[Hymir’s poem] is a mythological eddic poem composed in
fornyrðislag[old story meter]. The poem is divided into 39 stanzas. The oldest version of
Hymiskviðasurvives in a vellum manuscript from c. 1260-1280, Konungsbók eddukvæða (Codex Regius of Eddic Poetry; GKS 2365 4to). A second version of the poem is found in AM 748 I a 4to, a vellum manuscript from c. 1300. In Konungsbók eddukvæða the poem is titled
Þórr dró Miðgarðsorm[Thor catches Midgard serpent], whereas in AM 748 I a 4to the poem is titled
Hymiskviða.
Hymiskviða relates the story of one of Þórr’s adventures to the land of the giants. The form is primarily narration with some direct speech interspersed. The narrative structure is that of a double-frame, the exterior frame set in Ásgarðr [Home
2131 words
Citation: McGillivray, Andrew. "Hymiskviða". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 07 July 2023 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=41002, accessed 06 October 2024.]