Teutonic «iyUi und lefi
DATE DUE
AUG "TSSJ!
Y0JTMAY i 9 1888
*_«~ *,<*, 4-. .*
TEUTONIC MYTH
AND LEGEND
TEUTONIC -MYTH
AND -LEG END
jirt
DONALDAMACKENZIE
MIW YOWC
WILLIAM H. WISE & COMPANY
WM. H. Win ft COMPAKY
PREFACE
This volume deals with the myths and legends o£ the
Teutonic peoples— Norsemen, Goths, Vandals^ Burgundians,
Franks, Angles* Saxons, and all the other Germanic tribes
whose detcendants now occupy England, Northern Fnunuae,
Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Swe-
den, Norway and Iceland. The volume might have been
called Northern European Myth and Legend, It it the body
of folk mid* epics and religious beliefs which all Anglo-
Saxons htve inherited directly from their ancestors, and find
moil deeply embedded in every-day words and thoughts such
as name* for the dmyt of the week, names recalling the gods
and goddesses of our forefathers.
In Prince and Switzerland— after the Roman eoiiqtie*t~
the folk lay* were influenced by the higher and milder civil-
ization which prevailed. Where the Roman influence ex-
tended the tribal songs wore welded into detailed narratives,
and each hid for t central figure a popular hero like Dietrich
of Btm*
A similar proem subsequently prevailed in the north.
Thus originated the **mg& cycles," distributed over a wide
area by wandering minttrek, who altered and adapted them
to meet the requirements of time and locality. The highest
litemy development occurred when educated poets made ttill
freer u*e of the subject matter of tribal ky* tad produced
<qpk mrrtri va whkR were not »ung» but recited before oil-
viii PREFACE
tured audiences, These were later revised and committed
to manu^ripts for reading. To this class belong two of out-
standing merit—the German NiMmgamti&d and the distinc-
tive Anglo-Saxon B&owttlf.
In the following pages our readers are afforded a com*
prehensive survey of the divine and heroic literature of
Northern Europe. The drama of Norse myth has been re-
constructed, so far as possible, in continuous narrative form,
with the inclusion of the old Svipdag myth* which exercised
so marked an influence on Middle Age romance, We have
grouped together the various adventurous journeys mtde by
heroes to Mela* so that our raiders mty be familiarized with
our anoartors* collections of the Other World, The prose
renderings of heroic narratives include the Beowulf epkt the
Bdder*Hoth«ir rom^unee* the Hamlet legend* the saga of the
Volsungs, and the less familiar Dietrich legends, in which the
deeds of the primitive Thor tre attached to the mtmory of
the Gothk Emperor of Rome,
The folk talc* and folk beliefs of Northern Europe have
not a few pants of contact with those of Scotland, Wftkt$
Ireland and Brittany. We have therefore doth in our Intro-
duction with the archaic giant lore of Scotland, whkh Unki
with that of Cornwall and drawn attention to the "Seven
Sleepers" legends of the Highlands whkh have hitherto been
overlooked, Some of the striking retemblftncts muit be tmocd
lo remoter influence* than these prevailing in the Viking Age,
Both Celts and Teutons wws blend* of the *amc ancient
racea— the Alpine "bread head*" ami tht Northern **loog
heaxk* They had t heref ore § common heritage of beliek
But Teutomc lort k rn^nly ^fathcr-bn^ to chawtfir> wHik
Celtic i$ mainly Umoth€r4dn,n The deitic* of the north are
PREFACE ix
controlled by a Great Father and their elves by a King,
The deities of the Celts are children of a Great Mother
and their fairies are ruled over by a Queen.
In the Anglo-Saxon epic> B^ote**//, the story regarding
Grendel and his mother is of special interest in this connection
because it is "mother-kin" lore of Celtic character. The in-
ference is that the poet who gave the epic its final shape in
England had a Celtic mother, or at any rate, came under the
influence of Celtic ideas. Like Shakespeare, who utilized old
plays, he may have re-fsi$hioned an earlier Anglian poem,
appropriated its geographical setting and infused the whole
with the fire of hit genius.
CONTENTS
I*
II.
HI.
IV,
V.
VI.
VII,
VIII.
IX.
X.
XL
XII.
XIIL
3CIV.
XX',
XVI.
JCVII«
XV1IL
JOJL
JOL
XXL
XXIt
IKTROOUCTION *
Sromr or CREATION
THI Nmi W0iu,0»
TUX DlifHt OF 0DtN
HOW EvtL 8KTKHKD
T«« Wtim* WA*
Tut******! or Lev* -
TtiX LCNTT SwOftD OF ViCTQRV
Tux Goo*
Lo«cxra Evtt Pnoottnr
T»i CITY o
THOU, m P»ML
GlAMT
TMS
T*«i
Tm
or Lo*» -
or
WITH DitKNts *
xvi
I
It
a*
19
44
S3
*4
7*
8s
90
98
us
1x6
Hiymtm
Tw
- §77
~ *97
~ MO
* »*i
xii CONTENTS
CHAP.
XXIIL HAMLET'S STORM-MILL
XXIV. LAND OF THE NOT-DEAD AND MANY MARVELS
XXV. THE DOOM or THE VOLSUNCS - ~ -
XXVL HOW SlGMUND WAS AVENGED - - -
XXVIL HELCI HUNDINGSBANE
XXVIII. SIGURD THE DRAGON SLAYER -
XXIX. BRYNHILD AND GUDRUN - * * -
XXX. THE LAST OF THE VoLStiNca -
XXXI. GVDRUN'S VENGEANCE - - - -
XXXII. SIEGFRIED AND THE NIBELVKG* - - ~
XXXIII. THE PROMISE or KRIEMHILD -
XXXIV. How BRUNHILD AND KRIEMHILD WERE won
XXXV. THE BETRAYAL or SIEGFRIED -
XXXVI. THE NuwuuraoiN TRAGEDY - - -
3DCXVII. DIETRICH OP BERN
XXXVIIL THE LAND OF GIANT*
XXXIX. THE WONDERFUL ROM GARDEN -
XL, VIRGINAL, QUEEN OF THE MOUNTAIN -
XLI. DIETRICH IN EXILE -----
XLIL THE KING'S HOMECOMING -
146
154."
299
309
311
338
343
354
36*
371
$8ji
391
404
41 $
4*4
434
439
44!
INDEX
4SS
PLATES IN COLOR
THE PUNISHMENT OP LOICE *
Fr*m *A* painting by J. DoyU
ID0N AND THE AFPI-ES -.....-. 5$
Fr«i» th* pain fin ff by J. D*ylt P*nros*t jR.W./f ,
rKEY|A AN3D THE NECKXACE $4
Fr#mi Mr painting by J, Doyl* Pfnrest, R,H.A.
HUNDINOSBANE'S RETURN TO VALHAL - * * - a«*
From t*f paiatixf iff £,
PLATES IN MONOCHROME
Facing
P«*e
ODIN - ......... 8
From tht design by Sir E. Burnt- J on ts
ODIN - ...... - 16
From tki statue by 8* If, fogtlbtrf
THOR AND THE GIANTS - - - - . - - 94
From tk* paint in f by M. £. Wing*
A VAUCYR1B .-....•--,... 4$
^rom tk* sculpture by Stndinff
......... Stf
rA* painttnp by N. J. 0, B/owm/r
......... «4
y Sir E,
THOR
Frtm i*/ ttAtn* by B, B.
LOKE AND HODUR »
fr#» M* tculptmn by C, @.
I OKE AT ^BOER'S FEAST ..
Fr#Mi /*# t#t*tinf by
THE 0USK Of THE OOD8 ...«--* it*
y P. #.
VUUNO SHII> ntOH GOESTAD -
#**? t* rA
VJJUNO
VIKllNO
RNTItANCR TO PASSAGE GRAVE AT 0BY, DBNMAWC
- -"<•••
if ir. ir*
PLATES IN MONOCHROME
"AND ALL THAT PRESS DID ROUND ABOUT HER
SWELL" ......... - »7»
^//*r *A* drawinff fo W<*r Craw*
WOOD PORTALS FROM A CHURCH AT HILLESTAD,
NORWAY ----- ..... S*»
Carvtd wtk scents from th*
SIGURD THE DRAGON SLAYER
From tki painting by E. Ni
BRYNHILD ...... - Si*
From tki statut h JN***Jt
KRA3KE -....-....- §4*
From tki paixtinf by M> I. Fluff
THE NIBELUNGBNOBD *..*.... $44
SIBGF1UBD *......-.. j6o
From the painti*? *y f .
GUNTHER WELCOMES SII0FE1BD - - - - i$*
From tki paiztix/ by Sfknerr wn Ctrelsftld
SIEGFRIED AND KRIEMHILB ...... |M
from tki pointing by Sekxtrr w« Ctrettftbt
BRUNHILD'S AUOTAL AT W01M8 . . . . . |||
From tke painting by Sckntrr m* C*r+ljftld
KING GUNTHt? AND BRUNHILD * * • • • §14
From tki paintinf by Sckntrr mm Ctrtlsfttt
THE DMTH OF SIIGFItlBD - * * - - » - $90
From lit ****#*, If Ff Lt*k<
THE H0HT ON THE STAItS OP Hiaft1! F MLACt
Jr^« il^r M^if *r $ek
DIBTKICH OVERCOMES HAGBN
OF
INTRODUCTION
** Teutonic Myth and Legend ** applies to the ancient
religious conceptions and traditional tales of the ** non-
Celtic *f northern peoples, whom Continental scholars
prefer to call ** Germanic fi in the widest sense of the
term. The myths varied In different districts and at
difleretit periods* It is doubtful if there ever was in
any particular age complete uniformity of religious
belief over a wide area of separated States. In fact,
thane ire indications that sects and creeds wore at least
m numerous among Teutonic peoples in early times at
at the present day* Stories repeated orally were also
subject to change; they were influenced by* popular
taste, and rendered more effective by the introduction
of local colouring,
Teutonic Mythology survive* in its most concrete
form in Scandinavian literature. On that account it
has to be considered from the northern point of view,
although much of it is dearly not of northern origin.
Our principal sources of knowledge of this great Pagan
religious system are At two Edda* of Iceland.
These Eddas mm collection* of mythical and heroic
poem* sad whmm* f OHMS is otlkd the Elder or Poetic
Edda; the other, Snorri'* or the Pro»c Bdda. The
latter was discovered first* it came into the possession
of appreciative scholar* in the seventeenth century,, by
whom it was studied ami otrefiaJiy preserved-
xviii TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
The Prose Edda is a synopsis of Northern Myth-
ology, with poetic quotations from lost poems and refer-
ences to an earlier work. It was partly written and partly
compiled by the great Icelandic scholar, Snorri Sturlason,
He was born some time between 1179 anc^ 1181, and
was the son of a chief. Adopted by the learned Jon
Loptsson, grandson of Saemund the Wise, he passed
his early years at Oddi, where his literary tendencies
were fostered and cultivated. He married a wealthy
heiress, and settled in 1206 at Reykjaholt, where he
lived in comparative luxury. Nominally a Christian,
he was in reality an educated Pagan. He was a poet
and historian, a lawyer and a politician ; he combined
great ambition with want of courage, and avarice with
tt aversion from effort"; he was also of loose morals,
In 1215 he became President of Iceland, and afterwards
resided for a time in Norway, where he was a Court
poet* In 1222 he was again President of his native
island. He held office for about ten years, and exercised
his influence at every opportunity to enrich himself,
He obtained a divorce from his wife, after living with
her for twenty-five years, and married an heiress. It is
not surprising, therefore, to find him involved In serious
quarrels with his kinsmen* There were also political
complications which had a tragic sequel. He was mur-
dered by his son-in-law in 1241, it the instigation of
the King of Norway.
In addition to the Rrose Bdd% Sfioirfs works in-
eluded Heimskringk, or Sagas of " Norse Kings, which
opens with Tugiijja Sign, mA the History of Ok£
The disewety of SnorrFt Edda in the seventeenth
century caused a search to be made for the older col-
lection to which It referred* Happily the quest wts
fruitful, and the iott mimiiiciipt came into the hands
INTRODUCTION xix
of an Icelandic bishop, who called it for the first time
the « Edda of Saemund ".
Saemund was a scion of the royal house of Norway,
who was born in 1056 and died m 1133. He studied
in France and Germany, and was afterwards parish priest
of Oddi in Iceland. According to tradition, he was the
author of a prose work on mythology which unfortu-
nately perished. It is probable, however, that Snorri
was acquainted with the lost manuscript while resident
at Oddi, and he may have used it when compiling the
Prose Edda. At any rate, scholars are now agreed that
Saemund was neither the author nor compiler of the
particular Edda which was long associated with his
name,
The Elder Edda is a collection of mythical and
heroic poems— lays of the gods and lays of the Volsung
and other heroes —by various unknown authors* They
arc valuable treasures of antiquity, for they throw great
light on northern beliefs and manners and customs.
Some survive in fragments; others are fairly complete,
and arc introduced by brief protc summaries. A portion
of them were evidently of pre-Christian origin,
As literary productions they are of unequal merit*
They are all ear-poems^ composed to be sung or recited,
and therefore melodious, musically vowtHed> and clear,
is compared with the eye-poems of many modern
authors, which have more harmony than melody, and
are composed for the reader* A fwticukr group of
these Eddie poems ire more dramatic and imaginative
than the others, and certain critics ire inclined Co hold
that their high development was caused by Celtic infill**
ttm Iceland was peopled not only from Norway, but
also from the Hebrides* where the Vikings mingled
with the people and married the i&land maidens. Many
xx TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
settlers were also of mixed Irish descent. Nor was the
old English element absent, as certain borrowed words
show clearly. But, when these facts are given adequate
consideration, it must be borne in mind that literature,
and especially poetry, owes usually more to the indi-
vidual than to the race. If we knew as little of Keats as
we do of the author of Beowulf^ it might be held that he
was a son of Greek parents who settled in England,
The survival of these Pagan Eddie poems in Chris-
tian times is suggestive of the slow extinction of old
beliefs. Christianity was adopted in Iceland in 1000,
a century after it had spread throughout Norway, and
two hundred years before the people of Sweden can be
said to have abandoned their ancient religion* It must
not be inferred, however, that the Icelanders were ex-
emplary Christians in Saemund's day or even in Snonrfs*
The bulk of them were, no doubt, half-Pagan, like those
Ross-shim Highlanders in the vicinity of Loch Mtree*
who, as late as the seventeenth century, offered up sacri-
fices of bulls and performed other heathenish rite% to
the horror of the Presbytery of Dmgwtll, The Ice-
landers must have dung, long after the introduction of
Christianity, to the Pagan beliefs and practices of the
great sea kings. They continued, we know, to dmut
the lays and recite the old traditional tales about the
geds and ocean heroes of the mother country. The
collectors may, indeed, have had more thtn a Mterirp
appreciation of oral song and hatuntbg tradition.
Who* Snom was a boy, a Btmsh priest named Sm
wis engaged writbg it history* of km native kn4 The
first mne books are ike tlte Kthiwfe$ ®f tk* IT%f §f
Sritafo by Gec^frey of Monmoutii, for they *tre founded
on the traditional poems and talks of the time* Sm®
Grammatiois ("the Lettered**) writes of Odin and tit
INTRODUCTION xxi
other gods as if they were men, and when he refers
to them as "gods** he takes occasion to scorn the
hollowness of the claim, rarely failing to comment on
the absurdity of the beliefs entertained by ignorant
people* His history is a quarry of folklore and romance.
To it we owe our Shakespeare's Hamlet^ for the story
which is retold in these pages from the Danish priest's
immortal work* was the original source of our great
poet's inspiration,
This ** history1* is indispensable to students of
Scandinavian religion. Rydberg, the poet and folk-
lorist of Sweden, is the author of a monumental work
on Tmmk Mythology? in which he mtde exhaustive and
critical examination of the tales embedded in Stxo's
works* showing their relation to the Eddas and Sagas
and existing oral poems of the north, and making
masterly endeavour by their aid to reconstruct the great
mythological drama of the northern peoples, He has
not escaped criticism! but his reputation has withstood
much of it On every point he has raited he cannot
be regarded as conclusive, but no scholar before or
since has shown greater aptitude % restoring form
from mythological chaos, His intimate knowledge of
his native lore gave him special equipment for his work.
Not infrequently scholars, by a process of detached
reasoning, miss the mark when dealing with folklore,
because their early years, unlike Rydberg's, ware not
passed in its strange atmosphere. The theorist is never
is reliable as he who was aforetime a faithful believer
in giants and elves, spirit voices and awesome omens.
m No one/1 wrote Frederick York Powell,1
If It 1* JMmm mi puW**W to taafat io iiSf»
DID> V§ WWs 0» ttfviftC*
xxii TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
commented upon Saxo's mythology with such brilliancy,
such minute consideration, and such success as the
Swedish scholar, Victor Rydberg, . . . Sometimes he
stumbles badly, but he has placed the whole subject
on a fresh footing, and much that is to follow will be
drawn from his. teutonic Mythology"
To Rydberg the writer owns his indebtedness in
the present work, a portion of which is constructed
according to his conclusions,
Edda is a word of uncertain origin, fn a twelfth*
century poem it is used to mean "great grandmother ",
and it is suggested that late sceptical compilers applied it
to signify "old wives* tales". The theory has a some-
what modern note, for in legends, especially those of
Scotland, the "old wife" is either feared or respected,
The Hag, who is the terrible mother of giants, is called
Cailleach Mor, " the big old wife", and the wise witch who
imparts secrets and powers to men is simply "old wtfen*
Edda became associated in Iceland with the technical
rules of verse. "Never to have seen Eddt** signified a
complete ignorance of poetic art, so it may be that among
a mingled people the a great grandmother*1 was an im-
ported Muse of a Matriarchal tribe, Saga, we knows
was individualized as a maiden, and was wooed by Odin*
A recent theory1 is that Edda is derived from "Oddi",
the place where Saemund preached and Snorri studied*
The Eddas are, of course, the collected felk-iongs and
folk-tales of the northern peoples* la addition we haw
also available, for pwposei of ttodyv other old imnusartpti
and t considartWe mm& ofvfjmbk tore gleaned in recent
years from oral source^ at wdU as the renowned tur*»
vlving Sagas and minor poems of the skalds (song-smiths),
which abound with myl&ological references.
INTRODUCTION xxiii
Some folk-tales are fragments of forgotten mytholo-
gies ; others are part of the floating material from which
mythologies were made. The two classes should there-
fore be studied together for purposes of elucidation,
while consideration must ever be given to folk-customs
whkh also enshrine ancient religious beliefs. The gods
evolved from beliefs, and these loomed vast and vague
on man's mental horizon ere they were given definite and
symbolic expression- Indeed, detached stories of gods,
especially Nature ~god8> must have existed for indefinite
periods ere they were subjected to a uniiying process
and embraced in a complete philosophy of life. A
Mythology, therefore, must not be regarded as a spon-
taneous creation of a particular Age, but rather as a
growth which had of necetsity a history like, for instance,
the Art of a finely sculptured stone, or that of the
shapely and decorated Celtic bronze shield found
embedded in Thames mud*
Matthew Arnold regarded poetry as a M criticism of
life". That definition may! in a restricted sense, be
applied to a Mythology, especially one of highly
developed and complicated construction. We can
conclude that it evolved from a school of thought which
made critical selection of existing material when the work
was undertaken of systematizing religions beliefs to suit
the needa of it particular Age* At religion and law hid
in ancient times most intimate association, an official
religion was ever i necessity in a well-organized State,
md especially m one composed of mingled peoples. A
Mythology, therefore, wti probably the product of §
national movement, and do®ely connected with the
process of adjusting laws and uniting tribe* under a
central government. In the union and classification of
gods we have suggested the union of peoples and the
xxiv TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
probable political relations of one tribe with another*
No deity could be overlooked, if the interests of all
sections were to be embraced, because the destinies of
each were controlled by a particular god or group of
gods of immemorial import. The gods of subject peoples
would, of course, become subject to those of their rulers*
A Mythology was therefore not only a criticism ; it
was also a compromise. The lesser gods were accepted
by those who imposed the greater, and new tales had to
be invented to adjust their relationships one to another,
Contradictory Clements were thus introduced. The gods
diflfered greatly. Some had evolved from natural phe-
nonjena; others were deified heroes* A seaside tribe
showed reverence to gods which had origin in their own
particular experiences and ideals, which differed to a
marked degree from those, for instance, of an inland,
forest -dwelling people. Settled communities and no-
madic peoples professed beliefs in accordance with their
particular modes of life- Between the various dasses
of a single social organization, even, there would exist
religious conceptions which were fundamentally opposed*
Invaders who formed a military aristocracy would import
and perpetuate their own particular beliefs and rites*
while those of the conquered people continued is afore-
time. Indeed, archaeological remains demonstrate to the
full that different burial customs were practised simtal**
taneously in the same district, although etch hid origin
in religious conceptions of divergent character. Two ex*
amples may be cited*— (i) the crouched burial with food
vessel, associated with the kief that the spirits of tht
dead haunted the place of interment and had to be pro-
pitistted* and (a) the cremation burial which ensured that
the spirit, like that of Patrokks* would never again
rtturn from Hades when it had received Its meed of fir«
INTRODUCTION xxv
iiL 75). In our northern tales there are evidences
of various burial customs. Balder is cremated in Asgard,
but he is interred in a barrow in the heroic story from
Ssuco, Beowulf and Sigurd are burned^ Helgi is given
sepulture in a, mound, and Sigmund and his son are
enclosed in a chambered grave when buried alive.
But while peoples who were mingled together
practised different religious rites, invaders ever showed
reverence* as did the Romans, to local gods and local
beliefs. In the process of time one section would be
influenced by the other. A fusion of religions would
result from a fusion of peoples, but every district and
every community would not be similarly affected. The
dash of ideas would also be productive of specuktive
thought, and each Age would contribute something new
from its accumulated ideas and experiences. Yet in the
midst of the mats of floating lore there would ever
survive beliefs of remote conception! for a folk-religion
is conservative in essence, A people1® inherited super-
stitions are no! readily eradicated. The past endures in
the present* Even in our own day folk- beliefs and folk-
customs of Pagan origin hive tardy survival after many
long centuries of Christian influence*
When, therefore, the thinkers and teachers of Scandi-
navia framed their grett Mythological system, they hid
to select §nd compromise; they wwe not only critics but
diplomatist* as weli New tates hid to be invented, and
old fide* adjusted, to instruct and convert and unite all
section*. Social relationships were given a religious
keariftgj the gods of the common people were shown
to be subject to those of their rulers. All outstanding
popular beUdi had to be accounted for, with the rotult
that heroic tales ware mingled with Nature myth% sad
tin whole wts infumi with ethical and political purpose.
xxvi TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
The Mythology was thus coloured by the thought of the
times and the conditions and character of the people,
while it was given, of course, appropriate setting amidst
local scenery.
Northern Teutonic Mythology must have had gradual
growth. It appears to have attained its highest develop-
ment in the Viking Age, when a united and masterful
people, stirred, no doubt by well-organized political con-
ditions, to a great awakening, spread far and wide to
impose their rule and their culture upon alien peoples.
When earlier migrations took place, amidst the battle
storms of violent tribal fusion, the new religious system
was in process of formation. The Angles and Saxons,
for instance> were not greatly influenced by the Odin cult
when they reached these island shores. Their deified
tribal heroes were still predominant. That has been
made abundantly clear by Stopford Brooke in his masterly
study, History of Early English Literature*
So far as we are able to reconstruct the Mythology
- — nor can we expect complete agreement among the
experts in this regard — it appears to have been highly
developed and adjusted to the minutest detail The
official religion, of course, may not have been accepted in
its completeness by all classes; sections may have still
dung to favoured deities, while they recognised others
unknown to their ancestors. Odin, we know, mm
esteemed more highly by scholarly skalds than by %ht-
ing men, who continued to exalt and worship Thor as
chief or most influential god, and to repose their trust in
the magktl infltietiee oc«rci$ed in battle by the shadowy
bt*t ancient ww~god Tfr, No doubt the teachers re-
mained the wfaik serenely confident that ultimately the
spirit-god would be held in greater regard by thinking
men than gods of physical might But the growth of
INTRODUCTION xxvii
this great Pagan mythology was arrested by the gradual
advance of Christianity, and it is given popular recon-
struction in these pages as it possibly existed, especially
in the north, when the influence of the new and greater
religion coloured the Balder story, and the idea was
interpolated of a greater All-father than Odin. The
Saxo stories are drawn upon to fill gaps, although gaps
may have ever existed* We may add that we call the
Mythology Northern Teutonic in preference to " Ger-
manic ", because of its geographical setting, and for the
pregnant reason that it has survived mainly in the form
given to it by the mingled peoples of the North,
The local character of this particular mythological
system is strongly emphasized in athe story of creation ".
Only a Northern people living in close proximity to
Arctic ice-fields could have conceived of a chaos-gulf
bounded on the north by a cold and darksome Nifel-
heim! and on the south by a warm and bright Muspel-
hetrn, Life begins to be when and where the ice-blocks
ire thawed The gods and their doings arc also coloured
by their Scandinavian environment a Light- battles'*
and fierce Nature-wars are emphasised in a land of pro-
nounced seasonal changes* No matter whence certain
deities were imported, here in the land of long winter
nights they are tcdimatized and naturalized* They
contend against indigenous frost-giants; they fight and
then become the allies of indigenous Vana»gods; they
visit a sea-folk's terrible storm-god JBger in his hill at
the sea bottom; they acquire northern temperaments and
become fatalists like all seafarers, ancient and modern*
Teutonic gloom overspreads Teutonic Mythology.
Odin and his AM clan Bve ew under the shadow of
Ragnarok, ^The Dusk of the gods1** This gloom hatigf
heavily m northern storm-cloud* over early "Teutonic"
xxviii TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
literature. It haunts the Eddas and Sagas; it permeates
Anglo-Saxon poetry. Dr. Clark Hall says of Beowulf J
"There is undoubtedly less colour about the second
part than the first, and more gloom. The habit of fore-
boding which is noticeable in Part I is so prominent* in
Part II as to give a general tone of fatalistic hopeless-
ness to it. Sunshine and shadow no longer alternate —
shadow is over all." The same comment might be
applied with equal force to the Nibelungenlied* Al-
though <c gloomy" and " Celtic" have become synony-
mous terms of late years, yet Celtic (Irish) Mythology
and old Gaelic literature both in Scotland and In Ire-
land strike, in comparison with whit is termed Teutonic,
a brighter and more cheerful note. It may be that the
gloom is aboriginal — pre-Celtic and pre-Teutonic — a
shadow of primitive but persistent mental habits*
In Teutonic Mythology, as in Greek, there are evi-
dences of remote race-memories* The Asiatic €< bread*
heads" who crossed Europe in ** waves", which began
to arrive in the vast periods of the late Stone Age, must
have imported not only new customs and new weapons,
but also fragments of immemorial myths. Superstitions
survive longer than stone monuments, and they pass
through language to language, and from land to knd,
with the buoyancy of American timber which drifts across
the Atlantic to Hebridean shores* An instance may be
noted in the northern * Story of Creation "„ The body
of Yiner, the chaos-giant, is cut to pieces ; his iesh and
bones become soil and ro^ks ; his skull is the iky dome ;
his progeny is engulfed in Ms blood, which is the tet.
Babylonian tablets relate a similar story. In die begin
mng Bel-Merod&eh slew the dbot-gkrite^ Tkwith ; k&
cut up her body, and with one part he framed the onth
and with the other the feetvent. HOT Wood wit forced
INTRODUCTION xxix
to flow southward by a strong north wind — it became the
river which filled the sea.
Comparisons may also be drawn between Teutonic
and Greek Mythologies, But these will be found to be
of slighter character. Those elements^ common to both,
which are not Asiatic may be of early Mediterranean
origin, for as ancient cities He below ancient cities, so do
ancient mythologies rest upon the wrecks of others of
still greater antiquity. As Jubainville has shown in Le
Cyds tMyt&ologiyw IrlOndait et la JMythohgie Celtique>
Greek and Celtic are closely related and mainly of com-
mon origin. They are children of one mother; but
Scandinavian Mythology cannot be regarded as other
than a distant relation.
In all three Mythologies there is a central Nature-
myth tragedy. In Greek it is the slaying of Night by
Dtwn. Hermes, surnamed Argeiphontes, in his character
as Dawn-god, slays Argus, the many-eyed, who is Night,
with t round stone, which is the Sun, In Celtic (Irish)
Mythology the Dawn-god, Lugh, kills Btlor of the Evil-
eye, who is Night, with the same round sun-stone. The
mjrth also applies to the skying of Winter by Summer
and of Evil by Good. The trtgedy of Sc&ndintvkn
Mythology, on the other htnd, is the slaying of Iky
(or Smuttier) by Night (or Winter). Blind Hoder shoots
Bdder (in his Eddt character as Summer Sun-god) with
the wintry misdetoe-arrow. He is prompted by Loke,
the Scandinavian Mephistopheles, who plots to hasten
the downfall of the gods, Light is thms ovorcoiiie by
Darkness, Summer try Winter, and Good by Evil*
Another broad and fundamental contrast is afibrded
jby the conceptions of Night in the Nortkarn tnd othae
European Mythologies, Instead of the tyrannical Balor
of Ireland* or the monstrous Argus of Greece, we have
xxx TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
the beneficent northern Night-goddess Nat, daughter of
Mimer (Wisdom) and sister of Urd (Fate). She brings
to mankind refreshment and inspiration- Her lover is
Delling, the red elf of dawn, and their son is Dag (Day).
Nat is evidently of eastern origin. In the Rig-veda
the goddess of night (dark daughter of day) is, like
Nat, both noble of aspect and character ; she <* increases
riches". In the tenth Mandala she is thus addressed ;—
Kind goddess, be propitious to thy servants
Who at thy coming straightway seek repose.
• *«*••
Drive thou away from us, O Night, the wolf,
Drive thou away the thief, and bear us safely
Across thy borders, * . ,
In Teutonic Mythology, Evil is not necessarily asso-
ciated with Darkness. The tempter and plotter is hand*
some Loke in his character as a fire-god ; he is evidently
an ally of Surtur, who burns up the world at Ragntrok,
Loke is corrupted by the Hag of Ironwood^ the ** Mother
of Evil ", whose evil progeny includes the fierce wolves —
one of which swallows the moon, while the other devours
Odin — the great Midgard Serpent* and the repulsive!
torture - loving HeL Her Babylonian counterpart is
Tiawath, among whose offspring are immense serpents*
fiery dragons, raging hounds, fish-men, &c* The Nor-
thern Hag's husband, Gymer, is keeper of her flock, at
is also the husband, Kingu* of Tiawath's,
The World, according to northern belief, is supported
by it great tree which is ever gtten, This conception it
not peculiar to Scandinavia, but nowhere else is an ash-
tree similarly esilted in dknity. At its roots mne three
wells, and in one k t gnawing dragon or serpent The
gods dwell under its branches; they sit in judgment
upon the dead beneath the ash in the Underworld* It
INTRODUCTION xxxi
trembles when Ragnarok is at hand; it is the oracle.
Evidently the worship of trees and wells was so prevalent
in the north, that no more popular idea could be con-
ceived than that of a tree - supported universe. Even
in our own day the superstitious reverence shown for
"wishing- wells'* is not uncommon, and the trees con-
nected with them still flutter with prayer-rags. In Celtic
Mythology, Dagda, the oak -god, has for wife Boann,
the River Boyne* The well at the river source is one
of the many celebrated in dragon -myth story* Finn
Magnusen would have us regard "the world-tree'* as
the symbol of universal nature, but it was more prob-
ably a concession to popular belief, and dignified to
accord with the general mythological scheme.
Odin would appear to have been originally an isolated
tribal god — a deified martial chief, who became associated
with a Nature Myth. He is a war-god and a magician;
he controls btttks and is the inventor of runes ; he hangs
on the world~tshf which bears one of his names, M YggV
gtlbws fi (Ygdrtsil)s as if he were* as he probably was,
a king who was sacrificed. Yet his universal character
is emphasised by his sky -dome hat and sky cloak
flecked with cloud -spots* He is a one-eyed giant, a
Cydops ; his lott eye sinks in Mimer's well is the sun
sinks in the set* He is also the wind-god — the Wild
Huntsman in the Raging Host As wind-god he is the
" spirit-god " in accordance with the widespread associa-
tion of « wind lf and €< bretth lf tnd « soul fl (spirit* for in-
stance* is derived from jpw» I breathe)* He gives ** soul lf
to the logs of tsh and alder which become the first man
and the first woman. He is All-father, the fnuner of the
world. (Mill Wit probably exalted, because he was the
spirit -god, by the wise men of Scandinavia, and made
chwf niter in tfiitr Asgiynd, but hit connection witib the
xxxii TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
other gods is slight and arbitrary. Thor, his son, was
originally an oak -god, and, like Jupiter, is wielder of
the thunderbolt. It is, however, in keeping with the
sublime character of Northern Teutonic Mythology that
the " spirit-god" should be supreme, and the constant
friend of his kinsman Mimer (Wisdom), whose daughter
is Urd (Fate).
The giant stories were constructed on a lower plane
of thought* A single exception is Thor's adventure in
the palace of Utgard-Loki, where he wrestles in vain
with the Hag, who is Old Age, and endeavours to drink
up the ocean. The mythical interpretations of the others
cannot be pressed too closely, lest more be read into them
than was ever intended* It is evident that the reciter*s
imagination was allowed to run riot, and that the narra-
tives assumed their extended form as popular wonder-
tales.
When the tribal heroes of northern peoples wore
glorified by story-tellers, they were invariably depicted
as giant-killers. In the half-mythical history of Geoffrey
of Monmouth, Corineus contended successfully against
the giants of Cornwall — he slew them in dozen»--Hand
after wrestling with the greatest, Goemagot, he cast him
over a cliff. Siegfried, in the NibelungenMed, md Diet-
rich, in his Thunor (Thor) character, are also skyers of
giants. In Highland giant-lore there are several similar
heroes who, lite Thor, are friends of the agriciiltuml
people* The hunting-folks had their own hunting^gkiitS!
like the Highland Finn and Ms warrior bund, who are
not militiamen as in Ireland.
It has been remarked that the Northern Teutonic
frost-giants are indigenous. But thane it another cks$
of giants who are as widely scattered m the diitiidnf-cup
mm of the ancient a&d mysterious people thtt tettW
INTRODUCTION xxxiil
In the fertile districts of the$e islands and of Scandinavia,
and have been traced through mid-Europe. These are
the Mountain -giants. In the neglected archaic lore of
Scotland they are called Fomors1, but they are not the
Fomors of Ireland, nor have they a necessary connec-
tion with the sea or with darkness. As river-goddesses
in flight are personifications of rivers, so do these Fomors
personify the hills they inhabit Scottish mountain-giants
never leave their mountains. They fight continuously
one against the other, tossing boulders over wide valleys
or arms of the sea. To each is allowed one throw daily:
A flings his boulder against B on Monday ; B retaliates
on Tuesday, and so on. The Holmgang duel would
therefore appear to be of hallowed antiquity. These
giants sleep at night and share men's terrors in dark-
ness* Three friendly Inverness giants throw from one
to the other, each morning, a stone hammer to signify
that aU is welL Greater than the males are their mothers,
the Hags1, who also fight with boulders, but have power
to change their shapes* There are also Thunder<Ioud
hags who throw fireballs, tempest-hags, firebrand-hags^
sea-hags, &c They intvariably wrestle with human
beings like the giants of Cornwall.
Another class of Scottish giants inhabit caves, and
some of them are many-headed. They hoard and guard
treasure. Heroes who fight against them are invariably
assisted by dogs (dogs ** which have their day11), and they
are instructed by Indispensable wise women* who pottest
magic wands. What appears to be the oldest Thor story
belongs to this class. When Thor sets out to visit Geir-
Tk* ftaoMdl («wa *# t&t •**) tKtt>ry &•* U«$ tern
clt M w *
*Ia pr»-Chr^JjMa Um»f witdm w«r* the
xxxiv TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
rod he has neither hammer nor belt of strength* The
Hag Grid, like the Scottish "wise-woman", warns and
instructs him, and gives him her belt and magic wand.
In this story Thor flings a boulder and breaks the back
of a giantess. He may have wielded thunder -boulders
ere his iron hammer was invented.
Scottish giants, therefore, are more like the Scandi-
navian than the Irish variety. If it is held that they
were imported by the Vikings, it might be asked why
Thor was forgotten, and why the Asa-gods and the Vans
were left behind? If they are classed 'a$ Irish, it should
be noted that the Danann gods, who ova-came the
Fomors in Erin, are not found in Scotland. Can it be
maintained that the Irish brought over their "gods of
Night " and left behind their " gods of Day" ? In Wales
and Cornwall there are also giants of the Scottish type.
Geoffrey of Monmouth, in fact, tells us that giants were
the sole inhabitants of undent Britain when Brute and
the first men arrived.
Beyond the realms of Gaul, beneath the sunset
Lieth an island! girt about by ocean*
Guarded by ocean — *r$t tht hwmt ef giants*1
It would appear that archaic giant -lore is prc-Cdtk
and pre-Teutonic, and therefore a common inheritance,
In the wars of the Olympians and Titans, of the Irish
Danann gods and the Fomors, and of the Asa-gods and
the Jotun% we may haw echoes of ancient racial conflicts.
The old tribal peoples attributed their incomes to their
gods, and remembered their battles as the battles of rival
gods* For these giants are also gods of archaic concep-
tion. In Scotland certain of them are associated with the
fortunes of families and tribes. On the other hand, gods
INTRODUCTION xxxv
are but exalted giants; the boisterous Olympians find
their counterpart in the boisterous Scandinavian Jotuns
rather than in the more refined Asa-gods and Vans.
With these giants are associated the elves. In Teu-
tonic lore, which is not necessarily wholly of Teutonic
origin, the male elves predominate* In Scotland, as in
Greece, elves are mainly females, who are ruled over
by a queen. There are also Scottish fairy-smiths, but
they are one-eyed and Cyclopean, and not always dis-
tinguishable from giants* In fact, the Fian -giants are
confused with fairies in an Inverness mound, and
Thomas the Rhymer is added in the character of one
of the ** Seven Sleepers", Danann gods and fairies are
similarly mingled in Ireland. It should be noted in
this connection that Teutonic elf- smiths are allies of
the giants, and they are sometimes stronger than them*
When Siegfried overcame the giant doorkeeper of
Nibelung, he found that the dwarf was a still more
powerful opponent. Thor is friendly with the elves,
but Svipdag, son of Bgil, the elf, destroys the thunder-
god*s hammer with the u Sword of Victory11*
The other class of elves — »the " Light-elves ft — are
vaguely defined in Northern Teutonic Mythology* Frey
was their ruler in his youth, which suggests that he is
himself an elf exalted to a god. The wise Vans are
also elfin in character, and were probably the sp$rit*folk
of an early sedmring people* The story of the unhappy
marriage of Njord and Skade may contain a germ of
historic fact—the uncongenial association of a tribe of
seafarers with a tribe of huntsmen.
The female civet of th« commoner type become
valkyries; they art also swan-maidens who have tragic
liaison* with mankind. Brynhild is a swan-maiden and
t valkyrie j she is also in the Ntbtlungenlied a boulder-
xxxvi TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
throwing hag. The Balder story, regarding which much
has been written, is not, therefore, the only one that
underwent radical changes in the process of Mythology-
making. According to Professor Frazer in the Golden
Bough, Balder was originally a tree-god whose soul was
in the mistletoe. The theory is as weighty as is the
reputation of that Darwin of folklore.
But perhaps the most interesting class of elves are
the sons of Ivalde — Volund and his brothers, They
display the attributes now of dwarfs, now of giant$» and
anon of star deities. It would appear that they absorbed
more than one ancient personality in an older Mythology
than that in which the Odin cult predominates* Ryd-
berg shows that Volund (Wieknd) and the giant Thjasse
are indistinguishable. A close study of northern folk-
lore supports that view, and an intimate acquaintance
with the mental habits of jfkiry-and-giant-believing people
assists one to appreciate it fully. Thjasse is the only
giant who is winged like Volund, as Lofce tud Pwjrjt
are the only members of the Ast-dan who con ussume
bird guise* Thjasse and Volund are also symbolized as
mountain wolves; they are both star deities; tiny tra
more like one another than the two Btlders, tud ipwtr
to be products of the same ancient welded lore m tt*
earlier mythological system.
In the Northern a Story of Citation ** these ebt% or
black dwir% art* it it wktei^ IntentioiiiUf beMttted,
They fawe ttmr origin, ike imggoti, in Ymer's Icsk
Yet they prwkle tibe godb uMi ii^iip^aidblf gift*--
Odin with Mi spear, Thor with Mi hammer, tud Frey
with his boar and wondrous ship. In Thjasse's flight
to Asgard we may have a story invented purposely to
account lor his fall, because, like 011% he is a spirit-god-
His otter 0anK% Bfrr tad Gnatr, signify wifid
INTRODUCTION xxxvii
It is not possible now to reconstruct what appears
to be a pre-Odin-cult Mythology, in which Ivalde and
his sons predominate. The " Milky Way " is " Irmin's
Way", and Irmin, invoked by old Hildebrand in the
Dietrich story, is "the ruling god"* It is also fill's
way (Bil is Ivalde*s daughter), and as " Bil-rost ", accord-
ing to Rydberg, is the original of Bifnrost. The Anglo-
Saxons called the "Milky Way" "Wading Street".1
Volund's brother Egil, the archer, is associated with
the clouds and the sea. Sleet and rain are his arrows;
his arrows are also ** herrings that leap from the hands
of Egil"* and herrings are "arrows of the sea*'**
Egii's son, the Iceland Hamlet, is the guardian of the
World-Mill; his son Svipdag, with shining sword,
resembles a light-hero*
In the older moon-myth Gevar, the Gewar of the
Mother-Bidder story, is the ward of the moon-ship, and
it is attacked and burned by Ivalde. The myth is
obscure but suggestive; it survives in fragments only.
The swan~mtids tre wooed by Ivalde's three tons* and
Ivalde and Gevar have quairelled violently as rival
lovers.
This group tre hunters, skec-runners, and musicians.
They tre also connected with an early form of the
Balder story, Svipdag* as Hotherus, is the wooer of
Gcw's daughter Nann% and Baldcr> hit rival, falls a
victim to his ** magic tword1* in die heroic itocy in
Saxo, If Balder, as a tree-god, was associated with the
ttt^-wtlJ, he may have wooed Nanna of the moon by
reflecting her image. In this connection it may be noted
that wells sprang up in the hoof marks of Balder's horse*
xxxvili TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
and in Saxo's story he provides wells for his thirsting
soldiers. His rival would thus be the light-hero Svip-
dag, with his shining summer sword, which was con-
cealed for a season in the Underworld cave where He
the Seasonal c< Seven Sleepers ". In Northern Teutonic
Mythology the popular Balder becomes the Summer
Sun-god, instead of Svipdag, and the only husband oi
Nanna. If the original story was thus transformed by
displacing or changing a hero, the process is a familiar
one. The shadowy Hoder may be the original rival
lover altered to fit into the new mythological system*
It is to this group of ancient tales of rival lovers
and swan -maids and moon -maids that we owe the
treasures of Middle Age popular romance. The Vol-
sunga~$aga and the Nibelungenlied and the Balder heroic
story were developed from what Rydberg calls the
" Ivalde myth ". Svipdag, too, is the original of Sieg-
fried and Sigurd* In his character as a wronged son
he suggests Hamlet and Finn-mac-CouL The ktter
has a hammer (Ord na Feinne) which links him with
Thor, as Thor links with the other giant-killers — Sigurd*
Siegfried, and Dietrich. A tribal hero invariably absorbs
the attributes of his predecessors, tnd develops tnd
changes to suit the tastes of audiences tnd minstrels in
various ages and In various countries. In Scandinavia,
when the Asa-gods were threatened by the advance erf
Christianity, Svipdag* ts Eric* wni eamlted m s rival to
Christ, tnd suffered f lie fate of being associated with f lie
Bera»e who wtt afterwards called €loM Erik*** Odin
was similarly treated; as Nik he became "the old Nick"
of Perdition. Finn-mac-Coul was d$o pictured by early
Christian tni^bitiribii as an ImWWtottit of **the lower
The Beonralf story i§ tn inl»etiii^ link between tfit
INTRODUCTION xxxix
heroic lore of the northern Continental peoples and that
of the early Britons. Beowulf, like Dietrich, may have
been a historical personage, but in the poem he is a hero
of the Svipdag order, yet not necessarily a "light-hero".
He slays the warrior-devouring Grendel, Dietrich, in
one of the poems of his cycle, also rids the neighbour-
hood of Attila's court of a man-eating monster. In the
next part of Beowulf^ which is evidently an addition,
whether by the same author or another it matters not
here, the hero slays Grendet's mother* Although the
poet suggests that she is less formidable than her son,
she proves to be a more ferocious opponent* Only by
the familiar "magic sword " can she be skin. In this
respect she resembles Hildei the wife of Grim, in the
Dietrich story; but she bears a closer resemblance to
the British Hag, the mother of the giants. Finn-mac-
Coul, when in **The Kingdom of Big Men/' had
similarly, after slaying sea-giants^ to contend against the
terrible Sea -Hag* mother, There are several similar
stories in Highland giant-lore, and no doubt they were
prevalent at one rime throughout Britain, especially
among members or descendants of the Matriarchal tribes
referred to by Caesar.
Stopford Brooke, in lib History of E$rty Englhh Uttra-
ttrrt, ** wonders If the Grenddl fade may not be a Celtic
story which in very ancient times became Teutonic," and
quotes the close Icelandic parallel, the Glam story, ** It
is a curious question/* he says* " how it came to pass
that the story of Beowulf and Grendel did not, tike
the other Sagas of the north, become a part of the
north German cycle of romance* . * * I haw sometimes
thought tint the Angles alone threw the myths and talcs
of it into !ay*> and that when the whole body of them
emigrated to our island, they left the Continent naked
xl TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
of the tale. . * . I conjecture that something broke the
literary connection on the Continent, or that the story
was developed only when the Angles got Into Britain."
The latter supposition, considered in the light of existing
Scottish giant-lore, which was evidently at one time
general in ancient Britain, is the more convincing of
the two. The theory of a complete and wholesale
Anglian migration is as improbable as the theory of
a complete and wholesale extermination of the early
Britons, which, although still surviving, has really no
reliable basis. Dr. Clark Hall, the scholarly translator
and editor of Beowulf, accepts the hero as <c a thoroughly
historical character n. So was Dietrich as the Emperor
Theodoric But while, like Stopford Brooke and other
rationalistic critics, he dismisses the solar -myth theory,
he errs, we think, in the opposite direction. He says:
**Is it not possible that besides performing many heroic
deeds in war against ordinary mortals, our hero (Beowulf)
had two or three mysterious encounters with wild befits*
which grew into our Grendel and dragon stories by the
process of exaggeration. . . » I have myself heard, in
the nineteenth century, from the lip® of an ancient
mariner, a passably truthful tnd not very imaginative
man, an amazing yarn about a set serpent which 1 have
no doubt had some foundation in fact**1
To the audiences who heard the Bmtuif poem sung,
Grendel was as rail as the hero; and no doubt there
were, in those ancient days, many similar tales which
perished beamse no great pot* enifwitidi tltem in en-
during verse.
It is believed by scholars tint Becmulf was composed
in the early f$Jt w the eighth ctntmy* Whether it was
the work of one man or of several is a disputed point*
dark Htll,
INTRODUCTION xli
There appears, however, to be general agreement that
it is of Pagan origin, and that the Christian references
are interpolations. The only surviving manuscript,
which is in the handwriting of two copyists, is pre-
served in the British Museum. "There are clear indi-
cations," says DH Clark Hall, uthat the poem was
originally composed in the Anglian (probably Mercian)
dialect, but it has come down to us in West Saxon, with
some Kentish forms, in the part copied by the second
scribe/1
Scattered through the poem are older stories told by
the minstrels, including the myths of Scyld and Hermod
and the ancient Sigmund story, which found its highest
artistic development in the Volsunga-stga and Nibelungen-
lied* Reference has tlretdy been made to the theory
that certain lays of the Elder Edda show traces of British
influence. Those students who desire to have foliar
knowledge of the literature, mythology, and history of
our mingled ancestors may examine with profit the con-
jectures of the various scholars, including Schwartz,
Fraxer, Buggc, Stopford Brooke, York Powell, Vig-
fusson, and others,
The Nibekngcnlied, or *«Lay of the Nibdung",
dates in its united form from the latter part of the
twelfth century, and if supposed to be, as a poem, of
Austrian or Tyrolese origin ; but on .this point there
i* no generally accepted opinion* The versification it
in Middle High Gontmn* There is a large number of
existing old manuscripts. The three most important
were made bv copyist* in the thirteenth century. When
the oldest or these wts discovered in 1755* ** ** H^
fished by t Swiss scholar, Other manuscripts were
subsequently brought to light, but the first complete
published edition did not attract much attention. In
xlii TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
fact, Frederick the Great, to whom it was dedicated,
refused to have it in his library, and said it was hardly
worth a charge of powder. To-day it is the pride of
the Fatherland.
It is evident that the Sigurd and Siegfried stories had
a common origin in an ancient nature myth of which
the Svipdag legend is an early form. The stories
developed as popular stories ; their mythological signifi-
cance was forgotten, and, in course of time, historical
personages were identified with certain of the characters.
Other legends, like those of Helgi in the Norse version,
and of Dietrich in the German, were also attached to the
original plot. Both great Sagas were coloured by the
civilizations in which they developed*
How floating myths and legends gathered round the
memory of a popular hero is clearly shown in the lays of
the Dietrich cycle. Dietrich von Bern is Theoderic the
Great*1 Although he was born two years after the death
of Attihj Emperor of the Huns, he is found at his Court
in the Nibelungenlied Ermenerich (Herm&nric) wts
Emperor of the Ostrogoths, and, when an old ma% his
dominions were overrun by fiery and savage Huns from
Asia. He is believed to have died on the battlefield,
where his power was shattered (about 374 A.P,), The
Ostrogoths were subject to the Huns until Attik*s death
in 453 A-D- King Walamer defeated them in a great battle
in 454 A*^ and otice again the Ostrogoths were made
independent The king's two brothers were Theiidemir,
lather of Theoderk (Dietrich) mid Widenier, tad they
were subsidised from Rome fbr protecting the frontiers
of the Eastern Empire. When payment wts suddenly
disooiitiftijed, Illyria wts siiccesslWlf iniraded fay Wideinar,
with the result that the treaty WES re&ewedL Theoderic
INTRODUCTION xliii
was taken as a peace hostage to Constantinople, where he
resided for ten years and received a Roman education.
Theudemir succeeded his brother, and when he died,
Theoderic ruled the wandering Ostrogoths,
In 480 A.D* Qdoacer, a German captain of mer-
cenaries, deposed Romulus Augustulus, the last of the
Western Emperors, who was but a boy of seventeen.
Eight years later Zeno, the Eastern Emperor, com-
missioned Theoderic to invade Italy* Odoacer was
overthrown, and our Dietrich of the legends became a
great and powerful king 5n Rome, owing nominal alle-
giance to the Eastern Emperor, He died in 526, and
was buried 5n a great marble tomb at Ravenna, A fine
statue of him, clad in full armour, may be seen in the
church of the Franciscans at Innsbruck*
In the Dietrich story Ermenerich is confused with
Odoicer, tnd the hero is depicted as an exile, and thus
identified with his father* A mass of floating legends
attached to the memory of Dietrich, including the Hil-
debrand story* which originated in the ancient and
world-wide ftther-and-ton conflict theme, and the myths
of Thtinor (Thor) the thunder-god, the skyer of giants
and dwarfs. But even Thor has his human side. He
may have been originally a tribtl hero who wt$ identified
both with an oak -deity tnd the central figure of a
Nattire*myth*$ He remains **the friend of man** ewt
when elevated to Asgard. All the heroes of the min-
streb of Europe link one with another as the fictional
descendants of an ancient deified personage, or a
Tfcii p4 It « wurrior wfco h*W* m
§ fettmr, 4*4 te tkt *Wr ihm wfyjtoa% rt**W
It At ipnM *f «mi%. Tter briap W* ft«t* b*«k to l
xliv TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
humanized deity, of a remoter and simpler mythology
than that in which Odin is the chief ruler.
One of the most interesting problems associated with
Teutonic Mythology refers to the story of the c< Seven
Sleepers". Mimer's seven sons lie in magic sleep in
the Underworld, awaiting the blast of the horn at Rag-
narok. This horn hangs in a cave, Thorkill, who
visited Geirrod's domains with King Gorm and his
company^ saw the suspended horn which turned into a
dragon when a man seized it greedily*
Rydberg argued that the various "Seven Sleepers11
legends in Europe and North Africa originated in
Scandinavia, and were distributed by the northern
warriors who overran Italy, Greece, Asia Minor, and
Egypt, His main argument rests on one very remark-
able coincidence. The "Seven Sleepers " of Ephesus
were Christians who were condemned to death by the
Emperor Deems. They were given time to renounce
their fmith, but concealed themselves in a cave, where
they lay wrapped in sleep "for 360 years**.1 During
the reign of Theodosius, the Roman Emperor, a shepherd
entered the cave, and the sleepers ware awakened*
Rydberg notes that Deems fell in battle with the Goths
* who a few years later invaded Asia Minor and captured
Ephesus among other places***
Seven men, who were attired like Romany lay
asleep in a cave in Western Germany* An eighth-
centtiry legend instates that a mm who discovered
them attmpted to disrobe one, and Ills arm withered
In the viamty dwelt a tribe of SMtMtm (Skrid-
inns).
In Arabia a d^ lies with **tfie sfcejws^ Matonet
made than fwetett Ws coming, and tl« dag* named
INTRODUCTION xlv
Kratim, is one of the ten animals which will enter
Paradise.
If the legend originated in Scandinavia, it is a curious
fact that this dog should be found also in the Highland
stories, with which Rydberg and others who have dealt
with the legend were unfortunately unacquainted. The
sleepers are found in Craig-a-howe, Black Isle; Ossian's
Cave, Glencoe; and Smith's Rock, in Skye. In each case
they are Fsans (Fingtlians), and beside FmnHwaa-Coul
lies his dog Bran*1 In Tomnahurich, Inverness, the chief
steeper is Thomas the Rhymer, who also reposes under
the Eildon hills.
In the Scottish caves a horn hangs from the jroo£
When it is blown three times, the sleepers will issue
forth. A shepherd found the cave (it is always a
shepherd) and blew two blasts on the horn. But he
was so terrified by the ferocious appearance of the
warriors tttd by t voice which cried, "If the horn is
blown once again the world witt be upset altogether**,
that he fled, leaving the wtrriors raiting on their elbows.
The Ftans cried, **Ak$f you hive left us worse than
you found us11* The shepherd locked the door and
threw the key into the sea* At Inverness there is a
Gaelic §tyingf ** When the horn is blown. True Thomas
shall come forth ff*
If this Highland story was imported by the Norse-
men! why should the Arabian dog be a ** sleeper*1 also?
It i$ possible that in Arabia and in the Highlands the
tak m found in its most archaic form, and that tt is part
of the floating material from which Teutonic Mythology
was constructed.*
Whtt appears to be a very old version of the legend
xliv TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
humanized deity, of a remoter and simpler mythology
than that in which Odin is the chief rulen
One of the most interesting problems associated with
Teutonic Mythology refers to the story of the cc Seven
Sleepers". Mimer's seven sons lie in magic sleep in
the Underworld, awaiting the Wast of the horn at Rag-
narok. This horn hangs in a cave. Thorkill, whc
visited Geirrod's domains with King Gorm and his
company, saw the suspended horn which turned into $
dragon when a man seized it greedily.
Rydberg argued that the various "Seven Sleepers"
legends in Europe and North Africa originated in
Scandinavia, and were distributed by the northern
warriors who overran Italy, Greece, Asia Minor, and
Egypt. His main argument rests on one very remark-
able coincidence. The "Seven Sleepers** of Ephesus
were Christians who were condemned to death by the
Emperor Decius, They were given time to renounce
their faith, but concealed themselves in a cave, where
they lay wrapped in sleep "for 360 years***1 During
the reign of Theodosius, the Roman Emperor, a shepherd
entered the cave, and the sleepers were awakened*
Rydberg notes that Decius fell in battle with the Goths
<c who a few years later invaded Asia Minor and captured
Ephesus among other places "„
Seven men, who were attired like Romans, ky
asleep in a cave in Western Germany. An eighth-
century legend relates that a man who discovered
them attempted to disrobe one, and his arm withered.
In the vicinity dwelt a tribe of Skritoblans (Skrid-
finns).
In Arabia a dog lies with ** the sleepers >f, Mahomet
made them foretell his coming, and the di3g, named
1 Thli caicuUtion U *ccor<liR| to ttw l«f «Mi*,
INTRODUCTION xlv
Kratim, is one of the ten animals which will enter
Paradise.
If the legend originated in Scandinavia, it is a curious
fact that this dog should be found also in the Highland
stories, with which Rydberg and others who have dealt
with the legend were unfortunately unacquainted. The
sleepers are found in Craig-a-howe, Black Isle; Ossian's
Cave, Glencoe; and Smith's Rock, in Skye, In each case
they are Fians (Fingalians), and beside Finn-mac-Coul
lies his dog Bran.1 In Tomnahurich, Inverness, the chief
sleeper is Thomas the Rhymer, who also reposes under
the Eildon hills.
In the Scottish caves a horn hangs from the roof.
When it is blown three times, the sleepers will issue
forth* A shepherd found the cave (it is always a
shepherd) and blew two blasts on the horn. But he
was so terrified by the ferocious appearance of the
warriors and by a voice which cried,* wlf the horn is
blown once again the world will be upset altogether**,
that he fled, leaving the warriors resting on their elbows.
The Fians cried, "Alts! you have left us worse than
you found us**. The shepherd locked the door and
threw the key into the sea. At Inverness there is a
Gaelic saying* u When the horn Is blown, True Thomas
shall come forth**.
If this Highland story was imported by the Norse-
men, why should the Arabian dog be a ** deeper ** also?
It is possible that in Arabia and in the Highlands the
tale is found in its most archaic form, and that it is part
of the Hotting material from which Teutonic Mfthobgf
was constructed.*
What appears to be a very old version of the legend
xlvi TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
is found in South Uist. It was taken down from a
minister thirty years ago by an Inspector of Schools, who
related it to the writer as follows: —
The Fians (F&nne) were lying in a cave, each
resting on his elbow, chin upon hand, self-absorbed,
not asleep.
They heard the falling waters, and the storms
went over them unheeded, * . . Thousands of
years went past.
They were still resting there, musing, when one
of them moved his elbow and said : —
"Och ! och ! *s mi tha sgith." (Och ! och ! it's
me that's tired,)
Thousands of years went past, , * » They
heard the falling waters, and the storms went over
them unheeded.
Then a great Fian said sharply, ** Mur a* sguir
sibh dhe *n chonnspoid seo, theid rni mach *s
fagaidh mi an uaimh agaibh fhcin." (If you do
not stop this wrangling I'll go out, and leave the
cave to yourselves.)
Thousands of years went past. * . * They
heard the falling watery and the storms went over
them unheeded.
In various legends the movements of the ** sleepers*1
(who do not sleep in Uist) were associated with sorrow
and disaster or seasonal changes, Edward the Confessor
had a vision, while sitting at a banquet in his palace at
Westminster, in which he saw the Ephesian sleepers
turning round A messenger was sent to Bphesus* and
it was found that they had turned from their right itdet
to their left. This was taken as a sign of approaching
disaster, and wa% in feet* associated with the miseries that
Christendom endured from the Saracens. The seasonal
reference survives In the St Swithin's day belief*
INTRODUCTION xlvii
Various heroes lie asleep, including Charlemagne,
Frederick of Barbarossa, William Tell in Switzerland,
Brian Boroimhe in Ireland, and Arthur in Wales. The
warning that when the sleepers leave the cave "the
world will be upset" was transformed into the popular
belief that certain heroes would issue forth in the hour
of their country's direst need. The French peasants
believed in the coming of Napoleon, as the Swiss did in
the return of William TelL During the Russo-Japanese
war the peasantry of Russia were confident that General
Skobeleff would hasten to Manchuria to lead the armies
to victory. To this day there are many Highlanders
who remain convinced that General Sir Hector Macdonald
Is not dead* but is waiting his hour of return* A similar
belief attached to James IV, who fell at Flodden* So
do "immemorial modes of thought** survive in the
twentieth century from, perhaps^ that remote Stone Age
period when the fair- haired and blue~eyed "long -heads**
spread from North Africa over the undivided lands of
ancient Europe to mingle with earlier inhabitants and
later ** broad-heads " from Asia*
TEUTONIC MYTH AND
LEGEND
CHAPTER I
Story of Creation
The B$ginmng~~Gmnimga-gap — All-father — Ntfei-hstm and Muipel-
heim—How Life began — Vmer, the Clay Giant — Audhumla, the Cow —
Va**a-godi» Giant*, and Asa-god*— War in Space — Ymer-deluge — The Great
World -mill— How the Earth was made— Moon -god and Sun-goddew —
Hyukl and Bii — The Pail of Song Mead—- Wolf Giant* purtue Sun and
Moon — Mlmer and Nat* ** Mother of Godi"— -The Day-god— The Eafle
of Winds— Fittt Man and Woman,
IN the Ages, when naught else was, there yawned in
space a vast and empty gulf called Ginnunga-gap.
Length it had, and breadth immeasurable, and there
was depth beyond comprehension. No shore was there,
nor cooling wave ; for there was yet no sot, and the
earth was not made nor the heavens above.
There in the gulf WES the beginning of things. There
time first dawned* And in the perpetual twilight was
All-father, who governs every realm and sways all things
both great and small,
First of aU there wts formed* northward of the gulf,
NifeHieim, the immense home of misty darkness and
2 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
freezing cold, and to the south, Muspel«heim3 the lumi-
nous home of warmth and of light,
In the midst of Nifel-heim burst forth the great foun-
tain from whence all waters flow, and to which all waters
return. It is named Hvergelmer, "the roaring cauldron'*,
and from it surged, at the beginning, twelve tremendous
rivers called Elivagar, that washed southward towards
the gulf. A vast distance they traversed from their
source, and then the venom that was swept with them
began to harden, as does dross pouring from a surface,
until they congealed and became ice. Whereupon the
rivers grew silent and ceased to move, and gigantic blocks
of ice stood still. Vapour arose from the ice-venom and
was frozen to rime ; layer upon layer heaped up in fan-
tastic forms one above another.
That part of the gulf which lay northward was a
region of horror and of strife* Heavy masses of black
vapour enveloped the ice, and within were screaming
whirlwinds that never ceased, and dismal banks of fleet-
ing mist. But southward, Muspel-heim glowed with
intense radiance, and sprayed forth beauteous flakes and
sparks of shining fire. The intervening space between
the region of tempest and gloom and the region of
warmth and light was a peaceful twilight, serene and
still as is windless air.
Now when the sparks from Muspd-hcim fell through
the frozen vapour, and the heat was sent thither by the
might of the All -lather, drops of moisture began to fait
from the ice. It was then and there that life began to
be. The drops were quickened and a formless mass took
human shape. Thus came into being the great lumber-
ing day-giant who was named Ymer.
Rough and ungainly was Yrner, and as he stretched
himself and began to move about he was tortured by the
STORY OF CREATION 3
pangs of immense hunger. So he went forth ravenously
to search for food; but there was yet no substance of
which he could partake. The whirlwinds went past
him and over, and the dark mists enveloped him like
a shroud.
More drops fell through the gloomy vapours, and
next there was formed a gigantic cow, which was named
Audhumla, "void darkness". Ymer beheld it standing
in the gloom beside blocks of ice, and groped weakly
towards it. Wondering, he found that milk ran from
its teats in four white streams, and greedily he drank
and drank until he was filled with the seeds of life and
was satisfied*
Then a great heaviness came over Ymer, and he lay
down and fell into deep and dreamless slumber. Warmth
and strength possessed him, and sweat gathered in the
pit of his left arm, from which* by the might of All-
fether, were formed a son named Mimer and a daughter
named Bestla* From MImcr were descended the Vana-
gods* Under the feet of Ymer arose a monstrous six-
headed son, who was the ancestor of the evil frost giants,
the dreaded Hrimthursar, Then Ymer awoke.
For Audhumlaj the great cow, there was no verdure
upon which to feed* She stood on the verge of gloom,
and found sustenance by licking constantly the huge
boulders that were encrusted by salt and rime. For
the space of a day she fed in this manner, until the
hair of a great head appeared* On the second dty
the cow returned to the boulder, and ere she htd
cetsed to lick, & head of human semblance WES laid
btre* On the third day a noble form leapt forth. He
wi$ endowed with great beauty, and was nimble and
powerful. The name he received was Byre, md he
wts the first of the Aim-gods.
4 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
There followed in time more beings — noble giants
and wicked giants, and gods, Mimer, who is Mind and
Memory, had daughters, the chief of whom was Urd,
Goddess of Fate and Queen of Life and Death, Bure
had a son named Bor, who took for his wife Bestk, the
sister of wise Mimer. Three sons were born to them,
and the first was called Odin (spirit), the second Ve>
whose other name is Honer, and the third Vile, whose
other names are Lodur and Loke. Odin became the
chief ruler of the Asa -gods, and Honer was chief of
the Vans until Loke, the usurper, became their ruler.
Now Ymer and his evil sons were moved with wrath
and enmity against the family of gods, and soon warfare
broke out between them. To neither side was there early
victory, and the fierce conflicts were waged through the
long ages ere yet the earth was formed. But, at length,
the sons of Bor prevailed over their enemies and drove
them back* In time there followed great slaughter, which
diminished the army of evil giants until one alone re-
mained.
It was thus that the gods achieved their triumph,
Ymer was stricken down, and the victors leapt upon him
and then slit open the bulging veins of his neck. A great
deluge of blood gushed forth, and the whole race of
giants was drowned save Bergdmer, uThe Mountain-
old n, who with his wife took refuge on the timbers of
the great World-mill, and remained there. From these
are descended the Jotuns, who for ever harboured enmity
against the gods*
The great World-mMl of the gods was under oune
of Mundilfore (Lodnr^Loke), Nine pint iwkis turned
it with much violence, and the grinding of the itonet
made such fearsome clamour that the loudest tempest*
could not be heard. The great mill is larger than it
STORY OF CREATION 5
the whole world, for out of it the mould of earth was
ground.
When Ymer was dead, the gods took counsel among
themselves, and set forth to frame the world. They laid
the body of the clay-giant on the mill, and the maids
ground it. The stones were smeared with blood, and
the dark flesh came out as mould. Thus was earth pro-
duced, and the gods shaped it to their desire. From
Ymer's bones were made the rocks and the mountains;
his teeth and jaws were broken asunder, and as they went
round at their labour the giant maids flung the fragments
hither and thither, and these are the pebbles and boulders,
The ice-cold blood of the giant became the waters of the
vast engulfing sea,
Nor did the giant maids cease their labours when the
body of Ymer was completely ground, and the earth was
framed and set in order by the gods. The body of giant
after giant was laid upon the mill, which stands beneath
the floor of Ocean, and the flesh-grist is the sand whicn
is ever washed up round the shores of the world. Where
the waters are sucked through the whirling eye of the
millstone is a fearsome maelstrom, and the sea ebbs and
flows as it is drawn down to Hvergelmer, "the roaring
cauldron *\ In Nifel-heim and thrown forth again. The
very heavens are made to swing by the great World-
msli, round Veraidar Nagli* athe world spike n> which is
the Polar Stir.
Now when the gods had shaped the earth they set
Ymer's skull over it to be the heavens* At each of the
four corners they put as sentinels the strong dwarfs East
and West and North and South* The skull of Ymer
rests upon their brotd shoulders*
As yet the tun knew not her home, nor the moon her
powerf tnd the start hid no Iked dwelling place.
6 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Now the stars are bright fire -sparks sprayed from
Muspel-heim over the great gulf, and these the gods
fixed in the heavens to give light to the world and to
shine over the sea. To these and to every wandering
fire-flake they assigned due order and motion, so that
each has its set place and time and season.
The sun and the moon were also regulated in their
courses, for these are the greater fire -disks that were
sprayed from Muspel-heim, and to bear them over the
paths of the heavens the gods caused the elf- smiths,
the sons of Ivalde and the kinsmen of Sindre, to fashion
chariots of fine gold.
Mundilfore, who has care of the World -mill, as-
pired to rival Odin. He had two beautiful children,
and one he called Mani (moon), and the other Sol (sun)*
The gods were filled with anger because of Mundilfore's
presumption, and to punish him they took from him his
two children, of whom he was exceedingly boastful, to
drive the heavenly chariots and count the years for men*
Fair Sol they set to drive the sun-chariot Her steeds
are Arvak, which is a Early Dawn*1, and Alsvid, which
signifies "scorching heat**, Under their withers were
placed skins of ice -chilled air for coolness and refresh-
ment. They enter the eastern heaven at Mela* gate,
through which the soub of dead men pass to the world
beneath,
Then the gods set Mani, the handsome youth, to
drive the chariot of the moon. With him are two fair
children whom he carried away from earth—a boy who
was oiled Hyuki, and a girl whose name it Bit1 They
had been sent out in the dirkneti of night by Vidfinner,
their father, to draw song- mead from the mountain
spring Byrger, **the hidden *\ which broke forth from
STORY OF CREATION 7
the source of Mimer's fount ; and they filled their pail
Saegr to the brink, so that the precious mead spilled over
as they raised it on the pole Simul. When they began
to descend the mountain, Mani seized them and took
them away. The spots that are ever seen by night on the
fair- faced moon are Hyuki and Bil; and beauteous Bil
do skalds invoke, so that hearing them she may sprinkle
from the moon the magic song-mead upon their lips.
In Manx's keeping is a bundle of thorns from which
evildoers among men must needs suffer the punishment
of piercing pains*
The sun is ever in flight, and so also is the moon.
