Thor Fish Up World Serpent

‘But Thor said he need not hesitate to row out from shore since
it was not certain whether it would be he that would first beg to
row back; and Thor got angry with the giant so that he was on the
point of letting the hammer crash down on him straight away, but
he decided to hold back since he was planning to try his strength
elsewhere. He asked Hymir what they were to use as bait, but
Hymir told him to get his own bait. Then Thor went off to where
he could see a certain herd of oxen belonging to Hymir. He took
the biggest ox, called Himinhriot, and tore off its head and took it
down to the sea. Hymir had now launched the boat. Thor went
aboard and took his seat in the well of the boat, took two oars and
rowed, and Hymir thought there was some impetus from his
rowing. Hymir was rowing forward in the bows and the rowing
progressed fast. Then Hymir said they had reached the fishing
ground where he usually sat catching flat fish, but Thor said he
wanted to row much further, and they did another spurt of
rowing. Then Hymir said they had got so far out that it was
dangerous to be further out because of the Midgard serpent. But
Thor said he would row on a bit and did so, but Hymir was then
very unhappy. And when Thor had shipped his oars, he got out a
line that was pretty strong, and the hook was no smaller or less
mighty-looking. On to this hook Thor fastened the ox-head and
threw it overboard, and the hook went to the bottom. And then it
is true to say that Thor fooled the Midgard serpent no less than
Utgarda-Loki had made a laughing-stock of Thor when he was
lifting the serpent up with his hand. The Midgard serpent stret-
ched its mouth round the ox-head and the hook stuck into the
roof of the serpent’s mouth. And when the serpent felt this, it
jerked away so hard that both Thor’s fists banged down on the
gunwale. Then Thor got angry and summoned up his As-strength,
pushed down so hard that he forced both feet through the boat
and braced them against the sea-bed, and then hauled the serpent
up to the gunwale. And one can claim that a person does not know
what a horrible sight is who did not get to see how Thor fixed his
eyes on the serpent, and the serpent stared back up at him spitting
poison. It is said that then the giant Hymir changed colour, went
pale, and panicked when he saw the serpent and how the sea
flowed out and in over the boat. And just at the moment when
Thor was grasping his hammer and lifting it in the air, the giant
fumbled at his bait-knife and cut Thor’s line from the gunwale,
and the serpent sank into the sea. But Thor threw his hammer
after it, and they say that he struck off its head by the sea-bed. But
I think in fact the contrary is correct to report to you that the
Midgard serpent lives still and lies in the encircling sea. But Thor
swung his fist and struck at Hymir’s ear so that he plunged
overboard and one could see the soles of his feet. But Thor waded
ashore.’

Then spoke Gangleri: ‘Have any greater events taken place
among the Æsir? It was a very great exploit that Thor achieved on
this expedition.’


- Prose Edda, Gylfaginning


----------

17 Thor said he wanted to row out in the bay,
if the bold giant would give him bait.
‘Go to the herds, if you’ve the guts for it,
mountain-giant-breaker, to look for bait!

18 ‘I expect that it’ll be easy for you
to get bait from the oxen.’
The young man hastened smartly to the woods,
there stood an ox, jet-black before him.

19 That ogre-slayer broke off from the bull
the horns’ high meadow, tore off its head.
… … … …
(Hymir said)
‘Your deed seems much worse,
captain of ships, than if you had sat still quietly.’

20 The lord of goats told the ape’s offspring
to row the launchway-horse out further;
but the giant said, for his part,
he wasn’t eager to row further out.

21 The brave and famous Hymir alone caught
two whales at once on his hook,
and back in the stern Odin’s kinsman,
Thor, cunningly laid out his line.

22 The protector of humans, the serpent’s sole slayer,
baited his hook with the ox’s head.
The one whom the gods hate, the All-Lands-Girdler
from below gaped wide over the hook.

23 Then very bravely Thor, doer of great deeds,
pulled the poison-gleaming serpent up on board.
With his hammer he violently struck, from above
the hideous one, the wolf’s intimate-brother’s head.

24 The sea-wolf shrieked and the rock-bottom re-echoed,
all the ancient earth was collapsing*
… … … …
then that fish sank itself into the sea.

25 The giant wasn’t jolly as they rowed back,
at first Hymir didn’t say a word;
he swung round the rowing, completely changed tack:

26 ‘You’ll be doing half the work with me
if you carry the whales home to the farm
or pen up our floating-goat.’

27 Hlorridi went forward and gripped the prow,
alone he lifted the sea-stallion with its bilge-water,
with oars and bailer;
he brought the giant’s sea-pigs home to the farm,
through the hollow in the wooded ridge.


- Poetic Edda, Hymiskvida


(Note: This poem was badly preserved. That's why a few lines are missing and filled in with ellipses. Additionally, in the line that says the earth was "collapsing," most other translations I've seen just use the word "shaking" or "shuddering.")

("collapsing: another narrative omission follows. Snorri, Edda, p. 47, says that Hymir was terrified when he saw the serpent, and the sea washing in and out of the boat. As Thor raised his hammer, the giant grabbed the bait-knife and cut Thor’s line; the serpent sank into the sea. In Snorri’s account, Thor throws Hymir overboard in disgust; here he survives in order to conclude the ‘Fetching the Cauldron’ story." - from the Explanatory Notes section included with the translation)