Knowing Prophecies

‘That one is also reckoned among the Æsir whom some call the
Æsir’s calumniator and originator of deceits and the disgrace of
all gods and men. His name is Loki or Lopt, son of the giant
Farbauti. Laufey or Nal is his mother. Byleist and Helblindi are
his brothers. Loki is pleasing and handsome in appearance, evil in
character, very capricious in behaviour. He possessed to a greater
degree than others the kind of learning that is called cunning, and
tricks for every purpose. He was always getting the Æsir into a
complete fix and often got them out of it by trickery. Sigyn is the
name of his wife, Nari or Narfi their son. And Loki had other
offspring too. There was a giantess called Angrboda in Giantland.
With her Loki had three children. One was Fenriswolf, the second
Iormungand (i.e. the Midgard serpent), the third is Hel. And when
the gods realized that these three siblings were being brought up in
Giantland, and when the gods traced prophecies stating that from
these siblings great mischief and disaster would arise for them,
then they all felt evil was to be expected from them, to begin with
because of their mother’s nature, but still worse because of their
father’s.

‘Then All-father sent the gods to get the children and bring
them to him. And when they came to him he threw the serpent
into that deep sea which lies round all lands, and this serpent grew
so that it lies in the midst of the ocean encircling all lands and bites
on its own tail. Hel he threw into Niflheim and gave her authority
over nine worlds, such that she has to administer board and
lodging to those sent to her, and that is those who die of sickness
or old age. She has great mansions there and her walls are
exceptionally high and the gates great. Her hall is called Eliudnir,
her dish Hunger, her knife Famine, the servant Ganglati, serving-
maid Ganglot, her threshold where you enter Stumbling-block,
her bed Sick-bed, her curtains Gleaming-bale. She is half black
and half flesh-coloured - thus she is easily recognizable - and
rather downcast and fierce-looking.

[...]

‘The Æsir brought up the wolf at home, and it was only Tyr
who had the courage to approach the wolf and give it food. And
when the gods saw how much it was growing each day, and all
prophecies foretold that it was destined to cause them harm, then
the Æsir adopted this plan, that they made a very strong fetter
which they called Leyding and brought it to the wolf and sug-
gested he should try his strength with the fetter.

[...]

Then spoke Gangleri: ‘It was a pretty terrible family that Loki
begot, and all these siblings are important. But why did not the
Æsir kill the wolf since they can expect evil from him?’

High replied: ‘So greatly did the gods respect their holy places
and places of sanctuary that they did not want to defile them with
the wolf’s blood even though the prophecies say that he will be the
death of Odin.’

Then spoke Gangleri: ‘Who are the Asyniur?’


- Prose Edda, Gylfaginning