After leaving the chariot and goats with the farmer, Thor, Loki, Thialfi and Roskva set out on foot. They went east to the sea and crossed the deep water. On the far side lay a vast forest. Thialfi, the fastest walker, carried the food bag, and supplies were running low. At nightfall they found a strange hall.
Its doorway was as wide as the hall itself, and partway along one side was a smaller side room. Grateful for any shelter, the travelers settled in for the night.
In the middle of the night, the earth shook with moans and groans. The companions awoke with the quake. Thor ordered the others into the farthest room. He stood guard at the doorway, Mjölnir in hand. The other three hid behind him.
When the sun rose, Thor went to investigate the noise. He didn’t go too far from the strange hall when he found a large, sleeping man. His snoring shook the earth. Thor stepped closer to get a better look when the large man awoke and stood up. Thor was so startled he didn’t have the wherewithal to strike with his hammer. Instead, he asked the large man his name.
‘My name is Skrymir,’ said the big man. ‘I don’t need to ask yours. You are Thor of the Aesir. But what have you done with my glove?’ He reached down and picked it up.
Thor realized they had spent the night inside Skrymir’s glove. The side room where they’d hidden was its thumb.
Next: Part 3, Skrymir.
Sources
- The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson (Penguin Classics, 2005).
- The Definitive Guide to Norse Mythology: The Gods, Heroes, Monsters, and Legends of Viking Culture by Finn D. Moore (2022).
- Jackson Crawford on YouTube, Loki and Thor Meet… Loki
