CANTO VI.

THE SPELLS UNRAVELLED.

When now from subterranean gloom Emerged, again the hero stood Amidst the plain where flow’rets bloom, With joy the azure sky he view’d: His hammer shed around a light; His armour seem’d on fire: He feels once more his wonted might Through all his veins transpire.

He waved his hammer. Utgard’s lord At once in him could recognize The god by Jotunheim abhorr’d, The god, whose thunders shake the skies: His hair now stood upright with fear, His heart began to beat, For though in Utgard’s nether sphere The chief had met defeat,

He fear’d, that when the bright domain Of Asgard Thor again should reach, Odin would all the spells explain, And surest means of vengeance teach. “That fatal consequence to thwart I must some scheme devise: Were it not best myself t’ impart To Thor those mysteries,

And frankly thus at once reveal How all things happen’d there below? The key to each enchanted spell ’Twere better he from us should know, Than learn it elsewhere; this would move Still more the Asar’s wrath, And hard would then the contest prove ’Gainst Thor and Odin both.”

Thus to himself thought Utgard Lok: Then full of cunning and deceit To Thor he thus embarrass’d spoke: “Tis well for us, thou hast thought fit To leave our kingdom: thou shalt ne’er With my consent return; Much from thy visit did I fear, We might have cause to mourn.

“But now that for our giant race All danger’s past, will I relate Frankly, how all things came to pass: And here, O chief! thy prowess great We all confess, and all admire; Thy sword and hammer bright All foes with terror must inspire, When thou appearst in sight.

“I learn’d with much astonishment And no small dread, O chief! that thou Hadst form’d a project of descent From Valaskialf to earth below. But when thy further views I learn’d To visit Utgard’s realm, Methought, O chief! thy brain was turn’d To harbour such a scheme.

“Doubtless, I did not dare offend A god as frank as he is strong; I only sought my realm to fend By wizard spell and mystic song: The winds and waves in wild commotion I urged from pole to pole; But neither winds nor waves of Ocean Have power to daunt thy soul.

“I straight assumed a shape, of more Than human size or human strength; Upon the ground I ’gan to snore, With all my limbs stretch’d out at length: I thought to fright thee from the heath, And check thy bold advance; But vain my threat’ning size and teeth Against thy sword and lance.

“I trembled for thy hammer too Forged in the gloomy dwarfs’ abode; He whom that strikes, full well I know, Is forthwith deluged in his blood. By strange illusions I inclined To give thy nerves a shock; But it ne’er enter’d in my mind So brave a chief to mock.

“What I had plann’d, I did fulfil Forthwith; but thou wert naught afeard: Naught didst thou else, but closer still Thy belt around thy body gird: But I acknowledge, when I view’d Thy footsteps turn my way, A cold sweat all my limbs bedew’d, As on the grass I lay.

“Thy eyes were thus deceived: the blow That first thy hammer gave my head, Though not thy heaviest, would, I trow, If felt, have my quietus made: When I beheld thee raise thy arm, My limbs with terror shook, I conjured by a powerful charm Thy blow against that rock.”

At this discourse Thor stood aghast, Then hied the rock to scrutinize; He there beheld three caverns vast Hewn in the rock before his eyes. While Thor with wonder view’d this cave, The giant humbly said: “Behold! the blows thy hammer gave Those caverns three have made.

“But still th’ illusion to maintain, And further still thy sense deceive, I rubb’d my brow and feign’d some pain At every blow thou thoughtst to give. I must confess thy hammer’s shock Could lay the mightiest low; But thou didst split the granite rock, Instead of Skrymur’s brow.

“I thought to lead thee ’stray amidst The mountain’s windings intricate; By my contrivance ’twas thou didst Arrive at pale-blue Hela’s gate. I thought to frighten thee away From our snow-cover’d zone; But fear to thee, I needs must say, Is utterly unknown.

“And now will I relate to ye How all occurr’d in my domain: Then listen to my words, I pray, While those enigmas I explain. And first, O Lok! I gave to thee A dish well fill’d with meat; Thou didst thy duty manfully, ’Twas sport to see thee eat.

