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Lokasenna

  Loki spake:34.[1] "Be silent, Njorth;  thou wast eastward sent, To the gods as a hostage given;And the daughters of Hymir  their privy had When use did they make of thy mouth."
  Njorth spake:35.[2] "Great was my gain,  though long was I gone, To the gods as a hostage given;The son did I have  whom no man hates, And foremost of gods is found."
  Loki spake:36.[3] "Give heed now, Njorth,  nor boast too high, No longer I hold it hid;With thy sister hadst thou  so fair a son, Thus hadst thou no worse a hope."
  Tyr spake:37.[4] "Of the heroes brave  is Freyr the best Here in the home of the gods;
  1. ↑ Daughters of Hymir: we have no clue to who these were, though Hymir is doubtless the frost-giant of the Hymiskvitha (q.v.). Loki's point is that Njorth is not a god, but the product of an inferior race (the Wanes).
  2. ↑ The son: Freyr.
  3. ↑ Thy sister: the Ynglingasaga supports this story of Njorth's having had two children by his sister before he came among the gods. Snorri, on the other hand, specifically says that Freyr and Freyja were born after Njorth came to the gods.
  4. ↑ Tyr: the god of battle; cf. notes on Hymiskvitha, 4, and Voluspo, 39. Freyr; concerning his noble qualities cf. Skirnismol, introductory prose and note.

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