Tales of Infamy (Viking)

4 - Thyra

Another two weeks passed, and summer was reaching its highest peak. The weather had been pleasant all week, my sisters and I helped make Vif's jewellery outside, so we could watch the children play in the sand. It all felt rather peaceful. If the weather had been as fortunate at sea as it was here then my love would be home in the coming few days. Last year it only took them 3 days to reach England, while the year before it had taken eight days.

My sisters remained outside while I brought the children to bed. They were all worn out from playing and running around, so getting them to lay down was no problem, it was the falling asleep that was.

Far in the distance, we could hear the low rumble of thunder. The two oldest boys exclaimed that they were not scared of thunder, but the younger ones were. The children all laid beside each other in one large bed that was usually occupied by their parents. I sat down in the middle of it, with little baby Magnús in my arms.

"You do not have to fear the thunder, for it is the sound of Thor protecting us." I told the children. Ægli, who had told me so proudly he did not fear it, looked at me with wide eyes. That was the way of children, they fought sleep like it was the worst thing on earth.

"One day, the Allfather sat on his throne and looked around him. He looked far and wide, low and high, west and east... and found himself to be surrounded by three fierce monsters. These monsters were born of Loki, and carried the danger of his wickedness with them.

One of these monsters was a huge serpent, that Odin sent down to the ocean of Midgard. The snake grew so fast that his body coiled around the world and his tail grew into his own mouth. The second monster was locked away in Niflheimr, the home of darkness."

The oldest two were already asleep and the baby too. It was just the frightened ones who needed to hear the ending of the story.

"The third monster was the wolf Fenrir, who Odin brought into Asgard so that he could be tamed by seeing the good deeds of the Æsir. But alas, the monster grew and grew and grew. Only the brave god named Tyr dared to feed the fierce wolf, but the Allfather worried that his bravery would end in death."

The last of the boys had fallen asleep, it was just me and Kalda now. She had rested her head on my thigh, but she needed to hear why we do not fear thunder.

"It was Thor who spoke to the Allfather. He said that he will make a mighty chain and with the help of his hammer Mjölnir bind the beast down forever. When the Æsir heard these words, they rejoiced, for Thor is mighty and powerful. Yet the Allfather still worried that the task might even be too much for the mighty Thor. Still, Thor made his chain. And all throughout the summer's night, all of the seven realms could hear the mighty blows of Mjölnir and the roaring of the bellows."

"Thor is making a chain?" Kalda asked me.

"On summer's nights, we can still hear the sounds of it all throughout the fjord." I told her. I saw her struggling against the sleep. Her brother and cousins were already lightly snoring. Still, she fought it with all her might.

"I want to hear how it ends." She told me.

"Thor made the chain in one night, and Fenrir allowed him to be bound by it the following morning. With one great leap, the chain broke, and Fenrir was free once more. Thor was furious and made another chain. He spent three nights and three days working on it, and the wolf allowed himself to be bound again. The chain broke still, for even the mighty Thor could not hold down such a beast. It was the dwarves who Odin ordered to make a new chain. The dwarves were a wicked race, but they feared the great Allfather, so they granted his request. The chain was small, no bigger than a necklace, but the Allfather knew it would hold the wolf.

Fenrir sensed the trickery and did not allow himself to be bound again. Thor and Tyr tried in vain, until finally Thor exclaimed 'I do not believe anyone but Fenrir could break this chain!', the wolf could not resist such temptation, but he would not be fooled. He agreed to be bound by the chain and break it, but only if he could have the arm of one of the Æsir in its mouth.

When the gods heard this, they all drew back. All but one, for the good Tyr stepped forward and put his right arm in the wolf's mouth.

Fenrir was bound once more, yet to his surprise, the more he tried to free himself, the tighter the chain grew. The Æsir gathered in joy to see this, but their hearts were filled with sorrow when the wolf bit down on good Tyr's arm when he found himself unable to get free. Thus the brave Tyr dared to give up his right hand to gain peace and happiness for all of Asgard."

Kalda was sound asleep, as were the boys. I closed my eyes too, leaning my head against the wall. I heard the sound of thor making a chain in the distance, the sounds of my sisters speaking outside. All was peaceful on Midgard still.