Sunday, 3 April 2022 08:45 pm
Myth of the Master Builder
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deckardcanineIt’s said that Asgard once relied for self-defense on Thor,
And thus, the gods got nervous when he went away to war.
They figured what they ought to do was build a sturdy wall,
But that would take them years if they completed it at all.
Soon word of their predicament got out to foreign lands,
And then they got a visit from a large and brawny man.
He said he’d build a wall too tall for giant foes to climb,
Too thick for trolls to break, and all in just three seasons’ time.
He named his price: the sun, the moon, and Freya’s hand to wed.
The huddled gods did not approve, and Freya’s face turned red.
But Loki recommended that they make the timeline shorter,
And once the builder failed, they needn’t give him any quarter.
The gods agreed: He’d only have a season for his work,
With help from none except his horse. The self-important jerk
Would not decline a challenge, as unlikely as it seemed,
And with his start, they’d get the wall up faster than they’d dreamed.
But after several weeks, their bet was looking not so wise.
He had to be a giant in a magical disguise.
If Freya had to marry him, she’d ask the gods to kill
The one who first proposed the bet, so Loki got a chill.
That evening, in the field appeared a super-pretty mare.
The stallion, Svadilfari, lost his loyalty right there.
He didn’t heed his master’s call but chased her through the wood.
The builder waited hours, but he’d lost his horse for good.
It soon became apparent that he wouldn’t make the grade.
The gods went out to jeer at him and thus perhaps dissuade.
He then assumed his giant size and charged at them in ire,
But Thor showed up in time to cause the builder to expire.
The gods took weeks to finish the construction he’d begun.
They wished they’d stopped him later, but at least old Thor had fun.
For many months, they couldn’t tell where Loki chose to go,
Until he came, embarrassed, with a certain foal in tow.
And thus, the gods got nervous when he went away to war.
They figured what they ought to do was build a sturdy wall,
But that would take them years if they completed it at all.
Soon word of their predicament got out to foreign lands,
And then they got a visit from a large and brawny man.
He said he’d build a wall too tall for giant foes to climb,
Too thick for trolls to break, and all in just three seasons’ time.
He named his price: the sun, the moon, and Freya’s hand to wed.
The huddled gods did not approve, and Freya’s face turned red.
But Loki recommended that they make the timeline shorter,
And once the builder failed, they needn’t give him any quarter.
The gods agreed: He’d only have a season for his work,
With help from none except his horse. The self-important jerk
Would not decline a challenge, as unlikely as it seemed,
And with his start, they’d get the wall up faster than they’d dreamed.
But after several weeks, their bet was looking not so wise.
He had to be a giant in a magical disguise.
If Freya had to marry him, she’d ask the gods to kill
The one who first proposed the bet, so Loki got a chill.
That evening, in the field appeared a super-pretty mare.
The stallion, Svadilfari, lost his loyalty right there.
He didn’t heed his master’s call but chased her through the wood.
The builder waited hours, but he’d lost his horse for good.
It soon became apparent that he wouldn’t make the grade.
The gods went out to jeer at him and thus perhaps dissuade.
He then assumed his giant size and charged at them in ire,
But Thor showed up in time to cause the builder to expire.
The gods took weeks to finish the construction he’d begun.
They wished they’d stopped him later, but at least old Thor had fun.
For many months, they couldn’t tell where Loki chose to go,
Until he came, embarrassed, with a certain foal in tow.