Bulfinch’s Mythology · Chapter
Thor's Visit to Jotunheim explained
Thor, accompanied by Loki and his servant Thialfi, journeys to the land of the giants.
What happens
Thor, accompanied by Loki and his servant Thialfi, journeys to the land of the giants. They encounter the giant Skrymir, who tricks them with illusions, and later arrive at Utgard, where they compete in various contests against the giant king Utgard-Loki's champions, only to discover that their opponents were elemental forces and illusions. Thor's mighty feats, including drinking from a horn connected to the sea and wrestling with Old Age, are revealed to have had cosmic effects.
Themes in this chapter
Hubris and Divine Retribution
Thor's initial confidence and aggression are humbled by Utgard-Loki's illusions, showing that even gods can be deceived and must face consequences.
Mortality and Immortality
Thor's wrestling match with Elli (Old Age) underscores the inevitability of aging and decline, even for a god.
Characters to notice
- Thor
The god Thor, protagonist of the journey, demonstrates his strength in contests against illusions representing natural forces.
- Loki
Accompanies Thor and competes in an eating contest against Logi (Fire), but is defeated.
- Skrymir
A giant encountered on the road, later revealed to be Utgard-Loki in disguise, who creates illusions to test Thor.
- Utgard-Loki
King of the giants in Jotunheim, who orchestrates the contests and reveals the illusions at the end.
Key passages
“When thou in thy turn didst attempt to empty the horn, thou didst perform, by my troth, a deed so marvellous that had I not seen it myself I should never have believed it. For one end of that horn reached the sea, which thou wast not aware of, but when thou comest to the shore thou wilt perceive how much the sea has sunk by thy draughts.”
When you tried to drink from the horn, you unknowingly drank from the sea itself, and your mighty draughts caused the ocean level to drop.
Utgard-Loki reveals the true nature of the drinking contest, showing Thor's feat had global consequences.
“Thy wrestling with Elli was also a most astonishing feat, for there was never yet a man, nor ever will be, whom Old Age, for such in fact was Elli, will not sooner or later lay low.”
Your struggle with Elli, who was actually Old Age, was remarkable because no one can ever defeat the passage of time.
Utgard-Loki explains that Thor's opponent was the personification of aging, an unbeatable force.