NORTHERN MYTHOLOGY
The stories which have engaged our attention thus far relate to the mythology of southern regions. But there is another branch of ancient superstitions2 which ought not to be entirely3 overlooked, especially as it belongs to the nations from which we, through our English ancestors, derive4 our origin. It is that of the northern nations, called Scandinavians, who inhabited the countries now known as Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Iceland. These mythological6 records are contained in two collections called the Eddas, of which the oldest is in poetry and dates back to the year 1056, the more modern or prose Edda being of the date of 1640.
According to the Eddas there was once no heaven above nor earth beneath, but only a bottomless deep, and a world of mist in which flowed a fountain. Twelve rivers issued from this fountain, and when they had flowed far from their source, they froze into ice, and one layer accumulating over another, the great deep was filled up.
Southward from the world of mist was the world of light. From this flowed a warm wind upon the ice and melted it. The vapors7 rose in the air and formed clouds, from which sprang Ymir, the Frost giant and his progeny8, and the cow Audhumbla, whose milk afforded nourishment9 and food to the giant. The cow got nourishment by licking the hoar frost and salt from the ice. While she was one day licking the salt stones there appeared at first the hair of a man, on the second day the whole head, and on the third the entire form endowed with beauty, agility10, and power. This new being was a god, from whom and his wife, a daughter of the giant race, sprang the three brothers Odin, Vili, and Ve. They slew11 the giant Ymir, and out of his body formed the earth, of his blood the seas, of his bones the mountains, of his hair the trees, of his skull12 the heavens, and of his brain clouds, charged with hail and snow. Of Ymir’s eyebrows13 the gods formed Midgard (mid earth), destined14 to become the abode15 of man.
Odin then regulated the periods of day and night and the seasons by placing in the heavens the sun and moon and appointing to them their respective courses. As soon as the sun began to shed its rays upon the earth, it caused the vegetable world to bud and sprout16. Shortly after the gods had created the world they walked by the side of the sea, pleased with their new work, but found that it was still incomplete, for it was without human beings. They therefore took an ash tree and made a man out of it, and they made a woman out of an elder, and called the man Aske and the woman Embla. Odin then gave them life and soul, Vili reason and motion, and Ve bestowed17 upon them the senses, expressive18 features, and speech. Midgard was then given them as their residence, and they became the progenitors19 of the human race.
The mighty20 ash tree Ygdrasill was supposed to support the whole universe. It sprang from the body of Ymir, and had three immense roots, extending one into Asgard (the dwelling21 of the gods), the other into Jotunheim (the abode of the giants), and the third to Niffleheim (the regions of darkness and cold). By the side of each of these roots is a spring, from which it is watered. The root that extends into Asgard is carefully tended by the three Norns, goddesses, who are regarded as the dispensers of fate. They are Urdur (the past), Verdandi (the present), Skuld (the future). The spring at the Jotunheim side is Ymir’s well, in which wisdom and wit lie hidden, but that of Niffleheim feeds the adder22 Nidhogge (darkness), which perpetually gnaws23 at the root. Four harts run across the branches of the tree and bite the buds; they represent the four winds. Under the tree lies Ymir, and when he tries to shake off its weight the earth quakes.
Asgard is the name of the abode of the gods, access to which is only gained by crossing the bridge Bifrost (the rainbow). Asgard consists of golden and silver palaces, the dwellings24 of the gods, but the most beautiful of these is Valhalla, the residence of Odin. When seated on his throne he overlooks all heaven and earth. Upon his shoulders are the ravens25 Hugin and Munin, who fly every day over the whole world, and on their return report to him all they have seen and heard. At his feet lie his two wolves, Geri and Freki, to whom Odin gives all the meat that is set before him, for he himself stands in no need of food. Mead26 is for him both food and drink. He invented the Runic characters, and it is the business of the Norns to engrave27 the runes of fate upon a metal shield. From Odin’s name, spelt Woden, as it sometimes is, came Wednesday, the name of the fourth day of the week.
Odin is frequently called Alfadur (All-father), but this name is sometimes used in a way that shows that the Scandinavians had an idea of a deity28 superior to Odin, uncreated and eternal.
