The Flyting of Loki
© 2023 Edward Pettit, CC BY-NC 4.0 https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0308.08
About Ægir and the Gods
Ægir, who by another name was called Gymir, had brewed ale for the Æsir, after he had received the great cauldron, as has now been said.
To that feast came Óðinn and Frigg, his wife. Þórr did not come, because he was on the east-way. Sif, Þórr’s wife, was there, and Bragi and Iðunn, his wife. Týr was there. He was one-handed: Fenrisúlfr bit off his hand when he was bound. Njǫrðr was there, as was his wife, Skaði, Freyr and Freyja, [and] Víðarr, Óðinn’s son. Loki was there, and Freyr’s servants, Byggvir and Beyla. Many of the Æsir and elves were there.
Ægir had two serving-men, Fimafengr and Eldir. Shining gold was used there instead of firelight. Ale served itself there. It was a great place of sanctuary. People were full of praise for how good Ægir’s serving-men were. Loki could not bear to hear that, and he slew Fimafengr.
Then the Æsir shook their shields and screamed at Loki, and chased him away to the forest, and they went to drink. Loki turned back and met Eldir outside.
Loki greeted him:
- ‘Tell [me] this, Eldir, before you take
another step forward:
what do the sons of the victory-gods
have as their ale-talk inside here?’
Eldir said:
- ‘The sons of the victory-gods converse about their weapons
and their battle-prowess;
of the Æsir and elves who are in here,
not one is a friend to you in words!’
Loki said:
- ‘I shall go inside, into Ægir’s halls
to gaze upon that feast;
discord and dissension I’ll bring to the sons of the Æsir,
and thus I’ll mix their mead with harm!’
Eldir said:
- ‘Know [this, that] if you go inside, into Ægir’s halls
to gaze upon that feast,
if you pour slander and scorn on the gracious powers,
they’ll wipe it off on you!’
Loki said:
- ‘Know this, Eldir, if we two alone
shall argue with wounding words,
I shall be rich in answers,
if you talk too much!’
Then Loki went into the hall. And when those who were there saw who had come in, they all fell silent.
Loki said:
- ‘Thirsty, I came to this hall,
Loptr, from a long way off,
to ask the Æsir to give me
one magnificent drink of mead. - ‘Why are you so silent, puffed-up gods,
that you cannot speak?
Select a seat and a place for me at the feast,
or order me out of here!’
Bragi said:
- ‘A seat and a place at the feast
the Æsir will never select for you,
because the Æsir know the type of people they should
provide a tribute(?)-feast for!’
Loki said:
- ‘Do you recall it, Óðinn, when in ancient days
we two blended blood together?
You said you wouldn’t taste ale,
unless it were brought to us both!’
Óðinn said:
- ‘Arise, then, Víðarr, and let the wolf’s father
sit at the feast,
lest Loki address us with insulting words
in Ægir’s hall!’
Then Víðarr stood up and poured for Loki. But before he drank, he toasted the Æsir:
- ‘Hail Æsir, hail Ásynjur
and all the most holy gods,
except for that one Áss who sits further in,
Bragi, on the benches!’
Bragi said:
- ‘I shall give you a steed and a sword from my treasure,
and Bragi will also recompense you with a ring,
lest you requite the Æsir with ill-will;
don’t make the gods angry at you!’
Loki said:
- ‘Of horse and arm-rings you’ll
always be in want, Bragi;
of the Æsir and elves who are in here
you’re the wariest of war
and the shyest of shots!’
Bragi said:
- ‘I know, if I were outside, as surely as I’ve come
inside Ægir’s hall,
your head I’d bear in my hand;
that’s little for you [to pay] for lying!’
Loki said:
- ‘You’re bold in your seat, [but] you shan’t act thus,
Bragi Bench-Ornament;
you come and do battle if you’re irate —
a brave man balks at nothing!’
Iðunn said:
- ‘I ask, Bragi — the ties of blood-children
and of all adopted sons are strong —
that you don’t address Loki with insulting staves
in Ægir’s hall!’
Loki said:
- ‘Silence, Iðunn! I say that of all women
you’re the most man-eager,
since you laid your splendidly washed arms
around your brother’s slayer!’
Iðunn said:
- ‘I shan’t address Loki with insulting staves
in Ægir’s hall;
I’ll calm Bragi, [who’s] high on beer,
I don’t want you two wrathful ones to fight!’
Gefjun said:
- ‘Why must you two Æsir argue inside here
with wounding words?
Isn’t it well known that Loptr has a playful nature
and that all the living love him?’
