the ?sir were the guests of the vanir: in frey's palace the dwellers in asgard met and feasted in friendship. odin and tyr were there, vidar and vali, ni?rd, frey, heimdall, and bragi. the asyniur and the vana were also—frigga, freya, iduna, gerda, skadi, sif, and nanna. thor and loki were not at the feast, for they had left asgard together.

in frey's palace the vessels were of shining gold; they made light for the table and they moved of their own accord to serve those who were feasting. all was peace and friendship there until loki entered the feast hall.

frey, smiling a welcome, showed a bench to loki. it was beside bragi's and next to freya's. loki did not take[pg 165] the place; instead he shouted out, "not beside bragi will i sit; not beside bragi, the most craven of all the dwellers in asgard."

bragi sprang up at that affront, but his wife, the mild iduna, quieted his anger. freya turned to loki and reproved him for speaking injurious words at a feast.

"freya," said loki, "why were you not so mild when odur was with you? would it not have been well to have been wifely with your husband instead of breaking faith with him for the sake of a necklace that you craved of the giant women?"

amazement fell on all at the bitterness that was in loki's words and looks. tyr and ni?rd stood up from their seats. but then the voice of odin was heard and all was still for the words of the all-father.

"take the place beside vidar, my silent son, o loki," said odin, "and let thy tongue which drips bitterness be silent."

"all the ?sir and the vanir listen to thy words, o odin, as if thou wert always wise and just," loki said. "but must we forget that thou didst bring war into the world when thou didst fling thy spear at the envoys of the vanir? and didst thou not permit me to work craftily on the one who built the wall around asgard for a price? thou dost speak, o odin, and all the ?sir and the vanir listen to thee! but was it not thou who, thinking not of wisdom but of gold when a ransom had to be made, brought the witch gulveig out of the cave where she stayed with the dwarf's treasure? thou wert not always[pg 166] wise nor always just, o odin, and we at the table here need not listen to thee as if always thou wert."

then skadi, the wife of ni?rd, flung words at loki. she spoke with all the fierceness of her giant blood. "why should we not rise up and chase from the hall this chattering crow?" she said.

"skadi," said loki, "remember that the ransom for thy father's death has not yet been paid. thou wert glad to snatch a husband instead of it. remember who it was that killed thy giant father. it was i, loki. and no ransom have i paid thee for it, although thou hast come amongst us in asgard."

then loki fixed his eyes on frey, the giver of the feast, and all knew that with bitter words he was about to assail him. but tyr, the brave swordsman, rose up and said, "not against frey mayst thou speak, o loki. frey is generous; he is the one amongst us who spares the vanquished and frees the captive."

"cease speaking, tyr," said loki. "thou mayst not always have a hand to hold that sword of thine. remember this saying of mine in days to come.

"frey," said he, "because thou art the giver of the feast they think i will not speak the truth about thee. but i am not to be bribed by a feast. didst thou not send skirnir to gymer's dwelling to befool gymer's flighty daughter? didst thou not bribe him into frightening her into a marriage with thee, who, men say, wert the slayer of her brother? yea, frey. thou didst part with a charge, with the magic sword that thou shouldst have kept for the[pg 167] battle. thou hadst cause to grieve when thou didst meet beli by the lake."

when he said this all who were there of the vanir rose up, their faces threatening loki.

"sit still, ye vanir," loki railed. "if the ?sir are to bear the brunt of j?tunheim's and muspelheim's war upon asgard it was your part to be the first or the last on vigard's plain. but already ye have lost the battle for asgard, for the weapon that was put into frey's hands he bartered for gerda the giantess. ha! surtur shall triumph over you because of frey's bewitchment."

in horror they looked at the one who could let his hatred speak of surtur's triumph. all would have laid hands on loki only odin's voice rang out. then another appeared at the entrance of the feasting hall. it was thor. with his hammer upon his shoulder, his gloves of iron on his hands, and his belt of prowess around him, he stood marking loki with wrathful eyes.

"ha, loki, betrayer," he shouted. "thou didst plan to leave me dead in gerri?d's house, but now thou wilt meet death by the stroke of this hammer."

his hands were raised to hurl mi?lnir. but the words that odin spoke were heard. "not in this hall may slaying be done, son thor. keep thy hands upon thy hammer."

then shrinking from the wrath in the eyes of thor, loki passed out of the feast hall. he went beyond the walls of asgard and crossed bifr?st, the rainbow bridge. and he cursed bifr?st, and longed to see the day when[pg 168] the armies of muspelheim would break it down in their rush against asgard.

east of midgard there was a place more evil than any region in j?tunheim. it was jarnvid, the iron wood. there dwelt witches who were the most foul of all witches. and they had a queen over them, a hag, mother of many sons who took upon themselves the shapes of wolves. two of her sons were skoll and hati, who pursued sol, the sun, and mani, the moon. she had a third son, who was managarm, the wolf who was to be filled with the life-blood of men, who was to swallow up the moon, and stain the heavens and earth with blood. to jarnvid, the iron wood, loki made his way. and he wed one of the witches there, angerboda, and they had children that took on dread shapes. loki's offspring were the most terrible of the foes that were to come against the ?sir and the vanir in the time that was called the twilight of the gods.