The Quest for a Giant Cauldron

What kind of cauldron did the gods need for their feast?

In The Lay of Hymir, Thor asks Aegir to hold a feast for the gods. Aegir thinks of a way to get back at him: he tells Thor to bring him a great cauldron so he can brew ale for everyone. But the gods cannot find one anywhere.

Then Tyr tells them that his father, the giant Hymir, has a great cauldron. His home lies at the eastern edge of the sky. Thor and Tyr set off for Hymir’s hall. Fearing her husband, who treats guests harshly, Tyr’s mother hides them beneath a cauldron.

Hymir returns from hunting with his beard frozen. When his wife tells him where the guests are, he glares in their direction. A pillar shatters, and the cauldrons fall. Only the great cauldron remains unbroken. The two visitors emerge from hiding.

For supper, 3 oxen are prepared. Before going to bed, Thor eats 2 whole oxen by himself. Astonished by his appetite, Hymir says that the next evening they will have to eat whatever they can catch.

Read commentaryHide commentary