Thor in the hall of Utgard-Loke

The giant’s glove

Literature On a journey, Thor and his companions slept in what they took to be a hall. In the morning a giant called Skrymer picked it up: it was his glove. Snorri Sturluson, The Younger Edda (the Prose Edda), trans. Rasmus B. Anderson, Project Gutenberg ↗

The contests

Literature At the burg of Utgard-Loke, Loke had an eating match with Loge. Loke ate all the meat off the bones, but Loge ate the meat, the bones and the trough too. Snorri Sturluson, The Younger Edda (the Prose Edda), trans. Rasmus B. Anderson, Project Gutenberg ↗

Literature Thor’s companion Thjalfe ran a race against a young man called Huge. In the first heat, Huge was so far ahead that he turned at the goal and met Thjalfe still coming. Snorri Sturluson, The Younger Edda (the Prose Edda), trans. Rasmus B. Anderson, Project Gutenberg ↗

Literature Thor was handed a long drinking horn. Utgard-Loke said that even the poorest drinker could empty it in three draughts, but however hard Thor drank, it hardly seemed to go down. Snorri Sturluson, The Younger Edda (the Prose Edda), trans. Rasmus B. Anderson, Project Gutenberg ↗

Literature Thor tried to lift a large grey cat, but the cat only lifted one foot. Then he wrestled with Utgard-Loke’s old foster-mother, Elle. Snorri Sturluson, The Younger Edda (the Prose Edda), trans. Rasmus B. Anderson, Project Gutenberg ↗

The truth

Literature When Thor left, Utgard-Loke told him the truth. Loge was wildfire, and Huge was Utgard-Loke’s own thought. One end of the horn stood in the sea. Snorri Sturluson, The Younger Edda (the Prose Edda), trans. Rasmus B. Anderson, Project Gutenberg ↗

Literature Thor had drunk so much that the sea sank: ‘that is now called the ebb’. The cat was really the Midgard-serpent, and Elle was old age, which in the end gets the better of everyone. Snorri Sturluson, The Younger Edda (the Prose Edda), trans. Rasmus B. Anderson, Project Gutenberg ↗

Literature Thor’s belt of strength, Megingjarder, doubles his strength, and he needs his iron gloves to hold his hammer. Snorri Sturluson, The Younger Edda (the Prose Edda), trans. Rasmus B. Anderson, Project Gutenberg ↗