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Norse mythology part 4 - How Freya was offered for marriage, the cunning of Loki and the strength of Thor.

MiniMe3388

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One morning, a black-faced giant knocked at the gates of Asgard. The armed Gods rushed out to confront him, but found that he had no intention of fighting. Instead, he came with an interesting proposition. He wanted to build new walls for the Gods of Asgard. Odin thought seriously about Thurs's words. Indeed, Asgard's fortifications date back to ancient times, having been built before the war with the Vanir, and severely damaged in the course of it. The Gods hadn't thought of repairing the ramparts since then—but none of them knew how to do it, and if they ever did, they'd forgotten the art of fortification now.
-Giant - Odin summoned the builder. - We want new walls, all of stone, with beautiful towers and strong gates. Are you able to do it?
-I am, Odin.
-Then tell me what payment you want.
-I don't want much - the black-faced giant was clearly afraid of revealing the price. - Only Freya for wife and the Sun and the Moon.
When the Gods heard the conditions of the simpleton, their anger with a black cloud eclipsed the light of the sun. The giant had to go. The Aesir wanted to punish him for his impudence, but Loki stopped them.
-We should agree - he said firmly.
-Agree!? - Freya shouted. - You want to trade me for a few stones?
-I don't want to trade anything or anyone - said Loki. - All you have to do is set a very short time to build fortifications. The giant will surely miss the deadline, and then we'll have the walls - we'll finish them ourselves later - and Thurs will leave empty-handed.
After conferring, the gods decided to accept Loki's proposal. Thurs was summoned and a contract was made with him to build the walls. He was to do it during the autumn and winter and be on time before the first day of spring. The Gods marveled at the giant's lack of opposition, but they sensed no deception. It turned out that the black-faced giant did not intend to build fortifications himself. He brought in the wonderful stallion Svadilfari, who was extremely strong, smart and obedient. The horse brought stones and wood, and Thurs only built. So the job went surprisingly smoothly. The walls around Asgard grew faster than grass in the spring. So passed the autumn, and then the winter months. Finally, there were only three days left until the end of the appointed deadline, but also the work was coming to an end. The giant still had to lay down only a few stone blocks and build the crown of the gate tower. The Gods, not to mention Freya herself, panicked. Giving the Sun and Moon to Thurs would not only mean slavery to the Gods who ruled them, Sol and Mani, but would have dire consequences - the giant could change their course, and then time would flow differently! Eventually, the whole old order would collapse, and with it the rule of the Gods. Furious and terrified, the Aesir sought out Loki. He slept soundly, as if nothing threatened the heavenly city, so they dragged him out of bed and ordered him to think of some way to avoid danger. After all, it was he who persuaded them to hire the giant, so now let him deal with him himself. Loki just shrugged.
-Tell Thor to kill him - he muttered.
-We can't - Odin said. - We'd be breaking the deal. That's why we need you - this thing has to be done cleverly and quietly.
Loki thought for a moment, then said he had an idea, but it would take some time to execute it. And before that, if they let him, he'd go back to sleep. So he holed up in his palace, leaving the Gods outside, amazed at his lightheartedness. Loki slept for a long time until evening came, the last evening before the deadline. Loki got out of bed, left Asgard and went into the forest. He found the road that every day and night Svadilfari dragged stones and wood for his master. There he decided to wait. Finally he heard the sound of hooves as a stallion approached, carrying boulders to build the tower's crown. Loki uttered a spell and transformed himself into a beautiful mare with a long mane, shiny fur and fiery eyes. He whinnied the way mares do when they are looking for a mate. He was answered by the surprised but joyful voice of the stallion. Svadilfari disentangled himself from the harness of a cart full of stones, then galloped towards Loki. And he broke into a run and ran through the forest, as far as possible from Asgard. Svadilfari chased after him tirelessly. So the whole night passed, until the stallion and the mare were far enough away from the city of the Gods that Svadilfari could not return there before dawn.
Thurs waited a long time for Svadilfari and the stones, and finally began to look for it, of course, without success. All he found was a cart of boulders. He had drawn him to Asgard just as the dawn of the first day of spring broke, and with it the deadline for building the walls. The giant understood that he had lost, but he also guessed that the Gods must have had a hand in the horse's disappearance. This infuriated him so much that he grabbed his ax and marched into Asgard. He roared in a voice full of hatred and challenged the Aesir to battle. They were just waiting for it. Several of the Gods engaged the giant in preliminary combat, but they immediately backed away when Thor appeared. He charged at the black-faced Thurs and knocked him down with one blow from Mjóllnir. Then he stood on the corpse of his opponent, gave a shout of victory, then lifted the giant and threw him far away, over the walls, over the forests and fields. The body didn't fall until Jotunheim. That's how the Gods provided the new walls of Asgard without paying anything for them.
And what about Loki, whom Svadilfari possessed? The fire God tried to assume his natural form, but for some reason he couldn't. It turned out to be impossible, because he became pregnant. Only when he gave birth to a magnificent, eight-legged steed, fate allowed him to leave the horse's skin. This is how the fastest stallion in the world was born, the eight-legged Sleipnir, later given by Loki to his blood brother - Odin.

Source: Szrejter Artur - Mitologia germańska
 

Al Jilwah: Chapter IV

"It is my desire that all my followers unite in a bond of unity, lest those who are without prevail against them." - Satan

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