64 MYTHOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS RITES. 
head. He then left them, and they pursued their journey, until they came 
to Utgardloke’s palace. The king returned their respectful salutations with 
contempt, and asked them to give his people some proofs of their boasted 
strength and skill. Zoke immediately offered to eat the greatest amount 
placed before him quicker than any one else. _ Utgardloke then ordered one 
of his men who was sitting at the further end of the bench, and whose name 
was Logi, to come forward and try his skill with Loke. A trough filled 
with meat having been set on the hall floor, each placing himself at one end 
began to eat as fast as he could, until they met in the middle of the trough. 
But it was found that Loke had only eaten the flesh, whereas his adversary 
had devoured both flesh and bone, and the trough to boot. All the com- 
pany therefore adjudged that Loke was vanquished. Z’hzalfi now proposed 
that he would run a race with any one who might be matched against him. 
The king called a young man named. Hugs and bade him run a race with 
Thialfi. But in each of the three courses which they ran Hugi so far out- 
stripped his competitor that Thialfi himself confessed that he had lost the 
race. Thor then offered to drink against any one. His host immediately 
ordered his cup-bearer to bring the large horn which his best. companions 
were wont to empty at a draught at his feasts. The cup having been 
brought he handed it to Thor, saying, “ Whoever is a good drinker will 
empty that horn at a single draught, though some men make two of it, but 
the most puny drinker can do it in three.” But Thor attempted in vain to 
accomplish the feat: even after the third draught he found that the liquor 
was only a little lower in the horn. 
Full of wrath at this defeat, he now challenged the giants to select any 
one among them to meet him in a trial of strength. To which Utgard- 
Loke replied: ‘“‘ We have a very trifling game here, in which we exercise 
none but children. It consists merely in lifting my cat from the ground, 
nor should I have dared to mention such a feat to Asa Thor, it I had not 
already observed that thou art by no means what we took thee for.” Stung 
to the quick by this taunt, Thor seized the cat, but with all his strength 
succeeded only in making her lift one foot from the ground. Twice bafiled, 
the Thunderer now exclaimed: “ Little as ye think me, let me see who 
amongst you will come hither, now I am in wrath, and wrestle with me.” 
To which the king replied that he knew no one who would not think it 
beneath him to do so; but if Thor was so anxious to show his prowess, to 
come forward and wrestle with the old nurse Aldi, who presented herself at 
the same time. But so far from his throwing her down at once, which he 
at first thought he could do without much effort, she succeeded in bringing 
him down upon one knee, and was therefore declared the winner.  Dis- 
pleased at these failures, Asa Thor departed with his companions from the 
city of the giants. Utgardloke led them to the gate, and before parting 
he said to him: “‘ Nay, thou needst not be astonished at having been van- 
guished in all these contests; for Logz, the competitor of Loke, was the 
all-devouring fire ; Wugz, who won the race with Thialfi, was Thought, and 
it is impossible to keep pace with that. One end of the horn, which thou 
didst try to empty, reached the sea; when thou comest to its shore thou wilt 
284 

