Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - Þrymr and the Hammer of Thor (Norse Myths #7)

Starting point is 00:00:01 Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy. I'm your host, Thomas. Thank you so much for being here. I also want to say thank you for all your beautiful well-wishes and messages of congratulations to my partner and me after the news I shared last Monday. We feel so lucky and fortunate to be parents. It's not something we take for granted, and you've all helped our hearts feel even fuller than they already did.

Starting point is 00:00:44 So again, thank you all. Our journey through the Norse myths continues tonight with one of its most famous stories. It is the story of the goddess Freya's false wedd This story sees the bravery of Thor, the whiliness of Loki, and the ingenuity of Freya come together to retrieve a precious object. As always, thank you to Frankie for writing this wonderful series, which I'm so delighted to be narrating for you all. But before we enter the world of the Aisir, with their plans, schemes, and adventures. We must first prepare to cross the rainbow bridge into their realm.

Starting point is 00:01:47 Close your eyes and tune in to your body. Gently wiggle your fingers and toes, bringing mindfulness to even the smallest parts of yourself. How are your muscles, joints and limbs? Where is there still a bit of of tension that could be released. Next, turn your attention to your breath, take deep inhales and slow exhales, allowing the breath to fill you completely and be entirely released as your mind settles down for a night of rest. may want to wander, and that's completely fine when you notice it happening.

Starting point is 00:03:08 Just gently bring your attention back to the breath. Soon enough, your mind will become calm once again. You are now ready to join the Norse gods on a dreamy adventure. So, imagine a great hall in the early hours of the morning, gold, bronze and copper glint from decorations, in a bedroom, larger and grander than any other you have seen. A sizable figure sleeps there, and this is where our story begins. Dawn is barely breaking in Asgard, the pale lavender light. The pale lavender of the sun lies gently on the land. It covers the house of the thunder god Thor, making it seem even more brilliant. The great wooden hall has a thatched roof of gold, pillars carved into dragons and great creatures. Here and there, the designs are inlaid with gold. Inside, the main hall surrounds a great

Starting point is 00:05:22 fireplace. An iron fireguard is wrought expertly in the shape of the wild serpent. Rows and rows of heavy wooden tables and benches line the walls. The stone of the floor shone. The stone of the floor, lines. Along the walls are shields, swords, swords, spears, and other ornate ceremonial artifacts. They are gold, copper, bronze, silver, and iron. Making the hall shimmer with multicolored light. In the belly of the great hall is a bedroom. A stranger would have no problem finding it, because they would simply need to follow the sound. It is like great rolls of thunder during a summer storm.

Starting point is 00:06:39 The whole impressive building seems to shake with their sound. The sound is not one that strikes fear, but rather impresses the listener with all the power and majesty that nature can conjure, a viewer would then be surprised to find that the figure in the bed is one with long golden hair, but the sound does not come from the lady's sith. She is an earth goddess and deity of the harvest. Her golden hair is the colour of wheat during the harvest. and she is the wife of the one making such a thunderous noise. The most impressive thing about her is her ability to sleep peacefully, while her husband, Thor, snores like a thunderstorm next to her,

Starting point is 00:07:57 where Siff's hair is like the purest gold. Thors is as fiery red as the brightest burning flames. His hair and beard are so distinct that mortals and immortals alike write poetry about their vibrant color. The rolling thunder comes to a gentle end as the god of storms wakes. He turns carefully, not wanting to disturb his wife, and reaches out for his hammer, mionle, it is his prized possession and has been his companion on countless adventures. Yet this morning, when his huge hand reaches out for the hammer, it clasps over nothing but thin air. Thor's eyes, only a moment ago, still squinted with the weight of sleep, snap open.

