“Give me thy hand,” said he to the intruder.

The slave feared to trust his hand in the grasp of the ancient warrior, and he reached him the end of an iron bar which he had brought with him.  Holger squeezed it so hard, that the mark of his hand remained in it.  He let it go at last, saying—­

“Well!  I am glad to find there are still men in Denmark.”

TALES FROM THE PROSE EDDA

THE GODS AND THE WOLF.

Among the AEsir, or gods, is reckoned one named Loki or Loptur.  By many he is called the reviler of the gods, the author of all fraud and mischief, and the shame of gods and men alike.  He is the son of the giant Farbauti, his mother being Laufey or Nal, and his brothers Byleist and Helblindi.  He is of a goodly appearance and elegant form, but his mood is changeable, and he is inclined to all wickedness.  In cunning and perfidy he excels every one, and many a time has he placed the gods in great danger, and often has he saved them again by his cunning.  He has a wife named Siguna, and their son is called Nari.

Loki had three children by Angurbodi, a giantess of Jotunheim (the giants’ home).  The first of these was Fenris, the wolf; the second was Joermungand, the Midgard serpent; and the third was Hela, death.  Very soon did the gods become aware of this evil progeny which was being reared in Jotunheim, and by divination they discovered that they must receive great injury from them.  That they had such a mother spoke bad for them, but their coming of such a sire was a still worse presage.  All-father therefore despatched certain of the gods to bring the children to him, and when they were brought before him he cast the serpent down into the ocean which surrounds the world.  There the monster waxed so large that he wound himself round the whole globe, and that with such ease that he can with his mouth lay hold of his tail.  Hela All-father cast into Niflheim, where she rules over nine worlds.  Into these she distributes all those who are sent to her,—­that is to say, all who die through sickness or old age.  She has there an abode with very thick walls, and fenced with strong gates.  Her hall is Elvidnir; her table is Hunger; her knife, Starvation; her man-servant, Delay; her maid-servant, Sloth; her threshold, Precipice; her bed, Care; and her curtains, Anguish of Soul.  The one half of her body is livid, the other half is flesh-colour.  She has a terrible look, so that she can be easily known.

As to the wolf, Fenris, the gods let him grow up among themselves, Tyr being the only one of them who dare give him his food.  When, however, they perceived how he every day increased prodigiously in size, and that the oracles warned them that he would one day prove fatal to them, they determined to make very strong iron fetters for him which they called Loeding.  These they presented to the wolf, and desired him to put them on to show his strength by endeavouring to break them.  The wolf saw that it would not be difficult for him to burst them, so he let the gods put the fetters on him, then violently stretching himself he broke the fetters asunder, and set himself free.