's Blogs

ONE day the god Thor set out, in his car drawn by two he-goats, named Tanngnjóstr and Tanngrisnir and accompanied by Loki, on a journey. Each evening Thor cooks the goats, and their flesh provides sustenance for the god, and, after Thor resurrects them with his hammer,Mjöllnir, they are brought back to life the next day. Night coming on, they put up at a peasant’s cottage, when Thor killed his goats, and after flaying them put them in the kettle. When the meat was cooked, he sat down with Loki to supper, and invited the peasant and his family to partake of the meal. The peasant’s son was named Thjalfi, and his daughter Röska. Thor told them to throw all the bones into the goats’ skins, which were spread out near the fireplace; but young Thjalfi broke one of the shank-bones with his knife, to suck the marrow out. When Thor awoke at dawn and when he was dressed took  Mjöllnir, and lifting it up, consecrated the goats’ skins, which he had no sooner done than the two goats returned to their natural goat form, but he noticed that one limped in one of its hind legs. Thor, perceiving this, said that the peasant or one of his family had handled the shank-bone of this goat too roughly, for he saw clearly that it was broken. One can imagine how frightened the peasant was, when he saw Thor furrow his brows, and grasp the handle of Mjölnir with such force that the joints of his fingers became white from the exertion. Fearing to be struck down by the very looks of the god, the peasant and his family asked for pardon, offering whatever they possessed as an atonement for the offense committed. Thor, seeing their fear, retreated from his wrath and became more forgiving, and finally relented and took the peasant’s children, Thjalfi and Röska, who became his bond-servants, and have followed him ever since.