They are pursued by bloodthirsty enemies, who seek to
compass their destruction ere they reach the sheltering
forest of the Yarns, behind the western horizon* These
are two fierce and gigantic wolves. The one whose name
is Skoll, "the adherer*', chases the sun, whom one day
it will devour; the other is Hati, "the hater11, who races
in front of "the bright maiden of heaven*1, in ceaseless
pursuit of the moon*
Skoll and Hati are giants in wolf-guise. They were
sent forth by the Mother of Evil, the dark and fearsome
Hag, Guivcig-Hodcr, whose children they are. She
dwells in the larnvid, the black forest of iron trees, on
the worldfs edge* which is the habitation of a wkch family
dreaded both by gods and by men, Of the Hag's wolf-
sons the most terrible is Hati, who is also caHed Mana-
gtrm, **the moon devourer*** He feeds on the blood
of dying men. The seers have foretold that when he
comes to swallow the moon> the heavens and the earth
shall turn red with blood* Then, too, must the seats
of the mighty gods be reddened with gore, and the sun*
shine of summer made dim* while great storms burst in
fory to rage ncroti the world*
8 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Again and again, at dreaded eclipse, would these giant
wolves have swallowed now the sun and now the moon,
had not their evil designs been thwarted by spells which
were wrought against them, and the clamour of affrighted
men*
Now Nat, which is Night, is the swarthy daughter
of the Vana-giant Narve, "the Binder**, whose other
name is Mimer. Dark is her hair like all her race,
and her eyes are soft and benevolent. She brings rest
to the toiler, and refreshment to the weary, and sleep
and dreams unto all. To the warrior she gives strength
so that he may win victory, and care and sorrow she
loves to take away. Nat is the beneficent mother of
gods. Three times was she wed, Her first husb&nd
was Nagelfare of the stars, and their son was Aud of
bounteous riches. Her second husband was Annar,
" Water n, and their daughter, Jfird, the earth-goddess,
was Odin's wife and the mother of Thor« Her third
husband was Delling, the red elf of dtwn, and their
son was Dagr, which is Day*
To mother Nat and her son Dagr were given jewelled
chariots to drive across the world, one after the other, in
the space of twelve hours, Nat is first to set forth*
Her steed is called Hrim Faxi, ** frosted mane1*. Swiftly
it gallops over the heavens, and every morn the sweet
foam from its bit fells as dewdrops upon the earth be«
neath^ Dagr's Mr steed is called Skin Faici, €l shining
mane"* From its golden neck is shed radiance trsd
beauty upon the heavens tnd over ill the world. Of
all coursers that are, he Is prised most by faring men.
There tre two seasons, and these tre Winter tnd
Summer, Vtudtfil, son of gloomy Visudf **the ice
wind *\ wis fether of grim Winter, tnd the mild tnd be-
rteicent Svaaud was the sins of tor Summer^ bdowd by all
STORY OF CREATION 9
The wonder of men is whence comes the wind that
shakes the ocean with fear, that fans the low spark into
bright flame, and that no eye can behold. At the northern
summit of heaven there sits in eagle-guise a great giant
called Hraesvelgur, "the swallower of dead men's flesh".
When his wide pinions are spread for flight the winds
are stirred beneath them and rush down upon the earth,
When coming or going, or travelling hither and thither
across the heavens, the winds are'driven from his wings.
As yet there were no men who had their dwelling
upon the earth, although the sun and moon were set
in their courses, and the days and seasons were marked
out in due order. There came a time, however, when
the sons of Bor were walking on the world's shores,
and they beheld two logs of wood. They were grown
from Yrner*s hair, which sprang up as thick forests and
verdure abundant from the mould of his body, which
is the earth. One log was of an ash tree, and from
it the gods shaped i man; and the other, which was an
alder tree, they made into a fair woman. They had but
life like a tree which grows until the gods gave them
mind and will and desire. Then was the man named
Ask and the woman Bmbla, and from them are descended
the entire hitman race, whose habitation is called Mid-
gtrd, fl middle ward11, and Mana-heim, **home of
men if.
Round Midgard is the embracing sea, and beyond,
on the outward shores, is Jotiin-heim, the home of
giants* Against these the gods raised an ice bulwark
shaped from the eyebrows of turbulent Ymer, whose
brains they cut high in heaven, where they became
heavy manes of scattered cloud, tossing hither and
thither,
io TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Address to Odin
In the beginning, ere the gods were born,
Before the Heavens were builded, thou didst slay
The giant Ymir, whom the abyss brought forth,
Thou and thy brethren fierce, the sons of Bor,
And cast his trunk to choke the abysmal void.
But of his flesh and members thou didst build
The earth and Ocean, and above them Heaven.
And from the flaming world, where Muspcl reigns,
Thou sent'st and f etched *st fire, and madest lights,
Sun, moon, and stars, which thou hast hung in Heaven,
Dividing clear the paths of night and day.
And Asgard thou didst build, and Midgard fortj
Then me thou madV; of us the Gods were born.
Last, walking by the sea, thou foundest spars
Of wood, and framed'st men, who till the earth,
Or on the sea, the field of pirates, sail*
And all the race of Ymir thou didst drown,
Save one, Bergelmer; — -he on shipboard fled
Thy deluge, and from him the gmnts sprang,
But all that brood thou hast removed far off,
And set by Ocean*s utmost marge to dwell;
But Hela into Nifelheim thou threw'st,
And gaVst her nine unlighted worlds to rule,
A queen, and empire over all the dead*
— From u Balder &tad*\ ty Af&tth$w
CHAPTER II
The Nine Worlds
A*gard«— River and Vafer- Flame— High Thingatead of the Gods— Odin's
Throne— " Abode of Friends"— The Golden Age—Dwarfs— Ygdrasil, "the
Tree of Existence"— -Roots in the Underworld— The Three Fountain*— Eagle
ami Hawk— "The Cock of the North"— The Biting Deer— The Dragon
Nidhog — The Squirrel Goatip— Norn*, Hammgjes, and Giptes — Lower Thing-
ttead of the God*— Bif.rott — The Sentinel Heimdal — Judgment of the Dead —
The Last Joarney— Bliw of the Ju*t— Doom of the Condemned— Regions of
Torture — Valhal— Division* of the tTniverae — Night Path of Day and Day
Path of Night
THE Asa-^ods built for themselves Asgard, the celestial
city, which is set high above the heavens* It stands
there in beauty and in glory upon a holy island in the
midst of a dark broad river flowing from the thunder-
vapours that rise through the great World -tree from
Hvergelmer, "the roaring cauldron", the mother of
waters. The river is ever troubled with eddies and
fierce currents, and above it hover darkly thick banks
of kindling mist called a Black Terror Gleam "» from
which leap everlastingly tongues of vafer-flame, (light*
mug) filling the air and darting like white froth from
whirling billows*
Round Asgtrd is a dark and lofty wall, and the great
boiling river breaks angrily at its base* There is no
entry-way save by Oditi*s mighty gate* And if anyone
who is unworthy^ be he god or giant or mortal* should
cross the river unscathed by the vafer-flames, and seek
to open the gate of Aig«rdt he would be ctught $ud~
u
12 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
denly by a chain which springs from the lock of strange
mechanism, and crushed and utterly destroyed.
In the middle of Asgard was built stately Idavoll, the
Court of Judgment, the High Thingstead of the Gods,
in which their own divine affairs are discussed and ar-
ranged. The beauty of the great hall is unequalled in
the nine worlds, for its roof is of shining silver and it
is resplendent without and within with burnished and
graven gold. Therein was set the great golden throne
of Odin, the chief ruler of Asgard, and around it were
placed twelve golden seats for the gods who sit with him
in judgment, and to whom the All -father gave power to
rule and to issue decrees.
When Odin sits on his high golden throne he looks
'over the homes of giants and elves and mortals and sees
all things. He is silent and he listens.
Another fair and stately structure did the gods cause
to be made as a sanctuary for the goddesses, and by
singers of skalds who echo its praises it is called Vingolfj
« the abode of friends *\
In Asgard was shaped a smithy which was furnished
with anvils and hammers and tongs. With these the
gods had made for them, by the cunning elf- smiths,
Ivsdde's sons and Stndre's kinsmen* every instrument
they had need of. They worked in fine metals, and so
great was the treasure of gold that all movables were
made of it,
On a green place in the celestial city were found the
golden tablets with which was played the Game of the
Gods. This was In the Golden Age, which lasted until
there came from Jotun-heim three giant maids, who
brought corruption.
To the gods in ages past It became known that there
dwelt in Midgard a race of dwarfs, In the deep, dark
THE NINE WORLDS 13
mould of Ymer's body they swarmed as do maggots in
rotted flesh, and they went hither and thither with no
purpose or knowledge. All the gods assembled in their
high Thingstead, with Odin seated on his golden throne,
and there took counsel one with another. To the dwarfs
they gave human shape, but their hue was the blackness
of earth in which they had being. Over them the gods
set Modsognir, who is Mimer, to be king. In the
mounds of the earth dwell one tribe of these earth-black
elves* within rocks another, and a third have their habi-
tation inside high and precipitous mountains, Besides
these are the Trolls, who fly hither and thither carrying
bundles of sticks, and have power to change their shape*
Now the wonder of the Universe, which was set in
order by the will of All -father, is the great ash tree,
Ygdrasil, the Tree of Existence, which nourishes and
sustains til spiritual and physical life* Its roots are
spread through the divisions of the worlds that fill the
yawning gulf, and its boughs are above the high celestial
city of the gods, It grows out of the past, it lives in
the present, and it retches towards the future,
The World-ash has three great roots* In the realms
below Midgard is one root, which receives warmth and
life in Hela*$ glittering plains from the deep fountain
of Urdt the goddess of fate and of death ; another root
reaches the e|g~ white weU of Mimer, who is Wi$dom
tnd Memory; md the last root is in gloomy NtfeWieim,
where it finds hardening sustenance in Hvergeimer* ic the
roaring cauldron ", the fount of primeval waters, ice-cold
and everlasting, which springs up on Hvergdmor moun-
tain*
In tlie realm of Urd* which Is Hel% the soiils of
good men be. Nigh to it, in the underworld, is Mimer's
wdU In Minnows grove, where dwells the race which wiM
i4 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
regenerate the world of men. Below cold and darksome
Nifel-heim are the nine divisions of torture in which the
souls of the wicked are punished. At Hvergelmer the
watchman of the root of Ygdrasil is Ivalde, who with
his sons contend against the storm-giants who threaten
Hela.
The roots of the great World-tree suck up the waters
of the three eternal fountains, and these mixed together
give imperishable life. In the well of wise Mimer the
fibres are made white with the holy mead which gives
wisdom to men, and poetry also, and is the very elixir
of life eternal*
On the high branches of Ygdrasil, which overshadow
Asgard, sits a wise eagle, and between its eyes is perched
a hawk named Vedfolner. On the topmost bough is
Goldcomb, the " cock of the north ", which awakens the
gods from sleep and puts the demons to flight* From
Hela answers the red cock, whose fire purifies whit is
good and destroys what is evil.
But the great World-tree bears a more painful burden
than mortals can conceive* In the well of Hvergelmer,
in the black realm of Nifel-heim, is the corpse -eating
dragon Nidhog, "the lower one*', which chews con-
stantly at the root; above, four giant harts are ever biting
its buds and its leaves; on its side, Age rots it; and many
serpents gnaw its tender fibres in the dark underworld*
For there never was good to which evil came not, nor
growth which has known not decay and the wasting of
time.
The Norm of" Hela sprinkle the great ash-tree each
morning with precious mead from Urd*s fount of life!
so that its leaves may ever be green* Thence comes the
honey-dew^ which drips upon the world and is stored by
the bees* And in Urd*s fountain are the two mytttc
THE NINE WORLDS 15
swans which are the ancestors of the swan race in
Midgard.
Up and down the World -tree runs constantly the
squirrel Ratatosk, which bears gossip between the eagle
on the highest branches and the dragon Nidhog at the
root, and is thus ever the cause of strife. Greatly dreaded
is Nidhog, who flies to the rocks and cliffs of the lower
world with the bodies of dead men beneath its wings.
The three Fates, who are called Norns, are Urd and
her two sisters — Urd, " present "; Verdande, "past"; and
Skuld, <c future ". By them are spun at will the fates of
men and women. There are also Dises, who are maids
of Urd, unto whom various duties are assigned. The
Hamingjes are those Dises who are guardians of men
through their lives, and appear to them in dreams to give
warnings and noble counsel, and he whom the holy elf
deserts for wrongdoing is indeed lost. The decrees of
Urd are executed by the Giptes, and men who are
favoured are suddenly awarded good fortune and trea-
sure; other Discs attend upon families and even upon
tribes. There are also the sweet elf-maids who have care
of babes unborn in the fair realms of Urd, and find
them kindly mothers in the world of men ; and there
are maids who conduct the souls of the dead to Hela's
glittering plain.
Now in Hek is the lower -world Thingstead of the
gods* where the souls of the dead are judged, and re*
wards and punishments are meted out by Odin. There
Is but one rotd thither from Asgard for all the gods save
*rh0r, and thtt is over the curved bridge Bifnrost, ** the
mnbow"| which has its foundation beyond the edge of
the world of men- The southern span retches to the
fount of Urd in the realms of green verdure that never
know deety*
1 6 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Bif-rost is built of air and water, and is protected by
red fire flaming on its edge. Frost giants and mountain
giants ever seek to capture the bridge, so that they may
ascend to Asgard and overcome the gods; but its sentinel,
Heimdal, is constantly on guard against them,
The gods set Heimdal, son of the waves, to protect
the bridge forever against the enemy. He is dad in
silvern armour, and on his head is a burnished helmet
with ram's horns. Horsed on his swift steed, Gull-top,
he now watches at the highest point of Bif-rost from his
fortified citadel, Himinbjorg, "the ward of heaven*1,
where his hall is supplied with precious mead. Anon
he crosses over from side to side of the bridge. His
sight is so keen that he can see by night as well as by
day the length of a hundred leagues, and he listens so
keenly that he can hear the grass growing. He sleeps
as little and as lightly as a bird* When the giants and
monsters come to assail the gods at Ragnarok, Heimdal
shall blow a thunderblast on Gjallar-horn which is hidden
in the deepest shade of the World-tree, With his great
sword he shall combat with the Evil One in the Last
Battle.
Heimdal is loved both by gods and by men, and
he is also called Gullintani because his teeth tre of gold.
There was a time when he went unto Midgard as t child;
he grew up to be a teacher among men, and was named
Serf.
Every day the horses of the gods thunder over
Bif-rost as they descend to and return from the lower-
world Thing&tetd* Thor, the thunder god, cannot travel
thus because the fire of J**$ thunder chariot might set
the bridge aflame and destroy it He must needs wade
across the four great girdling rivers in the underworld
to reach Hela*$ glittering plains.
/' •, ', >,'i.'V ', fl I, I ' l'f*l
THE NINE WORLDS 17
When the gods come unto Hela they leap from their
horses and take their seats in the Thingstead. The dead
are then brought before them.
A weary way and long these dead men and women
have travelled. Down the valley of thorns they came,
and those who were given hel-shoes in their graves, be-
cause they had shown mercy to others while they lived,
suffered indeed little ; but the feet of the wicked were
torn and bleeding. Then they crossed a river full of
weapons, The just walked over on boards, but the
unjust wadedj and were sorely .wounded and covered
with scars, so that their bodies dripped blood.
To the Thingstead come men and women in full
attire, with the jewels and ornaments which those who
loved them placed on their bodies ere they were laid
in grave-chambers* Warriors carry their weapons, and
all are clad so that they may be recommended to the
gods as the well -beloved among men. But silent are
the dead, save the happy ones under whose tongues
were placed* ere yet they were laid in their graves, magic
runes, so that they might make answer when accused,
and give reasons to justify their deeds* But the Ham-
ingjes am also speak for the dead, and those who have
not Hamingjes to speak for them are known to have
done evil and to be deserted by their Dises in sorrow
tnd wrath. Those who are justified pass to the eternal
realms of Mela* where joy prevails, because they have
lived upright lives, and have been honourable and full
of pity and haye helped others ; because they were brave
and feared not to die ; and alto because they worshipped
the gods and gave oHerings in the templet.
But thote who ire condemned are sent to Nifel-hel*
the region of torture. They are judged to be unworthy
if they injured otters by fUsehoods or wicked deeds, if
1 8 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
they were adulterers, or murderers, or despoilers of graves,
or cowards, or were traitors, and profaners of the temples.
Those who are to share eternal joy are given to
drink from the horn of Urd, which imparts to them
enduring strength. In it are mixed the three meads
from the wells which sustain Ygdrasil, the World-ash.
But the doomed are given a draught of burning venom
which changes them to monsters. Their tongues are
then for ever bereft of speech and they can moan only*
The happy dead disport themselves on the green
plains of Hela, where they meet lost friends and ancestors
from the earliest years of the world. And many beau-
teous ways they travel, and wonderful tales they hear.
The children are cared for in the realm of Mimer*
"memory", where joy is theirs forever and their food
is honey-dew.
The doomed are fettered and are driven towards
Nifel-hel by black elves, who carry thorny rods with
which they lash those who falter or seek to turn back,
Their first punishment is received when they must needs
pass through the regions of eternal bliss, and behold with
grief unutterable the joy of the blessed* Then they cross
the rivers which girdle Hela, and climb towards the dark
mountains of Nifel-heL The wolf dog barks at them in
the shadowy valley where it guards the borders of Hekf
and there is blood on its breast And as they climb
tortuous paths and trad the narrow path on the edge
of dizzy precipices they hear the barking of the terrible
watchdogs at Nifel-heFs gates. The dreaded drtgonf
Nidhog, hovers near them* and ferocious birds of prey
sit on the rocks*
Then they enter the Na-gttes tnd die the second
death* Punishment is given in the nine realms of tor-
ture according to the sins that were committed* Some
THE NINE WORLDS 19
are seized by the dragon and some by the birds of prey,
according to their deserts- Others are tempted for ever
by illusions of sinful things they sought in life, and there
are those who are torn to pieces by the great wolf.
In the Venom-dale is a river called Slid, and it is full
of daggers and sharp spears. Through it must wade the
perjurers and murderers and adulterers, who are con-
tinually suffering new and fierce wounds. Others sit
together on benches of iron, while venom drips on them,
within a hall which is full of stench unbearable. Traitors
are hung on trees, and cowards are drowned in pools oit
foulness. Eternal night broods over all.
Naglefar, the " ship of death ", lies in the Gulf of
Black Grief, in the outer regions of Nifel-hel, made fast
to a dark island with chains that shall not sever until
Ragnarok, c<the^ dusk of the gods". It is constructed
of the parings of dead men's nails — the wicked men, hated
by their kind because of their evil deeds, whose bodies
were cleansed not at life's end, and whose nails were not
pared ere they were laid in grave -chambers. When
Naglefar breaks loose the avenging hosts shall sail in
it to battle against the gods*
The warriors who are slain in battle, or drowned at
sea, are borne to Valhal in Asgard by the maids of Urd,
who are called Valkyries. They are horsed on swift
steeds, and first they pass to Hela, where the gods give
judgment and reject the unworthy. Then they are carried
by the Valkyries over Bif-rost, and the hoofs ofr their
steeds resound in Asgard. In great Valhal the heroes
feist with Odin in eternal triumph and happiness*
Now these are the divisions of the Universe* In
the midst is the earth, Mldgtrd, which is encircled by the
ocean* On high, and above all else, is Asgard, and below
it is the realm of white elves, who flit between the
czo TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
branches of the great World-tree. Then Vana-heim, the
home of the Vana-gods, is in the air and in the sea ; and
in the depths of the western sea is the hall of -ffiger,
god of Ocean. Alf-heim, the home of elves, is to the
east. In the lower world, below Nifcl-hcim, are the
Nifel-hel regions of torture, and under Midgard are
the Hela realms of Mimer and of Urd. Far below
the path of the gods towards Hela's fields of bliss are
Surtur's deep dales on the borders of Mu$pel~heim>
where the great giant Surtur, the swarthy sentinel, keeps
watch with his flaming sword. Jotun-heim is to the
north and the east, beyond the world's edge.
Billing is the elf-guardian of the western heaven, and
when the cars of Day and of Night and of the Sun and
of the Moon enter the forest of the Yarns, ** the pro-
tectors", they pass through the lower-world realms of
Mimer and of Urd towards the gates of Belling, the elf
of dawn, in the east. When Nat reaches Hel% where
she must rest, darkness falls around her, and the blessed
are given steepf and light comes again with Dagr, as Nat
covers the earth above with shadow and deep slumber.
The Descent of the Gods
* * , the Godi troie,
And took their horses* and set forth to ride
O'er the bridge Bifirott, where m HeinuUlfi witch!
To the ash Ygdrstsil, and Ida's pkin ;
Thor ctuie on foot^ th« rest on honebtdk rode,
And they found Miinir fitting by his fount
Of wisdom, which beneath lie a&h*trtt spring*;
And saw the Nornics watering the root*
Of that world-shadowing tift with honey-dew.
There came the Qod% and ftt© them down on sromn,
~~frm ** &#Uw JftwT, iy
CHAPTER III
The Deeds of Odin
The Brooding God — Mimer's Well — Draught of Wisdom— The Eye
Sacrifice — Revolt of Ivalde — Murder of Moon-god — Combat with Hyuki —
The Stolen Song - Mead— -Odin seeks to Recapture it — Descent to Surtur's
Deep Dale»~ -The Giant Suttung — Odin's Bridegroom-Guise — "The Cham-
pion Drinker" — Marriage with Gunlad — Ivalde'sFate — Odin*8 Escape — "The
Man in the Moon'* — Hyuki is Slagfin and Hengest — Odin's Apparel — Hi»
Raven* and Wolf Dog*— Odin the First Poet — Saga— Secret Runes — Thorand
other God* — Odin'a Wives.
ODIN was the chief ruler of the gods. He was tall and
old, and his aspect was wise and reverend. White was
his beard and long, and he seemed ever to brood deeply
over the mysteries of life and death* He had but one
eye, because the other he sacrificed so that he might be
dowered with great wisdom. Indeed he had in his youth
drunk deeply of the magic mead of Mimer's well.
Every morning grave Mimer drank a draught with
the Gjallar-horn, and Odin when he was yet young had
deep desire to receive the wisdom and strength which the
egg-white mead alone can give. He entreated Mimer to
give him a draught, and the price he paid was tn eye,
which was cast into the well* From that hour when he
drained Gjallar-horn he became worthy to rule over gods
tnd men* *Twts thus he sang in after -time of the
powers which the mead imparted to him :
Then began I to bloom.
To be wise,
si
22 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
To grow and to thrive ;
Word came to me
From word,
Deed came to me
From deed-
Thus Odin taught to all men that in youth there must
needs be self-sacrifice of great account so that wisdom
and power may be obtained*
From the moon-car in heaven did Odin also drink of
the song-mead which was in the pitcher that Hyuki and
Bil had carried from the secret well on the mountain, and
Mani, the moon-god, captured, But wroth was Vid-
finner at his loss, and he mourned more for the mead
than for his children- Vidfinner is also called Ivalde,
the sworn watchman of Hvergelmer and the Rivers
Elivagar, and another of his names is Svigdur, "the
champion drinker ". There came t day when he broke
his oath of fealty to the gods and fled from his post.
Then raging heavenwards he attacked the moon-god,
whom he slew and burned. His son Hyuki fought
against him without avail, and suffered a fierce wound—
as a maker of poems has sung — ** clean to the thigh bcme*\
For this dread crime Ivalde-Svtgdur was condemned, but
he fled towards Surtur's deep dales and unto the dwelling
of Suttung, son of Surtufj the giant sentinel of Muspel*
heim. For Surtur and his clan were at enmity with
Mimer and the Vtnt-gods, and also with the gods of
Asgard since the creation of Asgtrd and the dividing of
the worlds. To Siittung Ivalde gave the previous sktldic
mead) and for reward he was promised far wife Gunltd*
the giant's daughter*
Odin, seeing all that happened as he tat in his high
throne, resolved to recapture the mead by cm-suing* So
he set out to visit the haU of Stittnng, f* the mead wolf11*
THE DEEDS OF ODIN 23
Now the realm of Surtur is difficult to reach, and full
of peril for the gods. It lies in the dark underworld
which is lower than and beyond Hela, Suttung's hall
is within a mountain to which, in a deep abyss, there
is but one entry, and it is guarded by a fierce dwarf
sentineL
But Odin secured the confidence of the dwarf, who
promised to aid him so that his enterprise might be
crowned with success* Heimdal, the sentinel of Bif-rost,
also gave his service, His other name is Rati, uthe
traveller ", and he bored through the mountain a narrow
tunnel through which Odin might escape in eagle-guise.
Thus, having completed his designs, Odin went towards
the door of the dwelling of the great fire-giant Suttung,
who is also called Fjalar,
A great feast was held within, and the evil frost-giants
were as guests there to welcome Svigdur, the wooer of
the giant -maid Gtmlad* Odin assumed the form of
Svigdur, and like him he spoke also, lest he should by
uttering words of wisdom and weight be suspected and
put to death* Thus he prevailed against the sons of
Surtur with their own methods, for they were given to
creating illusions and travelling forth in disguise to work
evil and destruction*
A high seat of gold awaited the expected wedding-
guest, and when Odin entered in the form of Svigdur,
"the champion drinker11, he was welcomed with ardour.
And well he played the part, for he was given to drink of
the nectar of the giants, and partook to the full, so that
he was made drunk. Yet he observed great caution,
that he might not be discovered*
As he sat at the foist, Guntad came forward and gave
him a draught of the stolen mead. Then was the marriage
celebrated with solemnity and in state* The holy ring
24 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
was placed upon the finger of the giant -maid, and she
swore to be faithful to him who wooed her.
Meantime Ivalde-Svigdur, the real lover, reached the
door of Suttung's hall, and came to know that Odin
was within. He was filled with wrath, and he sought
to denounce the high god so that he might be skin
by the giants. But the dwarf sentinel accomplished
Ivalde-Svigdur's destruction* He created an illusion^
and opened a door on the side of the mountain which
showed a lighted hall within and the wedding guests as they
sat round Suttung's board- Gunlad was at Odin's side,
Ivalde-Svigdur leapt towards the vision of the high god
of Asgard, and thus dashed himself against the rock. The
door was shut behind, and the mountain swallowed him.
Ere the wedding feast was ended Odin had spoken
words which caused the giants to suspect him. But he
retired with Gunlad to the bridal chamber, and there
he found the precious mead which Ivfdde-Svigdur had
robbed from the moon -god. Then Gunltd ctme to
know that her lover was Odin* but she helped htm to
make his escape in eagle-guise* So Odin flew through
the tunnel which Heimdal-Rtti htd rntdet and retched
Asgard in safety with the precious mead*
In the morning the giants went towards the bridal
chamber, remembering the words thtt their guest had
spoken, and when they found he htd etctped they etlled
him Bolvarkin, athe eirildoer**.
But although Odin conferred great good upon gods
and men by capturing the metd^ the consequences of the
eiril he wrought towards ttitt end wore doomed to bring
disaster in tfW-ttme, when Surtur* issuing forth to
avenge the wrong done to Gunkd^ tet the world tUttine*
For good cannot follow ari^ even although it is tetom-
pltshed for the sake of good*
THE DEEDS OF ODIN 2^
Odin's joy was great when he returned in triumph to
Asgard, but he spoke words of pity for the giant-maid
whom he had betrayed, and who wept because he left her.
Ivalde-Svigdur, who perished in the mountain, was
refused an abode among the blessed dead in Hela's
glittering plains. Him the gods condemned to dwell
forever in the moon. There he suffers eternal punish-
ment for his evildoings, for he is ever drunk with the
stolen mead, which is venom to him, and is ever beaten
with the rod of thorns by the god he slew and to whom
life was again given* Ivalde's son, Hyuki, is revered
among men, Another name he bears is Slagfin, and by
Saxon warriors he is called Hengest He is also Gelder,
and his symbol is the gelding. • Among skee- runners he
5s the chief upon land and on the sea.
Many names have the gods, and for Odin there are
nint-and-forty* And the reason is, as skalds have told,
that people speaking different tongues must needs call
the gods by different names, while the gods have also
been given names according to their various attributes
and the great deeds they have done*
Thus Odirt was called All -father, like the Mighty
One who was at a time's first dawn*1, because he was
father of the gods; and Va3~father, the father of the brave
who dwell In Valhal in high Asgtrd.
When Odin sat In hb high golden throne, he wore
a cloak which wu striped with many colours of sunset
splendour and summer radiance. Its hood was blue $$
is the sky, and speckled with grey like clouds* Hit hat
was blue alto, and its broad brimi curved downward like
,the hetwni. When he left Atgard to travel over the
worlds he wore a burnished helmet, and sometimes k*
went among men wanting a hat which was tilted to eon-
ceal the hollow of hit lose eye*
26 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
As Odin sat brooding and listening in Asgard two
ravens perched on his shoulder. Their names are Hugin5
which is " reflection ", and Munin, which means
"memory". When day dawned Odin sent them forth,
and they returned at eve to whisper in his ears all the
doings of men* Thus was he called Rafnagud* the
" raven-god *\ He had also two wolf dogs, and they are
named Gere, "the greedy", and Freke, c*the voracious".
These Odin fed with the food which was placed before
him at the feast of heroes, for he ate not and for nourish-
ment drank nectar.
When Odin drank of the song- mead he composed
poems which for sweetness and grandeur have never
been surpassed. He was the first poet, and knew well
the magic of the mead. For the source of it was secret*
and was discovered only by Ivalde^ the watchman of the
primeval fount from which life first came and by which life
is ever sustained* Then was it carried to the beauteous
car of the moon, tnd from thence to the regions of fire*
There it was won by love mixed with wrong, tnd when
the high god who descended to the deeps drank of itf he
soared as an eagle to heaven, which he filled with song.
From heaven has song descended upon earth* and in
song are til the sufferings which were begotten over the
mead*
Odin Is also the friend and companion of the goddess
Sagt, whose dwelling in Asgird is Sokvabek* « the deep
stream >f. Precious thoughts well up from the fountain
source and flow along as words of gold, They tell of
things that were* and Gdin ponders* Dty after diy and
night after night the high god sits with the goddess
listening to the flowing stream* which grows deeper and
wider as it wends its way onward, and their minds art
refreshed by the glories of tht ptst
THE DEEDS OF ODIN 27
Secret runes, which have magical influence, did Odin
also invent. For nine whole nights he hung on the high
branches of Ygdrasil, pondering and searching out the
secrets of the mind and of the Universe. For the power
of runes was before the beginning of man. They are
mixed with fate, and their potency did Odin discover
when he drank from Mimer's well They have also
power over death and the world beyond. Runes there
are to ward off strife and care, to charm away sickness
and disease, to blunt the foeman's sword, to break fetters
that bind, to still the storms, to ward off the attacks of
demons, to make the dead to speak, to win the love of a
maid, and to turn away love that is not desired. And
many more there be also.
When runes are carved in mystic symbols the powers
they convey are given to the weapons, or to the men that
bear themf for they govern all things and impart power
to conquer and power to subdue. He who has a certain
desire shall achieve it if he but knows the rune which can
compel ks fulfilment, for the runes come from Odin, the
chief ruler of the Universe! the god most wise. His
power and great knowledge are enshrined in them.
Next to Odin the mightiest of the gods was his son
Thofj, whose mother was Jord, **the earth n. In Asgard
was built for him a great mansion called Bilskirnir, with
five hundred and forty halls and a roof of shining silver.
He drive forth in t car which was drawn by two goats.
Three precious things were his possessions; the great
hammer Mjolnir, which struck fire from the mountains
and has skin many frost giants; the belt of prowess,
which gave him threefold strength; and his mighty
iron gauntlets, which he put on ere he could wield his
hammer.
Another of Odin's sons was Balder the Beautiful^
28 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
whose mother was Frigg, queen of goddesses, daughter
of Nat and sister of Njord. Fair and comely was Balder,
with silver hair that shone like sunshine. He was full
ofr wisdom and was exceedingly mild and had great
eloquence. In Asgard and Midgard there was no god
more greatly loved than Balder.
Njord of the Vans was in Asgard as hostage to the
Asa -gods. He was father of the god Frey and the
beautiful Freyja, who was next to Frigg among the
goddesses. Hosier, Odin's brother, was sent to Vana-
heim, where he was made ruler over the Vana-gods. He
chose not his part and his judgments were weak.
Great was Tyr, the war-god, who gave valour to
warriors and by whom he was invoked.
Brage, god of music and poetry, had for wife Idun,
Ivalde's daughter, who was keeper of the apples of
immortal youth*
CHAPTER IV
How Evil entered Asgard
Odin and his Brothers — Gifts to First Man and Woman — Loke's Fall —
** The Mother of Evil " — Plot to capture Freyja— How Asgard's Wall was
built—- Loke*§ Evil Counsel — World-dteaster averted — Odin's Horse — Rape
of SiPa Lock»—~Loke threatened— -Visits to Elf-Smiths — Wonder Works —
The Gods appealed — Rivalry of Elf-Smiths — Loke's Wager lost — Demand
for hit Head — Elf-Smith outwitted — Lake's Plot causes Winter War — Chil-
dren of Ivalde*— -Idun and the Swan Maids— Thjasse-Voltmd and his Brothers
-—••The Giantett Greip— -Fenja and Menja«— -Freyja lured from Asgard,
IF Odin sought after wisdom and loved justice his
brother Loke had the desire to do evil and work wrong,
and he became the instrument of dissension among gods
and men. In the Golden Age,, when there was peace
and concord in Asgard, he was yet innocent and of good
repute* He was fair of countenance and his form was
stately, and pleasant indeed were his converse and his
ways.
With Odin and Honer, his brethren, he endowed
with their various attributes the first man and the first
woman* But the gifts of the gods were of unequal
account. Odin gave Spirit which yearns for what is good
and inspires courage and veracity, and the love of mercy
and justice- Honer imparted understanding and memory
and wil^ and by Loke, who is also called Loder, the man
and the woman were given the semblance of the gods,
and endowed with passions and desires and longings
which ever lend to work evil and bring weakness and
30 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
distress. Thus the gifts of Loke are Continually at strife
with those of Odin and Honer.
But not until the Golden Age was ended did Loke
fail and man turn to evil ways. The innocence of gods
and men passed from them when from Jotun-heim, as the
Skalds have told, came three giant maids, who brought
corruption. These three were combined in one form,
which was outwardly fair and seemingly good. For the
giants had plotted to accomplish the downfall of the
gods, and one, whose name was Grep, desired to possess
beauteous Freyja, the goddess of Fertility, who sat with
her maids. beneath the fruitful bough of the World-tree
YgdrasiL
The thrice-born maid whom the giants sent from
Jotun-heim was Gulveig-Hoder, whose other name is
Aurboda, Hag of larnvid and "The Mother of Evil",
who assumed the guise of one both fair and young* A
maid attendant was she among others to Freyja in the
fairest grove of Asgard- She was loved by Loke and
became his bride. She fostered his ambition to be chief
ruler of the gods, and imparted to him her evil nature
and her cunning, while she herself constantly sought to
lure Freyja from her secure abode, There came a day
when her desire was fulfilled, and war followed war
because of her evil doings,
Loke was the chief instrument of her designs* She
spread unrest throughout Asgard and set Asa -gods and
Vana-gods at enmity, while Loke also plotted with tht*
evil giants to bring ruin to his kindred.
The great wall of Asgard was not yet constructed,
and by Loke*® secret desire there came before the gods
in the guise of t dwarf a Frost-giant who was a cunning
artificer. He offered to build a residence so well forti-
fied that it wouJd be ever secure against the attacks of
HOW EVIL ENTERED ASGARD 31
the Frost-giants and the giants of the mountains. This
vast work he undertook to complete in the space of a
single winter.
The gods were willing that the fortification should be
made, and enquired of the artificer what reward he sought
for his service. His answer was that his demand would
be possession of the goddess Freyja, together with the
sun and moon. But if the work were not completed in
the time allowed him, he would receive no reward what-
soever.
His words were not pleasant to the gods, and they
took counsel among themselves. There were those
among them who desired to reject his offer, and others
who were in sore doubt. Yet all of them desired that
the fortification should be built.
Then Loke counselled that the offer which the
artificer made should be accepted, provided that he would
do the work alone and within the time allotted to him.
** For,** said Loke, <c the dwarf can finish not the building
in time, and we shall have it for ourselves without pay-
ment of any reward*"
So the gods agreed as Loke counselled them, but
when their will was made known to the artificer he
stipulated that he should be allowed to use his horse,
named Svadilfare, in performing the work. By the advice
of Loke this condition was granted to the cunning artificer*
The bargain was sealed and confirmed by solemn oaths,
The work was then begun without further delay,
On the first day of winter the giant In dwarf-guise pre-
pared for the laying of the foundations, and during the
night his horse drew the stones towards AsgardL When
dty broke the gods were amazed at the prodigious size
of the boulders which were gathered together, and they
perceived thtt the greater part of the work was performed
32 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
by the great steed Svadilfare. All winter did the heavy
work proceed, and rapidly did the great and vast walls
rise around the habitation of the gods.
When the summer drew nigh, the work was far ad-
vanced, and the gods perceived that the artificer was
certain to finish It before his allotted time was completed.
The buildings were already so strong and so high as to
be impregnable, and when only three days had to pass,
before summer came, the gateway alone remained to be
completed.
Wroth were the gods because of the disaster which
threatened them, and they sat in council together and
asked one of another who had given advice that the terms
of the artificer should be accepted and that Freyja should
be given away to Jotun-heim, and the sun and moon
taken out of the heavens. They agreed that it was Loke
and no other who had brought this danger with his evil
designs. Him they condemned as the worker of evil, and
they said they would put him to death if he did not con-
trive some means to prevent the artificer from finishing the
work and receiving the reward which he had demanded*
The gods immediately seized Loke, who was stricken
with great fear. He saw that he would be put to death
if he did not cause hindrance to the giant, so he swore
a solemn oath that, no matter what disaster might befall
him, he would prevent the giant from accomplishing the
disaster which was threatened.
In the darkness of night Lake went forth to outwit
the artificer. When the great steed Svadtlfkre was being
driven towards the last boulders which were to complete
the gateway, a mtre ran forth from a deep forest tad
neighed loudly* Svadilfiure leapt with excitement and
turned to follow, and the artificer sought in vain to hold
in restraint But the steed broke free and ran after
HOW EVIL ENTERED ASGARD 33
the mare, which took flight through the forest, and the
great builder made search for him in vain. Thus a whole
night was lost, and in the morning the artificer perceived
that the work could not be completed in time. He was
filled with exceeding great anger, knowing well that a
plot had been laid against him. In his wrath he was
moved to be revenged, and he assumed his giant form
again and rose against the gods. Then it was perceived
that he was a fierce and terrible Frost-giant.
Finding themselves deceived, the gods no longer ob-
served their oaths, which had been sworn with one so
treacherous. Odin called upon Thor, who seized his
great stone hammer and went forth to combat. For him
the giant was no match, and the great thunder-god paid
him his wages, not with Freyja and the sun and moon,
but with death, for the first blow he struck shattered to
pieces the great giant's skull Then the gods seized the
body and flung it into the lowest depths of Nifel-hel, the
place of sorrow and eternal torture*
The mare which Svadilfare followed brought forth
a cloud-grey foal with eight legs. It grew up to be the
swiftest steed in the nine worlds, and the name it bore
was Sleipnen
To Odin was Sleipner given for his own especial use*
On its teeth were graven sacred runes, and it was on the
back of Sleipner that Odin ever went forth on his great
hunt across the heavens and over the "Milky Way"
when the winds were loud and the stars burned in splen-
dour. The great steed he also rode daily to the lower
Thingstead of the gods on the bridge which is called
Bif-rott
Thus among men was the riddle propounded ; Who
are these two who ride forth to the Thingstead ? They
hare in all ten feet, three eyes, and but one tail.
34 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
The answer is Odin and Sleipner, for Odin has but
one eye ; the horse has eight feet and Odin two ; and the
horse alone has a tail.
Sleipner is not only Odin's steed of war and of the
hunt, he is also the steed on which poets rise to divine
heights, as Odin, who is the first and greatest of poets,
was raised also.
Now Loke and his wife, although frustrated in their
desire to work evil against the gods, were still filled with
resolve to achieve their wicked ends. There came a
season when a new disaster befel the dwellers in Asgard,
and caused great dissension throughout the worlds, Sif,
the harvest goddess, who was Thor's ward, was beauteous
to behold, and her beauty and her power were in her rich
and plenteous growth of shining golden hair,
Her harvest locks did the fierce Hag in maid's guise
desire to possess, and while Sif slept Loke seized a sharp
sword and cut them off and took them away-
Then was Thor filled with wrath, as were also Odin
and the rest of the gods, for in Sif $ locks there was
abundance and prosperity.
Loke was again seized, and, fearing he would be put
to death, he promised to restore SiPs harvest hair and
bring gifts of appeasement to the greater gods, Oaths
were laid upon him to fulfil his promise, and Loke de-
parted from Asgard to visit the underworld, where gold
and treasures were concealed in abundance. But even
while he feared punishment, the desire to work evil did
not leave his heart, and he sought, while he fulfilled his
promise, to work great and lasting dissension.
To the elf-smiths, who are subject to wise Mime^
did Loke proceed, and their services he besoiight with
cunning and evil intent.
Now there were two families of elves who were
HOW EVIL ENTERED ASGARD 35
accomplished artificers and workers in fine metals, and
these were the sons of Ivalde and the sons of Sindre, in
whose golden halls in Mimer's realm there were great
treasures. They lived at peace with the gods, whom
they rendered ofttimes great service by providing orna-
ments and embellishing the palaces of Asgard with their
beauteous work.
Loke plotted to work enmity not only between the
families of elf-smiths, but also to estrange them against
the gods.
First he went to the sons of Ivalde and besought
them to make golden locks for the goddess Sif which
would grow like other hair- They set to work and
accomplished his desire, and they also made at his request
a great spear for Odin, which was named Gungnen
There was made for Frey, the god of golden sunshine,
a wondrous ship, named Skidbladner, which could hold
all the warriors of Asgard, and was ever accompanied by
soft and favourable winds. Yet, great as the vessel was,
it could be folded into small space like a napkin.
The gods were reconciled to Loke when the golden
hair of Sif was restored. The spear was given to Odin
and the great ship to Frey.
Then Loke went with evil in his heart to the kins-
men of Sindre, and them he challenged to produce works
as wondrous and finely executed as those of the sons of
Ivalde* Brok, who was Sindre's brother, protested the
greater skill of his fellows, and Loke wagered his own
head that such treasures as were already made could not
be surpassed The wager was readily accepted. Sindre
made a great smithy, and he and his kinsmen set to work.
Loke assumed the guise of a great blood-drinking fly, to
Jwats them while tt work*
Sindre first put a pigskin into the smithy ire, Then
36 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
he bade Brok to blow the bellows without ceasing until
the work was finished. That he did with great activity.
But a great fly set itself upon his hand, stinging him
sorely and drinking blood. He would have fain ceased
his labours because of the fly, but if he did so the charm
would be broken and the work rendered utterly with-
out avail. So, suffering as he did, he persisted at the
bellows handle, and at length Sindre drew out a won-
drous boar with golden bristles, which was a thing to
marvel at.
Then Sindre put much precious gold into the furnace,
and Brok again blew the bellows. But the great fly
attacked his neck, and drew more blood, nor could he
smite it or drive it away- At times it seemed as if he
must cease to labour, but he prevailed over his suffer-
ings until Sindre drew out a magic ring, which was named
Draupner, "the dropper".
A mass of iron did Sindre next place in the furnace,
and when Brok began to blow the bellows the great fiy
became more ferocious than ever, and it stung him be-
tween the eyes, so that blood flowed down and nearly
blinded him. Brok laboured heavily, and only once did
he pause to drive the fly away* Then Smdre drew from
the furnace a great hammer, which none save Thor could
wield.
a These works,** said Sindre, **no son of Ivalde an
equal**
Brok carried the gifts to Asgtrtl* and Loke went with
him.
Then sat the high gods in council to decide whose
treasures were of greatest account. They appointed) is
judges, Odin and Thor and Prey, and the various works
they considered together*
* Between the sons of Ivaldc and Sindre9! kinsmen
HOW EVIL ENTERED ASGARD 37
there was ever keen rivalry, and Loke knew well that
the clan which was given the award would win the hatred
of the other, and that the gods would be despised by
those who were not favoured.
Each of the gifts received the praises of the gods.
But those of Sindre were to them of greatest account.
The ring Daupner was a charm for fruitfulness and
fertility; every ninth night eight gold rings of equal
size dropped from it. It was a ring that grew w a chain
without end. To Odin was it given, and the high god
had it with the spear Gungner, which the sons of Ivalde
had made. Oaths were sworn on the point of the great
spear, which, when Odin throws it, gleams brightly as
it falls through the stars. Upon great warriors is con-
ferred the power of Odin's spear*
To Frey was given the golden boar on which to ride
over the heavens or over the sea* Faster it could run
than any steed save Sleipner, and in thick darkness it
shone in splendour* When Frey went forth at morning
or evening the rays of the golden bristles gleamed high
in the heavens*
But the greatest gift of all was the mighty iron
hammer, Mjolner, which WES given to Thor* It had
but one defect, and that was the shortness of the handle,
for Brok had ceased to blow when the fly blinded him
momentarily. So with the great gift came the defect
which Loke had caused. The hammer had power to
return to Thor each time it was thrown,
The sons of Ivalde were deeply incensed against the
gods because they awarded chief praise to the kinsmen
of Sindre, and they departed vowing fierce vengeance*
Thus was the end of Loke achieved.
Brokj who thirsted for revenge, demanded his prize
for the hammer, and that was Loke's head* which he had
38 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
wagered. Loke offered to redeem it, but the elf-smith
would have naught else.
Now Loke had shoes of swiftness, and could speed
swiftly through the air and over the sea. Crying to
Brok: "Then take me," he vanished from sight.
But the angered elf-smith appealed to Thor to seize
Loke, and that great irresistible god set forth and re-
turned with him.
"Thy head is mine/* exclaimed Brok, who prepared
to cut it off.
"Thine indeed is the head," answered Loke, "but
not the neck/'1
Brok appealed to the gods, and they gave judgment
that favoured Loke, They told Brok that he might take
the head, but the neck he must not injure,
Then was Brok possessed with great wrath* and he
demanded to sew the lips from which evil counsel came.
Loke's head being his by right of wager, none could
gainsay him* He took his knife to pierce the evil god's
lips, but it was not of sufficient sharpness. So he cried :
" Would I had my brother's awl." When he said that*
the awl was immediately beside him, and he took it and
sewed up the mouth of Loke, and left him there confused
with silence*
In great wrath did Brok leave A&gard Thus was
Lake's end doubly achieved, for Sindre's kinsmen were
also incensed against the gods because of the judgment
they had give** when the wtger was claimed,
The sons of Ivalde rose in revolt and leagued them-
selves with the Frost-giants to wage war against the Ait*-
gods and bring disaster to Asgtrd*
Let it be told that twice wedded was Ivride, the rebel
watchman of Hvei^lmer and the rivers EJIftgtr, His
1 In Ukt manner mm Sfayfcxk thwarted whco $* dtaflftfttM feU |**md @f 1Mb
HOW EVIL ENTERED ASGARD 39
first wife was Sol, the sun-goddess, and their daughters
were Idun, who became wife to Brage, and also the
swan maids who sang on the borders of the western realm
of Njord. Then had Ivalde for wife the giantess Greip,
and they had three sons who were elf-smiths — Thjasse-
Volund, Orvandel-Egil, the great archer, and Ide, whose
other names are Hyuki, Hengest, and Gelder, "the
Gelding".
Greip, the mother of these sons of Ivalde, had
afterwards, with marriage to a giant, two sons whose
daughters were Fenja and Menja.
So, as has been told, it came about that through
Lake's evil workings a winter war was proclaimed against
the gods by the sons of Ivalde and the Frost-giants.
At this time too was the goddess Freyja lured secretly
from Asgard by Gulveig-Hoder, the Hag in maiden
guise, and was caught in ambush by the great giant Beli,
lather of Grep, who fled with the goddess to Jotun-heim
and concealed her in his strong castle. A double disaster
thus fell upon the gods,
The Dwarfs
Loke sat and though % till his dark eyes gleam
With joy at the deed he *d done;
When Sif looked into the crystal stream,
Her courage wa* wellnigh gpne,
For never again her soft amber hair
Shall the braid with her hands of snow;
From the hateful image the turned in despair,
And hot tears began to flow.
In a ca?trn#i mouth, like a crafty fox>
Lokc mt *ntath the tall pine's shade,
When tudden a thundering was heard in the rocks,
And fearfully trembled the glade.
40 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Then he knew that the noise good boded him naught,
He knew that 't was Thor who was coming ;
He changed himself straight to a salmon trout,
And leaped in a fright in the Glommen.
But Thor changed too, to a huge seagull,
And the salmon trout seized in his beak ;
He cried : Thou, traitor, I know thee well,
And dear shalt thou pay thy freak!
Thy caitifPs bones to a meal I 'II pound,
As a millstone crusheth the grain*
When Loke that naught booted his magic found,
He took straight his own form again*
And what if thou scatter'st my limbs in air?
He spake, will it mend thy case?
Will it gain back for Sif a single hair?
Thou 'It still a bald spouse embrace.
But if now thou "It pardon my heedless jokey—-
For malice sure meant I nome,— -
I swear to thee here, by root, billow and rock^
By the moss on the Scuta-stone,
By Mimer*s well, and by Odin*s eye,
And by Mjolmer, greatest of all,
That straight to the secret caves I *ll hie,
To the dwarfs, my kinsmen small j
And thence for Sif new tresses I *II bring
Of gold ere the daylight fs gone,
So that she will liken a field In spring,
With its yell0w-fl0wcr«d garment on*
Loke promised so well with fats globing tongue
That the Asas at length let him go,
And tie sank in the ettthf the dark rocks among>
Near the cold-fountain, fer below.
HOW EVIL ENTERED ASGARD 41
He crept on his belly, as supple as eel,
The cracks in the hard granite through,
Till he came where the dwarfs stood hammering steel,
By the light of a furnace blue.
I trow *t was a goodly sight to see
The dwarfs, with their aprons on,
A-hammering and smelting so busily
Pure gold from the rough brown stone.
Rock crystals from sand and hard flint they made,
Which, tinged with the rosebud's dye,
They cast into rubies and carbuncles red,
And hid them in cracks hard by.
They took them fresh violets all dripping with dew,
Dwarf women had plucked them,, the morn, —
And stained with their juice the clear sapphires blue,
King Dan in his crown since hath worn*
Then for emeralds they searched out the brightest green
Which the young spring meadow wear%
And dropped round pearls, without flaw or stain,
From widows* and maidens* tears,
When Loke to the dwarfs had his errand made known,
In a trice for the work they were ready;
Quoth Dvalim O Lopterf it now shall be shown
That dwarfs in their friendship are steady*
We both trace owr line from the selfsame stock 5
What you ssk shall be furnished with speed,
For it ne'er shall be said that the sons of the rock
Turned their backs on a kin&man in need,
Ttity took then* the skin of a large
The largest that they could find,
And the bellows they blew till the furnace vgan roar,
And the fire flamed on high for the wind.
42 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
And they struck with their sledge-hammers stroke on stroke,
That the sparks from the skin flew on high,
But never a word good or bad spoke Loke,
Though foul malice lurked in his eye.
The thunderer far distant, with sorrow he thought
On all he 'd engaged to obtain,
And, as summer-breeze fickle, now anxiously sought
To render the dwarf's labour vain.
Whilst the bellows plied Brok, and Sindre the hammer,
And Thor, that the sparks flew on high,
And the slides of the vaulted cave rang with the clamour,
Loke changed to a huge forest-fly*
And he sat him all swelling with venom and spite,
On Brok, the wrist just below;
But the dwarf's skin was thick, and he recked not the bitc»
Nor once ceased the bellows to blow.
And now, strange to say, from the rotring fire
Came the golden-haired Gullinburste,
To serve as a charger the sun-god Frey,
Sure, of all wild-boars this the first.
They took them pure gold from their secret store*
The piece *t was but small in size,
But ere *t had been long in the furnace roar,
*T was & jewel beyond *J1 prize,
A broad red ring all of wroughten gold,
As a snake with itf ttil in its head,
And & garland of gems did the rim enfold,
Together with mm art laid,
*T was solid mid heavy, and wrought with otre,
Thrice it passed through the white flames' glow;
A ring to produce, fit for Odin to wear,
No labour they $ptrfd» I trow*
HOW EVIL ENTERED ASGARD 43
They worked it and turned it with wondrous skill,
Till they gave it the virtue rare,
That each thrice third night from its rim there fell
Eight rings, as their parent fair*
Next they laid on the anvil a steel-bar cold,
They needed nor fire nor file;
But their sledge-hammers, following, like thunder rolled,
And Sindre sang runes the while.
When Lofce now marked how the steel gat power,
And how warily out *t was beat
— *T was to make a new hammer for Ake-Thor, —
HeM recourse once more to deceit.
In a trice, of a hornet the semblance he took,
Whilst in cadence fell blow on blow,
In the tending dwarfs forehead his barbed sting he stuck,
That the blood in a stream down did flow*
Then the dwtrf raised his hand to his brow for the smart,
Ere the iron well out was beat^
And they found that the haft by an inch was too short,
But to alter tt then *t wm too late*
*»*«*«*
His object attained, Lokc no longer remained
*Neath the earth* kit straight hied him to Thor,
Who owned than the hair ne*er, sure, aught more fair
His eyet had efer looked on before*
The boar Fray bestrode, am! awmy proudly rode*
And Tfaor took the ringlets and hammer;
To Vmlhai they hied* where the Asa* retide,
'Mid of tilting and wassail the clamour.
Ac * fbll solemn ting, Thar gave Odin the ringf
And Lake hi* foul treachery pardoned ;
But tb« §mdbi* was vain, for bis crimes soon mgiin
Must do pciwmce the arch-sinner hardened.
CHAPTER V
The Winter War
The Great Earthquake — Frost-giants swarm Southward — Njord inter-
venes— Prey in Power of Giants — AsgarcTs Archer put to Shame — Peace-
makers baffled — Vengeance of Thjasse-Volund — " Sword of Victory " forged
— Mirner intervenes — Sword captured and Thjasse bound — Coming of Half-
dan — Omens at his Birth — The Swords Accursed— -Marriage, and Madding'*
Birth — Conflicts with Giants — Groa taken Capdve~~Orvandel-Egir§ Trial —
The Mythical "William Tell" — Birth of Gudhorm — Groa's Promise to Svip-
dag — Her Incantations— 1711*8 Boyhood — Svipdag overcome by Halfdan —
Visit to Hela — u Sword of Victory '* recaptured— Svipdag** Great Victory-*-
Thor put to Flight — Halfdan's Death,
A GREAT earthquake shook the nine worlds when the
winter war was proclaimed- JMidgar trembled and the
heavens were disturbed. In Asgard the gods heard the
dread clamour and the strong walls shivered as with fear.
And it was thus that the earthquake was caused. When
the sons of Ivalde withdrew their services from the gods,
and made compact with their enemies^ the terrible Frost-
giants^ the two giant-maids, Fenja and Menja, seized the
handle of the great World-mill and turned it so violently
that it went out of order, and disaster was threatened to
the Universe. Then southward swarmed the Frost*
giants to make war with the gods and their allies.
Now the Vaim-god Njord sought to make peace
between the gods and the sons of Ivalde, because at that
time his son, the swishine-ifodj Frey* was with them in
northern Al&heim* where he reigned as m king. H$
was still but a youth, and the sons of Ivalde hid power
to do him htrm.
THE WINTER WAR 45
With Njord went Bjorno-Hoder, the fair god Balder's
brother, the famous archer, who had not yet grown blind.
Forsete, Balder's son, was also an envoy, for, like his
father, he was a just judge and settler of disputes.
Gifted he was with persuasive speech and manners which
could subdue the most stubborn disputants. But they
discovered that Frey had been given to Beli, "the
howler**, the great giant with enormous body who held
him in thrall.
Bjorno-Hoder waxed wroth, and he drew his bow to
slay Volund-Thjasse and Egil-Orvandel, Ivalde's sons,
But Egil-Orvandel was also a great archer, for which he
was named Avo. Ere Hoder could shoot, Orvandel's
arrow severed his bowstring. Then the god tied the
string, and Qrvandel's second arrow passed through his
fingers without hurting them. Ignoring this dread
warning, Balder's brother still persisted, and his third
arrow was struck from the bowstring by Orvandel just as
he was pulling the string, Thus was Hoder put to shame*
Then the peacemakers turned to take their departure,
and Ivtlde's sons continued their journey to the north.
Thjas&e-Volund, son of Ivalde, was filled with bound-
less vengeance against the gods^ and went to his smithy,
where he forged the great Sword of Victory. Never was
there such t weapon since the beginning of time. It
shone like the sun in heaven, and there was no substance
that it would not cleave* More terrible was it thtn
Thor's htmmer> which the sons of Sindre had made,
for he who wielded the sword could prevail over the
Thundered* Thjtsse-Volund was resolved to subdue
the gods and conquer AsgtitL He also made a ring
which multiplied till it became a chain to bind the wind*
But grave Mime^Nidhad, who is also called Narve>
<*the binder **» came to know of the dretd tword which
46 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
his rebellious subject had constructed, and he still re-
mained the faithful friend of the gods. He knew well
the power possessed by the sword, and feared the disaster
which it would cause. So he went to Wolfdales,
in Nifel-heim, where Thjasse-Volund had built his
great smithy, and seized the elf-smith, whom he bound
with chains. Then The Binder took with him the
sword, and also the magic ring from among seven
hundred other rings, which it had produced. These he
bore unto river-girdled Hela, where he concealed them in
his deep cave, heaped with treasure, over which his son
was guard. There the sword and the ring were kept
until they were recaptured by The Shining One, who
prevailed over Thor and became a god in Asgard—
Svipdag the Brave, the hero of heroes. But ere that
day came many great battles were fought, and mighty
warriors perished in their pride.
The great hero who fought against the giants and
Ivalde's sons in the winter war was Halfdan, son of Thor^
who by tellers of old tales has also been called Mannus,
At his birth there were dread omens which foretold
his glory and his doom. Eagles screeched, the clamour
of thunder was heard, and the shadow of Thor fell over
the house. Noras came and twisted the threads of fete.
Of gold they made the warp of the web and fastened it
under the moon; the ends were hid in the east and the
west. One fateftd thread was drawn northward towards
Jotun-heim, the giants1 home, and Urd decreed that it
should hold there forever*
Hungry ravens cawed one to another, and welcomed
the wolf-eyed child who would anne them to thriw with
blood and the flesh of slaughtered men. They rejoiced
that the battle-feast would toon be spread for them*
Halfdan's mother heard the ravens' song and dreaded
THE WINTER WAR 47
his fate. Two swords there were in her home and they
were accursed. She buried them deep in the earth, so
that the child, when he grew strong, would not find them.
But Halfdan soon displayed his warrior strength. When
yet a youth he wrestled with a giant-bear and slew it.
Then came a day when Halfdan found a hidden
sword, and in a conflict he slew with it his half-brother,
nor did he know it was he. Thus was the sword
accursed indeed.
Halfdan had knowledge from his father of sacred
runes, and he knew the speech of birds, which gave
him advantage over his enemies, for he was warned
when danger was at hand*
When he grew into years of knowledge and strength,
he went forth to seek his fortunes. One day he met
Signe-Alveigj which means *c nourishing drink'*, and her
he loved and married. She was the fair swan-maiden
whose sister Groa was wed to Egil-Orvandel, son of
Ivalde, and their son was Hadding* But although Half-
dan lived for long at peace with Ivalde's clan, he fought
against them when they leagued themselves with the
Frost -giants to combat with the gods and their allies,
A strenuous campaign did Thor's son wage against
the Frost-giants on the borders of Midgard, which they
sought to possess and put under thrall The giant
Froste was their leader, and with him was Fjalar-Suttungj
the fire-giant from Surtur*$ deep dales. Their march
southward Halfdan stayed, and to the bleak north he
drave them in confusion, A great battle he fought at
Svarin*s mound, where he slew Sigbrygg, the sire of his
wife and Gro% her sister* Groa he took captive, and
he put shame upon her, and with hot he took her son
Svipdag*
With Htlfd&n on his triumphant march ncrthwtrd
48 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
went Odin's victorious Valkyries, and nightly the heavens
flamed with their splendour, by men called "The Northern
Lights".
On the borders of Jotun-heim Halfdan overcame
Orvandel-Egil, the great archer, whose house he sur-
rounded in the night.
Then it came about that Halfdan caused Orvandel to
make trial of his skill, for hearing he had boasted that he
could with the first arrow from his bow hit a small apple
placed upon a stick at a great distance, he ordered Svip-
dag to stand with an apple upon his head.1 Then he
commanded Orvandel to perform the deed of which he
had boasted on penalty of his life, but promised him his
freedom if he achieved success*
Svipdag was led forth. To him his sire spoke words
of encouragement and good counsel, so that he might
bear the trial with courage and unflinchingly, and also
lest he should move and thus cause the arrow to miss its
mark, Svipdag he made to stand with his back turned
so that he might not behold the drawing of the bow*
Three arrows did Orvandel take from his quiver*
Then one he aimed at the apple upon hb son's head.
Cartful aim he took and shot it from the bow, and he
dove the apple in twain nor htrmed his son*
Then did Halfdan ask him why he hid taken three
arrows from his quiver, and Qmndel-Egil btde him
know that it was his purpose, had his son fallen^ to slay
the man who had compelled the sore trill of skill.
But the risk was not avenged upon Halfdan until the
day of Svipdag's triumph.
In sorrow did Grot pass weary days with Halfdan, to
whom she bore a son who wts mined Gudhotm Then
was Grot rejected with deeper shtme* When she* with
of WiNi*rn Tfi myth.
THE WINTER WAR 49
her son, Svipdag, returned to Orvandel, she was heart-
broken and had come nigh to life's end. Svipdag she
called to her side and told him she must soon die with
the sorrow she bore for the death of her sire and the
shame that Halfdan had put upon her. Then she told
him that he must needs endure great troubles and much
strife, and be ofttimes in death -shadowing peril. "If
mine aid you need at any time/' she said, " come to my
grave chamber and invoke my spirit, and I shall rise to
help you." Soon after she spake thus Groa died, and
Svipdag wept for her.
Then Orvandel took for wife the beauteous Sith.
Their son was Ull, and he grew up to be a strong young
warrior like his half-brother.
Svipdag was overcome with desire to be avenged
upon Halfdan, and sought to wage war against him. But
Sith prevailed upon him to promise that he would go
towards the mountains of Jotun~heim, and rescue the
goddess Freyja and the god Frey from the giant who
kept them imprisoned in his strong castle*
But Svipdag deemed Sith to be moved with cunning
intentions, and he feared that if he went forth upon such
an enterprise he would never return. He had need of
counsel and of help, and in the darkness of night he went
to the stone grave -chamber of his mother and called
upon her,
w Awake," he cried, <cas thou didst promise me, and
come to me, O mother, in my sore straits ! "
The spirit of Grot rose out of Hela, where she heard
her son's voice calling upon her, and from the grave-
chamber she spoke. She told him that he must indeed
go on a long journey and meet many perils ere yet he
would find Freyjt, but she bade him remember that his
Nora of fete would be his guide*
50 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Then sang she incantations over Svipdag to protect
him from danger and to heal his wounds, to give him
courage and set him free from prisons. She also sang
incantations to protect him against raging rivers he must
needs cross, and against ocean's perils and the perils of
vast and high mountains over which he must climb,
Nine incantations did Groa utter, and the last gave
him security to traverse Nifel-hel and enter Mimer's
grove.
Whereupon Groa's voice was silent, and her spirit
returned to the Underworld.
Satisfied he would be indeed safe from all danger,
Svipdag went northward towards the battleground of the
giants. It was his desire to first avenge his grandsire's
death and his mother's shame ere yet he would search
to find Freyja, So he set himself to lead a giant host
against the army of Halfdan, and a dread conflict was
fought.
Svipdag was in the midst of the battle, and with
Halfdan he waged a duel, but he was overcome and
taken prisoner. Then made the giants hurried flight
towards the north*
Deep was Halfdan's admiration for the prowess of
the young hero, and he offered him his friendship if he
would become his ally and help him to continue the cam-
paign against the giants with whom Iwtde's tons were
Jn league. But Svipdag scorned his friendship with
defiance, and Halfdan in his wrath caused him to be
bound to a tite in the midst of a thick ferestj so that he
might become the prey of wild beasts.
Groa's son* when he was alone, bethought him of the
incantations which hit mother had uttered, and one he
repeated till the chains that bound him flew away and he
was set free. Hither tnd thither he wandered difcon-
THE WINTER WAR 51
solately, nor giant nor foeman could he see, nor could he
discover which way he should go.
Then came he to the moon-god ere he rose on his
path through the heavens, and by him was Svipdag told
where he would find the Sword of Victory which Thjasse-
Volund had forged,
"In Mimer's cave," the moon-god said, "it is con-
cealed, and thou must needs overcome the Keeper of
Hela's gate to obtain it."
Towards the trackless regions that lead by Hvergel-
mer's mountain did Svipdag then journey, and over the
caves in which giants guard their accursed hoards of
treasure. Intense and bitter cold prevailed as he tra-
versed over frostbound ways and wreaths of blocking
snow. Now he had need to climb great precipices, and
oft times he found himself on dizzy mountain ridges,
while dread chasms yawned below him. Through many
places of horror and peril did Svipdag traverse until he
retched the borders of Hela, There he beheld a fair
land that gleamed before him, full of flowers of rich
fragrance.
He crossed a dark valley, and a hel-hound pursued
him, barking loudly. Then came he to the River of
Blades, which was spanned by a bridge of gold, and
beyond there was a stone door in Hela's wall, guarded
by a strong watchman* With him Svipdag fought and
was victorious, and he entered the land of spirits where
dwells Mlmer and the regenerating race unborn.
Protected by the enchantment of Groa, Svipdag went
towards the cave in which the treasures of Mimer are
concealed, nor did he let his shadow fell upon it lest
Mimerfs son Mimingus, who kept watcht should tmke
fear and shrink back into the mountain*
Mimingus lay asleep, and Svipdag overcame him and
52 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
bound him where he lay* He took from the wall the
glittering Sword of Victory and the great Arm-ring which
Thjasse-Volund had forged, and then hastened to return
by the way he had come. So traversing again the moun-
tains of snow and misty blackness, and escaping the dread
perils about him, Svipdag returned with his treasures
from the Underworld*
Then without delay did the vengeance-seeking son of
Groa open a new campaign against Halfdan. In Asgard
it was known that he had secured the dreaded sword
which Thjasse-Volund had made so that he might over-
come the gods. Mighty Thor seized his iron hammer
and went forth to help his son.
Great was the battle which was waged. Svipdag
mowed down his enemies before him, and Halfdan was
sorely wounded by an arrow shot from the bow of
Qrvandel-EgiL Then did Thor press into the midst of
the fray, fighting fiercely against the giants> who fell
before him until he came against Svipdag. But the
hammer which Sittdre had made was of no avail against
the young hero, for with the Sword of Victory it wts
struck by The Shining One and severed from the
handle.
When Thor was repulsed he fled from the field* and
Halfdan went with him.
Thus did victory come to Svipdig, tnd thus wt§ the
judgment of the gods defied, for they had placed the
workmanship oi Sindre's kinsman above that of the sons
of Ivtide*
Halftbu* died of his wounds, and Thor made htste to
Asgard, where the gods limited the coming of Svipdig
with the Sword of Victory* which hid been fot$jed 10 thtt
they might be utterly overcome and Ajgtrd laid wnte.
CHAPTER VI
Triumph of Love
Freyja and Frey In Captivity — Svipdag's Promise— Food of Wisdom —
Voyage to Jotun-heim — Beli, "The Howler" — The Brothers G rep—God and
Goddess under Enchantments — Svipdag and Ull in Giant's Castle — Freyja
Rescued — The Shame of Frey — Freyja deserted — Her Wanderings — How the
Spell was broken — Return to Asgard — Idun is lost — Loke and the Eagle —
His Promise — The Angered Godt — Idun rescued — Thjasse - Volund slain —
Svipdag climbs Bif-rost — The Wolf Bogs on Watch — Odin's Warnings —
Glimpse of Asgard*s Beauties — JLovers meet — The Sword of Victory — Goda
and Elvet reconciled.
WHEN Svipdag had triumphed over Halfdan he re-
turned to Sith, remembering the promise he had made
to rescue Freyja and Frey from the castle of the giant
who held them in captivity. Then he prepared to set
out with Ull, his stepbrother, towards the giants* country
— cold and darksome Jotun-heim* But ere he went, Sith
made for the twain the food of wisdom with the fat of
three serpents, so that they might be rendered able to
perform their long and perilous journey* Of the magic
food did Svipdag secure the better portion for himself*
They had need to cross a g**c&t magic sea on which
dread tempests roared and whirlpools and treacherous
currents were an ever-present danger* When far from
shore the storm -giant came against him, but Svipdag
overcame him in combat* Protected by the incantations
of Groa did Svipdag with Ull make the voyage in safety,
until they reached a harbour nigh to the bleak castle of
54 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
"the howler", in which Freyja and Frey were
imprisoned.
Three sons of the giant met them on the strand.
Each of them had Grep for name, and one, who was a
skald, desired to have Freyja for his bride. With Svip-
dag and till he entered into angry dispute, and sought
to prevail upon them to return from whence they came.
But this they scorned to do, and in the end the giants
retreated from the strand.
Then went Svipdag and Ull towards the castle to
seek for Freyja and Frey, The giants were filled with
anger, and sought to affright the young heroes by howl-
ing like beasts and bellowing like the storm-god* The
clamour they made was indeed fearsome, and none but
brave hearts could have ventured to make entry to that
place of horror,
Within the court Frey and Freyja came to meet
them, and they were surrounded by giant attendants.
Svipdag greeted Freyja with a kiss, and she knew that
she would become his bride.
But enchantments had been put upon her and upon
Frey by the giants. They had been given to drink the
potion of forgetfiilnes% so that they had but vague
memory of the past, while deep discontent and haunting
misery were their dower* Frej had deep shame upon
him* and he sought nor itght nor expected happiness any
more. In dark despair he lived within the strong castle
of Beli.
Freyja was pale and sorrow- stricken* In her heart
was ten loathing, which torttiured herf agtinst the Grep
who would fkin be her favoured suitor. Her golden
locks were twisted hard above her forehead* for Bd5 hid
thus punished ho- when he took her captive In vtin
she bsd endeavoured to comb them and win hack her
TRIUMPH OF LOVE 55
extreme beauty, but the spell that was put upon her
she could not break. Her eyes were vacant and sad.
She rejoiced not that Svipdag and Ull had come to rescue
her, for her heart was cold and passionless.
Svipdag and Ull entered the wide hall of the castle
amidst the bestial howlings of the dread giants. A great
fire burned there because of the bitter cold that prevailed.
With the giants they sat at feast, and Frey was on
a high seat with pale, unhappy face, while the giants sang
loudly and drank deeply about him.
Now deeply were these fierce furies incensed against
Svipdag and Ull, whom they sought to overcome and put
to death. In sharp dispute they engaged, At length,
the Grep who wooed Freyja flung himself upon Svipdag,
but Ull cut him down with his sword and slew him.
Then many fought against Egil's sons, but they were
driven back*
In the end the heroes prevailed upon Freyja to flee
with them, but on Frey they could not prevail, for so
deeply did he feel his shame that he could not again
appear, he said, before the gods in Asgard
To Svipdag was Freyja cold and indifferent, nor did
she ever raise her eyes to look at him or open her lips to
speak. When they had crossed the magic sea, they set
out to dimb the great mountains towards QrvandeTs
home, where Sith awaited them; but Freyja showed
neither joy nor gratitude at her escape from the giants*
Then was the heart of Svipdag filled with anger, and
he left Freyja to wander alone, She went towards a
desolate land which was the abode of giantesses* and was
found by one, who took her for a slave to tend her go»t$*
But Svipdag repented^ and when his anger pasted awty
he went again in search of Freyja* for hit heart was
moved with deep tenderness towards her.
