THIS MYTH IS CURTSEY OF BILBO'S WORLD
Thor loved Sif without limits and was especially proud of her hair. Before he left, he kissed his wife goodbye. That night Sif slept alone in their bedroom, in Thor’s magnificent hall, Bilskirnir. No one noticed a lone figure creeping through Thrudheim and into Bilskirnir that night. The Shape-Changer was able to enter Sif’s bedroom unnoticed. Breaking into places where he did not belong was not new for Loki. It was his nature to go where he was neither wanted or did not belong. With ease he crept to Sif’s bed, and smiled to himself as he watched the goddess sleeping. He pulled out a knife and bent over Sif. She continued to sleep, breathing deeply, unaware of the evil that the Trickster was about to perform upon her. As the symbol of healthy and pure love between man and women, Loki hated her. He smiled to himself at the thought that her husband, Thor, her protector, had left her so defenseless. Loki looked at Sif’ golden locks that were spread about the bed. He ever so gently took the strands of hair in one and with the other, he quickly cut the locks from Sif’s head. By the time he was done, Sif was bald. Loki left the hair sprawled about the bedroom floor. After tucking his knife away, he grinned with delight at the evil he had preformed, and then swiftly and stealthy departed.
When Thor had returned, he hurriedly went to his wife’s side, but to his amazement, he found his beloved Sif lying in her bed, hiding under the covers and crying. When Thor asked her what was wrong, she continued to cry and begged him to leave, for she did not want him to see her. But Thor insisted and being his wife, she consented as a good wife should and pulled the covers aside.
Thor gasped in horror at the sight of his beloved Sif. She sat on the bed and looked up at her husband through tear-filled eyes. Thor could not speak at the sight of Sif sitting before him totally bald. Only after the light that shined from within her perfect heart filled the room did Thor noticed for the first time, Sif’ golden locks strewed about the floor. Thor stepped back in horror and shook with anger. Raising his head to the roof and with arms stretched wide, he let out a cry of anguish so terrible that all the gods and goddesses throughout Asgard could hear it. When Thor looked back at his wife and saw the pain in her eyes, he fell onto the bed and took his wife in his arms and hung her close to his breast, covering her face with kisses as he tried to comfort her. Her sorrow now pained him more than the lost of her hair that he loved so much, for he loved his wife more than life itself.
"There could be only one creature so vile, so despicable to do such a dastardly thing - Loki!" Thor cried out. Springing to his feet he charged out of the Bilskirnir in a rage that would put even a berserker to shame. His anger caused black clouds to gather and lightning and thunder to fill the skies, as Thor went in search of Loki.
Loki heard Thor’s cries and tried to hide from him by changing his shape, but no matter what shape he took, there was no way he could hide from the anger and hate that burned in Thor heart. His hate and rage gave Thor a sight that could see all truths and tear apart all lies. Thor soon overtook the Evil-doer, and grabbing him by the throat he lift him off his feet.
With feet dangling in mid-air Loki begged for forgiveness. "A harmless prank," Loki cried, as he tried to loosen Thor’s grip around his neck. "Please, Thor, it was only a joke. I meant no harm."
"Is this you’re idea of a joke?" Thor demanded. "Would you like to see my idea of a joke?" As Thor held Loki with one hand he raised his other hand, which was closed into a fist, and was about to slam it down on the head of the Trickster.
"A Joke!" Loki cried once more. "I meant no harm and I will undo the harm that I did."
It was not the whining of Loki that stilled Thor’s wrath, but the sobs of his wife. For if there was a chance, no matter how small, to under the harm that Loki did to Sif, Thor would agree to spare Loki. His love for Sif was greater than his hatred for Loki. "What can you do to make amens?" Thor asked.
Loki looked at Sif for a moment. His tongue licked his lips and his fertile mind search for a solution. "I will replace the hair with hair that is even more noble and graceful," Loki finally said.
Thor loosened his grip. "How?" he asked.
