After doing her best to help Amala around the tavern in any capacity she could, Svana came from the kitchen after her long day and into the hall. She was glad to sit down with a drink and a good plate of stew, and eat very quietly whilst eyeing the newcomers. Such warriors, she thought. Ready and willing to join her husband in Valhalla, should Odin see fit. Warriors who would be fighting for them all at Ragnarok, at mighty Thor's side.

Thor! She had almost forgot her tale, half-told. There would be many eager to hear the end she hoped, but wondered how these large men would like the story. Well, they would enjoy the ending at least, she hoped.

She wiped her bowl with bread before standing up and moving to the front of the hall, hopefully the place where all would be able to hear her. She picked up the old skald's drum and hit it loudly to attract attention.

'BOM BOM BOM!' "GREETINGS TO ALL, FRIENDS NEW AND OLD! LISTEN CLOSE ONCE MORE TO MY TALE OF GODS AND GIANTS, THEFT AND INTRIGUE!

As some will know, when last we met our Gods were at a quandary, for Thor's mighty hammer Mjolnir had been stolen! But cunning Loki did borrow Freya's falcon cloak and sought out the thief, that dastardly giant king Thrym! That terrible Jotun wanted our lady Freya to be his bride! But fear not, for at the meeting of the Gods, the ever-watchful Heimdall has a plan to foil Thrym, and any plot of Heimdall's is sure to suceed.

Heimdall stood up and said "I have a plan. Let's get one of Freyja's dresses, some of her jewelry, and a heavy veil. We could put them on Thor. Thrym would never know the difference!"

"WHAT?" Thor bellowed. "Put me in a dress? Make me up like a girl? Never!! I won't stand for it!!" He ranted and raved so it took most of the gods to hold him down.

But crafty Loki liked the plan, (besides, seeing Thor in a bridal dress was too good to miss!) "We have no choice!" he said. "If we don't give Thrym a bride, you won't get your hammer back! So hold your tongue. I too will put on a dress and go as your bride's maid."

So they put him in a dress, put a veil on his face, and a wig of horsehair on his own red locks. Loki put on a dress and fetched the thunderer's chariot, pulled by the two great goats.

When at last they left, Thor drove the magic goats hard, splitting mountaintops left and right. The wooden wheels rumbled thunder from the very clouds.

Thrym heard the thunder, and knew it was Thor's chariot. But when he saw who was driving he was overjoyed. (Giants like to think they know a little magic. But Thor wasn't disguised by spells. It was only dress, powder, and paint. And since giants are not too bright, Thrym felt sure that the driver had to be his blushing bride.)

He ran to his mead-hall, kicking his lazy subjects awake. "Up, you foul ogres! Freyja is come to be my bride!" Four whole oxen were roasted to make the feast, along with sixteen whole salmon and twenty barrels of ale.

Once the 'bride' had arrived Thrym took them inside and showed them to the high seat for feast. He spoke to his 'bride' and teased her, but Thor refused to speak. This alarmed Thrym, and he turned to Loki and asked, Why does she not talk?"

Loki answered "Oh, my lord, she was so excited when she heard that she was to be your wife, she shouted for joy for eight whole days. She has made herself hoarse."

This seemed to satisfy the giant king, so they started to feast. Now giants eat quite a lot, but no one ate as much as the 'bride', who ate on whole ox, eight whole salmon, all of the cakes, and washed it down with four barrels of ale!

"How can she eat so much?" Thrym cried. "I have never seen a woman eat so much!" But crafty Loki answered, "Oh, my lord, she was so happy when she heard she was to be your wife, she couldn't eat a thing in eight days!"

This seemed to satisfy the giant. (Well, I told you he was stupid!) Later in the feast he got the idea to steal a kiss from his 'bride'. He lifted up the veil just a little, and dropped it again in fear. "Her eyes!" her cried. "Her eyes are so red and fierce!"

But crafty Loki replied, "Oh, my lord, she was so excited about being your wife that she hasn't slept in eight days!"

Thrym looked troubled, but he believed the trickster. "She hasn't slept or eaten and has been rejoicing for eight days! Let us not delay the wedding! Let us be married now!"

Thor almost jumped, but the always plotting Loki interrupted. "Oh good king Thrym, Shouldn't you bring out Thor's hammer mjolnir to honor your part of the bargain?"

Thrym thought a bit, (which was hard for him,) and cried, "Bring out the hammer, and lay it across her knees."

But when the hammer touched Thor's knees, he snatched it up and struck Thrym in the forehead..." - Svana is acting this part out most graphically for her audience - "he struck Thrym a mighty blow, killing him all at once! Then he proceeded to clear the mead-hall. One by one all the giants foolish enough to try him fell. All the others ran away. Carnage befell the giants, and it's name was Thor! Hurrah!

And that is the tale of the theft of Thor's hammer, and how he won it back again. And there is a moral that all men should remember: Before you go to wed, look hard behind the wedding veil!"

Svana bowed deeply to her most attentive audience and smiled, hoping desperately that they enjoyed the tale that her father had told her and his father told him. Anything she could do to keep these few memories of the Old Gods alive was worth it, she confirmed to herself, whether it brought her a bit of bread or even a whole goat.