56 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
From the giantess he rescued her, and they went
together on their way. But that great Hag followed
quickly, and swift was the flight of the lovers, running
on skees. Nearer and more near came the monster, but
suddenly the sun rose over the mountains, and she was
turned into a great boulder at the sea's edge.
In Freyja's heart there was yet no gratitude, because
of the spells that were upon her. Nor answer would she
make when Svipdag spoke, nor would she gaxe in his
eyes to reward him. One brief look was all he desired,
and yet she stared upon the ground disconsolate and
silent.
Again did Svipdag wax wroth and leave her to
wander alone; and she went down among the rocks.
Then took she the guise of a bird and flew over the
mountains and over the river that separates that wild
country from the land in which Svipdag had his dwelling.
She reached the house of OrvandeL To Sith, who
recognized her not, she said that she was a poor woman
who had no home, and she was received with wel-
come.
But Svipdag knew her and claimed her for his bride,
and a wedding feast was set, and the marriage oath sworn
in solemnity and state. Yet was Freyjs cold and passion-
less. To the bridal chamber they went, and in her hand
Freyja held a candle. She stood motionless before Svip-
dag until the candle burned low; and when the flame
stung her hand* Svipclag spoke words of warning. But
Freyja felt not the pain because of the greater ptin
within her heart
Then was the spell broken by fire, and she raised her
face and looked with eyes of love upon him who had
rescued hen Thus hid Svipdig his exceeding great
reward*
TRIUMPH OF LOVE 57
But Freyja vanished from before him, and in falcon-
guise she soared to Asgard, undefiled and pure, and was
received with rejoicing by the gods. Then did Svipdag
take his Sword of Victory and set forth towards Asgard
to win Freyja.
But a sorrow no greater than when Freyja was lured
away had fallen upon Asgard because the goddess Idun
was lost. For it was she who had in her keeping the
golden apples of eternal youth. In her fast-shut casket
she kept them, and for each one she drew forth another
took its place, From the apples did the gods receive
immortality, and when Idun was taken away they began
to grow old. Well they knew that both giants and trolls
had much desire to rob the golden apples from Asgard.
So they were sore troubled, fearing that disaster would
fall speedily upon them* On evil Loke did suspicion
fall, and when Odin challenged him, for 'Idun had last
been seen In company with him, he confessed that he
had delivered her to Thjasse-Volund, her brother, who
had forged the Sword of Victory so that the gods might
be overcome,
*Twas thus it fell that Idun was taken from Asgard.
One day there went forth together on a journey Odin
and Honer and Loke, It was their desire to visit the
country of Ivalde and his sons, beside Hvergdmer and
the rivers Evilagtr, so as to cause the conflict to have
end* Thjasse~Volundl who had escaped from the bonds
of Mimer in the guise of an eagle, had knowledge of
their coming and waited for them. In a valley of otks
the gods rested* There they saw grazing t herd of bears,
tnd one they oiught on which to least, for they hungered
tnd ware weary, The besur they slew, and when a fire
wis Milled they roasted it for their foist Near by lay
« wgfc rod wWeh Hijt»se-Volund had forged with intent
58 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
to* wreak his vengeance upon the gods, and especially
Loke.
Then a great eagle came towards them, and the gods
knew it was Thjasse-Volund who had dominion there.
Hard was the bear to carve, for Ivalde's son had put
enchantments upon it, and of this had Odin full know-
ledge. So he addressed Thjasse and said: "Why hast
thou done this, thou maker of ornaments in eagle
guise ?"
Thjasse said that he desired his share. Odin had not,
however, any knowledge of the evil intent of the eagle,
and consented that he should divide the meal with them*
Whereupon Thjasse flew down and sought to take so
large a share that Loke, in his wrath, seized the magic rod
to strike at him. When he did that he was in the eagle's
power, He could not unclasp his hands from the rod,
and the other end was fixed in the daws of the eagle,
which flew high, carrying Loke with him. In vain did
he seek to be released, and over the oak trees wts he
dragged and sorely beaten until he was near to being
torn to pieces, Loke was heavy and the eagle sank to
the ground. Then Loke offered Thjasse any ransom he
would demand if he would but let him escape^ for he
was compelled to plead for his life.
Thjasse demanded his sister Idun, who had been taken
awy by Loke when the sons of Ivalde were the willing
servants of the gods, Loke promised to deliver her to
him secretly, and was then released by his dread captor.
TJie gods returned to Asgard together, su*d evil Loke
fblfiHed his promise, nor gwe Odin knowledge of hit
doings*
Thus it came that when he made confession of his
deed the gods were moved to anger against him, and
threatened to put him to death. But Loke made vows
i "
.n
TRIUMPH OF LOVE 59
to restore Idun to Asgard, and flew forth towards the
dominion of Thjasse-Volund in the bird-guise of Freyja.
The loss of Idun had dread effect in Midgard as in
Asgard* Cold winds blew from the north. The power
of the Frost-giants increased, and they swarmed south-
ward in great hosts* Halfdan, they knew, was slain, and
that the gods had loss of power because that Idun had
been taken away. Icy arrows were shot over the earth,
killing man and beast and each thing that grew. The
heavens were disturbed. Nearer sun and moon crept the
giant wolves* From Urd's fountain was slowly departing
the power to give warmth to the World-tree YgdrasiL
Out of Jotun-heim rose songs of rejoicing and vengeance
that were heard in Asgard, and the gods, growing old,
feared that the end of all things was drawing very nigh.
To Mimer's grove were sent swift messengers, so that
from the Norns might be received knowledge of the
world's fate and that of the gods,
So did gods and men suffer because Idun, the goddess
of regeneration, was taken away* The death-cold storm-
spears were turned against gods and men. The murder-
frost held Midgard with iron grasp*
Idun was found by Lake in Thjasse's dwelling, and
he put enchantments upon her and she became a nut
Then he flew with her In his claws towards Asgard. But
ere he set off, Loke, the tempter, made known to Thjasse
what he had done* and challenged him to follow* In
eagle-guise angry Thjasse pursued the god. So swiftly
did he fly that he came very nigh to Loke ere yet he
hid trenched the safety of Asgaitl Then he flew midst
die vafe-fltmai in the kindling vapour cloud, and fell
scorched within the walk Thor seked his hammer,
which Sindre hid again forged, and slew him* Thus did
who hid shaped the Sword of Victory,
60 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
fall in his shame and perish because of Loke's evil
doings.
Meanwhile in Asgard did Freyja await the coming
of Svipdag, whom she loved ; and him the gods awaited
also, because he carried the Sword of Victory.
Svipdag' $ heart was filled with longing for Freyja, nor
could he sleep or rest until he found her. The protec-
tion of Groa's incantations was still upon him, and it
was Urd's will that he should reach Asgard. So he went
again on a perilous journey. Unto Hela he went, over
bleak tremendous mountains and through storms and
blinding mist, until he reached the foundations of Bif-rost
Heimdal, the shining sentinel, beheld him as he stepped
upon the Bridge of the Gods with the gleaming Sword
of Victory girdled by his side. But no warning did he
sound, for it was the will of Odin that Freyja's lover
should stand before the gate of Asgard. So Svipdag
ascended until he beheld the ramparts of the celestial
city. There he perceived Odin nor knew who he was.
Roughly did the god receive his greetings. "This",
he said, w is no place for beggars ; return by the moist
ways whence you came/1
But Svipdag remonstrated, and claimed hospitality,
being a weary traveller, and Odin made answer again
that he could not enter, although less harshly* for the
noble bearing of the youth gave pleasure to his eyes*
** From here,1* cried Svipdag, ** I cannot turn my eyes
away because of its exceeding great beauty. Here would
I find happiness and peace,**
"Who art thou?" Odin asked
<c My name/' said Svipdig, c< is Windcold, and I am
the son of Springeold, whose $ire was Veiy-cold*1*
Now Svipdag had caught a radiant: glimpse of Asgard's
beauties. He saw its haHs of glittering gold* and e&petially
TRIUMPH OF LOVE 61
the Hall of Gladness, which is the dwelling of Freyja, and
is nigh to the gate. He also beheld Freyja, whom he
loved, sitting on the flower-decked Rock of Joy, which
gives health to those who seek it with prayer. She was
surrounded by her maids — Eil, the healer; Hlif, the
protectress; Bjort, the shining; Blid, the blithe; and
Frid, the fair — they had power to give healing to men
and women who called upon them from Midgard and
offered up sacrifices. Freyja was silent and in deep
thought, Like a graven statue she sat in virgin beauty,
blue-eyed with golden hair — she who has care of love-
lorn maidens and mothers and their babes. She wore
her gleaming necklace which the elf- smiths had made
with sparkling jewels of the sky and bright spring-flowers,
for the fair goddess was ** The Lover of Ornaments ".
Freyja sat beneath the branches of Ygdrasil, and these
Svipdag beheld with wonder. He saw its magical fruit,
and in the branches sat the cock Goldcomb, with feathers
of gleaming gold.
Svipdag turned his eyes upon Asgard's wondrous
gate, and saw before it the two great wolf-dogs which
kept watch by night and by day, for when one slept the
other was awake. They had power to kill giants and put
to flight through the air the flying trolls that came against
Asgtrd in the darkness,
**Can a stranger enter?** the young hero asked of
Odin.
<c No stranger can come within,1* the god made answer,
H unless he brings with him the Sword of Victory.**
11 How can the dogs be passed ?n asked Svipdag*
Odin nmde reply that no one could pass the dogs
unless he could give them to eft of the flesh upon the
legs of Goldcomb.
Wfien Svipdag asked how the cock which sat on the
62 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
World-tree could be killed, Odin said that there was but
one sword with which it could be slain, and it had been
kept in Hela's cave, nor could it be obtained from the
watchman unless he were given the ankle bones of
Goldcomb.
"Can no man enter the city and go unto Freyja?"
the hero asked.
"No man can enter/' was Odin's answer, "save
Svipdag."
" Then open the gates/* the hero cried, " for I am he,
Svipdag has come to seek for Freyja,"
Then he crossed the river unscathed by vafer-flame,
for the gates of Asgard flew open. The dogs fawned to
him and bayed joyous welcome*
From the rock on which she sat hastened Freyja,
and when she knew that it was indeed Svipdag who had
come, she cried; "Welcome, my lover! Now is my
great desire fulfilled. Long have I waited, sitting on the
rock, looking for you by day and by night* All my
desires are indeed fulfilled because you are once again by
my side/1
*Twas thus that Svipdag entered Asgard, bearing with
him the Sword of Victory which had been forged to bring
ruin to the gods* Love had triumphed over hate, and
the designs of Loke were thwarted, for Svipdag had
Freyja for his wife and the sons of Ivalde were reeon~
died to the gods*
Then was UU brought to Asgard, and Skh also* The
eyes of Thjasse-Volund were placed in heaven to shine as
stars, and Qrvandd, who was dead, was also raised among
the star-heroes*
Meanwhile Njord had journeyed to Jottm-heim, where
he rescued from the giant's casde his ton Frey* In his
wrath did Frey MH Be!i» "the howler ", with a stag's horn
TRIUMPH OF LOVE 63
which he plucked from the wall when the spells that
bound him were taken off,
To Frey was given by Svipdag the Sword of Victory,
and the joy of peace fell upon Asgard when he returned.
But still the Hag abode among the gods in the guise
of a maid who sat at Freyja's feet. It was fated that she
would cause yet another and greater war in Asgard and
in Midgard ere her power would be overcome*
CHAPTER VII
The Lost Sword of Victory
The Wrath of Sfcade — The Demand for Vengeance — Challenge to the
Gods— —JLoke's Cunning Device-— Thjasse-Volund a Star-Hero— -Skade chaoses
a Husband — Marriage with Njord — The Vision of Gerd — Frey's Love-Mad -
nesa— "Skirner*t Mission— r Visit to Gymer's Castle — Gerd*s Disdain — Bridal
Gifts scorned — Threats of Torture — Horrors of Nifel-hel — Frey accepted —
The Price of Gerd — 'Gymer receives the Sword of Victory — How Surtur will
be avenged.
WHEN Skade, the proud and powerful daughter of
Thjasse-Volund, came to know that her father had been
slain by the gods, she put on her armour of chain mail
and her shining helmet, and she seized her great spear
and poisoned arrows to avenge his death* Then, hasten-
ing to Asgard, she stood without, challenging a god to
combat. Bold was she and beautiful, and serenely fear-
less in her wrath.
The gods took counsel together, and deemed that her
cause was just. Thus it came that they spoke words of
peace unto her, tnd, indeed, they desired not to slay one
so feir* But she scorned their entreaties, and, raising
her spear, demanded the life of him who had skin her
fkther*
Then went cunning Loke without tnd set to dancing
before her, while a goat; danced with him, whereat she was
amused. He danced long, and, when he had censed, he
bowed before her and besought her for his bride, the
|-V( m
THE LOST SWORD OF VICTORY 65
while the goat did bleat mournfully, Skade was moved
to laughter, and her wrath passed away.
Nat rode forth, and shadows fell upon the heavens
and the stars came forth. Then was Skade besought to
enter Asgard. To her came Odin, and, pointing to the
sky, he said:
"Behold! thy father's eyes are made bright stars,1
which shall ever look down upon thee. . . . Amidst the
gods thou mayest now dwell, and one thou canst choose
to be thy husband. But, when this thou shalt do, thine
eyes must be blindfolded, so that his feet only may be
beheld by thee."
On the assembled gods she gazed with wonder and
delight. Her eyes fell on Balder the Beautiful, and him
she loved. In her heart she vowed he would be her choice.
When her eyes were veiled, she beheld a foot that
was beautiful, and she deemed it was BalderV Her arms
went out, and, crying; "Thee I wed,*' she snatched aside
the veil, and lo ! it was Njord who stood before hen
Stately and fair was Njord, the summer sea-god, who
stilled the tempests of JEgtr and the blast of Gymer, the
storm-giant of the bitter east. But the heart of Skade
took no delight in Njord.
Yet was the Vana-god her choice, and with him was
she wed in pomp and state in Asgard, Together they
departed to Nottun, where Skade wearied of the sea and
the cries of birds on the cliffs, which bereft her of sleep.
Deep was her sorrow that she dwelt no longer in the
forest of Thrym-heim, and she yearned for the thundering
waterfall, the high mountains, and the wide plains where
>Thr Ivildt fimity k tnocitted with tttr wonhtp. Ivalde it Vatc, or Wate, of
«* Watting Str<*t", th« M Enfciiih ntm« of the Milky W*y» Thjawe it connected
witfc SIrlttt, and OmmM wilb Orion. **W»tHnf Street** wti «lao appUtd to one
of £&« Roman military rt*& extending from nctr Dover by London to North Witat*
66 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
she was wont to follow the chase. And the love she
bore to Balder was ever gnawing her heart.
Then sought Frey a bride, and with love of her he
was possessed to madness.
One day he ascended the golden throne of Odin and
looked over the worlds, seeing all things, and that^was
the day of his sorrow. Wondering, he gazed east and
west, and to the south he gazed. Then northward
towards the land ot giants he turned his eyes, and there
shone before him a light of great radiance that filled with
beauty the heavens and the air and the sea. A maiden,
fairer than ever he beheld before, had opened the door
of her dwelling. Divinely tall was she, and her arms
gleamed like silver. For a moment he saw her, his heart
leaping with love, and then she vanished, whereat his
soul was stricken with deep sadness. So was he punished
for sitting in Odin's throne*
Homeward went Frey, nor speak would he, nor
would he eat, or drink, so great was his love for the
giant -maid, whose name was Gerd, the daughter of
Gymer, Much did the gods marvel because of his
silence and his deep sighs. But none could find reason
for the madness of Frey. To him came his father Njord,
and Skade also, and as they found him so they left him,
in melancholy and possessed with secret sorrow, Then
spake Njord to Svipdag, who, In Asgtrd, wa$ named
Skirner, "the shining one*1, and entreated him to dis-
cover what caused his son to suflfar, tnd to find a remedy
whereby he would be restored to gladness*
As reluctutit was Sklraer to go unto Frey ts he was
when Sith besought him to rescue Freyjt from the giant
Bell Yet when he found Frey sitting tlone In silence!
and stricken with keen longing for her whom he loved,
he spoke to him boldly and with confidence*
THE LOST SWORD OF VICTORY 67
" Together", he said, "we have had adventures in
other days, and faithful should we now be one to another.
Nor should there be any secret between us. Speak, O
Frey, and tell me why you grieve alone and refuse to eat
and to drink."
Frey answered him : " How can I disclose, fond
friend, the secret of my sorrow,, Bright shines the sun-
goddess over heaven, but cheerless to me are her
rays."
But Skirner pressed him to confide his sorrow, and
Frey told of his love for beautiful Gerd, the giant-
maid. But his love, he said, was foredoomed to sorrow,
for neither god nor elf would permit that they should
dwell together.
Then went Skirner to the gods and revealed the
secret of Frey's silence and despair. Well they knew
that if Gerd were not taken to him the god of sunshine
would pine and die, so to Skirner they made known their
will that he should haste to Gymer's abode and win
his fair daughter for Frey*
Then was Frey less sad, and he gave Skirner the
Sword of Victory to be his defence, and from Odin he
received Sleipner to ride through fire and over the
heavens* The bridal gifts he bore when he set forth
were the magic ring Draupner and eleven apples of
immortal youth from Idim's precious casket A magic
rod which subdues took he also with him,
Over raging sea and bleak mountains rode Skirner,
over chasms and the mountain caves of fierce giants, until
he came to Gymer's Castle, which was protected by a
moat of fire* Fierce bloodhounds guarded the entrance
gate.
On a mound sat a shepherd alone, and him Skirner
addressed, beseeching how he could lull the fearsome
68 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
hounds that kept constant watch, so that he might
reach the giant-maid.
"Whence come ye?" asked the shepherd; "for surely
you are doomed to die. You may ride by night or by
day, but never can you win nigh to Gerd."
Skirner had no fear. "Our fates," he said, "are
spun when we are born. Our doom we can never
escape/'
Now was the voice of Skirner heard by Gerd, who
was within, and she besought her maid-servant to dis-
cover who it was that spoke so boldly before the castle.
Then Skirner spurred his horse, which rode over the
hounds and the fiery moat, and the castle was shaken to
the foundations when the door was reached*
The maid -servant told Gerd that a warrior stood
without and demanded to be admitted to her.
"Then haste," cried Gerd, "and take him within, and
mix for him the sweet and ancient mead, for I fear
that he who murdered Beli, my brother, is come at
length."
Skirner entered and stood before the giant -maid
whom Frey loved so well, and she spake to him and said;
w Who art thou — an elf, or the son of an Asa-god, or
one of the wise Vans? Dtring, indeed, art thou, to come
alone unto this our strong abode,*"
" Neither elf, nor god, nor Van am I,n Skirner made
answer, *CI am a messenger from the god Frey* who
loves thee* From him 1 bring the ring Drtupner as a
gift, for he seeks thee for his Wide/1
Then was Gerdft heart filled with disdain, and the
bridal gift she refitted to take. u While life remains in
m<* she said, ** Frty I shall not wed**
Skirner nact made offer of the golden ring Dmypner,
but that she disdained also.
THE LOST SWORD OF VICTORY 69
" Of thy ring I have no need/* she told him, " be-
cause my sire hath great treasure of jewels and of gold/'
When she spake thus the heart of Skirner was filled
with anger, and he drew forth the shining Sword of
Victory.
"Behold this blade!" he cried; "with it I can slay
thee if Frey is rejected."
Proudly did Gerd arise. "By force nor threat,"
said she, "will I ever be led. My strong sire Gymer
is armed and ready to punish thee for thy boldness."
Then Skirner said wrathfully: "With this blade I
shall slay thy sire, the old giant Gymer, if he should dare
to oppose me. And thee I can conquer with this magic
wand, which shall subdue thy heart If I must needs do
so, no happiness will ever again come nigh thee. For
thee it will remove to the regions of Nifel-hel, where nor
god nor man can ever behold thee in beauty again,"
Silent and pale sat Gerd as Skirner told her of the
fate which would be hers if she continued to refuse to
become the bride of Frey,
The place in Nifel-hel to which she must go, he said,
was a region of torture where dwell the spirits of the
giants who were ground in the World-mill Power to
love she would not have, nor tenderness or sympathy.
Alone she must live, or else as the fruitless bride of a
monstrous three-headed giant. Gladness and enjoyment
would be banished from her heart. Staring eyes would
ever watch her coldly and with more hatred than do the
Frost-giants regard Heimdal, the sentinel of Bifnrostj or
do the Trolls the wolf-dogs of Odin. Nor would the
demons ever leave her at peace. Evil witches would
bow her to the rocks. Morn, who gives "agony of
soul *\ would fill her being. There in the place of
torment prepared for her dwell the demons of sickness,
70 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
who would increase her sorrow. Never would she be
free from the torture of Tope (madness) and Ope
(hysteria), and no rest would she know by night or by
day. For food she would have loathsome meat, and
venom for drink. Each morning would she crawl pain-
fully to the mountain top and behold Hela in glory and
in beauty, and ever would she seek in vain to reach its
glittering plains of bliss and delight,
" Such, O Gerd, must be thy fete," cried Skirner, " if
Frey by thee is disdained/*
Then prepared he to strike her with the magic rod
which subdues; but Gerd besought him to hear her,
a Fulfil not thy threat/* she pleaded, " and drink of
this sweet and ancient mead. Never dreamed I that I
should love a god of the Vans/*
But Skirner would not be appeased until she gave to
him a message to Frey* Whereat she promised that after
the space of nine nights she would consent to become the
bride of the Vana-god if the Sword of Victory were given
to her sire*
Pleasant were her words to Skimer, and hastening
without he leapt upon his horse and returned with all
speed to Asgard. There did Frey await him with im-
patience, but the lovelorn Vana-god was filled with sad-
ness when he came to know that he must needs wtit the
space of nine nights ere he would be by Gerd received,
a Long Is one night without her/* he cried ; ** longer
are two nights — how am I endure to watt for nine?
Longer has this half night of waiting seemed to ine than
a month of greatest bliss*1*
Slowly for Frey passed the days and nights that
followed* Then tt the appointed time he went to Gerd,
who became his bride*
Unto Gymor he give for Ms dtiigliter the Sword of
THE LOST SWORD OF VICTORY 71
Victory, which had been forged to bring disaster upon the
gods. And in this manner was Asgard deprived of the
fruit of the triumph which Freyja had brought thither
when Svipdag's wrath was turned aside and his love for
her caused peace to be made between gods and elves.
Long had the giants sought to possess the Sword of
Victory, and especially the wife of Gymer, Gulveig-
Hoder, the dreaded Hag of larnvid, who had still her
dwelling in Asgard, where she ever strove to work
evil.
For with the Sword of Victory will Surtur be armed
when he issues forth to avenge the wrong done to Gunlad
by Odin,
Thus did Loke taunt Frey. " Treasure gave you to
Gymer with which to buy his daughter, and the Sword of
Victory also. Lo! when the sons of Surtur come over
Ironwood, in sore distress you shall indeed be, for then
you shall know not, O unhappy one, with what weapon
to fight*"
CHAPTER VIII
Fall of Asgard
Vengeance of the Gods— Burning of the Hag-— War of the Got It— Skatte
leaves Njord- — Mimer is slam — The Vans before Aigard— -The Strategy of
Njord- — How Sleipner was captured — A Spy in Asgard— -Odin's Gate hurst
Open— Invaders Victorious"— Flight ofr Asa -Gods— -The War in Midgard-
The Sons of Halfdan— Odin rescues Hadding1 — Lokefs Evil Designs-Giants
in Conflict— Defeat of Hadding—- How the Dead spoke— A Dread Curse- -
Forest Peril — The Great Hand — Death of Giant Maid — -Heimdal protects
Hadding.
THE gods marvelled greatly at the disasters which had
befallen them, and they sat m council together to dis-
cover how Freyja had been lured from Asgard, and who
had plotted to work this evil*
Suspicion fell upon Loke's wife, Aurboda-Gulveig-
Hoder, the Hag of Ironwood, who dwelt among the gods
in the guise of a maid-attendant to Freyja. Wife she
was also to Gymer, who had become possessed of the
Sword of Victory, and her son was Beli, c* the howler *\
whom Frey had skin* So well did she act her part,
while she schemed to work evil* that among the maids
none seemed fairer or more faithful. Many missions did
she perform for Freyja. Oncef indeed, she was sent to
confer divine favour upon mortals* A king and queen
had long been married, and they had no children.
Prayers they offered up to Frcyj% tnd sacrifices made
they that an heir to the kingdom might be theirs, In
compassion were they heard, and Aurboda was sent
FALL OF ASGARD 73
earthwards by Freyja in the guise of a crow, bearing
with her the fruit of fertility from the branches of
Ygdrasil. When the queen partook of it, her desire was
fulfilled, and in due season an heir was born, whereat
there was great rejoicing in the kingdom.
Thus Aurboda1 had fair repute in Asgard despite her
evil character — she who was mother of the wolves that
pursue son and moon; she who was Hag of Eastern
Winds which bear the burden of her fearsome song and
drive fair vessels into the very jaws of -^Egir, the storm-
god of western ocean.
When the gods came to know she was indeed the
Mother of Evil, and had lured Freyja from her secure
abode, they were moved with * great wrath and with
horror against hen They found, too, that it was dread
Aurboda who had filled the air with witchcraft and
wrought evil spells that enchanted both gods and men.
Black sorcery did she practise to stir up the evil passions
with which Loke had endowed human kind.
Thor sprang up in the High Thingstead of the gods
and went forth hastily to find her* By him was she
seized and struck down* Then the gods burned her as
punishment for her witchcraft. A great pyre they reared
in Valhal, and they spitted her body with their spears,
holding it over the flames until it was consumed. But
she came to life again* Thrice they burned her and thrice
was she restored, for evil is hard to destroy* The third
time they flung her ashes away, but her heart, which is
the sett of life, was but half-burned, and Loke found it
and swallowed it. Thereafter he partook in still greater
measure of the evil character of the Hag, who, however,
came to life the third time in Ironwood, where she must
ever dwell despite the vengeance of the gods and their
'AUo Angnrtxxia,
74 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
wrathful desire to destroy her. But Asgard she could
never again enter.
Now the Hag was the mother of Gerd, the giant
maid whom Frey the Vana-god had married. As kins-
woman of one of their clan she was under the protection
of the Vana-gods, although, like the Asa-gods, they had
fear and hatred of her witchcraft. They therefore began
to dispute with the Asa-clan because the Hag had been
burned Long and loud the quarrel waged, but suddenly
It was brought to an end by Odin, who flung his spear
into their midst to signify that the war of words must
end and the war of arms ensue*
Thus was the breach between the gods accomplished
by the fearsome Hag,
On earth, too, was a conflict begun between the tribes
of men. Thus came to be waged, as skalds have sung,
"the first great war in the world'*. Whereat the prim-
eval cold heart of (< the old one in the Ironwood n was
made glad* With her rejoiced Egther, "the sword-
guardian *\ who is also named Gymer, and is shepherd
of her foul herds. On the Day of Vengeance, when
Surtur prepares to issue forth, Egther shall be visited by
Fjalar-Suttung, in the guise of the red cock of Hela, to
obtain from him the Sword of Victory with which to slay
the gods*
Now when the Vans became hostile to the Asa^gods,
they issued forth from Asgtrd With them went NjorcL
Skade, his wife* refused to dwell any more with him
when she found she had no longer need to fear the Asa-
gods. She wearied of the western seashore, for she loved
Thrfm-heim, the domain of Thjtsse-Volund* her father,
with its serene mountains and wide plains and forests of
oak. For nine days tnd nine nights would Njord go
with bar to the mountains, and then for t lime would she
FALL OF ASGARD 75
dwell with him beside the loud-voiced sea. Njord hated
Tbrym-heim as she did Noatun, and with heavy heart he
sang:
I am weary of the mountains,
The barren plains and lone,
And dismal chasms of the winds
Where fettered demons groan;
I am weary of the forests
And the wolves that howl by night,
For I love the singing of the swans
Upon the ocean bright,
The flash of oars on boundless seas
And billows plunging white.
In the kingdom of Njord did Skade sing:
0 never mine eyes are closed in sleep
On my lonesome couch by the sea,
For the clamour the restless seagulls keep
Is weary and strange to me,
1 pine for my mountains free, and the woods,
For the snow-clad plains and the chasej
And I hate the cold-lipped shore that broods
In the shifting sea*s embrace.
So Skade parted with Njord and went towards her
ancient home, from which she never returned. When the
star-eyes of Thjtsse-Volund are gleaming bright in heaven,
and winds are abroad, she runs on her skees adown steep
mountain slopes; and with her arrows and her spear she
hunts the bear and the wolf in dim forests and over
snow-white plains*
Mighty Njord was leader of the Vans in their war
against the Asa-gods* And to the Vans was it given to
triumph* In sore plight were Odin and his strong war-
rior% for the Sword of Victory was no longer theirs,
and the hammer of Thor had been broken. Yet with
76 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
indomitable courage did Thor and brave Tyr and all the
gods of Odin's clan defend Asgard. Loke usurped
Honer, for he desired to rule over the Vana-gods.
Mimer, in the Underworld, was ever faithful unto
Odin. So the Vana-gods slew him, and to Odin they
sent his head, and the great Asa-god embalmed it Then
sang he sacred runes, so that in after time Odin spake
with Mimer' s head, and heard words of wisdom from
it, and received guidance as of old. Honer was sent
unto Mimer's realm, where he spoke without confidence
or clear knowledge, but he had not chosen his part.
Asgard fell, and by cunning strategy was it taken*
Unscathed by the vafer- flames did the Vans cross its
fearsome river, for Njord burst open the mighty gate
with his great battleaxe and caused it to fall* So did the
Vans achieve gigantic triumph-
It was thus that the gods were overcome. Before
Asgard their foes assembled, and skirmishings there were
when Odin's warriors issued forth* On a silent evening
the gate was lowered, so that it bridged the river, and
a god rode forth upon Sleipnen, But in ambush was
he taken by Njord, and he leapt from his horse and
hastened back to Asgard, crossing /the bridge, which was
hastily raised again. " But Sleipner was captured, whereat
there was sorrow and deep foreboding in Asgard*
Next morning the gods found Odin's horse outside
the gate, and they rejoiced and took it within* The
robes of Njord they saw also in the river, and whtt they
thought to be his dead body, so they deemed themselves
secure,
But Njord w«$ dbetdy in Asgtrd, He htd gone to
the river, horsed on Sleipnerj in the darkness of night
There he dew his tttendiint and wrapped his own kingly
robes about him, throwing the body into the dreid waters!
FALL OF ASGARD 77
Whereupon he crossed over on Sleipner, unscathed by the
vafer-flames, scaled the great wall, and concealed himself
within the High Thingstead of the gods.
When he came to know of the gods' plans, and per-
ceived that he had naught to fear, he crept forth and
struck the gate with his battleaxe. Across the river it
fell like a bridge, and over it surged the conquering
Vana-gods. Thus did they become possessed of Asgard,
the celestial city.
Njord was chief of heroes, and with him fought Frey
and Ull, the warlike son of Sith, and Svipdag, Freyja's
husband. Frigg espoused the cause of the Vana-gods,
her kinsmen, and remained in Asgard.1
Odin made swift escape on the back of Sleipner, and
Thor yoked his goats, and in his thundering car departed
with those who remained faithful to his sire. Thus were
the Asa-gods bereft of their power, and thus became the
Vana-gods the world-rulers in Asgard. Ull was chosen
as the chief, and to him did mortals offer up prayers and
sacrifices.
Then did wicked men, by reason of great offerings
which they made, seek to win Hela's secure abode.
While the war was waged about Asgard there were
mighty conflicts in Midgard, for Halfdan's tribe sought
to be avenged on the tribe of Svipdag. But ere the tale
of the battles be told it must needs be known how the
wtr unon earth ctme to be.
When Htlfdan was wounded unto death, in the great
fight In which Svipdag overcame Thor with the Sword of
Victory, his forces were driven hither and thither, - He
had two sons—Hadd'mg, whose mother was Signe-Alveig,
and Gudhorm, whose mother was Groa. They were in
* Httf* th* Htimikrinfla «ory of Odin $om$ & long journey, and the wooing o*
Frlgjj DX itii brother*, who thought It would never return.
78 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
great peril when Halfdan died, and Thor carried them
unto Jotun-heirru Gudhorm he gave to the giant Halfe,
and Hadding to the giant Vagnhofde, so that they might
be cared for until they became great warriors.
When the Vans conquered Asgard, Loke sought to
win their favour. He perceived that they were scorned
by Hadding's tribe, whom Saxons called "the Heard-
ings'*, and he laid snares against Hadding. But there
came to Hadding one day a tall old man» with one eye,
who rode a grea,t horse. He lifted Halfdan's son into his
saddle, and round the lad he wrapped his cloak. Then
he set off with him. So swiftly did the horse travel, and
yet so smoothly, that the lad was curious to know whither
they were going- There was a small hole in the horse-
man's mantle, and when Hadding peered through he saw
the wide ocean far beneath and the clouds about him.
Fear filled his heart and he trembled, and the rider bade
him to look not forth again. For it was Odin who had
rescued Hadding, and he bore him to the place of refuge
which the gods had selected when they were driven out
of Asgard,
Odin trained Halfdan*$ son to become a great leader
of men. Over him he sang magical incantations which
had power to free him from fetters and chains* He also
gave him to drink of the Splendid Draught, which was
called **Lcifncr*s Flames*** Its virtue was such that it
imparted to Hadding strength beyond that of aU men,
and bravery that was unequalled Then did Odin warn
him that he would soon have need to u»e his powers
against his enemies.
Hadding returned on Odin*$ horse* as he had come*
to the home of the giant Vagnhofde, ' But soon he fell
into Loke*$ snare* The evil god setxed him and chained
him in a forest, as Svipdug had been chained by Halfdan,
FALL OF ASGARD 79
so that he might become the prey of wild beasts. Guards
were set over him to prevent his escape,, But when these
allies of Loke kept watch, Halfdan sang an incantation
which Odin had taught him, and they fell into a magic
sleep. A great wolf came towards him to tear his body
to pieces, and he sang the incantation which makes free,
and his chains and fetters fell from him. Then he at-
tacked the wolf and killed it, and its heart he did eat.
With the might and ferocity of the wolf was Hadding
then endowed, and the guards he slew, and went upon
his way*
He returned to the giants* home, and prepared to
depart so that he might raise his tribe to battle against the
tribe of Svipdag, Now Hardgrep, the giant's daughter,
loved him and besought him not to leave her. She had
power to change her shape* Now she had stature which
reached to the stars, and anon she was of human size.
In vain did she remonstrate with Hadding because he
scorned her love and sought to follow armSj thirsting for
throats,
But although at length 3he gained his love as a comely
maid, he had still resolve to be gone. So she attired
herself as a male warrior and went with him*
Then did Svipdag come from Asgard, and he sought
to make peace with the sons of Halfdan. To both he
offered kingdoms, and his half-brother Gudhorm, son of
Groa, he made ruler over the Danes, But Hadding
refused his favours, and with anger and fierce scorn he
vowed that he would avenge his father's death and take
no favour from the hands of his enemy. Until his life's
purpose was fulfilled he vowed to cut neither hair nor
beard, and long were both and very fair. It was thus
that he w&s called Hadding, " the hairy **
His eastern tribe of Swedes did the young warrior
8o TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
raise to battle against Svipdag's tribe and their allies, and
war he declared against his brother Gudhorm, King of the
Danes. Between the two brothers did Loke work much
evil. As a blind man he went to Hadding with words
his brother uttered, and with Gudhorm he was Bikke,
a leader of his army.
So the brothers fought one against another. To
Gudhorm's aid went Halfe, the giant who had nourished
him, and to Hadding's went Vagnhofde. Svipdag's
Scandian tribe fought with the Danes.
On the night before the battle the opposing armies
beheld the great hairless giants contending in mid-air, the
starlight gleaming on their bald, horrible heads* Mon-
strous were the efforts of these foul gigantic warriors.
When the dread conflict was ended, victory was with
Halfe.
On the morrow did Loke set in cunning battle array
the forces of Gudhorm, which triumphed on the field as
Halfe had in mid-air*
The eastern Swedes were scattered, and Hadding
became a fugitive in the wocftls* With him was Hard-
grep, the giant's daughter, who was a constant protection
to him. Great hardships did they endure together, and
they were ofttimes in peril.
But her aid he was doomed to lose* One night they
entered a lonely dwelling to seek hospitality, and there
they found that the master of the house was lying dead,
His funeral rites were being performed. Now, it was
Hardgrep*$ desire to peer into the future, and she took
a piece of wood and on it engraved magic nines, which
she caused Hadding to place under the dead man's
tongue, so that he might speak.
Angry, indeed* was the spirit thus compelled to make
utterance* Nor did it reveal what wt$ sought, but cursed
FALL OF ASGARD 81
the worker of the spell. Terrible was the voice that
spoke and said: "Cursed be the one who dragged me
back from the Underworld! Let her perish by the
demon who called a spirit out of bale!"
Then fled from the house Hadding and Hardgrep
and sought refuge in the deep forest. Over the narrow
path of a grove they made a shelter with branches of
trees and concealed themselves there. In the middle
of the night a rustling was heard in their secret dwelling,
and a Great Black Hand was perceived to move about,
groping with iron fingers for its prey.
Hadding was stricken with terror, and he awakened
Hardgrep and besought her to rescue him. Swiftly rose
the giant-maid, and she assumed great stature to defend
her loven With strength of her kind she clutched the
Great Hand round the1 wrist, and bade Hadding strike it
with his sword. Many blows did he give, seeking to hew
it off, and his blade rang noisily against the hard flesh.
Blood flowed from the wounds he made, but more
venom than blood came forth-
Then suddenly was Hardgrep caught by the Hand,
which clutched her in terrible embrace. Into her flesh
sank the sharp claws, and her bones were crushed, and
she sank in death in the sheltered dwelling, Whereat the
Great Hand vanished.
Hadding was now alone and in great peril, for demons
compassed him about in the dark forest.
But Odin, in his compassion, sent forth Lyfir, uthe
shining one*1, who was Heimdal in human guise, to
protect the wairior in his loneliness. Him did Hadding
meet as a rover, and a bond of friendship they made to-
gether by sprinkling one another's feet with their blood.
Soon again did Hadding appear in the cast, leading
his hosts to battle.
CHAPTER IX
The Gods Reconciled
Svipdag leaves Asgard — Hadding's Strategy— Fleet sunk by Odin — Fate
of Svipdag — Freyja's Sorrowful Quest — The Sea-Dragon — Slain by Hadding —
The Curse of Freyja — Loke and Heimdar* Ocean Fight — Hadding** Peril —
The Gods and the Last Battle — Death of Svipdag** Son — His Faithful Queen
— Giants threaten Asgard — Odin's Warning— Thor wins 011*8 Favour* •
Asa-Gods return to Asgard — The Decrees of Odin — The Seven Sleepers
St. Swithin's-Day Myth.
SVIPDAG descended out of Asgard and urged his tribe to
help the Danes in their campaign against Hadding, Ing
was he called by his people. They were ruled over by
his son, Asmund, who had chosen to live among men.
The fame of Hadding had already gone forth because
of mighty deeds he had done* He had conquered King
Hadvanus, although the city in which he was besieged
was protected by strong battlements. The cunning
warrior desired the speedy surrender of his focmen.
He caused birds that nested within to be caught, and to
their feathers slow-burning Hghts were atttcheds so that
when they flew over the battlements they set the roofs
aflame. The people hastened to quench the great fires
that raged about them ; soldiers left the fortresses, and
the guards ran from the gates* Then did Hadding make
sudden and fierce assault and capture the town* Not
until he gave payment of much gold was the stricken
king ransomed and saved from death.
A great fleet sailed eastward with Svipdtg*s warriors*
THE GODS RECONCILED 83
In one ship, the name of which was Gnod, went three
thousand men. But Odin sank it, and all on board
perished in the waves.
There are some who tell that Svipdag was drowned
with his warriors, and there are others who hold that he
was punished by enchantments, for by reason of Groa's
incantations the sea could not harm him, and none there
were who had power over him save the Asa-gods. Indeed
he had reason to fear them greatly, for they were stirred
with wrath against him because he would not permit the
war to have end. He was Odur, the one "endowed
with spirit".
It is told that enchantments were put upon Svipdag
by the Asa-gods, and that he was transformed into a great
sea-dragon which dwelt beneath a grey rock guarding
much treasure.
The heart of Freyja was sad because that Svipdag
came not nigh to her with loving words and shining face.
Deeply she yearned for him in Asgard, wondering what
evil had befallen The Shining One.
Then came she to know that he had suffered because
of Odin's wrath, and forth she went to search for him*
Tears fell from her eyes, and they became drops of pure
gold, and those that showered into the sea were changed
to amber.
Through Midgard she went searching for Svipdag,
and she roamed over hills and plains and over rivers and
lakes enquiring of whom she met if her lost one had gone
this way or that* And without ceasing she wept, so that
her tears of gold may be found in all lands, and her tears
of amber on the shores of wide seas. Faithful was she
to Svipdtg, and ever did she sorrow as she went because
she found him not
At length she came to the shore of the sea where her
84 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
husband sorrowed also in dragon-guise. Horrible was
he to behold and of haggard seeming.
She was neither repulsed nor was her love turned
cold, for the eyes of the dragon were still the eyes of
Svipdag, without change or lack of beauty.
Then endeavoured she to comfort him, and wept
mpre tears of gold. Great indeed did the dragon's trea-
sure become, for great was the sorrow of Freyja. But
break the spell she could not, for who can remove the
curse of Odin ?
Long she stayed nigh to Svipdag, nor sought to return
unto Asgard. And when she entered the sea to comfort
him her great necklace glittered through the waves, and
in darkness fire flashed from it. Beneath the grey stone
she left the necklace on the day when lasting sorrow was
her dower.
There came on that day to bathe in the sea Hadding,
the vengeful son of Halfdan. But he wondered because
his body was scorched with great heat and the waves
boiled all around. Then suddenly he beheld the dragon
coming against him. With haste he seized his sword and
made fierce attack. Great was the might of Hadding,
and by Odin was he given power to prevail* With many
strong blows he slew the monster, and he bade his men
to cany it to his camp*
Now, as he went thither, a lady came towards him*
She was of such great beauty that he was made silent
before her. Golden was her htir, and gktmtng and blue
ware her eyes m the radiant, stin-ki$$ed set* But Mid-
ding knew not that it was the goddess Freyjt who ttood
before him.
When she beheld tie dmgoa she wts ititrtd to
divine wrath* Hidding she ctimd upon sea ttsd upon
knd, u Suffer skit tho<* she cried, « the vtngctnce of
\ JA AND 'I HI' NK,KI.A< 1
THE GODS RECONCILED 85
the gods in Asgard. On battlefield and empty plain shall
their wrath attend thee. On seas eternal tempests shall
thee follow. Wherever thou dost wander thou shalt be
accursed. Bitter cold shall follow thee to thy dwelling;
at its fire thou shalt be oppressed. Thy flocks shall die.
All men shall shun thee, for through the world thou shalt
go as foul and as hated as is the plague. Such is the
wrath of the gods against thee, for with sacrilegious hands
thou hast slain a dweller in Asgard who was enchanted
in a form that was not his own. O slayer of the god
I loved 1 when thou art cast into the deep the wrath of
demons shall fall upon thee. Ever will you be under
our curse until with prayers and sacrifice to the Vana-
gods out wrath is appeased."
All things that Freyja said came to pass. Stricken
was Hadding by a tempest and cast into the raging sea.
Despised was he by strangers when he was washed ashore,
and shunned was he as if he were plague-smitten and
foul. Many disasters, indeed, fell upon him, until he
offered up dusky men in sacrifice to the god Frey.
Then was the wrath of the Vana-gods melted and the
curse removed*
Each year did Hadding ever afterwards give Frey
great offerings, as did also his sons and their sons for
generations*
Now Loke had watched the conflict between Hadding
and the dragon while yet afiur off. When he perceived
that Svipdtg was skin, he hastened to secure the treasure,
and i^pedbily the necklace of Freyja, from bdow the
gtty rock* In seal guise did he eater the se% and he
$*w gleaming through the dark waters the jewdb of the
divine Lovw of Oitiameiits. But Heimdid, the keen-
eytd* followed him, t&d in seal guise was he also. Thus
did Lofcc md he inaet in the sea's dim depths* By their
86 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
eyes did each know the other, and fiercely they fought
on the grey rock to be possessed of the jewels.
Heimdal, son of the waves, was victorious. He
drave off Loke, and possessed himself of Freyja's neck-
lace, which he kept secure until he returned to Asgard
with the Asa-gods.
Then came the day of great battle between Hadding
and the tribes that were combined against him. Ere it
began, he slew Henry, son of Asmund, son of Svipdag.
Then was Asmund filled with great wrath, and he vowed
to slay the warrior who had killed his sire and his son
also.
But Odin was with Hadding, and the great god
caused his favoured warrior to marshal his army in
wedge shape, so as to pierce and scatter the foe. For
long years after did the descendants of Hadding enter
battle in this manner.
Now when the conflict was at its height, Hadding
was sore pressed because of the strength of Asmund*s
arm, which was made greater by his exceeding great
wrath and desire for vengeance. Odin perceived his
peril, and hastened from the battle to bring him aid.
The Vana-gods gave help to Asmund, and over
Haddmg's army there passed a fierce rainstorm and
wreaths of mist that caused confusion. Then came Thor
on a black thundercloud which drave back the rain-
clouds over the hills, and the sun broke forth in clear
splendour*
Haddmg's wedge-shaped army pressed forward, until
Asmund was nigh to his enemy, whose death he sought
above all else* Then did Hadding call upon the Asa-
gods in his sore need. Asmund had flung hb shield
over his back, and with both hands grasping the hilt, he
wielded his great sword so fiercely that he mowed down
THE GODS RECONCILED 87
his enemies before him. Nigh to Hadding came he
indeed, when Odin returned on his horse Sleipner, bear-
ing with him the giant Vagnhofde. By Hadding's side
was the giant placed in the guise of a warrior bearing a
crooked sword.
When Asmund saw the weapon which the giant
wielded he cried: "Thou mayest fight with a crooked
sword, but my short sword and my javelin shall be thy
doom this day. And thou, Hadding, holding thy shield
against me, art foul with crimes. Thy bold lance shall
I bear down, and thee shall I cover with shame/1
But the giant engaged Asmund, and Hadding flung
his lance, which pierced Asmund's body so that he fell
dying of his fierce wound. Yet was he not without
strength to strike a last blow, for he grasped his javelin
and flung it at Hadding, whose foot he pierced. Then
died Asmund unrevenged, but ever afterwards did the
slayer of his sire and his son limp with the wound he
gave him in his last hour.
When Asmund fell, Hadding became victorious, and
his foemen he drave in confusion from the field.
The body of Asmund was buried with pomp and
state. Bitter was the grief of his queen Gunnhild, who
desired not to live after him. With Asmund's sword
she slew herself, and with him was she laid in the tomb.
She loved him more than life, and with her arms around
his body was she kid to rest in his tomb. The whole
tribe mourned them, sorrowing greatly for many days*
Now the Frost-giants and the giants of the mountains
plotted together to conquer Asgard, and in Surtur's deep
dales and in lamvid there was promise and offer of help.
Weak were the Vana-gods to resist the disaster which
impended, nor did they know aught of the evil plans of
their dread foes* But to Odin came full knowledge in
88 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
his exile. Well he knew that disaster irretrievable would
befall both gods and mortals if the high celestial city fell
before the giants.
Sleipner he mounted, and towards Asgard sped he,
bearing the tidings of dread import. Then it was that
the Vana-gods knew they had exceeding great need of his
wise and constant counsel. Deeply moved were they
towards the leader they had dethroned and driven into
exile, because he had forewarned them of the giants*
plans,
To Thor went Ull, who sat in Odin's throne, and
together they conferred. With eloquent words did the
Thunder-god fill the heart of Ull with friendship towards
the Asa-gods, so that he returned to Asgard to plead
their cause. Nor long did he speak when the Vana-gods
sent speedily unto Odin to beseech him to become once
again their great chief ruler.
So were the Asas and Vans reconciled, but on the day
of Ragnarok, when Suttung comes forth to wreak ven-
geance, the wise Vans shall depart from Asgard.
Soon after Odin had returned to sit supreme again
upon his throne, the giants made vain attempt to over-
come the gods, but great punishment was meted out to
them for their presumption. Many were slain, and those
that survived were driven back to Jotun-helm* Then
peace unbroken reigned in Asgard. In MJdgard, too,
was peace restored, and men laid down their arms^ weary
with fighting.
Odin then, remembering the evil wrought by the Hag
of larnvid, issued decrees which condemned magic and
the practice of black sorcery. The great sacrifices made
by evil men did he also condemn, and he made known
that not only by the quantity of offerings would the gods
be appeased or the wicked recommended before the
THE GODS RECONCILED 89
Thingstead of the Lower World. Those of his chosen
warriors who were borne by the Valkyries to his place
of exile were brought unto Asgard to share the joys of
Valhal.
So ended the first great war in the world. But the
dread effects of Loke's evil had not yet their end.
When Mimer was slain, the fount of wisdom was
without a watchman, and Ygdrasil, the World -tree,
ceased to draw sustenance therefrom, so that it began to
wither. Many leaves faded, and its branches knew swift
decay.
The seven sons of Mimer, who were guardians of the
seven months of change,1 fell into deep stupor in their
golden hall, which was heaped with great treasure* Clad
in splendid robes, they lay upon the floor wrapped in
magic sleep. Sindre-Dvalin was there in the midst ; his
brothers were about him. Mortals who have penetrated
Hek and reached Mimer's realm have beheld them lying
asleep beside their treasure, but they feared to enter ; for
if anyone touched the robes, or sought to be possessed of
the gold, his hand and his arm would wither.
The Seven Sleepers shall awake not, as mortals have
been told, until Ragnarok, "the Dusk of the Gods".
When Heimdal blows a thunder blast from GjaUarhorn
on the day of the Last Battle, the sons of Mimer shall
start from sleep* They shall then arm themselves and
issue forth* On the wall have mortals beheld suspended
and bright, seven long swords which none save the sons
of Mimer can wield.
*Tt*t»t urt St, Swiibm'i mythic*! prtdeccwori. The andent belief wai that if It
rtfowi on "the dajr of the Seven Slecpcri" there would b« rain for wtven w«tki there-
after.
CHAPTER X
Loke's Evil Progeny
Ironwood Brood — The Midgard-Serpent, Hel, and the Wolf— -Odin's
Acts of Vengeance — The Binding of Fenrer — Its Silk-like Chain—The Gulf
of Black Grief— Its Island— How Tyr lost his Hand—Wolf-River Von— The
Great Watchdog — Loke's Taunts — His Doom foretold — Human Sacrifices—
The Runes of Tyr — Warriors* Sword Charm — Commander of the Valkyries,
Now by divination did Odin come to know that in
Ironwood the Hag, Angerboda (Gulveig-Hoder) was
rearing the dread progeny of Loke with purpose to
bring disaster to the gods. Three monster children
there were — Fenrer, the wolf; Jormungand, the Mid-
gard serpent; and HeL From these the Trolls are
sprung.
Together the gods took counsel, and a Vala re-
vealed dimly the fate that would be theirs Jf these
monsters were not overcome, for the wolf, it was fore-
told, would slay Odin, Thor would fall in combat with
the serpent, and Hel would come with the hosts of
destruction against the gods and men*
So it was deemed of great import that the foul
children of Loke and Angerboda should be brought to
Asgard, and by Odin was Hermod sent to Ironwood
to take them captive. That he did right speedily, bring-
ing them one by one*
When Odin beheld the foul serpent, which was yet
young, but of great length and very fierce, he seized it
in his wrath and flung it far over the walls of AsgardL
LOKE'S EVIL PROGENY 91
Yet by reason of its terrible weight it did not pass
beyond the world's edge, but fell into the depths of
Ocean, where in after -days it grew and grew until it
encircled the world of men. There on the sea bottom
it lies, holding its tail in its mouth. When it shakes
itself the waves rise in great fury and surge high upon
the world's shores.
Next came Hel, and foul was she of aspect, for
one-half of her body was of hue like to raw flesh,
while the other was livid and horrible. In wrath did
Odin seize her also, and he flung her afar. Beyond
the edge of Ocean she went, falling through space,
until she reached the black depths of Nifel-hcL There
in the realms of torture became she a queen.
High are the walls and strongly barred the gates
of her habitation, which is named Hel-heim and also
Elvidner, the Place of Storm. The doomed have terror
of her fearsome countenance, and of the place where
she sits* About her are her servants, who do her will
Delay is her man servant and Slowness her maid servant ;
Hunger waits at her table, and her knife is Starvation.
The threshold of Hel's home is Precipice, her bed is
Care, while Burning Anguish forms the hangings of
her apartment*
Unto Elvidner, as it hath been told, went the doomed
ere they were committed to the realms of torture. By
Hel were their punishments ordered according to the
judgments passed upon them. And especially to her
came trembling, warmen who died without valour and
were unworthy as did also those who were traitors in
the hour of trial.
Now when the wolf Fenrer was brought to Odin,
he sought not to destroy it* Indeed it was reared by
the gods in Asgard; but when it grew large, it became
92 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
so fierce that none save brave Tyr had courage to feed
it. The day fell when Odin perceived that the wolf
must needs be overcome, or else it would devour him.
So prodigiously did it increase that there was terror in
Asgard.
Then the gods caused to be made an iron chain
which was named Leding. Tyr bore it to Fenrer, who
knew well its purpose. Without resistance was it bound,
and when that was done the gods were well pleased.
Then rose Fenrer to struggle with the chain, which it
snapped right speedily. So the wolf again went free,
and grew more ferocious than ever.
Another chain, which was named Dromi, was there-
afterwards made by the artisans of the gods. It had
double the strength of Leding. Then went Tyr to the
fierce wolf, and constrained It to be bound*
"If this chain by thee is burst/' Tyr said, "then will
thy mighty strength be proved indeed."
Well did the wolf know that the second chain was
more powerful than the first, and that it could not easily
be snapped. But much had Fenrer grown in bulk and
in strength after Leding was broken. So the monster
lay down, and, although somewhat afraid, allowed Tyr
to fetter Its legs, . * * The gods stood nigh and deemed
the wolf secure forever. . . * They saw it rise and
struggle fiercely without avail* Then it rolled upon the
ground in monstrous strife, until at length the chain
burst asunder and Fenrer was again free. More fierce
than ever, and more terrible did the wolf become*
Thus had origin the proverb that men me In dire
straits when they know that wondrous efforts must needs
be made; *I must now get loose from Leding, and burst
free out of Dtomi *„
In despair wwe the gods when they mm Fewer
LORE'S EVIL PROGENY 93
again at liberty, and they feared he would never be
bound.
Then did Odin give to Hermod his horse Sleipner,
and him did the wise god send unto the Underworld,
so that he might prevail upon the dark artisans of the
gods to fashion the cord Gleipner, "the devourer".
Readily indeed did the cunning workers give Odin
their service. Soft as silk was the cord they made, and
light as air. When it was cast down it made no noise.
Of six things was it made ;
A mountain's root,
A bear's sinews,
The breath of fish,
A cat's footfall,
A woman's beard,
The spittle of birds,
"Of all these things thou mayest not have heard
before," a skald has said, u yet a mountain hath no roots,
fish breathe not, and cats make no noise when they run.
Women have no beards, as thou hast seen.
Soft and smooth was the cord indeed,' but yet of
exceeding great strength. Hermod bore it to Asgard
with great speed) and by Odin was he thanked for his
service.
Then did the gods challenge Fenrer to a supreme
trial of strength. To the depths of NifeWiel they went,
and to the Gulf Amsvartner, which means c* black grief".
In the gulf is an island, and on the island a misty grove,
with trees shaped from jets of water sent forth by boiling
springs.
To the Island did the gods take Fenrer, and they
showed him there the cord Glelpner. Each of them in
turn tried its strength but could not snap it.
94 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
"None but thee, O Fenrer, can break cord," Odin
said.
The wolf answered : " Methinks no great fame can
come to me from breaking such a cord, so light and
slender does it seem."
Then with fierce eyes it spake thus : <c If the cord
is made with magic cunning, although it seems slender,
never shall I permit it to bind my feet."
The gods answered, and said : u Surely Fenrer can
burst asunder a cord both silken and light, when it
hath already severed chains of iron/*
The wolf made no answer, watching them sullenly
with fiery eyes.
"If thou canst break this cord,'* Odin said, athen
shall the gods know that they have no cause to fear thee,
and then may well set thee at liberty/'
The wolf answered sullenly, and said : " Much I fear
that If I am fettered, and cannot free myself, thou shalt
not haste to unloose me* Loath indeed am I to be
bound with this cord. But I am not without courage*
Know now that I shall give consent to be bound if a
god but place his hand in my mouth, as a sure under-
taking that ye practise no deceit towards me/*
At one another the gods looked in silence* No choice
had they between two evils, and they knew that the wolf
must needs be bound*
Then stepped forth brave Tyr> the valiant god with-
out fear, and between the fierce jaws of the monster
wolf he placed his strong right hand. Thereupon the
gods bound Fenrer with the soft silk-Jake cord of magic
power. Securely they tied him; his legs they fettered
so that he cotdd not ri®e.
Holding Tjnr's right hand in its jtwt, the wolf then
began to struggle with purpose to break free from the
LOKE'S EVIL PROGENY 95
magic bonds. Great wrath, possessed its heart because
its efforts were vain. No loop could be displaced, nor
knot unloosed. On its back and on its side it struggled
in vain, for the more it sought to be free, the tighter be-
came the cords. Blood streamed from Tyr's hand, and
in the end Fenrer gnawed it off at the wrist.
When the gods perceived that the wolf was bound
indeed, all of them save Tyr shook with great laughter.
A gallow-chain, named Gelgja, was then fixed to the
cord, and the gods drew it through a black rock named
Gjoll, which was sunk deep in the earth. The other end
of the cord they tied to Thviti, a great boulder, which was
buried still deeper. The wolf was then so well secured
that it could not move. Yet it snapped its jaws, endea-
vouring to sever chains and cord ; and, perceiving this,
the gods thrust in its evil mouth a great sword. It
pierced the under jaw up to the very hilt, and the point
touched the monster's palate.
Then did the wolfs struggles come to an end, and
horribly did it howl. Foam streamed from its mouth,
and a roaring cascade began to fall, which ever after fed
the great and turbulent River Von.
To guard the island of the Gulf of Black Grief the
gods bound there, nigh to Loke's monster son, the great
watchdog Garm, which is greater than Hate-Managarm,
the moon devourer, so that it might bark with loud alarm
if Fenrer broke free* There, too, beside the fettered
wolf, was Loke bound in after days.
Now when Loke fell to dispute with Tyr he said:
a Thy two hands thou canst not use, since thy right one
was taken from thee by the wolf."
To him did Tyr make answer : ** A hand I lack, but
then* O Lake* dost lack a good reputation. That is
indeed t great defect, But the wolf fares not well
96 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
On the island of the Gulf of Black Grief it shall pine
in fetters until the world's end/'
Loke was angered and spoke bitterly. " Thy wife ",
he said, "loves me."
Frey cried: " Silence, thou mischief maker! I see
Fenrer, thy offspring, lying fettered at the source of Von,
where it shall remain until the gods perish and all things
have end. If thy tongue is not silent, then shalt thou
be bound also."
It was then that Loke taunted Frey for giving unto
the giant Gymer the Sword of Victory as a gift for Gerd.
Wroth was Bygver, who served Frey, when he heard
the words that Loke uttered. He it was who ground
the barley for those who give honour to his master, the
god of harvests.
" Were I the honoured Frey," he said unto Loke, c< I
would grind thee finer than sand, thou evil crow! I
would crush thee limb by limb."
But Loke turned, with wrinkling lips and cold disdain,
and said: "What child is this? What parasite starts
up before me ? Ever in Prey's hearing he clatters from
under the millstone."
" My name is Bygver/* the servant answered, " and
by gods and men am I called nimble."
Loke answered: "Be silent, Bygver I never couldst
thou divide fairly food between men. Ugly indeed is
thy slave wife Beyl% who is ever filthy with dust and
dirt"
Valiant was Tyr, whose sire was Odb mid whose
mother was a beauteous giantess of the deep. Brave
men honoured him, and by Scions wts he called Saacnot
With Odin did heroes aame Mm ere they entered battle,
and when they ware victorious they offered up to Tyr
burnt sacrifices of war prisoners. On earth his temple
LORE'S EVIL PROGENY 97
symbol was the sun-flashing sword which he wielded, and
on the swords of warriors were his runes graven. Thus
hath a skald sung :
The runes of Tyr give victory —
And these we needs must lilt
When on the guard a sword we rist,
Or on the blazing hilt.
When we the magic words engrave,
Twice name we Tyr, the wise> the brave.
Tyr was commander of Odin's wish maidens, the
Valkyries, who bore to Valhal the sword-slain battle
warriors.
With great Thor did Tyr go forth when he contended
against the giant Hymer and the Midgard serpent. Of
that great enterprise the story must now be told.
CHAPTER XI
Thor's Great Fishing
The Ocean Storm-god — His Hall — The Brewing Kettle — Ran and her
Net — Her Nine Daughters — Thor and Tyr seek Hymer's Kettle — The
Friendly Giantess — The Fisher of Whales — A Great Feast — Giant marvel*
at Thor — The Midgard Serpent — A Dread Conflict — Hymer's Terror — How
Thor was baffled — The Broken Goblet — Hymer's Kettle captured — Flight of
Thor and Tyr — A Running Battle — Mead for the Feast,
, the Ocean Storm-god, had long heard of the fame
and wisdom of Odin and his Asa clan, and there fell a
day when he went to visit them. Thus it came that
vows of lasting friendship were sworn between them*
The gods were in due season invited to a harvest-end
feast in the dwelling of the storm-god in the midst of
the Western Sea, and thither they journeyed together.
It was from Mgir's hall that Thor and Tyr set forth to
do valiant deeds in the realm of the giant Hymer.
The kingdom of JEgir is beyond Noatun, the safe
ship haven of the god Njord, which ever had peace save
when it was visited by Skade, <c the stormy one *f . A
fierce and aged giant is ^Egir, with long and foam-white
beard, and black is his helmet* When he rises in the
midst of Ocean, cold-hearted and turbulent* he shatters
feir vessels in his wrath* Many ships has Angerboda*
Hag of Ironwood, driven by her wild easterly winds into
the very jaws of JEgir*
In -ffigir's hall gold is used for fire, and his brewing
kettles seethe and boil like stormy seas. His wife Is
m
THOR'S GREAT FISHING 99
Ran, the fair traitress. She is possessed of a great net,
in which she catches seafarers when their ships are broken.
So are men "drowned to Ran". At the sea bottom is
her home, which gleams phosphorescent and golden ; its
roof is of silver and sun-gemmed azure. Nigh is it unto
the House of Death. Eager is Ran to make captives,
and those who would win her favour must needs, when
they are drawn down to her, take with them offerings of
gold, for she loves treasure, and her hoard is great. To
those whom she receives without anger she offers a seat
and a bed.
Nine giant maids are the chief daughters of Ran, and
these are the mothers of Heimdal, the shining sentinel of
beauteous Bif-rost. In gowns of blue they go forth.
They have foam-white veils, and their locks are pale as
sea froth. The sea maidens are ever at ^gir's com-
mand, and by him are they sent abroad to be ship-tossing
billows. Great rocks they love to scatter and throw
down, and the shoreland they devour.
These giant maids at the beginning ground Ymer*s
body on the World-mill. And ever do they turn the
great mill at the sea bottom* Angeyja and Eyrgjafa
grind mould ; Jarnsaxa is the crusher of the iron which
comes from clay and the sea ; Imder, Gjalp, and Greip
are fire maids, for from the World-mill is fire sparked
forth, and there is fire in the sea ; Eistla, Eyrgjafe, and
Ulfrun are also at work like the others* The sire of
Gjalp and Greip was Gelrrod, the fire-giant
Now when JSgir went to Asgard he was received
by Odin and the other gods with pomp and in state*
Together they drank mead, ancient and sweet, in spacious
Valhal, which was adorned with burnished shields and
made bright by shining swords. High sat the gods in
their doom scats, and in full grandeur. By Bragi's side
ioo TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
was -ffigir, and the sweet-voiced divine poet sang of Idun
and her apples of immortal youth, and of Thjasse's death,
and of how Odin took from Suttung's dwelling the
skaldic-mead which Ivalde had stolen. Pleasant were the
tales to ^Egir, and the gods, as we have told, he besought
to visit him in his Ocean kingdom.
Thither at autumn equinox went Odin and his Asa
clan to drink mead and hear ancient tales and the singing
of skalds. But of mead there was not sufficient, because
Mglr was in need of a brewing kettle large enough to
give due hospitality to the gods. He besought Thor to
fetch the greatest kettle in the nine worlds ; but nor Asa
nor Vana-gods knew where it could be found until Tyr
spake and said :
" Hymer, the dog-headed, my foster-father, hath the
great kettle, which is exceedingly strong and a mile in
depth. His dwelling is beyond the Rivers Elivagar, nigh
to the borders of Nifel-heim/1
"Thinkest thou that the kettle can be captured ?n
asked Then
** Yes," Tyr answered, ** by stratagem it may be pro-
cured."
Then took Thor and Tyr the guise of young men,
and they set forth in the thundei>god*s chariot drawn by
the two goats Tanngnjoster and Tanngrisner over ocean
and through air* Nearly all day did they travel thus until
they came unto the dwelling of Qrvandd-Bgil. There
did Thor leave the horn-strong goats and his sublime car*
Across Elivagar they went, and past the vast fishing
ground of Hymer, whefre he is wont to catch whales on
great hooks. Then a great distance journey ed the gods
on foot towards Hyn*er*$ dwelling tlirotigh dense moun-
tain woods and past dismal rocky caverns where dwell
the fierce giants and monsters of Hp«r*s dtit*
THOR'S GREAT FISHING 101
When they came to their journey's end, they entered
the king giant's great stronghold, and there Tyr saw his
grandmother — a giantess with numerous heads, who was
fierce and awesome to behold. But his mother, who had
great beauty, brought them mead to drink. When they
were refreshed and strong again, she bade them hide
behind a great post at the gable end, and beneath the
Kettles of Hymer; because, as she warned them, the
giant was wont to give ill treatment to strangers who
came nigh to his dwelling.
At nightfall Thor and Tyr heard a mighty shout
which was raised by the giant's servants. Whereat
Hymer entered, carrying the whales he had caught. His
long beard was white with hoar frost*
" Welcome art thou, indeed, O Hymer," his wife said.
cc My son, for whom I have long waited, has come to thy
hall, and with him is one who is an enemy of the giants
and a friend of men* Behind yonder gable post have
they with cunning concealed themselves/'
Hymer was ill-pleased, and he turned fiercely towards
the post, which suddenly went to pieces before his
piercing gaze. Thereat the beam above it broke, and
the Kettles fell down. Seven of them were thus broken,
but one was so large and so strong that it was left whole,
although it sank deep in the floor.
Forth then came Tyr and Thor* The giant had no
pleasure in receiving them, but he bade them be seated
at his table.
A great feast did he cause to be prepared* Three
oxen were skin and roasted, and placed before the giant
and the gods* Two of these did Thor eat, for he sought
great sfatiigtk If the giant was angry before, he was
still more angry when the meal was ended, for it was his
purpose to slay his guests, as vas his wont, if they fiuled
102 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
to eat an equal share with him; but in this he was indeed
thwarted.
"Extravagant is our fare," Hymer growled in his
displeasure ; " on the morrow we must eat of fish.*'
Then to bed went they all, and sound was their sleep
throughout the night.
At dawn Thor rose, and from the window he per-
ceived that the giant was making ready his boat to go
fishing. Hastily did the Asa -god dress himself. He
placed his great hammer in his belt. He went towards
the shore, and then he besought the giant to allow him
to row with him in the great boat.
Hymer looked down upon him with contempt, and
said: " Too small and frail art thou to be of help to me;
besides, I row so far and stay at sea so long, that thou
wouldst be chilled to death,"
Thor answered: c< I shall row as far as thou hast need
of me, as far from land as is thy desire. Nor am I
certain which of us twain would wish to return first.**
The thunder -god was filled with wrath against the
ice-giant because of his presumption, and was minded to
strike him down with his hammer; but he remembered
that he had need of all his strength elsewhere, and must
not do aught to lessen it.
"What bait hast thou for me?" asked Thor*
Hymer answered with surly voice; cclf thou wouldst
fish, find thine own bait/*
That Thor did with impatience* He hastened
towards the giantfs herd of great cattle, and seizing the
largest bull, named Himinbijoter, which signified €< sky-
cleaver", he snatched off its head and carried it towards
the shore* Hjr mer watched him and received him in
silence, and together they entered the boat and put to
sot
THOR:S GREAT FISHING 103
Both then seized the great billow -raising oars. At
the bow rowed Hymer, and Thor was aft. So strongly
did the Asa-god pull that the boat went through the
water with great swiftness, whereat the giant was amazed.
Endeavour as he might, putting forth his utmost strength,
Hymer could not pull with half the strength of the Asa-
god, who was still in youthful guise.
The giant at length grew weary, and when they
reached the grounds where he was wont to catch flat fish,
he bade his companion cease rowing. But that Thor re-
fused to do.
"We have not yet," he said, "gone far enough to
sea."
Soon they came to the grounds where whales are
caught, and again the giant bade Thor to take rest, but
he would not consent to do so,
"We must needs," Thor said, "go much farther
Farther and iarther out to sea they rowed with ex-
ceeding great speed. Then was the cold heart of Hymer
filled with sharp alarm.
" If we stop not now," he cried, " we shall be in
danger of the dread Midgard serpent,"
But Thor refused to pause, and rowed stronger and
faster than before. Not once nor twice did Hymer, rest-
ing wearily on his oars, remonstrate with him, but in vain.
Far out to sea the boat still sped, and rapid and strong
wot! the otrsweeps of Thor* Nor did he pause until
they were t great distance from land.
Then began the fishing. Hymer baited his hooks,
and east his line in the deep waters* Ere long he caught
two great whales, and hauled them aboard. His eyes
were bright with pleasure, and he turned towards Thor
and challenged him to do as well
io4 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Then did the great thunder-god get ready his fishing
tackle, which was of great strength. An immense hook
he baited with the head of Hymer's bull. Into the deep
waters he flung his line, which, as it splashed, raised big
billows, and he ran it out until the "bait was dragged
along the floor of the ocean.