“Though thou with all thy force didst eat, And we thy powers did much admire, Yet how couldst thou escape defeat, When thy competitor was Fire? For thus the goblin fierce we call With ever-craving maw: What wonder, that bones, dish, and all, He should consume like straw?

“And, Tialfe! though in racing thou Didst manifest a wondrous speed, Yet to thy rival thou must bow, His swiftness far did thine exceed; But where’s the wonder that sharp elf Should first the goal embrace? For know! it was my Thought itself, The dwarf,[35] who won the race:

“All things in swiftness Thought excels: Who can so plain a truth gainsay? And mine I charged with magic spells, To lead thee from the course astray. Yet though but ill-success ye’ve met On Utgard’s gloomy shore, Believe me, we shall ne’er forget The mighty deeds of Thor.

“I cannot from thy praise restrain, O Asa! for thy powers of drink; For though the horn thou couldst not drain, Thou didst not from the effort shrink. Each of my vassals stood aghast At such a bold essay; For one end of that horn so vast, Think! in the ocean lay!

“While thou didst so much water quaff, O Asa! we could well perceive The horn by suction did one half The sea of its contents bereave: Dost thou of my assertion doubt? Go to yon cliff’s high brink, And see how much thy drinking bout Has made old Ocean shrink!”

Now Asa-Thor moved towards the sea; Him follow’d Roska, Lok, and Tialf: They lean’d upon their swords to see The ocean; it had sunk one half. The depth immense they all admire From a stupendous height; But terrified, they quick retire From the appalling sight.

Then thus the chief of Utgard: “Thor, I hope, will bear me no ill-will; I trust he hath absolved me, for I’ve giv’n him scope to prove his skill: My spells have only served to show His powers in clearer light; The sands from whence the waters flow Have testified his might.

“When thou, great chieftain, shalt return To thy bright dome in Trudvang’s grove, There shalt thou find that drinking-horn: Accept it as a pledge of love. ’Twill serve thy visit to recall To Utgard-Lok’s abode, And cause, when drinking in thy hall, The daily ebb and flood.”[36]

Then Thor: “In fraud and artifice Thou art a most accomplish’d elf; Methinks it would not be amiss To try my strength upon thyself. Thou dost deserve with broken head Thy treason to deplore, And that this hand be tinged with red, And moisten’d with thy gore.”

Then Utgard’s chief to sigh began, With quiv’ring lip and falt’ring tone: “It would not, sure, the stronger man Become to slay the weaker one: Thy struggle with the cat we saw To raise it towards the roof; When it began to spit and claw, With fear we stood aloof.

“With all thy thund’ring from the sky, Thou ne’er hast caused such fear as then; For know, the cat, that thou didst try To bear aloft with effort vain, Was the enormous serpent fell That Midgard’s sphere enfolds, And circling all the earth, its tail In its own mouth it holds!

“Proud of thy strength of heavenly proof, Thou strov’st the struggling beast to raise, And high as the vast cavern’s roof Thou seem’dst to lift it up with ease: But still, however high from earth Thou strov’st to lift it up, With angry tail it lash’d the hearth, And made thy prowess droop.

“And lastly, the old wrinkled dame, Who, wrestling, show’d such skill and power, Weak and decrepit though she seem, Had strength enough thy crest to lower. But where’s the wonder that her arm Should conquer Thor sublime? To conquer all the fatal charm She boasts: her name is Time.

“That crone so greedy, gaunt, and grim, Wanders about with hungry mouth; Old though she seem in face and limb, Yet still she boasts eternal youth. In every clime she proves her pow’r By great Alfader’s doom; And though she every thing devour, She nothing does consume.

“One day her grinders will devour, I tell ye truth, our giant breed; She’ll likewise crush the Asars’ power, For thus the Nornor have decreed. Thou wert compell’d to bend the knee Before that ancient dame; Let that defeat a warning be, And thy presumption tame!”

Now Aukthor’s eyes with fury glare; He rais’d his mace, and fain would slay The fiend; but he, dissolv’d in air, Had fled to Utgard far away. The god no longer now beheld A mountain o’er his head: He stands upon a spacious field With clover thick o’erspread.