Description: This scene is from the 1930 edition of Abbie F
Brown's In the Days of Giants.This illustration by
E. Boyd
Smith is from a Victorian era retelling of the
making of The Treasures of
the Gods. The myth begins when Loki cut off
Sif’s
golden hair while she is sleeping. Sif’s husband, Þórr, threatens to
break every one of Loki’s bones unless he replaces her hair with
golden hair made by the dwarves. The dwarves known as the
Sons of
Ivaldi make the golden hair along with the spear
Gungnir and the
ship "Skíðblaðnir.
Loki wagers his head that the dwarves, Brokkr and Eitri, cannot make
three treasures as good the ones made by the Sons of Ivaldi.
Loki loses the bet, but not his head, when Brokkr and Eitri
produce the boar Gullinbursti, the
ring Draupnir, and Þórr’s
hammer Mjöllnir. The gods judge Mjöllnir to be the greatest
of the six treasures. Abbie Farewell Brown's "In the Days of
Giants" was first published in 1902, and this illustration was
digitized from the reprint that was published in 1930.
Source: In the Days of Giants
Folio or Page: 88
Medium: Not known
Date: 1930
Dimensions (mm): 80 x 135
Provenance:
This illustration is from In
the Days of Giants from the collection of P. A.
Baer.
Rights:
This illustration from In the Days of
Giants is in the public domain.
Research notes, early print reviews, etc.:
Early Print review of the first edition of In the Days
of Giants: "There are six illustrations by E. Boyd Smith, which are
delightful reproductions of the quaint conceits of these old legends." (The
Washington Post 7). Web. 20 November 2021.
Bibliography:
Primary Sources
Brown,
Abbie. In
the Days of Giants: A Book of Norse Tales.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin,
1930.
Secondary Sources
Review of In
the Days of Giants by Abbie Farwell Brown.
The Washington Post (1877-1922), 5 May
1902: 7. Web. 20 November
2021.
Loki is counted among the gods but is a giant by birth.
Artifacts
Draupnir (non.)
Odin's gold ring which has the power to multiply itself.
Gungnir (non.)
Óðinn's spear whose name means "swaying one."
Mjöllnir (non.)
Mjollnir (en.)
Þórr's hammer that returns to his hand after he throws it.
Sif's Golden
Hair (non.)
The hair created by the dwarves to replace the hair that Loki cut
off.
Skíðblaðnir (non.)
A boat belonging to Freyr or Odin, depending on the myth.
Creatures: animals, birds, monsters etc.
Gullinbursti (non.)
Sliðrugtanni (non.)
This great boar was one of the three magical items made by the dwarves
Brokk and Eitri, the sons of Ívaldi, at the request of Loki when he
needed to appease the gods after he cut off Sif's hair. Loki gave
Gullinbursti to Freyr to pull his chariot and it could run over the
earth and through the air. Its golden bristles shone so that it could
find its way day or night. Gullinbursti was also known as
Sliðrugtanni.
Dwarves and Elves
Brokkr (non.)
One of the Sons of Ivaldi and brother of the dwarf Eitri. Brokkr is
also known as Sindri. Loki made a bet with these brothers that they
could not make three treasures as good as the three treasures that the
Sons of Ivaldi made for the gods.
Eitri (non.)
The brother of the dwarf Brokkr. Eitri is also known as Sindri. Loki
made a bet with these brothers that they could not make three treasures
as good as the three treasures that the Sons of Ivaldi made for the
gods.
Sons of Ivaldi (non.)
Brokkr and Eitri, the sons of the dwarf Ivaldi, who are called upon to
recreate Sif's hair and created other as well that are known as the
Treasures of the Gods.other treasures for the Gods.
Gods and Goddesses
Sif (non.)
The wife of Thor. She is known to have beautiful, long, golden hair,
which Loki cuts off.
Þórr (non.)
Thor (en.)
In the Prose Edda, Þórr is the son of Óðinn
and the giantess Jörð. However, in Heimskringla, he is a mortal.
Myths
The Treasures of the Gods
The six treasures of the gods were made by two groups of dwarves at
the request of Loki after he cut off Sif's hair while she was sleeping.
Loki asks the dwarves to make the treasures in order to appease Sif’s
husband, Þórr. The Sons of Ivaldi make golden hair to replace Sif's hair
and also make the spear Gungnir and the ship "Skíðblaðnir. Loki bets the
dwarves Brokkr and Eitri that they can not produce treasures equal to
the ones made by the Sons of Ivaldi. Brokkr and Eitri create the boar
Gullinbursti, the ring Draupnir, and Þórr’s hammer Mjöllnir. The gods
judge Mjöllnir to be the greatest of the treasures. Loki loses the bet
and almost loses his head but keeps it because the bet did not involve
harming his neck.
Nouns
Edwardian (en.)The
Edwardian era began with the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910
(January 22, 1901 - 28 July, 1914). However, the era's end date is
sometimes extended to the beginning of World War 1 (28 July
1914).
In the Days of Giants (en.)
Retelling of Norse Myth written by Abbie Farwell Brown and illustrated
by Elmer Boyd Smith.
Source Persons
Brown, Abbie
Farwell (en.)
b. August 21, 1871
d. March 5, 1927
Nationality: American
Occupation: Author
Residence: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Abbie Farwell Brown was an American novelist, journalist, playwright,
lyricist, and children's author.
Smith,Elmer
Boyd (en.)
b. May 31, 1860
d. October 5, 1943
Nationality: Canadian/American
Occupation: Author/Illustrator
Residence: Wilton, Connecticut, USA
A Canadian-American writer and illustrator.
