A goddess wakes by the river to find something precious missing—and the trickster who stole it must answer to the gods of Asgard.
BY RUBY CARMEN
Quite some time ago, during the Viking Age, in the lands of the Norse peoples, there was a goddess. Her name was Sif. You may know her husband; he is the god of thunder and war and goes by the name of Thor. Did you know that Thursday is named after the Norse god Thor? So, he is still remembered in the English-speaking world, especially on Thursdays!
Coming back to the goddess Sif, who is not as well remembered, she was, in fact, the goddess of fertility, of the earth, and of the harvest. So, it only makes sense that her hair was wonderfully golden, like the sun shining on the wheat crops in the fields. And indeed, it is said that Viking farmers worshiped her in days gone by.
Sif was known to have traveled across the Northern Hemisphere, bestowing her blessings and supporting the farmers who toiled the land so that their families would survive the harsh winters there. Indeed, her very essence was nurturing, nourishing, and sweet generosity. This makes the mischievous and unkind act of her brother-in-law, Loki, even more shocking. Now, Loki is known as a trickster, a joker—he was the god of fire, illusion, and, unsurprisingly, of mischief.
I guess you are wondering what happened! Well, one day, after her travels, Sif was resting by the river, and her long, wondrous hair was drying in the sunlight. The soft murmurs of the river had brought her into a meditative sleep, and all around, the birds sang melodiously. It was so peaceful—until it was not. Silently, Loki appeared with ill intent. Although the rock-thrushes, blackbirds, and fairy-wrens, and even the shy robin tried to warn her, Sif was in a deep, deep sleep.
As Loki moved closer to Sif, he took out a pair of shears and, with some effort, cut off Sif’s long, golden locks. And in the blink of an eye, Loki disappeared. Just like that. As if in response to this, the clouds covered the sun, and, feeling cold, Sif awoke. Strangely, she felt a chill around her neck and shoulders. She rubbed her eyes and grasped at her head, shocked. Sif, looking down into the waters of the gentle river, saw that her hair was gone. In disbelief, she reached for the magic mirror that she secretly kept in her skirt and saw her reflection. It was so: her hair was shorn off. At this realization, she began to sob with the result that it began to rain all over the northern lands.
In her distress, she made her way back to Asgard. Her husband Thor, catching her appearance and her tear-stained face, thundered, “Who did this to you, my dear wife?” Recovering from her shock, Sif replied, “I do not know, my husband, for I was asleep by the river.” Later that evening, the king of the gods, Odin, who was Sif’s father-in-law, called a meeting to find out who the culprit was, consulting all the gods and goddesses. It did not take long to figure out who had done such a foolhardy and careless act: Loki! Thor and Odin’s anger was so great that the skies were alight with thunder and lightning.
“Loki!” their thunderous voices exploded in unison, and Loki had no choice but to face the consequences of his actions. To this day, no one knows why he did it. Was he jealous of her quiet, creative power, or was it an act of revenge to anger Thor? Nobody knows.
The mischief-loving Loki laughed it off, adding insult to injury. “You know how it is—I happened to have these shears and … ”
Silence!” roared Odin.
Magnificently dignified Sif looked at him wordlessly with piercing silver eyes, her head covered with a gossamer veil to hide her missing locks. As a goddess, she was sacred; even the hair on her head was sacred. How could Loki not know this?!
Loki was sent away for the wrong he had done, and somehow, he had to make it right. His task, you wonder? Loki had to travel to the molten center of the earth, nay, under the earth, not a place of mortals. There he found the gnomes who were skilled smiths. As Loki was the god of fire, the fiery heat of that place did not trouble him too much. With some charm and persuasion, Loki requested that the gnomes use their skill with fire and metal to create a headpiece of the finest intricate silken gold that would appear like hair, fit for a goddess. The gnomes eyed Loki with some suspicion and apprehension, as his reputation was well known. However, the kind-hearted gnomes did his bidding more to alleviate the goddess’s suffering than to please Loki, in spite of his flattery and sweet words.
Returning to Asgard, the celestial home of the gods, Loki brought the golden hairpiece for Sif as an apology and a peace offering. It was accepted with some hesitation, as his reputation was so poor (in court, there was still concern that this too was a trick). Sif graciously took the golden hairpiece from Loki and wore it with all the majesty of the goddess she was, regaining her silent power.
AI-generated images
Ruby Carmen
