  replied that they were throwing darts and stones at Baldur, without being able to hurt

  him. "Ay," said Frigga, "neither stones, nor sticks, nor any thing else can hurt Baldur, for

  I have exacted an oath from all of them." "What," exclaimed the woman, "have all things

  sworn to spare Baldur?" "All things," replied Frigga, "except one little shrub that grows

  on the eastern side of Valhalla, and is called Mistletoe, and which I thought too young

  and feeble to crave an oath from."

  As soon as Loki heard this he went away, and resuming his natural shape, cut off

  the mistletoe, and repaired to the place where the gods were assembled. There he

  found Hodur standing apart, without partaking of the sports, on account of his blindness,

  and going up to him, said, "Why dost thou not also throw something at Baldur?"

  "Because I am blind," answered Hodur, "and see not where Baldur is, and have

  moreover nothing to throw."

  "Come, then," said Loki, "do like the rest, and show honor to Baldur by throwing

  this twig at him, and I will direct thy arm towards the place where he stands."

  Hodur then took the mistletoe, and under the guidance of Loki, darted it at

  Baldur, who, pierced through and through, fell down lifeless. Surely never was there

  witnessed, either among gods or men, a more atrocious deed than this. When Baldur

  fell, the gods were struck speech less with horror, and then they looked at each other,

  and all were of one mind to lay hands on him who had done the deed, but they were

  obliged to delay their vengeance out of respect for the sacred place where they were

  assembled. They gave vent to their grief by loud lamentations. When the gods came to

  themselves, Fri
gga asked who among them wished to gain all her love and good will.

  "For this," said she, "shall he have who will ride to Hel and offer Hela a ransom if she will

  let Baldur return to Asgard." Whereupon Hermod, surnamed the Nimble, the son of Odin,

  offered to undertake the journey. Odin's horse, Sleipnir, which has eight legs, and can

  outrun the wind, was then led forth, on which Hermod mounted and galloped away on

  his mission. For the space of nine days and as many nights he rode through deep glens

  so dark that he could not discern any thing, until he arrived at the river Gyoll, which he

  passed over on a bridge covered with glittering gold. The maiden who kept the bridge

  asked him his name and lineage, telling him that the day before five bands of dead

  persons had ridden over the bridge, and did not shake it as much as he alone. "But,"

  she added, "thou hast not death's hue on thee; why then ridest thou here on the way to

  Hel?"

  "I ride to Hel," answered Hermod, "to seek Baldur. Hast thou perchance seen

  him pass this way?"

  She replied, "Baldur hath ridden over Gyoll's bridge, and yonder lieth the way he

  took to the abodes of death."

  Hermod pursued his journey until he came to the barred gates of Hel. Here he

  alighted, girthed his saddle tighter, and remounting clapped both spurs to his horse, who

  cleared the gate by a tremendous leap without touching it. Hermod then rode on to the

  palace, where he found his brother Baldur occupying the most distinguished seat in the

  hall, and passed the night in his company. The next morning he besought Hela to let

  Baldur ride home with him, assuring her that nothing but lamentations were to be heard

  among the gods. Hela answered that it should now be tried whether Baldur was so

  beloved as he was said to be. "If, therefore," she added, "all things in the world, both

  living and lifeless, weep for him, then shall be return to life; but if any one thing speak

  against him or refuse to weep, he shall be kept in Hel."

  Hermod then rode back to Asgard and gave an account of all he had heard and

  witnessed.

  The gods upon this despatched messengers throughout the world to beg every

  thing to weep in order that Baldur might be delivered from Hel. All things very willingly

  complied with this request, both men and every other living being, as well as earths, and

  stones, and trees, and metals, just as we have all seen these things weep when they are

  brought from a cold place into a hot one. As the messengers were returning, they found

  an old hag named Thaukt sitting in a cavern, and begged her to weep Baldur out of Hel.

  But she answered, -

  "Thaukt will wail

  With dry tears

  Baldur's bale-fire.

  Let Hela keep her own."

  It was strongly suspected that this hag was no other than Loki himself, who never

  ceased to work evil among gods and men. So Baldur was prevented from coming back

  to Asgard. ^*

  [Footnote *: In Longfellow's Poems, vol. ii. page 379, will be found a poem

  entitled Tegner's Drapa, upon the subject of Baldur's death.]

  The Funeral Of Baldur.

  The gods took up the dead body and bore it to the sea shore where stood

  Baldur's ship Hringham, which passed for the largest in the world. Baldur's dead body

  was put on the funeral pile, on board the ship, and his wife Nanna was so struck with

  grief at the sight that she broke her heart, and her body was burned on the same pile

  with her husband's. There was a vast concourse of various kinds of people at Baldur's

  obsequies. First came Odin accompanied by Frigga, the Valkyrior, and his ravens; then

  Frey in his car drawn by Gullinbursti, the boar; Heimdall rode his horse Gulltopp, and

  Freya drove in her chariot drawn by cats. There were also a great many Frost giants

  and giants of the mountain present. Baldur's horse was led to the pile fully caparisoned

  and consumed in the same flames with his master.