Now right below the giant's boat lay the Midgard
serpent, all slimy and horrible, on the sea bottom, with
its mouth clutching the tail of its world-encircling body,
When that great monster beheld the bait it was deceived,
not perceiving that Thor's hook was within. Greedily it
seized the bull's head and sought to devour it* Then
did the great hook sink deep into its throat and stick
there* Tortured was the serpent with terrible agony,
and it began to writhe violently to be free; but its
struggle was without avail. So the line it tugged fiercely
to draw angler and boat beneath the waves*
But greater than the serpent's was the strength of
Thor. With both hands the god grasped the line, and
again$t the side of the boat he pkced his feet and began
to pull, twisting the line round the our pins as he did so,
and ttow and again making it fast Violently rocked the
boat, and the waves rose high, as the great Midgard
$eepo*t struggled with the thunder-god.
But Thor put forth his entire divine strength and he
grew In stature as he pulled the line. At length his feet
went through the boatfs side» as it tilted over* mud they
reached to the ocean floor* Harder and harder he
pulled, and unwtBiiigly the serpent, stung with fierce
patft, was hauled through the deep, until its monstrous
head came in sight*
Awesome was the sf«€t&de to Hymer» nor can wwds
picture It. With fiettse w»th did 4m ttoid»*|^ dmt
fiery looks at t&e serpent^ while the gns«$ awitttr toittd
THOR
From |A# f«fj»f lj IJf £« fti
THOR'S GREAT FISHING 105
on high its terrible head and spouted floods of venom
upon him.
Hymer trembled with fear; his face was white as
mountain snow* Scarce could he look upon the ferocious
serpent, for ghastly it was, and bearded and venom-
spotted. Great waves washed over the gunwale, and the
giant feared that the boat would be swamped.
Still Thor struggled with the fierce monster- until he
dragged its head dose to the edge of the boat. Then,
twisting the line round the oar pin, he seized his great
hammer and struck a mighty blow on the serpent's head.
The mountains shook with thunder, the caves howled
loud, the ocean trembled with violence, and the whole
world shrank together, but the Midgard serpent was not
yet killed*
Thor prepared to strike another great blow, but
Hymer in his fear cut the line, whereat the writhing
monster sank back into the deep. The waves tossed high
and the boat plunged with them.
Angrily Thor turned upon Hymer, and with his great
right fist struck him a resounding blow. Headlong
plunged the giant into the sea, but speedily and in great
fear he scrambled back again into the boat* Yet if his
fear of the serpent was great, no less was his fear of
Thor*
Then »ct they to row back, and the boat went speedily*
Thor spake not j he tat in sullen silence. Deep indeed
was his wrath because he had skin not the serpent which
ever threatened the gods in Asgard.
When the shore was reached the giant leapt out*
Proudly he flung the two whales over his shoulder. But
Thor curried the great bott, and went with it to the
giant's stronghold.
They entered the castle. They sat down with Tyr
io6 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
beside them. Ill at ease was the giant because of Thor's
great deeds, and him did he challenge to perform another
feat of strength. He brought forth a goblet, and asked
him to break it. Without rising from his seat, Thor
flung it violently against a post, which was shattered in
pieces; but the goblet remained whole, and it was brought
back to the giant, who smiled well content.
Then Tyr's mother, whispering to Thor, bade him
fling the goblet at Hymer's forehead, which was harder
than aught else there. Thor did that right speedily*
He seized the goblet, and struck the giant with it midway
between his eyes. Nor broken was the giant's head,
although the goblet fell shivered into small pieces on the
table before him.
" A great treasure have I lost," Hymer cried. *c Hot
was the drink that came from my strong goblet/'
The giant's heart was filled with anger against Thor,
and him he would fain put to shame. So he challenged
the Asa-god once again.
" One feat of strength remains for thee yet to do,
thou boastful one," cried Hymer* c< Seize yonder great
kettle and carry it forth from my dwelling/'
Tyr rose eagerly and ran to lift the kettle, which the
gods waited for in ^Egir's hall ; but in vain did he try to
lift it* Twice he made endeavour without avail*
Then did Thor seize the kettle* He grasped it at
the edge and shook it violently* Then he began to lift
it So heavy was it, and so great was the strength of
Thor, that his feet went through the floor*
Hymer watched him with angry eye% faring he
would take with him the great treasure. That wt$ what
Thor did* for he lifted the kettle irst upon his shoulder
and then upon his head, while the rings fell round his feet
Then he darted outside, and Tyr went with him.
THOR'S GREAT FISHING 107
Nor did they stay to await the giant, but right speedily
they hastened on their way. Thor took also with him
Hymer's great boat*
A great distance did the gods journey through the
wooded mountain recesses, and then behind them there
rose a great clamour. Hymer was hastening in pursuit.
From the rocky caverns his foul and strange-headed clan
were issuing forth, and following fast as well. They
bellowed like winter tempests, and from hill to hill cliff
their voices rang* Trees groaned and were bowed down,
and the earth shook.
Thor looked back, and when he beheld the host
pursuing him he put down the boat and the kettle, and
seized his hammer, Mjolner. That murderous weapon
did he fling against the giants, and they were mowed
down by it as oat straw is by a scythe. Not until he had
slain all those who fled not did Thor swing high the boat
and the kettle upon his shoulders, and with Tyr again
pursue his way*
EKvagar they could not have crossed in safety had
they not had Hymer's boat, for the waves ran high
because of the violent writhings of the Midgard serpent
as it lay wounded by hook and hammer on the rumbling
floor of Ocean.
In due rime did Thor reach the hall of JEglr with
the great kettle of Hymer* Then was brewed sufficient
ale for the feast of harvest-end, and host and guests were
made merry.
But Thor rejoiced most because of the blow he had
struck the great Midgard serpent* For thus was he
avenged upon it for causing his shame in the dwelling
of the giant Utgard-Loke, who had so cunningly deceived
him. Of that, his most strange adventure, the tale must
next be told.
io8 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Thor's Fishing
On the dark bottom of the great salt lake
Imprisoned lay the giant snake,
With naught his sullen sleep to break.
Huge whales disported amorous o'er his neck ;
Little their sports the worm did reck,
Nor his dark, vengeful thoughts would check.
To move his iron fins he has no power,
Nor yet to harm the trembling shore,
With scaly rings he is covered o*er,
His head he seeks 'mid coral rocks to hide,
Nor e'er hath man his eye espied,
Nor could its deadly glare abide.
His eyelids half in drowsy stupor close,
But short and troubled his repose,
As his quick heavy breathing shows*
Muscles and crate, and all the shelly race,
In spacious banks still crowd for place,
A grisly beard, around his face*
When Midgard's worm his fetters strives to break,
Riseth the sea* the mountains quake $
The fiends in Naastmnd merry make.
Rejoicing flames from Heck's caldron ftasri,
Huge molten stones with deafening crash
Fly out> — its scathed sides fire-streams wash,
The affiighted sons of Ask do fee! the shock*
As the worm doth He and rock,
And sullen waiteth Ragnarok.
To his fbnJ owing mtw naught e*er came ill |
It never he doth cease to fil 1 §
Nath* more bfe hungry pain can stili
THOR'S GREAT FISHING 109
Upward by chance he turns his sleepy eye,
And, over him suspended nigh,
The gory head he doth espy*
The serpent taken with his own deceit,
Suspecting naught the daring cheat,
Ravenous gulps down the bait,
His leathern jaws the barbed steel compress,*
His ponderous head must leave the abyss $
Dire was Jormungander's hiss.
In giant coils he writhes his length about¥
Poisonous streams he speweth out,
But his struggles help him naught*
The mighty Thor knoweth no peer in fight,
The loathsome worm, his strength despite,
Now overmatched must yield the fight,
His grisly head Thor heaveth o'er the tide,
No mortal eye the sight may bide,
The scared waves haste i* th* sands to hide.
As when accursed Naastrand yawns and burns,
His impious throat 'gainst heaven he turns
And with his tail the ocean spurns,
The parched sky droops, darkness enwraps the sun ;
Now the matchless strength is shown
Of the god whom warriors own.
Around his loins he draws his girdle tight,
His eye with triumph flashes bright,
The frail boat splits aneath his weight j
The ftmli bo*£ splits,— kit on the ocean's ground
Thor again hath footing found $
Within his arms the worm is bound.
i io TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Hymer, who in the strife no part had took,
But like a trembling aspen shook,
Rouseth him to avert the stroke.
In the last night, the vala hath decreed
Thor, in Odin's utmost need,
To the worm shall bow the head.
Thus, in sunk voice, the craven giant spoke,
Whilst from his belt a knife he took,
Forged by dwarfs aneath the rock,
Upon the magic belt straight *gan to file j
Thor in bitter scorn to smile ;
Mjolner swang in air the while.
In the worm's front full two-score leagues it fell $
From Gimle to the realms of hell
Echoed Jormungander's yell.
The ocean yawned, Thor's lightning* rent the skyj
Through the storm, the great sun's eye
Looked out on the fight from high*
Bif-rost i* th* cast shone forth in brightest green j
On its top, in snow-white sheeny
Heimdal at his post was seen,
On the charmed belt the dagger hath no power j
The star of Jotun-heim *gan to lour §
But now, in Asgard's evil hour,
When all hh dfom foiled tall Hymer
Wading to the «erpent*s maw,
On the kedge be *gwnt to
The sun dismayed, hastened in clouds to hide,
Heimdal turned his head aside ;
Thor wis humbled in bis pride.
THOR'S GREAT FISHING in
The knife prevails, far down beneath the main,
The serpent, spent with toil and pain,
To the bottom sank again.
The giant fled, his head *mid rocks to save,
Fearfully the god did rave,
With his lightnings tore the wave.
To madness stung, to think his conquest vain,
His ire no longer could contain,
Dared the worm to rise again.
His radiant form to its full height he drew,
And Mjolner through the billows blue
Swifter than the fire-bolt flew.
Hoped, yet, the worm had fallen beneath the stroke ,
But the wily child of Loke
Waits her turn of Ragnarok.
CHAPTER XII
The City of Enchantments
Loke flatters the Thunder -god — The Feast of Goats — Loke't Evil
Design — Journey in Jotun-heim — Terror of the Night — The Great Giant
Skrymer — How Thor was thwarted — The Three Blows with Mjolner-—
Utgard-Loke's Castle — The Giant's Challenge — Loke and Thjalfe are beaten
— Thor and the Drinking Horn — The Great Cat — Thor wrestle* with the
Hag — He is put to Shame — XTtgard-Loke'a Revelation — The Ocean, the Mid-
gard Serpent, and Old Age — Wrath of the Thunder-god.
THE Frost-giants were sending forth from Jotun-heim
ice-cold blasts which blighted Midgard's fields and ar-
rested all growth. Thor, the friend of man, was made
wroth thereat, and he caused his swift goats to be yoked
to his sublime chariot, for he was resolved to punish
the Jotuns for their presumption and evil workings.
To him came Loke and made flattering address, praising
the thunder-god for his valour and good intentions,
Thor took Loke with him because he had knowledge
of the northern wastes they must needs traverse*
All day they journeyed from Asgard, and at night-
fell they came to the dwelling of Orvandd-Egil on the
banks of Elivagar, and fronting the mountains that for-
talioe icebound JoUm-heim. The &re which Grvmndel
set before them was meagre because of the plunder
accomplished by the giants, so Thor dew Ms two goats,
and when they were sktimed he placed their lesh in
a kettle*
The feast that was thus prepared was abundant, and
Bt
THE CITY OF ENCHANTMENTS 113
Thor invited Orvandel and his family to eat with Loke
and himself, requesting them to throw each flesh-stripped
bone into the skins of the goats.
It was Loke's desire to stir up enmity between Thor
and Orvandel, who were fast friends, because at the
house of the skilful archer did the thunder-god ever
rest on his journeyings to and from Jotun-heim. The
Evil One made OrvandeFs son, Thjalfe, the instrument
of his designs. To him Loke whispered at the feast that
the marrow of the bones was of exceeding sweetness, and
he constrained upon the lad to break open the thigh
bone of a goat's hind leg.
Next morning Thor arose and took his hammer,
Mjolner, which he waved over the skins filled with loose
bones* Then did the great animals spring to life again,
but one limped because a hind leg was broken. Thor
was moved to immense wrath, and with black brows, and
with knuckles that grew white as he clutched the handle
of his hammer, he turned upon Orvandel, who was
stricken with much fear. The house shook because of
Thor*s anger. But the evil designs of Loke were put
to naught, for Thor consented to take for ransom-
servants, Orvandel's son, Thjalfe, the swift runner, and
his beauteous daughter, Roskva, the vivacious, and his
love for them made stronger the bond of friendship
between the thunder-god and Orvandel*
Leaving his chariot and goats behind, Thor went
on his journey with Loke and Thjalfe and Roskva*
Soon they came to a great mountain forest, and through
its immense depths they wandered until night came on.
Fleet-footed Thjalfe carried Thor's meat sack, but it was
wtUnigh empty because it was difficult to hunt the deer
in that confusing forest
In the darkness they all sought a dwelling in which
ii4 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
to rest, and ere long they found one. The door was
exceedingly large, for it opened up the whole side of
the house. Within there was a vast hall. Beyond were
five long rooms like to mountain caves ; but they entered
them not In the outer hall they prepared their couches
and lay down to sleep.
In the middle of the night a great earthquake made
the forest tremble, so that the house shook with much
violence.
Then Thor arose and sought for his affrighted servants
a place of greater safety. So they entered together the
widest of the cave chambers in the vast house. Thor
stood at the door on guard, with his great hammer in
his hand, ready to strike down any fierce giant who
would dare to enter. The others crept to the farthest
end of the chamber, and, trembling greatly, again sought
their couches.
Then was heard a rumbling and a roaring that con-
tinued long and then ceased awhile, but began again.
It was a night of blackness and great terror-
At early dawn Thor went forth, for the clamour had
not yet ended. He walked through the forest and found
that a great giant ky sleeping on the ground* He
snored as loudly as roars the outer set, and his breath
burst forth like wild gusts of tempest. Then did the
Asa-gods realize from whence came the clamour which
had filled the night with terror*
Around his waist Thor tightened Ms magic belt so
that his great strength was increased, but as he grasped
his hammer to strike, the mighty giant twoke, tnd rose
hastily to his feet. High above Thor he towered, so
that the thunder-god was filled with tmaze at his great
bulk and foi^ot to wield his hammer,
a What is thy name, O giant ?*' Thor t$fce&
THE CITY OF ENCHANTMENTS 115
" My name is Skrymer," was his answer, and he
said : " Thine I need not ask, for I perceive thou art
Asa-Thor."
Then the giant looked about him, and sneered: " But
what hast thou done with my glove?"
Skrymer stretched forth his hand, and in the midst
of the trees he found his glove and picked it up. Then
with amazement did Thor perceive that it was the great
dwelling in which, with his companions, he had found
shelter for the night. The broad cave chamber into
which they had crept was the thumb of the giant's
glove,
Skrymer besought Thor to take him for his travel-
ling companion through that vast country, and when the
Asa-god gave his consent, the giant opened his meat
sack and began to munch his morning feast. Thor and
his companions did likewise in a place apart.
Now when they had finished their meals and were
satisfied, Skrymer said they should put their food to-
gether. Thor was willing that such should be done,
and the giant thrust all the provisions into his own
meat sack, which he threw over his back.
All day long they travelled eastward with great
speed, because of the rapid pace of the giant, and
when darkness began to fall they rested under the
branches of a vast and lofty oak tree. Skrymer said
he was weary and must needs sleep, so he flung his meat
sack to Thor, and bade him feast with his companions.
But Thor found that the sack was bound so securely
that he could not untie it* Each knot defied him; not
one could he unloose; and struggle as he might, he
was unable to slacken any portion of the cord*
Great wrath possessed the Asa-god because of the
deceit which had been practised upon him; so, casting
ii6 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
the sack from him, he sprang up and seized his hammer.
He went swiftly towards the giant as he lay snoring
heavily, and on his skull struck a mighty blow-
Skrymer awoke, and, rubbing his eyes, asked if a leaf
had fallen down from the great oak. On Thor he gazed,
and asked him if he had eaten his supper, and was ready
for sleep.
Thor made answer gruffly that he was about to lie
down, and went towards another tree. But there he
found that it was not possible to get sleep, for Skrymer
snored so loudly that the woods were shaken with tem-
pest clamour,
Angrily rose the Asa-god, and hastening towards the
giant he swung his great hammer and struck him flat on
the forehead. So great was the blow that Mjolner sank
down to the heft,
Skrymer awoke suddenly and growled ; <c What hath
happened now to disturb my slumber ? Did an acorn fkll
down from the branches? Is that thee, Thor, standing
nigh me? How fkres it with thee?1*
WI have just awakened,** was Thor's answer* as he
turned, wondering greatly, and again lay down beneath
his oak* But he sought not to deep* He was resolved
to be avenged on the giant for his deceit, and because
his own rest was broken* As Thor lay there he was
convinced that if he dealt but one mote Mow on the
giant* s skull he would kill Mm» So lie remained watch-
ing and waiting until Skrymer would again fell to sleep*
Ere dawn broke his opportunity came, for the gianfs
loud snoring once more made fearsome clamour In the
forest*
Thor arose and tightened his strength -giving belt.
His iron glwes he put upon his hands> and seized Ms
mighty hammer. Then he went towards the gknt and
THE CITY OF ENCHANTMENTS 117
struck so great a blow that Mjolner was buried in one
of his temples.
Skrymer sat up, rubbing his eyes. Then he stroked
his chin in vacant wonder, and, seeing Thor beside him,
said: "Do birds sit above me in the oak branches?
Methinks that some moss from a bird's nest fell upon
my forehead as I awoke. ... So thou art also awake,
O Thor. . . . The dawn has broken, and it is time
to set forth upon your way, for a long journey lies
before thee ere thou shalt reach the castle which is
called Utgard (outer -ward). Whispers I have heard
between thee and thy companions that ye regard me as
one of no mean stature, but larger men shalt thou find
when thou dost reach Utgard. . . . Wilt thou take
from me good advice? When thou comest to Utgard,
do not boast overmuch. The courtiers of Utgard-Loke,
will not permit of boasting from such insignificant beings
as are thou and thy companions. . , * If my advice is
not pleasant to thee, O Thor, thou hadst better turn
back ; and, indeed, that is what thou shouldst do. . . .
But if thou wouldst go farther, thy way lies eastward ;
mine is to the north, towards yonder high mountains.
Fare thee well!"
When he had spoken thus, Skrymer flung his meat
sack over his shoulder and vanished amidst the trees.
Nor was it ever known whether or not Thor desired to
meet with him again.
Thor and Loke went eastward upon their way, and
with them went Thjalfe and Roskva, They journeyed
until midday, when they came to a city in the midst of
which was a great ice castle* So lofty were its towers
that Thor and those with him had need to bend back
their heads to survey it aright They saw no one nigh
to the castle, at*d its ponderous gate was shut and
u8 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
securely locked. In vain did Thor attempt to open
it ; but being anxious to gain admittance he crept between
the bars. The others followed him. They then per-
ceived that the palace door was wide open, and they
entered together.
Round the hall many giants of immense stature were
seated upon benches. No word was spoken nor greet-
ing given, but Thor and his companions went past, and
entering a wide room they stood before King Utgard-
Loke in his high throne, and to him they made obeisance*
A cold look gave the monarch, nor did he return their
salutations. After a long pause he spake with a voice of
keen scorn, saying :
" It would be wearisome to have tidings of your long
journey. If I be not mistaken the greatest of the strip-
lings who stand before me is the Asa-god Thor.n
Upon Thor he gazed intently, and then addressing
him, said: "It may be that thou art stronger than thou
dost seem. What feats art thou able to perform ?
Thou must know that no one can remain here who
cannot perform deeds which excel those of all other
living beings."
Wroth was Thor and made no answer. But Loke
spoke and said : « I know a great feat, and am ready to
perform it I can eat quicker than anyone else, and I
am now an-hungered and ready to give proof of that
against him who may be chosen to contend with me/1
<c If thou shalt do as thou sayes^** Utgard-Loke said,
u thou shalt perform a great feat indeed. Let us have
trial of it without deky,**
The king ordered Loge, one of his men, to come
forward to compete with Asa-Loke*
A great trough of meat was prepared, tnd the two
wore seated— Loke at one end and Loge at the other*
THE CITY OF ENCHANTMENTS 119
Then they began to eat with great speed, nor did they
falter until they met at the middle. To neither seemed
the victory, until it was found that Loge had consumed
the bones as well as the flesh, and the trough also, while
Loke had eaten but the flesh. So the Asa-god was
accounted beaten.
Utgard-Loke then addressed Thjalfe, and asked him
what feat he was able to perform, and the young man
answered that he was a swift runner. He offered to run
a race with anyone whom the monarch would select.
" If thou dost win,1' Utgard-Loke said, " thou shalt
indeed perform a wondrous feat But come without, for
thine opponent awaiteth thee,"
The king left his throne, and together they all went
to a fine racecourse that lay nigh to the castle walls,
A dwarf named Huge was called forth by Utgard-
Loke. Thrice did he run with Thjalfe. At the first
contest the dwarf ran so fast that he met the other as
he turned back*
uThou canst run well," the king said to Thjalfe,
"but thou must needs be more nimble-legged if thou
art to win this contest, for there is no swifter runner
than Huge."
At the second trial Thjalfe went speedier, but he was
a bowshot space behind the dwarf when that swift
runner made pause*
"Indeed thou must needs have greater speed if thou
wouldst win the race,11 said the king to Orvandel's son ;
a but smother chance awmteth thee. The third trial shall
decide the contest/*
Again the race was started; but if Thjalfe went
swiftly there was more speed in the dwarf, for he reached
the goal ere yet his opponent was halfway.
So was Thjalfe vanquished and put to shame*
120 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Together they all returned to the hall, and the king,
turning to Thor, asked him if he could perform any
wonderful feats that day. The Asa-god made prompt
answer and said: "I shall hold a drinking contest with
anyone thou mayest select."
cc First," said the king, " thy power must be tested."
To this condition Thor gave his ready consent.
Then came a cupbearer carrying an immense drinking
horn, which he gave unto the Asa-god.
" He who trespasseth the laws of this place when at
feast/* the king said, " must needs drink from that horn.
He who is a good drinker can empty it at a single
draught. Some men, however, must make two attempts,
but it is only the weakest who cannot exhaust it at the
third trial."
Now Thor was tortured with exceeding great thirst
after his long journey, and at first he deemed the horn
not to be too large, although it had great length indeed.
To his mouth he raised it, and drank deep, until his thirst
was quenched; and he continued drinking until he was
forced to cease and lower the horn. With great wonder
he then perceived that the liquor seemed not to have
diminished at alL
"Thou hast drunken well/1 the king said, <<;yet there
is naught of which boast can be made* Had I been told
that Thor would drink no more when in thirst I would
not have believed It* But perhaps it Is thy resolve to
surpass thyself when thou shalt toke the second draught*"
Again did the As^-god raise the horn with firm
resolve to empty it ll-pleased was he with himself
because he deemed he had dmnk test than before. But
that was not so> for when he had done hb utmost the
horn could be carried without spiffing*
** Thou dost spare thyself indeed/* the king excWmed ;
THE CITY OF ENCHANTMENTS 121
a but if thou art resolved to empty the horn thou must
pull with greater strength at thy third trial. If more
skill at this feat is not shown by thee, methinks," the
king added with scorn, " thou shalt be accounted a lesser
man here than thou seemest to be among the gods in
Asgard."
Angry was Thor because of the words which Utgard-
Loke spake, and a third time he seized the horn and put
forth all his power to empty it ; but long and deep as he
drank, be seemed not to exhaust it any.
He laid it down, and then he perceived that the
liquor was slightly lower than before.
" No further trial shall I make/' he said, as he thrust
the horn back to the cupbearer.
** Ha ! thou'rt of less strength than we deemed thee
to be," exclaimed Utgard-Loke, smiling grimly at the
thwarted Asa-god, ** Yet, mayhap, thou wouldst try
another feat to prove thy power, although I am assured
that thou shalt have no better success."
But Thor was ready for any other triaL <CI shall
contend with whom thou wilt/* he said, w Although I
have failed with the horn, yet can I assure thee that the
draughts which I have taken would not be counted
meagre in Asgard/*
a There is a trivial game which we play betimes," the
king said, ** but I would not have asked thee to perform
it, because among us here it is only an exercise for
children. Yet as thou art, it seems, not of so great power
as we deemed heretofore, thou hadst better try it* The
game is merely to lift my cat from the floor.1*
As he spake, a big grey cat leapt forward and sat
before the throne, Thor at once went towards it, and
grasped it firmly, placing his hands under its body,
Then he attempted to Eft the cat, but it bent its great
122 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
back, and although he put forth all his strength Thor
could lift but one paw from the floor.
Knowing well that he could not do better, he made
no further attempt.
"Thou hast failed, as I foresaw thou wouldst," the
king said. "The cat is too large for Thor, who is
weakly and small compared with the men of my
race."
" Say what thou wilt," cried Thor, whose wrath was
great because of the shame put upon him, " but I now
challenge anyone here to wrestle with me whom ye call
weakly and small,"
Utgard-Loke looked calmly about him, and answered
with chilling voice : " I see no one nigh me who would
not deem it an unworthy thing to wrestle with Thor* * . .
But let the old woman, my nurse, whose name is Elk, be
called, and if Thor would perforce wrestle, let him try
his strength against hers. Many a stronger man than he
hath Elle thrown down."
Then came into the hall an aged woman* who was
toothless and heavily wrinkled. Her back was bent, and
she walked slowly. Utgard-Loke bade her wrestle with
Thor.
There is little to tell, The firmer Thor clutched her
the mightier she became ; the stronger his grip, the more
securely did she stand. The struggle was long and
violent, and although Thor realized ere long that he
could not overcome the Hag> his endeavour was to pre-
vent her from casting him down. Yet was he at length
unable to keep his footing* and he wis brought to his
knee*
Then did Utpitt-Loke bid the wrestlers to cease, and
walking forward he placed himself between them* To
Thor he said ; u Thou canst not ask new to wrestle with
THE CITY OF ENCHANTMENTS 123
anyone else in the hall, for the hour is late and darkness
is falling."
Nor did he seem to be eager that Thor should have
further trial of skill.
At dawn of next day Thor and his companions arose
and prepared to take their departure from the castle.
Food and drink in plenty were placed before them, and
they made hearty feast. Then went they to take leave
of the king, and Utgard-Loke walked with them until
they were without the gate of the city. Ere they bade
one another farewell, the king asked Thor if he was
satisfied with his journey and the results thereof, and
whether there were any others among the Asa-gods who
were stronger than he.
"I cannot deny," Thor said, "that great shame has
been put upon me. But what pains me most is that
thou shouldst call me a man of little account."
"Be not mistaken," the king said, "for we hold thee
in greater account than thou dost deem* Now must the
truth be told, seeing thou art no longer in the city
which, if my will shall prevail, thou must never enter
again. This I swear ; if I had known that thy strength
was so mighty thou shouldst never have been allowed to
come through the castle gate. Nigh, indeed, didst thou
bring me unto a great disaster.
** Thou mayest now know," the king continued, " that
I have all along deceived thee greatly with my illusions,"
Thor stared with much amaze at Utgard-Loke, who
spake thus ;
a First, it was I whom thou didst meet with in the
forest My meat sack thou couldst not unloose because
I had bound it securely with a rope of iron> and thou
couldst not discover how the cunning knots were devised.
" Thrice thou didst strike me with thy great hammer.
i24 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
From any of these blows of thine I would have received
speedy death, but thee I deceived by creating an illusion
and placing betwixt thee and me a great rocky mountain,
which thou didst cleave with thy blows. On thy way
back thou shalt see' it, and the three broad valleys thou
didst make, for thrice thou didst cut it asunder.
" In my palace I did also deceive thee with illusions.
Asa-Loke, like hunger, devoured speedily all that was
placed before him ; but his opponent Loge, who is Fire,
consumed not only the food, but the bones also, and the
trough.
"Huge the dwarf, with whom Thjalfe ran, is
Thought. Swift indeed must the runner be who is
more speedy than Thought.
"Then came thine own feats, O mighty Thor.
When thou didst attempt to drain the horn, thou didst
perform a feat so wonderful, that if I had not beheld
it with mine own eyes I should ne'er have believed it
to be possible. For the horn was long, and one end
reached out to the sea, which thou didst not perceive,
and the sea filled it. When thou dost come to the shore
thou shalt realize how much thou hast made the sea to
shrink, for thy great draughts have caused what men
shall henceforward call the ebb.
" No less marvellous was thy struggle with the great
cat Much fear possessed us when we saw thee lift but
a single paw from the floor, because the cat was no other
than the Midgtrd serpent, which encircle® the earth* So
high didst thou lift him that his head retched unto
heaven,
"Great indeed was thy f«t also when thou didst
contend against the old woman, my nurse. No man
ever before prevailed so wrestling, nor shall any man
ever again do as thou hist done* for EUe it Old Age,
THE CITY OF ENCHANTMENTS 125
and sooner or later she lays low all who await her
coming."
Still was Thor silent, for he was filled with great
wonder by reason of the things of which Utgard-Loke
spake to him.
<c Now, O Thor,1' the king said, c* we are about to
part. This must I say unto you. It were better that
we two should never again meet ; but if thou shouldst
come against me any more I must needs defend myself
with illusions as I have already done, so that thou shalt
never seem to thyself to prevail/'
When the king spake thus he vanished from before
the eyes of Thor and his companions.
Then was the thunder-god moved to great wrath,
because he had been deceived, and seizing his mighty
hammer he turned towards the city again to wreak his
vengeance upon Utgard-Loke and his people* But he
found that city and castle had vanished, and he beheld
nothing save a broad level plain,
So with his companions Thor then went gloomily on
his way, and pondering over what had happened he
resolved to combat with the Midgard serpent from
Hymer's boat* And of this adventure the tale has been
told, but of how Thor lost his great hammer and the
strange adventure that ensued, the story follows.
CHAPTER XIII
Thor in Peril
The Theft of Mjolner — Loke's Mission — Thrym demands Freyja — The
Wrath of the Goddess — Thor disguised— Giant Bridegroom's Amaze*— A
Hungry Bride — -The Hammer recovered — Vengeance of Thor— Loke in
Geirrod's Castle — Plot to capture Thor — Grid intervenes — Vidar the Silent —
Crossing Elivagar — The High Flood — Giant Maid is punished — Geirrod's
Flaming Javelin — Thunder-god's Victory
Now there was a king of giants whose name was Thrym,
and he desired to have Freyja, the beauteous Asa-goddess,
for his bride. A deep plot he laid, nor did the gods
become aware of it until a grievous misfortune befell
Thor. He was returning with Loke from Jotun-heim,
and together they lay down to sleep. In great wrath
was the thunder-god when he awoke because he could
find not his hammer, Mjolner* He grasped his red
beard and shook it, and fear crept over him as he
searched around and about, because without his hammer
he was powerless to contend against the giants.
When the other awoke, Thor spoke to him, saying :
<c Listen to me, and I shall tell thee what is known not
In heaven nor upon earth — Mjolner is stolen!**
Speedily they took flight towards high Asgard, End
to the dwelling of Freyja went they* Thor spake
abruptly, and said: "Wilt thou lend thy fidcon -guise
to me, for my hammer hath been stolen, and I would
fein find it."
"Gladly shall I give it thee, O Thor/1 Freyja
128
THOR IN PERIL 127
answered, "even although it were made of silver; yea,
if it were of fine gold thou wouldst have it without
delay."
To Loke gave Thor the falcon -guise, and he flew
speedily from Asgard to the northern coasts of distant
Jotun-heim. Nor did he pause or stay until he reached
a high mountain on which sat Thrym, king of giants,
twisting bands of gold for his dogs, and anon smooth-
ing the gold mane of his horse.
When he beheld Loke in falcon -guise he said:
"How fere the gods, and how fare the elves? Why
dost thou come alone unto these shores?"
Loke answered : " 111 fares it with gods and ill fares
it with the elves. Hast thou hidden the hammer of
Thor?n
Thrym answered boldly and with gladness : " I have
indeed done so. Nine miles below the ground have I
buried Mjolner* Nor shall it ever be recovered or re-
turned unto Thor until I am given the goddess Freyja
for my bride/*
Having spoken thus he smoothed leisurely the
golden mane of his fleet-footed steed, and Loke flew
back towards Asgard*
Thor awaited him on the battlements, and when the
falcon drew nigh he cried: "Hast thou indeed per-
formed thy mission, O Loke? Tell me what thou
knowest ere thou dost descend* What is spoken by
one who sits is often of small worth. He who reclines
is prone to utter what is untrue,"
Loke answered and said : <c I have discovered all that
needs be known* Thy hammer hath been stolen by
Thrym» King of Jotuns, and he hath buried it nine miles
down below the mountains* Nor will he deliver it to
thee agtin until Freyja is given him to be his bride."
128 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Then Thor and Loke went unto Freyja and told her
what the giant had said. Impatient, indeed, was the
thunder-god, for he feared that if it became known tc
the Frost-giants that his hammer was lost they would
fall upon Asgard and overcome the gods.
"Right speedily thou must don thy bridal attire,
O Freyja," Thor exclaimed, "and together shall we
hasten unto Jotun-heim/*
Freyja was filled with anger, and as she raged she
broke her flashing necklace that gave her great beauty.
" A love-sick maid, indeed, I would be," she exclaimed,
" ere I would hasten to King Thrym."
To the high Thingstead of Asgard went Thor, and
the gods assembled there to hold counsel one with
another and decide how the hammer should be
recovered. To the hall Vingolf went the goddesses, to
consult regarding the fate of Freyja.
In the Thingstead, Heimdal, the wise Van, the shining
god, spake with foreknowledge and cunning, and thus
he advised: "Let Thor be dressed In the bridal robes
of Freyja, and let him also don her sparkling neck-
lace, which gives its wearer great beauty. In a woman's
dress let Thor go forth, with keys jingling at hb waist.
His hair must be pleated! and on his breast must be
fixed great brooches."
But Thor made protest, and declared that the gods
would mock him if he were attired in woman's dress.
Ill -pleased was he with HeimdaTs words. aBe silent,
Thor/* Loke exclaimed ; a thou knowest well that if thy
hammer is found not the Fro$fr*gm&Gi wiH come speedily
hither and build over Asgard a dome of ice/*
The otter gods spake likewise, and Thor consented
to be attired m a bride* When this wts done* Loke was
dressed, at his own desire, m a maid attendant, and
THOR IN PERIL 129
together they went forth from Asgard in Thor's sublime
car. The mountains thundered and fire swept from the
heavens over Midgard as Thor journeyed to Jotun-heim.
Thrym was sitting on the mountain top, and to the
Jotuns about him he spoke, when he beheld Thor in
female -guise coming nigh, saying: "Arise, O giants!
let the feast be spread, for Freyja comes hither to be
my bride/'
Then were driven before him into his yard his red
cows with golden horns, and his great black oxen.
"I have great wealth indeed," the king exclaimed;
" a]! that I desire is mine. I lack naught save Freyja.''
The feast was made ready, and at the board sat Thor,
whom Thrym deemed to be Freyja, and Loke, who was
« maid attendant "„
Thor had great hunger, and he ate an ox, eight
salmon, and all the sweets which had been made ready
for the giantesses. Then he drank three great barrels of
ancient mead.
Wondering, Thrym sat and watched him. Then he
cried; "Hath anyone ever beheld a bride so hungry?
Never have I known a maid who ate as Freyja hath eaten,
or a woman who ever drank so great a quantity of
Loke, the cunning one, fearing that Thor would be
discovered, said ; *c For eight days hath Freyja fasted, so
greatly did she long to come unto Jotun-heim."
Thrym was well pleased to hear what Loke said, and
he rose and went towards Thor* He lifted the veil he
wore and sought to kis% but he shrank back suddenly.
Indeed he retreated to the hall end, where he cried:
*Why are the eyes of Freyja so bright and so fierce?
They seem to glow like hot embers/*
Then sptke cunning Loke again, and said: "Alas!
130 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
O Thrym, for eight nights Freyja hath slept not, for she
longed to be here with thee in Jotun-heim, Thus are
her eyes a-fire."
Thrym's sister then entered, and she went towards
Thor humbly and with due respect, and asked to be
given golden bridal rings from his fingers.
"Thou shalt gift them to me," she said, "if thou
desirest to have my friendship and my love/'
But naught did she receive from the angry and im-
patient god of thunder.
Thrym then desired that the wedding ceremony
should be held, but Loke asked that as proof of his
friendship, and to complete the bargain the giant had
made, Thor's hammer should be laid upon the maiden's
lap*
Then did Thrym order that Mjolner be lifted from
its hiding place deep in the bowels of the earth.
In Thor's heart there was great laughter when Thrym
spoke thus, yet was his mind solemn, and he waited
anxiously until Mjolner was laid upon his knees.
A servant came forward with it, and Thor clutched
the handle right eagerly. Then he tore off the bridal
veil from his fece and the woman's dress from about his
knees, and sprang upon King Thrym, whom he killed
with a single blow* Around the feasting board he went,
slaying the guests, nor one would he permit to escape
from the hall, so fierce was he with long-restrained wrath.
Thrym's sister, who bad begged from Thor the
bridal nags, he slew with the others. A Wow she
received from the hammer instead of golden treasure*
Cunning Loke watched with pleasure the devastation
accomplished by the fierce thunder-god as he raged
round the hall and through the castle, wreaking his
fierce vengeance on the whole clan of
THOR IN PERIL 131
Then together hastened they to where the goats were
bound at the home of Orvandel, nor did they pause to
rest. Across the heavens was speedily driven the black
sublime car. Swiftly o'er mountain and sea it went,
blotting out the sparkling stars. Mountains thundered
and the wide ocean trembled with fear as the car rolled
on. The earth was filled with fire.
Thus did Thor return in triumph unto Asgard, be-
cause Mjolner was recovered and the King of Mountain
Giants was slain,
But although Loke had served Thor well when his
hammer was stolen by Thrym, there came a time when
he brought the god of thunder nigh to great misfortune.
It was in the days ere the winter war was waged between
the Asa-gods and the sons of Ivalde, and the cunning
artisans were yet friendly with the dwellers in Asgard.
Loke had gone forth in the falcon- guise of Freyja
to pry round Jotun-heim, and especially the castle of
King Geirrod, whose daughter he desired for a bride*
He flew towards a window, and sat in it while he listened
to the words that were being spoken, and surveyed the
guests who were there. A servant beheld him with
curious eyes, and perceived that he was not a real falcon.
So, making cautious approach, he seized Loke and
brought him before the king. The eyes of the felcon
were still the cunning eyes of Loke, and he was recog-
nized by Geirrody who demanded ransom ere he would
release him. In vain did Loke endeavour to escape,
He flapped his wings, he pecked with his beak, but the
servant held his claws securely,
Silent was he before Geirrod, and no answer would
he make when he wts addressed* So to punish him the
giant locked him in a chest, in which he was kept for
tkree months. Then was Loke taken forth, and ready
132 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
indeed was he to speak. To Geirrod he confessed who
he was, and the giant constrained him to promise, by
swearing a binding oath, that he would bring Thor to
Jotun-heim and unto that strong castle without his
hammer or his belt or his iron gloves. For greatly
sought the giant to have the thunder-god in his power.
Loke then flew back to Asgard, and with great
cunning he addressed Thor, so that he secured his con-
sent to visit the castle of Geirrod without taking with
him his hammer and gloves and his strong belt. For
Loke assured Thor that the castle stood on a green and
level plain, and that they were invited to attend together
a feast of friends.
Thor set forth, and Loke went with him. All
day they travelled on their way until they came to the
borders of Elivagar in Alf-heim, where dwelt the sons
of Ivalde,
There dwelt also In that realm and in the midst of
a deep wood a giantess who was friendly towards the
gods. Her name was Grid. She was the mother of
Odin's son Vidar, the Silent One, whose strength was so
mighty that none save Thor was his equal. A great shoe
he had ; its sole was hard as iron, for it was formed of
the cast-off leather scraps of every shoe that was ever
made. This son of Grid was born to avenge his father's
death. When Odin is skin at Ragnarok, then shall
Vidar combat with the wolf Fenrer and tear its jaws
asunder. Nor shall Surtur destroy him with his fire-
brands, for the wood-god perishes never in Nature's deep
solitudes*
Now Grid* mother of Vidtfy hid power to work
magic spells, and she possessed a magic rowan wand
which was named Oi<krvoldL When she beheld Thar
gofog unarmed towards Geintxf s otttle, she wwned him
THOR IN PERIL 133
that the giaftt was as cunning and treacherous as a wolf-
dog, and dangerous to meet without weapons. So to
Thor she gave her magic staff, her belt of strength, and
her iron gloves, and when he set out he took with him
the sons of Ivalde. Together they travelled in safety
until they came to Vimur, which is the greatest of the
rivers Elivagar. The clouds drove heavily above them,
and hailstones fell around. Wild and mountainous was
the country which Loke had said was green and level.
There were swift and treacherous eddies in the swollen
waters.
But Thor put on the belt of strength which Grid had
given him, and in his hand he took her magic staff.
Rapidly did the river rise as he entered it with his men.
From the mountains icy torrents poured down with
increasing strength, and the sons of Ivalde were soon in
great peril. They thrust their spears into the shingle as
they tried to ford the river, and the clinking of the steel
mingled with the sharp screams of the waters. When
they were but halfway across a high wave burst out
from a great mountain torrent, and the waters rose to
Thor's shoulder* The others were swept down towards
him ; for, perceiving their peril and desiring to be a pro-
tection to them, he had chosen the deepest part through
which to wade. Orvandel leapt upon Thor's shoulder,
and there stood, bending his bow* Loke and the othdrs
clung to the belt of Grid, which was about Thor's body.
Towards the bank the thunder-god laboured, and when
he came nigh to it he beheld, at the torrent's source a
daughter of Geirrod, whose name was Gjalp* It was she
who, standing high on the hillside, caused the river to
increase so that Thor and his followers might be drowned.
The angry god seized a boulder and flung it towards
her. Sure was his tirn, for it struck her heavily, so that
i34 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
her back was broken. Thus was the Hag overcome and
the torrent stayed.
Then did Thor seize a rowan-tree branch which
overhung the river, and with its aid he pulled himself
up the bank. Thus had its origin the ancient proverb:
"Thor's salvation, the rowan".
Up the steep mountain did the thunder-god climb
with all his men. Against them came the giants who
sought to destroy Ygdrasil, " the World-tree ". Bravely
fought Thor, and the arrows of Orvandel sped fast until
the horde of giants were put to flight. Speedily did the
heroes follow them. They pressed onward and reached
Geirrod's castle amidst the clamour and the howling of
the storm-giants and the giants that dwell within the
caves of the mountains.
When Thor entered Geirrod's hall the giant king
• cast at him a red-hot flaming javelin from behind a great
pillar of wood. But with Grid's iron gloves Thor caught
it, and past Orvander$ head he flung It back, so that it
went through the pillar and through Geirrod, who was
slain ; and it passed through the wall of his castle ere
it sank deep into the earth,
Then loudly thundered the din of battle in GeirnxTs
hall, which was shaken to its foundations* With slings
and boulders did the giants contend, but from Thor and
his men they received their deathblows.
Thus was Geirrod and his dbtn overcome in dread
conflict ; but no less terrible was the battle which Thor
waged against Hrungner, the stone -giant, the tale of
which now follows.
THOR IN PERIL 135
Thor
I am the god Thor,
I am the war god,
I am the Thunderer !
Here in my Northland,
My fastness and fortress,
Reign I forever !
Here amid icebergs
Rule I the nations ;
This is my hammer,
Mjolner, the mighty
Giants and sorcerers
Cannot withstand it !
These are the gauntlets
Wherewith I wield it
And hurl it afar off;
This is my girdle,
Whenever I brace It
Strength is redoubled !
The light thou beholdest
Stream through the heavens,
In flashes of crimson,
Is but my red beard
Blown by the night-wind,
Affrighting the nations*
Jove Is my brother;
Mine eyes are the lightning j
The wheels of my chariot
Roll in the thunder,
The blows of my hammer
Ring in the earthquake 1
136 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Force rules the -world still,
Has ruled it> shall rule it;
Meekness is -weakness,
Strength is triumphant;
Over the whole earth
Still is Thor's-day !
— Longfellow
CHAPTER XIV
The Great Stone Giant
Odin in Jotunheim — Two Swift Steeds — Race to Asgard — The Boastful
Giant — His Challenge to Thor — An Island Duel — The Clay Giant — A Light-
ning- Conflict — Thor is wounded— His Son Magni rescues Him — Groa's
Incantation — Story of Orvanders Rescue — The Spell is broken — Odin as the
Ferryman — How he taunted Thor — A Divine Comedy.
THOR was in the east battling against the Trolls when
Odin went forth from Asgard towards the dwelling of
Hrungner, the great stone giant of Jotun-heim.
Hrungner watched him coming through the air in
splendour and beauty, and he cried: "Who cometh to-
wards me? On his head is a helmet of gleaming gold,
He rides over ocean and high upon the air. Swift indeed
is his mighty steed."
Ere the giant was silent the ruler of Asgard was nigh
to him, and he spake proudly. "In all Jotun-heim," Odin
said, " there is not a horse that is Sleipner's equal."
Then twitching the reins, he turned Sleipner back
towards Asgard, and he rode swifter than the wind.
"Thy steed is fast indeed," the giant bellowed,
** but my nimble - footed Goidfex (gold mane) hath
greater stride/*
As he spake, Hrungner leapt upon his horse's back
and set out in swift pursuit of the Asa-god. But
although he urged Goklfax to hasten, he could not
win nigh wito Odiu. Yet would the giant pause not in
138 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
his speedy flight, for his heart was afire with ambition
to prevail over the rider of Sleipner. Swiftly indeed he
rode, and ere he was aware he found himself entering
the gates of Asgard over the gate-bridge which had been
set down for Odin.
By the gods was he received with hospitality as he
demanded. They took him to the great feasting hall,
and there he drank ancient mead and sweet. The bowls
from which Thor was wont to refresh himself were placed
before him, and Freyja filled them. Each of the bowls
the giant emptied in turn at a single draught* Indeed,
so much did he drink that the mead surged in his veins
and his eyes rolled with redness, for he was made drunk.
Then was his tongue unloosened, and he gave forth loud
boastings.
"Valhd," he cried, "shall be mine. . . . The war-
rior's hall must I carry away with me to Jotun-heim,"
More mead did Freyja pour out to him, filling the
bowls of Thor.
Then Hrungner boasted that he would bring utter
ruin to Asgard, and cast down Its wall and palaces. . . *
"The gods," he cried, "and all that are within the
city shall I slay save Freyja and Sif."
As Freyja filled the bowls he said: "Ha! all the
mead in Asgard I must consume this day. None shall
I leave for the gods/*
Weary grew the gods of the braggart giant and hb
vain boastings, and Thor they named. * . « Immediately
Thor was In their midst Black were the brows of the
thunder-god when he beheld Hrui*gner ; white wore his
knuckles as he clutched his great hammer.
"Who hath permitted this Jotun," Thor roared* ** to
drink the mead of Asgtrd? Why doth Fiwji pour it
forth to him m if she wore hot*o*irii*g a feast or gods?**
THE GREAT STONE GIANT 139
Evil was in Hrungner's eyes as he scowled at Thor.
"By Odin's wish am I here," he sneered, "and under his
protection I remain*"
" When thou dost seek to go forth," Thor growled
sullenly, "thou mayest regret the invitation."
"Unarmed have I come," Hrungner protested with
sudden alarm, " and of little honour would it be to thee,
O Asa -Thor, if thou didst slay me now. If thou
wouldst fain put thy valour to proof, thee I dare to
contend against me on the borders of my kingdom."
Thor cast at him defiant eyes, and the giant was
troubled. "Alasl" he cried; "I have done foolishly
to corns hither, leaving my stone shield and my flint
weapon in Jotun-heim. Were I armed, we might well
fight. This shall I say unto thee, O Asa-Thor : I would
brand thee as a coward if thou didst seek to slay me
undefended, . - . I challenge thee to contend with me
in an island duel."
Now never before had Thor been challenged thus.
For the island duel (Holmgang) which Hrungner desired
was fought by dealing blow for blow, and the Asa-god
would have the right to strike first because he was chal-
lenged by the other* In the contest each would have
a shieldbearer. His consent did Thor give to the giant's
terms, and in silence they parted.
Through Jotun-heim the duel challenge was gravely
debated by the giants, and keen was their desire that
Thor should be worsted, because Hrungner was their
strongest and greatest warrior, and they feared that if he
fell the thunder-god would do them more injury than
heretofore.
On an island on the borders of rocky Grjottungard.
where Hrungner had his dwelling, the Jotuns made a
giant of city who was in height nine miles, and three
140 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
in breadth between the shoulders. Him they called
Mokker-kalfi (Mist-wader), and they gave him a mare's
heart He was shieldbearer to Thor's enemy.
Now Hrungner had a heart of stone; his head was
of stone also. Broad and thick was his stone shield, and
in his right hand he grasped his great flint weapon, which
he swung over his shoulder. A terrible combatant was
Hrungner.
To the island duel did Thor set forth. His shield-
bearer was his faithful Thjalfe, son of Orvandel, who ran
swiftly to the place of combat. To Hrungner he cried :
" Although thy shield is held in front, thou dost stand
unprotected, for Thor cometh to attack thee from the earth
beneath/*
Then did Hrungner cause his shield to be cast down.
Defiantly he stood upon it, while with both hands he
grasped his great flint weapon.
In fear and trembling was Mokker-kalfi. Hts mare's
heart quaked within him because Thor was coming, and
sweat ran from his body in torrents.
Thunder broke forth and lightning flashed before
Hrungner. Then he beheld rushing swiftly towards him
the black-browed thunder-god, who swung his hammer
to strike. Nor did Hrungner wait till he was nigh* He
raised his great flint weapon and flung it with might
against Mjolner, which Thor» divining his purpose,
hurtled simultaneously. In mid-air the weapons met tnd
flashed forking fire that rent the heavens and covered
the ocean with flame. The flint was utterly shattered.
On the ground fcH a portion, »t*d there to this dty tre
the flint hills, and a great splinter pierced the forehead of
the Asar-god, so that he was thrown down*
MeanwhEe the siiHime htmmer smote Hrungner
and crushed his skull, and he fell also* The gtat*tf§ foot
THE GREAT STONE GIANT 141
struck Thor and lay heavily upon his neck, so that he
could not rise to his feeL
On the affrighted Mokker-kalfi had Thjalfe flung
himself, and him he overcame right speedily. Then ran
he to help Thor, but in vain he strove to lift Hrungner's
foot from his neck. . . , He named the Asa-gods, and
they hastened from Asgard to the place of combat.
When they found that Thor was cast down, they put
forth their strength to free him, but unable were they
to lift the giant's foot.
Then came Thor's son, Magni, whose mother was
Jarnsaxa, the iron-crusher of the World -mill. He was
but three nights old, but had already exceeding great
strength. The giant's foot he seized and flung it from
his sire's neck, saying:
"Alas! I should have come sooner. Hrungner's
head would I have broken with my fistl"
Thor leapt up, and his arms he threw about his son,
embracing him with great love.
" To thee, O Magni," he said, " I shall give Goldfax,
Hrungner's great steed.*'
But Odin was ill-pleased with Thor, and to him he
said : <c Thou hast done wrong to give unto a Hag's son
the speedy horse of the giant. 'Twere better if thou
hadst gifted it to thy sire/1
In wrath he turned away with the gods of his ckn,
and went towards Asgard*
Now the day of the great island duel was long ere
the time when the sons of Ivalde waged the winter war
against the Asa-gods. As Thor returned towards Or-
vandeTs dwelling, his resting place on the borders of
Jotuit-helmi where he was wont to leave his swift, strong
goats and his sublime car, he met with Orvandel, who was
in great peril* The elfin archer had gone forth to fight
1 42 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
against the Frost-giants, but with ill success as it proved,
for they pressed nigh to him and sought to take him
captive.
Thor rescued his friend speedily, and placed him in
the meat basket, which he carried on his shoulders, as
he waded through deep Elivagar. Orvandel thrust a toe
through a hole, and a spell was put upon it by the giants,
so that it was frozen. Then did Thor snap It off and
fling it high in the heavens, where it became a bright
star, which unto this day is called "OrvandeFs Toe".
Thus it was that the elfin archer (Avo) became a star hero.
When he parted with Orvandel, Thor yoked his
goats, and in his sublime car he hastened towards his
dwelling in Thrud-Varg, In grievous pain was he
because of the wound which Hrungner had given him.
Deep in his forehead was the flint flake embedded. In
vain did Sith seek to alleviate his sufferings,
Now gentle Groa, QrvandeFs wife, was dwelling in
Thor's stronghold, as was her wont when her husband
went forth against the Frost-giants* She had the power
to work magic spells. She who was the "elf of growth11
could make rocks to move, and she had power to arrest
the turbulent floods. It was Groa who restored to
strength those whom the Frost-giants had wounded, and
it was she who gave beauty again to the places which
they kid waste*
Unto Thor she came to heal his wound, and take
from his forehead the splintered flint which stuck fast
there. Incantations slue sang over him* First she
charmed away the pain which afflicted the god Then
the stone quivered and grew loose*
The heart of Thor leapt within him when he per-
ceived that Groa would give him healing, and he was
consumed with desire to reward her, and to gladden her
THE GREAT STONE GIANT 143
heart without delay. So ere she sang further, he spake
and she was silenced*
Of Orvandel's peril Thor gave Groa tidings, and of
how he had rescued the elf from the power of the Frost-
giants who encompassed him about. With joy was
Groa's heart filled, but the spell she wrought was broken,
and the memory of the magic song passed away. Thus
was she unable to take from Thor's forehead the
splintered flint, and there it ever remained because of his
impatience to give premature reward.
So there was ever after weakness in Thor. Nor
must mortal fling across his dwelling a flint weapon, lest
the stone in the Asa-god's forehead be shaken, for then
he would have suffering, and be moved to wrath against
an offender.
Great were the deeds of Thor, which brought security
to gods and men, for by him were the giants driven back
and their power suppressed. Unto him, therefore, was
willing service at all times rendered-
But there fell a day when Odin went forth from
Asgard and towards the east, He saw Thor coming out
of Jotun-heim, and sought to mock him so that he might
have mirth.
Elivagar ran deep, and Odin waited on the opposite
shore in the guise of Greybeard, the ferryman* Those
called upon him, but Odin refused to cross, whereat there
rose a dispute between them. The valour of Thor did
Odin question, and his feats belittle. With scornful
laughter, too, did he receive the angry threatenings of
the thunder-god,
"Nimble is thy tongue,1* cried Thor, "but it would
help thee little if I wtded across to thee. Louder than
the wolf thou wouldst howl if I struck at thee with
Mjolner***
144 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
"Better wouldst thou be engaged," Odin answered,
" if thou didst hasten home ; because there is one there
whom Sif loves better than thee."
Thor was wroth. " Well dost thou know," he cried,
" that thy cruel words sting me. A coward art thou who
speakest what is untrue."
Odin answered : c< Truly I speak indeed. . . . Thou
art tardy in returning. Why art thou lingering on thy
way? fTwere better if thou hadst set forth on thy
journey at early morn."
" Tis thou who delayest me, villain," Thor answered
wrothfully,
Odin smiled, "Can one of so little account as I
am," he said, " delay the journey of the great Asa-god
Thor?"
"Cease thy bantering," cried Thor; "hasten hither
with thy boat, and thou shalt have the friendship of the
sire of MagnL"
" Begone 1" cried Odin. " I shall not cross thee,"
Then said Thor, with pleading voice : " Show me the
ford then, since thou wilt not come over."
Odin wagged his head. " That is easy to refuse,11 he
said. "The way is long. Thou canst go a little way
this direction, and a little way in that ; then thou canst
turn to thy left till thou dost reach No* man's -land*
There wilt thou meet thy mother, who shall guide thee
unto Odin's land/*
a Can I go thither to-day ?ft Thor asked.
Odk auswtred; "By sunrise* if thou dost travel
quickly, thou imyest get there*"
"Mocker/' eaedaimed Thar, **o**r talk is ended!
Thou hast denied me crossing this day, but by the holy
waters of Letpter* I §wetr thtt 1 t hull reward thee indeed
when neact we
THE GREAT STONE GIANT 145
Odin smiled : "Begone ! " he cried ; "and may demons
seize thee."
Then took Thor his departure in great wrath, nor did
he ever discover again the ferryman Greybeard who had
mocked him and put him to shame.
CHAPTER XV
Balder the Beautiful
The Summer Sun-god — Blind Hotlur — Nanna the Brave — The Light
Battles — A Dread Omen— -Haider's Dreams — Fogg's Alarm — World Vows
taken — Odin descends to Hela — The Vala invoked — Her Prophecies— Loke's
Evil Design — The Mistletoe Arrow of Pain-— Balder is killed— -Hermod**
Mission — The Funeral of the God — Odin whispers — Hermod in Hela — Urd'i
Decree — World Tears — Hag seals Baider's Fate.
BALDER THE BEAUTIFUL was the most noble and pious of
the gods in Asgard, The whitest flower upon earth is
called Baider's brow, because the countenance of the god
was snow-white and shining. Like fine gold was his
hair, and his eyes were radiant and blue. He was well
loved by all the gods, save evil Loke, who cunningly
devised his death.
Balder, the summer sun-god, was Odin's fairest son;
his mother was Frigg, goddess of fruitful earth and sister
of Njord, His brother was blind Hodur, On Baider's
tongue were runes graven, so that he had great
eloquence. He rode a brightly shining horse* and his
ships, which men called "billow falcons**, were the sun*
beams that sailed through the drifting cloudways. For
wife he was given Nanna, the moon maid, the brave one
who fought with him the light battles. On a bright
horse she rode also, and tender was she and very lair*
There came a time when Odin and Balder went forth
to journey through a wood, A dread omen forewarned
them of disaster, because the leg was sprained of Bidder's
1*6
BALDER THE BEAUTIFUL 147
horse — the horse from whose hoofmarks bubbled forth
clear wells. Charms were sung over the sun-god by
Nanna and by her fair sister Sunna, the sun maid. Frigg
also sang, and then Fulla her sister. Odin uttered magic
runes to protect him from evil.
But soon after Balder began to languish. The light
went from his eyes, care sat on his forehead, and melan-
choly were his lips. To him came the gods beseeching
to know what ailed him, and he told that nightly he
dreamed fearsome dreams which boded ill, and revealed
to him, alas ! that his life was in dire peril.
Now Frigg, who had fore-knowledge of all things
save Balder' s fate, sent forth her maid-servants to take
oaths from all creatures living, from plants and metals,
and from stones, not to do any hurt unto the god Balder.
To her, in due time, the maidens returned, and she
received from them the compacts and vows that were
given. All things promised to spare him, save the
mistletoe, slender and harmless, from which no vow was
asked, for it clung, as was its need, to a strong tree for
protection. Then was Frigg's heart filled with com-
fort, and no longer did she fear the fate of her noble
son*
But the heart of Odin was filled with foreboding.
He mounted his horse Sleipner, and went over Bif-rost
towards the north, and descended unto darksome Nifel-
hel, where dwelt the spirits of the great giants who were
crashed in the World-mill, On the borders of Hek, as
he rode speedily, a great and fierce hel-dog came after
him. There was blood on its breast, and in the dark-
ness it barked loudly, When it could go no farther, it
howle4 long with gaping jaws*
Over a long green plain went Odin, while the hoofs
of Sleipner rang fast and clear, until he came to a high
i48 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
dwelling, the name of which is Heljar-ran, of which the
keeper is Delling, the Red Elf of Dawn. Therein have
their Hela-home the fair Asmegir — Lif and Lifthraser
and their descendants who shall come at Time's new
dawn that shall follow Ragnarok to regenerate the world
of men.
To the eastern gate went Odin, where he knew there
was the grave of a Vala (prophetess). Dismounting from
Sleipner, he chanted over her death chamber strange
magic songs. He looked towards the north ; he uttered
runes; he pronounced a spell, and demanded sure
response. Then rose the Vala, and from the grave
chamber her ghostly voice spake forth and said ;
"What unknown man cometh to disturb my rest?
Snow has covered me in its deeps; by cold rains have
I been beaten and by many dews made wet* . „ , Long
indeed have I kin dead/*
Odin answered: " My name is Vegtam and my sire
was Valtam. Tell me, O Vala,*1 he cried, "for whom
are the benches of Delling's hall strewn with rings, and
for whom are the rooms decked with fine gold?**
The Vala answered and said: "Here stands for Balder
mead prepared, pure drink indeed. Over the cup shields
are laid. Impatiently do the Asmegir await him and to
make merry* * * * Alas ! by compulsion hast thou made
me to speak- „ * * Now must I be silent***
Odin said: c< Silent thou must not be until I know
who shall sky Balder — who shall bereave Odinfs son of
life,"
The Vala answered : ** Hodur shall send his brother
hither, for Balder shall he sky, and Gdin*s son bereave
of life. . . . Alasl by compulsion hast thou made me
speak. . . * Now must I be silent1*
Odin said; **StJent thou mutt not be until I know
BALDER THE BEAUTIFUL 149
who shall avenge the deed on Hodur, who shall raise
Balder's slayer on the funeral pyre."
The Vala answered: "A son, Vale, shall Rhind bear
in the halls of Winter, He shall not wash his hands
nor comb his hair until to the funeral pyre he beareth
Balder's foe. . . . Alas ! by compulsion hast thou made
me to speak. . . . Now must I be silent."
Odin said: "Silent thou shalt not be until I know
who are the maidens that sorrow and throw high their
veils with grief. Sleep not until thou dost answer."
The Vala spake and said: "Thou art not Vegtam, as
I deemed, but Odin, ruler of all"
Odin said: "No Vala art thou, but the mother of
three giants."
Then cried the Vala: " Return, O Odin, unto Asgard.
Never again shall I be called upon until Loke escapes
from bonds and the world -devastating Dusk of the
Gods is at hand."
To Asgard did Odin return; but there was no sorrow
there nor foreboding, because of the vows which Frigg
had taken from all creatures and all things that are, so
that no harm might be done unto her fair son. And
of this had the gods full proof. Balder they made to
stand amidst a rain of javelins that harmed him not.
Some flung at him stones, others smote him with their
swords ; yet was he not injured. Of Balder were they
all proud because he was charmed against wounds. To
honour him did they make fruitless attack on his fair body.
Evil there was in the heart of Loke, and in woman's
guise he went unto Frigg, who spake and said: "Why do
the gods thus assail my feir son Balder?"
Loke answered: **It is in sport they fling at him
javelins and stones and strike him with swords, because
they know full well that they can do him no hurt"
150 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Frigg said: "By neither metal, nor wood, nor stone,
can he be injured because of the world -vows which I
have received/'
"Have all things indeed sworn to protect Balder?"
Loke asked with downcast eyes.
"All things save the mistletoe," answered Frigg;
"and so slender and weak is the mistletoe that from
it no vow was demanded.''
Then Loke went from Frigg and plucked a mistletoe
sprig, which he carried to a cunning elf-smith named
Hlebard, whom he robbed of his understanding. With
the mistletoe twig the smith shaped a magic arrow — a
deadly arrow of pain. , . . Loke made haste with it to
Asgard, and he went to the green place where the gods
assailed Balder and made merry. He saw blind Hodur
standing apart, and to him he went and spake thus :
"Why, O Hodur, dost thou not join the game and
cast a missile at Balder also ?"
"Alas!" cried Hodur; "am I not blind? I can see
not my fair brother, nor have I aught which I can
throw."
" Come and do honour unto Balder like the others,"
Loke urged him. "I shall give thee an arrow for thy
bow, and hold thine arm so that thou mayest know
where he stands."
Hodur then took from Loke the magic arrow which
the elf-smith had made and placed it in his bow. Then
raised he his left arm, while evil Loke took certain aim.
"Thou canst now share in the sport," said the Evil
One unto the blind god, and went to a place apart.
The gods beheld Hodur standing with bent bow, and
paused in their game. . . . Then did the arrow dart
forth. ... It struck Balder; it pierced his fair body,
and he fell dead upon the sward.
BALDER THE BEAUTIFUL 151
In horror, and frozen with silence, the gods stood
around. . . . Where there had been joy and merry-
making, dumb grief prevailed. . . . Alone stood Hodur
wondering and in mute amaze.
But ere long angry cries broke forth, and the gods
sought to slay Death's blind archer; but the sward on
which they stood was consecrated to peace, and unwill-
ingly were their hands withheld.
Then a loud voice cried through Asgard: " Balder
is dead! .... Balder the Beautiful is dead! . . . ."
Every voice was hushed and every face turned pale
because of the disaster which had befallen the gods in
that black hour.
Thereafter arose the sound of loud lamentations, and
a tempest of grief swept over the Celestial City. Frigg
wept in silence and alone. Odin grieved inwardly, and
more than the rest he realized the great disaster which
Balder's death would bring unto the Asa-gods.
The spirit of Balder descended to the Lower World
and crossed the golden bridge over the River Gjoll.
The Asmegir in their gold-decked hall awaited him,
for they desired that he should be their ruler until the
dawn of the world's new age.
But Frigg would not suffer that Balder should remain
in Hela* She went forth when the gods ceased to cry
aloud in their sorrow and said:
" Who among thee hath longing to win my gratitude
and my love? For such shall be given unto him who
rideth to Hela to find Balder. It is my heart's desire, in
this my hour of grief, that a great ransom be offered unto
Urd, Queen of Death, so that she may permit my fair
son to return unto me again."
Forth stepped Heimdal the Young. He was a mes-
senger of the gods and a son of Odin, He spake forth
152 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
and said: "Unto Hela shall I go, O Queen of Asgard,
as thou desirest, to find Balder and to offer great ransom
unto Urd, so that she may permit him to return unto
thee once again."
Then was Sleipner taken forth for Hermod, who
leapt nimbly into the saddle. Swift as the wind he
went over the gate bridge, and through the air and
across the seas he sped and descended unto Nifel-hel
towards the north to search for Balder.
The gods bore Balder's body unto the bleak shore
of Ocean, where lay his great ship, Hringhorn. On its
deck they built a pyre covered with much treasure, and
then they sought to launch it.
But that they were unable to do, because the keel
stuck fast in the sand and would not be moved sea*
ward. So they sent unto Jotun-heim for the storm-
giantess, Hyrrokin, who was Angerboda, that ancient-
cold Vala of the east, who sweeps wind -tossed ships
into the very jaws of J£ger. On a great wolf she came
and the bridle was a writhing snake. She leapt on the
beach and with disdain regarded the gods. To four
giants were given the keeping of the wolf. Then went
she to the ship and thrust it speedily into the sea. Fire
blazed from the rollers and the earth shook.
Angry was Thor when he beheld the Hag, and he
swung his hammer to strike her down ; but him did
the gods restrain, for they sought not bloodshed in
that hour.
Then was Balder's body carried to the ship and laid
upon the pyre, and his steed beside him* Beautiful was
he in death. In white robes was Balder clad, and round
his head lay a wreath of radiant flowers.
On the shore were gathered the gods and goddesses
of Asgard. Odin was there, and he went first. His
iOKE AND HODUR
From //u1 U7«t//*/<w by C. <V. Qnt
BALDER THE BEAUTIFUL 153
ravens hovered over the ship, and his wolf-dogs wailed.
Beside him was wise Frigg, who was wont to spin golden
cloud-threads from her jewelled wheel. Queen of Asgard
was she and goddess of Maternal Love, She was robed
in black who was erstwhile attired in cloudy whiteness ;
on her golden head were the heron plumes of silence ;
a golden girdle clasped her waist and on her feet were
golden shoes. Tall was she and stately and surpassing
fair.
Dark-browed Thor was nigh to Odin, and Brage and
Tyr also. Njord, black - bearded, and clad in green,
strode his stately way. With his golden-bristled boar
came Frey, and Heimdal, horsed on Gulltop, shone fair
as sunshine. Beauteous Freyja, veiled in tears, rode her
chariot drawn by great cats, and fair Idun was there also,
and Sith with harvest hair0 Loke stood apart with tear-
less eyes.
The valkyries leaned on their spears. Frigg' s maids
were nigh the Queen of Asgard, and these were Fulla,
her sister, Hlin, who carries to Frigg the prayers of
mortals ; Gna, the speedy messenger who passes to and
fro over the earth, beholding and remembering: Lofn,
guardian of lovers, in whose name vows are made; Vjofr,
the peacemaker, who unites lovers, and husbands and
wives who have quarrelled ; Syn, the wise doorkeeper ;
and Gefjon, guardian of maids who shall never wed.
White elves were assembled on that sad shore to
sorrow, and even black elves were there. Many Frost-
giants and Mountain -giants gathered around, for there
was sadness everywhere because Balder was dead.
But none mourned more than Nanna, Balder's wife.
Silent was she; her heart wept, and fire burned in her
eyes.
Then Odin mounted the pyre. On Balder's breast
154 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
he laid the gold ring Draupner, and bending low he
whispered in Balder's ear. . . .
From that hour have gods and men wondered what
said Odin in his son's ear.
When Odin whispered
In Balder's ear,
Nor god nor man
Was nigh to hear.
What Odin whispered,
Bending low,
No man knoweth
Or e'er shall know.
In silence Odin returned to the shore, and then
Thor consecrated the pyre with his hammer. A dwarf
named Littur, who ran past him, he kicked into the boat,
where he was burned with Balder.
So ended the ceremony of grief, and the torch was
placed to the pyre. High as heaven leapt the flames,
and the faces of the gods were made ruddy in the
glow, . , . Nanna cried aloud in grief, and her heart
burst within her, and she fell dead upon the cold sea
strand.
Seaward swept the burning ship. . . . The whole
world sorrowed for Balder. . . .
Meanwhile Hermod made his darksome way through
Nifel-hel towards Hela's glittering plains. Nine days and
nine nights he rode on Sleipner through misty black-
ness and in bitter cold over high mountains and along
ridges where chasms yawn vast - and bottomless. On
Hela's borders the terrible wolf dog of the giant OfFotes
followed him, barking in the black mist. . * * Then
Hermod reached the rivers. Over Slid, full of daggers,
he went, and over Kormet and Ormet, and the two
BALDER THE BEAUTIFUL 155
rivers Kerlogar, through which Thor wades when he
goes to the Lower Thingstead of the gods. He crossed
shining Leipter, by whose holy waters men swear oaths
that bind. At length he came to the River Gjoll and
its golden bridge.
Modgud, the elf maid who watches the bridge, cried
aloud: "Whence cometh thou who hath not yet died?*1
Of her did Hermod ask who had crossed before
him. Impatient was he to brook delay.
"But five days since," she said, "there passed five
troops of warriors who rode over with valkyries, yet
made they less noise than thee alone. . . . Whom
seekest thou?"
Hermod answered and said: cc Balder, my brother,
son of Odin and Frigg, do I seek. If thou hast seen
him, speak forth and tell me whither he hath gone."
In silence did Modgud point towards the north,
whereat Hermod spurred Sleipner and went on. » . .