Starting point is 00:09:14 He looks to where the hammer usually sits on a plinth next to his bed, and his eyes confirm his suspicion. Thor calms himself by remembering that Mjolnir is crafted to return to his hand. Yet when Thor puts out his hand to receive the hammer, it remains empty. Thor gets out of bed, filled with a tent. energy. He grabs his enchanted gloves, yarn griper, forged specifically to assist him in handling his hammer. He can channel his magic through the gloves to make the hammer even stronger. But his gloves are no help. Still, the hammer does not return. Thor finishes dressing and makes his way direct to the one person who can help, but also the person who is most likely to be responsible for

Starting point is 00:10:43 this situation. Loki, God of mischief. Thor finds Loki, lounging in a pine tree in the forest. He is in the form of a lynx, with tufted ears swiveling to catch every sound. His ears are the only sign that the shapeshifter is even awake. His eyes are closed and every bit of him appears completely relaxed in a way that only cats can achieve. But when Thor approaches his tree, one green eye cracks open to watch him. Thor has never been a god for fine words and prefers to be blunt. Loki however, is the opposite. He loves to weave words into many beautiful and pointed patterns. Thor simply asks Loki if he knows where Mionleur is. Loki perks up immediately, suddenly interested. He leaps gracefully from the branch, landing in his normal form. He says that he does not know,

Starting point is 00:12:27 Thor takes him at his word. For Loki, had he been the one to play this trick on Thor, would not have been able to resist crowing about it like a painted cockerel. Thor asks Loki to help him find his missing hammer and tells him that he is the only one, aside from Thor, who knows that it is missing. They need to discover its location, without alerting everyone in the nine worlds.

Starting point is 00:13:09 For someone would surely see this as an opportunity to take advantage of the icy. Loki agrees to help and immediately exclaims that he has an idea of how to begin this quest. Without another word, he leads Thor to the field of the folk fungar, while the male warriors who pass over spent their afterlife in Odin's Hall, feasting and carousing. The female warriors come here. This field is one of peace, rest and companionship. Their caretaker is the goddess Freya,

Starting point is 00:14:09 a fierce warrior in her own right, but now she is enjoying domestic. bliss. When Loki and Thor arrive, the goddess is sitting with her daughter upon her knee. Her two great tabby cats are lounging around the main room of her hall. Freya receives her guests respectfully and asks what she can do for them. Loki explains about Mionnir and flatters Freya with assertions that those they cannot tell anyone else about the missing hammer, they knew they could trust her. But Freya is wise to Loki's silver tongue. She asks him bluntly what it is he wants from her. Indeed, Loki asks to borrow her cloak of feathers in order to discover where Mionnir has gone.

Starting point is 00:15:31 Freya nods her agreement. and leads the two gods to her treasure room, her daughter holding her hand and toddling along next to them, in the centre of a room filled with precious artefacts and jewels, sits a stand with a wondrous cape. This cape is unlike any other in existence. It is covered in shining feathers. At some angles, the feathers appear to be so black that they have a dark purple sheen. While elsewhere, they are a brilliant russet red. They shimmer from pure white to a dark, warm brown. Aside from looking stunning, the cloak also holds immense magical power. It allows the wearer to fly faster than anything else in all the worlds.

Starting point is 00:16:53 This allows them to travel between worlds and cover vast distances with great ease. Loki could, as a shapeshifter, transform himself into a hawk or an eagle. But their natural abilities do not come close to those bestowed by this close. Freya casts her eyes over Loki once more, before handing him the cloak. She, like many other gods, is hesitant when it comes to Loki. He is, after all, the god of mischief. He always has a trick or two up his sleeve. But as much as Loki has a propensity for causing chaos, he is.

Starting point is 00:17:58 He also has the ability to create great joy and amazement. Loki, knowing that Freya is suspicious of him, gives her a wink before tossing the cloak across his shoulders and making his way outside. As soon as he is free from the house, the god takes to the skies. The air around him whips past. as he circles the entirety of Asgard, while it is unlikely that one of the Isseer took Thor's hammer, Loki must still check, having satisfied himself, he moves on to the other worlds. Loki travels next to Ulfheimer, the home of the elves.

