Loki Passage 13

4.

There was a tale when Loki was forced to act when he under rated his opponent. It was when a builder offered to build a new Hall named Val-Hall. The builder had offered to build a fortification for the gods in three seasons that will keep out invaders in exchange for the goddess Freyja, the sun, and the moon. After some debate, the Asgards agreed to this, but place a number of restrictions on the builder, including that he must complete the work within three seasons with the help of no man.

“I may seek the help of my horse. It’s a stallion named Svaðilfari.” The builder request was rejected but Loki being his silly self intervened.

“What ails you guys? You are asking a builder to do his work without his tools.” Loki statement was jeered at but Odin decided in favor of Loki. Unfortunately, Odin regretted his action for the stallion Svaðilfari performed twice the deeds of strength as the builder, and hauls enormous rocks to the surprise of the Gods. The builder, with Svaðilfari, makes fast progress on the wall, and three days before the deadline of summer, the builder was nearly at the entrance to the fortification. The Gods convened, and figured out who was responsible, resulting in a unanimous agreement that, along with most trouble, they knew who to blame.

“Loki will bear the brunt of this disgrace should the builder succeed.” The Gods then declared that Loki would deserve a horrible death if he could not find a scheme that would cause the builder to forfeit his payment, and threatened to attack him. Loki himself a trickster, was afraid and swore oaths that he would devise a scheme to cause the builder to forfeit the payment.

“Even it will mean losing my life.” Loki added in to his statement.

That night, the builder drove out to fetch stone with his stallion Svaðilfari, and out from a wood ran a mare. The mare neighed at Svaðilfari, and snorted at the other. The mare then displayed the signs of it heated condition. Svaðilfari became frantic, neighed, tore apart his tackle, and ran towards the mare. The mare ran to the wood, Svaðilfari followed, and the builder chased after. The two horses ran around all night, causing the building work to be held up for the night, and the previous momentum of building work that the builder had been able to maintain was not continued. The builder without his stallion was hindered in his works but the worse was to be seen later. When Odin realized that the builder was a Giant in disguise, they disregard their previous oaths with the builder, and call for Thor.

“Where is the imposter?” Thor barged in and without hesitation he swung his hammer by smashing the builder's skull into shards with the hammer Mjölnir. Everyone thought it was over but not for Loki. It was unmentioned then, Loki was the mare and with his rendezvous with the stallion, he was impregnated. It was unusual but when Loki was the mare, he was also with the organs of the mare. He did not figure a one off attempt will be so potent.

“Damn! I will never mount another again.” Loki felt the kicking in his lower abdomen. He could not revert back to his normal self but retained as a mare. He looked around for advice but only Frigg assisted.

“Whatever it will be, Loki. You will be a mother soon.” Loki soon gave birth to a grey foal with eight legs; the horse was named Sleipnir. It was deemed the the best horse among gods and men. The horse was later adopted by Odin. He had many adventures with the child of Loki.

Odin once rode Slepnir into the land of Jötunheimr and arrives at the residence of the jötunn Hrungnir. Hrungnir asks "what sort of person this was" wearing a golden helmet, "riding sky and sea," and says that the stranger "has a marvellously good horse." Odin wagers his head that no horse as good could be found in all of Jötunheimr. Hrungnir admitted that it was a fine horse, yet states that he owns a much longer-paced horse; Gullfaxi. Incensed, Hrungnir leaps atop Gullfaxi, intending to attack Odin for boasting. Odin gallops hard ahead of Hrungnir, and, in his, fury, Hrungnir finds himself having rushed into the gates of Asgard. During the race, which Sleipnir wins, Hrungnir enters Valhalla, and there becomes drunk and abusive. After they grew weary of him, the gods call on Thor to battle Hrungnir.

Slepnir would feature well in the Asgard tales and one none other than the ride by Hermóðr agreed to ride to Hel to offer a ransom for Baldr's return. Odin commanded that the Odin's horse Sleipnir to be led forward. Hermóðr mounted Sleipnir and rode away. Hermóðr rode for nine nights in deep, dark valleys where Hermóðr saw nothing; darkness and then brightness that made one eyes to close. The two arrived at the river Gjöll and then continue to Gjöll bridge, encountering a maiden guarding the bridge named Móðguðr. Some dialogue occurs between Hermóðr and Móðguðr, including that Móðguðr notes that recently there had ridden five battalions of dead men across the bridge that made less sound than he.

Sleipnir and Hermóðr continue "downwards and northwards" on the road to Hel, until the two arrive at Hel's gates. Hermóðr dismounts from Sleipnir, tightens Sleipnir's girth, mounts him, and spurred Sleipnir on. Sleipnir jumped so hard and over the gate that it came nowhere near. Hermóðr rode up to the hall, and dismounted from Sleipnir. After Hermóðr's pleas to Hel to return Baldr were accepted, Hermóðr and Baldr retrace their path backward and return to Asgard.