Brísingamen

Oh, how I should joy to wear it.

It is the necklace Brisingamen, said the one who was called Gullveig.

It is yours to wear, wife of Odur, said the one who held it in her hands.

Freya took the shining necklace and clasped it round her throat.

"'Oh, take us off the rock, good Suttung,' they cried out to him.

"'Take us off the rock and we will give you gold and jewels.

Take us off the rock and we will give you a necklace as beautiful as Brisingamen.' So they cried out to him, but the giant Suttung only laughed at them.

He had no need of gold or jewels.

Oh, how I should joy to wear it.

It is the necklace Brisingamen, said the one who was called Gullveig.

It is yours to wear, wife of Odur, said the one who held it in her hands.

Freya took the shining necklace and clasped it round her throat.

She could not bring herself to thank the giant women, for she saw that there was evil in their eyes.

She made reverence to them, however, and she went from the mountain on which they sat overlooking the world of men.

In a while she looked down and saw Brisingamen and her misery went from her.

It was the most beautiful thing ever made by hands.

"There is shadow where you sit, women, but the necklace you hold makes brightness now.

Oh, how I should joy to wear it." "It is the necklace Brisingamen," said the one who was called Gullveig.

"It is yours to wear, wife of Odur," said the one who held it in her hands.

Freya took the shining necklace and clasped it round her throat.

She could not bring herself to thank the giant women, for she saw that there was evil in their eyes.

She made reverence to them, however, and she went from the mountain on which they sat overlooking the world of men.

In a while she looked down and saw Brisingamen and her misery went from her.

It was the most beautiful thing ever made by hands.

Part 1.

The Necklace Brisingamen Now, though Frey was made King and Schoolmaster of the Light Elves, and spent the greater part of his time with them in Alfheim.

His sister, Freya, remained in the city of Asgard, and had a palace built for her named Folkvang.

In this palace there was one very beautiful hall, Sesrimnir, the roomy seated, where Freya entertained her guests, and she had always plenty of them, for everyone liked to look at her beautiful face and listen to her enchanting music.

Accordingly, she walked on to where the four dwarfs were sitting and peeped over their shoulders.

Oh, brilliant! Exquisitely worked! bewildering.

Freya drew back again with almost blinded eyes, for she had looked upon the necklace Brisingamen, and at the same moment a passionate wish burst forth in her heart, to have it for her own, to wear it in Valhalla, to wear it always round her own fair neck.

Life to me, said Freya, is no longer worth having without Brisingamen.

"You cannot go from us now until the cock of svart heim crew" They said then one and another of the dwarfs pressed up to her and kissed her.

They made her sit down beside them on heaps of skins they had when she wept they screamed at her and beat her one when she would not kiss him on the mouth bit her hands so freyja stayed with the dwarf's until the cocks of Swarthout grew they showed her the mountain on top of which the three banished from Asgard had their abode the giant woman sat overlooking the world of men What would you have from us wife of odor? One who was called Gullveig said to her alas Now that I have found you i know that i should ask you for naught freeh said speak vana said the second of the giant women the third said nothing but she hailed up in her hands a necklace of gold most curiously fashioned How bright it is! Freyja said there is shadow where you sit women but the necklace you hold makes brightness now oh how i should joy to wear it Is the necklace brisingamen said the one who was called gullveig it is yours to wear Wife of odur said the one who held it in her hands freya took the shining necklace and clasped it 'round her throat she could not bring herself to thank the giant women for she saw that there was evil in their eyes she made reverence to them however and she went from the mountain on which they sat overlooking the world of men In awhile she looked down and saw Brisingamen and her misery went from her.

It was the most beautiful thing ever made by hands none of the asyni or none of the vanir possessed a things so beautiful it made her more and more lovely and odur she thought would forgive her when he saw how beautiful and how happy brisen gamin made her She rose up from amongst the flowers and took leave of the slight elves and she made her way into Asgard all who greeted her looked long and with wonder upon the necklace that she wore And into the eyes of the goddesses there came a look of longing When they saw brisin gaman But frea hardly stopped to speak to anyone As swiftly as she could she made her way to her own Palace she would show herself to odeur and win his forgiveness She entered her shining palace and called to him No answer came Her child the little hinosa Was on the floor playing Her mother took her in her arms but the child when she looked on brissen Gaman turned away crying Freya left noosa down and searched again for odour He was not in any part of their palace She went into the houses of all who dwelt an asgard Asking for tidings of him None knew Where he had gone to At last frayer went back to their palace and waited and waited for audier to return But audio did not come One came to her It was a goddess Odin's wife the Queen Lee frigga You are waiting for odd your husband Friga said Ah let me tell you odair will not come to you here He went when for the sake of a shining thing you did what would make him unhappy O dear has gone from Asgard And no one knows where to search for him I will seek him outside of Asgard Fraye said She wept no more But she took the little child honosah and put her in frigas arms Then she mounted her car that was drawn by two cats and journeyed down from Asgard to midgard the earth To search for order her husband Year in and year out and all over the earth freya went searching and calling for the lost odor She went as far as the bounds of the earth where she could look over to yotten Heim where dwelled the giant who would have carried her off with the sun and the moon as payment for the building of the wall around Asgard But in no place From the end of the rainbow bifrost That stretched from Asgarde to the earth through the boundary of jottenheim Did she find a trace of her husband auger At last she turned her card toward BifrostThe Rainbow Bridge that stretched from Midgar the EarthTo Asgaard the dwelling of the godsHeimdall the watcher for the GodsGuarded the Rainbow BridgeTo him freya went with half hope fluttering in her heartOh heimdahl she cried Oh hi mcdonald Watcher for the GodsSpeak and tell me if you know where Audie isOdd years in every place where the Searcher has not comeOrder is in every place that the Searcher has leftThose who seek him will never find audioSaid hymnalthe water for the Godsthen freyas stood on befrost and weptFriggathe queenly Goddess heard the sound of her weepingAnd came out of Asgard to comfort "Ah, what comfort can you give me, Frigga?" cried Freya.

