Thor's Battle Against the Jötnar (1872) by Mårten Eskil Winge
When the day was done and the meal prepared Hymir decided to show Thor that he was not so strong. He asked Thor to crack a simple drinking goblet and waged the cauldron that he could not do it. Hlorridi ( Thor ) took the goblet from Hymir and flung it at the great columns in the hall. With a sound that resounded like the crashing of thunder the columns splintered and came crashing down to the floor. Thor, from where he was seated saw nothing but shattered stone, and yet somehow the cup had survived intact and was returned to Hymir.
The Giant 's mistress then bent down and gave Thor advice as she handed the goblet back to The Prince of Asgard . She said in friendship : " Aim at Hymir' s head, for it must be harder with all that he consumes than any cup." Then the God of Thunder stood up and threw the goblet with divine strength at Hymir' s head . The Jotun' s skull remained in one piece from the blow, but the round wine cup cracked and fell into pieces. Hymir bent down, picked up a piece and said with great sadness : " A great prize that I possessed is now gone forever. But I will hold to my bargain.... I will allow you to take the cauldron." Hymir still had one card up his sleeve to play however as he continued : " There is one more trial before you triumph. Can you carry the cauldron home with you ?" Tyr walked over to the great cauldron and tried to move it twice, but the brewing kettle remained stuck fast to the floor. Sif' s husband was not intimidated by the size or the great weight of the cauldron, and grabbed it by the rim, lifted it up over his head and strode right down the great hall and out the door.The cauldron was so large in fact that the handles dangled down to Thor' s ankles. As the Thunder God turned to take one last look at the Jotun' s fortress he noticed that Hymir was coming his way, and he was leading a host of angry Giants. Thor calmly set the kettle down on the ground, and strode forward into battle. Thor swung his great hammer to great effect and not a single Jotun survived the blows that he rained down on them.
When the Gods assembled in Asgard to await the return of their prince they were not quite sure what to expect. Would the God of Thunder be able to take the brewing cauldron away from Hymir ? Or would he fail and the feast be cancelled ? Slowly over the horizon the Gods saw the Prince of Asgard carrying Hymir' s mighty cauldron, with Tyr laughing and joking by his side. They all saluted the son of Odin for his mighty deed, and thanked him again and again. That night a reluctant Aegir brewed the ale in the mighty cauldron, and they alllistened to Bragi' s stories as they drank and ate to their hearts content in Aegir' s mighty hall !
There is also a segue in this story. Before leaving his goats with the Jotun Egil and his son and daughter. Thor later slaughtered them for their dinner and told them to leave the bones on their skins so that he could resurrect them later. Thjalfi, Egil' s son, could not resist the marrow in the bones and broke one of the hind legs of the goats. The next morning when Thor tried to resurrect the goats the one came up lame. Thor took Egil' s son Egil, and his daughter Roskva, as compensation for his lame goat. From that time on they served Thor and became his loyal companions.
This is such a great multi - faceted story ! It is one of the few stories that talks about Tyr outside of the binding of Fenrir tale. It tells us that despite being the God of War, he is also a good - hearted individual. We actually meet Tyr' s family, including his grandmother and his father, as well as his father's mistress. Thor must be charming or at least attractive to women because this is the second tale in which women give him advice that helps him. The story is actually three separate stories in one, which gives the overall story its charm. First there is the quest for the cauldron to brew the Aesir's ale. Second there is the fishing trip, and finally there is the challenge of Thor. Truly a story that has a little bit of everything for everybody' s taste !
Next : Same story, different version ?!
Glenn Bergen
Go with Odin' s wisdom, Freyja' s love, and Thor' s protection !
The Giant 's mistress then bent down and gave Thor advice as she handed the goblet back to The Prince of Asgard . She said in friendship : " Aim at Hymir' s head, for it must be harder with all that he consumes than any cup." Then the God of Thunder stood up and threw the goblet with divine strength at Hymir' s head . The Jotun' s skull remained in one piece from the blow, but the round wine cup cracked and fell into pieces. Hymir bent down, picked up a piece and said with great sadness : " A great prize that I possessed is now gone forever. But I will hold to my bargain.... I will allow you to take the cauldron." Hymir still had one card up his sleeve to play however as he continued : " There is one more trial before you triumph. Can you carry the cauldron home with you ?" Tyr walked over to the great cauldron and tried to move it twice, but the brewing kettle remained stuck fast to the floor. Sif' s husband was not intimidated by the size or the great weight of the cauldron, and grabbed it by the rim, lifted it up over his head and strode right down the great hall and out the door.The cauldron was so large in fact that the handles dangled down to Thor' s ankles. As the Thunder God turned to take one last look at the Jotun' s fortress he noticed that Hymir was coming his way, and he was leading a host of angry Giants. Thor calmly set the kettle down on the ground, and strode forward into battle. Thor swung his great hammer to great effect and not a single Jotun survived the blows that he rained down on them.
When the Gods assembled in Asgard to await the return of their prince they were not quite sure what to expect. Would the God of Thunder be able to take the brewing cauldron away from Hymir ? Or would he fail and the feast be cancelled ? Slowly over the horizon the Gods saw the Prince of Asgard carrying Hymir' s mighty cauldron, with Tyr laughing and joking by his side. They all saluted the son of Odin for his mighty deed, and thanked him again and again. That night a reluctant Aegir brewed the ale in the mighty cauldron, and they alllistened to Bragi' s stories as they drank and ate to their hearts content in Aegir' s mighty hall !
There is also a segue in this story. Before leaving his goats with the Jotun Egil and his son and daughter. Thor later slaughtered them for their dinner and told them to leave the bones on their skins so that he could resurrect them later. Thjalfi, Egil' s son, could not resist the marrow in the bones and broke one of the hind legs of the goats. The next morning when Thor tried to resurrect the goats the one came up lame. Thor took Egil' s son Egil, and his daughter Roskva, as compensation for his lame goat. From that time on they served Thor and became his loyal companions.
This is such a great multi - faceted story ! It is one of the few stories that talks about Tyr outside of the binding of Fenrir tale. It tells us that despite being the God of War, he is also a good - hearted individual. We actually meet Tyr' s family, including his grandmother and his father, as well as his father's mistress. Thor must be charming or at least attractive to women because this is the second tale in which women give him advice that helps him. The story is actually three separate stories in one, which gives the overall story its charm. First there is the quest for the cauldron to brew the Aesir's ale. Second there is the fishing trip, and finally there is the challenge of Thor. Truly a story that has a little bit of everything for everybody' s taste !
Next : Same story, different version ?!
Glenn Bergen
Go with Odin' s wisdom, Freyja' s love, and Thor' s protection !
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