Starting point is 00:19:10 Again, he doesn't think that one of the elves, being of life. light and radiance would have taken Thor's hammer. But it's a pleasant task to fly over a world where the sky is constantly painted with sunset colours, and the people are so beautiful. Midgard is the next wildhood Loki searches. This is the land of human beings. Loki considers them to small to be the ones who have Mjolnir. They are more concerned with developing cultures and societies, as Loki swoops over their world. He asserts himself that they could not gain even a fraction of the power of the gods. No, they are not the ones he is looking for. Svatovaheim is the world of the

Starting point is 00:20:24 dwarves. The dwarves are wise and clever. It was a dwarf who made Mjolny as a gift for Thor in the first place. Why would they then steal it back? Especially when they are great allies of the Issyr. No, this world does not contain the missing hammer of Thor. Loki then travels to Varnaheim. This is the home world of the Vanir, Freya and her brother Freya are Vanier. Though they choose to live on other worlds, the Vanier and the Issy are old friends, and closely related races. Again, it is highly unlikely that one of the Vanier would take the hammer. their power lies in wisdom and magic. Freya herself is highly skilled in such magic.

Starting point is 00:21:49 A hammer would not attract to them. Loki descends next into the underworld for a very quick search. This is the least likely place that Loki would find Thor's hammer. Here are merely the peaceful souls of humans. enjoying their eternal rest. Loki soars through both Muspelheim, the world of fire, and Niefelheim, the world of mist. Neufelheim is where all rivers come from,

Starting point is 00:22:38 and where the first beings were created, as he searches these eight worlds. Loki flies between the great branches of Ektresil, the wild tree. This great tree connects all nine worlds and holds everything in creation in either its boughs or its roots. Finally, there is only one world left. It is the one that Loki had most suspected from the beginning. Yotenheim, the world of the frost giants. The world itself is beautiful. In its constant winter, the lands glitter in the sunlight. Like a world of diamonds, the frost giants are not a race of bad individuals. Just as the race of humans or midgard is not wholly

Starting point is 00:23:58 made of good or bad people, yet there is as often mischief in this world as there is mischief in the heart of Loki himself. Loki sees the giant Thrim sitting in front of his huge dwelling, braiding a leash for his hunting dogs. Something about the nonchalant way that the giant attends to his work makes Loki pay attention. He turns towards Thrim and hovers in the air just out of reach. Thrim looks up at Loki and smiles. He asks him what he is doing so far away from Asgard. Loki says that he is looking for something precious, something that belongs to the god Thor. The way that Thrim's smile spreads even further, confirms Loki's suspicions.

Starting point is 00:25:20 Thrim is the master of this trick. Loki tricks him in return into revealing that he has hidden the hammer, eight leagues beneath the earth. Thrim asserts that he will only give the hammer back if the goddess Freya agrees to marry him. Loki flies back to Asgard with this message. Unsure of how he is going to. tell Thor, and more importantly, how he's going to tell Freya. He finds Thor and Freya at her palace once

Starting point is 00:26:14 again. As soon as he lands, Freya holds her hand out for her cloak. But Loki hesitates in returning the magical item. He tells her and Thor that he will take to the air once again in order to reveal what he has discovered, for he does not trust either of them to keep their tempers. From the sky, Loki relates what Thrim told him. To his great surprise, neither Thor nor Freya unleash a terrible anger. Thor looks meekly at Freya, waiting for her response. It may be his hammer, but it is her decision. Freya, on the other hand, simply smiles.

Starting point is 00:27:27 She tells Loki that he may come down. She does not punish the messenger. In fact, she is going to need his and Thor's help in getting Mjolnir back. She has a plan to give Thrim more than he wants. Thor and Loki agree immediately to help her. With a wry smile, she goes to her closet and pulls out yards and yards of beautiful fabrics. They shine like jewels. As they pile up around the room, Freya instructs Thor and Loki to remain still while she works.