Soon he came to Hela's great stone gate. Strongly
barred it was and very high, and guarded by a great
armed sentinel. To none was given entry save the
dead who are brought to judgment.
Hermod leapt to the ground. He tightened the
girths of Sleipner. He remounted again. Then he
spurred Odin's horse towards the gate, and with a great
bound it leapt over, nor ceased to go onward when it
came down. . . , Swiftly rode Hermod until he came
to the palace in which Balder dwelt with the Asmegir.
From the saddle he leapt and went within. . » ,
There in a golden hall he saw Balder seated on a throne
of gold. Wan was his face and careworn, for the gloom
of death had not yet passed from him. On his brow
was a wreath of faded flowers, and on his breast the ring
Draupnen He sat listening, as if he still heard the
156 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
voice of Odin whispering in his ear. Before him stood
a goblet of mead, which he had touched not. Nanna
sat by his side, and her cheeks were pale.
Hermod beheld nigh unto them Urd, the queen of
Hela. In cold grandeur she stood, silent and alone.
Deathly white was her face, and hard and stern, and she
looked downward. On her dark robe gleamed great
diamonds and ornaments of fine gold. . . .
To Balder spoke Hermod, and said: "For thee
have I been sent hither, O my brother. In Asgard
there is deep mourning for thee, and thy queen mother
beseecheth thy speedy return."
Sadly did Balder shake his head, and to Nanna he
pointed. But she leaned towards him and whispered :
" Love is stronger than death, nor can the grave destroy
it. ... With thee, O Balder, shall I ever remain. . . ."
They would have wept, but in Hela there are no
tears.
Throughout the night did Hermod hold converse
with the twain, and when morning came he besought
Urd to release Balder from death's bonds.
With eyes still looking downwards she heard him
speak.
"In Asgard," Hermod said, "the gods sorrow for
Balder, and on earth is he also mourned. All who have
being and all things with life weep for Balder, and be-
seech th$e that he may return again."
Urd made answer coldly: "If all who have being
and all things with life weep for Balder and beseech his
return, then must he be restored again. * . * But if one
eye is without tears, then must he remain in Hela
forever."
Hermod bowed himself before Urd in silence, and
turned again to Balder and to Nanna, who went with
BALDER THE BEAUTIFUL 157
him to the door, . . . Ere their sad farewells were
spoken, Balder gave Hermod the ring Draupner to
carry back unto Odin, for in Hela the ring was without
fertility. Her veil Nanna did send unto Frigg, and a
bride's gold ring she gave for Fulla.
To Asgard did Hermod make speedy return, bearing
the gifts of Balder and of Nanna, and unto gods and
goddesses assembled together he made known the stern
decree of Hela's queen.
Over all the world did Frigg then send messengers
to beseech all who have being and all things with life
to weep for Balder, so that he might be restored again.
Then did sorrow indeed prevail. The frost of grief was
broken, and the sound of weeping was heard like to
falling streams* Men wept, as did also every animal,
peaceful and wild. Stones had tears, and metals were
made wet. On trees and plants and on every grass
blade were dewdrops of mourning for Balder,
But as the messengers of Frigg were returning to
Asgard, they came to a deep dark cavern in which sat
Gulveig-Hoder, the Hag of Ironwood, in the guise of
Thok (darkness). Her they besought to weep, so that
Balder might return. She spake coldly and said:
aThok shall weep tears of fire only because Balder
is dead. No joy hath he ever given unto me living or
dead. * . , Let Hela's queen hold what is her own."
Great was the sorrow in Asgard because that the
Hag would weep not and free Balder from death's
bonds. Upon Loke was laid the blame, because he
never ceased to work evil among the gods. But not
afar off was the day of his doom,
158 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
The Passing of Balder
I heard a voice, that cried,
" Balder the Beautiful
Is dead, is dead!"
And through the misty air
Passed like the mournful cry
Of sunward-sailing cranes.
I saw the pallid corpse
Of the dead sun
Borne through the Northern sky.
Blasts from Nifel-heim
Lifted the sheeted mists
Around him as he passed.
And the voice for ever cried,
« Balder the Beautiful
Is dead, is dead!"
And died away
Through the dreary night,
In accents of despair.
Balder the Beautiful,
God of the summer sun,
Fairest of all the Gods!
Light from his forehead beamed^
Runes were upon his tongue,
As on the warrior's sword*
All things in earth and air
Bound were by magic spell
Never to do him harm,
Even the plants and stones;
All save the mistletoe,
The sacred mistletoe !
BALDER THE BEAUTIFUL 159
Hoder, the blind old god,
Whose feet are shod with silence.
Pierced through that gentle breast
With his sharp spear, by fraud
Made of the mistletoe,
The accursed mistletoe !
They laid him in his ship,
With horse and harness,
As on a funeral pyre.
Odin placed
A ring upon his finger,
And whispered in his ear0
They launched the burning ship !
It floated far away
Over the misty sea,
Till like the sun it seemed,
Sinking beneath the waves.
Balder returned no more !
— Longfellow.
The Descent of Odin
Uprose the King of men with speed,
And saddled strait his coal-black steed ;
Down the yawning steep he rode,
That leads to Hela's drear abode.
Him the Dog of Darkness spied,
His shaggy throat he opened wide,
While from his jaws, with carnage filled,
Foam and human gore distilled;
Hoarse he bays with hideous din,
Eyes that glow, and fengs that grin;
And long pursues, with fruitless yell,
The father of the powerful spell.
160 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Onward still his way he takes,
(The groaning earth beneath him shakes,)
Till full before his fearless eyes
The portals nine of hell arise.
Right against the eastern gate,
By the moss-grown pile he sate ;
Where long of yore to sleep was laid
The dust of the prophetic Maid.
Facing to the northern clime,
Thrice he traced the runic rhyme ;
Thrice pronounced, in accents dread,
The thrilling verse that wakes the dead 5
Till from out the hollow ground
Slowly breathed a sullen sound.
Prophetess
What call unknown, what charms presume,
To break the quiet of the tomb ?
Who thus afflicts my troubled sprite
And drags me from the realms of night ?
Long on these mouldering bones have beat
The winter's snow, the summer's heat,
The drenching dews, and driving rain !
Let me, let me sleep again.
Who is he, with voice unblest,
That calls me from the bed of rest ?
Odin
A Traveller, to the unknown,
Is he that calls, a Warrior's son,
Thou the deeds of light shalt know;
Tell me what is done below,
For whom yon glittering board is spread,
Drest for whom yon golden bed*
BALDER THE BEAUTIFUL 161
Prophetess
Mantling in the goblet see
The pure beverage of the bee,
O'er it hangs the shield of gold ;
*T is the drink of Balder bold ;
Balder's head to death is given.
Pain can reach the sons of Heaven !
Unwilling I my lips unclose ;
Leave me, leave me to repose.
Odin
Once again my call obey.
Prophetess, arise and say,
What dangers Odin's child await,
Who the Author of his fate.
Prophetess
In Hoder's hand the Hero's doom ;
His brother sends him to the tomb.
Now my weary lips I close ;
Leave me, leave me to repose.
Odin
Prophetess, my spell obey,
Once again arise, and say.
Who th' Avenger of his guilt.
By whom shall Hoder's blood be spilt.
Prophetess
In the caverns of the west, *
By Odin's fierce embrace comprest,
A wondrous Boy shall Rinda bear,
Who ne'er shall comb his raven hair,
Nor wash his visage in the stream,
Nor see the sun's departing beam,
1 62 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Till he on Hoder's corse shall smile
Flaming on the fun'ral pile.
Now my weary lips I close;
Leave me, leave me to repose.
Odin
Yet a while my call obey.
Prophetess, awake, and say,
What Virgins these in speechless woe,
That bend to earth their solemn brow,
That their flaxen tresses tear,
And snowy veils, that float in air.
Tell me whence their sorrows rose;
Then I leave thee to repose*
Prophetess
Ha ! no Traveller art thou,
King of Men, I know thee now
Mightiest of a mighty line —
Odii
\m
No boding Maid of skill divine
Art thou, nor Prophetess of good ;
But mother of the giant brood !
Prophetess
Hie thee hence, and boast at home,
That never shall enquirer come
To break my iron sleep again;
Till Lok has burst his tenfold chain.
Never, till substantial Night
Has reassumed her ancient right ;
Till wrapped in flames, in ruin hurled,
Sinks the fabric of the world.
Gray.
BALDER THE BEAUTIFUL 163
The World's Tears
Odin . . . thus addressed the Gods :
" Go quickly forth through all the world, and pray
All living and unliving things to weep
Balder, if haply he may thus be won."
tWhen the Gods heard, they straight arose, and took
Their horses, and rode forth through all the world ;
North, south, east, west, they struck, and roamM the world,
Entreating all things to weep Balder's death.
And all that lived, and all without life, wept.
And as in winter, when the frost breaks up,
At winter's end, before the sparing begins,
And a warm west-wind blows, and thaw sets in —
After an hour a dripping sound is heard
In all the forests, and the soft-strewn snow
Under the trees is dibbled thick with holes,
And from the boughs the snowloads shuffle down 5
And, in fields sloping to the south, dark plots
Of grass peep out amid surrounding snow,
And widen, and the peasant's heart is glad —
So through the world was heard a dripping noise
Of all things weeping to bring Balder back;
And there fell joy upon the Gods to hear.
But Hermod rode with Niord, whom he took
To show him spits and beaches of the sea
Far off, where some unwarnM might fail to weep —
Niord, the God of storms, whom fishers know;
Not born in Heaven ; he was in Vanheim rearM,
With men, but lives a hostage with the Gods ;
He knows each frith, and every rocky creek
Fringed with dark pines, and sands where seafowl scream —
They two scour'd every coast, and all things wept.
And they rode home together, through the wood
Of Jarnvid, which to east of Midgard lies
Bordering the giants, where the trees are iron ;
There in the wood before a cave they came,
164 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
"Where sate, in the cave's mouth, a skinny hag,
Toothless and old; she gibes the passers by.
Thok is she called, but now Loke wore her shape j
She greeted them the first, and laugh'd, and said : —
" Ye Gods, good lack, is it so dull in Heaven,
That ye come pleasuring to Thok's iron wood ?
Lrovers of change ye are, fastidious sprites.
Look, as in some boor's yard a sweet-breath 'd cow,
Whose manger is stuffed full of good fresh hay,
Snuffs at it daintily, and stoops her head
To chew the straw, her litter, at her feet —
So ye grow squeamish, Gods, and sniff at Heaven ! "
She spake ; but Hermod answer'd her and said : —
" Thok, not for gibes we come, we come for tears.
Balder is dead, and Hela holds her prey,
But will restore, if all things give him tears.
Begrudge not thine ! to all was Balder dear."
Then, with a louder laugh, the hag replied : —
" Is Balder dead ? and do ye come for tears ?
Thok with dry eyes will weep o'er Balder's pyre*
Weep him all other things, if weep they will —
I weep him not ! let Hela keep her prey/'
From "Balder Dead", by Matthew Arnold.
CHAPTER XVI
The Binding of Loke
Balder*3s Avenger — Odin woos Rhind — Winter's Cold-hearted Queen —
The Coming of Vale — At Valhal's Feast — The Sword-slain Warriors — Hodur
is killed — Odin and the Riddle-Giant — The Unanswered Question — -^Eger's
Feast — Loke reviles the Gods — His Confession and Flight — His Salmon
Guise — Caught in his Net — The Evil One is bound — Skade's Revenge —
Faithful Sigyn.
As the Vala had foretold, a son was born to Odin, who
took vengeance upon Hodur because that he slew Balder.
His mother was Rhind, Earth's Winter Queen, whom
Odin wooed in the time of ice. Cold-hearted was she,
although of great beauty, and long she withheld her
love. Her sire was Billing, the Elf of Twilight, whose
dwelling was in the west. Guardian was he of the forest
of the Varns, whither fled the deities of sun and moon
to find safety from the pursuing wolves of Ironwood.
Strong-armed were the Varns, and when Sol sank into
her golden bed, their chosen warriors, who guarded her,
kept "watch with burning brands. By day they slept, but
when Sol again drave her chariot towards Billing's gate1
they lit their torches, which flamed with red fire and
gold.
When Odin went unto Billing he revealed his love
for Rhind, but the stern maid spurned with scorn the
Ruler of Asgard. Displeased with himself was Odin.
*Acew\feag to Geoffrey of MonnaoutB, the mythical Belinu«, King ot Britain,
made in London a gate of marvellous workmanship "which the citizens do still in
the*e day» call Billing-agate".
166
1 66 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Nor, as the skald hath sung, is there ua worse disease
to afflict a wise man ". Among the reeds sat Odin all
alone, awaiting Rhind, yet she would favour him not.
Her heart was frozen and cold.
A second time Odin went towards Billing's dwelling.
He bore with him a bracelet and rings of fine gold and
radiant flower-gems, and these gifts of golden summer
he offered to Rhind. But she refused them with bitter-
ness, for her heart ^7as indeed cold. Her lover she de-
spised.
A third time did Odin seek to woo the stern daughter
of Billing. He went unto her attired as a young warrior,
his helmet on his head and his sword by his side. Stately
was he as is a viking who plunders on summer seas. But
the warriors of Varn stood nigh unto Rhind. Their
torches were in their hands, and she slept. 'Sun-bright
she lay upon her golden couch. ... At morn when all
the household slumbered a hungry wolf-dog guarded her.
Odin she again rejected. Contumely she heaped upon
him, nor could he hope to gain her love.
At length Odin went unto Rhind in Hag guise.
Earth's Winter Queen languished in sickness, and he
promised to cure her. Over her then Odin muttered
spells, so that she was moved to tempest madness. Then
was she bound with ice chains. Thereafter did Odin
reveal himself to her. He took off the spell. He re-
leased her from ice bonds. Whereupon her heart melted
towards him and she became his bride.
Meanwhile in Asgard the gods sought to be avenged
on silent-footed Hodur for slaying Balder. But him they
could not discover. All day he hid in a d£ep forest, and
in nighttime only was he abroad* A magic shield he
bore, and a magic sword, and none would dare go nigh
to him when darkness fell. Ever did he move restlessly
THE BINDING OF LOKE 167
and without sound through the forest, fearing that the
avenger would come ; ever did he seek to make escape,
for of his fate he had full foreknowledge.
There came a day of brightness, and it was the May
day of Vale's coming. In the night was he born in
full strength, and towards Asgard he went speedily and
entered therein. He had the face of a child and a war-
rior's body. Straight to Valhal strode Vale, and the
watchman sought to hold him back, because his hands
were unwashed and his hair uncombed. A strong bow
he carried and three arrows.
Vale spurned the watchman and entered the warrior's
hall. At feast sat Odin and the rest of the gods, and
about them were the fearless heroes, the sword-slain war-
men whom the valkyries had chosen.
Odin received Vale with pride, and to gods and
heroes he announced: "Behold it is Vale, son of Rhind,
who shall avenge the death of Balder."
The gods spake one to another and said: "How can
this tender youth overcome night -haunting Hodur and
escape his magic sword?"
Vale answered them saying: "But one night old am I,
yet shall I avenge Balder, my brother/*
Then sat Odin's new-born son at the feast. With the
sword-slain warriors he shared the joys of Valhal, and ate
of the boar Saehrimnir which was devoured daily and be-
came whole again each night
Odin sate in his high chair. But he partook not of the
food, for he had no need of it His portion he flung to
his dogs Gere and Freke, and drank only of the mead
which nourished him forever.
For drink the heroes had the mead milk of the goat
Heidran, which ate the leaves of Laerath, the tree which
overshadows Valhal*
1 68 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
When the warriors had feasted with Vale in their
midst, they issued forth in vast numbers from ValhaTs
doors, which numbered five hundred and forty. From
each door eight hundred warriors came out, as they
shall do at Ragnarok, to combat against the hordes of
Surtur.
Thus daily do the warriors go forth as on the morn
of Vale's coming. On a great field they fight battles, and
one another they cut to pieces. On steeds they ride and
the steeds fall. On foot they rush into battle to be slain.1
Yet are they ever restored again.
Vale beheld the heroes in conflict. He saw them
slay one another. He saw them rising to return unto
Valhal
When night fell, and Sol was laid on her golden
couch in Billing's hall, Vale went forth to seek silent-
footed Hodur. Through the wood of blackness he went,
for he had knowledge of where the blind god was hidden.
Then heard he a voice which cried :
cc The avenger cometh, O slayer- of Balder."
Hodur held high his magic shield. His sword he
drew, and went in silence towards the sound of Vale's
footsteps.
The bow of Vale was bent. He shot an arrow to-
wards Hodur and it went past him. A second he cast
and it struck the magic shield. The third arrow pierced
the heart of Hodur and he fell dead.
Thus was the death of Balder avenged by Vale, son
of Odin and Rhind, the young May-god with a child's
face and the body of a strong warrior.
A pyre was built and the body of Hodur was burned
1 « They went forth to the war, but they always fell."— -Macphenon's 0wk», The
reference i» to Scandinavian invader*. Matthew Arnold applied the quotation to the
Celts.
THE BINDING OF LORE 169
thereon. The gods rejoiced that he was dead, but Balder
awaited him in Hela. Loke was yet unpunished; his
day of doom was drawing nigh.
Ere that time came, Odin went forth from Asgard and
journeyed unto Jotun-heimu There he sought the dwell-
ing of the ancient giant, Vafthrudner, to hear from him
the secrets of the past. He was the strongest of the
giants and the most cunning. He was also a maker of
riddles, and those who could answer them not he put
to death. His head he wagered that none equalled him
in wisdom.
Odin went towards the giant's dwelling in the guise
of a mortal named Gangraad,
"Why comest thou hither?" Vafthrudner asked.
His sword was in his hand.
Odin answered: "I come hither to know whether
thou art so wise and all-remembering as men say."
The giant was wroth, and to Odin he said: "If
thou art not wiser than I am, and if thy knowledge
is less than mine, thy head shall speedily be struck
from thy shoulders. If thou art proved the wiser, mine
own head is forfeit."
First the giant asked Odin if he had knowledge of
who drave the chariots of night and of day, and if he
could name the world-dividing rivers. Odin answered
him.
Then the giant asked where the last battle would
be fought, and Odin gave ready response, " On Virgrid
Plain," he said.
Much did the giant marvel. He besought Odin to
sit by his side* When Odin was seated, he in turn put
questions to Vafthrudner* He asked of the old giant
how for back he remembered, and Vafthrudner said that
he had beheld Ymer's son, Bergelmer, who escaped the
i yo TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
blood deluge, when he was laid on the World-mill to
be ground.
Of the beginning of things Odin did ask him, and
of the end. The giant made answer with great wisdom.
There was naught of which he could not speak with full
knowledge.
Then did Odin rise from his seat and say: "One last
question shall I put thee, O Vafthrudner, and if thou
canst not answer it, thy head is forfeit."
The giant was without fear. He listened, fully
assured that he could make ready response.
But Odin spake and said: "Tell me if thou canst, O
maker of riddles, what did Odin whisper into Balder's
ear?"
Then was the giant stricken with great fear, because
he perceived that the stranger was none other than Odin
himself. With trembling voice he confessed that he was
vanquished. So he who sought to slay the stranger was
himself slain. By Odin was his head struck off.
By the gods was Odin called Jalk1 when he slew the
great giant.
But although Odin brought judgment upon the
tyrant Vafthrudner, as he was wont to do unto all evil-
doers, it was long ere he meted out just punishment to
him who had in secret devised the death of Balder. But
his hour was very nigh. His place beside Fenrer awaited
him.
Shunned was Loke in Asgard, and rarely he went
thither ; for Balder he mourned not nor shared the grief
of the gods, by whom he was suspect.
The time came when JEger sent messengers to the
high Celestial city to invite the dwellers there to the
harvest -end feast of the autumnal equinox. Thither
* Ja<& tke Gitnfc-kili«r.
THE BINDING OF LOKE 171
they journeyed^ robed in state, to drink of JEger's
mead.
Now, while they sat round the board, Loke, who was
not bidden to the feast, entered with stealthy steps.
Funafeng, the guardian of the door, sought to hold him
back.
"No seat awaits thee here," he said. "Thou hadst
better haste to Ironwood and feast with Angerboda,
mother of the Fenrer wolf."
Wroth was Loke with -ZEger's servant, and more
wroth was he when he heard the gods praising Funafeng
because of the words he had spoken. So he turned on
the bold guardian of the door and slew him.
The gods rose in anger, and seized their weapons to
be avenged, but Loke fled forth in the darkness and
concealed himself in a deep forest at the sea bottom.
Then was the feast resumed. Mead flowed plente-
ously from ^Eger's vessels, for, like the horn of Utgard-
Loki, they could never be emptied, and they were ever
foil.
Again Loke returned. Eldir guarded the door. The
Evil One spake freely to him and said : " Of what do the
gods speak as they drink their mead?"
" They speak of thee," Eldir answered, " and the evil
deeds thou hast done."
"Then shall I enter," said Loke. "I shall revile
them one after another until they are covered with
shame."
Silent in their anger were the gods when they beheld
Loke in their midst once again* But he demanded a seat
at the board.
"Am 1 not an Asa -god?" he cried. "The golden
mead I daim as my due."
Brage* god of music aad song, spake fiercely and said :
TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
" Thou shalt never again be an equal of the gods. For
thy villainy art thou become an outcast. For thee is
now prepared a drink of revenge."
To Odin did Loke make stern appeal, saying: "Pro-
mised we not each to the other in olden days, when our
blood we mixed together, never to drink mead that was
offered not unto both ? "
When Loke spake thus, Odin consented that he
should sit at the board> for indeed he had spoken truly.
His claim was just according to ancient vows.
A goblet of mead did Loke receive, and he cried :
"Hail to all who are here save Brage, who refused me
hospitality."
When he drank from the goblet he taunted Bralge
with scorn, and the Song-god challenged him to combat ;
but Loke heeded him not. He heard him with silent
scorn.
To Njord then turned Loke and flouted him because
that he was but a hostage of the Vans.
Njord answered and said that he was father of Frey,
who was hated by none, whereat the Evil One heaped
abuse upon the harvest-god. But Tyr said that Njord's
fair son was the best of all chiefs among the gods, and
that his doings were ever benevolent, so that by mortals
was he well loved.
Loke cried: "Silence, O Tyr. Thou hast but one
hand since the Fenrer wolf seized thee."
Tyr answered: "Better to lose a hand than a good
reputation, for that thou hast not, Loke."
Frey in wrath then said ; "If thou art not silent, with
thy wolf son shalt thou be bound,"
Then did Loke taunt Frey because he had given to
Gymer the Sword of Victory with which to buy Gerd,
Shame fell upon Frey and QJX all the gods whom
e §
2
THE BINDING OF LOKE 173
Loke reviled in that hour. Then Frigg spoke angrily
to the Evil One and said:
" If I had here in JEgers hall a son like to Balder,
who is dead, thou wouldst never go from hither, for in
wrath thou wouldst be slain."
"Ha!" cried Loke, leaping to his feet; "is it thy
will, O Frigg, that I should speak further? Now hear
and know that I am the cause of Balder's death,, To
Hela was he sent by me, for to Hodur did I give the
mistletoe arrow that struck thy son down."
The gods seized their weapons to attack their evil
reviler, when suddenly thunder pealed in the hall, and
Thor stood there in their midst.
Now Loke knew well that the gods sought not to
defile the dwelling of ^Eger by shedding blood. So he
went and stood before Thor, whom he addressed, saying :
"Dost thou remember, O Asa-Thor, when thou didst
hide with fear in the thumb space of Skrymer's glove?"
c< Silence, thou evil one," roared Thor, " or else with
my hammer shall 1 strike thy head off and end thy life ! "
Then did Loke answer humbly : " Silent indeed I
shall be now, O Thor, for I know well thou shalt
strike."
So saying he left the hall. But the gods rose to
pursue him, so greatly angered were they because that he
had caused Balder's death. But Loke assumed the guise
of a salmon and escaped through the sea, and in vain
they sought him. Never again could he enter Asgard;
The gods took counsel together and decreed that
Loke should be bound because of the many evils he had
done, and especially because he devised the death of
Balder. They searched for him in Midgard and in
Jotun-heim, but found him not, for a cunning retreat
bad Loke discovered. In a diffhe dwelt behind a great
174 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
waterfall. Four doors there were in his cavern, and they
were ever kept open, so that he might make quick and
sure escape. There he devised plots to overcome the
Asa-gods.
But wearily passed the days of his solitude. One
morning he took flax and yarn and fashioned a net with
which to capture fish, and. in the manner which he made
it have fishermen ever since fashioned theirs. He took
pride in his cunning work, but for what end he devised
it no man knoweth.
Meanwhile the gods sought greatly after him. Then '
Odin mounted his golden throne and looked over the
nine worlds, searching for the place in which Loke was
hidden. He saw the cavern behind the waterfall. He
perceived Loke sitting within. Then he called the gods
and told them where the Evil One could be found.
Then set they forth and made cunning approach to
the cavern. They divided to enter all the four doors.
Loke perceived them, but not until they were very nigh
to him. Then he -flung his net upon the fire, and in
salmon guise leapt into the pool which was below the
waterfall. There he concealed himself betwixt two
stones.
When the gods entered the cavern they knew that
the Evil-worker whom they sought was not far distant,
for the fire still smouldered. Kvasir, son of Njord, who
was keen-eyed as Heimdal, at once beheld on the white
embers the ashes of the net which Loke had made. So
the gods sat down and speedily they wove another of
like kind. When it was finished they threw it into the
stream, knowing that he whom they sought was there.
But the net went over Loke.
Then did the gods take the net a second time, and
weighted it with stones so that it could be dragged along
THE BINDING OF LOKE 175
the stream's bed. Loke divined their purpose, and leapt
over the net into the waterfalL
But the gods espied him, and Thor went into mid-
stream so that he might not escape. On either bank did
the avengers drag the net towards the pooL
Loke perceived that there were but two means of
escape left to him. One was to again leap over the net ;
the other was to swim out to the sea and brave the perils
that are there. He chose to leap. But he escaped not,
for Thor grasped him in his hand. In vain Loke sought
to wriggle free, but Thor closed his strong fingers over
his tail. That is why the salmon's tail has been narrow
since that day.
When Loke found he could not escape, he assumed
his wonted shape. Then did the gods do as Frey had
threatened at ^ger's feast. Him they bore unto the
place where his son the wolf Fenrer was already bound
on the geyser-sprayed island in the gulf of Black Grief*
Loke's two sons, Vali and Narvi, followed him, as
did also gende Sigyn, his wife, whom he had despised
and wronged. Incantations were sung over Vali, and he
became a fierce wolf. Upon his brother Narvi he sprang
and tore him to pieces.
Then did the gods lay Loke on three sharp-edged
rocks next to the Fenrer wolf. With the sinews of
Narvi (the binder) they made chains which were like
iron, and with these they bound the Evil One securely.
Skade came from her mountain home rejoicing be-
cause that he who had cawed the death of her father,
Thjasse, was at length overcome. She bore with her a
poisonous snake, and bound it on the rock above Loke's
head. From its jaws dropped burning venom, which
tortured the Evil One with great agony.
Then took the avengers their departure, leaving Loke
1 76 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
in torment. . . . His faithful wife Sigyn remained be-
hind. Over Loke's head she is ever holding a goblet
to receive the dripping venom. So does she constantly
guard her evil husband. But when the vessel is filled
to the brim she must needs bring it down, so that it may
be emptied. Then do venom drops fall upon Loke's
face, burning him fiercely. . . . When that happens he
struggles madly with his bonds, and the rocks shake and
Midgard trembles to its foundations. ... It is thus that
earthquakes are caused.
On the island of the Gulf of Black Grief must Loke
and the Fenrer wolf remain until Ragnarok. The wolf
dog Garm shall bark aloud when they escape from their
bonds.
CHAPTER XVII
The Dusk of the Gods
The Vala's Song — Signs of Ragnarok — Evil among Men — Fimbul
Winter — Goldcomb's Warning — Giants assail Bif-rost — HeimdaPs Horn is
blown — The Quaking of Ygdrasil — JU>ke and the Monsters freed — Ship of
Death — Fear in Hela — Harper of Ironwood — The Midgard Serpent rises —
Coming of Monsters — The Last Scene — Gods in Battle: their Doom — Odin
avenged — Sun and Moon devoured — The End of All — World's New Age —
Haider's Return — The Regenerating Race — All-father's Decrees.
THERE was a Vala who sang of the end of all things, of
the doom of gods and men, of the last dread battle and
Odin's death, and of the coming of Surtur, whose flames
shall consume the world. In mid-air she sang, and at
high noon. Odin, sitting in his throne of gold, was
silent, and listening he understood, for from the begin-
ning he had foreknowledge of the end. Yet was he not
afraid. He awaited Ragnarok, "the Dusk of the Gods",
as in youth he had waited, and now he was grown old.
It was thus the Vala sang :
" The Age of Evil hath come upon earth — the Knife
Age, the Axe Age, and the Age of Cloven Shields. The
violent fall upon the peaceful ; brothers slay brothers,
and the children of sisters are shedding one another's
blood. Great luxuries do men seek, and sensual sin
prevails* The world is doomed, yet is it hard and cruel
and full of sin. Thick-pressed in Hela's heavy streams
doth Urd behold wading confusedly perjurers and mur-
derers and evildoers without number, ...
OT
178 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
" Follows the Age of Northern Winds, Sword blasts
are cleaving the darkened skies. Fierce beasts from
forests and mountains and barren wilds seek their prey
among men. None spares his neighbour, nor lifts a
hand to save. . . .
"Fimbul Winter is now, come. Heavy snows are
driven and fall from the world's four corners ; the
murder frost prevails. The sun is darkened at noon;
it sheds no gladness; devouring tempests bellow and
never end. In vain do men await the coming of summer.
Thrice winter follows winter over a world which is snow-
smitten, frost-fettered, and chained in ice. . . . Yet wars
are waged, blood is shed, and evil grows greater. . . .
"Suddenly Goldcomb crows loud in Asgard; from
Hela's depths the Red Fire-Cock makes answer. On
a hilltop in Ironwood the Storm-Eagle flaps heavily its
wings, and tempests bellow over ocean and land. . . .
"The giants have gathered to assail Asgard. To
Bif-rost they hasten : at the north end are Frost-giants
and Mountain-giants ; at the south end are , the dread
sons of Suttung. Heimdal beholds them. In his hand
is the Gjallar-horn, which has long been hidden in the
deepest shade of Ygdrasil, and from it he blows a
thunder blast which awakens the nine worlds. , . .
Mimer's seven sons start from sleep in Hela's golden
hall, and arm themselves for conflict. . . . Odin talks
with Mimer's head; he divines the end of all things,
and unafraid he plans his battle array in the last conflict,
" With damour and speed the giants ascend Bif-rost,
and the sublime bridge breaks with the weight of riders,
whereat Ygdrasil quakes — the old ash, deep-rooted and
strong-rooted, trembles standing, so that the worlds are
shaken and the bonds of fettered giants are broken.
Loud barks Garm on the rocky isle of the Gulf of Black
THE DUSK OF THE GODS 179
Grief, for the wolf Fenrer escapes and Loke is set free.
Snapped are the cords that bind Naglefar, the great Ship
of Death ; it breaks loose. . . ,
cc The gods are unafraid ; they sit in counsel in their
High Thingstead. But Njord leaves Asgard and returns
to the wise Vans, for the war is waged against the Asa-
gods, and Suttung seeks to be avenged upon Odin. . . .
" The elves tremble, and the dwarfs shudder in dim-
discovered caverns ; they hide behind their rocky walls.
In Jotun-heim there is loud bellowing and defiance, and
terror spreads among men in Midgard. White fear
passes over Hela, for the uncertain conflict is at hand*
The sons of Mimer guard the gate : their long swords
are in their hands. . . ,
<c In gloomy Ironwood the ice-cold heart of Anger-
boda is made glad. Gymer sits upon a mound alone,
playing a harp ; he is merry because of what is at hand*
Long hath he awaited the hour of doom. To him comes
Fjalar-Suttung, creator of illusions, in the guise of Hela's
red cock, and he seeks the Sword of Victory which
Gymer hath guarded — the sword which Thjasse-Volund
forged with spells to wreak vengeance upon the gods,
which Mimer captured and Svipdag found, the sword
which Frey should wield in the last battle, and he yet
gave to Angerboda for love of Gerd. To Fjalar-Suttung
is the Sword of Victory given up, and he hastens to
Surtur. . . .
" Now from the east drives Hrym ; a buckler covers
him, and his hordes follow. The Midgard serpent is
shaken with giant rage, for its hour hath come; it
writhes and wallows on Ocean's slimy floor, so that
billows are raised and driven over Midgard high as the
mountains; it rears its shaggy head out of the sea;
venom-spotted is its body, and fire fumes it sends forth*
i8o TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
In Ironwood the storm eagle rises with beating wings.
It snaps its sharp beak; it hungers for dead men's
flesh. „ * .
"The Ship of Death is sailing over the sea. On
board are the sons of Muspel, who were bound; the
stricken Jotuns, freed from bonds ; Garm, the watch-dog ;
and the unfettered wolf Fenrer. Monsters gaunt and
grim are in the ship, and Hel is there also. Loke is
the pilot and holds the rudder. To Ironwood he steers ;
over it his host he shall lead to the plain of Vigrid. . . .
"From the south comes black Surtur. In his hand
flames the Sword of Victory, which he hath received from
Suttung. Seething fire gleams from the sunbright blade,
and his bleak avengers follow him. . . .
cc Mountains are shaken and the rocks tremble. The
giant maids are stricken with fear. Mortals in Midgard
are strewn in death, and their shades crowd the path to
Hela. Heaven yawns ; it is rent in twain because that
Surtur issues forth. . , .
cc On the plains of Vigrid is the last battle fought. A
hundred miles it stretches in length, and a hundred miles
in width, enclosing the wood of Vidar the Silent, where
Odin is doomed to die. . . . The hosts of evil come
against the hosts of Asgard. Frey leads the heroes of
Valhal in the fray. He goes against black Surtur, un-
armed and without fear, and by the Sword of Victory he
is slain.
" Against strong Tyr leaps Garm, the fierce wolf-dog,
and in dread conflict they engage ; and one by the other
is wounded, so that both fall dead.
" Loke battles with Heimdal, but against the shining
hero the Evil One cannot prevail. Terrible is Loke's
aspect after long torture, for his beard and hair have
grown like horns, With his bright sword the watchman
THE DUSK OF THE GODS 181
of Bif-rost takes his head. But even after death is the
Evil One avenged, for his head strikes the body of
Heimdal, who is grievously wounded thereby and
brought to life's end.
" There is no longer fear in Hela ; the sons of Mimer
rejoice because that Loke is dead
u Thor is engaged in fierce combat with the Midgard
serpent. Long is the strife and uncertain. The serpent
is coiled and uncoiled ; it writhes before Thor ; it avoids
his hammer blows, and over him it pours floods of
venom. Terrible is the wrath of the thunder-god, and
fain would he smite his enemy, dreading that he will be
overcome. But at length he prevails. Thunder bellows
loud and Mjolner flashes fire as Thor smites the death-
blow, and the monster is stretched dying upon the plain.
Great renown, indeed, hath the God of Thunder gained,
yet pays he life's cost for the victory. With its last fierce
breath the serpent sends forth suffocating venom fumes,
and Thor staggers back nine paces. Then with a thunder
groan the victor falls dead. . . .
u How fares Odin in this dread hour ? He combats
with the ravenous wolf Fenrer, the avenging monster
which broke free from its bonds. From earth to heaven
its jaws gape. Fiery flames dart from its nostrils and
from its eyes. Odin fights with his spear Gungner, and
Violent are his blows. He rides on Sleipner; on his
head gleams his helmet of gold ; his blue robe streams
behind. Fearless is Odin and proud, and his form is
stately in this his hour of doom. Naught can avail him
in the great combat. He is stricken down in his splen-
dour, and by the wolf is he devoured.
" Yet shortlived is the triumph of Fenrer. Strong
Vidar the Silent advances speedily to avenge his sire's
death. His iron-shod foot is stamped on the monsters
1 82 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
under jaw. He struggles fiercely with the terrible wolf,
for he is stronger and must prevail. In the end he
tears asunder the great jaws, and plunges his spear in
Fenrer's heart through that throat of fire* Thus Odin
is avenged, . . ,
" How fares the Asa-hosts when Odin and Thor fall,
and Tyr and Frey lie dead ? The heroes of Valhal are
scattered, hordes of giants are killed, and the field is
wet with blood. The black dragon Nidhog is soaring
through the air with rustling wings. It flies towards the
plain of battle and swallows the bodies of the dead. . . .
Surtur alone prevails.
<c In Heaven there is disaster. Closer and closer hath
the giant wolf Skoll crept towards the sun, and now he
swallows it. By Hati-Managarm is the moon devoured.
" So is the sun darkened at high noon, the heavens
and the earth are turned red with blood, the seats of the
mighty gods drip gore. So is the moon lost in blackness,
while the stars vanish from the skies.
" Now Surtur completes creation's doom. He casts
his firebrands against the scattered Asa-hosts, and those
who remain are burned up, save Vale and Vidar, sons of
Odin, and Modi and Magni, sons of Thor. Midgard is
swept by flame; the smoke curls round mountain tops;
all things are burned up ; nothing with life remains.
Asgard is scorched, and fire envelops the withering
trunk of Ygdrasil. Even Nidhog is destroyed in its
flight. . . . Earth, smouldering and black, sinks into
Ocean; the billows cover it. ...
" Now there is naught but thick bkckness and silence
unbroken. The end hath come — Ragnarok, *the Dusk
oftheGods'l"
. * * » . »
Silent was then the voice of the Vala in mid-air and
THE DUSK OF THE GODS 183
at high noon. Odin sat in his throne of gold listening
through the stillness, unafraid, waiting for Ragnarok and
his own doom. Waited he also for the song's end and
the promise of Time's new morning, when evil would
cease to be and Balder would come back.
The skylark soars till its song falls weakly; at morn
is its singing fresh and sweet. Sweet, too, and fresh was
the song of the Vala when Odin heard, sitting in his
throne, her voice falling through the stillness, afar off but
clear.
• •••«.
"In Hela's realms there is sure defence. None
goeth thither to conquer, and the long swords are un-
stained with blood. The fire hath reached not the
Underworld. Mimer's seven sons, who have awakened,
sleep not again. The roots of Ygdrasil are watered once
more from Mimer's well; fire has destroyed not the tree
save those branches which had withered; it grows green
again.
"The World's New Age hath dawned. The sun
is bright in heaven, for Balder hath returned. Earth
rises a second time, from the deep sea; it rises clad with
green verdure. The sound of falling waters fills the
morning air. High soars the eagle; from the mountain
ridge he espies the fish. * . ,
" Asgard is again made fair. The young gods arrive.
Balder is there, and Hodur, his brother; Vale and Vidar
are there also, and Mode and Magne, who bear with
them Mjolner, the hammer of Thor. Honer, who reads
the future, is in their midst; he is able to choose his
part
"Of the evils and perils of past time do the gods
converse. Midgard's serpent they call to mind and
the wolf Fenrer. They forget not the judgments of the
i84 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
gods and the antique mysteries. They remember the
sacred runes of mighty Odin. On the grass they find
the tablets of gold with which in the Golden Age was
played the game of the gods. So did the Asa clan find
them on Time's fair morning ere yet by the Hag was
Asgard corrupted.
" The world is decked in beauty. Fields yield pro-
duce without being sown. Evil is ended and every ill
hath ceased. Balder hath indeed returned, and with
Hodur he dwells in the holy halls of Odin.
"The sons of the two brothers are in the vast abode
of the winds, the wide free hall of the cloud drift* In
the sun chariot is Sol's daughter, who is more beautiful
than was Sol, and she drives in brightness over a heaven
of blue.
" Lifthraser and Lif and their descendants, who are
the regenerating race, have come from Mimer's realm
to inhabit Midgard. Pure are they and without stain.
Honey-dew is their food in Time's new morning: their
children shall overspread the earth.
"The new race shall dwell, when life ends, in their
hall which is named Gimle. Brighter it shines than the
sun, and its roof is of gold, and it stands in high
heaven. There indeed shall the holy ones dwell in
peace and eternal joy for evermore.
"Northward on Nida mountains is a golden hall. The
sons of Mimer and Sindre's race have dwelling within it.
In heaven there is also the hall Brimer, where mead
drinkers sit round the board amidst plenty and in peace.
" The evil ones who have fallen from their high state
dwell in Naastrand. A vast hall it is, and of great
height. Its doors are open to the north. With serpents
was it built; they are entwined so that their backs are
outward and their heads are within. Venoxn drops from
THE DUSK OF THE GODS 185
their jaws; it burns the sinners on the benches beneath;
they wade through venom floods in the hall. . . .
"Odin returns not again, nor Heimdal. Another
comes who is more mighty. Him I <£are not name, for
he is All-father o He comes to the great judgment; he
utters decrees. He governeth all realms, by him are all
things swayed. He settles strife; he makes war to cease.
He ordains sacred laws -which are inviolable and shall
flourish for ever."
The Vala's song was ended, and Odin sat in his
golden throne, pondering in silence.
Regeneration
Far to the south, beyond the blue, there spreads
Another Heaven, the boundless — no one yet
Hath reach'd it j there hereafter shall arise
The second Asgard, with another name.
Thither, when o'er this present earth and Heavens
The tempest of the latter days hath swept,
And they from sight have disappear'd, and sunk,
Shall a small remnant of the Gods repair;
Hoder and I shall join them from the grave.
There re-assembling we shall see emerge
From the bright Ocean at our feet an earth
More fresh, more verdant than the last, with fruits
Self-springing, and a seed of man preserved,
Who then shall live in peace, as now in war.
But we in Heaven shall find again with joy
The rain'd palaces of Odin, seats
Familiar, halls where we have supp'd of old ;
Re-enter them with wonder, never fill
Our^eyes with gazing, and rebuild with tears.
And we shall tread once more the well-known pkin
1 86 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Of Ida, and among the grass shall find
The golden dice -wherewith we play'd of yore;
And that will bring to mind the former life
And pastime of the Gods, the wise discourse
Of Odin, the delights of other days.
— From "Balder Dead",, by Matthew Arnold.
CHAPTER XVIII
The Coming of Beowulf
The First Parents — Heimdars Mission — A Wise Ruler — Passing of Scyld
. — Hrothgar builds Heorot — The Demon Grendel — Warriors devoured by
Night — Reign of Terror — Beowulf of the Geats — He sets forth to fight the
Demon — The Voyage — Challenged by the Shore Guardian — The King's Wel-
come— Beowulf asks a Boon — Waiting for Grendel — Beowulf keeps Watch.
To Ask and Embla, the first man and the first woman,
did the gods impart divine attributes when they had
but tree life, and were of little might and without des-
tiny. Naked they stood before Odin at the seaway
end. Perceiving their conscious shame, he gave unto
them divine garments, and in these they took pride. In
Midgard they dwelt, on the shore edge of Western
waters, and their children multiplied, and their children's
children* The lives of mortals were long in those days;
they were yet innocent, and dwelt together in peace. The
Golden Age prevailed in Asgard, nor had the Evil One
of Ironwood corrupted the gods.
In after days Heimdal, son of Odin and of the nine
Vana-mothers who were daughters of sea-dwelling Ran,
was given from out of Gjallarhorn a wisdom draught of
Mimer's mead. Then became he a child in human guise.
In a fair ring-stemmed ship was he laid, wrapped in soft
slumber, and his pillow was a golden grain sheaf, the gift
of Frey, god of harvest. Around him were heaped great
treasures, war glaives and full armour, weapons and tools,
187
1 88 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
which the gods had made in Asgard. The sacred fire-
borer took Heimdal also with him — he who was called
Stigande, the journey-maker.
There came a sunbright morn when men, looking
westward from Scedeland's high shore, saw drifting
towards them over the blue sea a fair ship, and on the
stem shone golden rings. Nigh it came, and it found a
safe harbour and lay therein. With wonder the people
beheld on the deck a man-child wrapped in soft slumber;
his pillow was a golden grain sheaf, and they named him
Scyld1 of the Sheaf. Him they took unto their chief ?s
home, and there he was nourished and fostered tenderly.
The treasures that were in the ship gave great riches and
power unto the tribe, and they received knowledge to
grow grain and to use the sacred fire. When the child
reached to wise manhood, he became a ruler among men,
and long were his years.
Of Heimdal have skalds sung that thrice were sons
born to him of earth mothers. The first was Thrall,
from whom thralls are descended ; the second was Churl,
sire of freemen ; and the third Jarl, from whom all nobles
have sprung.
So when warriors assembled to feast together and
drink mead, and ere the song was raised, have skalds
spoken thus: —
"Give ear all ye divine races, great and small, spns of Heimdal ".
Scyld of the Sheaf achieved great renown. He who
was received as a helpless child became a great and good
king. He drove invaders from the shores, he scattered
ravaging bands, and among the tribes he was regarded
with awe* Indeed he waxed so powerful that tribute
1 As ia Beowulf. Elsewhere Scyld is called son of Sheaf.
THE COMING OF BEOWULF 189
was paid to him by the people who dwell beyond the
seaway of whales.
A man-child was born unto Scyld. He was named
Beowulf1, and when he came to years of strength and
knowledge he won fair repute. Among the followers of
his sire he distributed many money gifts, so that he won
their favour; ready were they indeed to serve him in
wartime.
When Scyld was of great age, he departed at his
fateful hour to go into the keeping of the Lord*
According to his dying request his faithful subjects
carried him down to the seabeach. There in the small
harbour lay the ship in which as a child he had come
over the waves. Ready to go seaward, the vessel waited
him in wondrous wintry beauty, glistening with hoar
frost and ice. By the mast, oiy the broad bosom of the
ship, the mourners laid down their well-beloved lord, the
generous giver of golden money rings. Great treasures
they heaped around him — graven ornaments from distant
lands, armour and weapons of war and bright swords —
and on his breast they put many gems. As rich and
numerous were the gifts they gave as were those they
had received with the child in other years.
Over the dead king they hoisted a banner of
gold. . . . Then was the boat let loose. . . . The tide
bore it away to the heaving ocean. . . . Thus in deep
sadness ^as the king given unto the sea, while his people
sorrowed for him, watching from the shore, ... No
man can tell who received that fair ship's burden
Beowulf then reigned over the Scyldings, and was
honoured and well loved. His son Healfdene2, who
followed him, was famed afar as a warrior, and when he
waxed old he was yet fierce in battle. Four children
1 The ddcr Btowulf j not the hero of the poem.
190 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
he had — Herogar, a captain of war men ; Hrothgar, who
became king ; Halga the Good ; and Elan, the queen of
a Swedish chieftain.
Hrothgar was a strong leader, and won many great
battles. He received willing service, and under him the
young war-men increased in numbers, until he com-
manded a mighty army. Then bethought he to have
a great Hall built, with a larger feasting room than was
ever heard of among men. For that purpose were
workers from many tribes put in service, and in due
season was erected the high, horn-gabled building which
was called Heorot, and it awaited the devouring flames.
There was much feasting and merriment in the great
Hall. A fierce man-eating monster, which dwelt in dark-
ness, was made angry by the revelry, the music of harps,
and the cheerful songs of skalds. One1 was in the hall,
too, who told how the Almighty did create man and the
earth in the midst of the encircling sea, and did set the
sun and moon in the heavens to give light and cover
the land with branches and leaves.
Thus did war-men live happily indeed in the Hall,
until the Hell-fiend began to work evil. Grendel was
his name, and he hovered by night on the marches and
held moorland and fen. By the Creator were he and his
kind banished to their dark lairs, because they were the
kindred of Cain, the slayer of Abel, whose evil progeny
were monsters and elves and sea-demons, as well as the
giants who fought with God, for which he paid them
their reward.
Now it happened that in the midst of the night the
demon Grendel entered the silenced hall to discover who
were lodged there after beer-drinking. He beheld a
Evidently an interpolation by a Christian copyist. Further an ofTermg* arc
made to idols.
THE COMING OF BEOWULF 191
band of high war -men who had feasted, and were
wrapped in deep slumber ; they had forgotten sorrow,
that woeful heritage of men.
With fury was the demon possessed, and thirty of the
war-men he carried off while they slept, hastening with
exulting heart to his lair with that fill of slaughter.
At daybreak there was grief and loud wailing in the
Hall. The great and honoured prince sat moodily,
stricken with great sorrow, and gazed at the blood track
of the fierce demon. His distress was long-lasting, and
deep.
On the next night the demon Grendel returned, and
did more murderous deeds. Nor had he any regret
thereat, so much was he steeped in crime. Then was it
easy indeed to find men who sought inner chambers by
night. He alone who found farthest retreat escaped the
fierce fiend.1
Then became Grendel the master indeed. For the
space of twelve long winters Hrothgar endured because
of the demon great sorrow and deep loss. Minstrels
went abroad making known in song the ceaseless outrages
and fierce strife. No offering would Grendel take, nor
could the greatest war-man who was seized expect to
escape his doom. He entrapped young and old ; on the
mist-dark moorlands he seized his victims night after
night. In vain did Hrothgar lament and make offerings
unto idols, and pray that the soul destroyer would give
them release from the demon. So did the heathen, as
was their custom, remember hell, for they knew not the
Creator, the Judge of Deeds, the Lord God, nor could
they praise the Lord of Glory.
Then did Beowulf, a thane among the Geats, come
to hear in his fatherland of the deeds of Grendel. In his
*Grertdel could enter the hall onlyj other dwellings were "taboo"*
1 92 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
time he was the strongest among living men, and he was
noble as he was indeed mighty.
"Get ready my good wave-traverser," he said. "I
shall go unto Hrothgar over the swan-way; he hath
need of men."
The prudent, who depended on his aid, sought not
to hold Beowulf back ; they urged on the stout-hearted
hero, and looked eagerly for favourable omens.
Beowulf selected fourteen of the finest war men to go
with him, and took also a sea-skilled mariner, who knew
the landmarks along -the path of Ocean. Then to the
ship they all went together: it lay beached below a
sheltering headland. The warriors, bearing their arms,
walked on to the stem, while the sea waves were washed
against the sand. The armour and ornaments were
placed on board, and then the willing heroes pushed into
deep water the strong timber-braced ship. Like to a bird
was that swift floater, necked with white foam, driven by
favourable winds over the sea waves. All night they
sailed on, and next day they beheld high and shining
cliffs, steep mountains, and bold sea-nesses. So came
they to the seaway end; the voyage was over and past.
The heroes leapt speedily from the ship and made it
fast to the shore. Their armour clinked as they turned
inland, while they thanked God that the seaway had
been made easy to them*
Then there came towards them the Coast Guardian of
the Scyldings, riding upon his horse along the shore. He
shook his strong spear shaft as he drew nigh, and he
spake> saying:
cc Who are ye who in a high ship have come over the
seaway, well-armed and bearing weapons? Know ye that
I keep watch over the shore so that sea plunderers may
not do harm to Denmark. Never "havd I beheld armed
o u
S £?
O '£
H 5
THE COMING OF BEOWULF 193
men landing more openly; nor know ye the password of
friends. Nor ever have I beheld a greater earl than this
one among you. Unless his looks belie him, he is no
home-stayer. Noble is his air. . . . Ere you advance
farther to spy out the land, I must know who ye are.
Now, listen to me, sea travellers from afar, my frank
advice is that ye reveal at once from whence ye come/*
That shore guardian did Beowulf answer thus : " We
are Geats, the hearth friends of Hygelac. My sire
Ecgtheow, the noble leader, was renowned among the
people ; he is remembered by every wise man. Now
know that we come seeking thy king, the son of Healf-
dene, protector of the people. Be thou our guide. A
great mission is ours, nor need its purpose be concealed.
To us hath it been told, and thou knowest if it is true,
that a malignant foeman. works evil by night among the
Scyldings. I can council Hrothgar how the fiend may be
overcome and his misery have end/'
On his horse sitting, the fearless shore guardian spake
in answer, saying: "A shield war man shall judge well
between your words and deeds. Friendly are you, I
hear, to the ruler of the Scyldings. Then pass onward
in armour carrying your weapons. I shall guide ye.
My comrades shall guard thy ship, so that the well-loved
man, thy leader, may return over the sea tides to the
borders of the Weders. To him it is assured that he
shall come unscathed through the battle crush."
Together they went on their way until they came to
the high and gold-decked Hall of Hrothgar. The shore-
guardian pointed towards it and said: " Now must I take
my departure. May the Almighty protect you all in
your adventure. To the seashore I must hasten to keep
watch against hostile bands/*
Beowulf and his heroes reached the Hall. Sea-weary
i94 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
they all were, and they placed their shields and armour
against the wall ; they put their spears together and
rested on benches.
A warrior, who was Hrothgar's messenger, asked
them whence they came. "Never/* said he, "have I
seen bolder strangers. It would seem that ye have
come to seek Hrothgar, not because of exile, but be-
cause of your bravery and noblemindedness."
Then did Beowulf reveal who he was and seek
audience with the king, and his message did Wulfgar bear
unto Hrothgar, who sat, grey-headed and old, among
his peers.
cc As a youth I knew Beowulf," the aged ruler said.
" He comes to a sure friend. Of him have I heard that
his hand hath the strength of thirty men. The holy
God hath sent him hither as a help against the dreaded
GrendeL"
So he bade the messenger welcome Beowulf and his
men and usher them to his presence.
When Beowulf entered he hailed Hrothgar, the
kinsman of Hygelac, standing before him in shining
armour.
"In my youth," he said, "I have undertaken great
exploits. In my fatherland heard I of the evil deeds
of Grendel, and my people counselled me, knowing my
great strength, that I should come hither. For they
know well that I avenged the sorrow of the Weders,
bound five of their foes, slew a brood of giants, and
killed sea monsters by night. . . . Alone shall I go
now against this demon, this giant Grendel .!"
Then asked Beowulf as a boon that he alone with his
warriors should be left to cleanse the hall of the monster.
Having heard that Grendel had no fear of weapons, he
also made » known his desire to contend with him ug-
THE COMING OF BEOWULF 195
armed. "With the fiend/' he said, "I shall wrestle
for life, foe against foe."
Hrothgar accepted Beowulf's offer with gladness, and
granted him the boon he sought. Then was a bench
cleared for the noble heroes. They sat there in pride
and drank of bright liquor. Songs were sung by a
clear-voiced minstrel. There was much joy in the hall
among the Danes and the Weders, who were no small
company.
When they had feasted, and the queen bore the cup
round the heroes, young and old, she greeted Beowulf,
who, when he had drunk, said he had vowed to slay
Grendel or perish in his clutches.
The old queen was much pleased to hear the words
which the great hero spake.
Loud revelry was heard in the hall once more until
Hrothgar desired to go to his couch. Well he knew
that the night -haunting monster would attack the hall
when the sun's radiance was dimmed and shadows fell,
and dusky shapes were stalking under the clouds.
Then the whole company arose and greeted the
heroes. Hrothgar greeted Beowulf and wished him
success and power in the hall.
" Be mindful of thy renown," the king said, " make
known thy great might, be watchful against the foe. . . .
Thou shalt lack naught that thou dost desire if thou shalt
survive this conflict."
Whereupon Hrothgar went forth with all his war-
riors, leaving the hall to Beowulf and his men.
When he was thus left alone with his heroes, the
chief of Geats took off his armour, and gave his deco-
rated sword to his thane. Ere he lay down in bed he
said:
"No less in fighting strength than Grendel do I
196 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
account myself. I shall not slay him with my sword
as I well might. He knows not the noble art to strike
back, splitting my shield, although he hath courage and
strength in evildoing. No weapons shall we use if he
dares combat without them. . . . May the wise God,
the holy Lord, give victory to the side which may seem
meet to Him.
On his pillow Beowulf then laid his head. Around
him on beds lay his warriors, nor did one of them expect
ever again to return to his home ; for each of them had
heard how, in times past, the Danish warriors were taken
from the Hall in bloody death.
In the blackness of night Grendel, the shadow-goer,
came striding towards the Hall. . „ . The warriors, sea-
weary and spent, lay wrapt in deep slumber, nor kept
watch — all save one. He alone was defiantly awake,
awaiting the issue of the conflict with increasing wrath.
CHAPTER XIX
Conflict with Demons
Grendel enters the Hall — A Warrior devoured — Struggle with Beowulf
• — Terror-stricken Danes — The Hero Triumphant — Flight of the Demon —
The Great Feast — Beowulf honoured — GrendePs Mother takes her Revenge
— The Hero follows her — His Great Dive — Fight in the Cave — The Ancient
Giant-sword — The She Demon slain — How Beowulf became a Prince.
OVER the moor in the black mist Grendel came
stalking. The wrath of God was upon him. He saw
the high hall and hungered for human flesh. . . .
Stealthily he strode below the dark clouds, so that he
might peer into the feasting chamber, which was deco-
rated with gold and shining with ornaments. ... It
was not the first time he had entered it, but never before
did he meet therein with a mightier warrior and braver
watchmen.
So ,came that accursed fiend towards the Hall. The
door was shut and strongly barred with iron bands ; but
he smote it with his great hands and it flew open. The
demon was bent upon evil and swollen with fury as
he tore through the entrance. With swift footsteps he
strode his silent way over the finely paved floor. „ . .
He raged inwardly, and in the darkness awesome lights,
like to fire, burned in his eyes. . . . He surveyed the
hall ; he saw warriors asleep on the benches and his heart
exulted as he resolved to devour each one separately ere
the night was spent. . . . But he had come to his last
feast of human flesh.
197
198 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Beowulf lay watching Grendel. Soon the hero
beheld how suddenly the fiend snatched up his prey.
Without delay that grim monster clutched a sleeping
warrior, tore him asunder, chewed his flesh, and drank
his blood, swallowing great mouthfuls quickly, until he
completely devoured the man, and even his hands and feet.
Then Grendel came nearer; his claws darted out to
wards Beowulf as he lay in bed. But the hero divined
the demon's purpose, and he clutched the monstrous arm
and threw his weight upon it. ... Never before did
Grendel feel a stronger hand-grip, and he was suddenly
stricken with terror and sought to escape. ... In vain
he struggled to break free, so that he might take flight
into the blackness of night — back again to the demons of
his gang.
But Beowulf was mindful of his evening boast ; he
leapt from bed; he stood erect; tightly he grasped the
monster ; his fingers burst. . . . Grendel twisted and
swayed ; backward he sprawled towards the door, but the
hero went with him, nor relaxed his grip. The wily fiend
sought to slip without, if it were possible, and then flee
to the darksome fen. He realized what strength there
was in Beowulf's hands. ... A luckless visit indeed
had the monster made to Heorot.
Loud rang the clamour in the hall. Terror seized
upon the Danes in their safe dwellings without; there
was panic among them. . . . Beowulf and Grendel raged
with fury ; the building resounded as they struggled and
crashed round and about. ... It was a wonder that the
feasting -hall was not shattered^ and that it ever survived
the savage conflict; it might well have fallen to the
ground, but the timbers were bound together by well-
forged iron bands. . . . Never could it be destroyed by
hands, although the flames might devour it.
CONFLICT WITH DEMONS 199
Then arose a loud and awesome scream. . . . The
Danes were stricken with terrible dread, because they
heard the demon's cries of despair — his screeching song
lamenting for his wound.
Beowulf held fast ; he would not suffer the man-
eating fiend to escape alive. ... Of little account was
GrendeFs life to the world of men. „ . .
The battle heroes in the hall sought to help their
lord. They fell upon the monster without fear, and
smote him with their war swords, but without avail, for
Grendel's body was charmed against weapon wounds, and
they could do him no hurt.
But miserable was to be the life ending of the fiend;
his alien spirit was fated to travel afar to be bound by
devils. The crime worker, the devourer of men, the
enemy of God, realized that his body would endure not
or give him help and sure defence. Brave Beowulf had
him in his power ; each loathed the other with fierce hate.
In agony was Grendel. ... A wound gaped on
his shoulder; it was torn wider and wider; the sinews
snapped ; the flesh burst. , . . The glory of battle was
given to great Beowulf. . . . Sick unto death Grendel
must indeed escape to his joyless lair below the dark-
some fen : he knew that his life days were spun to an
end. ... So tearing away, he left his arm and shoulder
in BeowulPs hands.
Thus was the desire of the Danes achieved, and the
boast of the great hero fulfilled. The high hall was
cleansed of Grendel. That indeed did the people who
were stricken and put to shame realize when they entered
Heorot, for from the great roof had Beowulf suspended
the arm of the night demon with its iron-strong hand
and clutching claws.
In the safety of morning the warriors hastened to the
200 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Hall ; from far and near the people gathered to gaze
with wonder on the traces of the conflict. The blood
tracks of the monster were on the ground. The warriors
followed his trail on horseback until they came to the
water of sea demons, which they beheld weltering with
blood; the waves surged red and hot with gore. The
death-doomed Grendel had laid his life down in his lair
— his heathen soul. There Hela1 snatched him away.
Then the mounted warriors rode back and proclaimed
the tidings and the glory of Beowulf, of whom they said
that no other warrior between the seas and the world
ever was his equal or worthier of a kingdom.
Then was great rejoicing. Warriors held races on
horses, one with another, and a minstrel thane sang of
Beowulf's deed, and of Sigemund, the Volsung, who slew
the dragon. To the Hall went many retainers to behold
the arm of Grendel. The king went to view it with his
nobles, and the queen went with her maidens.
Hrothgar gave thanksgiving to God because that the
dread of Grendel was ended, and, addressing Beowulf,
whom he called "the valiant hero", he vowed that hence-
forth he would love him as a son. . . . "Thy fame/' he
said, "shall endure for ever."
Beowulf spake in answer, and said he had done the
deed with great goodwill. "Would", he said, "that
'thou hadst witnessed the conflict I thought to hold
down the fiend on his deathbed until he died, but I
could not prevent his going away,"
The warriors were silent about him : they looked on
the arm suspended from the roof; they saw the finger-
claws which were like steel. Then they said that no
weapon could have cut off that bloody batdehand of the
demon,
Queen of Heia.'
VIKING RELICS
1, GoKl Collar from Gland. 2, Masked Helmet from Thorsbjerg Moss.
3, Drinking-horn. 4. Portion of a Damascened Sword from Nydarn.
5. Bronze Sword Grip decorated with gold and garnets.
1, 3, artif *> r?t>r mine I'd A) /><'rwm//<v ln,m "Kxltfir^ichichtt' Scbwetiens" by Oscar Montelins
CONFLICT WITH DEMONS 201
A great feast was given in Heorot in Beowulf's
honour. Hrothgar gave unto the hero as gifts a golden
banner, a helm and war armour and richly jewelled
sword. Eight battle steeds gave he also, and on one
was the king's war saddle, adorned with embroidery and
gems. To each of the hero's followers was given a
sword, and blood money was paid for the warrior whom
Grendel had devoured.
At the feast a minstrel sang of the deeds of King
Finn1 and of Hengest, Hnaef, and Hildeburgh — how
Finn married Hildeburgh, the sister of Hnaef, who was
afterwards slain and burned at the king's hall, and how
Hengest went against Finn and slew him, returning to
the fatherland with Hildeburgh.
When the song was ended, Hrothgar's queen, Weal-
titheow, gave the golden cup to the king, and then bore
it to Beowulf, to whom she also gave two golden armlets,
a mantle, and a jewelled collar which was as precious as
the collar of the Brisings,2 which Hama took from Eor-
manric. The wondrous collar did Beowulf afterwards
gift to his king, Hygelac, who wore it when, in after
days, he fell. fighting against the Frisians, when to them
it passed.
The feast was then spread ; men drank wine. They
knew not stern Wyrds — Destiny — as had many of the
nobles before them there. And when evening came,
Hrothgar rose and left the hall, and Beowulf went also
to sleep in an outer dwelling. The benches were cleared
and laid out as 'sleeping couches. , , . One among the
revellers was doomed that night to die. . . . Each of
1 One of several heroic poems founded on the Ivalde moon-myth-
2 Probably a legend founded on the fight between Heimdal and Lokc, when the
latter tries to steal Bmingamen, Freyja's necklace. Hama is Heimdal.
*Urd, Queen of Fate (as chief No^n) and of Death,
202 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
the warriors hung his armour and weapons on the wall
at his head, ready for sudden alarm and night attack.
Brave men were they!
Now demon vengeance was brooding against the
warriors because that Grendel was slain. His mother, a
female demon, was filled with woe in her dwelling amidst
awesome waters and cold streams. Ravenous and wrath-
ful she resolved to go forth to avenge her son's death.
In the darkness she made her sorrowful way, and
came to Heorot while the warriors slept on the benches.
When she broke in there was again terror in the hall,
which was just as much less than before as is a woman's
strength unto a man's on the battlefield.
Swords were drawn hastily: there was no time to don
armour. The she demon, perceiving that she was dis'-
covered, made haste to depart, but she had seized in her
grim claws a sleeping noble, and she carried him off
towards the fen. He was Hrothgar's comrade warrior
and shield bearer, JEschere, who was famed between the
two seas and well beloved. ... A wailing arose in
Heorot ; the demon had taken life for life.
The old king was sorrow-stricken when he knew that
his chief warrior was slain. He summoned Beowulf to
a council, and the hero went with his followers. Along
the floor strode the war-famed hero, while the timbers
resounded his steps. He asked of the king if he had
passed, according to his desire, an easeful night.
"Ask not of my welfare!" the king cried. "Sorrow
has again fallen upon the Danes, -ffischere is dead — ,
my right-hand man, my councillor, my teacher. The
death demon is his murderer. By her is her son's death
avenged. My comrade she hath slain because thou
didst kill Grendel, who for long slaughtered my people.
So is the feud continued against us." * „ .
CONFLICT WITH DEMONS 203
Then did the king tell Beowulf that ofttimes he
heard that two dread stalkers held the moors by night.
One of them had a woman's seeming; the other was
Grendel. None knew if there was a sire in times past.
Their lair was under the cliffs where a stream fell down-
ward— in an underworld flood below a tree -girt mere.
Nightly was a wonder beheld there — fire in the flood !
No man knew how deep was the mere. The hart when
close pursued will die rather than enter the water. An
awesome place it is!
Thence do the waves surge to the clouds when the
wind stirs up fearsome storms, the air is filled with mist,
and the heavens weep.1
Then* said the king unto Beowulf: "Once more do we
look to thee for aid. Thou knowest not yet the demon
lair, the perilous retreat, where the monster may be
found. Seek it if thou art unafraid ! Then shall I
reward as heretofore with gifts of gold if thou shalt
survive."
Beowulf was, indeed, without fear. He besought
the king to sorrow not. " Better it is," he said, " to
avenge a comrade than to grieve without end." So he
counselled that they should go forth quickly and follow
the demon's blood trail to her den. Bravely he spoke
thus : —
" Not in earth's bosom, in mountain wood, or in the
sea depths, go where she may, shall the kin of Grendel
escape me! ... Be patient in thy grief this day, O
king, as I expect of thee."
With joy the king leapt up, hearing the words that
Beowulf spake. He called for his horse, and, followed
by his men, went forth with Beowulf and his warriors.
1 Ironwood and the Hag arc suggested. Hati-managarm, Angerboda's son, is also
a rnancater like Grendel.
TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
They followed the track of the demon over the moor,
and came to the stony places and the cliffs and the
homes of sea-monsters. They reached the grey rock1
overhung by trees, and below they beheld the mere
surging and red with blood. On a cliff top they found
-^Eschere's head.
In the water they beheld serpents and awesome sea
dragons. On a ledge were sea monsters that go down
the ocean paths. When the horn gave out a battle-lay
they rushed seaward, and one did Beowulf wound unto
death with an arrow so that he swam slowly in the water.
The war-men thrust barbed boar spears at it and dragged
it ashore* With wonder they gazed on their awesome
guest.
Beowulf then girded on his armour, and on his head
put his battle helmet. Then gave Hrothgar's spokes-
man, Unferth, unto him the strong blade which was
named Hrunting. Of iron was it made, and tempered
with blood of battle; it had been forged with twig
venom and never had it failed in battle.
Then Beowulf addressed Hrothgar and besought him
to be guardian of his comrades should he himself sur-
vive not, and to send unto Hygelac the treasures he had
received.
"I shall achieve fame with Hrunting/' Beowulf cried,
<c or death shall take me/'
He awaited no answer and plunged; the surging
waters received him. Downward he sank a day's space
ere he found the bottom. . , . Soon the demon dis-
covered that an alien being came against her, and she
clutched Beowulf in her finger claws, but by reason of
his strong armour she could do him1 no hurt. Sea
1Thc Svipdag-dragon is also under a grey rock. The treasures he guards, and
especially Freyja's necklace, also shine like fire in the water.
CONFLICT WITH DEMONS 205
monsters attacked him with sharp tusks,1 so that he could
not use his sword, and they followed as the demon drew
him into her lair. Then did Beowulf perceive that he
was dragged into a hall beyond the sea's reach. The glow
of fire -like light was shining bright, and Beowulf per-
ceived that the mere wife had taken him. He smote
her with his sword — a great free blow he gave, and the
blade rang on her head. But no wound could he inflict.
Never before had the sword failed in conflict! Then
did the hero fling down the blade. He would have his
strength of arm for sure defence. So, desperate-minded,
does a battle man fight when he hopes for fame and
recks not of life. . . . The shoulder of Grendel's mother
he seized and in great fury wrestled and flung the demon
down. . . .
But fiercely she clutched at him. In her claws she
held him securely. They struggled together thus until
the battle hero, heart -weary, at length was overthrown.
On the ground he fell and the she demon sat upon him.
. . . She drew swiftly her broad and bloodstained dagger
to avenge her only son. . . . Then would the hero
have died there, but over his shoulder lay his chain
armour and that saved him. ... To his feet he leapt
again.
Beowulf suddenly beheld among the armour in the
demon's lair an ancient giant -sword. It was a blade
without an equal No other living man could wield it,
for it was the choice of splendid weapons, and giants had
made it. The hero seized it and wielded it.
Strong was Beowulf, and in battle fury he swung
the giant -sword and smote the demon a fierce blow,
cleaving her at the neck and shattering her bone-rings.
Right through her body went the blade, and she sank
l Walnuts?
206 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
in death. « . .. Blood -wet Indeed was the sword, and
Beowulf gloried in his deed.
Then light flashed through the hall, as when heaven's
candle gleams from on high. . . . The hero gazed about
him. . . . He saw Grendel lying maimed and dead on
his resting place, and in vengeance for the evil that mon-
ster had done, Beowulf smote his body so that it was
split open. Then the head he struck off,
On the cliff top the warriors waited, watching the
angry waters. ... In time, Hrothgar beheld the waves
rising red with blood. Old and grey -haired war men
spoke one to another about the brave one ; nor did they
expect to see him return again in triumph, for they
deemed that the wolf demon had torn him asunder. . . .
So they spoke and waited, until in the ninth hour the
Scylding heroes turned away. Hrothgar went with them
to his home* . . . Nor did the Geats expect ever to
behold Beowulf again ; yet they waited, gazing at the
blood-red waters*
Meanwhile, in the demon's wave-protected hall, the
giant sword which the hero had wielded began to waste
away in the bloodstream. A strange thing was that!
