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Thor
Thor was the eldest son of Frigg and Odin and he was perhaps one of the best loved gods of all. Thor was red haired and red-bearded, who had the tendency of acting first and thinking later, a fact which often landed him into trouble. Thor often roared across the skies of Midgard in his chariot drawn by two giant goats. Thor was loved by men because he gave them good crops, when his sheets of lightning flashed across the skies it was said that he was ripening the yeild of crops. When the lighting flashed across the horizon they knew that he was battling the giants and hunting the trolls. Besides Thor's mighty hammer, Miolnir the Mullicrusher, Thor possesed a belt that when he wore it increased his already great strength twofold. Thor's third valued possession was a pair of iron gauntlets, without them he would not be able to hold his fiery hammer or catch it when it flew back at him like a boomerang after each throw.

Thor's mansion on Asgard was known as Thruthvanger, the Paddocks of Power, where his castle hall Bilskirnir or Lightning stood. Thor's mansion possessed five hundred and forty rooms, the most extensive mansion known to man. Thor lived in his mansion with his wife Sif, a beautiful woman who's long hair was made of pure gold and rippled over her shoulders like ripening wheat, she was the goddess of cornfields. The table in Thor's mighty hall was constantly groaning under the weight of meat and drink for Thor was renowned for his unquenchable appetite, he had been known to eat a whole ox and three barrels of mead in one go.

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Thor in the land of the giants

One day Thor turned to Loki and said; "I'm tired of simply lying around in Asgard. There is nothing to do, nothing to test my mighty streangth against."

"Well," said Loki to Thor," There is no point in testing it against my wits for I would certainly win!"

"Never!" said Thor, "Brawn is always better than brain, all it needs is exercise. Loki, how do you think I'd fare in giant-land?"

"I don't know," replied Loki, "I suppose their is only one way to find out."

And that was how Thor and Loki began their adventure to the land of the giants.

Upon the first evening of their journey Loki and Thor decided to rest by a peasant's hu they came across. However, the peasant had no food to offer the gods so Thor slew his two giant goats who pulled his chariot and placed them into the peasants pot. When the two gods sat down to eat they invited the peasant and his family to join them. Once all had eaten and could eat no more Thor placed the goat skins beside the fire and said, "Place the bones on the skins." However Thor had not noticed that the peasants son had split open a leg bone to get to the sweet marrow inside. So, when Thor rose at dawn and blessed the goat skins by raising his mighty hammer above them and like newborn's they arose and one of them was lame, Thor's fury was unleashed. The distraught peasant begged for the life of himself and his family, "Please mighty Thor, my son acted in ignorance, I beg you take all we have but spare our lives." When Thor heard this and saw how the peasant cowered in fear his anger cooled. "I shall spare you my wrath, but in compensation I shall take you two children as my servants." Leaving his goats behind to heal Thor took the two peasant children, Thailfi and Roskva, and continued on his journey with Loki in tow.

The four journeyed east until they came to the sea, were they crossed it to the land of the giants. Once they arrived they found themselves in a deep forest. They walked and walked deep into the night until they found a large cave with several long passages and a side chamber. While Thor kept guard with Miollnir the other's slept. During the course of the night their was a tremendous earthquake and numerous rumblings and groanings. The following morning they stepped out of the cave only to discover a sleeping giant. The earthquake was from the giant lying down and the rumblings and groanings from his incredible snoring. Thor put on his belt of strength and his iron gloves and picked up his mighty hammer, but at that moment the giant awoke.

"Greetings," said the giant, "My name is Skrymir, what were you doing in my glove?"

As Thor turned he saw that the cave was not really a cave but indeed a giants glove, the side chamber was the thumb.

"You all seem to be going in the same direction as I, why don't you come with me, I am found of company, you can put your food in my knapsack so you can keep up with me." said the giant Skrymir. They all agreed and continued along their journey together.

That night the giant came to a halt by a large oak tree, throwing his knapsack to the ground the giant proceeded to fall asleep. Thor busied himself trying to undo the knots in the knapsack but he could not undo a single one. Hunger and fatigue made him furious and he struck a mighty blow to the centre of the sleeping giant's forehead with his hammer. The giant opened one eye, "What was that?" he murmured sleepily, "Did a leaf fall on me?" the giant closed his eye and went back to sleep. That night Thor, Loki, Thailfi and Roskva had to go without their supper, which was bad enough but they could not sleep either for the giant snored loud enough to wake the dead. At midnight, furious, Thor struck yet again at the giant, this time he actually felt the hammer sink into the flesh of the giant's forehead. "Was that an acorn?" murmured the giant, who rolled over and promptly fell back to sleep. Just before dawn Thor felt that a third blow would surely settle the giant for once and for all. This time Thor's mighty blow sank the hammer into the giant's flesh right up to the handle. The giant awoke, "Did a bird drop a twig on me?" he asked, "No matter it's time to be up anyway, we're almost upon the giants citadel at Utgard. There you'll find real giants, not cowardly shrimps like me, but be warned, you better act respectful or even better turn back now!" Skrymir pointed out the way to Utgard and then proceeded on his own way swinging his knapsack behind him. Thor and his companion's were not sorry to see him go but they did not heed his warning either. "No," said Thor, "We have come too far to turn back now."

The group proceeded on to Utgard, but when they arrived they found the gates locked. Thor tried with all his might to pry open the gates but they did not budge. However they found that by wriggling and squeezing they could just manage to get through the bars and into the courtyard of Utgard. As they entered the great hall of the giants the giant stared at the puny beings with contempt. The giant's chief, Utgard-Loki, bared his huge teeth at the travelers, "Surely this puny person could not be the famous Thor?" said the chief in surprise, 'Why you are as tiny as a mouse!"

"I am no mouse, " replied Thor in anger, "I am the mighty Thor!"

"Well then, " said the chief, "If you want to remain here you will have to entertain us with feats of strength or skill."

Loki the Mischief Maker was bringing up the rear, he could feel hias stomach rumbling with hunger.

"I'm so hungry I could out eat a giant!" he said without thinking.

Category: Viking Myths | Added by: obiflo (22 October 10)
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