A wall built for nothing
Published: Tue, 10/06/20
According to Snorri’s Edda the gods had built Valhalla but there was no wall to protect it from the depredations of frost or mountain giants. Then came a giant mason who offered to build a fine wall in three seasons. For payment the mason wanted to marry Freya and take possession of the sun and moon. The gods went into conference and, with Loki’s encouragement, offered the giant a deal whereby he would build the entire wall in one winter but if on the first day of summer any part of the construction was incomplete then any payment would be forfeit. Furthermore, the giant mason would complete the project working alone apart from such assistance as his horse Svadilfaeri might render him. It was considered impossible that such a task could be completed in one winter, but a portion of the wall might be built for no cost at all to the gods. Thor, who might have counseled caution in making such a deal, was far away in Jotunheim
fighting Trolls when the deal was made and oaths sworn on both sides.
The giant got straight to work and it turned out that he and his horse made a highly effective team, Svadilfaeri tirelessly hauled huge blocks of stone while the mason dressed and placed them. There rapidly appeared a magnificent wall around Valhalla, and three days before the start of summer the giant mason was about to build the gate house which would complete the project.
An urgent and secret meeting was held at which concerns were expressed that the giant mason would soon be claiming his promised wages. Loki was blamed for encouraging such a reckless agreement and was told that it was his responsibility to ensure that the project was not completed, and thus the giant’s wages would go unpaid.
That evening Loki took on the shape of a frisky mare and attracted the attention of Svadilfaeri as he hauled yet another block of stone. So excited did the stallion become he broke free from his harness and the mare led the way deep into the forest. The giant mason spent the night searching for his horse rather than building the final part of the wall and the deadline was missed. When the giant realised he had been tricked out of his agreed wages he became very angry. Thor was summoned home and upon confronting the angry giant paid his wages with a mighty blow with Molinjor which shattered the mason’s skull. A while later Loki returned from the forest leading a grey foal with eight legs. Loki presented the creature to Odin who named him Sleipnir and, when the young horse had grown into a stallion, he was know as the finest of steeds.
So, the Aesir got nearly all their wall built without payment, but only by colluding in a deception, and then the killing of one who was justifiably angry at being deceived. Would the deception have happened if Loki had not encouraged it? Possibly not. If Thor had been present then there might have been one Asa who refused to collude with such a plan and that may have influenced others. Either way, stanza 38 of the Volspa tells us that oath breakers are the worst of offenders along with murderers and those who seduce other men’s wives. Should not have Odin and Tyr at least have known better? Whatever the reasons the gods had for colluding with such a plan it began the inexorable path towards Ragnarok.
So, why do people, including us sometimes, collude in wrong doing which may well end up exacting a terrible price? The temptation to collude for our own advantage will always be a strong one and everyone does it? Maybe, and then we wonder why we live in a world where we are perpetually frustrated and disappointed with the self-serving lies and deceptions which surround us. We can hardly blame our leaders for colluding against our interests if we are prepared to do the same ourselves.
Another reason is simply fear of not being included is a group if we refuse to collude with certain beliefs and actions. There may be fear of more direct pressure and even intimidation. Fear of exclusion or retribution for not colluding may sometimes be justified. However, if you have refused to collude from the very beginning then you will have established the kind of person you are and you will probably not be asked to compromise yourself twice. It is always much harder to extricate yourself from a situation you knowingly agreed to be part of.
The third reason for collusion is simply believing a false narrative about something or some one. This is possibly the most understandable reason why people collude. ‘I was just going on the best information I had.’ Is a very common excuse. However, we still have an absolute sovereignty over what beliefs are planted in our minds. If something is too good to be true, does not make sense, or you have an intuition that something is wrong then do some serious digging before you commit yourself. No one can make you believe anything, so believing anything is always your absolute choice. The term ‘due diligence’ means being able to demonstrate that every effort has been made to discover the implications of entering into a contract or agreement before doing so. Doing due diligence is always your responsibility and being able to show you have done it is the only defence you have against an accusation of deliberate collusion.
Finally, I am reminded of a christening we attended a while ago. The parents chose to use an older form of C of E service which required a vow from parents and god parents to: “Renounce the devil and all his works.” Perhaps not surprisingly this rather archaic terminology is left out of modern versions. However, I think that might be a loss. Whether you believe in the devil literally, or just see him as an archetype of anyone who might lead you astray, then I think the vow to yourself to ‘renounce the devil and all his works’ would provide a valuable protection against collusion we might otherwise justify by fear and ignorance.
regards
Graham