Alfaleith.org - Rydberg's Teutonic Mythology

The danger averted by Heimdal when he secured the sun-dis with bonds of love begins in the time of Borgar. The corruption of nature and of man go hand in hand. Borgar has to contend with robbers (pugiles and piratæ), and among them the prototype of pirates - that terrible character, remembered also in Icelandic poetry, called Rodi (Saxo, Hist., 23, 354). The moderate laws given by Heimdal had to be made more severe by Borgar (Hist., 24, 25).

While the moral condition in Midgard grows worse, Loki carries out in Asgard a cunningly-conceived plan, which seems to be to the advantage of the gods, but is intended to bring about the ruin of both the gods and man. His purpose is to cause enmity between the original artists themselves and between them and the gods.

Among these artists the sons of Ivaldi constitute a separate group. Originally they enjoyed the best relations to the gods, and gave them the best products of their wonderful art, for ornament and for use. Odin's spear Gungnir, the golden locks on Sif's head, and Frey's celebrated ship Skidbladnir, which could hold all the warriors of Asgard and always had favourable wind, but which also could be folded as a napkin and be carried in one's pocket (Gylfaginning), had all come from the workshop of these artists. Grímnismál 43:

Ívalda synir
gengu í árdaga
Skíðblaðni at skapa,
skipa bezt,
skírum Frey,
nýtum Njarðar bur.

The sons of Ivaldi
in days of yore
created Skidbladnir,
best of ships,
for shining Frey,
Njord's useful son.

Another group of original artists were Sindri and his kinsmen, who dwelt on the Nida-plains in the happy domain of the lower world (Völuspá 37; Nos. 93, 94). According to the account given in Skáldskaparmál, Loki meets Sindri's brother Brokk, and wagers his head that Sindri cannot make treasures as good as the above-named gifts from Ivaldi's sons to the Asas. Sindri then made in his smithy the golden boar for Frey, the ring Draupnir for Odin, from which eight gold rings of equal weight drop every ninth night, and the incomparable hammer Mjolnir for Thor. When the treasures were finished, Loki cunningly gets the gods to assemble for the purpose of deciding whether or not he has forfeited his head. The gods cannot, of course, decide this without at the same time passing judgement on the gifts of Sindri and those of Ivaldi's sons, and showing that one group of artists is inferior to the other. And this is done. Sindri's treasures are preferred, and thus the sons of Ivaldi are declared to be inferior in comparison. But at the same time Sindri fails, through the decision of the gods, to get the prize agreed on. Both groups of artists are offended by the decision.

The Skáldskaparmál does not inform us whether the sons of Ivaldi accepted the decision with satisfaction or anger, or whether any noteworthy consequences followed or not. An entirely similar judgment is mentioned in Rigveda (see No. 111). The judgment there has the most important consequences: hatred toward the artists who were victorious, and toward the gods who were the judges, takes possession of the ancient artist who was defeated, and nature is afflicted with great suffering. That the Teutonic mythology has described similar results of the decision shall be demonstrated in this work.

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