Gylfaginning

41
a thick shoe. He is nearly as strong as Thor; in him the gods have great trust
in all struggles.
XXX. "One is called Ali or Vįli, son of Odin and Rindr: he is daring in fights,
and a most fortunate marksman.
XXXI. "One is called Ullr, son of Sif, step-son of Thor; he is so excellent a
bowman, and so swift on snowshoes, that none may contend with him. He is also
fair of aspect and has the accomplishments of a warrior; it is well to call on
him in single-combats.
XXXII. "Forseti is the name of the son of Baldr and Nanna daughter of Nep: he
has that hall in heaven which is called Glitnir. All that come to him with such
quarrels as arise out of law-suits, all these return thence reconciled. That is
the best seat of judgment among gods and men; thus it is said here:

     A hall is called Glitnir, with gold 't is pillared,
           And with silver thatched the same;
     There Forseti bides the full day through,
           And puts to sleep all suits.

XXXIII. "Also numbered among the Ęsir is he whom some call the mischief-monger
of the Ęsir, and the first father of falsehoods, and blemish of all gods and
men: he is named Loki or Loptr, son of Fįrbauti the giant; his mother was
Laufey or Nįl; his brothers are Bżleistr and Heiblindi. Loki is beautiful and
comely to look upon, evil in spirit, very fickle in habit. He surpassed other
men in that wisdom which is called 'sleight,' and had artifices for
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all occasions; he would ever bring the Ęsir into great hardships, and then get
them out with crafty counsel. His wife was called Sigyn, their son Nari or
Narfi.
XXXIV. "Yet more children had Loki. Angrboda was the name of a certain giantess
in Jötunheim, with whom Loki gat three children: one was Fenris-Woif, the
second Jörmungandr-that is the Midgard Serpent,-the third is Hel. But when the
gods learned that this kindred was nourished in Jötunheim, and when the gods
perceived by prophecy that from this kindred great misfortune should befall
them; and since it seemed to all that there was great prospect of ill-(first
from the mother's blood, and yet worse from the father's)-then Allfather sent
gods thither to take the children and bring them to him. When they came to him,
straightway he cast the serpent into the deep sea, where he lies about all the
land; and this serpent grew so greatly that he lies in the midst of the ocean
encompassing all the land, and bites upon his own tail. Hel he cast into
Niflheim, and gave to her power over nine worlds, to apportion all abodes among
those that were sent to her: that is, men dead of sickness or of old age. She
has great possessions there; her walls are exceeding high and her gates great.
Her hall is called Sleet-Cold; her dish, Hunger; Famine is her knife; Idler,
her thrall; Sloven, her maidservant; Pit of Stumbling, her threshold, by which
one enters; Disease, her bed; Gleaming Bale, her bed-hangings. She is half
blue-black and half flesh-color (by which she is easily recognized), and very
lowering and fierce.
       The Wolf the Ęsir brought up at home, and Tżr alone dared go to him to
give him meat. But when the gods saw how much he grew every day, and when all
prophecies

43
declared that he was fated to be their destruction, then the Ęsir seized upon
this way of escape: they made a very strong fetter, which they called Lędingr,
and brought it before the Wolf, bidding him try his strength against the
fetter. The Wolf thought that no overwhelming odds, and let them do with him as
they would. The first time the Wolf lashed out against it, the fetter broke; so
he was loosed out of Lędingr. After this, the Ęsir made a second fetter,
stronger by half, which they called Drómi, and bade the Wolf try that fetter,
saying he would become very famous for strength, if such huge workmanship
should not suffice to hold him. But the Wolf thought that this fetter was very
strong; he considered also that strength had increased in him since the time he
broke Lędingr: it came into his mind, that he must expose himself to danger, if
he would become famous. So he let the fetter be laid upon him. Now when the
Ęsir declared themselves ready, the Wolf shook himself, dashed the fetter
against the earth and struggled fiercely with it, spurned against it, and broke
the fetter, so that the fragments flew far. So he dashed himself out of Drómi.
Since then it passes as a proverb, 'to loose out of Lędingr,' or 'to dash out
of Drómi,' when anything is exceeding hard.
       "After that the Ęsir feared that they should never be able to get the
Wolf bound. Then Allfather sent him who is called Skķrnir, Freyr's messenger,
down into the region of the Black Elves, to certain dwarves, and caused to be
made the fetter named Gleipnir. It was made of six things: the noise a cat
makes in foot-fall, the beard of a woman, the roots of a rock, the sinews of a
bear, the breath of a fish, and the spittle of a bird. And though thou
understand not these matters already, yet now thou mayest speedily find
44
certain proof herein, that no lie is told thee: thou must have seen that a
woman has no beard, and no sound comes from the leap of a cat, and there are no
roots under a rock; and by my troth, all that I have told thee is equally true,
though there be some things which thou canst not put to the test."
       Then said Gangleri: "This certainly I can perceive to be true: these
things which thou hast taken for proof, I can see; but how was the fetter
fashioned?" Hįrr answered: "That I am well able to tell thee. The fetter was
soft and smooth as a silken ribbon, but as sure and strong as thou shalt now
hear. Then, when the fetter was brought to the Ęsir, they thanked the messenger
well for his errand. Then the Ęsir went out upon the lake called Įmsvartnir, to
the island called Lyngvi, and summoning the Wolf with them, they showed him the
silken ribbon and bade him burst it, saying that it was somewhat stouter than
appeared from its thickness. And each passed it to the others, and tested it
with the strength of their hands and it did not snap; yet they said the Wolf
could break it. Then the Wolf answered: 'Touching this matter of the ribbon, it
seams to me that I shall get no glory of it, though I snap asunder so slender a
band; but if it be made with cunning and wiles, then, though it seem little,
that band shall never come upon my feet.' Then the Ęsir answered that he could
easily snap apart a slight silken band, he who had before broken great fetters
of iron,- 'but if thou shalt not be able to burst this band, then thou wilt not
be able to frighten the gods; and then we shall unloose thee.' The 'Wolf said:
'If ye bind me so that I shall not get free again, then ye will act in such a
way that it will be late ere I receive help from you; I am unwilling that this
band
 



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