Description: This scene is from the 1930 edition of Abbie F
Brown's In the Days of Giants.This illustration by
E. Boyd
Smith is from a Victorian era retelling of the
myth concerning The Theft
of Þórr’s Hammer. Þórr awakes one
morning and discovers that his hammer Mjöllnir is missing.
He tells Loki
who borrows Freyja’s feather cloak to fly to Jötunheimr and
discovers that it is the giant Þjassi who has stolen the hammer.
Þjassi
says that he will only return Mjöllnir if he can marry Freyja.
However, Freyja refuses to marrying Þjassi. Consequently,
Heimdallr persuades Þórr to dress as Freyja to
fool the giant and retrieve his hammer. Loki accompanies Þórr
dressed as his hand maiden. Abbie Farewell Brown's In the Days
of Giants was first published in 1902, and this illustration
was digitized from the reprint published in 1930.
Source: In the Days of Giants
Folio or Page: 122
Medium: Not known
Date: 1930
Dimensions (mm): 80 x 135
Provenance:
This illustration is from In
the Days of Giants from the collection of P. A.
Baer.
Rights:
This illustration from In the Days of
Giants is in the public domain.
Research notes, early print reviews, etc.:
Early Print review of the first edition of In the Days
of Giants: "There are six illustrations by E. Boyd Smith, which are
delightful reproductions of the quaint conceits of these old legends." (The
Washington Post 7). Web. 20 November 2021.
Bibliography:
Primary Sources
Brown,
Abbie. In
the Days of Giants: A Book of Norse Tales.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin,
1930.
Secondary Sources
Review of In
the Days of Giants by Abbie Farwell Brown.
The Washington Post (1877-1922), 5 May
1902: 7. Web. 20 November
2021.
Loki is counted among the gods but is a giant by birth.
Artifacts
Mjöllnir (non.)
Mjollnir (en.)
Þórr's hammer that returns to his hand after he throws it.
Giants and Giantesses
Þjazi (non.)
Thjazi (en.)
The giant who persuaded Loki to abduct the goddess Íðunn.
Gods and Goddesses
Freyja (non.)
A fertility goddess and one of the Vanir. She is the daughter of
Njörðr and the twin sister of Freyr.
Heimdallr (xml.)
The god who guards Asgard and who will blow his horn when the giants
approach to begin the Battle of Ragnarök.
Þórr (non.)
Thor (en.)
In the Prose Edda, Þórr is the son of Óðinn
and the giantess Jörð. However, in Heimskringla, he is a mortal.
Myths
Theft of Þórr's
Hammer
This myth concerns the theft of Þórr´s hammer, Mjöllnir, by the giant
Þrymir. The gods send Loki to talk to Þrymir and giant says that he will
only return the hammer in exchange for marrying Freyja. Heimdallr
suggests that Þórr should impersonate Freyja, and the gods persuade Þórr
to go to Þrymir dressed as a bride. Þórr seizes Mjöllnir when it is
brought to the wedding feast to consecrate the marriage and then kills
Þrymir along with the rest of the giants.
Edwardian (en.)The
Edwardian era began with the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910
(January 22, 1901 - 28 July, 1914). However, the era's end date is
sometimes extended to the beginning of World War 1 (28 July
1914).
Source Materials:
In the Days of Giants (en.)
Retelling of Norse Myth written by Abbie Farwell Brown and illustrated
by Elmer Boyd Smith.
Source Persons
Brown, Abbie
Farwell (en.)
b. August 21, 1871
d. March 5, 1927
Nationality: American
Occupation: Author
Residence: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Abbie Farwell Brown was an American novelist, journalist, playwright,
lyricist, and children's author.
Smith,Elmer
Boyd (en.)
b. May 31, 1860
d. October 5, 1943
Nationality: Canadian/American
Occupation: Author/Illustrator
Residence: Wilton, Connecticut, USA
A Canadian-American writer and illustrator.
