A Trap Set by Loki
For his own amusement, Loki once put on Frigg's falcon cloak and flew off to explore the halls of the giants. He landed at the home of Geirröd and peered inside, but the giant caught him and, sensing this was no true bird, locked him in a chest and starved him until he confessed who he was.
Geirröd hated Thor above all the gods, and he saw his chance. He would release Loki only if the trickster swore to bring Thor to his hall without his hammer Mjölnir, his belt of strength, or his iron gloves. To save himself, Loki agreed and led the unsuspecting thunder god toward the giant's realm.
On the way they lodged with a wise and friendly giantess named Gríðr. While Loki was elsewhere, she warned Thor of the treachery ahead and lent him what he would need to survive it.
Key Events of the Tale
Loki's Bargain
Caught spying in falcon form, Loki buys his freedom by promising to deliver Thor to Geirröd stripped of his hammer, belt, and iron gloves.
The Gifts of Gríðr
The giantess Gríðr warns Thor of the plot and lends him her own belt of might, a pair of iron gloves, and her unbreakable staff, Gríðarvölr.
The Rising River
Crossing the roaring river Vimur, Thor finds the water swelling to drown him. Geirröd's daughter Gjálp stands astride the stream to raise it, but Thor hurls a great stone and braces on Gríðr's staff to reach the far bank.
The Chair That Rose
In Geirröd's hall Thor sits on a chair that suddenly heaves upward to crush him against the roof. He jams Gríðr's staff against the rafters and pushes down, breaking the backs of the two giantesses hiding beneath it.
The Glowing Iron
Geirröd snatches a red-hot lump of iron with tongs and hurls it at Thor. Wearing Gríðr's iron gloves, Thor catches it and throws it back so hard that it punches through pillar, giant, and wall alike, killing Geirröd.
Strength Without the Hammer
This tale is unusual because Thor triumphs without Mjölnir, robbed of his greatest weapon by Loki's bargain. He survives instead through the kindness of a giantess and his own raw might, showing that not all giants are enemies and that Thor is dangerous even unarmed. It is a reminder that behind the thunder god's famous hammer stands a strength that needs no weapon at all.
Sources and Related Tales
The story is preserved in Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, drawing on the intricate skaldic poem Þórsdrápa by Eilífr Goðrúnarson.
Quick Facts
Key Participants
Thor
Lured into danger without his hammer, yet unbeatable still.
Gríðr
The friendly giantess whose gifts save the thunder god.
Geirröd & Daughters
The giant and his daughters Gjálp and Greip, all undone by their own traps.
The Gifts of Gríðr
Gríðarvölr, an unbreakable staff that props open the crushing chair.
A belt of might and iron gloves to catch a giant's red-hot iron.
Themes & Symbolism
Strength Beyond the Weapon: Thor proves deadly even without Mjölnir at his side.
Not All Giants Are Foes: Gríðr's aid shows the line between god and giant is not always a line of enmity.
Traps Turned Back: Every snare Geirröd sets is turned against him and his kin.