“I have heard you talking among yourselves and marveling at the greatness of my size, but at Utgarthaloki's court you will find those taller of stature than myself. If you fare to the court of Utgarthaloki, you should not conduct yourselves boastfully because Utgarthaloki's men will not take such words from such infants as you. It would be better for you if you turn back now and not fare there at all. But if you insist on going, then turn east from here and you will come on the castle of Utgarthaloki before the day is out.” With that he took up the provisions sack and strode on his way to the North. Thorr and his company were not unhappy at all to him go. Thorr, Loki, Thjalfi and Roskva then set out to the east and after half the day was gone they came to a great castle that was so high their heads touched their backs in order to see the top. Beyond the castle was a great saddle back mountain with three great peaks. Before them was a grate that barred the way. Thorr tried with all his might to open it but could not lift it even an inch. They were able to gain access by slipping in through the bars. Once inside they came to a great hall with its doors wide open. The proceeded in the hall and found many men sitting on two benches and all of them were quite large. At the head of the two benches sat Utgarthaloki. Thorr strode up and greeted him but Ugarthaloki took his time in acknowledging him and when he did he smiled with contempt at Thorr saying, “Is this little infant the great Thorr we have heard so much about? Perhaps you have more about you than is apparent though. No man comes to my hall that does not prove himself. How will you prove yourselves?” Loki strode forth confidently and said that he could eat faster than anyone. “We shall see!” Utgarthaloki said. He called for a long trough set before everyone and had it filled with meat. Then he called forth one of his men who was called Logi. Logi sat at one end of the trough and Loki at the other and when the signal was given they both began to eat. They ate and ate and eventually met each other in the middle of the trough. Loki had eaten all the meat and all of the bones, but Logi had eaten the meat, the bones and even the trough! So it was felt by all that Loki had lost the contest.

 “What about this young man here? Perhaps he can show us something?” Utgarthaloki said, indicating Thjalfi. Thjalfi strode forward and said he would beat any man that Utgarthaloki would choose in a foot race, for Thjalfi was the fastest of all men. “That will be proven true or false soon enough.” said Utgarthaloki. They all went to a course outside the hall that was flat. Utgarthaloki called out Hugi and said that he should race three laps on the course to see who was faster. When the signal was given Hugi and Thjalfi took off and by the time Thjalfi reached the end of the course on the first lap, Hugi was already turning back to meet him. On the second lap Thjalfi was still a long way off from the end of the course and Hugi was already turning back to meet him. On the third lap Thjalfi was only half way through the course before Hugi had reached the end and was heading back to meet Thjalfi. Everyone agreed that like Loki, Thjalfi had lost his contest. They all retired back into the main hall and Utgarthaloki asked Thorr if there was any great feat he would like to show them. Thorr said that he could drink more than anyone. Utgarthaloki had a great horn brought out saying, “Draining this horn in one draught is considered a good feat. Most anyone can drain it in two draughts but to take three draughts to drain it is considered beneath most.” So Utgarthaloki had the horn brought out and although it was long Thorr did not think he would have much of a problem at all draining it as he was very thirsty. So Thorr took the horn and drank a mighty draught. When his breath gave out he held the horn back from his mouth and looked in and to his great surprise the level of the liquid had gone down only a small amount. Utgarthaloki said that he would have thought Thorr of the Aesir would have done much better than that and that perhaps Thorr would want to take a second draught. Thorr said that in Asgarthr that would have been no small draught but that he would indeed try a second draught. So Thorr took the horn and with a deep breath took a second draught bigger than the first. But when his breath gave out and he looked in the horn it was not very much lower than before but at least he could tell it had went down. Utgarthaloki said that he thought for sure that someone of Thorr's reputation would have done better than that but that perhaps Thorr would want to take a third draught. Thorr said that he would and with all his might he drew in a great breath and took the largest draught of all. But when he looked in the horn, although it was down a bit he had not come close to draining it. Thorr gave up the horn and would drink no more. Utgarthaloki said that he would have thought the mighty Thorr of the Aesir could have done better than that but perhaps he would want to try another contest to save his reputation. Thorr said that he would.

 Utgarthaloki said that he had a feat that young lads were apt to try now and again but that perhaps Thorr would not want to try this as he was obviously not as mighty as the stories that were told of him. He continued, saying that he had a great cat and that he doubted Thorr could lift it. At that, a very large gray cat jumped out and Thorr went up to it and put his arms around it to lift it. But when the he did the cat arched it back. So Thorr raised his arms as high as he could but could only lift one paw from the ground. Utgarthaloki laughed and said that it was as he thought it would be that Thorr was indeed a puny one among the men of this hall. At this Thorr became angry and said that he would challenge any man in this hall and they would see just how puny he was. Utgarthaloki said that he had just the person and called out his nurse maid, Elli. She was ancient looking and looked to be older than any being Thorr had ever seen. “Now here is the one you shall wrestle with!” said Utgarthaloki. Thorr dashed forward and the two grappled but neither could get the advantage over the other. Thorr redoubled his effort but still he could not gain an advantage over the old woman. Soon Thorr's strength began to give way and he was forced down on one kneee. At this Utgarthaloki called an end to the contest. “Enough,” he said. It is coming close to night, have a seat and enjoy the hospitality of my hall. With that Ugarthaloki gave Thorr, Loki, Thjalfi and Roskva seats of honor and they spent the night in good cheer in Utgarthaloki's hall.

