Lokasenna:
Loki's Quarrel

Ægir, who is also name Gýmir, had brewed beer for the Æsir, after he had got the great kettle, as has been already related. To the entertainment came Odin and his wife Frigg. Thor did not come, being in the East, but his wife Sif was there, also Bragi and his wife Idun, and Tý, who was one-handed, Fenrisulf having bitten off his hand while being bound. Besides these were Niörd and his wife Skadi, Frey and Freyja, and Odin´s son Vidar. Loki too was there, and Frey´s attendants, Byggvir and Beyla. Many other Æsir and Alfar were also present. 

Ægir had two servants, Fimafeng and Eldir. Bright gold was there used instead of fire-light. The beer served itself to the guests. The place was a great sanctuary. The guests greatly praised the excellence of Ægir´s servants. This Loki could not hear with patience, and so slew Fimafeng; whereupon the Æsir shook their shields, exclaimed against Loki, chased him into the forest, and then returned to drink. Loki came again, and found Eldir standing without, whom he thus addressed: 

1

Tell me, Eldir!
ere thou thy foot settest
one step forward,
on what converse
the sons of the triumphant gods
at their potation?

2

Eldir

Of their arms converse,
and of their martial fame,
the sons of the triumphant gods.
Of the Æsir and the Alfar
that are here within
not one has a friendly word for thee.

3

Loki

I will go
into Ægir´s halls,
to see the compotation.
Strife and hate
to the Æsir´s sons I bear,
and will mix their mead with bale.

4

Eldir
Knowest thou not that if thou goest
into Ægir´s halls
to see the compotation,
but contumely and clamour
pourest forth on the kindly powers,
they will wipe it all off on thee.

5

Loki

Knowest thou not, Eldir,
that if we two
with bitter words contend,
I shall be rich
in answers,
if thou sayest too much?

Loki then went into the hall, but when those present saw who was come in, they all sat silent.

6

Loki

I Lopt am come thirsty
into this hall,
from a long journey,
to beseech the Æsir
one draught to give me
of the bright mead.

7

Why gods! are ye so silent,
so reserved,
that ye cannot speak?
A seat and place
choose for me at your board,
or bid me hie me hence.

8

Bragi

A seat and place
will the Æsir never
choose for thee at their board;
for well the Æsir know
for whom they ought to hold
a joyous compotation.

9

Loki

Odin! dost thou remember
when we in early days
blended our blood together?
When to taste beer
thou didst constantly refuse,
unless to both ´twas offered?

10

Odin

Rise up, Vidar!
and let the wolf´s sire
sit at our compotation;
that Loki may not utter
words of contumely
in Ægir´s hall.

Vidar then rising, presented Loki with drink, who before drinking thus addressed.

11

Hail, Æsir!
Hail, Asyniur!
And ye, all-holy gods!
all, save that one As,
who sits within there,
Bragi, on yonder bench.

12

Bragi

A horse and falchion
I from my stores will give thee,
and also with a ring reward thee,
if thou the Æsir wilt not
requite with malice.
Provoke not the gods against thee.

13

Loki

Of horse and rings
wilt thou ever, Bragi!
be in want.
Of the Æsir and the Alfar,
that are here present,
in conflict thou art the most backward,
and in the play of darts most timid.

14

Bragi

I know that were I without,
as I am now within,
the hall of Ægir,
I thy head would
bear in my hand,
and so for lying punish thee.

15

Loki

Valiant on thy seat art thou, Bragi!
but so thou shouldst not be,
Bragi, the bench´s pride!
Go and fight,
if thou art angry;
a brave man sits not considering.

16

Idun

I pray thee, Bragi!
let avail the bond of children,
and of all adopted sons,
and to Loki speak not
in reproachful words,
in Ægir´s hall.

17

Loki

Be silent, Idun!
of all women I declare thee
most fond of men,
since thou thy arms,
carefully washed, didst twine
round thy brother´s murderer.

18

Idun

Loki I address not
with opprobrious words,
in Ægir´s hall.
Bragi I soothe,
by beer excited.
I desire not that angry ye fight.

19

Gefion

Why will ye, Æsir twain,
here within,
strive with reproachful words?
Lopt perceives not
that he is deluded,
and is urged on by fate.

20

Loki

Be silent, Gefion!
I will now just mention,
how that fair youth
thy mind corrupted,
who thee a necklace gave,
and around whom thou thy limbs didst twine?