Loki said:
- ‘Silence, Gefjun! Now I’ll speak of the one
who lured you into lust,
the white [fair] boy who gave you a pendant,
and [whom] you put your thigh over!’
Óðinn said:
- ‘You’re mad, Loki, and out of your mind,
when you rouse Gefjun to anger against you,
because I think she knows all the world’s fate
just as well as I!’
Loki said:
- ‘Silence, Óðinn! You never knew how
to share out battles among men;
often you gave to those you shouldn’t have given,
to the less valiant, victory!’
Óðinn said:
- ‘Know [this, that] if I gave to those I shouldn’t have given,
to the less valiant, victory,
you were eight winters beneath the earth
[as] a milch-cow and a woman,
and you’ve given birth to children there,
and I considered that the essence of a pervert!’
Loki said:
- ‘But you, they said, sank [down] in Sámsey,
and struck a drum(?) as seeresses do;
in wizard’s shape you went among mankind,
and I considered that the essence of a pervert!’
Frigg said:
- ‘You two should never tell people
about your fates,
of what you two Æsir did in ancient days;
let the living always distance themselves from old destinies!’
Loki said:
- ‘Silence, Frigg! You’re Fjǫrgynn’s daughter,
and have always been man-eager,
since, Viðrir’s wife, you took both
Véi and Vili in your embrace!’
Frigg said:
- ‘Know [this, that] if I had inside, in Ægir’s halls,
a boy like Baldr,
you wouldn’t escape from the sons of the Æsir,
and you’d then be fought by furious ones!’
Loki said:
- ‘Do you still wish, Frigg, that I speak more
of my wicked words?
I brought it about that you’ll never again
see Baldr riding to halls!’
Freyja said:
- ‘You’re mad, Loki, when you speak your
hideous, loathsome words;
I think that Frigg knows all fates,
Loki said:
- ‘Silence, Freyja! I know you full well,
you’re not short of vices;
of the Æsir and elves who are in here,
every one has been your lover!’
Freyja said:
- ‘Your tongue is false! I think it will yet
conjure up no good for you;
Æsir and Ásynjur are angry with you,
you’ll go home unhappy!’
Loki said:
- ‘Silence, Freyja! You’re a sorceress
and shot-through with sinister power,
for the kindly powers caught you with your brother,
and then, Freyja, you must have farted!’
Njǫrðr said:
- ‘It matters little, even if women get themselves
a husband, a lover or both;
it’s an outrage that a perverted Áss has come in here,
and this one’s borne children!’
Loki said:
- ‘Silence, Njǫrðr! You were sent east from here
as a hostage to the gods;
Hymir’s daughters had you as a piss-trough,
and peed in your mouth!’
Njǫrðr said:
- ‘This is my comfort, when I was sent far from here
as a hostage to the gods:
I fathered a son then, the one whom no one hates,
and he’s considered the Æsir’s protector!’
Loki said:
- ‘Leave off now, Njǫrðr, keep yourself in check!
I’ll not keep this secret any longer:
you begot such a boy on your sister,
and yet that’s no worse than expected!’
Týr said:
- ‘Freyr is the best of all bold riders
in the Æsir’s courts;
he doesn’t make a girl weep, or a man’s wife,
and he frees everyone from fetters!’
Loki said:
- ‘Silence, Týr! You never knew how to
make fair [peace] between two [parties];
I will refer to it, the right hand
which Fenrir tore from you!’
Týr said:
- ‘I’m wanting a hand, and you [are wanting] Hróðrsvitnir,
the affliction is intense pain for us both;
things don’t go well for the wolf, either, who must wait
in bonds for the darkness of the powers!’
Loki said:
- ‘Silence, Týr! It befell your wife
that she had a boy by me;
you’ve never had an ell or a penny
for this outrage, you wretch!
Freyr said:
- ‘I see a wolf lying by a river-mouth,
until the powers are ripped apart;
you’ll be bound next, unless you keep quiet now,
mischief-maker!’
Loki said:
- ‘With gold you had Gymir’s daughter bought,
and so gave your sword;
but when Muspell’s sons ride over Myrkviðr,
then, wretch, you won’t know how you’ll fight!’
Byggvir said:
- ‘Know [this, that] if I had ancestry like Ingunar-Freyr
and so felicitous a seat,
finer than marrow I’d have milled the harm-crow
and torn him limb from limb!’
Loki said:
- ‘What’s that little thing which I see wagging its tail
and snappily snapping?
At Freyr’s ears you’ll always be,
and under quern-stones chattering!’
