The Giant’s Cauldron

Thor, the god of war, who had only one hand, offered to go with Thor, so they set out, Thor taking with him his huge hammer and his belt and gloves, which made him twice as strong when he wore them.

The two gods traveled to Jotunheim, the home of the giants, and knocked on the door of Hymir’s house, which was in a barren, rocky place near the sea. Jotunheim was a very cold place, always covered in ice and snow, so they were very thankful when Hymir’s wife eventually opened the door. She invited them in but told them to hide behind a row of cooking vessels which hung from a beam, until she had told her husband of their visit, for a glance from his fiery eyes sometimes killed unexpected visitors.

When Hymir came in, with icicles rattling on his beard and hanging from his bushy eyebrows, his wife told him of the two gods from Asgard who had come to visit him. At her words, the giant turned angrily and glared in their direction, and his glance made the beam split so that all the cooking pots fell to the floor and broke.

“Nobodies from Asgard are welcome in the land of the giants,” said Hymir, “but since you are already here, I will treat you as my guests.” He then ordered his servants to roast three whole oxen, and Thor was so hungry that he ate the three of them himself.

“Tomorrow,” Hymir frowned, “if you stay here, we will dine off what I catch myself in the sea.”

Thor agreed. “I shall welcome a day’s fishing,” he said. Next morning, Hymir dragged his boat down to the shore.

“Wait on the beach until I return with my catch,” he told Thor, “for you are too small a person to go in my great boat, and I am fishing for whales.”

“I am fishing for something bigger,” said Thor, darkly.

“In that case,” the giant retorted, “you will need bait.” Thor went to where the giant’s herd of oxen grazed and killed the finest one for bait. The giant was very angry, but there was nothing he could do about it because Thor was his guest. As he pushed the boat out, he said to Thor, “Of course, you would be frozen if you went as far into the icy sea as I do.”

“We shall see,” replied Thor, jumping in after him.

Hymir rowed out to his fishing grounds and stopped, but Thor seized the oars and rowed even farther, until Hymir protested. Then Hymir baited his hook and began to fish. Before long, he had caught two large whales. “There is our supper,” he said, “Now let me see you catch a fish.”

Thor cast his line into the sea and when he felt something tugging on the end, he pulled.

“What is it, a sprat?” grinned the giant, but he did not laugh when, above the sea, by the boat, appeared the head of the mighty sea-serpent which encircles the whole world. The boat rocked violently.

“Quickly, hold the line,” shouted Thor, but the giant was afraid and, taking out his knife, he cut the line in two, allowing the sea-serpent to sink back into the water. Angrily, Thor struck at the giant, but he missed, and in silence, the two of them rowed back to the beach.

That night the giant said, as they sat eating, “You have proved that you can row and fish, but I call no man strong who cannot break my goblet.”

Thor picked up the goblet and then smashed it down with all his might against the tabletop. Although the tabletop was slightly dented, there was no mark on the goblet. Thor picked up the goblet again and this time flung it against one of the pillars, but the pillar just shattered into fragments. Thor picked up the goblet a third time and dashed it to the floor, but still, it would not break.

Then Hymir’s wife, who was filling up their glasses, whispered to Thor that the only thing harder than Hymir’s goblet was Hymir’s own head, so Thor struck the goblet across Hymir’s head as hard as he could, and the goblet shattered into a thousand pieces.

“I am sorry to lose my goblet, but you have proved your strength,” said Hymir, “I will give you a fine gift. What do you want?”

“I would like the big pot in which you brew your mead,” replied Thor, “to take to the god of the ocean for his feast.”

“I was sad to lose the goblet, and I shall be even sadder to lose the cauldron,” said the giant, “but take it if you can lift it.” He smiled to himself, sure that Thor could not carry such a heavy cauldron.

Thor took the huge pot by its rim and heaved it to his shoulders. Hymir was astonished.

“Come,” said Thor to Tyr, “we must leave now,” and they walked back over the rocky plains to Asgard, where they gave the pot to Aegir, god of the ocean, for his feast.