21

Odin

Thou art raving, Loki!
and hast lost thy wits,
in calling Gefion´s anger on thee;
for all men´s destinies,
I ween, she knows
as thoroughly as I do.

22

Loki

Be silent, Odin!
Thou never couldst allot
conflicts between men:
oft hast thou given to those
to whom thou oughtest not –
victory to cowards.

23

Odin

Knowest thou that I gave
to those I ought not –
victory to cowards?
Thou was eight winters
on the earth below,
a milch cow and a woman,
and didst there bear children.
Now that, methinks, betokens a base nature.

24

Loki

But, it is said, thou wentest
with tottering steps in Samsö,
and knocked at houses as a Vala.
In likeness of a fortune teller,
thou wentest among people;
Now that, methinks, betokens a base nature.

25

Frigg

Your doings
ye should never
publish among men,
what ye, Æsir twain,
did in days of yore.
Ever forgotten be men´s former deeds!

26

Loki

Be thou silent, Frigg!
Thou art Fjörgyn´s daughter,
and ever hast been fond of men,
since Ve and Vili, it is said,
thou, Vidrir´s wife, didst
both to thy bosom take.

27

Frigg

Know thou that if I had,
a Ægir´s halls,
a son like Baldr,
out thou shouldst not go
from the Æsir´s sons:
thou should’st have been fiercely assailed.

28

Loki

But wilt thou, Frigg!
that of my wickedness
I more recount?
I am the cause
that thou seest not
Baldr riding to the halls.

29

Freyja

Mad art thou, Loki!
in recounting
thy foul misdeeds.
Frigg, I believe,
knows all that happens,
although she says it not.

30

Loki

Be thou silent, Freyja!
I know thee full well;
thou art not free from vices:
of the Æsir and the Alfar,
that are herein,
each has been thy paramour.

31

Freyja

False is thy tongue.
Henceforth it will, I think,
prate no good to thee.
Wroth with thee are the Æsir,
and the Asyniur.
Sad shalt thou home depart.

32

Loki

Be silent, Freyja!
Thou art a sorceress,
and with much evil blended;
since against thy brother thou
the gentle powers excited.
And then, Freyja! what didst thou do?

33

Niörd

It is no great wonder,
if silk-clad dames
get themselves husbands, lovers;
but ´tis a wonder that a wretched As,
that has borne children,
should herein enter.

34

Loki

Be silent, Niörd!
Thou wast sent eastward hence,
a hostage from the gods.
Hýmir´s daughter had thee
for a utensil,
and flowed into thy mouth.

35

Niörd

´Tis to me a solace,
as I a long way hence
was sent, a hostage from the gods,
that I had a son,
whom no one hates,
and accounted is a chief among the Æsir.

36

Loki

Cease now, Niörd!
in bounds contain thyself;
I will no longer keep it secret:
it was with thy sister
thou hadst such a son;
hardly worse than thyself.

37

Tý

Frey is best
of all the exalted gods
in the Æsir´s courts:
no maid he makes to weep,
no wife of man,
and from bonds looses all.

38

Loki

Be silent, Tý!
Thou couldst never settle
a strife ´twixt two;
of thy right hand also
I must mention make,
which Fenrir from thee tore.

39

Tý

I of a hand am wanting,
but thou of honest fame;
sad is the lack of either.
Nor is the wolf at ease:
he in bonds must bide,
until the gods´destruction.

40

Loki

Be silent, Tý;
to thy wife it happened
to have a son by me.
Nor rag nor penny ever
hadst thou, poor wretch!
for this injury.

41

Frey

I the wolf see lying
at the river´s mouth,
until the powers are swept away.
So shalt thou be bound,
if thou art not silent,
thou framer of evil.

42

Loki

With gold thou boughtest
Gýmir´s daughter,
and so gavest away thy sword:
but when Muspell´s sons
through the dark forest ride,
thou, unhappy, wilt not
have wherewith to fight.

43

Byggvir

Know that were I of noble race,
like Ingun´s Frey,
and had so fair a dwelling,
than marrow softer I would bray
that ill-boding crow,
and crush him limb by limb.

44

Loki

What little thing is that I see
wagging its tail,
and snapping eagerly?
At the ears of Frey
thou shouldst ever be,
and clatter under mills.