OF THE JOYS OF VALHALLA
Valhalla is the great hall of Odin, wherein he feasts with his chosen heroes, all those who have fallen bravely in battle, for all who die a peaceful death are excluded. The flesh of the boar Schrimnir is served up to them, and is abundant for all. For although this boar is cooked every morning, he becomes whole again every night. For drink the heroes are supplied abundantly with mead from the she-goat Heidrum. When the heroes are not feasting they amuse themselves with fighting. Every day they ride out into the court or field and fight until they cut each other in pieces. This is their pastime; but when meal time comes they recover from their wounds and return to feast in Valhalla.
THE VALKYRIE
The Valkyrie are warlike virgins29, mounted upon horses and armed with helmets and spears. Odin, who is desirous to collect a great many heroes in Valhalla to be able to meet the giants in a day when the final contest must come, sends them down to every battlefield to make choice of those who shall be slain30. The Valkyrie are his messengers, and their name means “Choosers of the slain.” When they ride forth31 on their errand, their armor sheds a strange flickering32 light, which flashes up over the northern skies, making what men call the “Aurora Borealis,” or “Northern Lights.”[37]
OF THOR AND THE OTHER GODS
Thor, the thunderer, Odin’s eldest33 son, is the strongest of gods and men, and possesses three very precious things. The first is a hammer, which both the Frost and the Mountain giants know to their cost, when they see it hurled34 against them in the air, for it has split many a skull of their fathers and kindred. When thrown, it returns to his hand of its own accord. The second rare thing he possesses is called the belt of strength. When he girds it about him his divine might is doubled. The third, also very precious, is his iron gloves, which he puts on whenever he would use his mallet35 efficiently36. From Thor’s name is derived37 our word Thursday.
Frey is one of the most celebrated38 of the gods. He presides over rain and sunshine and all the fruits of the earth. His sister Freya is the most propitious39 of the goddesses. She loves music, spring, and flowers, and is particularly fond of the Elves (fairies). She is very fond of love ditties, and all lovers would do well to invoke40 her.
Bragi is the god of poetry, and his song records the deeds of warriors41. His wife, Iduna, keeps in a box the apples which the gods, when they feel old age approaching, have only to taste of to become young again.
Heimdall is the watchman of the gods, and is therefore placed on the borders of heaven to prevent the giants from forcing their way over the bridge Bifrost (the rainbow). He requires less sleep than a bird, and sees by night as well as by day a hundred miles around him. So acute is his ear that no sound escapes him, for he can even hear the grass grow and the wool on a sheep’s back.
OF LOKI AND HIS PROGENY
There is another deity who is described as the calumniator42 of the gods and the contriver43 of all fraud and mischief45. His name is Loki. He is handsome and well made, but of a very fickle46 mood and most evil disposition47. He is of the giant race, but forced himself into the company of the gods, and seems to take pleasure in bringing them into difficulties, and in extricating48 them out of the danger by his cunning, wit, and skill. Loki has three children. The first is the wolf Fenris, the second the Midgard serpent, the third Hela (Death). The gods were not ignorant that these monsters were growing up, and that they would one day bring much evil upon gods and men. So Odin deemed it advisable to send one to bring them to him. When they came he threw the serpent into that deep ocean by which the earth is surrounded. But the monster had grown to such an enormous size that holding his tail in his mouth he encircles the whole earth. Hela he cast into Niffleheim, and gave her power over nine worlds or regions, into which she distributes those who are sent to her; that is, all who die of sickness or old age. Her hall is called Elvidner. Hunger is her table, Starvation her knife, Delay her man, Slowness her maid, Precipice49 her threshold, Care her bed, and Burning Anguish50 forms the hangings of the apartments. She may easily be recognized, for her body is half flesh color and half blue, and she has a dreadfully stern and forbidding countenance51.
The wolf Fenris gave the gods a great deal of trouble before they succeeded in chaining him. He broke the strongest fetters52 as if they were made of cobwebs. Finally the gods sent a messenger to the mountain spirits, who made for them the chain called Gleipnir. It is fashioned of six things, viz., the noise made by the footfall of a cat, the beards of women, the roots of stones, the breath of fishes, the nerves (sensibilities) of bears, and the spittle of birds. When finished it was as smooth and soft as a silken string. But when the gods asked the wolf to suffer himself to be bound with this apparently53 slight ribbon, he suspected their design, fearing that it was made by enchantment54. He therefore only consented to be bound with it upon condition that one of the gods put his hand in his (Fenris’s) mouth as a pledge that the band was to be removed again. Tyr (the god of battles) alone had courage enough to do this. But when the wolf found that he could not break his fetters, and that the gods would not release him, he bit off Tyr’s hand, and he has ever since remained one-handed.
