r that he, a pretended
wanderer, was an enchanter who would put the king under a spell.

Scarcely had the messenger fulfilled his mission when Odin knocked at
the great door of the palace and begged for food and shelter. He had
not the slightest doubt that these would be granted him, for
inhospitality to strangers was one of the greatest crimes a Northman
could commit.

Judge then of his surprise when, instead of being offered a seat at
the supper-table and a bed for the night, he was seized by the beard,
and dragged roughly into the presence of Geirrod.

"Where do you come from, and what is your name, O miserable old man?"
asked the angry king.

"My name is Grimnir," answered Odin, now well on his guard, "but where
I come from I will not say, since that is my concern alone."

Then the king's wrath knew no bounds, and finding it impossible to
make the old man speak, he ordered that he should be chained to a
pillar between two fires, whose flames scorched him on either side
without actually burning him.

For eight days and nights was Odin imprisoned thus, and during all
that time the cruel Geirrod would give him neither food nor drink, and
kept close watch to see that he obtained them from no one else.

But one night, when the watchmen were drowsy from the heat of the
fire, a serving-man came stealthily over the floor, a horn of ale in
his hand. Holding this to the parched lips of the prisoner, he gave
him a long, cool drink; and then did Odin recognize the features of
Agnar, brother of the king, who should have been king in his stead.

The next evening, as Geirrod sat at the head of the table gloating
over the sufferings of his prisoner, Odin suddenly began to sing.
Softly the notes began, but soon they grew louder and louder, till the
great hall echoed and re-echoed the song of triumph. And at length he
sang how Geirrod, who had so long enjoyed the favour of the gods, was
now about to meet the just reward of his misdeeds:

"Thy life is now run out:
Wroth with thee are the gods:
Odin thou now shalt see:
Draw near me if thou canst."

With these words the chain fell from off his hands, the flames shot up
to the roof and died away, and Odin stood in the midst of the hall, no
longer a poor and suffering wayfarer, but revealed in all the might
and majesty of a god.

Directly he had understood the meaning of the song, Geirrod had risen
to his feet with drawn sword, meaning to kill his prisoner,