54 hyrokkin
H yrokkin (Fire
Smoke) The giantess who
launched the longship Hringhorni, the funeral pyre
of the slain god Balder. She rode an enormous wolf,
using serpents as reins. The berserkers killed the
wolf, but Hyrokkin pushed the ship into the water
with her own strength. Snorri Sturluson tells
Hyrokkin’s story in G ylfaginning , but she is also
mentioned in skaldic poetry.