Starting point is 00:28:26 with a clever combination of craft and magic, Freya whirls around the two gods. She enchants the clothing to disguise them perfectly. Now, instead of the lean and wily shape of Loki, there stands a lovely handmaiden. Thor, too, is cleverly hidden. This muscled form is now replaced by that of Freya herself in a wedding dress.

Starting point is 00:29:12 Complete with a veil, as Loki stares at Thor, Freya's plan becomes clear to him. She tells them to send word to Thrim that she has accepted his offer. Then the two of them will go in her place. Loki smiles and laughs at the clasp. leavenous of the plan. Thor is also pleased by the idea, but is worried about his ability to imitate Freya. Imitation is more of Loki's skill. Loki and Freya assure him that the plan will work. Thor and Loki, now disguised as Freya and a handmaiden, hop on to a golden chariot,

Starting point is 00:30:20 driven by Thor's own goats, and travel to Thrim's hall. When they arrive, it becomes clear that Thrim has spared no expense for this wedding. The hall itself, already impressively beautiful, is now bedecked with winter blooming flowers. The smell of the wedding feast flutes tantalizingly through the rooms and hallways. Everyone in the hall is busy at work with preparations. Thrim himself greets the false Freya and her handmaiden. He leads them to the dining hall, telling them about his great riches and power. Thor and Loki are sitting at places of honour at the high table next to.

Starting point is 00:31:33 to Thrim. The rest of the hall quickly fills up with guests. It seems like nearly every frost giant has been invited to this wedding. Many have come just to see the event with their own eyes, for they cannot believe that Freya, the most beautiful of the Vanier, has agreed to marry Thrim. Murmers pass through the hall, along with course after course of food. Quickly, however, the guests and the groom begin to notice something strange about the bride. The false frayer is eating constantly. She eats more than anyone else in attendance, noticing that Thor's famous appetite might give the game away, Loki leans over to assure Thrim that this hunger is not out of the ordinary.

Starting point is 00:32:55 For Freya, in her anticipation and excitement for the wedding, has fasted for eight days. Thrim nods accepting this answer easily. Of course, she must be hungry after fasting for so long. It is a sign of her great excitement at marrying him, towards the end of the meal. Thrim asks if he might look under the veil of his bride, but as he does, he is met with a bright, fiery gaze. Thor's eyes are famous for containing lightning in them. Once again, Loki tries to explain that Freya has been so excited by the prospect of the wedding that she has not slept for eight days. So her eyes may look extra bright. Again, Thrim accepts this answer. He stands before his guests and his bride to make an announcement. He tells everyone that he has a very special gift for this goddess.

Starting point is 00:34:32 Not long ago, he was successful in taking Mjolny, the hammer of Thor, from right under the god's very nose. This demonstration of wit, cleverness and craft is what he used to barter for Freya's hand in marriage. The hall erupts in conversation. Thrim holds up a hand to silence the room once again. Now, in honour of his bride, he will present her with the hammer itself as a wedding gift. It takes several servants together to bring out Mjolnir on a velvet cushion.

Starting point is 00:35:35 Only Loki notices the glint in the false Freya's eyes, as the hammer is brought over to her. Her delicate hand reaches out and picks up the hammer. with ease. With one graceful movement, the false frayer whips off her disguise and reveals the true identity beneath of Thor. For a little extra theatricality, he calls down thunder. The guests gasp and clap at the presentation. Thrim's eyes are wide in surprise. And then a tumultuous laugh pours out of him. He has overcome with joy at the cleverness of the trick and turns to the handmaiden,

Starting point is 00:36:46 now revealing herself to be loki. This brings fresh bouts of laughter. Thus the false wedding ends well. Throughout the night, stories are shared. With each god or giant, trying to outdo the others. When Loki and Thor finally make their way out of the hall in the early hours of the next morning, it is with a fond farewell from Thrim. Mjolnir sits at Thor's hip where it belongs, and all is right once again.

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - Þrymr and the Hammer of Thor (Norse Myths #7)

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