HOW THOR PAID THE MOUNTAIN GIANT HIS WAGES
Once on a time, when the gods were constructing their abodes55 and had already finished Midgard and Valhalla, a certain artificer came and offered to build them a residence so well fortified56 that they should be perfectly57 safe from the incursions of the Frost giants and the giants of the mountains. But he demanded for his reward the goddess Freya, together with the sun and moon. The gods yielded to his terms, provided he would finish the whole work himself without any one’s assistance, and all within the space of one winter. But if anything remained unfinished on the first day of summer he should forfeit58 the recompense agreed on. On being told these terms the artificer stipulated59 that he should be allowed the use of his horse Svadilfari, and this by the advice of Loki was granted to him. He accordingly set to work on the first day of winter, and during the night let his horse draw stone for the building. The enormous size of the stones struck the gods with astonishment60, and they saw clearly that the horse did one-half more of the toilsome work than his master. Their bargain, however, had been concluded, and confirmed by solemn oaths, for without these precautions a giant would not have thought himself safe among the gods, especially when Thor should return from an expedition he had then undertaken against the evil demons61.
As the winter drew to a close, the building was far advanced, and the bulwarks62 were sufficiently63 high and massive to render the place impregnable. In short, when it wanted but three days to summer, the only part that remained to be finished was the gateway64. Then sat the gods on their seats of justice and entered into consultation65, inquiring of one another who among them could have advised to give Freya away, or to plunge66 the heavens in darkness by permitting the giant to carry away the sun and the moon.
They all agreed that no one but Loki, the author of so many evil deeds, could have given such bad counsel, and that he should be put to a cruel death if he did not contrive44 some way to prevent the artificer from completing his task and obtaining the stipulated recompense. They proceeded to lay hands on Loki, who in his fright promised upon oath that, let it cost him what it would, he would so manage matters that the man should lose his reward. That very night when the man went with Svadilfari for building stone, a mare67 suddenly ran out of a forest and began to neigh. The horse thereat broke loose and ran after the mare into the forest, which obliged the man also to run after his horse, and thus between one and another the whole night was lost, so that at dawn the work had not made the usual progress. The man, seeing that he must fail of completing his task, resumed his own gigantic stature68, and the gods now clearly perceived that it was in reality a mountain giant who had come amongst them. Feeling no longer bound by their oaths, they called on Thor, who immediately ran to their assistance, and lifting up his mallet, paid the workman his wages, not with the sun and moon, and not even by sending him back to Jotunheim, for with the first blow he shattered the giant’s skull to pieces and hurled him headlong into Niffleheim.
THE RECOVERY OF THE HAMMER
Once upon a time it happened that Thor’s hammer fell into the possession of the giant Thrym, who buried it eight fathoms69 deep under the rocks of Jotunheim. Thor sent Loki to negotiate with Thrym, but he could only prevail so far as to get the giant’s promise to restore the weapon if Freya would consent to be his bride. Loki returned and reported the result of his mission, but the goddess of love was quite horrified70 at the idea of bestowing71 her charms on the king of the Frost giants. In this emergency Loki persuaded Thor to dress himself in Freya’s clothes and accompany him to Jotunheim. Thrym received his veiled bride with due courtesy, but was greatly surprised at seeing her eat for her supper eight salmons72 and a full grown ox, besides other delicacies73, washing the whole down with three tuns of mead. Loki, however, assured him that she had not tasted anything for eight long nights, so great was her desire to see her lover, the renowned74 ruler of Jotunheim. Thrym had at length the curiosity to peep under his bride’s veil, but started back in affright and demanded why Freya’s eyeballs glistened75 with fire. Loki repeated the same excuse and the giant was satisfied. He ordered the hammer to be brought in and laid on the maiden76’s lap. Thereupon Thor threw off his disguise, grasped his redoubted weapon, and slaughtered77 Thrym and all his followers78.
Frey also possessed79 a wonderful weapon, a sword which would of itself spread a field with carnage whenever the owner desired it. Frey parted with this sword, but was less fortunate than Thor and never recovered it. It happened in this way: Frey once mounted Odin’s throne, from whence one can see over the whole universe, and looking round saw far off in the giant’s kingdom a beautiful maid, at the sight of whom he was struck with sudden sadness, insomuch that from that moment he could neither sleep, nor drink, nor speak. At last Skirnir, his messenger, drew his secret from him, and undertook to get him the maiden for his bride, if he would give him his sword as a reward. Frey consented and gave him the sword, and Skirnir set off on his journey and obtained the maiden’s promise that within nine nights she would come to a certain place and there wed5 Frey. Skirnir having reported the success of his errand, Frey exclaimed:
“Long is one night,
Long are two nights,
But how shall I hold out three?
