rigsthula 85
(Middle Earth) disguised as a mortal man. He left
behind his horn, Gjallerhorn, his sword, and his
golden-topped steed, and took the name Rig.
Rig wandered along the seashore at the edge of
the world. When evening came, he saw a rickety old
hut. Rig knocked and the door creaked open. It was
dark and smoky inside, but Rig-Heimdall with his
keen eyes could see Ai and Edda (great-grandfather
and great-grandmother) and gave them his golden
smile. They shared their miserable meal with him.
Rig was so courteous and friendly that they shared
their bed, too, allowing the sweet-talking god to sleep
warmly between their two thin bodies. He shared
their food and their bed for three days and three
nights, then went on his way.
Nine months after the god’s visit, Edda gave birth
to a son. His parents named him Thrall. The boy
was sturdy and strong and grew to be very good at
all the hard and heavy chores that laborers must do:
chopping wood, digging the earth, building huts,
tending the pigs and goats, gathering food, burning
peat. When Thrall grew up, he married Thir, another
hard worker, and their children and their children’s