Study › Runes & Norse › Loki and Sif's Hair
For a prank, Loki cut off the golden hair of Sif, Thor's wife. To save himself he had the dwarves make her new hair of real gold, and with it came the gods' greatest treasures, Thor's hammer among them.
Loki's prank
For a prank, Loki cut off all the golden hair of Sif, Thor's wife. Thor caught him and would have broken every bone in his body, but Loki swore to get Sif new hair of real gold that would grow like her own.
The dwarves' contest
He went to the dwarfs known as the Sons of Ivaldi, who made the golden hair, and with it the ship Skidbladnir and the spear Gungnir. Then Loki wagered his own head with the dwarf Brokk that Brokk's brother Sindri could not make three treasures as fine. As Sindri worked and Brokk pumped the bellows, Loki turned into a fly and bit Brokk on the hand, the neck and finally the eyelid. The boar Gullinbursti and the ring Draupnir came out perfect, but the last treasure, the hammer Mjollnir, was made with its handle a little too short.
Loki's head
The gods judged the hammer best, so Loki lost his head. He escaped by pointing out that the neck was not part of the wager, and Brokk had to settle for sewing Loki's lips shut.
Read about Sif, Mjolnir, Gungnir and the dwarves.
Questions
Why did Loki cut Sif's hair?
As a prank.
Why is Mjolnir's handle short?
Loki, as a fly, bit the smith's brother on the eyelid while it was being made.