Thor was known for having his strength in his hammer. But one morning when he awoke Thor noticed that his hammer was missing. As he groped around him in search of it. Thor then shouted to Loki "My hammer has been stolen! No one in heaven or on Earth can know what a loss this is for me." Forthwith they rushed to my shining halls. "Freyja," said Thor, "will you lend me your feathered coat to help me find my hammer?"
So I said "I would lend it to you even if it were made of gold or silver."
So Loki put on my feathered coat, and left Asgard, and flew his way to Jotunheim the world of the giants. There sat Thrym, the lord of giants, on his mound smoothing his horses' manes and twisting golden halters for his hounds. He said, "Hoe are the AEsir? How are the elves? And why have you come to Jotunheim?"
Loki then said to him "It is ill with the AEsir; it is ill with the elves. Tell me, have you hidden the Thunderer's hammer?"
Thrym then said, "Yes, I have hidden Thor's hammer eight miles deep in the Earth, and no one can win it back for him, unless he brings to me fair Freyja as a bride"
Loki flew away, my feathered coat rustling. He left behind the world of giants and winged his way back to our world of the gods."
Thor met him there in the in the middle court. He said, "Were you successful? Tell me the tidings before you land. Sitting causes one to forget, and lying causes one to lie."
Loki said "Yes I was successful. Thrym the lord of the giants, has your hammer, but no one can win Mjollnir from him, unless he brings to him fair Freyja as his bride."
So they rushed to find me, "Dress yourself in bridal linen," said Thor. "You and I are on our way to the world of the giants."
At this I foamed with rage. So deep a rage that the halls of Asgard shook with my anger. My necklace of the Brisings broke apart. "You may call me man-crazy, if I with you to Jotunheim," I said.
Straight away all of the other gods and goddesses gathered to discuss how they would recover Thor's hammer.
Heimdall, the fairest of the gods, like all the Vanir could see into the future. "Let us dress Thor in Freyja's bridal linen," he said " and let him wear the necklace of the Brisings. Tie housewife's keys about his waist, and pin bridal jewels upon his breast. Let him wear women's clothes, with a dainty hood on his head."
Thor the mightiest of the gods fearing that they would find him feminine said, "The gods will call me womanish if I put on bridal linen."
Theen Loki the son of Laufey, said, "I will accompany you as your maid-servant. Together we shall go to Jotunheim."
Forthwith the Thor's goats were driven home to be harnessed. The mountains trembled and the Earth burned with fire as Odin's son rode to Jotunheim. Dressed as me the fair Freyja.
Thrym, the lord of the giants, said to his kin, "Stand up now you Jotuns, and put straw on the benches. For they are bringing me the fair Freyja, daughter of Njord from Noatun, to be my bride. I have golden-horned cattle grazing my yard. They are pure pure-black oxen a joy to giants. I havve treasures aplenty and rule over great riches. Freyja is the only thing that I lack."
The day soon became evening and ale was brought to the giants' table. There Thor ate an ox and eight whole salmons, in addition to all the dainties that were served to the women. Furthermore, he drank three measures of mead. which is most unlady like and nowhere near how I would act.
Thrym the lord of giants, said, "Have you ever seen a bride eat and drink so heartily?"
The maid-servant wisely answered thus: "Freyja was so eager to come to Jotunheim that she has eaten nothing for eight nights."
Thrym stooped beneath his brides veil wanting to kiss her, then jumped back the whole length of the hall, "Why are Freyja's eyes so fearful?" he said. "I think that fire is flaming from her eyes."
The maid-servant (Loki) wisely answered the giant thus: "Freyja was so eager to come to Jotuneim that she has not slept for eight nights."
Then a poor sister of one of the giants came in and dared to beg a gift from the bride. "If you want my love and friendship then give me the gold rings from your fingers," she said.
Then Thrym the lord of the giants, said, "Bring me the hammer to bless my bride. Lay Mjollnir on the maiden's lap, let the two of us thus be hallowed in the name of Vor goddess of vows!"
When Thor saw the hammer his heart laughed within him, and he took courage. He revealed that he was not me but that he was in fact Thor. He first slew Thrym, the lord of the giants, then crushed all of the giants kin. Finally he slew the old giantess who had begged for a bridal gift. Instead of coins she got the crack of the hammer. Instead of rings she received the mark of Mjollnir Thor's mighty hammer.
Thus Thor won back his hammer.
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