Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 (Tek) 9/26/83; site shark.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!decvax!ucbvax!ucbcad!tektronix!orca!shark!hutch From: hutch@shark.UUCP (Stephen Hutchison) Newsgroups: net.comics Subject: Re: Re: Frigga Message-ID: <631@shark.UUCP> Date: Mon, 19-Mar-84 16:11:45 EST Article-I.D.: shark.631 Posted: Mon Mar 19 16:11:45 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 21-Mar-84 02:33:54 EST References: <535@aplvax.UUCP> Organization: Tektronix, Wilsonville OR Lines: 35The time during which Thor and Loki demonstrated the greatest amount of "friendly" behavior was during one spying expedition which was, if I recall well, an attempt to recover Heimdall's sword, and maybe even Thor's hammer. These had been stolen by Surtur, King of Fire Giants. Thor, Loki, and two mortals were along on this one, and in it they were put to four tasks. Thor's tasks were to do such simple things as emptying Surtur's drinking horn, picking up his cat, and wrestling his dear old grandmother. One of the mortals was set to racing with a thrall in Surtur's kingdom, and Loki was challenged to an eating contest. They all lost. The contests were fixed. Thor NEARLY drained the drinking horn, terrifying the Giants, since the other end of the Horn was connected to the Ocean. He NEARLY beat the old woman wrestling, but since she was Old Age, he lost. He NEARLY picked up the cat, only managing to lift its belly from the floor, but since it was really the Midgard Serpent, all he managed was to lift a section of its belly from the ground (a task which was beyond the Giants). Loki lost his contest, against Logi. Loki was only the God of Fire, Logi was FIRE ITSELF, and ended up eating not only the meat and bones but the table as well. The mortal failed to outrace Thought. But he was mere inches behind him all the way. It was indeed Loki who killed Balder. He sharpened up a Mistletoe dart (hard to come by, since mistletoe is a rather soft stuff) and gave it to Balder's blind friend (brother?) Hoder and guided his hand. See, Balder had been rendered immune to EVERYTHING else, so it was a popular pastime to use him as a practice dummy. This was the point at which Loki really blew it. Nobody liked him after that. At least, that's how I read it in grade school. Hutch