So I've started a new YouTube channel, the Ancient Literature Dude, where I will read various and sundry ancient literature in a variety of ancient languages. My newest video is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbjubSF917Q

It's a reading of Þrymskviða, the campy and hilarious tale of how Thor was driven to the home of the giants in a wedding dress. My very literal translation follows. It's not meant to be read in its own right, but more a very direct representation of the word order and some of the alliteration of the original.

Wroth was then Ving-Thor, when he awoke

and his hammer missed;

his beard he shook, his hair he tossed,

set out then Jordh’s son to recover it.

And he this first of all words said:

“Hear you now, Loki, what I now say,

which no man knows, neither on earth

nor in heaven: a god is robbed of his hammer!”

Went they then to the halls of fair Freyja,

and he this first of all words said:

“Will you to me, Freyja, your feather cloak lend,

if my hammer I might recover?”

“Though would I give it you, were it of gold,

and though lend it, were it of silver.”

Flew then Loki--the feather cloak resounded—

until he came beyond the walls of the gods,

and into came the home of the giants.

Thrym sat on his mound, the giants’ lord,

his hounds with golden bonds he fitted,

and his mares their manes he trimmed.

“How fare the gods? How fare the elves?

Why art thou come alone into Jotunheim?”

“Ill it is with the gods, ill it is with the elves;

have you Hlorridhi’s hammer hidden?”

“I have Hlorridhi’s hammer hidden

eight leagues beneath the earth,

he no man after will recover,

unless he bring me Freyja as wife.”

Flew then Loki--the feather cloak resounded—

until he came beyond the home of the giants

and into came the walls of the gods;

met him Thor amid the courts,

and he this first of all words said:

“Have you a message for your trouble?

Say you aloft your long tidings;

oft the one sitting fails in his saying,

and he who is lying a lie dares.”

“Have I trouble as well as a message;

Thrym has thine hammer, the giants’ lord,

he no man after will recover

save that he bring Freyja for wife.”

Go they the fair Freyja to meet,

and he this first of all words says:

“Dress yourself, Freyja, in a bride’s linens.

We shall drive two together into Jotunheim.”

Wroth became then Freyja and snorted,

all the gods’ abode under trembled,

sprang apart the great necklace of the Brisings—

“Me you must know to be most mad after men,

if I am to ride with you into Jotunheim.”

At once were the Aesir all in meeting,

and the Asynjur all atalk,

and over that counseled the great gods,

how they Hlorridhi’s hammer might seek.

Then said this Heimdall, the whitest of the gods--

knew he well what was to come, as the Vanir other—

“Let us dress Thor then in a bride’s linens,

let him have the great necklace of the Brisings.

Let us about him drop the keys

and women’s skirts about his knees fall,

and on his breast broad stones,

and daintily about his head a veil wind.”

Then said this Thor, the mighty God:

“Me will the gods call womanly,

if I myself be bound let in a bride’s linens.”

Then said this Loki Laufey’s son,

“Silence yourself, Thor, of these words;

at once will the giants Asgard inhabit,

unless you your hammer recover.”

Bound they Thor then in a bride’s linens

and the great necklace of the Brisings,

let they about him drop the keys

and women’s skirts about his knees fall,

and on his breast broad stones,

and daintily about his head a veil wound.

Then said Loki Laufey’s son,

“I would also with you a handmaiden be,

we shall drive two together into Jotunheim.”

At once were the goats home driven,

hastened to the harness, they should well ride.

Stone they broke, burned the earth with fire,

drove Odin’s son into Jotunheim.

Then said this Thrym, the giants’ lord,

“Stand up, Giants! And strew the benches:

now they bring to me Freyja as wife,

Njordh’s daughter out of Noatun.

Let come here to the court the golden-horned cows

the oxen all black for the giants to please;

great store I have of treasures, great store I have of jewels,

alone to me Freyja lacking seems.”

‘Twas then at evening come early,

and before the giants ale forward brought;

one ate oxen, eight salmon,

dainties all which women should,

drank Sif’s man three casks of mead.

Then said this Thrym, the giants’ lord,

“Where saw you brides bite more fiercely?

Never saw I brides bite more eagerly,

nor more mead a maiden drink.”

Sat the all wise handmaiden before,

who word found with the giant’s speech,

“Ate nothing Freyja for eight nights,

so was she madly eager for Jotunheim.”

He bent beneath the linen, desired to kiss,

and he outward sprang endlong the hall:

“Why are so fiery the eyes of Freyja?

It seems to me that out from her eyes a fire burns.”

Sat the all wise handmaiden before,

who word found with the giant’s speech:

“Slept naught Freyja for eight nights,

so was she madly eager for Jotunheim.

In came the poor giants’ sister,

she who the bride’s gift to ask must dare:

“Let you from your hand the rings red,

if to earn you will my love,

my love, my favor.”

Then said this Thrym the giants’ lord,

“Bear in the hammer my bride to hallow,

lay Mjollnir on the maiden’s knee,

consecrate us together with Var’s hand.”

Laughed Hlorridhi’s heart in his breast,

who hardhearted his hammer accepted.

Thrym slew he first, the giants’ lord,

and the family of the giant all he smote.

Slew he the old giants’ sister,

she who the bride’s gift bidden had;

she a blow accepted for a shilling,

and the stroke of a hammer for a store of rings.

So came Odin’s son in the end to his hammer.