Thor Goes Fishing

What happened when Thor hooked the great serpent?

In Gylfaginning, Thor visits Hymir alone, disguised as a young man. The next morning, he asks to join the giant on a fishing trip. Told to find his own bait, he takes the head of the largest ox in the giant’s herd.

Thor rows farther out to sea, even when Hymir warns him of the danger. He puts the ox’s head on his hook, and the great serpent bites. Thor breaks through the bottom of the boat with both feet. Bracing himself against the seabed, he hauls the serpent up to the side of the boat. It spits venom.

As Thor raises his hammer, the terrified Hymir cuts the fishing line. The serpent sinks into the sea, and Thor throws his hammer after it. The storyteller believes the serpent is still alive. Thor punches Hymir by the ear, sending him tumbling into the sea.

In The Lay of Hymir, however, Thor strikes the serpent’s head with his hammer after hauling it up. The earth shakes, and the serpent sinks into the sea. In this version, Hymir does not cut the line.

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