The tale of Thor and the Giant Geirrod is part of Norse Mythology. Myths often have lessons to teach while they were also invented to entertain and explain the world. The first part of the tale seems to warn about grudges.
Thor and the Giant Geirrod
In Snorri’s telling, Geirrod is given no particular reason to hate Thor beyond the old enmity between gods and giants; no medieval source links him to Thrym. Geirrod does, however, want Thor badly enough to starve Loki in a chest for three months to get him, and his daughters, Gjalp and Greip, are just as eager to see Thor destroyed.
Thor had never heard of Geirrod or his daughters. They simply didn’t exist for Thor because he had no knowledge of them. If Thor would’ve been left to his own devices, it’s likely he would have never met them.
Viking Oaths
Vikings took oaths and vengeance seriously; feuds drive many of the sagas. Geirrod’s plan is a grudge with the safety catch on. He’ll face Thor, but only if Thor comes without his hammer and belt of strength.
Modern Views of Myth
It is entirely possible that this part of the story was lost on the Vikings. We’re reading it with modern eyes and interpreting it through a modern lens. That’s okay because the most powerful stories point out the human condition and can be adapted to suit the needs of the listener. These are the stories that survive the millennia and remain pertinent to our lives.
Lesson on Grudges
Geirrod keeps Loki locked in a chest for three months, all for a chance at Thor. Imagine those months in that hall: the gnashing of teeth, the cursing, the railing at the universe. It’s the same rage many of us feel when someone cuts us off in traffic, and it’s aimed at a driver who’s already forgotten us. Who is really being hurt?
In the end, Geirrod and his daughters get their meeting with Thor, and it destroys them. The daughters die under a chair they meant to crush him with; Geirrod dies behind an iron pillar that was supposed to protect him. Thor, who had never heard of them, walks home. A grudge, it seems, mostly hurts the one who carries it.
