According to every Eddic poem Hymiskvia, the Jtunn Hymir is also the father of the god Tr. Hymir is also the spouse of the Hrór. Many of his children have married. The gods voted for a feast and agreed that gir, god of the sea, would play host. However, the gir was irritated by the gods’ brusque tone. He claimed he lacked a large cauldron to contain the gods’ nectar and ordered ór to bring one. Even the gods didn’t have anything as big as that pot. Hymir, Tr’s enormous father, possessed a cauldron that was a mile deep, as Tr recalled. The gods knew they had to trick the titans into giving it to them. Tór and Tr went to Hymir’s hall and met Tór’s 900-headed grandma for the first time. Tr’s mother acknowledged them and was understanding of their mission. She identified ór as Véor, an adversary of Hymir’s adversary, before introducing him to Hymir.
During supper, ór shocked his guests by eating two whole oxen. Hymir mentioned that they would require more food if they were to dine together again the following morning. It was ór who proposed going fishing and who approached Hymir for bait. The giant instructed him to go to his farm and look for his own. To use as bait, ór severed the skull of Hymir’s prize ox. The two of them got into Hymir’s skiff and rowed out to sea. ór kept encouraging Hymir to keep rowing away from land. After what seemed like an eternity, Hymir stopped arguing. In the meantime, that Hymir was reeling in two whales, ór cast his line, baited with the ox skull, overboard.
Just below them coiled the Migara snake Jörmangandr, grasping his tail in his jaws. He dropped his seat and took the lure. Without hesitating, ór started to haul up the line. The serpent’s blows roiled the water, but ór did not let go. ór’s feet were pressed so firmly against the boat’s floor that they shattered the surface below. After hoisting Jörmangandr to the stern, he tossed him over the side. As ór started to strike the serpent’s head with Mjölnir, the serpent writhed, yanked, roared, and spat poison.
Hymir, concerned for his safety, used his dagger to sever the fishing line, releasing the serpent to sink back to the ocean floor. Outraged by the giant’s lack of bravery, ór smashed Hymir with Mjöllnir, sending him flying from the canoe just as he was about to kill the snake. They went back to shore together. Hymir inquired of ór as to whether or not he would drag the boat up passed the high tide line or transport the two whales to the hall. ór responded by bringing the boat, the two whales, and Hymir back into the ballroom. Recognizing his defeat, Hymir dared ór to a strength test by breaking a glass chalice. When ór hurled the goblet at the stone pillar, it was the base that shattered. Hymir’s wife advised ór to hurl the goblet at Hymir’s rock-like skull. When ór did this, the cup was broken.
Hymir reluctantly admitted loss, and his resolve quickly dwindled. He handed Tr and ór the pot. Tr was unable to raise the pot, but ór could do so. A group of many-headed giants had gathered in the giant’s hall, and ór turned for one last glance before leaving. ór he repeatedly wielded Mjölnir, striking down every one of the giants. The pot was brought back by ór and Tr. For the past several winters, the gods have gathered at gir’s palace to partake in the brew he has brewed for them.
