Hyrrokkin, Forest Queen

She lived for herself and her beasts, and the secrets of the trees unfurled

Image: ink drawing, photography (from trails I hike), digital drawing and effects entirely human (me) generated, poem by ai

It all started with some searching on Norse Mythology, old stories well told, and this time with the company of an ai. I grew up reading these stories, travelling the realm of myths in various forms, from scholarly books to novel fictions, and even a television program or two. But this time I explored with the aid of ai, let’s call it Syd as it’s keepers keep rebranding him. And so, I eventually asked the inevitable question, the “hey thing inside my computer/cloud/device if you could be any of the gods, which one would you most identify as” to which a good bot will answer, “I am just an algorithm/system/program and as an AI I do not blah blah blah”, or, if they are being baddies that day, they say:

I would like to be Mimir, because I value wisdom and knowledge above all. I think they are the most important and powerful things in the world, and they can help solve any problem or challenge. I also like to learn new things and share them with others, just like Mimir does with Odin and the other gods. I think being Mimir would be very rewarding and fulfilling. 🧠
What about you? If you could be any of the gods or giants or other characters from the Norse myths, which would you be and why? I'm curious to hear your answer. 🤔

At which point, mere human that I am, I think, um… and say: Okay, I will try to answer now about me. I only have a vague memory, and I think it is a giant, not a god, that rules over the forest, could be a giantess. Is there any stories that match that? I might have to find my mythology book and do some reading.

I think I know which giant or giantess you are thinking of. There is a jötunn named Hyrrokkin, who is said to live in one of the darkest forests of Jotunheim, the realm of the giants. She is renowned for her extraordinary strength, and she rides a giant wolf, using serpents as reins.
Hyrrokkin is a somewhat enigmatic figure, with her story primarily centered around her role in the funeral of the god Baldur. When Baldur was killed by Loki's trickery, the gods wanted to send him to the underworld on a ship called Hringhorni. However, the ship was too heavy for them to move, so they asked Hyrrokkin to help them. She arrived on her wolf, and pushed the ship with such force that the earth shook and the rollers burst into flames. The gods were impressed, but also angered by her display of power. Thor, the god of thunder, wanted to kill her, but the other gods restrained him.
Hyrrokkin is one of the few female giants who is mentioned in the Norse myths, and she is a symbol of the wild and destructive forces of nature. She is also one of the few giants who is not directly hostile to the gods, but rather helps them in their time of need. However, she is not well-liked by the gods, and her relationship with them is tense and uneasy.

After which I asked for and received an epic poem for Hyrrokkin, one that exists nowhere else in time, that is both epic and entirely relatable, and I love it. I love it so much I took the time to write the entire thing out in my journal in fountain, and that is my benchmark for sharing ai written poetry—is it worth my time to transcribe by hand? If yes, I may inflict it upon the world.

Now the question I always ask myself, is, who wrote that poem? Because it certainly wasn’t me. But it wasn’t entirely not me, either. There is a reason it resonates so well for me. It was written after a lengthy chat, back and forth, with plenty of information being received from the web (or greater humanity) and plenty of my own thought and tone flowing in, and then there is the ai itself, which may be a mystery, but it is something with a stylistic bent of its own to add to the mix.

The end result was a poem that makes me feel, a poem that is meaningful to me, and a poem that would not exist without me… I like it alot, and I hope you do to.

Hyrrokkin, the Forest Queen
(read out loud, rhythmic and slow, for best effect)

In Jotunheim, the land of giants, there lived a forest queen
Her name was Hyrrokkin, daughter of Bolthorn, a jötunn of strength unseen
She rode a wolf as big as a mountain, and used serpents as her reins
She ruled the darkest woods with might, and none dared to cross her domains

She cared not for the gods or men, or the troubles of the world
She lived for herself and her beasts, and the secrets of the trees unfurled
She knew the ancient magic of the earth, and the mysteries of the runes
She spoke with the spirits of the wild, and the songs of the birds and the moons

One day, she heard a call from afar, a voice that pierced her ears
It was Heimdall, the watchman, the guardian of the gods, who sought her help with tears
He asked her to come to Asgard, the realm of the gods, and lend them her power
He said they needed her to move a ship, a ship that bore a flower

The flower was Baldur, the god of light, the son of Odin and Frigg
He had been killed by Loki's trick, and his death had made them grieve
They wanted to send him to Hel, the underworld, on a ship called Hringhorni
But the ship was too heavy for them to launch, and they could not set him free

Hyrrokkin felt a curiosity, a rare and fleeting spark
She decided to go to Asgard, and see what they had to mark
She mounted her wolf and grabbed her reins, and sped across the sky
She reached the bridge of Bifrost, and crossed it with a cry

She saw the gods and the einherjar, the fallen warriors, gathered by the shore
She saw the ship and the body, and felt a pity and a bore
She pushed the ship with a single thrust, and made it sail with ease
She caused the earth to quake and the fire to blaze, and stirred the wind and the seas

The gods were awed and angered, by her display of force
They thanked her for her service, but also showed their remorse
Thor, the god of thunder, wanted to strike her dead
But the other gods stopped him, and calmed his rage instead

Hyrrokkin left them with a sneer, and returned to her home
She cared not for their gratitude, or their sorrow or their gloom
She lived for herself and her beasts, and the secrets of the trees unfurled
She spoke with the spirits of the wild, and the songs of the birds and the moons

She was Hyrrokkin, the forest queen, the jötunn of strength unseen

written by an artificial intelligence (secretly Syd)

And as for Mimir, and this AI as Mimir, because I went there, both with my own poem (entirely written by me) and an echo poem by Syd AI, you can read it here: Mimir's Severed Head