"With the help of my friends, the dwarfs," Loki said. "If anyone has the skill to do it, it is the dwarfs."
"I hope so, for your sake," Thor said, as he dropped Loki to the ground.
Loki released a cry of anguish as his posterior hit the earthen floor.
"If you don’t make good on your promise," Thor growled, "I’ll hunt you down and crush every bone in your body with my bare hands."
Loki hid his fear and put on the best bravo he could conjure-up. He stood tall as he straightened his cloths and brushed off the dust. "No need to worry," Loki said and winked at the Thunder God, and was off before Thor could say another word. Out of Asgard he flew, pass Heimdal and over the Rainbow Bridge he fled and did not stop until he finally reached Svartalfaheim, the realm of the dark dwarfs. He search among the crags and fissions until he came to a great cave. From its mouth smoke and ash bellowed and he knew he had reached his destination. The cave was the home to two dwarfs, the sons of Ivaldi, the Father of the Dwarfs.
Loki wormed his way into the bowls of the earth to Svartalfaheim until he found Ivaldi’s sons hard at work in their smith-shops. Loki asked the sons of Ivaldi for their services, explaining that Sif had lost her hair, though he did not tell them how she lost it, and asked them if they would be so kind as to fashion new hair for her out of the finest and purest gold. "Once I discovered the terrible thing that happened to Thor’s wife, I immediately knew that only the sons of Ivaldi had the skill to help poor, dear Sif," Loki said in the most compassionate voice he could conjure up. "I have come a long way to ask you if you would be so kind as to use your magical skills as smiths, to make such hair?" Loki said.
"But what will we get out of such a deed?"one of the dwarfs asked.
"Why, I’m sure you will receive the everlasting, undying appreciation of mighty Thor and his beautiful wife. And, of course, I too will be in your debt and would be willing to come to your assistance if ever you should have need of it in the future." Then Loki smiled and with a twinkle in his eyes he said, "And everyone knows that the appreciation of three gods is worth a hundred time more than all the gold and riches in the nine worlds."
The dwarfs could see that though Loki was offering only promises, they knew that even promises from the Master of Lies was still binding. And so they agreed to Loki’s request.
"But if you really want to win the good will of the great gods of Asgard, you might want to consider a gift to the All-Father and Frey as well," Loki said. "It couldn’t hurt."
The dwarfs agreed once more and immediately went to work piling wood on their furnace deep in their cave. One of the dwarfs worked the bellows until the fire was white hot, while the other dwarf took gold and place it into the heat while he hammered away, spinning and fashioning the gold into very long and super-fine strands of hair, as he murmured spells of dwarf-magic.
Loki watched with delight. His face glowed from the heat. His hands twisted as he rubbed them together with joy, as he watched the marvelous craftsmanship of the dwarfs. When the dwarfs were finished, they placed the strands of hair over Loki’s outstretched hands. So light and fine they were that even the slightest breath caused them to shimmer.
But the dwarfs did not stop when the hair was completed. They continued to work the bellows and cause the fires to burn even brighter and hotter. Without rest or stopping they quickly forged a great ship that they called Skidbladnir for Frey, and then they proceeded to forge a mighty spear, long and straight, named Grungnir, for Odin. When they had completed these tasks they explained to Loki the magic qualities of the gifts.
"Touch the tips of the hair to Sif’s head and they will immediately and permanently attach themselves to her, and will grow as if they were real hair," the dwarfs explained. "The ship that we made is unlike any other ship. It can sail over water and air and can be folded into a tiny compass and placed in one’s pocket when not being used. The spear will fly true and to the mark every time it is thrown. It will never miss its mark no matter what the circumstances."
Loki was so pleased that he showered the dwarfs with a storm of thanks that seemed endless, even for the Master of Lies. He declared the sons of Ivaldi the greatest smiths in all the nine worlds and promised to let all who he met know of their great gifts of magic and smith-working.
