Northern mythology

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48 NORTHERN MYTHOLOGY.
entrance Gerd says, "Which of the Alfar's, or of the
^sii-^s or the wise Vanii-^s sons art thou ? Why comest
thou alone over raging flames ^ to see our halls V' Skirnir
then declares his errand. For a long time she withstood
his prayer, that she would dwell with Frey. He promised
her eleven golden apples, in reward for her love, but she
would not accept them. He promised to give her the ring
Draupnir, which had been laid on the pile with Odin^s
young son Baldur, but she declined it, saying that she
lacked not gold in her father^s house. He threatened to
strike off her head, with the bright
his hand, under which even the old
sword that he held in
giant her father must
sink ; to strike her with the taming wand ; that she shoidd
go where tlie sons of men would never see her more
should pass her life on the eaglets mount, turned from the
world towards Hel, and food should be more loathsome
to her than Midgard^s sei'pent^ to the sons of men ; that
when she comes out she should be a spectacle at which
Hrimnir and all beings would stare, a monster set forth
for mockery and scorn. " Sit," said he, '^^and I will announce
to thee a
dire flood of bitterness, and double misery.
Terrors shall beset thee all the day in the giants^
dwellings ; each day shalt thou wander about without joy
weeping shall be thy lot, instead of pastime, and tears shall
accompany thy pain. With a three-headed giant thou
shalt drag out thy life, or die a maiden ; from morn to
morn thy mind shall be in alarm, and thou shalt be as the
thistle that withers on the house-top." Then swinging
over her his magic wand, he pronounced the malediction,
" Wroth with thee is Odin ! Wroth with thee is the ^F^sir^s
prince ! Frey shall shun thee, thou evil maiden ! when
J
See the account of Brynhild's bower in tlie story of the Volsungs hereafter
; also Fiolsvinnsmal, Str. 2. Such fiery fences round a ' borg' seem to
have been not unfrequent.
- Of this monster hereafter.