e lonely traveller, at times, by the marvellous beauty
of the melodies they sang to beguile the hours at their tasks.

CHAPTER IV: THOR

The Thunderer

According to some mythologists, Thor, or Donar, is the son of Joerd
(Erda) and of Odin, but others state that his mother was Frigga,
queen of the gods. This child was very remarkable for his great size
and strength, and very soon after his birth amazed the assembled
gods by playfully lifting and throwing about ten great bales of bear
skins. Although generally good-tempered, Thor would occasionally fly
into a terrible rage, and as he was very dangerous at these times, his
mother, unable to control him, sent him away from home and entrusted
him to the care of Vingnir (the winged), and of Hlora (heat). These
foster-parents, who are also considered as the personification of
sheet-lightning, soon managed to control their troublesome charge, and
brought him up so wisely, that the gods entertained a very grateful
recollection of their kind offices. Thor himself, recognising all he
owed them, assumed the names of Vingthor and Hlorridi, by which he
is also known.

"Cry on, Vingi-Thor,
With the dancing of the ring-mail and the smitten shields of war."

Sigurd the Volsung (William Morris).

Having attained his full growth and the age of reason, Thor was
admitted to Asgard among the other gods, where he occupied one of the
twelve seats in the great judgment hall. He was also given the realm
of Thrud-vang or Thrud-heim, where he built a wonderful palace called
Bilskirnir (lightning), the most spacious in all Asgard. It contained
five hundred and forty halls for the accommodation of the thralls,
who after death were welcomed to his home, where they received equal
treatment with their masters in Valhalla, for Thor was the patron
god of the peasants and lower classes.

"Five hundred halls
And forty more,
Methinketh, hath
Bowed Bilskirnir.
Of houses roofed
There's none I know
My son's surpassing."

Saemund's Edda (Percy's tr.).

As he was god of thunder, Thor alone was never allowed to pass over
the wonderful bridge Bifroest, lest he should set it aflame by the
heat of his presence; and when he wished to join his fellow gods by
the Urdar fountain, under the shade of the sacred tree Yggdrasil, he
was forced to make his way thither on foot, wading through the rivers
Kormt