  But Loki did not escape his deserved punishment. When he saw how angry the

  gods were, he fled to the mountain, and there built himself a hut with four doors, so that

  he could see every approaching danger. He invented a net to catch the fishes, such as

  fishermen have used since his time. But Odin found out his hiding-place and the gods

  assembled to take him. He, seeing this, changed himself into a salmon, and lay hid

  among the stones of the brook. But the gods took his net and dragged the brook, and

  Loki finding he must be caught, tried to leap over the net; but Thor caught him by the tail

  and compressed it so, that salmons ever since have had that part remarkably fine and

  thin. They bound him with chains and suspended a serpent over his head, whose

  venom falls upon his face drop by drop. His wife Siguna sits by his side and catches the

  drops as they fall, in a cup; but when she carries it away to empty it, the venom falls

  upon Loki, which makes him howl with horror, and twist his body about so violently that

  the whole earth shakes, and this produces what men call earthquakes.

  The Elves.

  The Edda mentions another class of beings, inferior to the gods, but still

  possessed of great power; these were called Elves. The white spirits, or Elves of Light,

  were exceedingly fair, more brilliant than the sun, and clad in garments of a delicate and

  transparent texture. They loved the light, were kindly disposed to mankind, and

  generally appeared as fair and lovely children. Their country was called Alfheim, and

  was the domain of Freyr, the god of the sun, in whose light they were always sporting.

  The black or Night Elves were a different kind of creatures. Ugly, long-nosed

  dwarfs, of a dirty brown color, they appeared only at night, for they avoided the sun as

  their most deadly enemy, because whenever his beams fell upon any of them they

  changed them immediately into stones. Their language was the echo of solitudes, and

  their dwelling-places subterranean caves and clefts. They were supposed to have come

  into existence as maggots produced by the decaying flesh of Ymir's body, and were

  afterwards endowed by the gods with a human form and great understanding. They

  were particularly distinguished for a knowledge of the mysterious powers of nature, and

  for the runes which they carved and explained. They were the most skilful artificers of all

  created beings, and worked in metals and in wood. Among their most noted works were

  Thor's hammer, and the ship Skidbladnir which they gave to Freyr, and which was so

  large that it could contain all the deities with their war and household implements, but so

  skilfully was it wrought that when folded together it could be put into a side pocket.

  Ragnarok, The Twilight Of The Gods.

  It was a firm belief of the northern nations that a time would come when all the

  visible creation, the gods of Valhalla and Niffleheim, the inhabitants of Jotunheim,

  Alfheim, and Midgard, together with their habitations, would be destroyed. The fearful

  day of destruction will not however be without its forerunners. First will come a triple

  winter, during which snow will fall from the four corners of the heavens, the frost be very

  severe, the wind piercing, the weather tempestuous, and the sun impart no gladness.

  Three such winters will pass away without being tempered by a single summer. Three

&nbs
p; other similar winters will then follow, during which war and discord will spread over the

  universe. The earth itself will be frightened and begin to tremble, the sea leave its basin,

  the heavens tear asunder, and men perish in great numbers, and the eagles of the air

  feast upon their still quivering bodies. The wolf Fenris will not break his bands, the

  Midgard serpent rise out of her bed in the sea, and Loki, released from his bonds, will

  join the enemies of the gods. Amidst the general devastation the sons of Muspelheim

  will rush forth under their leader Surtur, before and behind whom are flames and burning

  fire. Onward they ride over Bifrost, the rainbow bridge, which breaks under the horses'

  hoofs. But they, disregarding its fall, direct their course to the battle-field called Vigrid.

  Thither also repair the wolf Fenris, the Midgard serpent, Loki with all the followers of

  Hela, and the Frost giants.

  Heimdall now stands up and sounds the Giallar horn to assemble the gods and

  heroes for the contest. The gods advance led on by Odin, who engages the wolf Fenris,

  but falls a victim to the monster, who is however slain by Vidar, Odin's son. Thor gains

  great renown by killing the Midgard serpent, but recoils and falls dead, suffocated with

  the venom which the dying monster vomits over him. Loki and Heimdall meet and fight

  till they are both slain. The gods and their enemies having fallen in battle, Surtur, who

  has killed Freyr, darts fire and flames over the world, and the whole universe is burned

  up. The sun becomes dim, the earth sinks into the ocean, the stars fall from heaven,

  and time is no more.

  After this Alfadur (the Almighty) will cause a new heaven and a new earth to arise

  out of the sea. The new earth filled with abundant supplies will spontaneously produce

  its fruits without labor or care. Wickedness and misery will no more be known, but the

  gods and men will live happily together.