45

Byggvir

Byggvir I am named,
and am thought alert,
by all gods and men;
therefore am I joyful here,
that all the sons of Hropt
drink beer together.

46

Loki

Be silent, Byggvir!
Thou couldst never
dole out food to men,
when, lying in thy truckle bed,
thou wast not to be found,
while men were fighting.

47

Heimdall

Loki, thou art drunk,
and hast lost thy wits.
Why dost thou not leave off, Loki?
But drunkenness
so rules every man,
that he knows not of his garrulity.

48

Loki

Be silent, Heimdall!
For thee in early days
was that hateful life decreed:
with a wet back
thou must ever be,
and keep watch as guardian of the gods.

49

Skadi

Thou art merry, Loki!
Not long wilt thou
frisk with an unbound tail;
for thee, on a rock´s point,
with the entrails of thy ice-cold son,
the gods will bind.

50

Loki

Know, if on a rock´s point,
with the entrails of my ice-cold son,
the gods will bind me,
that first and foremost
I was at the slaying,
when we assailed Thiassi.

51

Skadi

Know, if first and foremost
thou wast at the slaying,
when ye assailed Thiassi,
that from my dwellings
and fields shall to thee
ever cold counsels come.

52

Loki

Milder was thou of speech
to Laufey´s son,
when to thy bed thou didst invite me.
Such matters must be mentioned,
if we accurately must
recount our vices.

Then Sif came forth, and poured out mead for Loki in an icy cup, saying:

53

Hail to thee, Loki!
and this cool cup receive,
full of old mead:
at least me alone,
among the blameless Æsir race,
leave stainless.

He took the horn, drank, and said:

54

So alone shouldst thou be,
hadst thou strict and prudent been
towards thy mate;
but one I know,
and, I think, know him well,
a favoured rival of Hlorridi,
and that is the wily Loki.

55

Beyla

The fells all tremble:
I think Hlorridi
is from journeying home.
He will bid be quiet
him who here insults
all gods and men.

56

Loki

Be silent, Beyla!
Thou art Byggvir´s wife,
and with much evil mingled:
never came a greater monster
among the Æsir´s sons.
Thou art a dirty strumpet.
Thor then came in and said:

57

Silence, thou impure being!
My mighty hammer, Mjöllnir,
shall stop thy prating.
I will thy head
from thy neck strike;
then will thy life be ended.

58

Loki

Now the son of earth
is hither come.
Why dost thou chafe so, Thor?
Thou wilt not dare do so,
when with the wolf thou hast to fight,
and he the all-powerful father swallows whole.

59

Thor

Silence, thou impure being!
My mighty hammer, Mjöllnir,
shall stop thy prating.
Up I will hurl thee
to the east region,
and none shall see thee after.

60

Loki

Of thy eastern travels
thou shouldst never
to people speak,
since in a glove-thumb
thou, Einheri! wast doubled up,
and hardly thoughtest thou was Thor.

61

Thor

Silence, thou impure being!
My mighty hammer, Mjöllnir,
shall stop thy prating;
with this right hand I, Hrugnir´s bane,
will smite thee,
so that thy every bone be broken.

62

Loki

´Tis my intention
a long life to live,
though with thy hammer
thou dost threaten me.
Skrymir´s thongs
seemed to thee hard,
when at the food thou couldst not get,
when, in full health, of hunger dying.

63

Thor

Silence, thou impure being!
My mighty hammer, Mjöllnir,
shall stop thy prating.
Hrungnir´s bane
shall cast thee down to Hel,
beneath the grating of the dead.

64

Loki

I have said before the Æsir,
I have said before the Æsir´s sons,
that which my mind suggested:
but for thee alone
will I go out;
because I know that thou wilt fight.

65

Ægir! thou hast brewed beer;
but thou never shalt henceforth
a compotation hold.
All thy possessions,
which are herein,
flame shall play over,
and on thy back shall burn thee.

After this Loki, in the likeness of a salmon, cast himself into the waterfall of Franangr, where the Æsir caught him, and bound him with the entrails of his son Nari; but his other son, Narfi, was changed into a wolf. Skadi took a venomous serpent, and fastened it up over Loki’s face. The venom trickled down from it. Sigyn, Loki’s wife, sat by, and held a basin under the venom; and when the basin was full, carried the venom out. Meanwhile the venom dropped on Loki, who shrank from it so violently that the whole earth trembled. This causes what are not called earthquakes.