As Loki may his way through the underground passageways of Svartalfaheim a most wondrous idea popped into his nimble mind. He quickly turned around and began to make his way through a long passageway that led to the hall of the two brother-dwarfs, Brokk and Eitri.
When the two dwarfs saw Loki they could see that he was holding three marvelous treasures, the golden hair, the ship and spear. And instead of welcoming him they stared at the treasures. Loki did not protest why they took the treasures from him to examine. Over and over they looked at the three treasures with a scornful snare. Loki could see into their hearts and knew they were filled with envy and jealousy at the marvelous craftsmanship with which they were fashioned.
"You have never see such exquisite workmanship as that which manufactured those items," Loki said, "because there is none that can come close to matching it."
"Not true," Brokk said.
"Oh? Do you know of anyone who could match the skill that fashioned those treasures?" Loki asked.
"Yes, I do," Brook said.
"Who?" asked Loki.
"We can," Eitri said bluntly.
"Really?" Loki said in a slow and methodical way, as if the thought was just now filling his mind. "If your skill is greater, then you should be able to fashion treasures to equal - no, surpass these marvelous devices."
"We could," Brokk said.
"Easily," Eitri said.
"Then do so," Loki demanded.
"Why should we?" asked Brokk.
"To prove to the nine worlds that you two are the master craftsmen," Loki said shrewdly.
"Would you like to make a wager?" asked Brokk.
"Loki thought for a moment and then said. "Yes. I’ll wager my head against your heads that you could not possibly make three treasures the like of these."
The two dwarfs immediately accepted Loki’s wager. They realized that if they were as good as their boost, they could not only rid themselves of Loki once and for all, but the treasures of the sons of Ivaldi would be their’s.
Brokk and Eitri told Loki to remain in the hall, and they provided drink and nourishment for him while they left to fulfill their part of the bet. They departed to their smithy. Brokk began piling wood into the furnace while Eitri place a lump of gold into the fire. He began hammering the gold into long, very thin pieces of gold wire. Next he placed a pig’s skin on the fire and told his brother, "Pump the fires as hard as you can and whatever happens don’t stop until I have finished and pull the treasure from the fire." Eitri said.
Brokk began pumping the bellows as hard as he could and the fires grew white hot. Sweat pored down his face but he did not stop. Then, a small fly appeared and began flying about the two dwarfs. It finally landed on Brokk’s hand and bit him, but Brokk ignored the pain and kept pumping the bellows. Finally, Eitri finished his task and pulled Gullinbursti out of the forge. Gullinbursti was a boar that possessed bristle of gold.
Next, Eitri fetched another block of gold, much larger than the first, and placed it on the forge. Brokk continued to pump the bellows until heat made the gold was soft and malleable. Eitri then began hammering and shaping and told his brother to keep pumping the bellows and stop for nothing.
Brokk did as his brother said, but the same fly returned and landed on Brokk’s neck. It bit him there twice, causing Brokk to flinch, but the dwarf refuse to let go of the bellows. He kept right on pumping them just as his brother instructed. When Eitri finally pulled the treasure he was working on out of the fire, he held a gold arm-ring in his hand.
Finally, Eitri placed a large chunk of iron on the forge and told his brother to pump the fires until the iron was white hot. Brokk did as he was instructed while Eitri hammered and pounded the iron, reshaping it over and over. For a very long time the dwarfs pumped and hammered until they both ached from the pain, but they did not stop. The heat burned their skin red and the sweat poured from them, but still they continued their work uninterrupted. "Do not stop now," Eitri said, "or all our work will be wasted."
As Brokk continued to pump, the fly returned once more and buzzed around Brokk’s head. It finally settled between Brokk’s eyes and bit him on both eyelids. The blood poured down Brokk’s face and into his eyes, blinding him. The dwarf was unable to see what he was doing and for just the smallest moment, he took his hand off the bellows to brush the fly from his forehead and the blood from his eyes. The fly flew out of the smithy chamber and once it was in the outer hall, it immediately transformed itself into its true form - Loki. For Loki had turned himself into the fly to plague the dwarfs in their task. He returned to his seat and drank from his horn of mead, waiting for the dwarfs to return, and pleased with himself.
