Thrymskvitha (literally “Thrym’s Poem”) tells one of the most popular stories in the Eddic poems, presenting a humorous depiction of the masculine Thor dressing up as a bride to recover his hammer Mjollnir from the giant Thrym who has stolen it.
THOR WAS ANGRY when he awoke and found his hammer had gone missing. He wrung his beard, he wrung his hair, the great Thor searched all around.
And the first thing that he said was this: “Listen to me, Loki, listen to this: something never known before, in Midgard or in Asgard, has happened: Mjollnir’s been stolen!”
Then they went to Freyja’s lovely home, and the first thing Loki said was this: “Freyja, would you lend me your feather-suit to help us get Thor’s hammer back?”
Freyja said:
“I would give it to you, even if it were made of gold, I would loan it to you, even if it were made of silver.”
Then Loki flew, wearing Freyja’s feather-suit— its feathers whistled in the air— till he left Asgard and came within Jotunheim.
There Thrym sat on a mound, a king of giants; he was fastening golden chains on his dogs’ necks, and he was combing the manes of his horses.
Thrym said:
“What news from the gods? What news from the elves? Why have you come alone into Jotunheim, Loki?” Loki said, “Bad news from the gods! Bad news from the elves! Have you hidden the mighty Thor’s hammer?”
Thrym said, “I have hidden the mighty Thor’s hammer eight miles beneath the earth. No one will ever see that hammer again unless Freyja is brought here as my bride.”
Then Loki flew, wearing Freyja’s feather-suit— its feathers whistled in the air— till he left Jotunheim and came into Asgard. He met Thor in the center of Asgard, and the first thing Thor said was this:
“Were your efforts rewarded on this journey? Stay in the air, and tell me what news you have. Stories are often forgotten when the teller sits down, and lies are often told when people lie down.”
Loki said, “My efforts were rewarded with this news: Thrym, a king among giants, has your hammer, No one will ever find that hammer again unless Freyja is brought to him for his bride.”
Then they went to find lovely Freyja, and the first thing Thor said was this: “Freyja, put on a wedding dress! The two of us, man and woman, are going to Jotunheim.”
Freyja was angry; she snorted so hard that the homes of the gods shook all around them, her necklace Brisingamen trembled on her neck: “They would call me a lewd, loose woman if I went with you to Jotunheim!”
Soon all the gods met for a conference, all the goddesses met for a conference, and the mighty gods spoke a long time about how they might get Thor’s hammer back.
Then Heimdall spoke, the handsomest of gods, as one of the Vanir he could see the future: “Let’s put a wedding dress on Thor! Let him wear Freyja’s necklace, the Brisingamen.
“Let’s hang keys from his belt, let’s drape a woman’s dress down to his knees, let’s place jewels on his chest, and wrap a pretty headdress around his head.”
Then Thor, the strong god, spoke: “All the Aesir would call me a sissy if I let you put a wedding dress on me.”
Then Loki, son of Laufey, spoke: “Silence, Thor! No more of that talk! Unless you can get your hammer back, the giants will soon live in Asgard!”
So they put a wedding dress on Thor, they put the Brisingamen on his neck, they put a chain of jingling keys at his belt, they draped a woman’s dress down to his knees, they placed jewels on his chest, they wrapped a pretty headdress around his head.
Then Loki, son of Laufey, said: “Now I’ll go as your serving-woman— the two of us, man and woman, are going to Jotunheim.”
Then they took Thor’s goats, and made them pull the wagon. Mountains crumbled, and the ground burst in flame, as Odin’s son drove into Jotunheim.
Then Thrym, king of giants, spoke: “Stand up, giants! Spread hay on the seats! Bring Freyja, daughter of Njorth, lord of Noatun, closer to me, as my bride.
“Here at my home, we giants have gold-horned cows and black oxen for our dinners, I have plenty of treasures, plenty of necklaces— the only thing I think I lack is Freyja.”
Early in the evening the giants gathered and ale was brought to all of them. All on his own Thor ate a whole ox, eight salmon, all the delicacies reserved for the women, and drank three whole kegs of mead.
Then Thrym, king of giants, spoke: “Who has ever seen a woman eat like this? I never saw a woman take bites that big, nor a girl who drinks so much mead.”
But Loki, Thor’s clever bridesmaid, found words to answer the giant’s suspicions: “Freyja could not eat at all for eight nights; that’s just how eager she was to come here to Jotunheim.”
The giant lifted the veil, hoping for a kiss, but then he leapt back the full length of the hall: “Why are Freyja’s eyes so fierce and grim? It seems to me that fire is burning in those eyes.”
But Loki, Thor’s clever bridesmaid, found words to answer the giant’s suspicions: “Freyja could not sleep at all for eight nights; that’s just how eager she was to come here to Jotunheim.”
Then the giant’s poor sister came in, she thought she would claim the customary gift from the bride: “Give me some of your golden rings, if you want to win my love, my affection, a good welcome from me.”
Then Thrym, king of giants, spoke: “Bring in the hammer to bless the bride, lay Mjollnir on the bride’s knees. May Var, goddess of wedding vows, bless us.”
Then Thor, that tough-minded fighter, laughed with a full heart gripping his hammer. First he killed Thrym, king of giants, then he crippled all the giant’s kin.
Then he killed the giant’s old sister, the one who had asked him for the customary gift— she received a blow instead of money, a hammer to her head instead of golden rings— and this is the way Odin’s son got his hammer back.