Sleipnir Race

Now there shall be told more of the underlying stories from
which those kennings just listed have originated, and of which the
origins have not already been told, just as Bragi told Ægir how
Thor had gone to eastern parts to thrash trolls, but Odin rode
Sleipnir into Giantland and arrived at a giant’s called Hrungnir.
Then Hrungnir asked what sort of person this was with the golden
helmet riding sky and sea, and said he had a marvellously good
horse. Odin said he would wager his head on it that there would
be no horse as good to be found in Giantland. Hrungnir said it
was a good horse, but declared he had a horse that must be much
longer-paced, it was called Gullfaxi. Hrungnir had got angry and
leaped up on his horse and galloped after Odin, intending to pay
him back for his boasting. Odin galloped so hard that he kept
ahead on the next rise in the ground, and Hrungnir was in such a
great giant fury that the first thing he knew was that he had rushed
in through the As-gates. And when he got to the hall doors, Æsir
invited him in for a drink. He went into the hall and demanded
that he should be given a drink. Then the goblets that Thor
normally drank out of were brought out, and Hrungnir drained
each one. And when he became drunk there was no lack of big
words: he said he was going to remove Val-hall and take it to
Giantland, but bury Asgard and kill all the gods, except that he
was going to take Freyia and Sif home with him, and Freyia was
the only one then who dared to bring him drink, and he declared
he was going to drink all the Æsir’s ale. And when the Æsir got
tired of his boasting they invoked the name of Thor.


- Prose Edda, Skaldskaparmal