Ægir, who was also called Gymir, had prepared ale for the gods, after he had got the mighty kettle, as now has been told.
To this feast came Othin and Frigg, his wife. Thor came not, as he was on a journey in the East. Sif, Thor's wife, was there, and Brag, with
Ithun, his wife. Tyr, who had but one hand, was there; the wolf Fenrir had bitten off his other hand when they had bound him. There were Njorth
and Skathi his wife, Freyr and Freyja, and Vithar, the son of Othin. Loki was there, and Freyr's servants Byggvir and Beyla. Many were there of
the gods and elves.
Ægir had two serving-men, Fimafeng and Eldir. Glittering gold they had in place of firelight; the ale came in of itself; and great was
the peace. The guests praised much the ability of Ægir's serving-men. Loki might not endure that, and he slew Fimafeng. Then the gods shook their shields
and howled at Loki and drove him away to the forest, and thereafter set to drinking again. Loki turned back, and outside he met Eldir. Loki spoke to
him:
1. "Speak now, Eldir, | for not one step
Farther shalt thou fare;
What ale-talk here | do they have within,
The sons of the glorious gods?"
Eldir spake:
2. "Of their weapons they talk, | and their might in war,
The sons of the glorious gods;
From the gods and elves | who are gathered here
No friend in words shalt thou find."
Loki spake:
3. "In shall I go | into Ægir's hall,
For the feast I fain would see;
Bale and hatred | I bring to the gods,
And their mead with venom I mix."
Eldir spake:
4. "If in thou goest | to Ægir's hall,
And fain the feast wouldst see,
And with slander and spite | wouldst sprinkle the gods,
Think well lest they wipe it on thee."
Loki spake:
5. "Bethink thee, Eldir, | if thou and I
Shall strive with spiteful speech;
Richer I grow | in ready words
If thou speakest too much to me."
[Prose. Ægir: the sea-god; Snorri gives Hler as another of his names, but he is not elsewhere called Gymir, which is the name of the giant,
Gerth's father, in the Skirnismol. On Ægir cf. Grimnismol, 45, and Hymiskvitha, 1. Frigg: though Othin's wife is often mentioned, she plays
only a minor part in the Eddic poems; cf. Voluspo, 34, Vafthruthnismol, I, and Grimnismol, introductory prose. Thor: the compiler is apparently a trifle
confused as to Thor's movements; the "Journey in the East" here mentioned cannot be the one described in the Hymiskvitha, nor yet the one narrated by
Snorri, as Loki was with Thor through out that expedition. He probably means no more than that Thor was off killing giants. Sif: concerning Thor's wife
the chief incident is that Loki cut off her hair, and, at the command of the wrathful Thor, was compelled to have the dwarfs fashion her a new supply of
hair out of gold; cf. Harbarthsljoth, 48. Bragi: the god of poetry; cf. Grimnismol, 44 and note. Ithun: the goddess of youth; cf. note on Skirnismol, 19.
Ithun is not mentioned by name in any other of the Eddic poems, but Snorri tells in detail how the giant Thjazi stole her and her apples, explaining the
reference in Harbarthsljoth, 19 (q. v.). Tyr: the god of battle; cf. Hymiskvitha, 4, and (concerning his dealings with the wolf Fenrir) Voluspo, 39, note.
Njorth: the chief of the Wanes, and father of Freyr and Freyja; cf. (concerning the whole family) Skirnismol, introductory prose and note, also Voluspo, 21
and note. Skathi: Njorth's wife was the daughter of the giant Thjazi; cf. Harbarthsljoth, 19, note, and Grimnismol, 17. Vithar: the silent god, the son of
Othin who avenged his father by slaying the wolf Fenrir; cf. Voluspo, 54, Vafthruthnismol, 51, and Grimnismol, 17. Loki: the mischief-making fire-god; in
addition to the many references to his career in the Lokasenna, cf. particularly Voluspo, 32 and 35, and notes. Byggvir and Beyla: not mentioned elsewhere
in the poems; Freyr's conspicuous servant is Skirnir, hero of the Skirnismol. Fimafeng ("The Swift Handler") {footnote p. 153} and Eldir ("The Man of the Fire"):
mentioned only in connection with this incident. Glittering gold: Ægir's use of gold to light his hall, which was often thought of as under the sea, was
responsible for the phrase "flame of the flood," and sundry kindred phrases, meaning "gold."]
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Ægir, er öðru nafni hét Gymir, hann hafði búit ásum öl, þá er hann hafði fengit ketil inn mikla, sem nú er sagt. Til þeirar veizlu kom Óðinn ok
Frigg, kona hans. Þórr kom eigi, því at hann var í austrvegi. Sif var þar, kona Þórs, Bragi ok Iðunn, kona hans. Týr var þar. Hann var einhendr, -
Fenrisúlfr sleit hönd af honum, þá er hann var bundinn. Þar var Njörðr ok kona hans Skaði, Freyr ok Freyja, Víðarr, son Óðins. Loki var þar ok
þjónustumenn Freys, Byggvir ok Beyla. Margt var þar ása ok alfa. Ægir átti tvá þjónustumenn, Fimafengr ok Eldir. Þar var lýsigull haft fyrir elts
ljós. Sjálft barst þar öl. Þar var griðastaðr mikill. Menn lofuðu mjök, hversu góðir þjónustumenn Ægis váru. Loki mátti eigi heyra þat, ok drap hann
Fimafeng. Þá skóku æsir skjöldu sína ok æpðu at Loka ok eltu hann braut til skógar, en þeir fóru at drekka. Loki hvarf aftr ok hitti úti Eldi. Loki
kvaddi hann:
1. "Segðu þat, Eldir, svá at þú einugi
feti gangir framar, hvat hér inni
hafa at ölmálum sigtíva synir."
Eldir kvað:
2. "Of vápn sín dæma ok um vígrisni sína
sigtíva synir;
ása ok alfa er hér inni eru,
manngi er þér í orði vinr."
Loki kvað:
3. "Inn skal ganga Ægis hallir í
á þat sumbl at sjá;
jöll ok áfu færi ek ása sonum,
ok blend ek þeim svá meini mjöð."
Eldir kvað:
4. "Veiztu, ef þú inn gengr Ægis hallir í
á þat sumbl at sjá, hrópi ok rógi
ef þú eyss á holl regin,
á þér munu þau þerra þat."
Loki kvað:
5. "Veiztu þat, Eldir, ef vit einir skulum
sáryrðum sakask, auðigr verða
mun ek í andsvörum,
ef þú mælir til margt."
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