Chapters 114-123 - Germanic Mythology

The Gandvik champion who rescues himself on Thor's shoulders, while the rest of
them hold fast to his girdle, is a famous archer, and so well known to the audience of
Þórsdrápa, that it was not necessary to mention him by name in order to make it clear
who he was. In fact, the epithet applied to him, "the god of the bow" (áss kykva nauðar,
and in strophe 18, tvíviðar Týr), 29 is quite sufficient to designate him as the foremost
archer of mythology, Örvandil-Egil, who is here carried on Thor's shoulders through the
rampaging rapids, just as on another and later occasion he was carried by Thor in his
basket across the Elivogar. Already in strophe 4 he is referred to as the hero agile in mind
and body, who is known for his hospitality, and who gave compensation for Loki's
misdeed. The foremost one next to him among Gandvik's champions is Thjalfi, Egil's
foster-son. The others are designated as Thjalfi's ýta sinni, his troop of men. 30
Thus we find that the two foremost among "Gang's warrior-vans," who with Thor
marched forth from "Idi's chalet," before Rögnir (Thjazi) became Loki's ally, are
Völund's and Slagfinn's brother Egil and Egil's foster-son Thjalfi. We find that Egil and
Thjalfi belong to the inhabitants of Idi's chalet, where Thor on this occasion was taken in,
and also where he had left his chariot and team, because now as on other occasions, he
walks on foot to Jötunheim. And when in other sources Egil is mentioned as the one who
on such occasions gives lodgings to Thor and his team, and when Þórsdrápa also
indicates that he is the hospitable host who had received Thor into his house, and had
gave him compensation for the damage that Loki caused his team, then this must be a
most satisfactory [710] evidence that Idi's chalet is the same place as Geirvaðils setur
inhabited by Egil and his brothers, and that Örvandil-Egil is the same as either Idi or
Gang, from which it follows, again, that Alvaldi's (Ölvaldi's) sons, Idi, Gang, and Thjazi,
are identical to Ivaldi's sons, Slagfinn, Egil, and Völund.
That Egil is identical to Gang and not to Idi is apparent from a comparison with
the Grotti-song. There Ölvaldi's sons are called Iði, Aurnir, and Þjazi, while in the Prose
Edda they are called Iði, Gangur, and Þjazi. Thus Aurnir is identical to Gangur, and as
Aurnir means "wild boar," and as "wild boar" (Ebur, Ibor, Ebbo) is an epithet of Egil,
Örvandil-Egil must be identical with Gang.
In regard to the remaining parts of Þórsdrápa I can cut myself short, because it is
of less interest to the subject under discussion.
Strophe 10. In spite of the perilous adventure described above, the hearts of
Thjalfi and Gandvik's champions were no more terrified than Thor's. Here they are
designated as eiðs fjarðar, "the oath-pledged men with which is to be compared eiðsvara
friðar in strophe 8. 31
Strophes 11, 12, show that Thor came to land successfully with his large load.
Scarcely had he and his companions gotten firm footing on the other strand before
wolves), who live in the place below, then are Geirröðr's giants, already referred to as wolves in 11/1-4.
Similarly, Faulkes reads: "the calves [giants] of the secret cave of elf-world's shine [in the darkness of the
mountains]."
29 The first is now considered a kenning for Thor and the second is now considered to be parts of two more
kennings for Thor in the poem: tvíviðar tollur, "pole of the bow" [warrior] and karms tývi , "the god of the
chariot" [Thor]," Tollurr (here dative) is taken to mean "pole, stave". The "pole of the bow" is a kenning for
"archer", thus "warrior". Thor is the "archer (warrior)" then designated as "god of the chariot."
30 A modern reading takes this as a kenning for Thor, "helper of men."
31 Sveinbjörn Egilsson reads: eiðs firðar hlaut ógndjarfan hug, meira arfi. "the men of oath had a battlebold
mind, greater than inheritance (riches)".