Byggvir said:
- ‘I’m called Byggvir, and all gods and men
declare me nimble;
I’m proud of this here, that Hroptr’s sons
all drink ale together!’
Loki said:
- ‘Silence, Byggvir! You never knew how to
share out food among men,
and they couldn’t find you in the floor’s straw
when men were fighting!’
Heimdallr said:
- ‘You’re drunk, Loki, so that you’ve lost your wits,
why don’t you control yourself, Loki?
Because, for every man, excess drinking ensures
that he doesn’t recall his prattling!’
Loki said:
- ‘Silence, Heimdallr! In early days
the loathsome life was allotted to you;
with a muddy back you’ll always be,
and stay awake as the gods’ warder!’
Skaði said:
- ‘You’re in a light mood, Loki, [but] you won’t wag
your tail freely like this for long,
because the gods shall bind you on a cliff-edge(?)
with the guts of your frost-cold son!’
Loki said:
- ‘Know [this], if the gods shall bind me on a cliff-edge
with the guts of my frost-cold son;
I was first and last at the life-loss,
when we laid hands on Þjazi!’
Skaði said:
- ‘Know this, if first and last you were at the life-loss,
when you laid hands on Þjazi;
from my sanctuaries and fields
cold counsels shall always come to you!’
Loki said:
- ‘You were lighter in speech to Laufey’s son
when you had me bidden to your bed;
such a matter must be mentioned by us,
if we’re fully to count our faults!’
Then Sif came forward and poured [mead] for Loki into a frost-cup, and said:
- ‘Hail to you now, Loki, and take the frost-cup
full of ancient mead,
[so] you may the sooner declare her alone among the Æsir’s sons
to be free from fault!’
He took a horn and drained it:
- ‘Alone you’d be, if you were thus,
wary and wrathful towards a man;
I know one [man] — at least, I think I know this —
a lover [you had], even at Hlórriði’s expense,
and that was the crafty Loki!’
Beyla said:
- ‘All the mountains are shaking, I think Hlórriði’s
on his journey from home;
he’ll force silence on the one who here defames
all gods and men!’
Loki said:
- ‘Silence, Beyla! You’re Byggvir’s wife
and shot-through with sinister power;
a more monstrous thing hasn’t come among the sons of the Æsir —
you, dairymaid, are all shit-spattered!’
Then Þórr arrived and said:
- ‘Silence, perverted creature! My power-hammer [mighty hammer],
Mjǫllnir, shall deprive you of speech;
I’ll knock the crag of the shoulders off your neck,
and then your life will be gone!’
Loki said:
- ‘Jǫrð’s son has now come in here —
why are you so aggressive, Þórr?
But you won’t be daring then, when you ought to fight against the wolf,
and he swallows Sigfaðir whole!’
Þórr said:
- ‘Silence, perverted creature! My power-hammer,
Mjǫllnir, shall deprive you of speech;
I’ll hurl you up and onto the east-way,
No one will see you again!’
Loki said:
- ‘Your eastern journeys you ought never
to tell people about,
since, unique champion, you cowered in the thumb of a glove,
and you didn’t seem to be Þórr then!’
Þórr said:
- ‘Silence, perverted creature! My power-hammer,
Mjǫllnir, shall deprive you of speech;
with my right hand I’ll strike you with Hrungnir’s slayer,
so that all your bones will be broken!’
Loki said:
- ‘For myself, I intend to live a long life,
though you threaten me with your hammer;
Skrýmir’s straps seemed hard to you,
and you couldn’t get your supplies then,
and you were dying of hunger, [though] healthy!’
Þórr said:
- ‘Silence, perverted creature! My power-hammer,
Mjǫllnir, shall deprive you of speech;
Hrungnir’s slayer will send you to Hel,
down below corpse-gates!’
Loki said:
- ‘I have said before the Æsir, I have said before the sons of the Æsir,
that which my disposition incited me to;
but for you alone will I go out,
because I know that you attack! - ‘Ale you have brewed, Ægir, but never again
will you prepare a feast;
may flame play over all your possessions
which are inside here,
and burn you on the back!’
And after that Loki hid in Fránangrsfors in salmon-form. There the Æsir caught him.
He was bound with the intestines of his son, Nari. But Narfi, his son, turned into a wolf. Skaði took a venomous snake and fastened it up over Loki’s face. Venom dripped from it there. Sigyn, Loki’s wife, sat there and held a hand-basin under the venom. But when the hand-basin was full she carried the venom away, and meanwhile the venom dripped on Loki. Then he writhed at that so hard that all the earth shook; these [tremors] are now called earthquakes.
* Original text modified by the editor for clarification and ease of reading