Skrymir Snoring

He left the goats behind there and started on his
journey east to Giantland and all the way to the sea, and then he
went out across the great deep sea. And when he reached land he
went ashore and with him Loki and Thialfi and Roskva. When
they had gone a little way they were faced by a huge forest. They
walked all that day until dark. Thialfi was the fastest of runners.
He carried Thor’s knapsack, but there was not much in the way of
lodgings to be found. When it had got dark they looked for
somewhere to spend the night and came upon a certain very large
building. There was an entrance at one end and it was the full
width of the building. Here they sought night-quarters for them-
selves. But at midnight there was a great earthquake, the ground
moved under them in shudders and the building shook. Then
Thor got up and called to his companions and they searched
around and found a side-chamber on the right hand side half-way
down the building and went in. Thor positioned himself in the
doorway and the others were further in behind him and they were
fearful, but Thor clasped the shaft of his hammer and planned to
defend himself. Then they heard a great rumbling and groaning.
And when dawn came Thor went out and saw someone lying a
little way from him in the forest, and he was no midget. He was
asleep and snoring mightily. Then Thor realized what the cause of
the noise in the night had been. He clasped on his girdle of might
and his As-strength grew, but at that moment the person awoke
and stood up quickly. And then they say that Thor for once was
afraid to strike him with the hammer, and asked him his name.
And he said his name was Skrymir.

‘“But I do not need,” he said, “to ask you your name. I can tell
that you are Thor of the Æsir. But have you been making off with
my glove?”

‘Then Skrymir reached over and picked up his glove. Then Thor
realized that this was what he had been using during the night as a
building, and the side-chamber, that was the thumb of the glove.
Skrymir asked if Thor would like to have his company, and Thor
agreed. Then Skrymir went and undid his knapsack and got ready
to eat breakfast, and so did Thor and his companions in a separate
place. Then Skrymir suggested that they pool their food, and Thor
agreed. So Skrymir tied up all their provisions in one bag and put
it on his back. He went ahead during the day and took rather long
strides. And then in the evening Skrymir found them a place to
spend the night under a certain large oak, - “ but you take the
knapsack and get on with your supper.”


- Prose Edda, Gylfaginning