Part 20 (1/2)

Far out of sight of the G.o.ds Hela was thrust. Odin took her and hurled her down to the deeps that are below the world. He cast her down to Niflheim, where she took to herself power over the nine regions. There, in the place that is lowest of all, Hela reigns. Her hall is Elvidnir; it is set round with high walls and it has barred gates; Precipice is the threshold of that hall; Hunger is the table within it; Care is the bed, and Burning Anguish is the hanging of the chamber.

Thor laid hold upon Jormungand. He flung the serpent into the ocean that engirdles the world. But in the depths of the ocean Jormungand flourished. It grew and grew until it encircled the whole world. And men knew it as the Midgard Serpent.

Fenrir the Wolf might not be seized upon by any of the aesir. Fearfully he ranged through Asgard and they were only able to bring him to the outer courts by promising to give him all the food he was able to eat.

The aesir shrank from feeding Fenrir. But Tyr, the brave swordsman, was willing to bring food to the Wolf's lair. Every day he brought him huge provision and fed him with the point of his sword. The Wolf grew and grew until he became monstrous and a terror in the minds of the Dwellers in Asgard.

At last the G.o.ds in council considered it and decided that Fenrir must be bound. The chain that they would bind him with was called Laeding. In their own smithy the G.o.ds made it and its weight was greater than Thor's hammer.

Not by force could the G.o.ds get the fetter upon Fenrir, so they sent Skirnir, the servant of Frey, to beguile the Wolf into letting it go upon him. Skirnir came to his lair and stood near him, and he was dwarfed by the Wolf's monstrous size.

”How great may thy strength be, Mighty One?” Skirnir asked. ”Couldst thou break this chain easily? The G.o.ds would try thee.”

In scorn Fenrir looked down on the fetter Skirnir dragged. In scorn he stood still allowing Laeding to be placed upon him. Then, with an effort that was the least part of his strength, he stretched himself and broke the chain in two.

The G.o.ds were dismayed. But they took more iron, and with greater fires and mightier hammer blows they forged another fetter. Dromi, this one was called, and it was half again as strong as Laeding was. Skirnir the Venturesome brought it to the Wolf's lair, and in scorn Fenrir let the mightier chain be placed upon him.

He shook himself and the chain held. Then his eyes became fiery and he stretched himself with a growl and a snarl. Dromi broke across, and Fenrir stood looking balefully at Skirnir.

The G.o.ds saw that no chain they could forge would bind Fenrir and they fell more and more into fear of him. They took council again and they bethought them of the wonder-work the Dwarfs had made for them, the spear Gungnir, the s.h.i.+p Skidbladnir, the hammer Miolnir. Could the Dwarfs be got to make the fetter to bind Fenrir? If they would do it the G.o.ds would add to their domain.

Skirnir went down to Svartheim with the message from Asgard. The Dwarf Chief swelled with pride to think that it was left to them to make the fetter that would bind Fenrir.

”We Dwarfs can make a fetter that will bind the Wolf,” he said. ”Out of six things we will make it.”

”What are these six things?” Skirnir asked.

”The roots of stones, the breath of a fish, the beards of women, the noise made by the footfalls of cats, the sinews of bears, the spittle of a bird.”

”I have never heard the noise made by a cat's footfall, nor have I seen the roots of stones nor the beards of women. But use what things you will, O Helper of the G.o.ds.”

The Chief brought his six things together and the Dwarfs in their smithy worked for days and nights. They forged a fetter that was named Gleipnir. Smooth and soft as a silken string it was. Skirnir brought it to Asgard and put it into the hands of the G.o.ds.

Then a day came when the G.o.ds said that once again they should try to put a fetter upon Fenrir. But if he was to be bound they would bind him far from Asgard. Lyngvi was an island that they often went to to make sport, and they spoke of going there. Fenrir growled that he would go with them. He came and he sported in his own terrible way. And then as if it were to make more sport, one of the aesir shook out the smooth cord and showed it to Fenrir.

”It is stronger than you might think, Mighty One,” they said. ”Will you not let it go upon you that we may see you break it?”

Fenrir out of his fiery eyes looked scorn upon them. ”What fame would there be for me,” he said, ”in breaking such a binding?”

They showed him that none in their company could break it, slender as it was. ”Thou only art able to break it, Mighty One,” they said.

”The cord is slender, but there may be an enchantment in it,” Fenrir said.

”Thou canst not break it, Fenrir, and we need not dread thee any more,”

the G.o.ds said.

Then was the Wolf ravenous wroth, for he lived on the fear that he made in the minds of the G.o.ds. ”I am loth to have this binding upon me,” he said, ”but if one of the aesir will put his hand in my mouth as a pledge that I shall be freed of it, I will let ye put it on me.”