When Eitri finally pulled the iron from the fire he cried out in anger at what he saw. He held a powerful iron hammer in his hand, but the handle was obviously too short. He examined it carefully, and though he was disappointed by the misshapen handle, he was satisfied that the hammer was not entirely spoiled. He called the hammer Mjollnir. So massive and powerful it was, the two dwarfs stared at each other and nodded their approval that the hammer might be short in the handle, but it was still the most powerful weapon that anyone had ever created.
When they returned to the hall they handed the ring, the boar and the hammer to Loki. "Take this ring, this hammer and boar and present them to the gods as gifts from my brother and myself," Eitri said. "My brother, Brokk, will go with you to Asgard to claim your head."
"Don’t be too sure of that," Loki said.
"I’m sure that when the gods judge the treasures for themselves, they will agree that our treasures are superior to the three that you got from the sons of Ivaldi."
"We will see," Loki said and then he departed with Brokk.
Loki and Brokk finally reached Asgard. Word of their coming had reached Asgard before they arrived. When they finally reached the shining fields of Gladsheim, all the gods were waiting for them sitting in their high seats. Loki immediately began telling the gods of his journey to Svartalfaheim and bragged how he was clever enough to exploit the greed and envy of the dwarfs to extract from them six gifts.
Brokk listened to Loki tell of how he was able to convince the dwarfs to create the gifts and finally said, "Talk it up, Loki, for soon you will lose you head and the power to speak."
"What do you mean?" asked Odin.
Brokk told the All-Father of his wager with Loki and it was agreed that the gods, Odin, Thor and Frey, would sit in judgement and decide which of the gifts were greater. Loki began describing the gifts that the sons of Ivaldi created for the gods.
"This spear is for you, Odin," Loki said. "It is named Grungnir and when you throw it, it will always hit its mark." Odin took the spear and examined it carefully. "You can use the spear to stir up wars and make men keep their oaths."
Loki then turned to Frey and gave him Skidbladnir. "This is the most remarkable ship," Loki said. "You can fold it small enough to place it in your pocket, and yet it is big enough to hold an entire army armed to the teeth. As soon as you hoist its sail, it will sail over water and sky and never fail to find enough wind to propel it.
Finally, Loki turned to Sif. "My third gift is the fulfillment of my promise to Sif and Thor." He presented the long, flowing strands of gold hair to Sif. "Place it to your head and it will take root and grow as if it were your own hair. Your beauty will be restored and then some."
Sif took the hair and did as Loki said. As soon as she placed it to her head, the hair took root and it was as if she had never lost her long, flowing hair. Everyone at Gladsheim cheered for Sif, who was more beautiful than ever.
After Loki was finished presenting his gifts, Brokk stepped forward with his gifts. "I have here a gold arm-ring," he said. "It is a gift for the all-wise Odin. It is known as Draupnir and it is not merely a ring made of gold. Every ninth night, eight additional gold rings will drop from it."
Brokk next turned to Frey and presented him with his gift. This bor of gold is named Gullinbursti. He has the power to run faster than any horse or steed, and he will never grow fatigued. He can run over land, sea and air, but there is more. Because his hair is made of gold, where ever he run, even at night or in the darkest caverns, he will always take the light of the sun with him, for his golden hair will shine like the sun.
