Sol, the Sun, and Mani, the
Moon. She had a third son, who was Managarm, the wolf who was to be
filled with the life-blood of men, who was to swallow up the Moon, and
stain the heavens and earth with blood. To Jarnvid, the Iron Wood, Loki
made his way. And he wed one of the witches there, Angerboda, and they
had children that took on dread shapes. Loki's offspring were the most
terrible of the foes that were to come against the AEsir and the Vanir in
the time that was called the Twilight of the Gods.

[Illustration]

THE VALKYRIE

Against the time when the riders of Muspelheim, with the Giants and the
evil powers of the Underworld, would bring on battle, Odin All-Father
was preparing a host of defenders for Asgard. They were not of the AEsir
nor of the Vanir; they were of the race of mortal men, heroes chosen
from amongst the slain on fields of battle in Midgard.

To choose the heroes, and to give victory to those whom he willed to
have victory, Odin had battle-maidens that went to the fields of war.
Beautiful were those battle-maidens and fearless; wise were they also,
for to them Odin showed the Runes of Wisdom. Valkyries, Choosers of the
Slain, they were named.

Those who were chosen on the fields of the slain were called in Asgard
the Einherjar. For them Odin made ready a great Hall. Valhalla, the Hall
of the Slain, it was called. Five hundred and forty doors had Valhalla,
and out of each door eight hundred Champions might pass. Every day the
Champions put on their armor and took their weapons down from the walls,
and went forth and battled with each other. All who were wounded were
made whole again, and in peace and goodly fellowship they sat down to
the feast that Odin prepared for them. Odin himself sat with his
Champions, drinking wine but eating no meat.

For meat the Champions ate the flesh of the boar Saehrimnir; every day
the boar was killed and cooked, and every morning it was whole again.
For drink they had the mead that was made from the milk of the goat
Heidrun, the goat that browsed on the leaves of the tree Laeradir. And
the Valkyries, the wise and fearless battle-maidens, went amongst them,
filling up the drinking-horns with the heady mead.

Youngest of all the battle-maidens was Brynhild. Nevertheless, to her
Odin All-Father had shown more of the Runes of Wisdom than he had shown
to any of her sisters. And when the time came for Brynhild to journey
down into Midgard he gave her a swan