Shorter hath seemed
A month to me oft
Than of this longing80 time the half.”
So Frey obtained Gerda, the most beautiful of all women, for his wife, but he lost his sword.
This story, entitled “Skirnir For,” and the one immediately preceding it, “Thrym’s Quida,” will be found poetically81 told in Longfellow’s “Poets and Poetry of Europe.”
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1
mythology
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| n.神话，神话学，神话集 | |
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superstitions
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| 迷信，迷信行为( superstition的名词复数 ) | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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derive
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| v.取得；导出；引申；来自；源自；出自 | |
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wed
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| v.娶，嫁，与…结婚 | |
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mythological
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| adj.神话的 | |
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vapors
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| n.水汽，水蒸气，无实质之物( vapor的名词复数 )；自夸者；幻想 [药]吸入剂 [古]忧郁（症）v.自夸，（使）蒸发( vapor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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progeny
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| n.后代，子孙；结果 | |
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nourishment
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| n.食物，营养品；营养情况 | |
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agility
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| n.敏捷，活泼 | |
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slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
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skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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sprout
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| n.芽，萌芽；vt.使发芽，摘去芽；vi.长芽，抽条 | |
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bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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progenitors
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| n.祖先( progenitor的名词复数 )；先驱；前辈；原本 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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adder
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| n.蝰蛇；小毒蛇 | |
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gnaws
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| 咬( gnaw的第三人称单数 )； （长时间） 折磨某人； （使）苦恼； （长时间）危害某事物 | |
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dwellings
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| n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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ravens
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| n.低质煤；渡鸦( raven的名词复数 ) | |
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mead
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| n.蜂蜜酒 | |
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engrave
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| vt.（在...上）雕刻，使铭记，使牢记 | |
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deity
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| n.神，神性；被奉若神明的人(或物) | |
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virgins
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| 处女，童男( virgin的名词复数 )； 童贞玛利亚（耶稣之母） | |
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slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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flickering
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| adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的 | |
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eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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mallet
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| n.槌棒 | |
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efficiently
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| adv.高效率地，有能力地 | |
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derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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propitious
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| adj.吉利的；顺利的 | |
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invoke
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| v.求助于(神、法律)；恳求，乞求 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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calumniator
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| n.中伤者，诽谤者 | |
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contriver
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| 发明者，创制者，筹划者 | |
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contrive
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| vt.谋划，策划；设法做到；设计，想出 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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fickle
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| adj.(爱情或友谊上)易变的，不坚定的 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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extricating
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| v.使摆脱困难，脱身( extricate的现在分词 ) | |
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precipice
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| n.悬崖，危急的处境 | |
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anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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fetters
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| n.脚镣( fetter的名词复数 )；束缚v.给…上脚镣，束缚( fetter的第三人称单数 ) | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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enchantment
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| n.迷惑，妖术，魅力 | |
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abodes
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| 住所( abode的名词复数 )； 公寓； （在某地的）暂住； 逗留 | |
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fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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forfeit
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| vt.丧失；n.罚金，罚款，没收物 | |
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stipulated
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| vt.& vi.规定；约定adj.[法]合同规定的 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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demons
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| n.恶人( demon的名词复数 )；恶魔；精力过人的人；邪念 | |
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bulwarks
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| n.堡垒( bulwark的名词复数 )；保障；支柱；舷墙 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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gateway
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| n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法 | |
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consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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mare
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| n.母马，母驴 | |
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stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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69
fathoms
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| 英寻( fathom的名词复数 ) | |
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70
horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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71
bestowing
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| 砖窑中砖堆上层已烧透的砖 | |
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72
salmons
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| n.鲑鱼，大马哈鱼( salmon的名词复数 ) | |
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73
delicacies
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| n.棘手( delicacy的名词复数 )；精致；精美的食物；周到 | |
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74
renowned
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| adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的 | |
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75
glistened
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| v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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76
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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77
slaughtered
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| v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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78
followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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79
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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poetically
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| adv.有诗意地，用韵文 | |
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