Thor Without His Hammer
How did Thor fight without his hammer?
In *Skaldskaparmal*, Loki is captured by the giant Geirrod. To save his life, he swears to bring Thor there without his hammer or belt of strength. And so Thor sets off with Loki for the giant's hall.
On the way, the giantess Grid warns Thor how dangerous Geirrod is. Thor borrows her belt of strength, iron gloves and staff. As he crosses a river, the water rises to his shoulders. Upstream, Geirrod's daughter is making the water rise. Thor throws a stone at her.
When they arrive, Thor is shown to a small building. The chair inside begins pushing him toward the ceiling. The giant's daughters are beneath it. Thor braces the staff against a ceiling beam and forces the chair down, breaking their backs.
Next, in the great hall, Geirrod throws a red-hot iron ball at him. Thor catches it with the iron gloves. The giant takes shelter behind an iron pillar. Thor throws the ball back, and it pierces the pillar, Geirrod and the wall before burying itself in the ground outside.
Sources for this story (2)Thor Without His Hammer
Þórr tók í móti með járngreipum
Thor caught it with the iron gloves.
“The Language of Poetry” Chapter 26
“The Language of Poetry”Skáldskaparmál
“Edda Fragments”Eddubrot
