CANTO XII.

LOK PROCURES THINGS OF VALUE FROM THE DWARFS.

Lok sat in his hall and thought on his deed, With his vengeance well content; But Sif, o’er the lake as she bow’d her head, To a flood of tears gave vent:

For no more in ringlets she now can wreathe Her hair so golden, so shining; When her face she view’d in the stream beneath, She never could cease repining.

But Lok sat under the green-wood tree, Like the cunning fox by his hole: Now the earth felt a shock, and began to rock, And the thunder began to roll.

And well he knows what that sound betides; ’Twas a sign that Thor was coming: So, changed to a salmon, he quickly glides All into the flood so foaming.

But Thor in the shape of a gull dived down, And the salmon he caught with his beak: “Thou knave,” quoth he, “well I knew ’twas thee; Thou shalt bitter rue thy freak.

“I’ll break and pound every bone of thine, As the mill-stone pounds the corn.” Now Lok, resuming his shape divine, His mischief affects to mourn:

“Why this rage?” quoth he, with humble prayer? “By slaying me where’s thy gain? Sif will not recover a single hair, Bald-headed for aye she’ll remain.

“If thou wilt forgive my frolic this bout, (’Twas a sorry frolic, I own,) Why then I swear by leek and by crout,[43] By the moss on the Bauta-stone,[44]

“By Odin’s[45] eye, and by Mimer’s fountain, By thy hammer and golden car, I’ll straight descend to the caves of the mountain, To the dwarfs, who my vassals are.

“And for Sif a new head of hair I’ll bring Of gold, before dawn of day; She then will rival the youthful spring All deck’d in her flow’rets gay.”

“Thou swear’st by my hammer, but that I’ve lost,” Indignant the god replies; “Which well thou know’st, in the ocean toss’d, In the hands of Ran now lies.”

“Well, then, I’ll procure thee a hammer new,” Says Lok, the deceiver sly, “And at the bare sight of that hammer bright, All the giants, thy foes, will fly.”

“Thou pleadest in vain; I come with Frey, My brother in arms so brave: Thy flesh to the ravens shall food supply, Thy brains shall float on the wave.”

“O spare me, Frey!” thus Lok made reply, “Thy mercy I humbly implore; I’ll procure thee a steed of such matchless speed, As the world never saw before.

“All the earth around this courser shall bound, To mortals a cheering sight; And o’er the salt sea ’twill bear thee free, And shine like herrings at night.”

Now the tears he shed and the vows he made Have soften’d the Asar twain: “Go, the depths to brave of the mountain cave, And, what thou hast sworn, obtain!”

Now like a mole through the rocky hole He glides, and reaches the place, Where with all their might, by the sulph’rous light, Stood working the dwarfish race.

There the bellows blew, and the sparks outflew Through the vaulted roof so glowing; In leathern frock stood the dwarfish flock, And crystals they all were blowing.

They melted sand in the sea-coal brand, And mix’d with it leaves of rose; By the furnace flame it harden’d became, And a ruby proud arose.

Now the females stout have gather’d without Fresh bunches of violets blue; And the sapphire bright, to dazzle the sight, Was produced from the magic stew.

From the juicy mass of concocted grass An emerald fashion’d appears; And pearls they distill’d from a limbeck, fill’d With widows’ and orphans’ tears.

In this cavern dark one could straight remark, That chieftains had play’d of yore; For a table there stood, of muscle-shell good, And of counters and fish a store.

In the rock inlaid was a giantess’ head,[46] With the bust all changed to stone; And the cascade fell, with its deafening yell, All over the calcined bone.

From the giantess’ mouth jutting forth he saw Huge teeth, as frightful and long As those which fill the elephant’s jaw, Or like those of the walrus strong.

Now Lok to the dwarfs declares his mission, The dwarfs to his mandate bow: “To thee,” they cried, “we all owe submission, For our sovereign, Lok! art thou.”

A wild boar’s skin was then brought in, The largest they well could find; And with their bellows those hardy fellows To the work compel the wind.

Now blow upon blow their hammers they throw, Till sparks from the skin outflew; But with envy’s smart rankled Loptur’s heart, And his purpose he ’gan to rue:

“To those Asar two I’m compelled, ’tis true, The things I promised, to give; But by Hel I swear, that those presents rare Unscathed they shall not receive.”

The dwarfs in a ring, round the anvil spring, And busy the bellows ply; But Lok, in his guile, became changed the while To a huge blue-bottle fly.

On the blower’s hand now he took his stand, And began his skin to prick; But he prick’d in vain, the dwarf felt no pain, For his skin was hard and thick.

But behold! the steed (’twas for Frey decreed) Burst forth from amidst the flame, And the form it bore of a huge wild boar, And Gyllinbörste its name!

When dark is the night, and no stars give light, It a meteor’s shape assumes; Then on it mounts Frey, and rides, through the sky, While its mane all the earth illumes.

Now into a mould a handful of gold These workmen so skilful threw; But when drawn from the flame, O! then it became An ornament bright to view.

For now ’twas a ring of burnish’d gold; Two hands that each other grasp Were figured thereon, and a precious stone Was carved as a flower for clasp.

’Twas a jewel of weight; for Odin the great Was destined this precious ring; ’Twas a worthy charm, to encircle the arm Of the Asar’s lofty king.

This ring so bright boasts a wondrous might, ’Tis a fact in the north well known, That eight other rings, on each ninth night, From the parent ring drop down.

Such rings are the meed, so Odin decreed, For each constant and loving pair; And this ring was found, at the funeral mound, On the bosom of Balder fair.

Now more iron the crew on the anvil threw, No flame they for this required; And though black and cold, they hammer’d it bold, Till they gave it the form desired.

When the hammer for Thor, fit weapon of war, Drew near to its termination, Lok, fraudful in mind, and to mischief inclin’d, Undertook a new transformation,

And, changed to a hornet with painful sting, He stung the dwarf on the chin; And this time the smith felt the pain forthwith, For the blood flow’d down his skin.

And he drove the hornet away with his hand Ere the hammer was finish’d quite; Thus its shaft fail’d in length, but the god of strength Grasp’d the weapon with keen delight.

Next a female dwarf took a lump of gold, To her distaff’s spindle she bound it; And the wheel went round with a whizzing sound And the gold in threads around it.

And she span and span, while the gold thread ran, New hair for the Disa mild; She sang by the rill, that flowed from the hill, This strain so wizard and wild:

“The goddess her hair henceforward shall bear Loose streaming before the wind; Nor in plait nor in fold shall the ductile gold Hereafter her temples bind.

“Each swain who above shall behold it move Like a meteor through the sky,[47] His heart ’twill ensnare, for her ringlets fair With those of Freya shall vie.

“Though gold be dead, when it touches the head Of that Disa in beauty’s bloom, ’Twill life receive, and easy to weave Like flax will it straight become.

“Like the high-plum’d crest by the winds carest, It shall wave and enchant the sight; It shall never decay; like the sun at mid-day It shall pour forth a wondrous light.”

Thus she sang, and with glee now she bent the knee, And presented the gift to Thor; He gazed on each tress, and must needs confess Such locks he ne’er saw before.

From the mountain Frey vaults his steed on high, Thor follows with hammer and hair; To the regions of light, where the sire of the fight Rules in glory, they both repair.

Now on Sifia fair Thor fasten’d the hair; It took root like sea-weed on rocks: Down her lovely face, fraught with ev’ry grace, It fell down in luxuriant locks.

At Valhalla’s Ting to Odin the ring Was tender’d with homage due; And Lok this time was pardon’d his crime, But too soon he sinn’d anew.