the history of yggdrasill

Part 4: asgard wall

Long after the Golden Age, it was still very early in the cycle of time. And long after the war between the Aesir and the Vanir, the wall around Asgard that the Vanir had razed with their battle-magic remained a ring of rubble, deserted, the home of eagles and ravens.

The gods were anxious that the wall should be rebuilt, so that Asgard would be safe from evil-doers, but none were eager to take the heavy burden of rebuilding on their own shoulders. This is how matters stood for some time until, one day, a solitary figure on horseback cantered over the trembling rainbow, and was stopped by the watchman Heimdall.

"I've a plan to put to the gods," said the man
"You can tell it to me," said Heimdall warmly. He had felt curious as he watched this man approach from a hundred miles off, and smiled, showing his gold teeth.
"I'll tell all the gods if I tell at all," said the man from his saddle. "The goddesses also may be interested."

Heimdall showed his teeth again in a less friendly manner and directed the man across the Plain of Ida to Gladsheim.

So the gods and goddesses gathered in Gladsheim. Their visitor tied up his stallion and stepped forward under the shining roof, to the middle of the hall. He was surrounded by Odin and the twelve leading gods, each sitting in his high place, and by a throng of gods and goddesses.

Odin eyed him piercingly. "We are all here at Heimdall's bidding. What do you have to say?"

"Only this," said the man. "I'll rebuild your wall round Asgard." There was a stir in Gladsheim as the gods and goddesses realized there must be rather more to the builder than met the eye.

"The wall will be much stronger and higher than before," said the builder. "So strong and high that it will be impregnable. Asgard will be secure against the rock giants and the frost giants even if they barge their way into Midgard."

"However," said Odin, aware that conditions would soon follow.
"I'll need eighteen months," said the builder. "Eighteen months from the day I begin."
That may not be impossible," said Odin, the Alert One.
"It is essential," said the builder.
"And your price?" asked Odin slowly.
"I was coming to that," said the builder. "Freyja as my wife."

The beautiful goddess sat bolt upright and as she moved to Necklace of the Brisings and her golden brooches and armbands and the gold thread in her clothing glittered and flashed. None but Odin could look directly at her, Freyja, fairest of goddesses, more beautiful even than Firgg and Nanna and Eir and Sif. And as she sat erect, the outraged gods all around her were shouting, or waving their arms, deriding the builder, dismissing the builder.

"That's impossible," shouted Odin. "Let that be an end to it."
"I'll also be wanting the sun and the moon," said the builder. "Freyja, the sun and the moon: that's my price."

Loki's voice rose out of the hubbub. "Every idea has its own merits. Don't dismiss it out of hand."

All the gods and goddesses turned to look at the Sly One, the giant Farbauti's son, and wondered what was passing through the maze of his mind.

"We must give this plan a thought," said Loki reasonably. "We owe our guest no less."

So the builder was asked to leave Gladsheim while to gods and goddesses conferred. And when she saw that he gods were no longer ready to dismiss the idea out of hand but wanted to discuss it in earnest, Freyja began to weep tears of gold.

"Don't be so hasty," Loki said. "We could turn this plan to our own gain. Supposing we gave this man six months to build the wall..."
"He could never build it in that time," said Heimdall.
"Never," echoed many of the gods.
"Exactly," said Loki.
Odin smiled.