Like ice it melted, as when the Father unties the frost
chains and the flood flows free.
Beowulf took not any of the other arms that were
on the wall, but he kept the gold and graven swordhilt
of which the blade was burnt up by reason of the fiend's
hot and poisonous blood. Then, seizing the monstrous
head of Grendel, he entered the waters and soon again
he was swimming — he who survived fearsome strife, for
by this time were the waters purged of blood and he rose
quickly. He came to shore, and his war men rejoiced,
as did also . the brave hero, for he was proud of his
mighty load of sea spoil.
CONFLICT WITH DEMONS 207
Quickly did his men unloose his armour, and with
glad hearts they went inland with him. Heavy was the
burden of Grendel's head, which was carried to the hall
on a spear shaft> the warriors marching in triumph.
Into the feasting-chamber they strode, where people
sat drinking, and dragged Grendel's head along the floor.
. . . An awesome sight was that to the nobles and the
queen who sat with them. In silence the warriors gazed
upon the monstrous head, wondering greatly.
Then did Beowulf address the king, telling him of
the dread peril he endured ere yet he slew the demon.
" But now," the hero said, " thou canst sleep in Heorot
among thy warriors as heretofore, nor fear murderous
attacks in the darkness/1
To Hrothgar gave Beowulf the sword-hilt rich in
victory, the work of a wonder-smith. It was a heritage
of the past, and upon it was engraved that primeval
war when the surging sea engulfed the race of giants1.
Terribly were they punished — that people who were
alien to the Eternal Lord; the Supreme Rider gave
them their final deserts in the flood. A gold plate upon
the hilt had engraved in runes the name of him for
whom that choicest of weapons was first made with
decorated hilt and serpent ornament.2
There was silence in the hall when Hrothgar, son
of Halfdane, spoke of Beowulf's deed. Well may he
say, an aged guardian who promotes truth and right
among the people and remembers all from the far past,
"that this nobleman is of high birth. Beowulf, my
friend, thy renown is raised above all people, far and
lThe sons of Ymer,
|rrhe traditional Sword of Victory, made by Thjasse-Volund, which was in the
keeping of the Hag of Ironwood and her shepherd, Gymer. The runes, the smith's
name, and the serpent charm suggest its magical qualities, Jt was evidently intended
to achieve as great a disaster as did the Ymer deluge.
208 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
wide* With modesty and prudence thou dost bear thy-
self. My friendship thou shalt have, as I promised thee.
Thou shalt ever be a strength to thy people and an aid
to war men.
Not so was Heremod1 to the children of Ecgwela, the
renowned Scyldings. Not for their happiness did he
flourish, but to bring cruelty and slaughter to the Danes*
God had given him power and strength greater than any
other man, but he had a fierce heart; he gave not money
rings ; he was without joy, and he endured grief because
of his savagery and never-ending enmity with his people.
Follow not that example. Have manly virtue. Many
winters have made me wise, and for thee I have told this
tale."
Further did the king give wise counsel to Beowulf,
advising him to distribute gifts to his people, so that he
might ever have their support, and to avoid vaunting
pride, because the day would come when his strength
would depart, and in the end death would take him.
A great feast was held in the Hall, and there was
much rejoicing, and Beowulf slept there until the raven,
with blithe heart, proclaimed the joy of dawn.
Then did the hero bid Hrothgar farewell. An alliance
of peace was formed between the Scyldings and the Geats,
The old king kissed the hero and shed teafs,
To the coast guardian Beowulf gifted a gold-hiked
sword. Then with his followers he went aboard the ship
in which were the treasures and armour and horses which
Hrothgar had given*
* A reference to an older Jxerpk tale. Hermod, the ton of Odin, who visited
Balder in Hades, has some connection with the Svipdag myth. Indeed, Rydberg
identifies him with Svipdag. Beowulf i* a hero of similar cast, ' Each has the
attributes of the age in which their deed* were sung, and reflect the Jdeali of the
people who celebrated them. Older tavage conception*, preserved by tradition, were
condemned when compared with the new and nobler.
VIKING ORNAMENTS
1, Pin-brooch; 2, 3, 4, 5, Bron/e Buckles; 6, Gold Neck-chain with Hammer
of Thor hanging at bottom
CONFLICT WITH DEMONS 209
The good ship clove the sea waters ; the sail swal-
lowed the wind ; the timbers creaked ; necked with white
foam the ocean traverser, with curved stem, sailed away.
Favourable were the winds until they saw the Geatish
headlands and the keel grated on the shore.
To King Hygelac did Beowulf relate his adventures,
and then he distributed the gifts he had received, giving
that monarch a coat of mail and four horses, and to the
queen, Hygd, the beauteous collar and three horses.
Hygelac awarded the hero a gold-headed sword, much
money, a country seat, and the rank of a prince.
CHAPTER XX
Beowulf and the Dragon
Beowulf in Battle — He becomes King of the Geats — A Slave's Discovery
Theft of Treasure — The Dragon devastates the Kingdom — Beowulf is
angered — He sets forth to slay the Monster — Address to his Followers — The
Dragon comes forth — The Great Conflict — Flight of Followers — The single
Faithful Knight— He helps the King— -Dragon slain — The Treasure — Beo-
wulf's Death — Wiglaf reproaches the Battle Laggards — How the People
sorrowed.
BEOWULF gave faithful service to Hygelac. In peace
he was his wise counsellor, and in war his right-hand
battle man. Then did the king fall fighting against the
Frisians and Hugs. His death was avenged by Beowulf
on the field, for he seized Doeghrefn, the hero of the
Hugs, and slew him, not with his sword. "I grasped
him," the hero could boast; "his beating heart I stilled.
I crushed his bones." Then swam Beowulf away towards
home, escaping unscathed, and bearing with him the
armour of thirty warriors.
Queen Hygd mourned the king's death, and to
Beowulf made offer of the kingdom, but he chose to
be faithful to Hygelac, and protected his young son,
Heardred, until he grew to years of wisdom and strength.
But the young king was slain by Eanmund, and Beowulf
was given the throne. He avenged the death of Hear-
dred by slaying his murderer's brother, Eadgils.
For fifty winters did Beowulf reign wisely and well.
Then a great dragon began to ravage his country with
210
BEOWULF AND THE DRAGON 211
fire. Alone did the monarch combat againt it, and in
the end was the victor. But he paid life's cost for his
triumph.
Now the dragon had its dwelling in a secret cavern
beneath a grey rock, on the shoreland of a lonely, upland
moor. No man knew the path thither. It chanced then
that a slave who had been sorely beaten by his master fled
towards the untrodden solitudes, and he came to the
dragon's lair while yet the monster slept. Quaking with
fear, he beheld it there guarding rich treasure which had
been hidden in ancient days by a prince, the last of his
race. All his people had fallen in a great war, and he
wandered about alone mourning for his friends. Then
he hid the treasures of the tribe where the slave found
them. Armour and great swords were there, a banner of
gold that lit up the cavern, golden cups, and many gems
and ornaments, collars and brooches, the work of giants
in ancient times.
The ancient dragon which went forth by night
wrapped in fiery flame found the treasure unprotected,
and from that hour became the guardian of it.
Now the slave who discovered the monster's lair had
more greed than fear in his heart as he gazed upon the
hoard. So he went lightly past the dragon's head and
seized a rich golden cup, and fled away over the rocks.
To his master he carried the treasure, and thus secured
his pardon and goodwill.
The dragon soon afterwards awoke. He smelt
along the rocks ; he saw the footprints of the man on
the ground, and searched for him angrily. Round about
the monster went, but saw no one in that dismal solitude,
Hot was the dragon's heart with desire for conflict.
Then he returned to the cavern and found that the
treasure had been rifled. Great was his wrath thereat,
212 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
and he panted to be avenged. So waited he for night-
fall, when he could go forth against mankind.
In the thick darkness the great dragon flew over
the land. He vomited coals of fire over many a fair
home. The flames made lurid blaze against the sky,
and men were terror-stricken. It seemed that the night
flyer was resolved not to leave aught alive, for far and
near the countryside blazed before him. Great harm,
indeed, did he accomplish in his fierce hate for the people
of Geatland.
All night long the raging flames swept the land, and
far and near they wrought disaster. Not until it was
very nigh unto dawn did the dragon cease his vengeful
work and take swift departure to its lair. Great faith
had he in the security of his hiding place, but his faith
proved to be futile.
To Beowulf the grievous tidings of the night horrors
were sent quickly. His own country dwelling, the gift
of the Geats, was smouldering in fire. Sorrow-stricken,
indeed was the brave old king ; no greater grief could
have befallen him. In deep gloom he sat alone, who
was wont to be cheerful, wondering by what offence he
had made angry the Almighty, the Everlasting Lord.
The fire drake had burned up the people's strong-
hold; the sea-skirting land was devastated. Waves washed
inland, . * . Beowulf was filled with anger against the
monster, and resolved to be avenged. So he began to
make ready for the combat. He bade that a shield of
iron be made for him, for a wooden shield would be of
no, avail against raging fire. . . . Alas ! the valiant hero
was doomed to come ere long to life's sad end, as was
also the serpent fiend who had for so long kept guard
over the secret hoard. . . .
Beowulf scorned to attack the flying monster with a
BEOWULF AND THE DRAGON 213
host of war men ; he had no fear of going forth alone,
no dread of single combat, nor did he hold the battle
powers of the dragon as of high account Many con-
flicts and many war-fights he had survived unscathed
since he, the hero of many frays, had cleansed Heorot
and wrestled in combat with Grendel, the hated fiend.
Twelve valiant and true war men he selected to go
with him against the fire drake. And as he had come
to know how its dread vengeance had been stirred up
against his people, he took with him also the slave who
had rifled the treasure, so that he might be a guide to
lead them unto the monster's den. A sorrowful heart
was in that poor man ; abject and trembling he showed
the way, much against his will, to the mound in which
was the treasure, while underneath the dragon kept
guard. It was on a rocky shoreland where the waves
bellowed in unceasing strife.
Beowulf sat on the grey cliflf looking over the sea.
His hearth comrades were about him, and he spoke to
them words of farewell, for he knew that Wyrd had tied
fast the life thread of his web. His soul was sad and
restless, and he was ready to go hence. Not long after
that his spirit departed the flesh.
Of his whole life the king spake, recounting the long
service he had accomplished since that he was but seven
years old, when King Hrethel took him from his father
and gave him food and pay, mindful of his kinship. Of
his deeds of valour he spoke, and life's afflictions, and
touchingly he told of a father's sorrow when his son was
taken from him. Such an one in his old age remembered
every morn the lost lad. For another he had no desire.
With sorrow he beheld his son's empty home, with de-
serted wine hall that heard but the moaning winds, for
the horseman and hero slept in the grave, and no longer
2i4 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
was heard the harp's music and the voices of men making
merry.
Twas thus he spake of Hrethel, the king who
sorrowed when his son was slain and avenged not ;
abandoning the world the stricken monarch sought a
solitary place in which to end his days.
Then spake Beowulf of Hygelac, whom he served
and did avenge, and his son whom he avenged also.
"When yet young/ ' the hero said, "I fought many
battles, and now when I am old I seek fame in combat
with the dragon, if he but come from his underground
dwelling/'
He must needs, Beowulf told his followers, wear "his
armour in that last fray. Naked he fought with Grendel,
but now he must stand against consuming flame.
"I shall draw not back a foot's space," he said boldly
and with calm demeanour, "nor shall I flee before the
watcher of treasure ; before the rock it shall be as Wyrd1
decrees — Wyrd who measures out a man's life. . . .
Ready am I, and I boast not before the dragon. . . ,
Ye warriors in armour, watch ye from the mound, so
that ye may perceive which of us is best able to survive
the strife after deadly attack. . . It is not for one of you
to fight as I must fight; the adventure is for me only.
. . . Gold shall I win for triumph, and death is my due
if I fail. . . ."
Then fully armoured under his strong helmet, his
shield on his left arm, his sword by his side, the valorous
hero of the Gcats went down the cliff path towards the
dragon's cavern. . . . He saw the stream which flowed
from the stone ramparts steaming hot with deadly fire;
nigh to the hoard he could not endure long the flame of
the dragon.
BEOWULF AND THE DRAGON 215
But filled was his great heart with battle fury. A
storm-like shout he gave — a strong battlecry that went
under the grey stone. ... In wrath the monster heard
him ; he knew the voice of man. . . . Nor was there
time then to seek peace. Fiery flame issued forth first :
it was the dragon's battle breath. . . . The earth shook.
. . . Beowulf stood waiting, his iron shield upraised.
. . . The mo raster curled itself to spring; Beowulf waited
in his armour. . . .
Then forth came the wriggling monster — swiftly to
his fate he came. The shield gave that strong hero good
defence against the flame. His sword was drawn, and it
was an ancient heritage, keen-edged and sure. . . . Both
the king and the dragon were bent on slaughter; each
feared the other.
Beowulf swung his great sword^ and smote the
dragon's head, but the blade glanced from the bone, for
Wyrd did not decree otherwise. Then the hero was
enveloped in fire, for in wrath at the blow the monster
spouted flame far and wide. Greatly did the brave one
suffer. . . . His followers standing on the mound were
terror-stricken ; to the wood they fled, fearing for their
lives.
But one remained ; he alone sorrowed and sought to
help the king. He was named Wiglaf, a shield warrior,
a well -loved lord of Scyldings. He remembered the
honours and the gifts which Beowulf had bestowed upon
him. . . . He could not hold back; he grasped his
wooden shield and drew his ancient sword — a giant's
sword which Onela gave him. To his comrades he cried:
cc Promised we not to help our lord in time of need when
with him we drank in the mead-hall ? Rather would I
perish in fire with our gold -giver than that we should
return again with shields unscathed. . . . Advance then.
216 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Give help to our lord. . . Together shall we stand side
by side behind the same defence."
So speaking, that young hero plunged through the
death smoke, hastening to BeowulFs aid. Never before
had Wiglaf fought at his chiefs side.
a Beloved hero," Wiglaf spake, "do thy utmost as
of yore. Let not thy honour fail. Put forth thy full
strength and I shall help thee."
Then came the dragon to attack a second time.
Brightly flamed the fire against his hated human foes.
The young hero's wooden shield was burnt up, and
behind Beowulf's he shielded himself.
Again Beowulf smote the dragon, but his grey swqrd,
Naegling, snapped in twain, whereat the monster leapt
on the lord of the Geats, and took that hero's neck in his
horrible jaws, so that the king's life blood streamed over
his armour. But Wiglaf smote low, and his sword pierced
the dragon, so that the fire abated.
Beowulf drew his death dagger, and striking fiercely
he cut the monster in twain. So was the dragon slain ;
so did the heroes achieve great victory and renown.
But the king was wounded unto death. The dragon's
venom boiled in his blood, and he knew well that his end
was nigh. Faint and heart-weary he went and sat down,
gazing, on the rocky arches of the dragon's lair, which
giants had made. . . . Wiglaf came and washed the
bloodstained king, who was weary after the conflict, and
unloosed his helmet and took it oflf. Tenderly he minis-
tered unto Beowulf in his last hour. Well knew the king
that .he was nigh unto death.
" It is now my desire," Beowulf said faintly, " to give
unto my son, if it had been granted to me to have one,
this my war armour. . . . For fifty winters I have ruled
over my people, nor was there a king who dared come
BEOWULF AND THE DRAGON 217
against me in battle. At home I waited my fateful hour,
never seeking to make strife, nor ever breaking a pledged
oath ; so now when I am sick unto death I have comfort
because the Ruler of all mankind can charge me not with
murderous doings when I die."
Then he bade Wiglaf to bring forth the treasure from
the dragon's lair, so that he might behold the riches he
had won ere life was speht. The young hero did as was
asked of him. He brought forth ancient armour, and
vases of gold, rich ornaments and gems and many an
armlet of rare design. A banner of gold which lit up
the cavern he also bore to the king, in haste lest the last
breath should be drawn ere he returned. . . . He found
Beowulf gasping faintly, so once again he laved the king's
face with cold water until he spake, gazing on the treasure,
with thankfulness.
" To the Lord of glory I give thanks/' he said, " be-
cause that he hath permitted me, ere I died, to win such
great treasure for my own folk. . . . Give thoti the gifts
unto my people according to their needs. . . . I have
paid life's cost for them. ... No longer can I remain."
Then the king made request that on the cliff top
overlooking the sea there should be raised his burial
mound, and that it should be made bright with fire. He
desired also that it should be built on Hronesness, as a
memorial, so that seafarers, whose ships are driven through
spray mist, might call it "Beowulf's Grave".
To Wiglaf the dying hero then gave his golden neck
ring, his helmet adorned with gold, and his strong armour,
which Weland had fashioned, bidding him to make ever
good use of the gifts.
<c The last of our race, the Waegmundings, art thou,
O Wiglaf," Beowulf said faintly, as life ebbed low.
"Wyrd took one by one away, each at his appointed
218 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
hour; the nobles in their strength went to their doom.
. . . Now must I follow them. . * ."
These were Beowulf's last words. His soul went
forth from his body, to the doom of good men. . . .
Wiglaf sat alone, mourning him.
Then came the battle laggards from the wood and
approached Wiglaf, who spoke angrily to them, because
that they had fled their lord in his hour of need. Never-
more, he vowed, would they receive gifts or lands ; each
one would, when the lords were told of their cowardice,
be deprived of their possessions.
"For a noble warrior,'* Wiglaf cried, "death is better
than a life of shame."
When the people heard that Beowulf was dead,
they feared that their enemies would renew the blood
feuds and come against them. The messenger whom
Wiglaf sent to bear the sad tidings spake of wars to be,
when many a maiden would be taken away to exile and
many a warrior slain. Then would their ghosts lift up
their spears ; the harp would be heard not as it awakened
warriors, but instead the blood-fed raven would ask how
fared it with the eagle as it fought with the wolf to
devour the slain.
In sadness and sharp grief the people went towards
the dragon's lair, and they saw the dread monster that
had been slain. In length it measured fifty feet; horrible
it was and blackened with its own fire. Round the dead
king they gathered, weeping sorrowfully, and Wiglaf
spake, telling them of Beowulf's last words, and his de-
sire that he should be buried in a high barrow at the
place of the bale fire.
Then, while the bier was being made ready, Wiglaf
led seven men into the cave, and what treasure remained
they brought forth. The dragon was thrown into the
BEOWULF AND THE DRAGON 219
sea, and the body of grey old Beowulf was borne to
the headland which is called Hronesness.
A great pyre was built, and it was hung with armour
and battle shields and bright helms. Reverently they
laid the great king thereon — the well -loved lord for
whom they mourned. . . . Never before was so large
a pyre seen by men. Torches set it aflame, and soon the
smoke rose thick and black above it; the roaring of
flames mingled with the wailing of the mourners while
the body of Beowulf was consumed. . . .
A doleful dirge sang the old queen, and again and
again she said that oft had she dreaded the coming of
conflict and much slaughter. She feared for her own
shame and captivity.
Heaven swallowed the smoke. . . . The people then
raised a grave mound of great height. For ten days they
laboured constructing a wall which encircled the ashes.
Much treasure did they lay in the mound — all that was
in the hoard — and there the riches lie now of as little use
to men as ever they were.
Twelve horsemen rode round the great mound on
Hronesness x* lamenting for their lord. All the people
sorrowed together, and they said that Beowulf was of
all the world's kings and of men the mildest and most
gracious, the kindest unto his people and the keenest for
their praise.
The Curse of Gold
The antique world, in his first flowVing youth,
Found no defect in his Creator's grace ;
Hronesness is translated "Whales' Ness" by same : others incline to the mytho-
logical rendering^ Ron's Ness. Rydberg ia this connection shows that Rhind'* son,
Vale, the wolf slayer, is called, by Saxo, Bous, the Latinized form for Beawulf.
Stopford Brooke shows that Hronesness is next to Earnaness, Eagle's Ness, and
considers that "the unmythological explanation is plainly right".
220 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
But with glad thanks, and unreproved truth,
The gifts of sovran bounty did embrace :
Like angel's life was then men's happy case;
But later ages Pride, like corn-fed steed,
Abused her plenty and fat-swoll'n increase
To all licentious lust, and gan exceed
The measure of her mean and natural first need.
Then gan a cursed hand the quiet womb
Of his great grandmother with steel to wound,
And the hid treasures in her sacred tomb
With sacrilege to dig; therein he found
Fountains of gold and silver to abound,
Of which the matter of his huge desire
And pompous pride eftsoons he did compound ;
Then Avarice gan through his veins inspire
His greedy flames, and kindled life-devouring fire.
" Son," said he1 then, " let be thy bitter scorn,
And leave the rudeness of that antique age
To them, that lived therein in state forlorn.
Thou, that doest live in later times must wage
Thy works for wealth, and life for gold engage."
— From Spenser's " Faerie Queene
1 Mammon (Mimer) to the knight Guyon.
CHAPTER XXI
Hother and Balder
Hother's Accomplishments — His Love for Nanna — Balder becomes his
Rival — The Valkyries' Warning — The Sword of Victory — Where it was con-
cealed— Hother's Journey to the Other-world — Miming is overcome — Helgi
and Thora — War between Gods and Mortals — Hother overcomes Thor —
Love-sick Balder — Hother in Solitude — The Great Battle — How Balder was
slain — Odin woos Rinda — Balder's Death is avenged.
HOTHER was but a lad when his father Hodbrodd was
slain, and him did King Gewar take to his castle to be
reared as his own son. Strong and nimble he became,
and very comely to behold. He could perform mightier
feats than any of his foster-brothers: he could swim
deftly and far like to a sea bird, he was a skilled archer,
and he could box well with the gloves. Great gifts of
mind had Hother also. He was a singer of songs, and a
sweet musician. With rare skill he fingered the harp, and
played the lute, and such power had he with stringed
instruments that he could at will make his hearers merry
or sad ; he could fill their hearts with pleasure, or stir
them with strange terror.
Pleasing indeed was this fair youth, unto beauteous
Nanna, his foster-sister, the daughter of King Gewar.
Her heart was moved with love towards him, and no
less passionately did he love her also. Dear unto Nanna
were the fond embraces of Hother.
Now there came a fateful day when Balder, son of
Odin, saw Nanna while she bathed. The vision held
221
222 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
him spellbound, and he was consumed with burning love
by reason of the splendour and beauty of her comely
body. When she vanished, the day was made dim, and
Balder sighed full oft as he thought with tenderness of
the beautiful maid; but when he remembered his rival he
was moved to anger, for full well he knew that Hother
would be the chief obstacle between him and his heart's
desire. In the end he resolved to slay the young hero.
Hother soon came to know of Balder's burning love,
and his fierce and bloody purpose. One day he went
hunting alone in a deep wood. A deep mist drave over
the land and enveloped the trees, so that he knew not
whither he was wandering. In time he came to the
dwelling of wood maidens. They called him "Hother",
and he marvelled greatly thereat. When he asked them
who they were, they told him that it was their lot to
decide the issue of battle conflicts1; invisible they fought
in the fray, assisting those whom they favoured so that
victory might be achieved. Hother wondered to hear.
Then they told him that Balder had gazed with eyes of
love upon Nanna while she bathed, and was possessed
with burning desire to have her for his bride. Hother
did they warn not to combat with his rival, because that
he was a demigod whose body was charmed against
wounds. But to Hother they gave a sword-proof coat
of mail, so that he might have protection like unto
Balder. They made promise to aid him in battle.
Then the maidens vanished, and their dwelling also
vanished from before the eyes of the young hero, and he
found himself standing alone upon a barren plain, where
there was not tree nor any shelter whatsoever. The mist
was driven before the wind.
The youth thereafter returned quickly urito King
1 Valkyries.
HOTHER AND BALDER 223
Gewar, to whom he related what he had seen, and what
had been told unto him concerning Balder. He also
made request that Nanna should be his bride.
Gewar was willing indeed that his daughter should
wed Hother, but he said that he feared greatly the wrath
of Balder, if he came seeking for Nanna and were
refused.
"No weapon," Gewar said, "can do hurt to Balder
save a certain sword1 which is guarded in a cave by
Miming, the wood satyr. A wondrous ring doth he also
possess, which hath power to increase the wealth of him
who owns it. ... But long and dangerous is the road
which leads unto the satyr's lair," the king added ; " it is
wintry cold, indeed, and hardly to be endured."
Hother, however, was resolved to win the sword with
which to combat against Balder, and Gewar counselled
him to yoke reindeer to his car so that he might be able
to traverse the region of extreme and bitter cold with
great swiftness.
" When thou dost reach the cave of Miming," Gewar
said, " thou must set up thy tent so that its shadow may
not fall upon the satyr, for if that should happen he
would remain within. Thou must needs wait until the
satyr goes out, when the sword and the ring will await
for thee."
As Gewar advised, so did Hother do. He went
swiftly with his reindeer over the bleak wintry way until
he came unto Miming's cave, where he pitched his tent.
But long he waited ere the wood satyr came forth. Sad
and dreary were the days, and restless and anxious the
nights. Then, after waiting through a night of long
darkness, Miming came forth, and his shadow fell upon
1The Sword of Victory concealed in Mimer's realm, Hother resembles Svipdag
very closely, Gewar i« the moon-god of the Ivalde myth.
224 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Hother's tent. The youth sprang to his feet, and struck
down the satyr with his spear, and then bound him
securely. Terrible were the threats of Hother, who
vowed that he would slay Miming if he gave not unto
him the sword and the bracelet. The satyr held life
more dearly than wealth, and gave Hother the ransom
which he demanded. In triumph did the young hero
return unto the kingdom of Gewar, and his fame was
mooted abroad.
Then Gelder, King of Saxony, came to know that
Miming had been robbed, and he urged his war-men to
go against Hother, so great was his desire to become
possessed of the treasure. But Gewar, who had magical
powers, divined Gelder's purpose, and he counselled
Hother to meet him with his band, and receive the
shower of his javelins until there was none left, and
then to fall upon the bold invaders.
So Hother went to meet the men from Saxony; he
awaited them on the seashore. Eager were Gelder's
heroes to make onslaught, and fast and furious did they
cast their spears and javelins. But Hother had bidden
his trained war-men to resist the missiles with shields
interlocked, and not to cast a weapon. When the men
of Saxony saw that, they were all the more eager to
attack, and soon they flung away all their spears and
javelins. Then Hqther's men began to hurtle the
weapons against the enemy, driving them back in con-
fusion, whereat Gelder, in great alarm, hoisted up, on
the mast of his ship, a crimson shield to make known
that he desired to surrender, so that his life might be
spared. But Hother showed nor anger nor vengeance
against fcim; he approached the king with smiling face
and offered his friendship. Thus became he victor by
reason of his kindliness as well as his might.
HOTHER AND BALDER 225
A strong friend to Hother was Helgi, King of Halo-
galand, who loved Thora, daughter of Cuse, the ruler
of the Finns and the Bjarmians. The monarch had *a
blemish of tongue, so that he stuttered greatly, and was
unable to utter with eloquence the sweet speeches of love.
Indeed, he not only shrank from addressing strangers,
but rarely spoke in • his own household. He sent
messengers unto Cuse, pleading for his daughter's hand,
but they were rejected with disdain, for the king said that
the man who could not urge his own suit was unworthy
of love's prize.
Then did Helgi seek the aid of Hother, who could
speak with fluency and charm, and promised him his life-
long service if he would win for him the heart of Thora.
A great fleet did Hother fit out, and he voyaged to
Norway, fully resolved to take, by reason of his strength,
the maid whom words would conquer not. To Cuse he
spake first with eloquent tongue, and the king said that
his daughter must first be heard, for he deemed it not
right that he should prevail against her wishes, or decide
before her will was made known. So Thora was ushered
in, and when she heard what Hother said, she gave
consent to be Helgi's queen.
But while Hother was thus engaged, Balder invaded
the kingdom of Gewar with an armed band, and demanded
that he should have Nanna for his bride. The king said
that he must needs make request of the maiden, and
before her did Balder plead his cause with choice speech
and flattering address. But she said that a humble
maiden could not be wooed by one of divine birth, and
that the pledges of the gods were often broken. Thus
did the maiden reject the love of him who sought her.
When Hother returned, Gewar told him of what had
happened, and the young hero was filled with wrath
226 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
because of Balder's presumption. With Helgi he took
counsel7 and together they debated how they could inflict
punishment upon the god. They had no recourse save
to battle-blows, and Hother fitted out his fleet and went
against his rival. Helgi gave him strong aid, as did also
Gelder.
Then broke out a war in which the gods fought
against mortals. With Balder fought Odin and Thor,
clad in full armour, and when the opposing fleets met
at sea a great conflict was waged. Hother in sword-proof
mail attacked the gods with fury. Now Thor was swing-
ing his great club, and while he urged those about him to
press forward, he called upon his foemen to attack. The
black-browed god dealt furious blows ; he struck down
his enemies' shields; he broke through their ranks; for
long none could withstand him. Terrible, indeed, was
the slaughter, and to the gods it seemed that victory
was being given. But Hother went against Thor with
Miming's sword. He feared him not, and struck at
the great club, which he severed in twain with his keen-
edged sword. . . . Then the gods took flight before
Hother, and the ships that remained were destroyed by
the victors.
Hother rejoiced in his triumph, but he sorrowed
greatly because that Gelder had been slain. A great pyre
he caused to be built with the wreckage of Balder's war-
ships, and the corpses of the oarsmen were placed there
in a heap. Then above these was laid with reverence
the body of the dead king. Torches were applied and
the flames rose high and bright The ashes of King
Gelder were afterwards kid in a great mound which was
erected to his memory, and there was much mourning for
him.
Then did Hother return to Gewar, and Nanna and
HOTHER AND BALDER 227
he were wed with great ceremony, while the people re-
joiced. To Helgi and Thora, who were also united in
their joy, did the young hero give gifts of treasure.
Then Hother ruled over Zeeland and Sweden,
As greatly as was Hother praised by men. Balder was
mocked because that he had fled.
But the strife came not to an end. In a land battle
did Balder contend against his rival, and drove him from
the field. For fickle indeed are the fortunes of war.
Hother took refuge with Gewar ; he who had achieved
victory as a subject, was defeated when a king.
Balder's army was afflicted by a water famine, but the
divine one dug wells and water streamed forth, so that
his parched soldiers were able to slake their thirst. To
this day is a spring called Balder's-brynd.
Even by night was Balder made unhappy in his sleep,
because he was tormented by dreams of Nanna. His love
consumed him like fire, and he grew melancholy and thin
and careworn. At length he could no longer walk, and
he was taken about in his chariot. He took no pleasure
in his victory, because that he had not won Nanna. There
was a magical food prepared for Balder, so that he might
not be brought unto death.
At this time Frey, who ruled for the gods, took up
his abode nigh to Upsala, and revived the abhorrent rites
of human sacrifice.
To Sweden did Hother take flight, and Balder pos-
sessed himself of Zeeland, where he received the willing
service of the Danes, who before had reverenced his
rival. In due season Hother, having fitted out a fleet,
again engaged in war with Balder, but was defeated and
put to flight. He took refuge in Jutland, in a town
which to this day bears the name of Horsens ; then he
returned to Sweden.
228 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Sad at heart was Hother1; he was weary of life and
refused to be comforted, and he took farewell of all,
and wandered alone through solitary places and trackless
forests, for solitude is dear to the sick at heart. The
people were angry with him because that he had con-
cealed himself in a place apart.
One day Hother, as he wandered through the deep
forest, came to a cave in a lonely place in which dwelt
the maidens who had given to him the sword-proof
coat of mail. They received him with eyes of wonder,
and they asked why he paid visit to them. Whereupon
Hother bewailed his fate and with sorrow spake of the
afflictions he endured. The maidens did he also reproach
because that they had not helped him as they had pro-
mised. But they told him that he had inflicted greater
disasters than he deemed of, and promised him ultimate
triumph.
" Victory will assuredly be thine," they said, "if
thou shalt but find the magical food with which Balder
is nourished so that his strength may have increase.
Possess thyself of it and he shall certainly die."
Then once again did Hother, encouraged by what the
maidens had said, raise a great army to wage war against
Balder. A fierce and long conflict was fought, and yphen
night fell the issue was undecided, because that the forces
were of equal strength.
Hother could not sleep, for he was afflicted with
anxiety, and he went forth to reconnoitre the opposing
camp* . . . He beheld three maidens who prepared the
magical food for Balder, and followed their footprints
through the dewy grass when they fled from him, so that
he reached their dwelling and entered therein.
The maidens asked him who he was, for they per-
1 Like King Hrethel in Beowulf.
HOTHER AND BALDER 229
ceived that he was an enemy, and he said that he was
a musician. Then gave they to him a lyre, and he played
sweetly thereon, so that their ears were charmed.
He saw them prepare the food for Balder. They had
three serpents and their venom dropped into the mixture.
One of the maidens offered Hother a portion, but the
elder one said that to do so would be treason, because
it would increase the strength of one of their foes. But
in the end Hother was given to eat, and the maidens
also conferred upon him a shining girdle which had
power to assure him of victory in conflict.
Then did Hother leave the dwelling to return to his
camp. But he had not gone far when he met Balder.
Drawing his sword he thrust it in his foe's side so that
he fell wounded nigh unto death.
There was. great rejoicing in Hother's camp when
he returned and told how he had stricken his rival; in
Baldens camp there were loud lamentations.
Next day, when the battle was renewed, Balder bade
his men to carry him into the midst of the fray upon a
stretcher, so that he might not meet with death in his tent.
When night again fell Balder saw standing beside
him the vision of Proserpine1, and she told him that
on the morrow she would have him for her guest At
the time appointed Balder died, and he was buried in
a great grave mound with pomp and deep mourning.
In after days Harold2 and other men sought to rob
Balder's mound of its treasure, but when they pierced
it a great flood of water burst forth8 and they fled in
confusion. So was terror implanted in the minds of
*Urd.
2 Believed to be a historical personage who lived in the twelfth century.
3 Balder is associated with well worship. Wells sprang from his horse's hoofmarks,
aad he found water for his* soldiers. Water defends his mound.
230 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
youths there, so that they feared to disturb the mound
again.
Hother again ruled over his kingdom, but he had
great sorrow when Gewar was attacked and burned in
his castle by Gunno, a jarl who served him. He took
speedy vengeance, and burned Gunno alive upon a pyre.
When Odin came to know of Balder's death, he went
unto prophets to divine how he could be avenged, and he
came to know that a son would be born to him of Rinda;
his name would be Boe, and he would slay Hother.
Now Rinda was a daughter of the king of the
Ruthenians, and Odin went forth disguised and entered
the service of that monarch. He became the captain of
a band and won a distinguished victory ; then he fought
singlehanded against a host and achieved renown above
all other men. There was great wonder thereat. Great
gifts were given unto him, and he was honoured in the
royal household. Then he secretly told the king of his
love for Rinda, and his suit was favoured, but he must
needs woo the fair princess and win her heart ere he
would have her for his bride.
Not easily was Rinda wooed, because when Odin
sought to kiss her, she smote him with anger. A year
passed by, and then he went to the Court in foreign guise
and said he was a wonder-smith. With bronze did he
fashion many fair ornaments, for which he received much
gold. To Rinda he made offer of a rare bracelet and
rings, but again she smote him when he sought to woo
hen Although her sire remonstrated with her, she
scorned to wed a man of many years, especially as she
was herself of tender age. A third time went Odin to
woo the maid. He was disguised as a young warrior,
but ag?un he was repulsed. Then had he recourse to
magic arts. He had with him a piece of bark on which
HOTHER AND BALDER 231
runes were graven, and with that he touched her, so
that she was seized with madness.
Odin returned next in the guise of a woman who was
a skilled physician, and offered to cure Rinda, who was
prostrate with sickness. In the end he prevailed and won
the maiden for himself, and she became the mother of Boe.
At this time the gods ruled at Byzantium, and they
were moved to wrath against Odin because that he had
practised magic arts; so they deprived him of his high
honours and drove him into exile. Oiler ruled in his
stead. Not until ten years had passed was Odin recalled
to the throne, and then Oiler fled to Sweden, where he
was slain by certain Danes. It is said of Oiler that he
possessed a bone, graven with fearsome spells, with
which he could cross the ocean as if it were a ship.
Odin reigned with greater dignity and power than
before, and his renown was spread far among men.
Then found he Boe, his son by Rinda, and him he
constrained to go forth to avenge the death of Balder.
Thus it came that Hother was slain by Rinda's son
in a fierce battle, but Boe1 was wounded unto death, so
that he was borne from the field upon his shield. Next
day he died, and the Ruthenian soldiers buried him in
a stately mound, so that his memory might not perish
in after days, but ever have renown among men.
After Hother's death his son Rorik became king.
1 Vale, who in mythology is the slayer of the wol£ is thus Boe (Beowulf) in Saxo*s
Danish legend. He receive* his deathwound when he slays Hother, who, as Svipdag,
was a dragon guarding beneath a grey rock great treasure, which shone like fire in the
flood. At the same time Hother is confused with Hoder, Haider's blind brother. One
of Svipdagfs names was Odur. So do the divine and heroic elements of a pawing myth-
ology intermix -in tradition* Each age, each race, and each bard leaves in turn impresses
upon a persistent legend. The mej»ory of the mythical hero may survive, or his deeds
may become associated with the traditions of a national hero* Mythological incidents
which appeal to the popular imagination not infrequently develop into independent
narratives*
CHAPTER XXII
The • Traditional Hamlet
Horwendil slays King Koll — Birth of Amleth — -Horwendil slain by Feng
— The Prince feigns Madness — His Witty Sayings — Polonius is slain — Amleth
scolds his Mother — His Uncle's Treachery — Visit to Britain — His Return —
How he won the Crown — Second Visit to Britain — Mission to Scotland — The
Lovesick Queen — Amleth's Victory — Over-king claims his Kingdom — His
Death — An Unfaithful Queen,
KING RORIK, son of Hother, made joint governors of
Jutland two brothers whose names were Horwendil1 and
Feng. Their father, Gerwendil, was governor before
them. Horwendil was chief ruler, but he sought for
glory as a sea rover. King Koll, of Norway, was also
ambitious for ocean renown, and he longed to battle with
the ships of Horwendil. The rivals met together at an
island in the midst of the sea, which they each desired to
possess^ and young Horwendil challenged Koll to fight a
duel. Thus it came that the two men contended one
against the other on a portion of spring-green sward*
Horwendil was the bolder and more daring of the
two. He flung aside his shield and grasped his sword
with both hands. Furious attack did he make upon the
King of Norway, whose shield he split in twain. Then
he inflicted wounds^ and smote oflf KolFs foot so that he
sank in death before the valorous young hero. But
Horwendil honoured the sea king with stately burial, and
1 Rydberg ideati^e* Horwendil with OrvandiJ^ Svipdag** fether^ and holds that there
arc memories of the Svipdag myth HI the Hamlet *tory a* related by Saxo> Halfdan
being the original of Feng, and Groa of Gerotha (Oirtradir}.
THE TRADITIONAL HAMLET 233
caused to be erected a great grave mound so that his
memory might endure forever.
Many triumphs did Horwendil afterwards achieve,
and to his king he gave gifts of the spoils of battle. So
became he a hero in the kingdom. Rorik, who exalted
Horwendil with honours, and made him King of Jutland,
gave his daughter, the princess Gerutha1, to that re-
nowned sea rover to be his wife. To them was a son
born whose name was Amleth.
Now, Feng was stricken with jealousy because of his
brother's fortune and renown, and he resolved to accom-
plish his death. His fell purpose he achieved with
treachery, and to the crime of slaying ' his kin he added
another, for he took Horwendil's widow to be his bride.
Unto men did Feng declare that he had slain his brother
because that he had shown cruelty unto Gerutha, whom
he had rescued when in danger. In this he was believed.
But Amleth2 was not deluded. He perceived the
evil purpose of Feng's heart, and, fearing his own safety,
he, feigned madness with great cunning so that he might
live to slay the usurper. He went about with mire on
his face. Often would he sit brooding over the fire,
cutting twigs and pointing them with barbs; and when
asked why he did so, he said he was preparing to avenge
his father's death.
There were those who suspected that his madness
was a pretence, and he was cunningly put to test, but his
foster-brother8 went about with him and gave him timely
warning.
A horse was brought to Amleth, and he mounted it
with his back to its neck, seeking to drive it by the tail.
As he rode in this grotesque manner a wolf passed him,
1 Gotrade. 3 Amleth means " tnsan* n.
3 Siiake&peare's Horatio.
234 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
and those who were with him called it "a colt", where-
upon Amleth said that there were too few colts of that
kind in his uncle's stable.
On the shore lay a ship's rudder, and the men called
it "a knife", whereupon Amleth said, pointing to the
sea, that it was of appropriate size to cut such a huge
ham.
To the sand dunes they then pointed, and said:
"Behold the mealn, and Amleth, speaking of the sand,
declared that it was well-ground meal from the Mill of
Storms.1
A maiden was sent forth to waylay Amleth, but with
her he had a secret understanding. Thus were those
who sought to expose the prince as one who shammed
thwarted in their purposes.
A courtier2, one of Feng's friends, who had more self-
assurance than good tact, contrived a plot with purpose
to make certain of knowing whether Amleth were weak-
minded or a cunning pretender. He counselled Feng to
leave Amleth alone with the queen, so that he might
speak freely, for a son was never slow to trust his
mother. Then the courtier, having convinced Feng
that his proposal was a shrewd one, concealed himself
under a heap of straw in the room where the queen and
her son would hold converse together*
1The World-nrilL In an old saga, reference is made to the Island-mill be-
yond the world's edge, which is worked by nine maidens. It is called "Amlode's
mealbin. ". Thus, in the tenth century, we have an Icelandic reference to a mythical
"Hamlet** who is connected with the mill. When Orvandil and the other sons of
Ivalde declare war a&ainst the gods (see chapter "The Winter War") two gjant maids
who are relatives of Orvaadil jerk the mill handle violently, aftd put it out of order.
Here fhen it another link between Svipda& the avenger, son of Orvandil, and Amleth,
the avenger, son of HorvendU. Before Svipdag journey* to Hcla, he is protected by
Groa's incantations against the storms caused by tlxe World-mill. In vague traditions
we do not eacpect exact references, but rather suggestive associations, The chief actor
in a popular tale absorbs all else as he develops independently through the ages,
3 Shakespeare's Folonius.
THE TRADITIONAL HAMLET 235
But Amleth was too cunning to be waylaid thus.
When he found, on entering the room, that the king had
left on the excuse that he had business to attend to else-
where, the prince, ere he addressed his mother, behaved
with seeming madness ; he crowed like a cock, and
imitated the bird's wing-clapping with his hands. On
the heap of straw he leapt, and then stamped about upon
it. Feeling something hard below his feet, he drew his
sword and drove it through the man who sought to be
an eavesdropper. Then the prince hauled the body forth,
cut it to pieces, and scalded it with hot water. He flung
the hacked flesh to the swine.
Amleth afterwards returned to the queen, who wept
and lamented her son's madness. The prince heard what
his mother said, and her he addressed with great serious-
ness, saying :
" O, shameless woman ! seek not by dissembling
sorrow to conceal thy terrible guilt — thou wanton em-
bracer of thy husband's murderer, thou harlot who took
in vile wedlock the slayer of thy son's father ! Thou
hast mated like the brute, and with brute nature for-
gotten thy .first husband. . . . Ask not of me why I
feign madness and speak foolishly; fear I not that he
who slew his brother may also do further evil unto his
kindred ? Although I seem to be bereft of sense, and
guard myself with pretended craziness, yet am I resolute
in my consuming desire to avenge my father's death,
waiting patiently fit opportunity and the favourable
moment. Against so foul a schemer I must needs
exercise great cunning, . , . Now, canst thou — oh ! thou
who shouldst be wailing over thy dark shame — realize
that it is needless for thee to lament my seeming mad-
ness. Better were it for thy soul if thou didst shed tears
for the frailty of thine own heart, and not for the weak-
236 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
ness of another's. . . . Thou hast heard me. ... I
counsel thee to speak not of this."
So did Amleth upbraid his mother, and reawaken in
her heart, with bitterness, the memory of her murdered
husband.
Soon after was the courtier, whom Amleth had slain,
sought for by Feng, but of his whereabouts no man had
knowledge, and the prince was laughed at when he said
that he beheld him falling through a sewer to be de-
voured by swine. But it was ere long discovered that
the courtier had indeed perished as the prince had said.
Feng would fain have put Amleth to death, but he
feared the wrath of King Rorik and of his wife, so he
sent the prince forth to pay visit to the King of Britain
that he might be put to death by him. Ere the prince
took his departure, he counselled his mother in secret to
sorrow for him in a year's time as if he were dead, and to
drape the walls with knitted curtains of mourning.
Two courtiers did Feng send with Amleth on his
pretended mission, and he gave them a missive inscribed
upon wood, beseeching the King of Britain to slay the
prince. One night, while the men slept, Amleth read the
missive and shaved it off the wood, inscribing in its stead
a request that the courtiers should be hanged, and that
he who accompanied them should be given a princess for
his bride.
When they reached Britain the king read the letter,
nor revealed its contents, but entertained the two
messengers and the prince at a feast. Amleth made all
who sat round the board wonder greatly because that
he ate not of the food nor drank the wine. So, being
curious to know what his guests thought of his fare, the
king sent a servant to listen to their conversation after
they had gone to their sleeping chamber.
THE TRADITIONAL HAMLET 237
Amleth's companions reproached him because of his
conduct at the feast, but the prince said that the flesh
smelt like human carcass, and that there was blood in
the bread, and iron rust in the liquor. The king he also
reviled, saying that he had the eyes of a slave, while the
queen had acted like one who was low born.
It seemed to his companions that he spoke crazily,
but when the king was told what Amleth had said, he
sent for his chief servant and asked where the corn of
which the bread was made had been grown. The servant
answered him that a plenteous crop had been grown upon
an old battlefield.
The monarch then asked regarding the swine, and
was told that they had strayed and fed upon the body of
a robber who had been slain. The liquor, he learned,
was made from meal and from water taken from a certain
well. The king had this well dug out, and rusted
swords were found which contaminated the water.
So the king did thus prove that Amleth had spoken
with knowledge. But he was not yet satisfied, and he
spoke in secret to his mother, who confessed that- she
had been a slave.
Next day the king spoke to Amleth, whom he
admired greatly because of his wisdom, and he besought
of him why he had said that the queen had acted like
one who was low born.
The prince gave three reasons for what he had said —
she had drawn her mantle over her head like a bond
servant; she had lifted her gown to walk; and she had
with a small splint picked her teeth, and then chewed the
shreds of food from between them.
The monarch was so enamoured of Amleth that he
gave him his daughter for wife. He also had Feng's two
messengers hanged, and the prince pretended to be angry
238 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
thereat, so the king gave him their price in gold. Amleth
had the gold melted and poured into two sticks, hollowed
out for that purpose.
A year passed ere Amleth returned home, leaving his
wife, the princess, in her sire's castle. When he came to
Jutland he smudged his face and dressed grotesquely and
went towards Feng's hall, carrying nothing save the two
sticks filled with gold. There he found that the people
sorrowed for him as one who was dead, and when he
entered the feasting chamber he saw it was hung with
mourning drapery. At first the guests were stricken with
terror, because they believed him to be a ghost; but soon
they made merry and cast gibes one at another because
that they had been fooled.
When Amleth was asked where the king's messengers
were, he lifted up the sticks saying: "This is one and
that is another;" nor did they realize that he spoke
truly.
The prince was in gay mood, and he poured forth
plenitude of wine to the guests. They all drank freely.
Once or twice Amleth drew his sword, and cut his fingers
with it, so they took the weapon from him and nailed it
across the scabbard upon the wall.
More wine did Amleth pour forth to the guests,
because he had laid a deep plot, and soon they were all
made so drunken that they could not walk. They lay
down to sleep on the benches and on the floor. Then the
prince tore down the mourning drapery which his mother
had knitted and threw it over the slumbering lords.
Each of these, by aid of the sticks, he entangled in the
network, so that none of them could rise up. There-
afterwards he set fire to the building, which was con-
sumed. All who slumbered there perished in the flames.
Amleth, meantime, made haste to Feng's sleeping
THE TRADITIONAL HAMLET 239
chamber, and first he snatched the sword that was hang-
ing from the king's bed and put his own in its place. He
shook his uncle from sleep and said that his courtiers
were being burned alive.
"Withal I am here now, carrying my sticks," the
prince cried, "with purpose to avenge my father's death."
Feng leapt from his bed and seized the mutilated
sword; but while he tried vainly to draw it, Amleth slew
him.
Thus did the prince put to death the man who had
murdered and supplanted his sire, and all the nobles who
had supported him.
Amleth then fled and concealed himself, so that he
might know how the people regarded his deed. Soon
he came to know that they were not greatly grieved,
while a portion rejoiced that the tyrant had been over-
thrown. Whereupon he left his place of concealment,
and gathered together his father's friends, whom he ad-
dressed.
"Ye who sorrowed for Horvendil," he said, "need
sorrow not now any longer. Behold the corpse of a
murderer of his kin I The hand that slew my sire
made you all bondsmen.
Then Amleth revealed to the people that he had
feigned madness, so that he might accomplish the ruin
of Feng and his supporters. He told them how he had
suffered in secret, hounded to death by his wicked uncle,
disdained by his own mother, and spat upon by the
nobles. "Who among ye", he cried, "is so hard of
heart, that he is not moved towards me with sympathy
and compassion?"
Thus he pleaded with them, and beseeched that they
should honour him as their prince, and reward him with
smiles of kindness.
24o TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
cc I have blotted out my country's shame/' he said ;
"I have ended my mother's shame; I have stamped out
tyranny. I have avenged myself on the murderer of my
sire, and overcome the evil designs of my wicked uncle.
. . . I have restored what you lost; your glory have
I revived. The tyrant is thrown down and the butcher
is slain. . . . What I have done is done, and for your
sakes was it accomplished. My reward I now beg from
you."
Thus did Amleth win the hearts of the people, and
they declared him their king. His reward was his
father's crown.
When the country was settled and well organized
King Amleth crossed the seas to Britain, taking with
him his choicest warriors. He had had a great shield
made on which all his exploits were depicted, and it
was of rare craftsmanship. The shields of his followers
were covered over with gold.
When the King of Britain received him, he asked
regarding Feng's welfare, and Amleth related unto him
all that had happened. The king heard him with sorrow,
because he had sworn a secret compact with Feng that
one of them should avenge the death of the other. Nor
could he consider the blood ties of his house above the
sacredness of his oath. He cared not to accomplish the
death of his daughter's husband with his own hands, so
he contrived a plot whereby Amleth would fall by the
hands of another. His queen had died, and he made
request of his son-in-law to become his envoy to a queen
in Scotland whom he desired to wed.
Now the King of Britain knew full well that this
Scottish ruler tvas a lady of great chastity, who scorned
to be loved, and put to death those who sought to woo
her. But Amleth, although he knew the mission was
THE TRADITIONAL HAMLET 241
begirt with peril, disdained to refuse the king's request,
and, taking with him his armed followers and a few
of the British war men, he went north to execute his
mission.
When he drew nigh to the dwelling of the Scottish
queen he went into a green dell to rest his horses,
and by the side of a stream he fell asleep. Over his
head he put his shield to shade him from the sun's
rays.
The queen heard of his coming. She sent forth
spies, who found Amleth lying fast asleep. They took
away his shield and the missive which he bore from the
King of Britain. Thus did the Scottish queen come to
know of Amleth's great deed, because on the shield
which he had made she saw depicted how he had slain
his father's murderer. She read the missive and rubbed
out the writing, and substituted a message from the King
of Britain, expressing his desire that she should wed the
bearer of it.
Amleth woke up ere the spies returned, but pre-
tended still to sleep. When one of them was about to
place the king's missive from where he had taken it,
Amleth sprang up, seized him, and had him bound.
Then went he to the queers dwelling. Her name was
Hermutrude. She read the altered missive, and she
praised the bearer, because that he had avenged his
father's death and possessed himself of the crown. She
also expressed her surprise that he should have wed a
slave's daughter. So noble a prince, she said, should
.wed one of high birth, for rank was of more account
than beauty. But there was one nobly born, who was
worthy of him. She herself was worthy of him, because
that his kingdom and his ancestors were not greater than
hers. She offered him her love and her possessions with
242 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
it, and pleaded with him to set aside his marriage and
have her for wife.1
Then the queen rose and embraced Amleth, kissing
him, and he with joy embraced and kissed her in turn.
A great feast was held, and they were married with
ceremony and in great pomp.
Accompanied by a band of Scottish war men, Amleth
then set out to return to the King of Britain ; but his first
wife met him and warned him against her sire. She
made bitter complaint that he had slighted her, but said
that her love for him was stronger than her hate of his
adultery. A son was born to her, she told Amleth, who
might grow up to hate the Scottish queen, but she herself
would love her rival.
Then came nigh the King of Britain, and he embraced
Amleth, but afterwards sought to slay him. Amleth
would have fallen by the sword, which was thrust
treacherously at him from behind, had he not been
protected by a shirt of mail.
So it came that war broke out between them. The
British king and his war men fell upon Amleth's forces
and put them to flight, killing many. On the next day
the young warrior found himself closely pressed, but he
had resort to a cunning stratagem. He collected together
all the slain war men, and set them up tied to stakes as
if they were alive; on horseback even were many made
fast. Thus he seemed to command an imposing array
of battle warriors.
When the King of Britain's army came against Am-
leth, and beheld the apparent strength of his force, the
soldiers were terrified, and they broke and fled in con-
fusion. The Danes charged, and they slew the king ere
1 Evidently a memory of Picti&h marriage customs. The Irish Cuchullin ha* a
similar experience in Scotland*
THE TRADITIONAL HAMLET 243
he could escape. Then Amleth ravaged the land and
possessed himself of much treasure. Soon afterwards he
returned to Denmark with his two wives.
It chanced that King Rorik died. His son, Wiglek,
regarded Amleth as a usurper, and claimed the throne
of Jutland. A war was thereupon declared, and Amleth
was slain. Ere he entered the fateful battle he had fore-
knowledge of his fate, and he sought to choose a second
husband for Hermutrude ; but she vowed that she would
share his fate on the field, saying that a woman who
feared to die with her husband was an abomination. But
when Amleth fell, the queen kept not her promise ; she
made offer of herself to Wiglek and became his bride.
Amleth was buried on a plain in Jutland which still
bears his name.1
Hamlet and his Mother
Queen. What have I done, that thou dar'st wag thy tongue
In noise so rude against me ?
Ham. Such an act
That blurs the grace and blush of modesty;
Calk virtue hypocrite; takes off the rose
From the fair forehead of an innocent love,
And sets a blister there; makes marriage vows
As false as dicers1 oaths: O, such a deed
As from the body of contraction plucks
The very soul, and sweet religion makes
A rhapsody of words! — heaven's face doth glow;
Yea, this solidity and compound mass,
With tristful visage, as against the doom,
Is thought-sick at the act.
Queen. Ah me, what act,
That roars so loud, and thunders in the index?
1 Midler tays there are two localities named ** Amelhede '*.
244 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Ham. Look here, upon this picture, and on this —
The counterfeit presentment of two brothers.
See what a grace was seated on this brow;
Hyperion's curls; the front of Jove himself;
An eye like Mars, to threaten and command ;
A station like the herald Mercury
New-lighted on a heaven-kissing hill ;
A combination and a form, indeed,
Where every god did seem to set his seal,
To give the world assurance of a man:
This was your husband. — Look you now, what follows:
Here is your husband; like a mildew'd ear,
Blasting his wholesome brother. Have you eyes?
Could you on this fair mountain leave to feed,
And batten on this moor? Ha! have you eyes?
You cannot call it love; for at your age
The heydey in the blood is tame, it 's humble,
And waits upon the judgment: and what judgment
Would step from this to this? Sense, sure, you have,
Else could you not have motion: but, sure, that sense
Is apoplex'd: for madness would not err;
Nor sense to ecstasy was ne'er so thrall'd
But it reserved some quantity of choice,
To serve in such a difference. What devil was 't,
That thus hath cozen'd you at hoodman-blind ?
Eyes without feeling, feeling without sight,
Ears without hands or eyes, smelling sans all,
Or but a sickly part of one true sense
Could not so mope.
O shame! where is thy blush ? Rebellious hell,
If thou canst mutine in a matron's bones,
To flaming youth let virtue be as wax,
And melt in her own fire: proclaim no shame,.
When the compulsive ardour gives the charge,
Since frost itself as actively doth burn,
And reason panders will.
Queen* O Hamlet, speak no more:
, Thou turn'st mine eyes into my very soul ;
THE TRADITIONAL HAMLET 245
And there I see such black and grained spots,
As will not leave their tinct.
Ham. Nay, but to live
Stew'd in corruption —
Queen. O, speak to me no more;
These words, like daggers, enter in mine ears;
No more, sweet Hamlet !
Ham. A murderer and a villain;
A slave, that is not twentieth part the tithe
Of your precedent lord ; — a vice of kings :
A cutpurse of the empire and the rule,
That from a shelf the precious diadem stole,
And put it in his pocket!
Queen. No more!
Ham. A king of shreds and patches: —
# • • • •
My pulse, as yours, doth temperately keep time,
And makes as healthful music: it is not madness
That I have utter'd : bring me to the test,
And I the matter will re-word ; which madness
Would gambol from. Mother, for love of grace,
Lay not that flattering unction to your soul,
That not your trespass, but my madness, speaks:
It will but skin and film the ulcerous place,
Whilst rank corruption, mining all within,
Infects unseen. Confess yourself to heaven;
Repent what's past; avoid what is to come;
And do not spread the compost on the weeds,
To make them ranker. Forgive me this, my virtue;
For in the fatness of these pursy times,
Virtue itself of vice'must pardon beg;
Yea, curb and woo, for leave to do him good.
Queen. O Hamlet, thou hast cleft my heart in twain.
Ham. O, throw away the worser part of it,
And live the purer with the other half.
Shakespeare.
CHAPTER XXIII
Hamlet's Storm-mill
When Frode was King — What the Mill ground for^h — The Giant Maids
— Their Ceaseless Labour — Desire for Vengeance — Sea Rovers plunder the
Kingdom — The Maelstrom — Tale of Two Brothers — A Deal with the Devil
— Wonderful Quern Stones — The Covetous Brother — Flood of Broth — The
House by the Sea — A Skipper's Bargain — Why the Sea is salt.
"AMLODE'S mealbin",1 which the Prince of Denmark
called the " Mill of Storms ", was also named by skalds
"Frode'sMiU".2
King Frode was a wise and just king, and there was
peace when he reigned in Denmark. Harvests were
abundant, so that there was no lack of food, and treasure
was never concealed, because there were no robbers.
Strangers who visited the kingdom were received with
hospitality and allowed to depart in peace.
The king had two wonderful quern stones, which
ground at Frode's will whatever he desired of them.
When he wanted gold he named it. Then the stones
were turned round and the shining grist was poured
forth. Silver and gleaming gems were produced in like
manner. The wondrous mill could also grind peace
1The following is an extract from a tenth-century Icelandic sags which makes
reference to Hamlet : ** "Tit said that far out, off yonder headland, the nine maids of
the Island-mill stir amain the host-cruel skerry-quern — they who in agea past ground
Amlode's (Hamlet's) meal".
a Frode is the god Frey humanized. His crops were ground on the World-mill,
According to an Eddie poem his servant Bygver divided food among men. Thi» elf
is of the mill-brownie type so familiar in folktales*
246
HAMLET'S STORM-MILL 247
and goodwill, and thus it was that there was great pros-
perity when Frode reigned over the land.
Once upon a time the millstones gave forth naught,
because there were no servants in the kingdom who had
sufficient strength to turn the handle. In vain did Frode
make search for strong workers, and at length he came
to know that the King of Sweden had two slave women
of great stature and strength. With a gift of gold Frode
purchased them* Their names were Menja and Fenja;
eight feet in height were they, and broader than the
doughtiest war man ; their muscles were as hard as iron.
They were set to grind the mill, and they cried:
"What shall we grind?"
The king said: "Grind gold, so that I may have
great wealth."
So they ground gold in plenty, and King Frode was
soon the possessor of much treasure. Then they ground
for him peace and plenty, and the harvests were rich, the
streams flowed ever, and ships made prosperous voyages.
By day and by night the giant maids ground, and they
were weary, so they beseeched the king that they should
have rest.
"Thou shalt pause no longer than the cuckoo is
silent in the springtime/' the king said.
"Rarely is the cuckoo silent in spring," they made
answer; "permit that we may have longer rest."
" Thou mayest rest," the king said, " as long as the
verse of a song is sung."
Frode obtained more and more wealth from the mill,
but he was never satisfied. Then the maidens grew
angry, and vowed vengeance upon him. One to another
they said: "Are we not the daughters of mountain
giants; are our kindred not greater than Frode's. We
have beheld the quern in other days. In the home of
248 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
giants we whirled it round, so that the earth trembled
and thunder bellowed in the caves.1 . . . Frode hath
not done wisely."
Thus did they complain, weary of grinding, and Fenja
at length counselled that they should no longer grind
good for him who gave them no rest and was never
satisfied.
Then Menja sang a weird incantation, which brought
a band of warriors over the sea to work disaster with fire
and sword.
Fenja called upon Frode, warning him of approaching
peril, but he slept and heard her not. The warriors
came to the shore; they laid waste the land, they burned
the town, and scattered before them the warriors of
Frode. The king was wounded grievously, so that he
died.
Thus came Mysinger, the sea rover, and plundered
the land, which he robbed of its vast treasures. The
ships were heavily loaded thereafter, and Mysinger took
with him the wondrous mill and the giant maids who
turned it.
Then the sea rover set the slaves to grind salt, be-
cause there was none in the ships. As he bade them,
so did they do. When night fell they asked him if they
had ground sufficient for his needs; but he was no wiser
than Frode, and commanded them to cease not their
labours. So Fenja and Menja ground on until the ship
was so fan of salt that it sank into the deep.
From that day the giant maids have continued to
grind the mill, for there is no one to bid them to take
rest. On the sea bottom are they ever turning the
stones. At the spot where they work is the great Mael-
strom, a name which signifies " the grinding stream ".
i See chapter "The Winter Warn.
HAMLET'S STORM-MILL 249
It is said that Fenja and Menja still work as My-
singer commanded them, and that is why the sea is salt.
But there is another tale that minstrels were wont to
tell regarding a wondrous mill which sank below the
waves.
There were once two brothers, and one was rich
while the other was poor. On a Christmas Eve the
brother who was in need went unto the other and asked
him in God's name for food, because that he had naught
to eat.
The rich brother said: "A flitch of bacon shall I give
thee if thou wilt do as I desire."
Readily did the starving man agree to his brother's
terms. He took the flitch of bacon, and then he was
told: "Hasten thou straight to hell with what I have
given thee."
The poor brother must needs carry out the compact,
so he set forth by a long and weary road. He travelled
until darkness fell, and then he saw a light and went
towards it* Soon he reached a dwelling. Standing out-
side it was an old man with a long grey beard, who
hewed wood for his Christmas fire.
"Whither art thou going at this late hour?" asked
the old man,
"I am journeying to hell," the other made answer,
"but I know not the way."
" Thou hast no need to go any farther," the old man
said, "because this dwelling is hell. When thou goest
within thou shalt find not a few who will readily purchase
the flitch of bacon from thee. But sell it not to any man
unless thou art given the quern which is behind the
door. When thou dost receive it, carry it without, and
I shall show thee how to turn the handle. The quern
can grind forth anything thou desirest."
250 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
The poor man knocked at the door, and it was opened.
... All the demons swarmed towards him, begging for
the flitch, and one did outbid the other with desire to
purchase it.
" I shall sell it/' the man said, " for the old quern
which is behind the door/'
The devil at first refused to barter the quern, but
soon he relented, and it was given to the man for the
flitch of bacon.
When the grey-bearded woodcutter taught the poor
brother how to use the quern, he set out with it towards
his home.
He found his wife waiting for him, and she com-
plained bitterly because that there was no food in the
house, nor fuel to light a fire. When she ceased scold-
ing him, the husband said:
" I had to travel a long way, first for one thing and
then for another, but now we shall see what we shall see.'*
He put the quern on the table, and he bade it grind
forth fuel and food and ale, and soon they had a warm
fire and Christmas fare in plenty. The old dame was
made happy indeed, and she said: "Where didst thou
get this wonderful quern?"
"Ask me not," answered her husband; "here is the
quern, and indeed it is an excellent one. The mill-
stream never freezes. That is enough."
Then the man made the quern to grind much food
and ale, and he gave a feast to all his friends. His rich
brother came, and when he saw that the larder was full
he grew angry because that he wished not his brother to
have anything.
"On Christmas Eve," he said, "thou didst come to
me to beg for a little food in God's name. From whence
have you received all this wealth?"
HAMLETS STORM-MILL 251
The brother who had been poor answered: " I ob-
tained it from behind the door."
Nor would he say aught else at that time.
But ere the evening was spent the rich brother saw
that the other had drunk deep, and he asked him again
regarding the quern. So the man who had sold a flitch of
bacon to the devil told him all. His brother pleaded for
the quern, which he coveted greatly, and offered for pur-
chase three hundred pieces of gold. The other said he
would get it for that sum at the hay harvest.
Next day the man who had been poor set the quern
to work, and he kept it grinding until he had enough
food and drink to last him for the rest of his days.
Then gave he the quern to his brother, but he told him
not how to work it,
It was the beginning of the hay harvest, and the rich
brother, who was a farmer, told his wife, when he carried
the quern home, to go out to the field with the workers
while he prepared the midday meal. Then he set the
quern upon the kitchen table, and he bade it to grind
forth herrings and broth in plenty.
The quern set to work, and the herrings and the
broth were poured from it in abundance. First all the
dishes in the house were filled, and then all the tubs, and
still the food poured forth until the kitchen floor was
covered over. In vain did the farmer seek to stop the
supply. He seized the handle of the quern roughly,
and twisted it this way and that, but without avail. The
herrings were heaped high and the broth flooded the
kitchen. In terror the man fled to the parlour, but the
broth followed him, and he had to struggle towards the
door, half-smothered in the food stream, to escape being
drowned.
When the door was opened he ran down the road,
252 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
and the flood of broth and herrings went after him,
roaring like a mountain waterfall and spreading all over
the farm.
The farmer's wife wondered greatly that she and the
workers were not called home for dinner, and she said:
" Although we have not yet been bidden, we may as well
return. Perhaps the master finds it harder than he
expected to cook our meal, and has much need of my
help."
So the dame and the workers left the hayfield and
went towards the farmhouse. Ere long they beheld a
strange spectacle. Pell-mell the farmer came running
towards them, escaping from a torrent of herrings and
broth. As he came nigh he shouted: "I would that
each of ye had a hundred throats. . . . Beware, lest
you are drowned in the broth!"
He ran on and hastened to his brother, and besought
of him to take back the quern. But this the man who
got it from the devil refused to do, unless he were paid
another three hundred pieces of gold.
" If it goes on grinding for another hour," the farmer
declared, " the whole parish will be covered with herrings
and broth."
So he gladly paid the money demanded by his brother,
who thus got back the quern again, and a goodly sum of
money as well.
Then did the man who gave the flitch to the devil
set the stones grinding without delay. He got all he
desired from them. Before long he had a fine farmhouse,
which was larger and more commodious than his brother's,
and he had so much gold produced by the mill - that he
covered his new dwelling with plates of gold. It stood
upon the shore, and far out at sea it was beheld shining
in beauty. Sailors cast anchor when they came nigh to
HAMLET'S STORM-MILL 253
that shore, so that they might land to see the golden
house and the rich man who inhabited it. They were
one after another shown the wonderful quern, and its
fame was spread far and near.
One day a sea captain called at the golden house, and
when he saw the quern he asked if it could grind salt.
The man who purchased it from the devil said that it
gave forth anything that was desired.
Now the captain was accustomed to go long voyages
for salt, and he offered to buy the quern. At first the
owner would not consent to sell it, but at length he
agreed to do so if he received a thousand pieces of gold.
The skipper paid that sum, and went off with the
quern, but he was not instructed how to work it. He
hastened on board his ship and sailed away. When he
was far out at sea he thought he would set the quern
a-working, so he commanded it to grind salt in plenty,
and as speedily as could be.
The quern set to work. It- ground salt in plenty,
and ground very fast. Soon the hold was full, and the
skipper, feeling satisfied, sought to stop the quern. But
that he was unable to do. It ground and ground until
the decks were covered over, and at .length the immense
load of salt weighed down the ship, so that it sank below
the waves.
On the floor of ocean lies the quern, and by day
and by night it grinds on as the skipper bade it to
do. ... That is why the sea is salt.
CHAPTER XXIV
Land of the Not-dead and many Marvels
King Gorm and Thorkill — Voyage of Exploration — Isle of Giants — Ad-
ventures in Geirrod's Land — City of Dreadful Night — Giants in Torture — The
Treasures — Battle with Demons — ThorkilTs Second Voyage — Loke bound —
Erik in Odainsaker — The Magic Tower — Helge Thoreson — His Demon Bride
— Spells, Blessings, and Prayers — Why Helge was made blind — Hadding in
the Underworld — The Flowers of Hela.
THERE was a King in Denmark whose name was Gorm,
and he had more desire to obtain knowledge than to win
great glory in battle. He had royal courage, which he
sought to prove in searching out the profound mysteries
of the dread Unknown rather than by engaging in bloody
conflict with his fellow men.
Now, Gorm came to hear of a lone, undiscovered land
in the distant north, where vast treasure was concealed
in caves. The giant Geirrod dwelt there, and although
the way to his abode was full of peril for mortals, Gorm
was consumed with desire to explore it. Many travellers
who had ventured forth to discover the giant's country
never again returned; they had to pay the dues of death.
To reach the abode of Geirrod ships must needs
cross the vast tempestuous ocean that encircles the earth,
and voyage on through horrors undreamt of, until the
sunway is passed and the stars vanish from sight. For
in that dread land there is no light, nor warmth of
summer; winter endures without end, and there is ever
eternal darkness unbroken and deep.
264
LAND OF THE NOT-DEAD 255
But Gorm was without fear. No peril daunted him,
nor could fear of suffering hold him back. He sought
not wealth, although treasure abounded in the land of
night ; he desired rather the glory of achievement in
searching out marvels unbeholden by living men.
So it came that the king made known his purpose to
the people, and three hundred of his choicest war-men
clamoured to share his renown. There was among them
one braver than the rest, and it was he who had brought
intelligence to Gorm of the dark undiscovered land. His
name was Thorkill ; he had coasted the perilous shores
and knew well the path of ocean thither, so he was
chosen to be leader of the exploring band.
