24. "The third god," continued Har, "is Njord, who dwells in the
heavenly region called Noatun. He rules over the winds, and checks the
fury of the sea and of fire, and is therefore invoked by sea-farers
and fishermen. He is so wealthy that he can give possessions and
treasures to those who call on him for them. Yet Njord is not of the
lineage of the Æsir, for he was born and bred in Vanaheim. But the
Vanir gave him as hostage to the Æsir, receiving from them in his
stead Hoenir. By this means was peace re-established between the Æsir
and Vanir. Njord took to wife Skadi, the daughter of the giant
Thjassi. She preferred dwelling in the abode formerly belonging to her
father, which is situated among rocky mountains, in the region called
Thrymheim, but Njord loved to reside near the sea. They at last agreed
that they should pass together nine nights in Thrymheim, and then
three in Noatun. One day, when Njord came back from the mountains to
Noatun, he thus sang--
"'Of mountains I'm weary,
Not long was I there,
Not more than nine nights;
But the howl of the wolf
Methought sounded ill
To the song of the swan-bird.'
"To which Skadi sang in reply--
"'Ne'er can I sleep
In my couch on the strand,
For the screams of the sea-fowl,
The mew as he comes
Every morn from the main
Is sure to awake me.'
"Skadi then returned to the rocky mountains, and abode in Thrymheim.
There, fastening on her snow-skates and taking her bow, she passes her
time in the chase of savage beasts, and is called the Ondur goddess,
or Ondurdis. As it is said--
"'Thrymheim's the land
Where Thjassi abode
That mightiest of giants.
But snow-skating Skadi
Now dwells there, I trow,
In her father's old mansion.'"