"My third treasure is for the mighty Thor," Brokk said "It is a hammer and its named is Mjollnir. Within it is the power of the thunderbolt. Nothing can break it and no weapon is as powerful as this hammer." The Storm God took the hammer and raised it. It took all his strength to lift it. "It will hit its mark every time you throw it," Brokk said. "And it will always return to your hand, not matter how far you throw it. And when you are not using it, you can make it small enough to hide in your shirt or pocket." All the gods stared at the hammer. Never had they seem such a weapon possessing such powerful magic. "There is only one small flaw in the hammer, Brokk confessed. "Its handle is too short, but I think it may actually be a benefit, for it is easier to throw because if it." Brokk looked at Loki and smiled.
Odin, Thor and Frey did not need any time to consider their decision. They were all of one mind and considered the hammer, Mjollnir, the most important gift of all. It was more important than all the other gifts collectively because such a powerful weapon as the hammer could defend Asgard against any attack by the giants.
"We have decided in favor of Brokk," Odin said. "Brokk has won the wager."
"Then I will have Loki’s head, just as we agreed," Brokk aid.
"Instead of my head, which is useless to you, I will give you its weight in gold," Loki said.
"I have all the gold I need and more," Brokk said. "I will have your head."
"Then you will have to take it, if you can," Loki said, and he then raced away as fast as he could, running out of Gladsheim. Loki was wearing his shoes which could fly and carry him over land and water. Before Brokk could even turn to look at the Trickster, Loki was far away. The gods laughed at the way Loki tricked the dwarf.
Brokk turned to Thor. "Where is the honor of the gods? I have been cheated by Loki and the gods do nothing. I thought honor was the essence of the gods?"
Thor, who was still not pleased with Loki over what he did to Sif, agreed to bring Loki back to Asgard and make him pay the price he agreed to with Brokk.
It was not long after Thor stormed out of Gladsheim that he returned with Loki, dragging him by the neck.
"Now I will have his head," Brokk said.
"Wait just a moment," Loki said as Brokk reached for his knife. "It’s true I agreed to surrender my head, and it now belongs to you, but my neck is still mine. You may not touch any part of my neck."
The gods laughed and nodded at Loki’s demand. Brokk realized that Loki had tricked him once more.
"If your head is mine, then I will do with it as I please without touching you neck," Brokk said. "If I can’t cut it off to stop your lies then I can as least sew your lying mouth shut."
Loki laughed at Brokk, but the dwarf was serious. Brokk pulled out some cord and tried to cut holes into Loki’s lips with his knife, but failed. No matter of knife could pierce the lips of the Master of Lies. He then spoke some magic words and a very sharp awl appeared in Brokk’s hand. "This is the awl that belongs to my brother, Eitri, and it is sharp enough to cut through even the lies of Loki. Sharp truth can easily cut holes through any falsehood." He then grabbed Loki by the head and began sewing up his lips with the awl.
After Brokk release Loki, the Trickster ran from Gladsheim. Once outside, he ripped the cord from his lips, screaming in pain as he did. He remained outside of the hall, but he could hear the laugher inside and it burned hot in his twisted mind. He swore he would have his revenge on the gods for choosing the dwarf over him and permitting his mouth to be sewed up. The evil in his heart swelled. His lips slowly curled into the most wicked and twisted smile.
We must never forget that Loki is the destroyer of the folk. He cuts the hair from Sif, the Life-Force, and he must make restitution. He does this through the materialist powers of the dwarfs and uses deception and trickery to do it. He then tries to cheat the dwarfs and in the end the only way to curb his lies is with the sharp awl of truth. The evil doer must be made to undo the evil he does. It is the old story of a reaction to every action. Loki’s crime against Sif, the reproductive powers of the folk, compels the gods to force him to produce good in the form life-giving treasures; Draupnir, the ring of reproduction and resurrection, Odin’s spear which is not only the instrument of war, but the defender of oaths and honor, both Frey’s gifts, the ship Skidbladnir and the boar, Gullinbursti are symbols of fertility and protection. But most of all, it is Thor’s hammer that is the greatest good that comes out of Loki’s crimes. Its power is not only destructive. Mjollnir also has the power of fertility and resurrection. Like nuclear power it can both destroy and create.