"What comfort can you give me when Odur will never be found by one who searches for him?" "Behold how your daughter, the child Hnossa, has grown," said Frigga.

They came out of their caverns and went up and down through Midgard, the world of men.

They went into Jotunheim and began to play their evil tricks on the most harmless of the giants.

They came upon one giant who was very simple Gilling was his name they persuaded gilling To row them out to sea in a boat then the two Most cunning of the dwarfs Gallar And Fialar steered the Boat onto a rock the boat split Gilling Who could not swim Was drowned the dwarfs clambered Up on pieces Of the boat and Came safely ashore they Were so delighted With their evil Tricks That they wanted To play some More of them gallar and fialar Then thought of A new piece Of mischief they Might do they Led Their band of Dwarfs to gillings House and screamed Out to his Wife that gilling Was dead the Giant's wife Began to weep And lament at Last she Rushed out Of the house Weeping and Clapping her hands now gallar and fialar Had clambered up On the lintel Of the house and As she came running Out they cast A millstone on Her head it Struck her and Gillings wife fell Down dead more And more the Dwarfs were Delighted at the Destruction they were Making they were So insolent now That they made Up songs and Sang them songs That were all Aboast of how They had killed Kvasir the Poet and gilling The giant and Gillings wife they Stayed around jottenheim Tormenting all whom They were able To torment and Flattering themselves That they were Great and strong They stayed too Long however Suttung gillings Brother tracked Them down and Captured them suttung Was not Harmless and Simple like gilling His brother he Was cunning and He was covetous Once they were In his hand The dwarfs had No chance of Making an escape He took them and Left them on a Rock in the Sea a rock that The tide would Cover the giant stood Up in the Water taller than The rock and The tide as it Came in did Not rise above His knees he Stood there watching The dwarfs as The water rose Up round them and They became more And more terrified Oh take us off The rock good Suttung they Cried out to Him take us Off the rock And we will Give you gold And jewels take Us off the rock And we will give You a necklace As beautiful as Brisingamen so They cried out To him but the Giant suttung Only laughed At them he had No need of Gold or jewels Then fialar and Gallar cried out Take us off The rock and We will give You the jars Of the magic Mead we have Brewed the magic Mead said suttung This is something That no one Else has it Would be well To get it For it might Help us in the Battle against The gods yes I will get the Magic mead From them he Took the band Of dwarfs off The rock but He held gallar And fialar their Chiefs while the Others went into Their caverns and Brought up the Jars of the Magic mead suttung Took the mead And brought it To a cavern In a mountain Near his dwelling And thus it Happened that the Magic mead brewed By the dwarfs Through cruelly and Villainy came Into the hands Of the giants And the story Now tells how Odin the eldest Of the gods at That time in the World as vegtam The wanderer took The magic mead Out of satungs Possession and brought It into the world Of men now sutung Had a daughter Named gunlod and She by her Goodness and her Beauty was like Gerda and skadi The giant maids Whom the dwellers In asgard favored Sutong that he Might have a Guardian for the Magic mead enchanted Gunnlodd turning Her from a Beautiful giant Maiden into a Witch with long Teeth and sharp Nails he shut Her into the Cavern where the Jars of the Magic mead were Hidden Odin heard of the death of Kvasir, whom he honored above all men.

The dwarfs who slew him he had closed up in their caverns so that they were never again able to come out into the world of men and then he set out to get the magic mead that he might give it to men so that tasting it they would have wisdom and words would be at their command that would make wisdom loved and remembered.

Poor Freya wept many tears, and wherever the teardrops fell and sank into the ground, they turned into glistening gold.

At last, the sad goddess returned to her own palace alone she still wore the wonderful necklace which was called Brisingamen.

One night, when the hour was late, all the Ashes were asleep except the ever-watchful Heimdall, who heard soft footsteps like those of a cat near Friar's Palace.

He listened and thought, that is surely someone bent on mischief.