"Of thy ring I have no need," she told him, "because my sire hath great treasure of jewels and of gold." When she spake thus the heart of Skirner was filled with anger, and he drew forth the shining Sword of Victory.

"Behold this blade!" he cried; "with it I can slay thee if Frey is rejected."

Proudly did Gerd arise.

"By force nor threat," said she, "will I ever be led. My strong sire Gymer is armed and ready to punish thee for thy boldness."

Then Skirner said wrathfully: "With this blade I shall slay thy sire, the old giant Gymer, if he should dare to oppose me. And thee I can conquer with this magic wand, which shall subdue thy heart. If I must needs do so, no happiness will ever again come nigh thee. For thee it will remove to the regions of Nifel-hel, where nor god nor man can ever behold thee in beauty again."

Silent and pale sat Gerd as Skirner told her of the fate which would be hers if she continued to refuse to become the bride of Frey.

The place in Nifel-hel to which she must go, he said, was a region of torture where dwell the spirits of the giants who were ground in the World-mill. Power to love she would not have, nor tenderness or sympathy. Alone she must live, or else as the fruitless bride of a monstrous three-headed giant. Gladness and enjoyment would be banished from her heart. Staring eyes would ever watch her coldly and with more hatred than do the Frost-giants regard Heimdal, the sentinel of Bif-rost, or do the Trolls the wolf-dogs of Odin. Nor would the demons ever leave her at peace. Evil witches would bow her to the rocks. Morn, who gives "agony of soul", would fill her being. There in the place of torment prepared for her dwell the demons of sickness,

who would increase her sorrow. Never would she be free from the torture of Tope (madness) and Ope (hysteria), and no rest would she know by night or by day. For food she would have loathsome meat, and venom for drink. Each morning would she crawl painfully to the mountain top and behold Hela in glory and in beauty, and ever would she seek in vain to reach its glittering plains of bliss and delight.

"Such, O Gerd, must be thy fate," cried Skirner, "if Frey by thee is disdained."

Then prepared he to strike her with the magic rod which subdues; but Gerd besought him to hear her.

"Fulfil not thy threat," she pleaded, "and drink of this sweet and ancient mead. Never dreamed I that I should love a god of the Vans."

But Skirner would not be appeased until she gave to him a message to Frey. Whereat she promised that after the space of nine nights she would consent to become the bride of the Vana-god if the Sword of Victory were given to her sire.

Pleasant were her words to Skirner, and hastening without he leapt upon his horse and returned with all speed to Asgard. There did Frey await him with impatience, but the lovelorn Vana-god was filled with sadness when he came to know that he must needs wait the space of nine nights ere he would be by Gerd received.

"Long is one night without her," he cried; "longer are two nights-how can I endure to wait for nine? Longer has this half night of waiting seemed to me than a month of greatest bliss."

Slowly for Frey passed the days and nights that followed. Then at the appointed time he went to Gerd, who became his bride.

Into Gymer he gave for his daughter the Sword of

Victory, which had been forged to bring disaster upon the gods. And in this manner was Asgard deprived of the fruit of the triumph which Freyja had brought thither when Svipdag's wrath was turned aside and his love for her caused peace to be made between gods and elves.

Long had the giants sought to possess the Sword of Victory, and especially the wife of Gymer, GulveigHoder, the dreaded Hag of Iarnvid, who had still her dwelling in Asgard, where she ever strove to work evil.

For with the Sword of Victory will Surtur be armed when he issues forth to avenge the wrong done to Gunlad by Odin.

Thus did Loke taunt Frey. "Treasure gave you to Gymer with which to buy his daughter, and the Sword of Victory also. Lo! when the sons of Surtur come over Ironwood, in sore distress you shall indeed be, for then you shall know not, O unhappy one, with what weapon to fight."

CHAPTER VIII

Fall of Asgard

Vengeance of the Gods-Burning of the Hag-War of the Gods-Skade leaves Njord-Mimer is slain-The Vans before Asgard-The Strategy of Njord-How Sleipner was captured-A Spy in Asgard-Odin's Gate burst Open-Invaders Victorious-Flight of Asa-Gods-The War in MidgardThe Sons of Halfdan-Odin rescues Hadding-Loke's Evil Designs-Giants in Conflict-Defeat of Hadding-How the Dead spoke-A Dread CurseForest Peril-The Great Hand-Death of Giant Maid-Heimdal protects Hadding.

THE gods marvelled greatly at the disasters which had befallen them, and they sat in council together to discover how Freyja had been lured from Asgard, and who had plotted to work this evil.

Suspicion fell upon Loke's wife, Aurboda-GulveigHoder, the Hag of Ironwood, who dwelt among the gods in the guise of a maid-attendant to Freyja. Wife she was also to Gymer, who had become possessed of the Sword of Victory, and her son was Beli, "the howler", whom Frey had slain. So well did she act her part, while she schemed to work evil, that among the maids none seemed fairer or more faithful. Many missions did she perform for Freyja. Once, indeed, she was sent to confer divine favour upon mortals. A king and queen had long been married, and they had no children. Prayers they offered up to Freyja, and sacrifices made they that an heir to the kingdom might be theirs. In compassion were they heard, and Aurboda was sent

earthwards by Freyja in the guise of a crow, bearing with her the fruit of fertility from the branches of Ygdrasil. When the queen partook of it, her desire was fulfilled, and in due season an heir was born, whereat there was great rejoicing in the kingdom.

Thus Aurboda1 had fair repute in Asgard despite her evil character-she who was mother of the wolves that pursue son and moon; she who was Hag of Eastern Winds which bear the burden of her fearsome song and drive fair vessels into the very jaws of Ægir, the stormgod of western ocean.

When the gods came to know she was indeed the Mother of Evil, and had lured Freyja from her secure abode, they were moved with great wrath and with horror against her. They found, too, that it was dread Aurboda who had filled the air with witchcraft and wrought evil spells that enchanted both gods and men. Black sorcery did she practise to stir up the evil passions with which Loke had endowed human kind.

Thor sprang up in the High Thingstead of the gods and went forth hastily to find her. By him was she seized and struck down. Then the gods burned her as punishment for her witchcraft. A great pyre they reared in Valhal, and they spitted her body with their spears, holding it over the flames until it was consumed. But she came to life again. Thrice they burned her and thrice was she restored, for evil is hard to destroy. The third time they flung her ashes away, but her heart, which is the seat of life, was but half-burned, and Loke found it. and swallowed it. Thereafter he partook in still greater measure of the evil character of the Hag, who, however, came to life the third time in Ironwood, where she must ever dwell despite the vengeance of the gods and their

1 Also Angerboda,