Skaði

Skadi, known as the Queen of the Hunt, was a Jotunn of the Norse realms and a huntress without equal. The daughter of the shapeshifter Thiazi, she was held in admiration even by the gods, and her tale was preserved by Mimir as one of the many sorrowful histories of the giants. She belonged to the same line that produced Freya, and her standing as queen of the hunt mirrored that of the Greek goddess Artemis.

The huntress beyond compare#

Skadi was taught the art of the hunt by her father Thiazi, a Jotunn who could take the shape of any wild creature. Under his teaching she learned to track and take every animal of the wild. From the ribs of a pack-beast she fashioned a second pair of feet that allowed her to glide across the snow, so that no creature could outrun or evade her. In this way she became a huntress beyond compare, her skill exceeding that of any god. Even Laufey, the guardian of the giants, was said to admire her, and she came to be remembered as the Queen of the Hunt.

Odin's revenge#

Odin desired Skadi for his bride, believing she would bear him strong sons. She spurned his affection, and the All-Father, taking her rejection as an insult, vowed revenge. He put forth word that the Aesir were plagued by an eagle that stole the precious golden apples of Idunn, and that not even the finest archer among the gods could bring it down. Odin knew that Skadi could not resist the temptation to prove herself superior, and so she joined the hunt.

Skadi tracked the eagle as it flew to heights where she alone could glide, and loosed an arrow from her unerring bow. When she went to collect her quarry, she found no eagle at all, but her own father Thiazi, slain by his own daughter. She was overcome with grief and shame, for there was nothing nature so reviled as a child who killed their own parent. As winter's blanket fell, Skadi succumbed to her fate, holding her father as the mountain held her, in an embrace meant to last for eternity.