 Now in the morning the arose and girded themselves and Ugarthaloki set before them a great table where there was no shortage of good will, food or drink. After they had all had their fill Utgarthaloki accompanied them to the outer gates. When they had reached the outside of the gate Utgarthaloki asked Thorr how his trip was. Thorr said that he could not deny he felt shame and that Utgarthaloki would think him a weak man and that he didn't like that fact at all. Utgarthloki said that he would now tell Thorr the truth. He said that surely if he had known that Thorr was such a mighty man he would have never allowed him entry into his hall and that as long as he lived he would never allow Thorr entry again. “The giant you met before coming her named Skrynir was in fact me in disguise.” Utgarthaloki said. The provision sack was not really tied with normal nots. It was with iron bands but I made an illusion so that you could not see it. The first time you hit me with your great hammer was the least of the three hits but it would have surely killed me had it actually hit me. Through my magic I moved that saddle back mountain you saw when coming to my hall in front of me without you seeing it and your hammer hit the mountain instead of me. You saw the mountain when you came to my hall. Each of the three great peaks were caused by your three hammer blows. The contests that you and your companions competed in were also illusions. When Loki competed with Logi it was actually “wild-fire” that he competed with and although Loki did indeed eat faster than we had ever seen there was no way to beat out the hunger of a wild-fire. Likewise Thjalfi was the fastest runner we had ever seen but he was running against my thoughts that you saw as Hugi through my illusions. And you, mighty Thorr, you brought us very close to disaster. We have truly never seen one as mighty as you. The horn you drank from had its end in the sea. You could not see that but when you drank you were drinking from the sea. When you go to the sea now you will see that it has noticeably lowered. The cat you tried to life was not a cat at all but the Mithgarthr Sepent. When you raised it we thought the end had come! And my nurse maid Elli was actually old age and never did we see anyone last as long against old age as you. And now the truth has been told. It would be better that we never meet again because I will defend myself and my hall with the same kinds of illusions as before. Thorr then raised his hammer to strike Utgarthaloki down but before he could Utgarthaloki disappeared along with the great hall they stood in front of. Where the hall had been was only a large open plain. So Thorr and his companions left on their way back to Thruthheimr, Thorr's hall.

 Now one day Loki, for mischeif's sake cut all of Sif's hair off. Sif is the wife of Thorr, so when Thorr found out about it he was so angry that he grabbed up Loki and threatened to break every bone in his body. Loki, however, saved himself by promising to get the Black Elves (2) to make her new hair that was made of gold and that grew just as her normal hair would. So Loki went to the Dwarfs that were called the sons of Ivaldi. They made Sif golden hair just as Loki had promised and also made Skithblathnir and Gungnir, Othinn's spear which never stopped in its thrust. Skithblathnir was a wonderful ship that could carry all the Aesir and their equipment easily and there was always a wind in its sales. It was made of such wonderful material that it could be folded up when not in use and kept in ones pocket. The dwarves gave it to Freyr as a gift. When the dwarves had finished making these great treasures, Loki went up to one that was named Brokkr and placed a bet with him. He bet that Brokkr's brother Sindri could not make three more treasures that surpassed the three that had already been made. Loki bet his head on this. So the dwarves accepted this wager and set to work. Sindri set a boar's skin on his hearth and began to work it telling his brother Brookr man the bellows and keep them blowing until he was finished. So Brokkr went around to pump the bellows and when he did a fly lighted on his hand and stung him but Brokkr continued to pump until the Sindri was done. Sindri then brought out a wonderful boar whose mane had bristles made of pure gold. Next Sindri instructed Brokkr as before and laid gold on the forge to be worked. Brokkr worked the bellows and the fly again lighted on Brokkr but this time on his neck. This time the fly bit down twice as hard as before but Brokkr did not stop pumping the bellows and after the work was done Sindri brought out a wonderful golden ring which he named Draupnir that dropped out out eight rings equal in weight to the original every ninth night. Now Sindri cautioned his brother a third time and set a piece of iron on his forge to work. As before the fly landed on Brookr and stung him but this time it landed between his eyes and bit his eyelid even harder than the previous two times. Still Brookr did not cease to pump the bellows but when blood from the bite got in his eye, he reached up to wipe it away and the bellow went flat. Sindri brought a hammer that he had been able to finish but it was defective because Brokkr had let the bellows go flat. The way in which it was defective was that the handle was shorter than it should have been. So Sindri had the treasures taken to the Aesir. The golden maned boar he gave to Freyr. The wonderful ring Draupnir was given to Othinn and the hammer, which was named Mjollnir, was given to Thorr. Brokkr said that it was such a wonderful hammer that it would hit any target he threw it at and never miss and no matter how far he threw it, the hammer would always return to his hand. Not only were these treasures thought better than the previous three but Mjollnir was thought the best of them all because it was their greatest defense against the Ice Giants. So Brokkr said that he would collect his reward now. Loki pleaded that he be allowed to ransom his head but Brokkr would not hear of it. So Loki said that Brokkr should come and claim his reward but before he could Loki was off for he had shoes that allowed him to run through the air or over water. Brokkr asked that Thorr catch him. Thorr caught Loki and brought him back to Brokkr. Brokkr raised his knife to take Loki's head but Loki at the last moment said, you may have my head but not the neck on which it sets. So Brokkr lowered his knife and with an awl from his brother he stitched up Loki's mouth.



ENDNOTES
2.Black Elves are another name frequently used for Dwarfs.Back