LOKE AND HIS OFFSPRING.
33. There is yet one who is numbered among the asas, but whom some call
the backbiter of the asas. He is the originator of deceit, and the
disgrace of all gods and men. His name is Loke, or Lopt. His father is
the giant Farbaute, but his mother’s name is Laufey, or Nal. His
brothers are Byleist and Helblinde. Loke is fair and beautiful of face,
but evil in disposition, and very fickle-minded. He surpasses other men
in the craft called cunning, and cheats in all things. He has often
brought the asas into great trouble, and often helped them out again,
with his cunning contrivances. His wife hight Sygin, and their son,
Nare, or Narfe.
34. Loke had yet more children. A giantess in Jotunheim, hight
Angerboda. With her he begat three children. The first was the
Fenris-wolf; the second, Jormungand, that is, the Midgard-serpent, and
the third, Hel. When the gods knew that these three children were being
fostered in Jotunheim, and were aware of the prophecies that much woe
and misfortune would thence come to them, and considering that much evil
might be looked for from them on their mother’s side, and still more on
their father’s, Alfather sent some of the gods to take the children and
bring them to him. When they came to him he threw the serpent into the
deep sea which surrounds all lands. There waxed the serpent so that he
lies in the midst of the ocean, surrounds all the earth, and bites his
own tail. Hel he cast into Niflheim, and gave her power over nine
worlds,[45] that she should appoint abodes to them that are sent to her,
namely, those who die from sickness or old age. She has there a great
mansion, and the walls around it are of strange height, and the gates
are huge. Eljudner is the name of her hall. Her table hight famine; her
knife, starvation. Her man-servant’s name is Ganglate; her
maid-servant’s, Ganglot.[46] Her threshold is called stumbling-block;
her bed, care; the precious hangings of her bed, gleaming bale. One-half
of her is blue, and the other half is of the hue of flesh; hence she is
easily known. Her looks are very stern and grim.
[Footnote 45: Possibly this ought to read the ninth world, which
would correspond with what we read on page 72, and in the Vala’s
Prophecy. See also notes. It may be a mistake of the transcriber.]
[Footnote 46: Both these words mean sloth.]
35. The wolf was fostered by the asas at home, and Tyr was the only one
who had the courage to go to him and give him food. When the gods saw
how much he grew every day, and all prophecies declared that he was
predestined to become fatal to them, they resolved to make a very strong
fetter, which they called Lading. They brought it to the wolf, and bade
him try his strength on the fetter. The wolf, who did not think it would
be too strong for him, let them do therewith as they pleased. But as
soon as he spurned against it the fetter burst asunder, and he was free
from Lading. Then the asas made another fetter, by one-half stronger,
and this they called Drome. They wanted the wolf to try this also,
saying to him that he would become very famous for his strength, if so
strong a chain was not able to hold him. The wolf thought that this
fetter was indeed very strong, but also that his strength had increased
since he broke Lading. He also took into consideration that it was
necessary to expose one’s self to some danger if he desired to become
famous; so he let them put the fetter on him. When the asas said they
were ready, the wolf shook himself, spurned against and dashed the
fetter on the ground, so that the broken pieces flew a long distance.
Thus he broke loose out of Drome. Since then it has been held as a
proverb, “to get loose out of Lading” or “to dash out of Drome,”
whenever anything is extraordinarily hard. The asas now began to fear
that they would not get the wolf bound. So Alfather sent the youth, who
is called Skirner, and is Frey’s messenger, to some dwarfs in
Svartalfaheim, and had them make the fetter which is called Gleipner. It
was made of six things: of the footfall of cats, of the beard of woman,
of the roots of the mountain, of the sinews of the bear, of the breath
of the fish, and of the spittle of the birds. If you have not known this
before, you can easily find out that it is true and that there is no lie
about it, since you must have observed that a woman has no beard, that a
cat’s footfall cannot be heard, and that mountains have no roots; and I
know, forsooth, that what I have told you is perfectly true, although
there are some things that you do not understand. Then said Ganglere:
This I must surely understand to be true. I can see these things which
you have taken as proof. But how was the fetter smithied? Answered Har:
That I can well explain to you. It was smooth and soft as a silken
string. How strong and trusty it was you shall now hear. When the fetter
was brought to the asas, they thanked the messenger for doing his errand
so well. Then they went out into the lake called Amsvartner, to the holm
(rocky island) called Lyngve, and called the wolf to go with them. They
showed him the silken band and bade him break it, saying that it was
somewhat stronger than its thinness would lead one to suppose. Then they
handed it from one to the other and tried its strength with their hands,
but it did not break. Still they said the wolf would be able to snap it.
The wolf answered: It seems to me that I will get no fame though I break
asunder so slender a thread as this is. But if it is made with craft and
guile, then, little though it may look, that band will never come on my
feet. Then said the asas that he would easily be able to break a slim
silken band, since he had already burst large iron fetters asunder. But
even if you are unable to break this band, you have nothing to fear from
the gods, for we will immediately loose you again. The wolf answered: If
you get me bound so fast that I am not able to loose myself again, you
will skulk away, and it will be long before I get any help from you,
wherefore I am loth to let this band be laid on me; but in order that
you may not accuse me of cowardice, let some one of you lay his hand in
my mouth as a pledge that this is done without deceit. The one asa
looked at the other, and thought there now was a choice of two evils,
and no one would offer his hand, before Tyr held out his right hand and
laid it in the wolf’s mouth. But when the wolf now began to spurn
against it the band grew stiffer, and the more he strained the tighter
it got. They all laughed except Tyr; he lost his hand. When the asas saw
that the wolf was sufficiently well bound, they took the chain which was
fixed to the fetter, and which was called Gelgja, and drew it through a
large rock which is called Gjol, and fastened this rock deep down in the
earth. Then they took a large stone, which is called Tvite, and drove it
still deeper into the ground, and used this stone for a fastening-pin.
The wolf opened his mouth terribly wide, raged and twisted himself with
all his might, and wanted to bite them; but they put a sword in his
mouth, in such a manner that the hilt stood in his lower jaw and the
point in the upper, that is his gag. He howls terribly, and the saliva
which runs from his mouth forms a river called Von. There he will lie
until Ragnarok. Then said Ganglere: Very bad are these children of Loke,
but they are strong and mighty. But why did not the asas kill the wolf
when they have evil to expect from him? Har answered: So great respect
have the gods for their holiness and peace-stead, that they would not
stain them with the blood of the wolf, though prophecies foretell that
he must become the bane of Odin.