Norse mythologyJötunnLokiBaldr

Þökk

Þökk is a giantess in Norse mythology, presumed to be Loki in disguise, whose refusal to weep for Baldr caused him to remain in Hel.

1. Overview

Þökk (also Thökk), a figure in Norse mythology, is a jötunn (giantess) who plays a pivotal and negative role in the myth of Baldr's death. She is widely presumed to be the god Loki in disguise. Her refusal to weep for Baldr, after all other beings and things in the world had done so, directly caused Baldr to remain in the realm of Hel, preventing his return to the living.

2. Name and Identity

The name Þökk (ÞökkThökkNorse, Old) is an Old Norse and Icelandic word meaning "Thanks" or "Gratitude". This name carries a significant irony given her actions in the myth. Within the narrative of the Prose Edda, Þökk is strongly implied and generally believed to be Loki Laufeyarson in disguise. This interpretation is explicitly stated in the *Gylfaginning* section of the *Prose Edda*, which notes that "men deem that she who was there was Loki Laufeyarson, who hath wrought most ill among the Æsir".

3. Role in the Baldr Myth

Þökk's central role in Norse mythology is detailed in the *Prose Edda*, specifically in the section *Gylfaginning*. Her actions directly lead to the permanent stay of the god Baldr in the underworld.

Þökk in an illustration from the 17th-century Icelandic manuscript AM 738 4to, also known as the Langa Edda or Edda Oblongata.
Þökk in an illustration from the 17th-century Icelandic manuscript AM 738 4to, also known as the Langa Edda or Edda Oblongata.


After Baldr's death, the god Hermóðr rode to Hel on Sleipnir, Odin's eight-legged horse, to plead for Baldr's return. Hel, the ruler of the realm, agreed to release Baldr and allow him to return to the living, but only on the condition that all things in the world, living and inanimate, would weep for him.

The Æsir, the principal gods of the Norse pantheon, then dispatched messengers across the entire world to request that all beings and objects shed tears for Baldr. Remarkably, almost everything in the world, from humans and animals to stones and trees, wept for Baldr, indicating the universal love and sorrow for him. However, as the messengers were returning, having successfully completed their task, they encountered a giantess sitting in a cave. This giantess identified herself as Þökk.

The messengers implored Þökk to weep for Baldr, so that he might be released from Hel. Her response, however, was a stark refusal, delivered in a poetic stanza:

:Thökk will weep
:waterless tears
:For Baldr's bale-fare;
:Living or dead,
:I loved not the churl's son;
:Let Hel hold to that she hath!

This defiant refusal from Þökk meant that the condition set by Hel could not be fully met. Consequently, Baldr was forced to remain in the realm of Hel, unable to return to Asgard or the world of the living. The text of *Gylfaginning* explicitly concludes that the giantess Þökk was, in fact, Loki Laufeyarson, who had caused the most harm among the Æsir. This act solidified Loki's reputation as a malevolent trickster and a primary antagonist to the gods.

4. Sources

The primary source for the account of Þökk and her role in the Baldr myth is the *Prose Edda*, compiled by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century. Specifically, her story is found in the section known as *Gylfaginning* (Chapter 49). While the poetic stanza spoken by Þökk is quoted within *Gylfaginning*, its original source is not explicitly recorded within the *Prose Edda* itself.