Thorkill counselled that there should be built three
strong and commodious ships, covered with thick ox
hides to afford shelter from tempest spray, for vast food
stores must needs be taken in them. As Thorkill ad-
vised, so did Gorm of Denmark do. He had the vessels
built, they were covered with skins, and well laden with
provisions and arms. In due season the voyage was
begun. Northward sailed the billow-cleaving galleys,
wind-driven through seething foam, and in each there
were a hundred chosen men,
Ere long they came to Halogaland, and they had
favoured progress on pleasant waters; but then the waves
grew fierce, and the winds opposed them so that the
galleys were tossed and stayed on perilous seas, driven
hither and thither, and turned divers ways from their
proper course. So they suffered deky, and their voyage
was prolonged until their food stores were all but con-
sumed, and hunger menaced them with death. In dire
straits they made meagre pottage and fed sparingly thus
on scanty fare for many days.
But at length their sufferings had end. One night in
256 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
thick darkness they heard, booming hard on the wind, the
breaking surf of shoreland billows. To the masthead at
dawn a youth climbed nimbly, and in the distance he saw,
hazed by spray, the high beetling cliffs of a rocky isle.
Towards it were the galleys steered, and with glad eyes
the wasted men gazed upon the welcoming land, rough
and desolate as it was. Against wind and tide they made
their way, until at length they reached a haven of refuge.
Then they went ashore, scrambling over broken rocks,
and climbed by slippery paths the stern precipitous heights
of the island until they reached the level ground.
On a green place nigh to a deep forest they beheld
great herds of browsing cattle. They were easy prey,
for they feared not men, whom they had never before
beheld; indeed the beasts assembled together to gaze
with wonder on the sea-roving band.
Thorkill had knowledge of the island perils, and he
counselled the men to slay not more of the cattle than
were needful for a single repast, lest the giants who kept
watch there might be angered, and should seek to pre-
vent their departure. But the men heeded him not So
great was their greed that they slew many cattle and filled
the galleys with their flesh. Heavily they feasted and
were made glad, but there were those of them who paid
dearly for their rashness.
When night fell black, there were threats of dire
vengeance. The forest resounded with loud bellowing,
and from the rocky beach dread monsters dashed through
the surf and beset the galleys. One, greater and fiercer
than the others, strode knee-deep in the sea, swinging
angrily a tree-like dub. He rated the seafarers because
they had slaughtered the cattle, and demanded to be
given a man from each galley because of the loss which
the island had suffered. There was no choice but to
LAND OF THE NOT-DEAD 257
accept of the monster's terms; the few must oft be
sacrificed so that the many may escape. So Thorkill cast
lots, and three men were thus chosen and delivered unto
the monsters who guarded the island herds.
Thereafter a favourable wind sprang up ; the sails
were set, and the ships drave onwards. Swiftly they
voyaged and far. The days grew shorter and dimmer,
until at length the sun was left behind and the stars
vanished. ... So traversing seas unknown they came
nigh to Outer Bjarmaland. It was a dreary land, ice-cold
and dark ; the snows never melt there, and eternal night
prevails.
Blacker than all else, the men saw dimly deep pathless
forests through which ever roam strange ferocious beasts,
unseen elsewhere. Many rivers were foaming seaward
over sharp and treacherous reefs.
Thorkill at length found the haven he sought, and
the ships were drawn high on the beach. Then were the
tents pitched.
"From here," said Thorkill, "the journey to Geirrod's
dwelling is short. . . . Now unto all give I timely warn-
ing. Let no man open his mouth unto any monster that
comes nigh, lest words should be spoken which would
give them power to injure you. None save one who
knows the customs of this land can converse safely with
its strange people."
Soon there came towards the seafarers a giant who
called each seafarer by his name and spoke freely. The
men were stricken with terror, and answered him not.
Thorkill told them that the giant was Geirrod's brother,
and was named Gudmund1; he was guardian of that
weird land, and protected from peril all men who
sojourned there.
1Mimcr.
258 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Gudmund spoke unto Thorkill and asked him why
the men answered him not, and the wily seafarer
answered that they had little knowledge of his language,
and were ashamed to speak it.
Then the giant bade them all to a feast, and led the
way along the banks of a river. Soon the travellers came
to a golden bridge, and they desired to cross it, so fair
did it seem, but Gudmund warned them that the river
which they gazed upon divided the land of mortals from
the land of horrid sights, and that the opposite bank was
by sacred decree declared unlawful for mortals to tread.1
So they went onward by the road they had taken, until
they came to the dwelling place of Gudmund.
Privily did Thorkill then speak unto his companions,
and warned them to eat not of the food placed before
them, or drink of the liquor, or touch any man who was
there.
As he commanded them so did they do, and at the
feast they partook of their own viands only.
The feasting hall was ablaze with splendour. With
Gudmund were his twelve stately sons and twelve
beauteous daughters, and they made merry. But when
the host perceived that King Gorm partook not of the
food or the wine placed before him, and that the others
likewise refused the fare, he spake to Thorkill, protesting
that his hospitality was despised. But that wily seafarer
said that his companions had long been unaccustomed to
such rich fare, and feared to eat of the dainties lest they
should be sickened.
Gudmund was ill-pleased, because the food was pre-
pared with spells so that the guests might be made for-
getful of the past and compelled to remain for ever in
lSaxo*« words arc: **Ciaju» tramseundi cupidos revocavit, docens, eo alveohumana a
raaiutroii* rerum accrcvittc naturam, nee mortaltbus ultra fas cssc vestigiis*"
LAND OF THE NOT-DEAD 259
the dismal shade among creatures non- human and
weird.
So the giant sought to tempt them further. To the
king he offered his daughter for wife, and unto the others
he would fain give brides also. But Thorkill prevailed
upon them to make refusal. All save four of the men
obeyed him, and these were made insane.1
Then Gudmund invited the king to visit his garden,
so that he might partake of its wondrous fruits; but
Gorm was warned by Thorkill and refused to be lured
thither. So the host perceived that he was baffled; and
consented to guide them to the dwelling of Geirrod.
He then conducted the travellers over the river, and
promised to await their return.
They entered a dismal land which was fraught with
peril and full of terrors. Not long did Thorkill and
his companions travel when they beheld a strange city
which seemed to be composed of vapour. Dismal and
gloomy it was, and covered with dust and slime as if it
were neglected and deserted. Yet was it thickly peopled
by sorrowing folk. The not-dead inhabited it amidst
horrors and illusions.
Lofty were the battlements that surrounded the city,
and surmounting them on stakes were the heads of fallen
war -men. The gates were situated so high that they
could not be reached save by ladders, and fierce hel-
hounds kept watch before them. Thorkill went first, and
climbed towards the entrance, which is ever open. To
the 'hounds he flung a horn smeared with fat, and they
licked it greedily and were appeased. Then his com-
panions followed him, and together they entered the
gloomy city of the not-dead.
1ln Highland lore these unions are followed by speedy death. The demon brides
truth their lovers.
260 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Horrible were the shades that hastened past them
with faces fixed aghast, and ever screaming woefully.
They came and went beholding naught —
A great stream
Of people there was hurrying to and fro,
Numerous as gnats upon the evening gleam.
All hastening onward, yet none seemed to know
Whither he went, or whence he came, or why
He made one of the multitude, and so
Was borne amid the crowd, as through the sky
One of the million leaves of summer's bier;
Old age and youth, manhood and infancy
Mixed in one mighty torrent did appear,
Some flying from the thing they feared, ana some
Seeking the object of another's fear.
Shelley
The streets were misty and loathsome ; putrid scum and
miry filth —
Stifled the air till the dead wind stank.
Every sense was offended ; every man was repulsed.
The reeking foulness and nameless horrors froze Gorm
and his followers with agonized loathing.
Then they came to Geirrod's mountain lair. The
door opened on the ledge of a black precipice, but they
faltered with icy dread before it; they shrank back lest
they might be overcome. But Thorkill spake words of
encouragement and bade them fear not, but he warned
them not to touch aught which might tempt them —
gems, or gold, or any treasure — nor to be terrified by
what was horrible and weird. If a hand were laid upon
anything within, he told them, it could never be with-
LAND OF THE NOT-DEAD 261
drawn; it would be bound; it would be knotted up.
Then he bade them all to enter in companies of four.
Broder and Buchi, the skilful archers, with Thorkill and
the king went first ; the others followed in order.
The doorposts were black with soot, which was cen-
turies old and very deep ; filth lay everywhere. Gaunt
monster sentinels were on guard ; they were numerous,
noisy, restless, and menacing. Some leapt about with
maniac-like frenzy, playing a strange repulsive game.
No man spoke. Half-stunned by belching filth reek
from within they entered falteringly. The dwelling was
wellnigh a ruin ; the walls were dark and loathsome in
the faint twilight ; horrors loomed through the shadows.
A roof of arrowy stings was above them, and the floors
were made of venomous snakes steeped in foulness.
Thorkill's companions were quaking with, terror, and
they could scarcely endure the violent and suffocating
fumes. Yet they could .not forbear gazing about them,
confused with horror and mute with alarm. Vast giants
were stretched as if dead upon benches of iron ; in silent
agony they lay as if carved from stone. Others wallowed
in torture.
Thorkill led the strangers through a rocky fissure,
and they beheld, sitting on a high ledge, the old giant
Geirrod. His body was transfixed to the cliff by a
javelin. Three giant maids with broken spines lay
squirming beside him. These were the monsters whom
Thor had thus punished because that they sought to
overcome him with treachery.1
From the halls of torture the bold seafarers passed
to a chamber of treasures, where the air was sweet. Fair
indeed was the spectacle they beheld. Tankards of mead
stood around them ; these were encircled with fine gold
1 Sec chapter "Thor in Peril".
262 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
and decorated with rings of silver. Among the treasures
were a gleaming ivory tusk, circled with gold, a golden
armlet, and a great drinking-horn, graven with pictures
and set with sparkling gems.
Three men with covetous hearts could resist not their
desire to be possessed of these rare treasures, and seized
them greedily. Then did they pay life's cost for their
boldness. The tusk became a sword which pierced the
heart of him who laid hands upon it, the armlet became
a venomous snake which stung to death the man who
held it, and the great horn was transformed into a fiery
dragon which devoured the robbers.1
The other men were stricken anew with terror in
that dread land, and they all feared they would share
the fate of their companions. But they passed in safety
to another chamber, which had greater splendour than
that which they left. It was filled with shining armour
and bright weapons, and rich apparel radiant with silver
and gold and ablaze with jewels. Fairest of all were
a great king's robe, with his splendid headgear and his
graven gem-decked waistbelt,
Thorkill, who had warned others, could not resist
his desire to possess some of the rare treasure, so, im-
pulsively he seized the royal mantle. . . . Then did
dire disaster threaten them. The chamber tottered as
if shaken by earthquake ; women's screams were heard,
and wailing voices asked if these despoilers were to be
endured any longer. . . . The whole dwelling was stirred
with noisy alarm. Monstrous beings who seemed to lie
dead sprang suddenly to their feet, menacing and horrible,
and with hordes of wan and shadowy furies made fierce
1 Thjassc-Volund's Sword of Victory and multiplying ring. Here we have the
treasure which was cursed, and the dragon guardian of Beowulf Volsunga saga, &c.
The horn is Gjallar-horn which Heimdal h to blow at Ragnarok.
LAND OF THE NOT-DEAD 263
attack upon the strangers, who were begirt with awesome
peril. It was well for Thorkill and the others that the
skilled archers, Broder and Buchi, were with them, for
they bent their bows and shot magic arrows against the
assailing horde. Spears were also cast and deadly missiles
were flung from ready slings. So were the Furies beaten
back, although many men fell, to be torn asunder by
monsters. Those who survived made speedy -escape from
Geirrod's dwelling, and from the city of the not-dead,
and returned to Gudmund, who waited for them, as he
had promised. Then did the giant ferry them over the
river and take them unto his own dwelling.
Again they were feasted and again did they resist the
temptation to partake of the food and wine, and have for
brides the demon maids that were offered to them. But
Buchi, the archer, was stricken with love for a daughter
of Gudmund, and he was driven insane in her embrace.
He who contended against the monsters in Geirrod's
dwelling was overcome by a maiden of gentle seeming,
and he never again returned to his native land, for when
Thorkill and the king took their departure he followed
them towards the shore, but he was caught in a river arid
dashed to death.
The king and Thorkill, mourning for those who had
fallen, and especially Buchi, made haste to leave the land
of terror- But their voyage homeward was beset with
perils; the seas wallowed in tempest, and the galleys
were driven hither and thither by contrary winds, so
that they suffered great delay. The food stores were
at length exhausted and many died of hunger. Prayers
were made to divers gods without avail, but at length the
king made vows and offerings to Utgard-Loke, whereat
the seas were calmed, and a favourable wind drove the
vessels towards the haven, of home. Of the three hun-
264 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
dred men who had set forth to visit the land of the
not- dead, but twenty returned to Denmark.
The king sought not further adventures over perilous
seas towards distant lands. He lived at peace after sore
travail, and he engaged in meditation regarding the mys-
teries of life and death* Certain teachers convinced him
that to men's souls immortal life is -given, and Gorm
wondered whether the gods would cause him to suffer
torture or reward him with bliss, because that he had
spent his days in adoration and had given peace offerings.
Now the god whom the king favoured most was
Utgard-Loke, and his friends counselled him that he
should send Thorkill to appease that deity in the land
of night. They also made grave accusations of treachery
against the brave seafarer, who waxed wroth and de-
manded that these evil advisers of the king should
accompany him on his fearsome voyage. Gorm forced
the men to sail with Thorkill, and unwillingly they went
forth to face the perils of the Unknown.
Great were the sufferings of the men who went to-
wards the dwelling of Utgard-Loke. Many died from
starvation ere they came to the land of eternal darkness.
At length they reached a rocky shore on which there
was a black tremendous precipice. Thorkill and his
companions went ashore, and they came to the narrow
entrance of a vast cavern. Iron benches were seen within
by the light of the torches carried, and they perceived
that the floor swarmed with venomous snakes. They
went inward on a rocky ledge, and passed a warm and
foul river, and afterwards entered a chamber which reeked
with loathsome vapour and was strewn with slime. Then
did they behold Utgard-Loke1. He was bound to the
lThis is evidently Loke, not the Utgarck-Loki in the chapter "The City of
Enchantments ". Loke's place of torture wag situated in the utmost part of Nifel hel.
LAND OF THE NOT-DEAD 265
rock with great fetters. So long had he lain there that
his hair and his beard had grown hard as elk horns.
Desiring to return homeward with proof of his achieve-
ment, Thorkill snatched out a single hair of Utgard-
Loke's beard, whereat a foul stench came forth. Then
flying serpents made attack upon the strangers, spouting
venom which caused limbs to wither and heads to be
struck off, so that but few men escaped to the galleys.
When Thorkill returned to Denmark he was so
greatly disfigured by the venom that his friends hardly
knew him. He went to the king and related all he had
seen and what had happened to him, and he showed the
horn-like hair of Loke's beard from which deadly fumes
escaped and suffocated several who were nigh. Gorm
was terror-stricken when he came to know of the horrors
of the foul dwelling of his favoured god, Loke, and he
fell back dead ere Thorkill had finished his tale.
Beyond the realms of torture are "the Glittering
Plains", where good men and women who have died
upon earth live ever in bliss and amidst scenes of beauty.
This part of the Other -world is also called Odainsaker,
"the acre of the not-dead", and Jord lifanda manna,
"the earth of living men".
Erik, a prince of Denmark, made a vow that he
would go thither, and another prince from Norway, who
was named Erik also, set forth with him and their fol-
lowers towards the east, and they journeyed a great
distance beyond India, until they reached a dark forest,
in a land where the sun never shone and the stars were
beholden by day. Onward they went through perilous
places until there was light again. They came at length
to a river, which was spanned by a bridge of stone, and
on the other side was a green and level plain. A great
dragon stood upon the bridge, keeping constant guard.
,66 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
ind its jaws gaped wide, issuing forth flame and smoke.
Srik of Denmark feared to go farther, and said they
nust needs return; but Erik of Norway drew his sword,
md seizing the right hand of one of his followers rushed
forward with him. In horror and anguish the others
beheld the two men vanishing in the dragon's jaws, so
they mourned for them greatly and returned home by
the way they had come.
Many years passed by, and at length Erik of Norway
and his companion appeared in their native land. They
told that when they went nigh to the dragon they were
blinded by smoke, but they pressed on. Soon the air
was cleared, and they found that they had crossed the
bridge and were travelling over a glittering plain which
was covered with gleaming flowers that gave forth sweet
odours. It was ever summer there and ever bright and
warm, but there were no shadows cast by flowers or trees
or living beings. They journeyed on until they saw a
beauteous tower suspended in mid-air. A ladder hung
from it, and they climbed towards the door. Fair was
the room they entered. The carpet was of hushing
velvet, and on a gleaming table, which was laden with
rich dainties, stood dishes of silver and wine goblets of
graven gold. Sumptuous beds were in the tower also,
and the air was filled with faint perfume. Erik and his
companion were made glad, because they deemed that
they had at length come unto Odainsaker.
Now while Erik lay in soft slumber there appeared
before him a shining youth, who was his guardian spirit,1
and he asked the prince if he desired to remain there for-
ever* But Erik said that it was his desire to return, so
that he might relate the wonders he had beheld. Then
the spirit told him he had reached not Odainsaker, which
1 Hi* Hamingje.
LAND OF THE NOT-DEAD 267
lay beyond, and was so very fair that the tower and the
land over which it was suspended seemed dreary and
unlovely in comparison. But no man who ever went
thither could return again. It was the prince's choice,
however, to seek his fatherland; and when he returned
and told of the wondrous things he had beheld he was
called Erik the Far-travelled.
Helge Thoreson also visited the Glittering Plains. In
a great forest he met Gudmund and his twelve daughters,
who were clad in scarlet robes, and rode upon stately
steeds harnessed with gold. Ingeborg, the fairest of the
maids, was moved with love towards Helge, who remained
with her for three days. A great tent was erected and a
feast prepared; rich were the dainties, and the dishes
were of silver and gold. When Helge took his departure
he received much treasure from Gudmund, and he re-
turned with it to his sire, nor were men ever told
whence it was obtained.
There came a great tempest on Yule-night, and in
the midst of it two strange men entered the dwelling of
Helge' s sire, and took the young man away.
When a year had gone past Helge appeared again
with the two men, and stood before King Olav Trygveson
in his feasting hall. The strangers gave to the monarch
.two great drinking horns, which were decorated with
gold, and said that they were sent to him by Gudmund,
These were then filled with mead, and the bishop blessed
them,1 but when the horns were handed to the strangers
they threw them away. Then the fire went out; every
light was extinguished; there was clamour and confusion
1 The blessing counteracts the evil influence of a spell. In the Highlands a child
should be blessed ere its name is asked, and strangers should bless a house on entering
it. The blessing is not only a proof of friendly intentions, but a preventive, for he
who blesses is unable to practise black magic for the time being.
a68 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
in the feasting hall and the guests were terror-stricken.
Afterwards it was found that Helge and the strangers
had vanished. Then were prayers offered up for Helge's
return.
At next Yuletide the strangers came back with Helge
unto the king, and immediately went away, leaving behind
them the young man, who was stricken with blindness.
He told that he had spent happy days with Gudmund,
but he was forced to return because of the prayers which
were offered up. Ere he parted from his spirit bride she
made him blind, lest his eyes should ever gaze with love
upon the daughters of men.
Now after Hadding, son of Halfdan, had slain the
sea dragon1 he had strange adventures. He rescued,
from a great giant Ragnhild, the fair daughter of the
King of Nitheri, and she became his bride. One evening,
in midwinter, while they feasted together, a spirit woman
rose up, and she bore with her a bunch of white cow-
banes, freshly plucked, and she asked Hadding, who
wondered greatly to see summer flowers at such a time,
if he had desire to behold the place where they grew.
The young king answered her that he would fain see it,
whereat she flung her mantle over him and together
they disappeared.
Twas thus it came that Hadding set forth to journey
towards Hela. He went through a dark land, and black
were the mists about him, while the air- was ice-cold.
Then he came to a road which was daily trod by many
feet, and he walked on until he reached a swiftly flowing
river which was filled with sharp and pointed weapons.
With his guide Hadding crossed the bridge, and came
to a plain where two great armies contended in battle.
Thus did many men who were sword-slain upon earth
l$tt Chapter "The God* Reconciled".
LAND OF THE NOT-DEAD 269
choose to live in Hela, where they performed again their
deeds of might and fell without fear.
At length the woman took Hadding towards a place
which was surrounded by a high wall. He had already
gazed from afar off, as he descended the hills, upon
the beauties of the enclosure, where grew the flowers
which were plucked in midwinter and stately beings in
robes of purple had blissful dwelling.
The old woman tried to leap over the wall, but was
unable to do so. She, however, showed Hadding that
the place within was indeed the land of life. She seized
a fowl which she carried with her, and flung its head,
which he wrung off, over the wall. The head was speedily
restored again, and the bird crowed loudly.
Hadding thereafter returned again unto his own land,
and he endured many perils upon the way.
Spenser's Mimer
Guyon finds Mammon in a delve
Sunning his treasure hoar,
Is by him tempted and led down
To see his secret store.
At last he came upon a gloomy glade,
Covered with boughs and shrubs from heaven's light,
Whereas he sitting found in secret shade
An uncouth, savage and uncivil wight,1
Of grisly hue and foul ill-favoured sight ;
His face with smoke was tann'd and eyes were bleared,
His head and beard with soot were ill bedight,
His coal-black hands did seem to have been seared
In smith's fire-spitting forge, and nails like claws appeared.
*This i§ Spenser's Mammon. He resemoks very closely Gudmund-Mimer, the
chief of elfin traithi who in Norse mythology produce the vast stores of treasure
accursed.
270 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
His iron coat, all overgrown with rust,
Was underneath enveloped with gold ;
Whose glittering gloss, darkened with filthy dust,
Well yet appeared to have been of old
A work of rich entail and curious mould,
Woven with antiques and wild imag'ry :
And in his lap a mass of coin he told
And turned upside down, to feed his eye
And covetous desire with his huge treasury
And round about him lay on every side
Great heaps of gold that never could be spent ;
Of which some were rude ore, not purified
Of Mulciber's devouring element ;
Some others were new driven, and distent
Into great ingots and to wedges square j
Some in round plates withouten moniment1;
But most were stampt, and in their metal bare
The antique shapes of Kings and Kesars strong and rare
" What secret place," quoth he,2 " can safely hold
So huge a mass, and hide from heaven's eye ?
Or where hast thou thy wonne3, that so much gold
Thou canst preserve from wrong and robbery?"
" Come thou,*' quoth he, a and see/* So by and by
Through that thick covert he him led, and found
A darksome way, which no man could descry,
That deep descended through the hollow ground,
And was with dread and horror compassed around.
So soon as Mammon there4 arrived, the door
To him did open and afforded way :
Him followed eke Sir Guyon evermore,
Ne darkness him ne danger might dismay.
Soon as he entered was, the door straightway
1 Superscription, Image. 2TKe Knight Guyon*
* Dwelling.
LAND OF THE NOT-DEAD 271
Did shut, and from behind it forth there leapt
An ugly fiend, more foul than dismal day;
The which with monstrous stalk behind him stept ;
And ever as he went due watch upon him kept.
Both roof, and floor, and walls, were all of gold,
But overgrown with dust and old decay,
And hid in darkness, that none could behold
The hue thereof; for view of cheerful day
Did never in that house itself display,
But a faint shadow of uncertain light,
Such as a lamp, whose life does fade away;
Or as the moon, cloath£d with cloudy night,
Does shew to him that walks in fear and sad affright.
In all that room was nothing to be seen
But huge great iron chests, and coffers strong,
All barr'd with double bends, that none could weene
Them to enforce with violence or wrong ;
On every side they placid were along,
But all the ground with skulls was scattered
And dead men's bones, which round about were flung
Whose lives, it seemed, whilome there were shed,
And their vile carcases now left unburiid
They forward pass ; ne Guyon yet spoke word,
Till that they came unto an iron door
Which to them opened of its own accord,
And showed of riches such exceeding store,
As eye of man did never see before,
Ne ever could within one place be found,
Though all the wealth, which is or was of yore,
Could gathered be through all the world around,
And that above were added to that underground.
The charge thereof unto a covetous spright
Commanded was, who thereby did attend,
And warily awaited day and night,
From other covetous fiends it to defend,
272 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Who it to rob and ransack did intend.
Then Mammon, turning to that warrior, said :
u Lo, here the worldes bless ! lo, here the end
To which all men do aim, rich to be made !
Such grace now to be happy is before thee laid."
He brought him, through a darksome narrow stray t1,
To a broad gate all built of beaten gold :
The gate was open ; but therein did wait
A sturdy villain, striding stiff and bold,
As if the Highest God defy he would :
In his right hand an iron club he held
But he himself was all of golden mould,
Yet had both life and sense, and well could weld
That cursed weapon, when his cruel foes he quelPd.
• «.««••
He brought him in. The room was large and wide,
As it some guild or solemn temple were ;
Many great golden pillars did up-bear
The massy roof, and riches huge sustain ;
And every pillar decked was full dear
With crowns and diadems, and titles vain,
Which mortal princes wore while they on earth did reign.
A route of people there assembled were,
Of every sort and nation under sky
Which with great uproar pressed to draw near
To th' upper part, where was advanced high
A stately siege2 of sovran majesty j
And thereon sat a woman gorgeous gay,
And richly clad in robes of royalty,
That never earthly prince in such array
His glory did enhance, and pompous pride display.,
Her face right wondrous fair did seem to be,
That her broad beauties beam great brightness threw
Through the dim shade, that all men might it see ;
Yet was not that same her own native hue
1 Street, narrow passage. * Throne,
LAND OF THE NOT-DEAD 273
fiut wrought by art and counterfeited shew,
Thereby more lovers unto her to call ;
Natheless most heavenly fair in deed and view
She by creation was, till she did fall ;
Thenceforth she sought for helps to cloak her crime withal.
There, as in glist'ring glory she did sit,
She held a great gold chain y-linked well,
Whose upper end to highest heaven was knit,
And lower part did reach to lowest hell ;
And all that press did round about her swell
To catchen hold of that long chain, thereby
To climb aloft, and others to excell :
That was Ambition, rash desire to sty1,
And every link thereof a step of dignity.
Which whenas Guyon saw, he gan enquire,
What meant that press about that lady's throne,
And what she was that did so high aspire?
Him Mammon answered : " That goodly one
Whom all that folk with such contention
Do flock about, my dear, my daughter is ;2
Honour and dignity from her alone
Derived are, and all this world^s bliss,
For which ye men do strive ; few get, but many miss.
From " The Faerie Queene ", Book //, Canto FIL
The Garden of Hela
Him forth thence led
Through grisly shadows by a beaten path
Into a garden goodly garnished
With herbs and fruits, whose kinds mote not be redd3:
Not such as earth out of her fruitful womb
Throws forth to men, sweet and well savoured,
1 Ascend* a Urd, goddess of fate, is Mimer's daughter.
9 Mu*t not be declared.
274 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
But direful deadly blacky both leaf and bloom>
Fit to adorn the dead and deck the dreary tomb.
The garden of Proserpina1 this hight :
And in the midst thereof a silver seat,
With a thick arbour goodly over dight,
In which she often used from open heat
Herself to shroud, and pleasures to entrieat :
Next thereunto did grow a goodly ttee
With branches broad dispread and body great,
Cloathed with leaves, that none the wood might see
And laden all with fruit as thick as it might be.
Their fruit were golden apples glist'ring bright
That goodly was their glory to behold ;
On earth like never grew, no living wight
Like ever saw, but they from hence were sold. „ . .
*«••*•
The war-like elf much wondered at this tree2,
So fair and great, that shadowed all the ground ;
And his broad branches laden with rich fee
Did stretch themselves, without the utmost bound
Of this great garden, compassed with a mound. . . *
The River of Torture
Which to behold he clomb up to the bank ;
And, looking down, saw many damned wights
In those sad waves, which direful deadly stank,
Plonged continually of cruel sprites,
That with their piteous cries and yelling shrightesa,
They made the further shore resounden wide :
Amongst the rest of those same rueful sights
One cursed creature he by chance espied
That drenched lay full deep under the garden side.
1 In Saxo she is Urd. * Like Ygdrasil. * Shrickt.
LAND OF THE NOT-DEAD 275
Deep was he drenched to the upmost chin,
Yet gap£d still as coveting to drink
Of the cold liquor which he waded in;
And; stretching forth his hand, did often think
To reach the fruit which grew upon the brink;
But both the fruit from land, and flood from mouth,
Did fly a-back, and made him vainly swink;
The whiles he starved with hunger, and with drouth
He daily died, yet never throughly dyen couth 1.
He looked a little further and espied
Another wretch, whose carcas deep was drent2
Within the river which the same did hide.
But both his hands most filthy feculent3
Above the water were on high extent,
And feigned to wash themselves incessantly.
Yet nothing clearer were for such intent,
But rather fouler seemed to the eye ;
So lost his labour vain and idle industry.
The Fruit of Forgetfulness
Infinite more tormented in like pain
He there beheld, too long here to be told ;
Ne Mammon would there let him long remain,
For terror of the tortures manifold,
In which the damn&d souls he did behold,
But roughly him bespake, " Thou fearful fool
Why takest not of that same fruit of gold ?
Ne sittest down on that same silver stool,
To rest thy weary person in the shadow cool?"
All which he did to do him deadly fall
In frail intemperance through sinful bait
To which if he inclined had at all
That dreadful fiend, which did behind him wait,
1 Could. 2 Drenched. 3 Mud dy, foul.
276 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Would him have rent in thousand pieces straight j
But he was wary wise in all his way
And well perceived his deceitful sleight,
Ne suffered lust his safety to betray ;
So goodly did beguile the guiler of his prey.
And now he was so long remained there
That vital powers gan wax both weak and wan
For want of food and sleep, which two up-bear
Like mighty pillars, this frail life of man,
That none without the same enduren can :
For now three days of men were overwrought,
Since he this hardy enterprise began:
Forthy1 great Mammon fairly he besought
Into the world to guide him back as he him brought.
The god, though loth, yet was constrained t* obey ;
For longer time than that no living wight
Below the earth might suffered be to stay :
So back again him brought to living light.
But all so soon as his enfeebled spright
Gan suck this vital air into his breast,
As overcome with too exceeding might,
The life did flit away out of her nest,
And all his senses were with deadly fit oppressed.
Hela in the Border Ballads
The Three Roads
True Thomas lay on Huntlie bank ;
A ferlie he spied wp his ee ;
And there he saw a ladye bright,
Come riding doon by the Eildon Tree.
***»•»
1 Therefore.
LAND OF THE NOT-DEAD 277
" Harp and carp, Thomas," she said ;
u Harp and carp along wi* me ;
And if ye dare to kiss my lips,
Sure of your bodie I will be,"
<c Betide me weal, betide me woe,
That weird1 shall never daunton me." —
Syne he has kissed her rosy lips,
All underneath the Eildon Tree.
She *s mounted on her milk-white steed ;
She 's taen true Thomas up behind :
And aye, whene'er her bridle rung,
The steed flew swifter than the wind.
O they rade on, and farther on ;
The steed gaed swifter than the wind;
Until they reach'd a desert 'wide,
And living land was left behind.
u Light down, light down, now, true Thomas,
And lean your head upon my knee;
Abide and rest a little space
And I will shew you ferlies three.
" O see ye not yon narrow road
So thick beset with thorns and briers?
That is the path of righteousness,
Though after it but few enquires.
u And see ye not that braid, braid road,
That lies across that lily leven ?
That is the path of wickedness,
Though some call it the road to heaven.
u And see not ye that bonny road,
That winds aboot the fernie brae ?
That is the road to fair Elfland,
Where thou and I this night maun gae.
i Urd — destiny.
278 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
" But, Thomas, ye maun hold your tongue,
Whatever ye may hear or see ;
For, if you speak word in Elfyn land,
Ye '11 ne'er get back to your ain countrie."
O they rade on, and farther on,
And they waded through rivers aboon the knee,
And they saw neither sun nor moon,
But they heard the roaring o* the sea.
It was mirk, mirk night, and there was nae starn light,
And they waded through red blood to the knee ;
For a' the blood that 's shed on earth
Rins through the springs o* that countrie.
Syne they came on to a garden green,
And she pu'd an apple frae a tree —
" Take this for thy wages, true Thomas ;
It will gie thee the tongue that can never lee."
Thomas The Rhymer.
The Mountains
" O where have you been, my long, long love,
This long seven years and more ? " —
" O I 'm come to seek my former vows
Ye granted me before." —
* • • • • «
She has taken up her two little babes,
Kissed them baith cheek and chin ;
" O fare ye weel, my ain two babes,
For I '11 ne'er see you again."
• * * « • «
She had not sailed a league, a league,
A league but barely three,
When dismal grew his countenance,
And drumlie grew his ee.
LAND OF THE NOT-DEAD 279
The masts that were like the beaten gold,
Bent not on the heaving seas ;
But the sails, that were o* the taffetie,
FilFd not in the east land breeze.
They had not sailed a league, a league,
A league but barely three,
Until she espied his cloven foot,
And she wept right bitterlie.
" O hold your tongue of your weeping," says he,
" Of your weeping now let it be ;
I will show you how the lilies grow
On the banks of Italy." —
" O what hills are yon, yon pleasant hills,
That the sun shines sweetly on ?" —
" O yon are the hills of heaven," he said,
" Where you will never win.'* —
" O whaten a mountain is yon," she said,
"All so dreary wi' frost and snow?" —
" O yon is the mountain of hell," he cried,
" Where you and I will go."
The Demon Lover±
Demon Vengeance
Up then spake the Queen o* Fairies
Out o' a bush o* broom —
She that has borrowed young Tamlane
Has gotten a stately groom." —
i
Up then spake the Queen o' Fairies
Out o* a bush o* rye —
u She's taen awa* the bonniest Knight
In a* my companie.
u But had I kenn'd, Tamlane," she says,
' ** A lady wad borrowed thee,
280 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
I wad ta'en out thy twa grey een,
Put in twa een o' tree.
" Had I kenn'd, Tamlane," she says,
" Before ye came frae hame —
I wad ta'en out your heart o' flesh,
Put in a heart o' stane."
" Had I but had the wit yestreen
That I hae coft the day —
I M paid my kane seven times to hell
Ere you *d been won away."
The Young Tamlane+
The Birk o' Paradise
There lived a wife at Usher's Well,
And a wealthy wife was she,
She had three stout and stalwart sons,
And sent them o'er the sea.
They hadna been a week from her,
A week but barely ane,
When word came to the carline wife
That her three sons were gane.
They hadna been a week from her,
A week but barely three,
When word came to the carline wife,
That her sons she M never see.
** I wish the wind may never cease,
Nor fishes in the flood,
Till my three sons come hame to me,
In earthly flesh and blood."*
1 She hid evidently power to work a ipdl «nd secure her wiaiu Belief in wishing
power i* not yet auite crtinct in Scotland.
LAND OF THE NOT-DEAD 281
It fell about the Martinmas,
When nights are lang and mirk.
The carline wife's three sons came hame,
And their hats were o' the birk.
It neither grew in syke or ditch,
Nor yet in ony sheugh ;
But at the gates of Paradise
That birk grew fair eneugh.
Gilly Flowers
The fields aboot this city fair
Were a* wi' roses set,
Gilly flowers and carnations rare
Which canker could not fret."
Clerk Saundtrs
The Garden Fruit
She led him intil a fair herbere,
There fruit groand was gret plent£,
Pears and apples, both ripe they were,
The date and eke the damsyn tree,
The fig and eke the wineberry.
• • * • •
He pressed to pull the fruit with his hand,
As man for food was nyhonde faint,
She said, " Thomas let that stand,
Or else the fiend will thee attent.
" If thou pull them, sooth to say,
Thy soul goes to the fire of Hell ;
It comes not out till Domisday
And there ever in pain to dwell."
Thomas The Rhymer.
CHAPTER XXV
The Doom of the Volsungs
The Swan Maidens — Weland Legend — Asa -god's Adventure — The
Treasure Curse — Fafner becomes a Dragon — Regin the Wonder Smith — The
Volsung Family — Odin brings the Magic Sword — Marriage of Signy — King
Siggeir's Treachery — Volsung and his Sons are slain — The Survivor, Sigmund
— Desire for Vengeance.
ERE the sons of Ivalde warred against the gods, they
loved three swan maidens, whose songs in summer were
sweet to hear. One morning the snow-white birds flew
towards a lake in Wolfdales. The brothers followed
them, and they beheld sitting on the shore three
beauteous valkyries, who were singing and spinning flax.
Beside them lay their swan coverings, and these the
brothers captured. Then had they the swan maids in
their power, and they took them to be their brides.
Egil-Orvandel had Obrun, Slagfin-Gjuki had Swan-white,
and Thjasse-Volund had All-white.
For seven years they all lived happily together. But
in the eighth year the swan maids were seized with long-
ing, and in the ninth they flew away in search of conflicts.
Nor did they ever again return. In vain did Orvandel-
Egil make swift pursuit on his skees, and in vain did
Slagfin-Gjuki search for his lost bride. But Thjasse-
Volund remained behind, and when the Winter War
began to be waged, he retired to a deep mountain recess
where he concealed his treasure, which he cursed with
spells.
THE DOOM OF THE VOLSUNGS 283
Then did Thjasse-Volund erect a smithy where he
forged the magic Sword of Victory, so that he might
wreak his vengeance upon the gods, and become chief
ruler in Asgard. A wondrous serpent ring did he also
fashion. It was given power to multiply without end,
and when Mimer came suddenly upon the cunning
artificer and bound him, he found within the smithy a
chain of seven hundred rings which could fetter the
wind.
In ancient England minstrels were wont to sing to
Angles and Saxons of Volund, the wonder smith, whom
they called Weland.1 He was a prince of the fairies.
In other lands and in other tongues was the "Lay of
Volund*' sung also. Mimer was named Nithud, and
called "King of Sweden".
Now King Nithud desired greatly to possess the
treasures of Weland. So he sent mounted warriors to
Wolfdales to' take the elf prince captive. In bright
moonlight the men rode forth clad in shining armour.
When they reached Weland' s hall, they entered it boldly,
for the smith, who was a skilled archer, was hunting afar.
They beheld, hanging on the wall, a chain of seven
hundred rings; they took it down, and one ring they
kept. Then the men concealed themselves. In time
Weland returned from the chase. Keen-eyed was he
indeed, for he at once seized the rings and sat down
on a bear's skin to count them. He found that one
was missing, and he deemed fondly that his feiry wife
had returned, because for her he had forged the ring.
Musing thus a long time, he fell fast asleep.
1 Beowulf had armour made hy Weland. In Scott's Kenilvwrth, chap, xiiL, he
appears aa "Wayland Siriith", whose fame "haunts the Vale of the Whhehorse" in
Berkshire. The legend is associated with the burial place of a Danish chief. "Way-
land ", like the Highland fairy, performs during the night work left for him to do.
His fee is sixpence. This fairy smith was also known in France.
284 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
In sorrow he awoke ; his hands were chained and his
feet were fettered.
Then his captors bore him away, and they put him
on an island to forge weapons and ornaments for the
king. The heart of Weland was filled with wrath.
"On Nithud's belt," he cried, "I behold the sword
which I fashioned with all my skill. I have lost for ever
my shining blade, Bodvild, the queen, hath now the
ring of my fairy bride. I shall ne'er be appeased."
In his secret heart Weland vowed to be avenged.
He took no rest; he sat not by day nor slept at night.
He kept striking with his hammer.
One day two young sons of the king entered the
smithy. He slew them, and of their skulls made
drinking-cups which he sent unto the king. Then unto
him came also Bodvild, the queen, and she loved him
because that she wore the magic ring. So by the wonder
smith was she beguiled.
Weland ceased not to work until he had fashioned
for himself eagle pinions. Then he flew away, leaving
the queen to grieve bitterly for him because of the spell
that was upon her, while Nit-hud lamented for his sons.
When Thjasse-Volund perished in Asgard, whither
he had flown, and the other sons of Ivalde passed also,
the curse remained upon the treasure, which was then
guarded by a dwarf, or, as some tell, by a fiery dragon.
In after days the curse fell upon each man who became
possessed of the doomed hoard of the sons of Ivalde.
And ever did the rings continue to multiply, and the
chain to grow, ring following ring and linking one to
the other, and each one like to the first that was forged
by the wonder smith. The rings came down the Ages
and the chain extended from land to land.
So grew also, link by link, the wondrous story chain
THE DOOM OF THE VOLSUNGS 285
of Ivalde's sons and of the swan maidens whom they
loved and lost. Their fame can never end nor their
sorrows, nor can the doom of the treasure curse pass
away while ring follows ring and the chain grows on.
Old is the ring tale of the Volsung's doom. By
Iceland's skalds was it sung to harp music in other
days, and warriors loved to hear it in the feasting hall
as they drank mead, while the log fire reddened their
faces and the night wind bellowed through the gloom.
For it was told that there was once a dwarf king
named Hreidmar who possessed much treasure. He had
three sons and three daughters. The first son was named
Fafner, 'the second Ottar, and the third Regin, Fafner
had great strength, and was fierce as he was surly: he
claimed the possessions of the others for himself. Ottar
was wont to fish in otter guise, and caught salmon in the
river, which he laid out on the bank. Regin had neither
the might of Fafner nor the cunning of Ottar, but he had
skilful hands, and he became a wonder smith who shaped
weapons of iron and ornaments of silver and gold.
One day Odin and Honer and Loke journeyed
together, and it chanced that they drew nigh to the
dwelling of Hreidmar. On the river bank they saw the
otter: he had devoured a salmon and lay fast asleep,
Loke, who was ever working evil, flung a sharp stone
which smote the dwarf's son and killed him, and when
he had done that, he took off the skin. Then the gods
went towards the dwelling of Hreidmar and entered it.
Wroth indeed was the dwarf when he beheld the
otter's skin, and he seized the gods and demanded ran-
som. So Loke had to go forth alone to obtain sufficient
gold, while Odin and Honer were kept secure.
Now Loke knew that a great treasure hoard lay
hidden in a dark mountain cavern ; it was guarded by
286 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
a dwarf named Andvari, who had taken the guise of a
pike, and ever concealed himself in a deep pool below
a waterfall. Loke resolved to possess the gold, so that
the gods might be set free. So he went to Ran, the sea-
goddess, and when he had told her of the plight of the
gods, he borrowed her wondrous net. Then he hastened
to the pool below the waterfall and fished up Andvari
the pike.
"What fish art thou?" he said. "Thou dost lack
cunning to be thus taken unawares. Of thee I demand
life ransom in water gold."
The pike answered: "My name is Andvari, and my
sire is Oinn. By a Norn of evil fortune was I doomed to
pass my days in cold waters."
But Andvari could deceive not Loke, and was forced
to pay life ransom, unwilling as he might be. So changing
his shape, he went to the mountain cavern to yield up
the treasure of which he was guardian. In vain Andvari
sought to keep back a single gold ring which had power
to multiply. But Loke demanded it with the rest. Then
was the dwarf moved to great anger.
" My treasure is accursed," he cried. " It shall bring
death to two brothers, and cause strife among eight kings.
No man shall ever be made glad by my gold/'
Now Hreidmar had demanded of the gods that ne
should receive as ransom for his son's death as much gold
as would cover the otter skin. Loke laid upon the skin
all the treasure the had obtained save the ring, which he
sought to keep for himself. But Hreidmar perceived
that a single whisker hair of the otter stood bare, and he
demanded that it should be covered. Unwillingly did
Loke lay the ring upon it. Then were the gods ransomed
and set free.
Loke was angry as the dwarf had been, because he
THE DOOM OF THE VOLSUNGS 287
had perforce to part with the magic ring, and ere he went
his way he spoke fiercely to Hreidmar, saying :
" Thou hast received gold enough now, and my head
is safe. But thou shalt never prosper, nor shall thy sons
prosper after thee. Take thou with the gold the curse
that follows it."
Then Fafner arose and demanded the entire treasure
for himself. He fought with his sire, to whom he gave
his deathwound.
Ere he died, Hreidmar besought his daughters to
avenge him. But one, who was named Lyngheid, said
that a sister could slay not her brother, whereat her sire
foretold that she would have a daughter whose son would
be his strong avenger.
Fafner drave forth his sisters and his brother Regin,
and possessed himself of all the treasure. Heavily in-
deed did the curse fall upon him, and there was never
again any joy in his heart. He went unto a lonely place,
which was called " Glittering Heath ", to be guardian of
his ill-gotten gold, and he brooded over it there with
anger and suspicion, until he became a wingless dragon
which was feared and hated by all men.
Regin was thus made poor, and he went to a king
whose wonder smith he became. He shaped strong
weapons and many ornaments of gold and silver, for
which he received great praise and royal honours. But
in his heart he grieved because that he had been robbed
by his brother of his just share of the treasure. Great
was his desire that the dragon should be slain, so that
he himself might become possessed of the wealth. But
many years passed ere the avenger had birth, as Hreid-
mar had foretold, and Fafner was killed. The avenger
was Sigurd, and his sire was Sigmund, ,son of Volsung.
Noble was he and of great strength and battle power,
288 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
like all his kin. Bright, too, were his days until the
curse of the treasure fell upon him.
Now the sire of Volsung was Rerir, who was the son
of Sige. The sire of Sige was Odin. It chanced that Sige
went forth to hunt in wintertime through a snow-wreathed
forest. With him went Brede, who was a servant to
Skadi, and was skilful in the chase. At the day's end
Sige was enraged because Brede had taken more game
than him; so he slew the man and concealed his body
in a snow wreath. But the crime was discovered and
Sige was banished from the land of his folk.
Then did Odin come to his son's aid, and gave him
war vessels and a force of brave war-men. Many victories
were won by Sige. His fame in battle was spread far
and near, and he conquered and ruled the land of the
Huns. He achieved great glory in his prime, but his
life's end was clouded by dissensions in the kingdom.
Even the queen's brothers conspired against him. Then
a great battle was fought and Sige was slain. His son
Rerir reigned after him. His kinsmen he slew and put
their army to flight. Thus did he avenge the death of
his sire.
Rerir became a greater monarch than Sige. He took
for wife a noble lady, but as the years went on they fell
to mourning, because that no child was born to them.
So they prayed to the gods, and Freyja heard them with
compassion. Then was one of her maids, who was a
daughter of the giant, Hrimner1, sent to earth in crow
guise bearing an apple for the queen. Thus was the
queen's desire fulfilled. But soon afterwards the king
sickened and died. The child was not born until he
was seven years old, and he was named Volsung.
Now Volsung became the most powerful king of his
1 Angcrboda, the Hag of Iron wood, when she was a maid attendant to Freyja.
THE DOOM OF THE VOLSUNGS 289
time. He was far famed as a warrior, and he ruled his
people justly and well. A great house did he cause to
be built. In the midst of it grew a mighty oak which
was named Branstock, and its branches overhung the
roof. It was told that Volsung had for wife the giant's
daughter, Ljod, whom gentle Freyja had sent with
the magic apple to his queen mother. They had two
sons and one daughter, and the first-born were Sig-
mund and his twin sister, Signy. The lad was as
strong and brave as the girl was comely and fair.
At that time Siggeir was King of the Gauts, and
he sought to have Signy for his bride. So it came that
they were wed in Volsung's hall. A great feast was
given and the warriors of the Gauts were there, and
they made merry with Volsung's nobles and his two
sons.
When the feast was over, a tall, old man entered the
hall. He wore a blue cloak, mottled with grey, a round
hat which was drawn down over his face, and tight
breeches of linen. He had but one eye, and his feet
were bare. In his hand he carried a gleaming sword, and
he plunged it into Branstock right up to the hilt. None
spoke, but they all watched him with mute amaze. Then
he spake gravely unto them.
" I gift this sword ", he said, " unto the man who can
draw it from Branstock. He shall find it a goodly blade
indeed, for it hath no equal."
Then he vanished from before them. . . . He was
Odin, but* no man knew him.
Now the chief warriors who were there laid hands,
one after the other, upon the sword. But in vain did
they endeavour to draw it forth. It stuck deep in the
tree, defying them as it tempted them. But at length
Sigmund grasped the hilt in his strong right hand, and
29o TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
pulled out the blade, which he thus had for himself as
a gift from Odin.
Ill pleased was King Siggeir, for he sought greatly
to possess the shining blade for himself, and he made
offer to purchase it with much treasure; but Sigmund
refused to deliver it up even though the King of the
Gauts gave unto him all the gold he possessed.
Siggeir answered not. He sat moodily apart, for he
deemed that the young warrior had spoken scornfully.
With anger in his heart he devised a treacherous scheme
with purpose to gain- his desire and to wreak vengeance
upon the kinsfolk of his queen. So next morning he
made ready to depart, although the wedding celebrations
were not ended, and he invited Volsung and his sons to
visit him after the space of three months. Volsung gave
his word to do so, and took leave of Siggeir and Signy.
Unwilling indeed was the fair bride to leave the land
of her people, and she would have parted with her
husband had her father permitted her.
When three moons had waxed and waned, Volsung
and his sons with their followers voyaged in three ships
to Gaudand. Fair winds favoured them and they made
speedy passage, and on a fragrant evening they reached
a haven and went ashore. Then came Signy to them
in secret to persuade them to return, because that her
husband had collected together a great army to accom-
plish their fall But Volsung disdained to go back.
"A hundred battles I have fought," he said, "and
I was ever victorious. In my youth I feared not my
foemen, and in my old age I shall flee not before them,
A man can die but once, and he can escape not death
at his appointed time. So we shall fare onward nor fear
aught, and no man shall tell that Volsung ever fled from
danger or sued for peace.'*
THE DOOM OF THE VOLSUNGS 291
Signy desired to remain with her kin, but Volsung
bade her return to Siggeir and stay with him.
Next morning brave Volsung and his two sons with
all their followers went fully armed towards the hall of
Siggeir. But a strong force came out against them, and
after fierce and long fighting Volsung was slain with
all his followers, and his two sons were taken captive.
Siggeir then became possessed of Sigmund' s sword, which
was named Gram.
Earnestly did Signy entreat that her brothers should
not be put to death, and although the cruel Gaut king
relented somewhat, he caused them to be bound together
to a felled tree in a deep forest. In the midst of the
night a fierce she wolf came and devoured one of them.
Secret messengers bore the sad tidings unto Signy and
she grieved piteously. On the second night another son
of Volsung was devoured ; and so night after night one
perished by the wolf until Sigmund alone remained alive.
Then Signy sent her messengers to smear Sigmund's
body with honey, and they did according to her desire.
In the darkness of night the wolf came to devour him.
But when the monster smelt the sweet savour, she began
to lick the young hero's face. At length she thrust her
tongue into his mouth, and Sigmund seized it between
his teeth and bit it off. As he struggled, he burst his
fetters and the monster was slain.
Now the wolf was none other than King Siggeir's
mother, who was skilled in witchcraft and had power
to change her shape.
Sigmund found a safe retreat in the wood, where he
made for himself a subterranean dwelling. In time Signy
came to know that it fared well with him, but Siggeir
knew not that Sigmund remained alive and awaited the
hour of vengeance.
CHAPTER XXVI
How Sigmund was Avenged
The Forest Hut — Waiting the JDay of Vengeance — Signy's Sons — Why
they were slain — Sinfjotle, the Volsung — The Were-wolves — Attack on King
Siggeir's Hall — Avengers buried alive — Their Escape — Siggeir's Fate — Signy's
Tragic Farewell — Sigmund returns to his Kingdom — Usurper overthrown.
FOR long years, through summer's heat and winter cold,
did Sigmund dwell in his forest hut, biding his time.
Signy had two sons, and it was her heart's hope that their
Volsung blood would stir them up to avenge her sire's
death. She set at length to proving their worth. On
their hands she put winter gloves, which she sewed
through their flesh. But they cried out thereat, and
she feared that they had more of Siggeir's nature than
that of her kin.
When the eldest was ten years old she sent him unto
Sigmund, so that it might be found whether he was fit to
give service in the work of blood vengeance. Sigmund
greeted the lad and took him within his hut. Then
secretly he placed a venomous serpent in the meal sack,
and having bidden Signy's son to bake bread, he went
through the forest to gather firewood.
In time he returned, and he found that no bread had
been baked, so he asked why it was not ready.
cc I feared to place my hand in the meal sack,"
said the lad, "because something darted quickly in
it."
292
HOW SIGMUND WAS AVENGED 293
Sigmund knew then that the lad lacked courage, and
when he met with Signy he said her son was unworthy
to be a Volsung.
"Then he is unworthy to live/' his mother cried
angrily. So Sigmund slew him.
Another winter came, and Signy sent her second son
unto her brother ; but he proved to be timorous like the
first, and was put to death also.
Signy next conspired with a witch, and they changed
shapes. The witch lived in Siggeir's hall as his queen,
and Signy went through the forest towards Sigmund's
secret dwelling. She begged for food and shelter, nor
did her brother have knowledge of who she was. For
three nights she dwelt in the underground hut and then
returned to her home, where she again changed shapes
with the witch,
In time Signy's third son was born, and he was indeed
of Volsung blood. The name he received was Sinfjotle,
and he grew up to pleasure his mother's heart, fair as
her kin and strong and without fear. In secret she told
him of her sire, and of how he died through Siggeir's
treachery, and she told him of the wolf which devoured
her fettered brothers. She filled his heart with the glory
of the Volsungs and he took pride in their fame. One
day she set to proving him, and she sewed gloves on his
hands and wrists, piercing his flesh with the needle. But
he twitched not a muscle, and her heart was gladdened.
Then she tore off the gloves, and the raw flesh was laid
bare.
<c I have given thee sufficient pain," she said.
But the youth smiled. <c Volsung", said he, " would
shrink not from wounds so slight/*
Soon afterwards Sinfjotle was sent by his mother unto
Sigmund, and he was received as were the others, and set
294 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
to bake bread. A venomous serpent was again placed in
the meal sack.
When Sigmund returned with firewood, he found
that the bread was made ready.
"Found ye aught in the sack?" he asked the lad.
" Something darted quickly through the meal," Sinf-
jotle answered, "but I paused not to discover what it
was, and it is baked in the bread."
^Volsung's great son was well pleased with the lad,
but he warned him not to partake of the bread, because
he could resist not the poison. But Sigmund ate of it
himself, because he was of such great strength that the
venom could harm him not.
Signy's son remained with Sigmund, who trained
him in feats of strength. Together they robbed and
murdered men in the forest, and the lad « proved his
worth and grew speedily to full strength. Sigmund
thought sure he was a son of Siggeir, and he ever
prompted him to avenge the death of Volsung, for he
feared that the lad was but a Gaut at heart. So he
regarded the lad with suspicion, and was watchful lest
he might prove treacherous like to Siggeir.
It chanced that on a darksome night they came
together to a house in which robbers lay asleep.
There they found two wolfskins, which t gave those
who wore them power to change their shapes. These
they took away, and when they put them on, Sigmund
and Sinfjode were transformed into were-wolves. Then
were they fierce indeed. Between them they made a
compact that one would call upon the other if confronted
by seven men, and then they parted to prowl for their
prey in the deep forest.
Ere long Sigmund had to fight against seven men.
He set up the loud wolf howl, and Sinfjotle hastened
HOW SIGMUND WAS AVENGED 295
to his aid, and between them they slew all the band.
After that they parted, and then Sinfjotle had to contend
against eleven men. But Signy's wolf son uttered no
cry. He fought fiercely and alone, and slaughtered all
his opponents. Then wearily he lay down to rest.
Sigmund came towards him soon afterwards, and
when he found that Sinfjotle had surpassed him in
valour he sprang upon the youth with wolf anger
and did him grievous injury. But he speedily repented
what he had done, and carried his companion to the
underground dwelling, where he lay nigh unto death.
In sore distress was Sigmund, and he vowed never
again to ^go forth as a wolf. Then it chanced that he
saw two weasels who fought together. One seized
the other as he had done to Signy's son, but it ran
speedily to find a herb which restored its companion
to full strength again. He sought to find the healing
herb, and a raven1 flew towards him bearing a leaf in its
beak, which it let fall at his feet. Perceiving that it was
of the herb he desired to find, Sigmund hastened to his
hut and laid the leaf upon' Sinfj ode's wounds. The
youth was at once healed and the affliction passed.
Together the heroes waited until they could regain
their wonted shape again. Then they destroyed the
wolfskins, lest the one should slay the other.
Sigmund perceived that the lad was his equal in
strength, and deemed , that the time had come when
they could wreak Volsung vengeance against Siggeir,
King of the Gauts. So they armed themselves and went
forth. When they reached the hall they concealed them-
selves among the mead casks which stood along the
entrance way. But ere night fell two of Siggeir's chil-
dren, who played with a golden ball, cried out l?ecause
1 .One of Odin's 'raven*.
296 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
that they saw two grim warriors in shining armour
crouching behind the casks. Sinfjotle sought to slay
them, but Sigmund disdained to shed their blood. So
the alarm was raised and Siggeir and his war-men issued
forth to contend against the intruders. The avengers
sprang up with drawn swords. They feared not the
overwhelming force that clamoured for their blood.
Sinfjotle first slew Siggeir's two children and then the
fight raged fierce and fast. Many warriors fell. Sigmund
and his companion made great slaughter, but their foe-
men were so numerous that in the end they were taken
captive and bound.
Then did Siggeir and his nobles take counsel together
to devise how the twain might be given the most cruel
death, and it was decreed that they should be buried
alive.
In the morning two stone grave chambers were made,
one beside the other, and in these were Sigmund and
Sinfjotle laid. Ere the slab and earth were placed over
them, Signy came forth with flesh wrapped in straw and
flung it into the graves. There was it allowed to remain,
so that their torture might be prolonged. Then the
barrows were covered over.
The buried heroes spake out one to another in the
darkness, and Sigmund bethought him at length to par-
take of the flesh. So he cast aside the straw, and when
he had done that he discovered that a sword was thrust
through the flesh. He knew by the hilt that it was
Gram, and his heart leapt within him.
With the wondrous sword the two men sawed through
the great slab which covered the grave chambers, and
when darkness fell they came forth.
It was the night of Volsung vengeance, long desired,
long waited for. Sigmund and Sinfjotle hewed logs with
HOW SIGMUND WAS AVENGED 297
Gram, and heaped the wood splinters round the hall.
Then they put fire to them, and soon the dwelling of
King Siggeir was wrapped in flames.
The king woke up, and through the smoke he cried
in anguish: "Who hath come against me with fire? Now
death assaileth me ! "
Sigmund heard him, and in triumph he answered:
" Now dost thou know, O treacherous man, that a son
of Volsung remains alive. I am Sigmund, and Sinfjotle,
son of Signy, is here with me."
The flames spread. Death encompassed all that were
in the hall. None could escape, because the avengers
guarded the door. But Sigmund was loath that Signy
should perish, and he called to her to make escape with
all the treasure she could seize. The queen heard her
brother's voice amidst the roar of flames, and she came
to the door with empty hands.
"Full well thou knowest/' she said unto Sigmund,
"that I never forgot how Siggeir killed King Volsung.
My very children I had slain because they were too
weakly to avenge my sire's death* But behold! Sinfjotle
is a mighty warrior indeed, for he is not only mine own
son, but a son of a son of King Volsung also. For ven-
geance have I striven through long years, so that Siggeir
might have his deathdue in the end. Now my labour is
finished and my purpose is achieved. I have no need of
longer days, nor do I desire to live now. By compulsion
was my life spent with Siggeir; now that I have free
choice I shall die gladly with him. . . . Fare thee
well."
So saying she kissed Sigmund and Sinfjotle, and
hastening back to her husband she perished with him
in the flames. . . . Thus was the death of King Volsung
avenged*
298 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Sigmund was now free to return to his own land, and
with his son he crossed the sea. A usurper sat upon
Volsung's throne, but he was speedily overcome by the
avenging heroes, and the glory that had departed from
Hunaland was restored once again.
CHAPTER XXVII
Helgi Hundingsbane
Helgi's Youth — Hunding slain in Battle — Wooing- of the Valkyrie Maid
— Hodbrod, the Rival — How Sigrun was won — Dag's Vengeance — Helgi is
slain — Sigrun's Curse — She sorrows for her Husband— Helgi's Ghost — Meeting
with Sigrun — -The Love Song at the Grave — Lovers born again.
SIGMUND became a mighty ruler, and he made Borghild
his queen. In happiness they dwelt together, and they
had two sons who were named Helgi and Hamund. At
Helgi's birth norns came and foretold that he would
achieve great renown, as indeed he did, for while- he
was yet a youth he became a far-famed warrior, strong-
armed and fierce, in battle prowness surpassing even his
sire.
In time . Helgi was chosen to be chief leader of the
army, and so fiercely did he fight against King Hunding
that he was surnamed Hundingsbane.
Now Helgi in his boyhood had gone in disguise to
Hunding's hall, where he was reared and trained in feats
of strength. The day came when he was ready to wield
arms against his country's foe, so he took his departure.
As he left the Hall, he sent a message to King Hunding,
making known whom he had fostered. The king was
wroth, and he sent out warriors to slay the lad. But
tjelgi disguised himself as a bondmaid, and when his
pursuers entered the house in which he had taken refuge
they saw a woman grinding corn.
£90
300 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
"The bondmaid hath fierce eyes/' they said. "She
is not the daughter of a peasant. Her hands are more
fitted for the sword/'
So strong was Helgi, and so swiftly did he work,
that the millstones were broken. It is not a warrior's
task to grind corn.
In the war that followed a great battle was fought,
and Helgi slew Hunding. Several of the king's sons
fell by his sword in another battle, and those who sur-
vived vowed blood vengeance against him.
As Helgi left the battlefield he clad himself in a wolf-
skin, and in a forest he met a fair princess who was named
Sigrun. She rode on a white horse and her maidens rode
behind her. King Hogni, against whom Helgi had fought,
was her sire, and she was a valkyrie and a swan maid.
The young warrior was heart -stricken with love for
the fair princess, and he besought her to be his bride.
But she told him that her sire had already promised her
to Hodbrod, son of King Granmar; whereat Hejgi vowed
that he would go against his rival in battle. Then did
Sigrun promise to be his bride when he had slain the
hated Hodbrod.
So it fell that Helgi Hundingsbane warred against
Hodbrod and his allies, the kinsfolk of Sigrun. He
crossed the seas with Sinfjotle and a strong army; but
a great tempest broke forth, and the ships would have
been foundered had not the valkyrie maid come to
protect them. After enduring great tribulation Helgi
reached the kingdom of Granmar, where he fought a
great battle. Sigrun hovered in mid-air, and gave her
lover sure protection, and he prevailed over Hodbrod
and slew him. Then was Hogni slain also, and all his
sons fell with him save Dag.
Sigrun hailed her lover and gave him praise because
HELGI HUNDINGSBANE 301
that he had slain the mighty Hodbrod, yet did she
mourn for her sire and her brothers.
Helgi comforted her, saying : cc The norns have Aot
given thee good fortune in all things. I have slain thy
kindred. Thou couldst not choose otherwise, because
it was thy doom from birth to be the cause of great
bloodshed. For thy sake have warriors striven. Weep
not, Sigrun; heroes must die at their appointed time."
Sigrun embraced her lover and said: "Although
those who have fallen were still alive, I would love but
Helgi."
Then Helgi reigned over the land which he had con-
quered, and Sigrun was his queen. With Dag he took
vows of fellowship and spared his life ; but Hogni's son
deemed that the call of blood vengeance was stronger
than the oaths he had taken, even although he had sworn
by Hela's holy river, and he resolved in his heart to take
Helgi's life.
Now it fell that Odin intervened. He gave to Dag
his great spear Gungner, and as the youth went with the
king through a forest grove, he drave the spear through
Helgi's back, so that he fell dying upon the green sward.
Thus was Hogni avenged.
But great was Sigrun's grief when Dag came to
her with tidings that he had slain the world's best king.
On his head she heaped curses, nor could she be con-
soled.
"May thine oaths smite thee," she cried: "all the
oaths thou didst swear with Helgi by Hela's shining
stream. May thy ship sink with thee, although fair
winds prevail. May thy horse stumble when thou art
pursued by thy foes. May thy sword in battle wound
none but thyself. The death of Helgi must be avenged
against thee, and thou shalt be a wolf in the forest. . . .
302 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Be thy life empty of all thou dost desire. May thy food
be the flesh of dead men."
" Wouldst thou call down such ill upon thy brother?"
Dag pleaded with her. "The hand of Odin hath been
laid heavily on Helgi. I shall give to thee golden rings,
and half of the kingdom for thyself and thy sons."
But Sigrun wailed in her grief: "Oh! never again can
I be glad, neither by day nor by night. I love not life
any more, for I shall ne'er behold my shining hero who
was blithe in the hall and valorous in battle. High was
Helgi above all other men as the ash tree is high above
shrubs. . . . Never again can I see him alive."
A grave mound was raised over Helgi's body, and
his spirit went to Valhal. Odin made him chief ruler,
and he gave Hunding a bondsman's tasks, for he set
him to hew wood, to leash the hounds, and groom the
horses, and ere he went to sleep to give mash to the
swine.
But Helgi could not be happy even in Valhal, be-
cause that Sigrun cried ever for him; as bitterly and oft
as her tears fell his wounds bled afresh. By nighttime
he rode to the grave mound with many followers. There
was no rest for Helgi among the dead.
Sigrun's bondmaid beheld the ghastly warriors riding
round the mound, and she cried to them: "Why ride
ye forth, ye dead men ? Can slain warriors return home
again ? Or hath the world's end come at length ?"
" The world's end hath come not yet," the slain war-
men made answer, "but dead heroes would fain return
home. . . . The wounds of Helgi bleed afresh because
of Sigrun's sorrow. Bid her come hither to stay the
unceasing flow of anguish."
Then did the bondmaid go unto Sigrun. "Hasten
thee to the grave mound," she cried. "Dead men are
HELGI HUNDINGSBANE 303
abroad, and thou mayest behold the king once more.
Helgi is there; his wounds bleed ever because of thy
tears, and he would fain that thou wouldst give him
healing."
Sigrun's tears ceased falling awhile. "Glad am I to
go forth even in darkness unto Helgi," she cried, "and
may the dews never shine to the dawn. His cold lips
shall I kiss ; I shall embrace my dead hero/'
So she hastened unto the grave mound, and there
she beheld her lord. Wan and pale was he indeed, and
sorrow-stricken and cold. Sigrun kissed him and em-
braced him, and cried:
<CO Helgi, thy hair is white with rime; thou art
drenched with the dews of death. Cold, cold are thy
hands ; they are dripping blood. How shall I heal thee,
0 my hero?"
Helgi made answer : " Bright flower of the south, thy
tears have made me wet ; thy sorrow hath drenched me
with the dews of death. Ere thou dost sleep, O gold-
decked maid, thou dost ever weep most bitter tears, and
they fall upon my breast ; as drops of blood they fall :
they are cold and they pierce me: heavy are they and
sharp as is thine anguish. . . . Grieve not although life
and kingdom be lost ; sing not the dirge of mourning
although my wounds are deep, for know that dead men
have brides and kings' dead daughters are with them."
Sigrun spread out a smooth grave bed for Helgi, and
said to him, speaking low :
a A bed without pain I have made for thee, Helgi ;
in comfort thou shalt rest upon it, O son of the Vol-
sungs. O my king, O my love, I shall lie in thy bosom.
1 shall take thee in mine arms as if thou wert still alive."
<c White maid whom I loved," spake Helgi, " strange
would it indeed be if the high-born daughter of King
304 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Hogni were laid while yet alive in a dead man's arms.
. . . Now forth must I ride on the dawn-red road, I
must climb, on my steed, the bridge of the gods, ere
the shining cock of Asgard awakens the heroes in
Valhal."
So they parted there at the grave mound, and Helgi,
mounting on his steed, vanished in mid-air.
But when the day passed, and the night fell, Sigrun
again returned to the grave mound of Helgi. She wept
no tears and waited, but her hero came not nigh. All
through the hours of darkness she waited, until the dawn
broke faintly through the trees. Sitting there by her hus-
band's grave mound, the love-lorn lady sang :
Ah ! would that he came
For fain would I greet him;
He would come if he knew
That I wait here to meet him;
He 'd come were he hearing —
Heart-hearing my call,
The son of great Sigmund,
From Odin's high hall*
O Helgi, mine own,
My fair one, my rare one —
Helgi, mine own.
Now waneth my hope
Of Helgi's returning,
For the eagles awake
And the dawn fires are burning ;
My love hath not heard me,
He comes not to-night. . . .
All the elf folk and death folk
To Dreamland take flight.
O Helgi, mine own,
My white one, my bright one —
Helgi, mine own.
HELGI HUNDINGSBANE 305
The bondswoman soothed Sigrun, and 'twas thus she
sang to her: —
Oh! hush thee. Oh! hush . . . who maketh thy moan,
White Queen of the Southland,
Fair Sigrun who waiteth in darkness alone,
O loved one of Helgi ;
Thy heart should be filled, not with hope, but with dread —
'T is well that dawn cometh and black night hath fled —
More fearsome and fierce are the warriors dead
In darkness than day-shine.
But Sigrun would not be comforted, and she died of
sorrow, Sad minstrels, singing to harp music in the
'feasting hall, have told that Helgi and Sigrun were born
to life again.
Clerk Saunders
Clerk Saunders and May Margaret
Walked ower yon garden green;
And sad and heavy was the love
That fell thir twa between.
It was about the midnight hour,
When they asleep were laid,
When in came her seven brothers
WP torches burning red.
• » • * •
Then up and gat the seventh or them,
And never a word spake hej
But he has striped his bright brown brand
Out through Clerk Saunders* fair bodye.
Clerk Saunders he started and Margaret she turned
Into his arms as asleep she lay;
306 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
And sad and silent was the night
That was atween thir twae.
The clinking bell gaed through the town,
To carry the dead corpse to the clay;
And Clerk Saunders stood at May Margaret's window
I wot, an hour before the day.
"Are ye sleeping, Margaret?'* he says,
" Or are ye waking presentlie ?
Give me my faith and troth again,
I wot, true love, I gied to thee."
" Your faith and troth ye sail never get,
Nor our true love sail never twin,
Until ye come within my bower
And kiss me cheek and chin."
" My mouth it is full cold, Margaret,
It smells now o* the ground;
And if I kiss thy comely mouth
Thy days o' life will no' be lang.
" O, cocks are crowing a merry midnight,
I wot the wild fowls are boding day;
Give me my faith and troth again,
And let me fare me on my way." —
" Thy faith and troth thou sail na get,
And our true love shall never twin,
Until ye tell what comes o* women,
I wot, who die in strong traiveHing?" ,
u Their beds are made in heaven high,
Down at the foot of our good Lard's knee,
Weel set about wf gilly flowers;
I wot sweet company for to see.
HELGI HUNDINGSBANE 307
" O, cocks are crowing at merry midnight,
I wot the wild fowl are boding day;
The psalms of heaven will soon be sung,
And I, ere now, will be missM away.
Then she has ta'en a crystal wand,
And she has stroken her troth thereon;
She has given it him out at the shot-window,
Wi' mony a sad sigh, and heavy groan.
"I thank ye, Marg'ret; I thank ye, Margaret;
And aye I thank ye heartilie;
Gin ever the dead come for the quick,
Be sure, Marg'ret, I'll come for thee." —
It 's hosen and shoon, and gown alone,
She climb'd the wall, and followed him,
Until she came to the green forest,
And there she lost the sight o' him.
a Is there ony room at your head, Saunders ?
