THOR DESTROYS THE GIANT THRYM.
From an etching by Lorenz Frölich
To protect themselves against the giants of Jotunheim, the gods decided to build a wall around Asgard, and through the persuasion of treacherous Loke, they engaged Thrym, who appeared before them as a tall, stately man, to do the work. An agreement was made whereby Thrym was to receive as his reward—provided the wall and gates were completed in a single winter—the beautiful Freya for wife, and the moon and stars were to be given him for light to work by. With the aid of his horse Swadilfari Thrym performed all that was required of him except the placing of one gate when discovery was made by the gods that Thrym was a giant in disguise. Thereupon they cried aloud for Thor to defend Asgard against this invasion, who immediately appeared amid thunder and lightning, and recognizing Thrym, despite the form he had taken, flung his hammer with such force that the giant's head was broken in many pieces and his soul cast into Nifelhel.
In the ancient Norse documents we also find the name Urd used to designate death, just as in Heliand and Beowulf, and this, too, in such a manner that Urd's personal character is not emphasised. Ynglingatal (Heimskr., ch. 44) calls Ingjald's manner of death his Urdr, and to determine death for anyone was to draga Urdr at him.
Far down in the Christian centuries the memory survived that Urd was the goddess of the realm of death and of death. When a bright spot, which was called Urd's moon, appeared on the wall, it meant the breaking out of an epidemic (Eyrbyggia Saga, 270). Even as late as the year 1237 Urd is supposed to have revealed herself, the night before Christmas, to Snobjorn to predict a bloody conflict, and she then sang a song in which she said that she went mournfully to the contest to choose a man for death. Saxo translates Urdr or Hel with "Proserpina" (Hist., i. 43).
64.
URD'S MAID-SERVANTS: (1) MAID-SERVANTS OF LIFE—NORNS, DISES OF BIRTH, HAMINGJES, GIPTES, FYLGIES; (2) MAID-SERVANTS OF DEATH—VALKYRIES, THE PSYCHO-MESSENGERS OF DISEASES AND ACCIDENTS.
As those beings for whom Urd determines birth, position in life, and death, are countless, so her servants, who perform the tasks commanded by her as queen, must also be innumerable. They belong to two large classes: the one class is active in her service in regard to life, the other in regard to death.
Most intimately associated with her are her two sisters. With her they have the authority of judges. Compare Völuspa, 19, 20, and the expressions norna dómr, norna kvidr. And they dwell with her under the world-tree, which stands for ever green over her gold-clad fountain.