Is there ony room at your feet ?
Or ony room at your side, Saunders,
Where fain, fain I would sleep ?" —
" There 's nae room at my head, Marg'ret,
There 's nae room at my feet;
My bed it is full lowly now;
Amang the hungry worms I sleep.
" Cauld mould is my covering now,
But and my winding-sheet;
The dew it fells nae sooner down
Than my resting-place is weet.
" But plait a wand o' bonny birk,
And lay it on my breast;
And shed a tear upon my grave,
And wish my soul gude rest.
3o8 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
"And fair Marg'ret and rare MargVet,
And Marg'ret o' veritie,
Gin e*er ye love another man,
Ne'er love him as ye did me.** —
Then up and crew the milk-white cock,
And up and crew the grey;
Her lover vanish'd in the air,
And she gaed weeping away
— Scottish Border Ballad
CHAPTER XXVIII
Sigurd the Dragon Slayer
Fate of Sinfjotle — Poisoned by the Queen — The Grey Ferryman — Sig-
• mund woos Hjordis — Battle with King" Lynge — Odin intervenes — The Heroes*
Last Hours — How the Queen was rescued — Birth of Sigurd — Regin's Story —
Sigurd avenges Sigmund's Death — Combat with the Dragon — The Language
of Birds — Regin is slain.
WHEN Helgi won his kingdom and his bride, Sinfjotle
returned again unto Hunaland. Thereafter he set to
warring in distant realms, and he achieved widespread
renown and won much treasure. Now it chanced that
his eyes fell with love upon an alien maid of exceeding
great beauty, and he sought to have her for himself.
But she was also desired by the brother of Borghild,
Sigmund's queen. So the two fought together, and
Sinfjotle slew his rival and laid waste and plundered
his land. Thereafter he returned home and brought
tidings of his deeds.
Wrothful was Borghild, and she sought to drive her
brother's slayer from the kingdom; but Sigmund would
brook not such an evil doing. So he made offer of
blood treasure to his queen, and she made pretence to
be appeased, knowing well she could prevail not against
the king's will. Yet in her secret heart she brooded over
her brother's death and resolved to be avenged upon
Sinfjotle. So she held a funeral feast, and went round with
the mead horn among the ^ar men who had gathered
in the haU. When she asked Sinfjotle to drink, he feared
309
3io TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
to partake, and Sigmund seized the horn and emptied it.
A second time was the horn filled by Borghild, and a
second time Sigmund took it from his son. But the third
time Sinfjotle must needs drain the horn himself, and
when he did that he fell down and died, because the drink
was poisoned. Thus did Borghild take vengeance on her
brother's slayer.
Great was the grief of Sigmund when Sinfjotle was
dead. The war-men in the hall feared that his sorrow
would kill him. Loud mourning was heard there then
at the funeral feast, and Sigmund, who had grown old,
lamented long for his son. Then tenderly he took
Signy's offspring in his arms — that Volsung of Volsungs
— and bore him through the evening dusk towards the
firth's grey beach with purpose to take him to the oppos-
ing shore.
He perceived a small boat. In it was a tall, old man,
grave of aspect, grey bearded, and having but one eye.
A round hat was drawn low on his forehead, and he wore
a d'im blue cloak mottled with grey. Men tell it was
Odin, but Sigmund knew not who it was.
Unto him the grey ferryman spake, bidding him lay
Sinfjotle's body in the boat; but he said there was no
room for Sigmund, who must needs go round the firth
end if he would reach the opposing shore. So Sigmund
parted with him and hastened over the beach. Ere long
he turned round to gaze upon the boat as it went over
the waters. . . . Suddenly it vanished from his sight. . . .
So passed Sinfjotle, son of Sigmund and Signy, whose
grandsire was mighty Volsung of Odin's kin.
Sigmund turned homeward. He entered the hall
sorrowing. He. drave forth Borghild, remembering how
Sinfjotle died, and she became an outcast, so that ere
long she perished. .
SIGURD THE DRAGON SLAYER 311
Then Sigmund sought another bride. Hjordis,
daughter of King Eylime, was comely in his eyes, and
he sent messengers to her sire beseeching her for wife.
Now King Lynge, son of King Hunding whom Helgi
had slain, desired also to have the fair princess. Her
sire would favour neither Sigmund nor Lynge, and gave
the maid her choice; and she vowed she would wed the
Volsung. 'Twas thus it befell, and a great marriage feast
was held. Then Sigmund returned to Hunaland with
his bride, and King Eylime went with them.
Wroth was King Lynge, Tidings he sent unto
Sigmund that he would war against him and shatter the
power of the Volsungs. So he assembled a great army
and set forth to wreak his vengeance and capture Hjordis.
Sigmund feared the issue of battle, for the stronger
force was with Lynge. But his courage faltered not.
Great treasures have warriors gained, but Odin gave
Sigmund a sword. Although he had grown old, his
faith in Gram was strong. Yet he deemed it best that
Hjordis should be concealed, and with a bondmaid, and
bearing much treasure, the queen was given safe retreat
in a deep forest.
A great shore battle was fought. Sigmund contended
fiercely against overwhelming odds. None could stand
against him, and for a time it seemed that Lynge could
not prevail. Sigmund's arms were red with blood of
his foeman, nor got he a single wound.
Then entered the field through Lynge's war-men an
old and one-eyed man. He wore a blue cloak, and his
round hat was drawn low on his brow. In his hand was
a great spear, and he went against Sigmund.
That was the Volsung's fateful hour. Odin desired
his death. The god shook his great spear, and when Sig-
mund smote it the sword Gram broke in twain. There-
312 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
upon Lynge's war-men fell upon the hero and gave him
his deathwound. King Eylime, who fought by Sigmund's
side, was slain, and the Volsung army was scattered
in flight. The shoreland was red with heroes* blood;
numerous as dead leaves were the bodies of the slain.
King Lynge waited not on the battleground. He
pressed onward with his army towards Sigmund's hall;
but when he reached it he could find not Hjordis nor
any treasure. So search was made through all the
kingdom, and although Lynge found not the bride he
sought, he was made glad because that the Volsung power
was ended and the, last of the line was slain. But he
recked not of a hero unborn, and although he set an
alien ruler over Hunaland the glory of the Volsungs was
fated to return again in greater splendour.
Now when night fell, Hjordis went towards the battle-
ground and found Sigmund where he lay grievously
wounded and awaiting death.
She sought to give him healing, so that he might
avenge her sire; but Sigmund told her that his wounds
could heal not, for Odin desired his death, and his sword
Gram was shattered.
" I have fought while Odin willed it," he said, " and
now 'tis his desire that I should die."
' Then he counselled Hjordis to keep the broken
sword, so that it might be welded for her son unborn,
and he foretold that the babe would grow up to achieve
renown which would live through the ages.
"Now," said Sigmund faintly, "I am death-weary,
and must go hence to be with -my kin."
All night long Hjordis sat beside the dying king.
She soothed him; she watched him tenderly, and when
dawn was breaking golden in the east she closed his eyes
in death, and wept 'over him.
WOOD PORTALS FROM A CHURCH AT HILLESTAD, NORWAY
Caned with scent-s itom the Volsung Saga. Sigurd is shown with
his thumb in his mouth ;« the bottom of the left portal
SIGURD THE DRAGON SLAYER 313
Then seaward she gazed and beheld a fleet of viking
ships coming nigh to the shore. Hastily she bade her
bondmaid change raiment with her, saying: cc Henceforth
thou shalt say that thy name is Hjordis."
The leader of the viking horde was Alv, son of King
Hjaalprek of Denmark. He came ashore with his war-
men. He spoke to Hjordis and her maid, and was told
of the hidden treasure, and that he took speedily on board
a war ship. The queen he took also and her bondmaid.
Then Alv returned to Denmark, and ever he deemed
that the bondmaid was Sigmund's queen, but Hjaalprek's
spouse, when she beheld the two women, suspected that
the bondmaid was the nobler of the two.
To the king she spoke secretly thereanent, and Hjaal-
prek fell to questioning the pair. First he addressed her
who pretended to be queen, and said:
" How knowest thou the hour of rising in winter-
time when the stars are clouded over?"
The bondmaid answered him, saying: c< It hath been
my wont to drink heavily at dawn, and I awake athirst."
" A strange custom for a king's daughter," the king
remarked.
Then Hjaalprek asked of Hjordis how she could tell
when the hour of rising came, and she answered thus: —
" My sire gifted me a magic gold ring, and it turns
ice-cold on my finger when the hour cometh to rise in
the wintertime."
The king laughed. "No bondmaid's sire giveth
gold rings. A king's daughter art thou. Of this thou
shouldst have told us heretofore."
Then Hjordis made confession that she was indeed
Sigmund's queen, and thereafter she was honoured and
well loved in the HaU of Hjaalprek,
When her son was born, the name he received was
3H TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Sigurd, A Volsung was he indeed. Bright were his
eyes, and his face was kingly, and Hjaalprek took pride
in him. He grew up to be strong and fearless; a war-
man's skill had he ever and Volsung pride, and he had
great wisdom, and was eloquent of speech.
His foster father was Regin, the wonder ' smith,
brother of the dragon Fafner, and he gave the lad
instruction in many arts, and in the mystery of runes,
and taught him many languages.
One day Regin asked the lad if he knew that his
father had left great treasure, and that Hjaalprek guarded
it; and Sigurd said it was guarded for him and he had
faith in the king. Then Regin urged him to ask a horse
from Hjaalprek, and when the lad did that the king bade
him select the one he desired.
An old, grey -bearded man, with one eye, came to
Sigurd, who knew not that he was Odin, and he chose
for the lad a steed which was of Sleipner's race. Sigurd
called it Grane because it was grey, nor was its equal to
to be found in the world.
Now Alv took Hjordis for wife, and they lived
happily together.
Then a day came when Regin, perceiving that the
lad grew to manhood's strength and wisdom while he
was yet young, bethought to tell him of the treasure
over which the dragon Fafner kept constant guard. He
urged Sigurd to slay the monster.
"I am scarce more than a child yet," Sigurd said;
"why dost thou urge me to do this mighty deed?"
Then Regin told the story of the treasure, and how
Loke had taken it from the dwarf Andvari; how it was
given to his own sire, whom his brother Fafner slew so
that he might have all the gold for himself.
Sigurd heard him in silence, and when Regin said:
SIGURD THE DRAGON SLAYER 315
" If thou shalt go forth to slay Fafner I shall forge a
mighty sword for thee."
So the lad said: "Forge then a sword for me which
shall be without an equal, for fain would I do mighty
deeds."
Then Regin went to his smithy and made a sword;
but the lad smote it on the anvil and it flew in pieces.
A second sword he splintered also.1
Thereafter Sigurd went to his mother and asked for
the broken pieces of his sire's great sword Gram. Then
he bade Regin forge it anew, and the smith did th^t,
although unwillingly. When it was made, the lad put
the blade to test and clove the anvil in twain. Next
he cut wool with it in the river, so keen was its edge.
He was well pleased with Gram.
Regin then bade him promise to slay Fafner, and
Sigurd said: "As I promised thee, so shall I do, but
first I must set forth to avenge the death of my sire."
Stronger grew the lad, and he was of great stature,2
and skilled in feats of arms. Ere he set forth to do
deeds of valour he paid visit to Griper, his mother's
brother, who had power to foretell what would come
to pass. Sigurd desired to know what the norns had
decreed regarding him, and although Griper was at first
unwilling to tell him, he at last unfolded to the lad
his whole future life.
* A similar story is told in the Highlands of Finn (Fingal), who snook sword after
sword to pieces until the smith forged a matchless blade which had to be tempered
with the blood of the first living thing that entered the smithy in the morning.
Finn slew the smith. Both stories are probably of common origin.
9 The Highland Finn was 60 feet high, and Garry was a dwarf because he was but
40 feet in height. Sigurd did not attain such godlike stature, but he was, according to
Saga statistics, nearly 20 feet high; for when his sword was girt on, the end of it touched
th»e ear« of growing rye. The sword wat seven spaas in length. Finn also avenged his
father's death, but he never slew a dragon nor sought great treasure. His ambitions
were thote of a huntsman.
3i6 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Thereafter Sigurd went to the king and besought
that he should get ships and war-men to go forth against
the tribe of Hunding, and avenge upon King Lynge the
death of Sigmund. Hjaalprek gave him according to
his desire. A great storm broke forth as he crossed
the seas, and as the ships1 came nigh a headland a man
beckoned to Sigurd and desired to be taken aboard.
The young hero commanded that this should be done.
His name was Fjorner1, and he carried out the behests of
Urd. He sang strange runes regarding the battle that
was to be. As he did so the storm passed away, and
they drew nigh to the kingdom of King Lynge. Then
Fjorner vanished.
Sigurd laid waste the country, and tidings were borne
to King Lynge that fierce foemen had invaded the
kingdom. A great army was collected to oppose them,
but Sigurd was given victory, and he slew Lynge, and
thus avenged his sire's death. With the sword Gram he
clove the king in twain, and all the sons of Hunding
who were there he slew also. So did Sigurd achieve
great renown, and with the treasure he had captured he
returned unto Hjaalprek.
Ere long Regin spake to him in secret, calling to
mind his promise to slay the dragon Fafner.
" As I have promised," Sigurd said, " so shall I do."
Regin went forth towards the Glittering Heath with
the young hero, whom he counselled to make 'a pit so
that he might slay the dragon from beneath when it
came out to drink.
"If the dragon's blood fills up the pit, how will it
fare with me?" Sigurd exclaimed.
"Thou seem'st to be afraid," Regin said. "Unlike
thy kin art thou,"
1 One of Odin*s names*
SIGURD THE DRAGON SLAYER 317
Sigurd went towards the dragon's dwelling, but Regin
waited at a distance. Then to the young hero came
an old and grey-bearded man with one eye, and he gave
counsel that he should dig many pits, so that the blood
of the dragon might not drown him.1 Sigurd knew not
that the man was Odin, but he did as he was advised: he
dug many pits, and in one of them he concealed himself
and waited for the drag<pn to come forth.
In time Fafner crawled from his lair, roaring and
spouting venom. The earth shook, and Regin trembled
in his hiding place. But Sigurd was not afraid. He
waited until the monster was over the pit in which he
stood, then he plunged his sword Gram through the
dragon right up to the hilt. He drew it forth again,
and the blood reddened his arms, and ran into the
pits.
Fafner tossed in fury, and destroyed all things that
were nigh him, but soon he knew well that he was
wounded unto death. As he lay helpless and weak he
beheld Sigurd coming forth.
Fafner spake and asked him: cc Who art thou that
feared me not ? What is thy name, and what is thy sire's
name?"
Sigurd answered: "My folk are strangers among
men. My name is Lordly Beast. I have nor sire nor
mother, and hither came I alone."*
Fafner said: "Wilt thou lie to me in my hour of
death, by saying that thou hast nor sire nor mother or
other name than Lordly Beast ?"
1 It would appear that in making imperfect sword* and advising the construction of
only one pit, Regin desired to be rid of Sigurd when he had served H* purpose.
* Toe reluctance shown by Sigurd Is evidence of his belief m the magical power of
names. He feared that the dragon could, by using his name, exercise an evil influence
over him* Even at the present day certain peoples In these islands are charged with
lack of courtesy because they refute to give their names to strangers.
3i 8 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Sigurd thereupon said: "My name is Sigurd, and I
am Sigmund's son."
cc Brave was thy sire," said the dragon, " but didst
thou never hear that I was feared among men ? Name
thou him who urged thee to slay me."
Sigurd told not of Regin, and the dragon warned
him that the gold would be a curse to him.
But the young hero said: "We can but keep our
gold till life's end, and a man dieth once only."
Fafner then said: "By Regin was I betrayed. Thee
too would he betray; he desires my death and thine."
Soon afterwards the dragon died, whereupon Regin
came forth from his hiding place. He came humbly
towards the young hero and spake words of flattery to
him. Then he said: "But, alas! thou hast slain my
brother, nor am I myself without blame."
Sigurd said angrily: "When I performed this great
deed thou didst crouch like a coward in a bush."
"It was I who forged the sword with which thou
didst slay Fafner," said Regin.
Then Sigurd answered: "Better in battle is a brave
heart than a strong sword,"
Again Regin said: "Alas! thou hast slain my brother,
nor am I myself without blame."
Sigurd cut out the dragon's heart, and Regin drank
the blood. Then the wonder smith bade the young
hero to roast the heart for him while he lay down to
sleep. The lad thrust a rod through it and roasted it
over a fire. When the heart frizzled he laid his finger
on the spot, lest the blood should come forth, and then
he thrust his finger in his mouth. When he did that he
at once understood the language of birds.
1 Here again we have strong resemblance to the story of Finn. Black Arky, wbo
slew Finn's father, Coul, caught a, certain salmon and asked the lad to roast it without
SIGURD THE DRAGON SLAYER 319
One bird sang: "Why dost thou sit roasting the
dragon's heart for another when thou shouldst eat it
thyself and obtain great wisdom?"
Another sang: "Regin lies there with purpose in his
heart to betray Sigurd."
A third sang: " Sigurd should slay Regin and possess
all the treasure for himself."
The first bird sang: <c Regin hath drunk of the
dragon's blood and will become a wolf. Sigurd would
be wise if he thought of his own safety. He who hath
a wolf's ears will soon have the teeth of a wolf."
Another bird sang: " Sigurd will be less wise than
I deem him to be if he spares the man who desired his
'own brother's death."
Sigurd leapt up. " The day hath not come when
Regin shall slay me/' he said, and at once cut off the
head of the wonder smith.
Then the young hero ate a portion of Fafner's heart,1
and took the rest with him. Thereafter he went to the
dragon's lair and took forth the treasure — the rings, the
awesome helmet, the sword Hrotte, gold armour, and
many ornaments. In two chests he placed the treasure,
and these he put upon the back pf his strong steed
Grane.
The birds sang to him,
" There is a maid most fair if thou couldst possess
her. ..."
" Green roads twine to the haU of Giuki, and thither
tailing & blister. Then he "went to sleep. A blister rose, and Finn pressed it down,
and having burnt his finger he thrust it into hit mouth. He touched a tooth, and it
hecame his "Tooth of Knowledge". He then knew who Arky was and slew him. In
some Gaelic stones Finn bites his thumb when he desires to know anything. There
are no birdt in the Finn story,
1 Because of the cannibalistic belief that by eating an enemy he would obtain from
flesh tnd blood whatever strength or wisdom the other possessed in life.
320 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
is Sigurd led. The king hath a daughter and thou
hast gold for her. * . ."
"On Hindarfell there is a high and gold-decked
hall; it is girt around with fire. . . .
"There sleepeth on the fell a maid of war, a chosen
of heroes; flames flash round her. Odin hath given her
long and unbroken sleep, for she hath stricken down
those whom he favoured. Brynhild's sleep is sure and
lasting; thus have the norns decreed."
So Sigurd rode on. The birds sang to him and he
heard with wonder. Nor rested he on the green-girt
way until he came to Hindarfell, where Biynhild lay
wrapped in a magic sleep.
The Sleeping Beauty
Year after year unto her feet,
She lying on a couch alone,
Across the purple coverlet,
The maiden's jet-black hair has grown
On either side her tranced form
Forth streaming from a braid of pearl 5
The slumbrous light is rich and warm,
And moves npt on the rounded curl.
The silk star-broidered coverlid
Unto her limbs itself doth mould
Languidly ever ; and, amid
Her full black ringlets downward roll'd,
Glows forth each softly shadow'd arm
With bracelets of the diamond bright ;
Her constant beauty doth inform
Stillness with love, and day with light.
She sleeps: her breathings are not heard
In palace chambers far apart.
SIGURD THE DRAGON SLAYER
From tht painting by E, Nithen
SIGURD THE DRAGON SLAYER 321
The fragrant tresses are not stirr'd
That lie upon her charmed heart.
She sleeps: on either hand upswells
The gold-fringed pillow lightly prest :
She sleeps, nor dreams, but ever dwells
A perfect form in perfect rest.
He comes, scarce knowing what he seeks:
He breaks the hedge : he enters there :
The colour flies into his cheeks :
He trusts to light on something fair :
For all his life the charm did talk
About his path, and hover near
\Vith words of promise in his walk,
And whispered voices at his ear.
Tennyson.
CHAPTER XXIX
Brynhild and Gudrun
Brynhild's Magic Sleep — Awakened by Sigurd — Lovers pledge their
Troth — The Draught of Forgetfulness — Gudrun wins Sigurd- — Gunnar's
Wooing — How Brynhild was deceived — Quarrel with Gudrun— Sigurd is mur-
dered— Gudrun's Sorrow — Brynhild dies on Sigurd's Pyre — Ride to Hela.
WHEN Sigurd came nigh to Hindarfell, in the land of the
Franks, he beheld a blaze of light on the hill. Then he
perceived that a stately castle was girt round with magic
fire. Its roof was of shining gold. A banner on the
highest tower floated in the wind.
He rode towards the castle. He went through the
flames on the back of Grane. He dismounted and went
within. There he beheld a beauteous battle maiden
wrapped in magic sleep ; golden was her hair, and she
was clad in armour. . . . He went towards her and
took ofF her gleaming helm, and her locks fell free. Yet
her eyes opened not, so strong was the sleep spell that
was upon her. . . . He drew his magic sword and cut
through her armour so that it fell to pieces, whereat the
maiden awoke. . . . Her wondrous eyes glowed upon
him ; her pale cheeks reddened and her lips opened.
cc How long hast thou lain asleep ?" asked Sigurd.
"Who art thou," the maiden sighed, "'that hast
shorn my armour asunder, and hath power to break the
runes of sleep ? . . . Art thou indeed Sigurd, the son
of great Sigmund ? Hast thou come at last with the
helmet of darkness and the sword which slew Fafner?"
322
BRYNHILD AND GUDRUN 323
Sigurd answered: "I am even Sigurd, the son of
Sigmund, and my sword hath shorn thine armour
asunder."
"None but a Volsung could have done the deed/*
cried Brynhild, for indeed it was she — the beauteous
valkyrie whom Odin had punished by laying her in a
magic sleep because that she had caused to fall in battle
those whom he favoured.
"A Volsung am I," Sigurd answered, "and I have
come to thee because thou art so fair and full of wisdom.
Fain would I learn of theea"
Then Brynhild smiled. She threw back her golden
hair, and gazed forth upon the world once more. She
saw the bright sun and the fresh green ways, and like a
dawn-awakened bird she raised her voice in song.
Long was my sleep, long was my sleep,
Darkling 't was lone and dreamless and deep-
Long as the evils that mankind endure,
As long and as sure ;
Helpless in sunshine and starshine I 've lain,
Wrapped by the Vunes that bind like a chain —
Helpless ye found me :
Odin had bound me —
Bound me in sleep where I lay. • • *
Hail to the day !
Hail to the sons of the light !
All hail to the night !
Hail and O hear, beholding us twain,
And give what we hope now to gain. . . .
Hail ye gods and ye goddesses dear,
And Earth, the mother of all !
Give us of wisdom and tenderness here,
Hands that shall heal and hearts without fear
Till death shall at length on us call. „ . .
Then Brynhild told Sigurd how Odin had touched
324 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
her with the sleep thorn, and said that never again would
she be a chooser of the slain, but would lie in slumber
until a lover came.
<c But I vowed a vow/' she said, " that I would never
wed a man who knew what it was to be afraid.'*
Sigurd said : " Fain would I hear of thy wisdom, for
which thou art famed."
cc With gratitude can I speak to thee," said Brynhild,
" but let us first drink mead together. May thou profit
by what I shall teach thee, and may thou in after time
remember what I now speak unto thee."
She filled a golden goblet and gave to Sigurd to drink.
"The mead," she said, "is mixed with renown and
songs merry and sad, and with wise thoughts and tender
heart thoughts and valorous speech. . . , Thou shalt
grave war runes on thy blade, and twice shall Tyr be
named. Runes of ocean shalt thou carve on stern and
rudder and oar ; thou shalt have peaceful sea-ways* . . ,
Runes thou shalt learn to ward off blood vengeance and
doom. . . . Runes thou shalt learn to call fairy help
when a son cometh, and runes for wound healing which
thou shalt carve on trees whose branches are bending
towards the east. ... I shall teach thee runes of high-
heartedness and valour — the runes of the gods, the runes
of the elves, and the runes of the wise Vans. . . . I
shall give thee runes that shall aid thee in all things until
life ends. . . . Now thou shalt choose what thou dost
desire to be and to have. . . ."
Sigurd spake; "I was bora to be without fear. I
shall forget thee never, and in my heart shall I treasure
what thou givest unto me."
Then Brynhild gave runes to Sigurd, and she coun-
selled him to give friendship for friendship, and to have
forbearance so that he might win fame among men.
BRYNHILD AND GUDRUN 325
" Take close account of what is evil," she said ; " from
a maiden's love and a man's own wife wrong may come.
Give little heed to those who speak more harshly of
others than they deem they do; take not advice from
men of poor judgment. Ever be watchful of danger
wherever thou farest ; let not a woman enchant thee in
the feasting hall Heed not the unwise speech of a man
who hath drunken deep. Keep the oaths thou dost
swear. Trust not him whose kin thou hast slain. . . .
I can read not of thy future right well, nor perceive
clearly what shall befall thee, but may evil come not
from thy wife's kindred/'
Sigurd said: "None other but thee shall I have for
my bride,"
Brynhild made answer: cclf it were given me to
make choice among all the sons of men, thee alone would
I desire to be mine."
Sigurd gave to the gold-haired maiden the magic
ring which was in Fafner's hoard.
Then did they swear binding oaths together, vowing
that they would ever be faithful one to another until
life's last loop was spun.
Thereafter went Sigurd on his way, for he must needs
travel unto the haU of King Giuki. Loving Brynhild,
he went, but it was doomed that he should break his
binding vows, and spurn the golden-haired maiden whom
he had rescued from magic sleep. It was indeed feted
that he should drink the draught of forgetfulness, so
that new love might enter his heart, for he must needs
suffer because of the treachery of another,
A warrior of noble seeming was Sigurd, and wonder-
ing eyes beheld him as he drew nigh to the dwelling of
Giuki* Great was his height, and he had the shoulder-
breadth of two men. Young was he, and very fair.
326 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
His eyes were blue, and of such brightness that men
quailed before him ; his nose was high-ridged, and bent
like to an eagle's beak ; broad was his face from cheek
bone to cheek bone. His hair was copper-brown, and
hung over his shoulder gleaming in sunshine, and his
beard was short and fair. All beholders gazed with mute
wonder upon his great sword Gram.
He was withal fearless and high-hearted, one who
loved his friends and was unafraid of any foe. Ever
ready was he to give aid to kinsmen and allies. Such
eloquence of speech was his that men were drawn towards
him.
Those who played games round Giuki's hall ceased
when Sigurd came nigh. King Giuki greeted him with
welcome to his dwelling, and the treasure chests were
taken from Crane's back and borne within.
The king had for wife the crafty Grimhild, who was
a sorceress, and they had a beauteous daughter who was
named Gudrun. Their three sons were Gunnar, Hogne,
and Guttorm.
Now, when Grimhild beheld Sigurd, she was taken
with desire that he should have her daughter for his
bride, and ill-pleased was she when she found that his
heart was filled with love for Brynhild.
It chanced that the two maidens dreamed dreams.
Brynhild had a vision of Gudrun coming towards her,
and on the day that followed Gudrun indeed came in a
gold-decked chariot with all her maidens, for Gudrun had
also dreamt a dream and desired that the wise Brynhild
should solve it.
Brynhild, who was King Budle's daughter, dwelt
betimes at her castle, and betimes at the Hall of Heimar,
who had for wife her sister Baenkhild. Her brother was
King Atle the Mighty.
BRYNHILD AND GUDRUN 327
It was at Heimar's hall that Giuki's daughter found
the fair battle maiden on that fateful day.
Gudrun told Brynhild of her dream. "It seemed,"
she said, "that we were together in a forest and saw a
noble stag. Copper-coloured was its hair, and we both
desired to possess it. But no one save myself alone
could reach the stag, and I possessed it, and was made
glad. Then thou didst come, Brynhild, and thou didst
slay my stag, and I wept bitterly. Thereafter thou didst
give me a young wolf which was red with the blood of
my kin."
cc Alas ! " Brynhild sighed ; " I can read thy dream.
Thou shalt marry Sigurd, whom I desire for my lover.
A magic drink he shall receive, and he shall turn from
me. Then shall there be a feud, and he shall be slain,
and thou shalt thereafter marry my brother King Atle the
Mighty, whom thou shalt slay in the end."
Gudrun wept. « Terrible indeed it is," she said, " to
have knowledge of these things.'*
So she left Brynhild and returned with her maidens
to the hall of King Giuki, her sire.
Three years passed, and Sigurd remained with the
king who had given him welcome. With Gunnar and
Hogne he took oaths of fellowship, and they hunted
together and made merry.
Ever did Queen Grimhild desire that Sigurd should
take Gudrun for his bride, and at length she brewed a
magic drink which would make him forget the battle
maiden whom he had chosen for his bride.
A night came when they sat together in the feasting
hall, and the queen rose and filled the drinking horn
with the magic drink and gave it unto Sigurd,
saying ;
<c It hath pleasured us to have thee abiding with us
328 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
here. Thou shah receive from us all thou dost desire.
Drink thou from this horn the mead which I have pre-
pared for thee."
Sigurd drank as she desired, and he forgot Brynhild
and the binding vows he had sworn with her. The love
he had for her passed away, and he saw that Gudrun was
very fair.
Then the queen said : " King Giuki shall be to thee
a sire, and his sons are thy brethren."
To the king in secret Grimhild spake, as she em-
braced him: "Give thou our daughter for wife unto
Sigurd. Great is his wealth, and it would be well that
he should ever be with us."
Giuki disdained to offer his daughter even unto
Sigurd, but the queen constrained her son Gunnar to
counsel the young hero to have the beauteous maid for
his bride.
So it fell that Sigurd and Gudrun were wed in the
Hall, and they dwelt happily together. They had a son,
and his name was Sigmund.
Queen Grimhild next desired that her son Gunnar
should have Brynhild for wife, and she said : " (jro thou
and woo the battle maiden, and Sigurd shall go with
thee."
"That will I do right willingly," Gunnar made
answer, "for I would fain have golden-haired Brynhild
for my bride."
Then he rode forth towards the hall of Helmar, and
with him went Sigurd* Grimhild had wrought a spell
so that Brynhild would know not her former lover.
Gunnar besought of Heimar that he should have the
battle maiden for wife, but Heimar said: "Brynhild
shall only wed him whom she herself doth choose. To
her thou must go. She dwelleth in a castle beyond,
BRYNHILD AND GUDRUN 329
which is girt about with magic fire, and thou must needs
ride through the flames to win nigh unto her."
Then Gunnar rode towards the dwelling of Brynhild,
and Sigurd went with him. But when they came nigh to
the fire -girt castle Gunnar's steed would go no farther,
for it feared the flames.
Sigurd said : " To thee shall I give Grane, on whom
to ride through the fire."
So he dismounted ; but when Gunnar sat upon the
back of Grane, the steed refused to move forward. None
save Sigurd could go unto Brynhild; none could ride
through the flames save Sigmund's noble son.
Then took Sigurd the semblance of Gunnar, and
Gunnar the semblance of Sigurd, as Queen Grimhild
had given each of them power to do, and Sigurd leapt
upon Crane's back and rode through the magic fire.
Brynhild saw Sigurd coming towards her and said:
"Who art thou who hast come through the magic
fire?"
Sigurd answered : " My name is Gunnar, son of
Giuki. Thee shall I have for my bride, because that
thou didst vow to marry him who would reach thee
through the1 flames."
"Thee shall I wed," Brynhild said, "if thou shalt
promise to slay those who also desire to have me for
yrife."
"That shall I promise thee," answered Sigurd, and
the battle maiden was well pleased.
Three nights he abode with Brynhild in the castle,
and ere he left her she gave to him the ring that was
once AndvarTs, and had been taken by Sigurd from
the hoard of Fafner — the ring of doom which was a
bane to them both.
Through the flames once more went Sigmund's great
330 TEUTONIC MYTH AND 'LEGEND
son. With Gunnar he again changed shapes, and to-
gether they returned unto the hall of Giuki.
In time fair Brynhild left her fire-girt castle and went
unto the dwelling of Heimar, to whom she told how fate
had served her.
"Fain was I," she said, "that it had happened as
aforetime — that Sigurd had come through the flames
towards me instead of Gunnar."
"As it hath chanced," said Heimar, "so must it
be."
Now Brynhild had a daughter, whose name was Aslog.
A Volsung was she by birth, for her sire was Sigurd, and
it was fated that she would be the last of her race. The
battle maiden gave the child to Heimar, so that she might
be nourished and fostered and kept free from harm.
When Brynhild did that she went with King Budle,
her father, to the hall of Giuki. There was a feast of
splendour held, and Gunnar and the battle maiden were
wed. They drank mead together and made merry.
But if joy came to the heart of Brynhild, it speedily
vanished when she beheld Sigurd with another bride. In
secret she bewailed her fate, because that her first love
who had awakened her from magic sleep had been taken
from her by treachery and sorcery. Nor could such
sorrow have long endurance. The treasure curse was
upon them all ; the shadow of doom was already darken-
ing their days.
Ere long the pent-up grief storm broke forth in
lamentation and feud; ere long there was shedding of
blood and the heart call of vengeance.
It chanced that Brynhild and Gudrun bathed to-
gether in the river, and the battle maiden perceived that
Andvari's doom ring was worn by Sigurd's bride. They
fell to quarrelling one with another. Thereafter Brynhild
BRYNHILD AND GUDRUN 331
went home ; pale was her face and anger burned in her
eyes: her heart was. in torment.
On the morn that followed Gudrun besought Bryn-
hild to sorrow not.
"Thy heart is evil," the battle maiden said; "it giveth
thee joy to see me grieve. But thou shalt escape not thy
due, for no longer can I endure to see thee with Sigurd."
" Thou hast Gunnar, my brother," said Gudrun ;
"a worthier lord is he than thou dost deserve. Well
mayest thou take joy in him."
" Happy would I indeed be with one more noble,"
Brynhild answered.
Then Gudrun taunted her, and told how Sigurd had
gone through the flames in the guise of Gunnar so that
she might be beguiled.
There was no joy in the heart of Brynhild thereafter.
Her days and nights she spent in lamentations, so that
she was heard by all. Nor would she speak unto anyone,
not even her husband ; for when she wailed not, she lay
like to one who was dead; alone in her chamber she lay ;
her face was white as winter's snow, and ice-hard and
cold.
At length Gunnar besought Sigurd to go unto her,
for to none had she spoken for many days, nor had she
eaten or drunken aught.
But Sigurd feared that he could quench not the flames
of her grief, and knew well that she fostered ill against
him with dire intent. Yet was he constrained to speak to
her. So Sigurd entered her chamber,
"Arise, O Brynhild," he cried, "for lo! the sun is
bright ; grieve no more, and make merry in our midst."
Brynhild opened her eyes, as aforetime she had done
when Sigurd awakened her from magic sleep.
** So," she spake, " thou art so bold as to come hither
332 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
— thou who hast among all the others been most
treacherous unto me."
" Speak not thus," said Sigurd ; " for what reason dost
thou sorrow so deeply?*'
" Because the sword is not red with thy heart's
blood," Brynhild answered.
Then was Sigurd moved to grief also. To Brynhild
he spake tenderly and low. "Thee did I love better
than mine own life," he said; " but alas ! I was given
to drink of the mead of forgetfulness, so that a spell
was cast over me and I knew thee not* Yet did I sorrow
when I came to know that thou, my heart's desire, wert,
wife to another. . . . Now be my doom fulfilled, for
I desire not to live any more."
"Too late! ... too latel" cried Brynhild. "It is
too late to speak of thy sorrow. Now will greater scorn
be turned against me than heretofore. . . . Women shall
mock; none shall pity me."
Then Sigurd said he would put away Gudrun and
nave her for wife, but Brynhild would hearken not.
"All things have changed," said the woman of sor-
row, "and I would fain die. ... I have been deceived.
... I desire thee not, and I desire no other/'
In sore grief did Sigurd leave her; his head was
bowed, his eyes were dimmed, and never again was there
joy in his heart.
"I would fain die," Brynhild wailed. . . , "I have
been deceived. . . . Sigurd hath deceived me and death
is his due. ... I will not have him live with her who
taunts me with scorn. Even now he telleth her of what
hath passed, and she mocketh me.n
When Gunnar entered Brynhild's chamber she spake :
" Thou shalt live not another night if thou dost not
slay Sigurd. . . ."
BRYNHILD AND GUDRUN 333
Nor aught else would she say unto him*
That was indeed a grievous speech to the ears of
Gunnar — to be asked to slay one with whom he had
taken binding vows. Yet did he love Brynhild more
than Sigurd. So he went unto his brother Hogne and
told him what had come to pass.
"If Sigurd is slain," Hogne said, "a noble warrior
indeed shall be cut off, and doom and shame may be
our dower/'
So together they went unto Guttorm, who was young
and had not sworn oaths with Sigurd, and he consented
to do the will of Brynhild.
In the morning Guttorm entered the bedchamber
where Sigurd and Gudrun lay fast asleep. He drew his
sword. He thrust it through Sigurd's body and gave
him his deathwound. Then he turned to make hasty
escape.
Sigurd woke in his agony, and, seizing his sword
Gram, he flung it at Guttorm and slew him.
Then Gudrun, who lay with her arms about her
loved one, awoke to her sorrow ; her body was wet
with the blood that streamed from Sigurd's death-
wound. Bitterly she moaned and wept.
u Grieve not too much,'' her husband sighed : "as the
norns have decreed, so has it come to pass; my doom
was hidden from me, and it has now fallen. . . . The
hand of Brynhild is in this foul deed: she who loves
me above all other men desireth that I should die. . . .
Ah 1 had I not been stricken while I slept, many great
men would have fallen ere I could be overcome. * . ."
Then Sigurd died. „ . . Even while he spake he
WES taken from Gudrun, and she gave forth a loud and
bitter cry that was heard throughout the Hall.
Brynhild laughed. . . .
334 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Said Gunnar : "Thou dost not laugh for joy, O mon-
strous woman, for thy cheeks have grown grim and
death-white. . . . How wouldst thou feel now if thine
own brother Atle were slain before thine eyes?"
"Vain is thy threat against Atle," Brynhild answered ;
"there shall yet be much bloodshed, but thou thyself
must fall ere he shall die."
Gudrun cried: "Sigurd is dead; my kinsmen have
slain him."
Nor other moan she made.
Brynhild sighed in secret: "One I loved, and no
other, and he is laid in death."
All through the moonless night that followed the
death day, Gudrun sat beside her husband's body. Her
tears were dried ; her cheeks were pale ; she smote not
her hands nor uttered any cry. Many sought to comfort
her, but her heart was cold.
At length her sister came and drew the white sheet
from off Sigurd's body, and said :
"Gudrun, turn thine eyes upon him thou lovest,
Kiss his lips. Take him in thine arms as if he were
still alive."
Gudrun looked in Sigurd's face. . , . His eyes
were glazed in death ; his lips were cold ; pale were his
cheeks, and his hair was red with blood.
She lay down beside Sigurd ; she kissed his lips and
wept
Then spake her sister : " Never knew I of love like
to the love that Gudrun beareth for Sigurd."
Gudrun said; "Like to a sword-lily among grass
blades was Sigurd among the sons of Giuki, my brothers*
... I whom he raised up am now but a leaf cast to
the winds. . . . Never more by day or by night shall I
hear his voice most sweet, . . . tFpon me have my
BRYNHILD AND GUDRUN 335
brothers wrought this sorrow; my brothers have made
me grieve with bitterness. Their oaths are broken, and
they are brought to shame, and their kingdom shall be
laid waste. Never shall they have joy in the treasure
which they desire ; it shall be their bane and drag them
down to death.*1
Brynhild came and saw Sigurd's body. She stood
apart and spake not, but her eyes burned with grief fire.
Then went she unto Gunnar and cursed him and all
his kin, because that the vows of friendship were broken
and he and they had conspired against Sigurd and her
heart's desire.
" Together we plighted our troth," she cried, "and
to the grave shall 1 follow him."
Gunnar desired not that Brynhild should die, but
Hogne said ; c< She hath ever been a bane to us. 'Twere
better that she died now."
Ere yet Brynhild sought death, she caused to be
slain Sigmund, the son of Gudrun. But Gudrun could
find not greater deeps of sorrow than she had already
reached*
A great pyre was built, and on it were laid the bodies
of Sigurd and his son. When it was set ablaze, Brynhild
rode -towards it upon her white steed, and cried :
" Gudrun would have died with Sigurd had she a soul
like to mine"
Then she leapt amidst the flames, and was burned
with him she loved so welL
So Brynhild passed from the world of men, and she
rode the darksome ways towards Hela to search for
Sigurd.
At Hcla bridge the giant maid, who keeps watch,
stood before her and said:
336 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
"Thou shalt pass not by this way. O gold-haired
maiden, thy hands are red with the blood of heroes. . . .
On Giuki's hall thou hast brought sorrow and scaith."
" Blame me not/* Brynhild answered ; " my life was
robbed of love ; my vows were despised ; by treachery
was this evil done upon me, and I was mocked at and
put to shame. . . . Sigurd was betrayed, and I was
betrayed by Sigurd, whom I love, and now seek in
death."
Then golden - haired Brynhild sang, swan -like and
sweet, her death song on Hela bridge.
Ah ! but for battle never ending
Are mortals made alive,
Ah 1 but to live o'er long to sorrow —
To sorrow and to strive;
Yet Sigurd and I shall live in Hela,
As fain we M lived before —
Our fame shall echo through the Ages
Ever and evermore.
Spurring her white steed she cried : " Sink down, O
giant maid !" and rode on to Hela's glittering plains*
"Gudrun's Sorrow"1
Home they brought her "warrior dead:
She nor swooned, nor utter'd cry;
All her maidens, watching, said,
u She must weep or she will die."
Then they praised him, soft and low,
CalPd him worthy to be loved,
1 Although the Volsunga saga version of Sigurd's death U followed, a fragment
of song pictures the tragedy in a grove from which the warrior** body was carried to
Gudrun. Clerk Saunders was slain in bed also, and thi« ballad suggests the existence
of an early version of the Volsung story ere the Helgi lays were introduced. Tenayson't
beautiful poem appears to have been suggested by a version of the Gudrun ttory.
XMwtoxraiih l>.v Vllliclui Tryda
BRYNHILD
Vttttn //'<• ittttttt.' by Bis.it
BRYNHILD AND GUDRUN 337
Truest friend and noblest foe;
Yet she neither spoke nor moved.
Stole a maiden from her place,
Lightly to the warrior stept,
Took the face-cloth from the face;
Yet she neither moved nor wept.
Rose a nurse of ninety years
Sat his child upon her knee
Like summer tempest came her tears —
** Sweet my child, I live for thee.
Tennyson.
CHAPTER XXX
The Last of the Volsungs
Brynhild's Daughter — Escape to Norway — Her Protector murdered —
Why she was called Krake — The Princess Thora — Her Dragon-like Serpents
— How Ragnar won his Bride — The Northern Cinderella — Wooed by the
Viking — The Slave becomes a Queen — Story of Svanhild — Wife of Jormunrek
(Ermenrich) — Bikki (Sibech) the Accuser — Fate of Gudrun's Daughter.
Now when Brynhild died, Heimer feared that Giuki's
vengeful sons would slay Aslog because that she was the
last of the Volsungs, and might rear up a son who would
come against them. So he prepared to take flight. He
made a harp, in which he concealed Brynhild's child with
certain of her treasures, and voyaged to Norway, where
he made pretence to be a minstrel. He went to a house
in Spangerejd and dwelt in it. He revealed not there the
secret of the child's concealment. But one day the house-
wife perceived that there was treasure in the harp, for
the door of Aslog' s harp-chamber was not closed, and
a portion of rich cloth protruded from it. Then was
Heimer murdered in his sleep, and Aslog was taken forth
with the treasure that was hers.
The child grew up in the strange household, and her
foster-parents were not only poor but cruel and harsh;
the high-born girl was made a slave, and was set to work
at menial tasks. As the years passed by her beauty
shone forth, and her captors, fearing that blame would
fall upon them for doing evil, kept her clad in rags> and
THE LAST OF THE VOLSUNGS 339
smeared her face with soot and tar, so that no eye might
gaze upon her with wonder. Then was she nicknamed
Krake, which signifies "the crow".
Thus did Aslog abide with harsh and strange folk
until the coming of the great viking Ragnar Lodbrog,
who had fame not only on the high seas for deeds of
valour, but also because he had slain the venomous
serpents which were the bane of King Heroth's kingdom.
It chanced that the king had gone hunting in the
woods, where he found two young snakes; these he
bore home with him to his daughter Thora, by whom
they were fed until they grew so large that she dreaded
to approach them. Each then began to devour an ox
daily; and they both became so powerful that they laid
waste the countryside, and killed men and beasts with
their venomous breath.
King Heroth feared to contend against the serpents,
but he offered his daughter in marriage to the man who
would slay them. Now Thora was fair to behold, and
many heroes went forth to fight the monsters; but they
suffered death one after another, and the affliction grew
greater, so that all people were in constant fear and
peril.
The day came when Ragnar heard of Thora, whom
he desired for wife, being set up as a reward for serpent-
slaying, and he resolved to win her by mighty deeds.
So he bade that a mantle and breeches of wool be
fashioned for him, and when they were ready he gave
King Heroth to know that he would make attack on
the serpents.
It was the season of winter, and he dipped his woollen
attire in a stream and it was soon frozen hard. Clad
thus, he was protected against the venom, so he girt on
his sword and took a spear in his right hand and a shield
340 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
in his left and went forth to fight, so that Thora might
be his bride.
A great serpent came against him, but he feared not,
and prepared to combat with it. Then another great
serpent hastened to the aid of the first, and he was soon
in dire peril. They spouted venom upon Ragnar, but
his frost-bound clothing protected him; and they smote
him with their tails, but he stood firm. Terrible was the
conflict which was waged, and the king and all who were
with him were filled with alarm, and sought high and
narrow hiding places, fearing that Ragnar would be over-
come.
The serpents were enraged, and they made ferocious
attack with monstrous jaws agape, but Ragnar raised his
shield against them each time they sought to bite. He
was indeed sore pressed and greatly wearied; but at
length he cast his spear at them and it went through
their hearts, so that they were both slain.
A great shout was raised by those who were in
hiding, and the king came forth to honour Ragnar.
He laughed to see the strange attire of the hero, and
nicknamed him "Lodbrog", which signifies <c shaggy-
breeches ".
Then was a great banquet given. Ragnar was
attired in splendour, and he was given Thora for wife.
But when she had borne him two sons she died, although
young and fair, and her husband mourned for her.
Ragnar then plundered on the high seas and raided
Scotland and Pictland. • He set a new king over the
Orkneys, and went against Norway.
It chanced that he came one day to Spangerejd, and
there he sent men ashore to procure bread,! When they
returned with the food he was made angry because that
it was burned. The men told him that they had gone to
THE LAST OF THE VOLSUNGS 341
a house in which there was a beautiful maiden: they could
refrain not from gazing upon her, and so the bread was
burned.
Now Ragnar bethought him to have such a maiden
for his bride, so that he might forget his grief for
Thora. He sent to her a message bidding her to come
unto him. Desiring to put her wisdom to test, he told
his messengers to ask her to come not on foot nor yet
driving; not attired and yet not naked; not feasting and
yet not fasting; not with anyone and yet not alone.
Aslog, who was named Krake in her poor dwelling,
came towards the great sea king neither driving nor
on foot but riding upon a goat with her feet trailing
upon the ground; she came without attire, but yet hot
naked, because her hair was so long and bountiful that it
covered her body, and she drew a net about her; she
came not feasting nor yet fasting, because she held an
onion to her lips and tasted of it; she was not alone,
because her dog walked by her side.1
Ragnar, who was now a great king, took beauteous
Aslog, the daughter of Sigurd and Brynhild, for his
bride, and their sons were named Ingvar and Ubbe.2
After Sigurd's death Gudrun had a daughter who was
named Svanhild. She was given for wife to Jormunrek,3
1 So did Grainne come to Diarmid in the Highland Fian tale. Grimm also gives a
version of the story with numerous reference* to similar tales in other languages than
Gaelic and German. In Saxo (Book 9) there is a more sordid account of Ragnar' s
wooing of ua certain young woman" who became the mother of Ubbe. Like Odin,
when he wooed Rhind, Ragnar made use of female attire. Our version is from
Ragnar's saga. The Volsunga *aga drops Aslog at the point where she became Krake.
3 Here we meet history. By one authority Ingvar and Ubbe are said to be the
northmen who murdered King Eadrnund of England. Others identify them as the
avenging aon* who carved an eagle on the back of King Ella in Yorkshire, because
he had driven their half-brother Ivar from the throne. Krake is a northern Cinderella,
sung of in Norway and Denmark* She was a link between Odin and the Norse kings,
vrho prided them&elve* in tha'r descent from the Asa-god.
'Brmenrich (Hermanric) of the Ostrogoths.
342 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
King of the Gauts. Like to a sunbeam was she in the
hall of Giuki, and there was great sorrow when she went
forth with her bondmaids. Much treasure was she
given, but the curse of Aiidvari's gold followed her.
It fell that she was falsely accused by Bikki of unfaithful-
ness with a prince, and so greatly enraged did the king
become that he ordered that she should be put to death
by being trampled under the hoofs of horses.
Then was Svanhild bound and left lying on a plain;
but although the horses ran over her they injured her
not, some say because of her surpassing beauty, and
others because of the brightness of her Volsung eyes.
The king deemed that his fair bride was innocent,
because she had escaped injury, but Bikki, her accuser,
poisoned the king's ear, and persuaded him to command
that Svanhild should be laid upon the ground with her
face downward. Then were the horses driven over her
again, and she was trodden deep down into the earth by
the multitudinous hoofs. So perished Svanhild, daughter
of Gudrun, while Aslog, daughter of Brynhild, reigned as
Ragnar's queen in a northern land. In Norway's royal
line alone doth the blood of the Volsungs flow.
The young prince, who was Jormunrek's son, was
condemned to death by his sire and was hanged.1
1 Saxo gives an account of a sham execution, but in the Dietrich story he is actually
put to death. Bikki is Sibech.
CHAPTER XXXI
Gudrun's Vengeance
Gudrun's Flight — Grimhild follows her — The Reconciliation — Wooed by
King Atle — Doom Dreams — The Fafner Hoard — Coveted by Atle — Invitation
to Gudrun's Brothers — Fateful Journey — Treachery — A Fierce Conflict — How
Hognc died — Gunnar among Vipers — Queen slays Atle — Becomes Bride of
Jonaker — Her Sons — Svanhild is avenged.
WHEN Sigurd and his son were burned with Brynhild on
the pyre, Gudrun refused to be comforted, nor could she
abide to remain in the Hall of Giuki among the oath-
breakers, her brothers, who had brought her husband to
his death. So she went forth alone to wander in the
forest with desire that wolves should devour her. Five
days she journeyed in her sorrow, knowing not whither
she went, until she came to the Hall of King Alv. There
was she received with pity and tenderness, and she had
for companion Thora, daughter of Hakon, King of
Denmark. She was well loved, and with Thora she sat
and embroidered on fair tapestry the deeds of Sigurd and
Sigmund.
Three summers went past and four winters ere
Queen Grimhild came to know where Gudrun had her
dwelling. She desired that her daughter should return
again, because King Atle the Mighty, the brother of
Brynhild, sought her for his bride. So Grimhild gave
much treasure to her sons, and went forth with them to
appease Gudrun with gifts of gold, so that the blood
348
344 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
feud might have end. Five hundred war-men rode with
Grimhild and Gunnar and Hogne, and they ^ greeted
Gudruti and made offer to her of the treasure which they
bore with them. Then did Gunnar give to Gudrun a
golden goblet filled with the drink of forgetfulness, which
Grimhild had brewed, so that she might put past old
sorrow? and hate. Gudrun drank and her grief faded.
Thereafter Grimhild told her daughter that King
Ade desired her for wife, and said that she would be
given more treasure when she was wed to him*
"I desire not another husband," Gudrun said; "nor
could I live happily with the brother of Brynhild."
«If thou wilt wed Ade," said Grimhild, "thou shalt
have sons, and it shall seem to thee that Sigurd and Sig~
rnund are again in life."
" I seek not nor hope for gladness any more while 1
live," Gudrun answered.
But her mother pleaded: "Ade is foremost among
kings. A nobler husband thou canst not find. May
thou never he wed to any man," she added, " if thou
shalt spurn this mighty ruler."
"Alas!" sighed Gudrun; "bid me not wed the
brother of Brynhild, for he will bring great evil upon
our kin, and be the death-bane of Hogne and Gunnar.
By my own hand must he fall in the end if I become his
bride."
Grimhild wept, nor listened to what Gudrun said.
<c I shall give thee lands and many war-men," she told
her daughter, "if thou wilt take Ade to be thy husband.
Thou shalt have joy with him until thy life's end. Be-
sides, by marrying him thou wilt bring great honour
unto thy kin."
" Alas ! I must then be wed to him," said Gudrun,
"although my heart desireth him not. But there is no
GUDRUN'S VENGEANCE 345
gladness in store for me, for he will be a bane to my
kin."
Grimhild rejoiced because that she at length worked
her will, and soon a great company set forth towards the
kingdom of Atle the Mighty. They travelled for seven
days by land, and then for seven days they voyaged over
the sea, and thereafter they travelled by land again for
seven days ere they came unto the Hall of the King. A
great banquet was held, and King Atle and Gudrun were
wed. But the bride's heart was sad within her, nor did
she ever have joy in the Hall of Brynhild's brother.
One morning when Atle woke from sleep he was
greatly troubled because of the dreams he had dreamed.
He spoke to Gudrun, saying:
"It seemed that thou didst thrust a sword through
my breast."
" To dream of iron," the queen said, " is to dream
of fire."
" And I dreamt also," continued the king, " that two
water-reeds grew up in my halL By the roots were they
pulled up, and they dripped red blood; of them was I
asked to partake. . . . Then it seemed that two hungry
hawks flew from my wrist, and they went to Hela,
Hearts had they steeped in honey, and I ate them.
» . . Thereafter I dreamt that two cubs gambolled at
my feet ; of these did I also partake."
<c Thy dreams forebode much ill," Gudrun said ;
u verily, thy sons are nigh unto life's end. Black
grief is at hand*"
Weeks passed and then years, and the doom dreams
faded from. the king's memory. Yet was there more
un happiness between the ill-mated pair.
Then a time came when Atle spoke much of the
accursed treasure which Sigurd had found when he
346 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
slew Fafner. Well he knew that Gunnar and Hogne
had kept from Gudrun the greater part, so that they
could boast of immense riches. In his heart Atle
coveted the hoard, and desired it for himself; so he
took counsel with his nobles, and decided to invite
Gunnar and Hogne to visit his Hall. A trusted mes-
senger, whose name was Vinge, was sent forth with a
company of war -men to make promises to the
brothers and induce them to journey to Hunaland.
Gudrun knew well that there was evil intent in her
husband's heart, so she carved runes of warning upon a
gold ring and gave it to Vinge as her gift to Hogne.
But Atle's messenger changed the runes so that they
seemed to convey a speedy welcome from the queen.
When Vinge reached the Hall of Giuki he made his
mission known. The brothers consulted one with
another, suspecting treachery and Atle's lust for gold;
but Gudrun's ring reassured them, and after they had
drunk mead with the messengers, they promised to go
forth with them.
But Hogne' s wife, Kostbera, made keen scrutiny of
Gudrun's ring in her bedchamber, and she saw that the
runes had been altered from warning to welcome. To
her husband she spoke thereanent She had also dreamt
an ominous dream, in which she saw the Hall over-
thrown by a rising flood.
But Hogne chided her for thinking ill of Atle. He
had given his promise to Vinge to fare forth with him,
and scorned to break it.
Gunnar's wife had also dreams of warning. She saw
her husband pierced by a sword, while wolves howled
about him.
" Little dogs will bark at us," Gunnar said.
"Methought I also saw," his wife continued, "a
GUDRUN'S VENGEANCE 347
battle maiden of sad visage entering the hall. She
seemed to be a valkyrie."
"A man must die at his appointed hour," Gunnar
said; "besides, it is not good to live over long."
Now Gunnar, who was king, for Giuki had departed
hence, was well loved by his people, and in the morning
they clamoured about him, beseeching that he should not
leave them.
But he bade them to feast with him. "We may
never again drink mead together," he said, " but no man
can escape his fate."
Gunnar's wife spake unto Vinge. cc Methinks," she
said, " that ill fortune will come to our kind from this
journey,"
But Vinge swore many oaths, saying that no evil was
intended. "May I be hanged," he said, "if a sign of
treachery is showjn against Gunnar and Hogne in the
kingdom of Atle."
There were tears and lamentations when the warrior
sons of Giuki went forth never again to return to the
kingdom of their sires, although great glory would be
theirs by reason of valorous deeds and unflinching
courage.
Gunnar's wife embraced her king, and Kostbera
embraced Hogne, saying: "May days of gladness be
thine."
"Forget not to make merry," Hogne said, "no
matter what befalls us on our journey."
When they had voyaged over the sea, there were
dumb foretellings of their doom. So swiftly and hard
did the oarsmen ply their blades that rowing pins snapped
and half the ship's keel was shorn off upon the beach.
They leapt ashore and feared not Gunnar and Hogne
went inland towards Atle's stronghold with armour and
348 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
full war gear and all their men. Two sons of Hogne
were with . them, and valorous Orkning, the brother of
Kostbera, who had fame for mighty deeds.
They rode together through a dark wood, and when
they approached the stronghold of Atle they perceived
that the gate was closed against them. A great army
was assembling to receive the guests.
Hogne raised his battleaxe and smote the gate
asunder, for he must needs enter with dignity becoming
his rank.
"Thou hast done wrong," Vinge snarled; "'twere
more fitting that thou shouldst wait until I bring the
gallows on which ye shall all hang. By smooth words
have I induced ye all to come hither ; ere long shall ye
die together."
"Thy boasts affright me not,1* answered Hogne;
" we shrink not from conflict, if conflict there must be.
Yet hast thou wrought us ill, so take thy reward."
As he spake, Hogne swung his battleaxe and slew
Vinge with a single blow.
Boldly rode the sons of Giuki until they came to the
Hall of Atle. There was a strong army drawn up in line
of battle.
King Atle came forth, and spake to the brothers.
" I bid ye welcome," he said, " but unto me must be
now given up the great treasure which Sigurd won when
he slew Fafner, and is now mine by right of Gudrun."
So fell the treasure curse upon them all in that hour
of doom.
Gunnar spake. "Thou shalt never possess our
riches," he said, " and if thou dost battle against us, we
shall make of thee and thy kin a feast for the eagle and
the wolf."
"Long have I desired," said Atle, ccto punish ye
GUDRUN'S VENGEANCE 349
for the slaying of Sigurd. That indeed was a shameful
doing, for his equal was found not among men."
Hogne spake boldly : " Long then hast thou brooded
over that matter. A wonder it is that thou didst not
sooner set thyself to the task."
Then began the battle, and against one another they
cast their spears.
Tidings were borne unto Gudrun of hard fighting,
and she hastened forth in great anger. She cast from her
the royal robe, and rushing into the midst of the fray
embraced her brothers and kissed them.
But in vain did she intervene. The time for peace
was past, so she armed herself and fought beside Gunnar
and Hogne against the war-men of Atle.
Bravely fought the brothers. The king's three
brothers were slain, and Atle cried:
" Now am I the last of my kin, and by thee was
Brynhild slain."
"Thou shalt have thy faring in time/' answered
Hogne; "the gods have decreed thy punisfiment."
Fiercer grew the conflict, for Atle rallied his war-men
and urged them to battle. But he was driven back into
his Hall, which soon streamed with blood. Great were
the deeds of the valorous Giukings.
But at length Gunnar and Hogne were pressed hard
and overpowered. Then were they bound in fetters.
Atle was wroth when he perceived that so many of
his war -men were cut down, and he scowled upon
Hogne,
" He hath cut down a host of my heroes," he said ;
"so let his heart be cut out."
"Do thy will," answered Hogne, "for I fear not.
So grievously am I wounded that I may as well die."
But the king delayed taking vengeance. He desired
350 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
first to know where the Fafner treasure was concealed, so
he had the brothers cast into separate dungeons.
Gunnar was first brought before him, "Thy life
shall be spared/' Atle said, " if thou wilt reveal where
the treasure lies hidden."
Gunnar answered him. "Ere I speak/' he said,
"Hogne's heart must be brought unto me."
Then did Atle seek to practise deceit with much
cunning. He had a thrall seized, so that his heart might
be held up before Gunnar. The man screamed with
anguish ere yet the knife touched him, for he desired
not to miss constant fere and good, nor leave his well-
loved swine.
The coward heart was cut out, and it trembled before
Gunnar.
"That is not the valorous heart of my brother," he
said, " but the heart of a thrall."
So Hogne had to be slain. He laughed when his
enemies fell upon him, and they marvelled at his valour.
Then was the hero's heart plucked forth, and when
Gunnar saw it he said:
"That indeed is the heart of great Hogne. See how
it still beats without fear. I wavered while my brother
was yet alive, but now can I die well satisfied, Atle, for
thou shalt never know where the treasure lies hid. Yet
thou, O King, shall escape not thy doom, and the Rhine
river shall keep the secret of the gold."
Atle was wroth; his brow darkened and his eyes
burned fire.
"Take hence the prisoner," he growled, and as he
bade his men so did they do.1
1A similar legend regarding a secret it current in the Highlaadf. Neil Munro
gives a spirited version in his picturesque tale "The Secret of the Heather Ale n in Th*
Lost pibroch.
GUDRUN'S VENGEANCE 351
Gunnar was bound and thrust into a loathsome
dungeon which swarmed with vipers. But Gudrun
sent unto him a harp, and he played upon it with his
toes, making such sweet music that all the vipers were
charmed into a magic sleep save one, which gnawed his
breast until it reached his heart to suck his life's blood.
Great torture did Gunnar suffer ere he died.
Men have told that the viper which killed the hero
was the mother of Atle, who was a sorceress.
The king boasted before Gudrun, because that he had
triumphed over her brothers.
u Gunnar and Hogne are indeed no more," the queen
said, ccand unto me is given a heritage of vengeance."
Atle liked not her speech, so he said: "Let peace be
made between us. Thee shall I give much treasure as
atonement for the loss of thy kin."
Gudrun would accept not of blood payment, but she
desired that a funeral feast be held for Gunnar and Hogne.
The king gave ready consent, and then was the dread
work of vengeance begun. Gudrun slew her two sons.
Of their skulls she made drinking cups, and she had their
hearts cooked in honey for the king. In his wine she
mixed their1 blood.
When the feast was over, Atle desired that his sons
should be brought before him.
"Thou hast given me dark sorrow," Gudrun said,
"by slaying my brothers. Now hast thou thy reward.
Thou didst eat the hearts of thy sons, and their blood
hast thou drunken in thy wine from these their skull
cups*"
u Vengeful woman," cried Atle, "a great cruelty
thou hast done by slaying thine own children."
" There shall be still greater cruelty yet," she an-
swered him.
352 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
"Thou shalt be burned alive for this/' Atle cried,
fiercely.
" Thine own death thou dost foretell," she said, c< as
well as mine."
Now a son of Hogne was left alive. He was a
Niblung.1 With him did Gudrun conspire. When Atle
had drunken deep, and slumbered, his wife went with
Hogne's son to his bedchamber, and she thrust a sword
through him.
Atle woke up and cried: "Who hath given me my
deathwound ?"
Gudrun made known herself, and said she had taken
vengeance for her kin.
Atle pleaded that he would have stately burial, and
the queen promised him a great pyre. When he died
she set fire to the hall, and all that were within it were
burned. In the darkness the war-men sprang one
upon the other, and many fell fighting ere the end
came.
Gudrun made escape, but she desired not to live any
more. She hastened towards the shore and cast herself
into the waves, so that her days might have end.
There are those who tell that she died thus, but
others say that the waves bore her over the sea and cast
her upon the beach nigh to the stronghold of King
Jonaker.
A strong warrior was he. When he saw the queen's
beauty he desired to have her for bride, and when she
1 The Giukings were originally the Nibeiungs (Hniflungt) who possessed the hoard
guarded by Andvari (Alberich). That » why Hogne's ton is called a u Niblung", The
reference is a survival from one of the older version* of the legend. la the next chapter
ths Nibelungs are dwarf* (civet) and the Giukings are the Burgundkn*. How myth
and history commingled in endless variations is illustrated by the Dietrich stories.
Similarly, myth* which had a common and remote origin, and developed separately m
various districts, were also fused by wandering minstrels.
GUDRUN'S VENGEANCE 353
was nourished and comforted the twain were married
and they dwelt happily together.
Gudrun had three sons, and they were named
Hamder, Sorle, and Erp. It is told that when they
became full warriors she sent them forth against King
Jormunrek to avenge the death of Svanhild. But Erp,
it was deemed, was unwilling to go forth, so his brothers
slew him.
Then Hamder and Sorle set forth. Their mother
charmed their bodies against steel, and When they
reached Jormunrek, Hamder cut off his hands and
Sorle smote off his feet.
<c If Erp were here," one said to the other, "he would
have taken the king's head."
Many strong and well-skilled warriors fought against
the sons of Gudrun, but without avail, for they could
not wound them.
Then in the midst of the fray appeared a wise old
man who had but one eye. He was Odin, but they
knew it not. He counselled that the warriors should
cast stones against the twain, who were protected by
spells. As he advised, so was it done. Many stones
were flung at Hamder and Sorle, and they were speedily
slain.
So endeth the northern tale of the Volsungs and the
Giukings.
CHAPTER XXXII
Siegfried and the Nibelungs
The Hero's Youth — His Service with Mnner — Wieland overcome —
Forging the Sword — The Dragon Regin — The Combat — How Siegfried became
invulnerable — Language of Birds — Mimer is slain — Prince journeys to Isen-
land — Queen Brunhild — Combat with Giants — The Dwarf Alberich — Cloak
of Obscurity — The Nibelung Hoard — Quest of Kriemhild,
SiEGFRiED1 was a great and noble prince whose famej by
reason of his mighty deeds, hath endurance through the
Ages-. His sire was King Siegmund of the Netherlands
and his mother was named Sigelinde. Ere yet he had
reached the years that are mellowed by wisdom, Siegfried
was of proud and haughty spirit and brooked not restraint.
Great was his strength, and if his playfellows obeyed not
his will in all things, he smote them harshly, so that they
hated as much as they feared htm. Wild and wilful was
the prince as a lad may be.
Of Siegfried's doings complaint was made unto the
king, who resolved to set him to work among strong
and skilful men. Accordingly the prince was sent unto
1 Siegfried !» the hero of the NibelungenUed, the great Upper German poetic romance
(see Introduction). He is identical with the northern Sigurd of the Eddie poems and
Volsirnga saga. The various versions of the popular tale developed from an older legend.
The Nibelungenlied is here introduced by a summary from Thidrek saga, a None poem
composed about the middle of the thirteenth century^ which was hated on the Lower
German version of the legend and the Dietrich poem*. O<mr introduction gives a con-
secutive narrative. The Nibelungenlied opens abruptly by introducing Kriemhild, who
takes the place of the Norse Gudrutu Siegfried's early exploits are- afterwards referred
to briefly.
864
SIEGFRIED AND THE NIBELUNGS 355
Mimer, the wonder smith, who dwelt in a deep forest,
so that he might acquire such knowledge of how wea-
pons were made as would serve him well in after-
time. Mimer gave the lad heavy tasks to perform, and
kept him working at anvil and bellows from morn till
even. Skilful in time he became, and his strength in-
creased beyond knowledge.
The years went past, and the lad endured the burden
of servitude and the blows of his elders with humility,
But one day he fell upon Wieland, the strongest and
most cunning smith that was in Mimer' s service, and
dragged him by the locks through the smithy. Mimer
was wroth, but Siegfried had discovered the full measure
of his might and he commanded haughtily, as befits a
prince, that a strong sword should be forged for him.
The master smith realized that he must needs obey, how-
ever unwilling he might be ; so he drew from the furnace
a bar of glowing iron, and bade the lad to beat out for
himself a worthy blade.
Siegfried swung high the great hammer and struck
a blow which shook the smithy. The iron was splintered
to pieces, the hammer snapped asunder, and the anvil was
driven deep into the ground.
Mimer spake with anger, but Siegfried smote him
heavily, and the other assistant he smote also.
Then the lad demanded to be given a sword equal
to his strength. Mimer made promise to forge it for
him. But in his heart he vowed to be avenged. First
he went through the forest to the place where dwelt
his brother Regin, who had been, by reason of his evil
doings, transformed into a dragon. Mimer roused the
monster to anger and bade him lie in wait for Siegfried.
Thereafter he returned to the smithy and asked the lad
to hasten through the forest unto the dwelling of the
356 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
charcoal-burner, so that he might procure sufficient good
fuel with which to forge the promised sword.
Siegfried seized his club and went forth* He came
to a forest swamp which swarmed with venomous snakes
and great lind-worms and toads; but he had more loath-
ing than terror. When he reached the charcoal-burner
he besought him for fire, so that he might destroy the
reptiles.
cc Alas, for thee!" the charcoal-burner exclaimed; "for
if thou dost return again by the way thou didst come the
dragon Regin will come forth to devour thee."
The prince scorned to be afraid, and snatching a fiery
brand he returned through the forest and set in flames
the trees and shrubbage of the swamp, so that all the
Joathsome reptiles were destroyed.
Then came forth the great dragon, bellowing loud
and spouting venom. The earth trembled as he came.
But Siegfried was not afraid. Thrice he smote the mon-
ster with his club and thus slew it.1
Perceiving that the dragon was dead, the prince cut
it up, and a deep stream of blood issued forth. He dipped
his finger into it, and marvelled to find that the skin had
become hard as horn.
"Now shall I render myself invulnerable against
battle wounds," he said.
So he cast off his clothing and plunged into the hot
stream. His whole body was then made horn-hard, save
a single spot between his shoulders, to which a gummy
leaf had adhered.
Siegfried was well pleased. He clad himself and
cooked pieces of the dragon's flesh, so that he might
receive a meed of its strength. As he watched the flesh
1 The necessity far more than one blow recalls Tfeot** conflict* with th« Midfird
serpent in Hyme/i boat and at the Ragnarok battle.
SIEGFRIED AND THE NIBELUNGS 357
broiling, he tasted a portion to discover if it were ready-
When he did that the forest was filled with magic voices,
for he could understand the language of birds.
Marvelling greatly, he listened to the birds as they
sang:
If Siegfried knew what we know.
What we know this day,
He would seek, O, he would seek
The wonder smith to slay;
For Mimer sent him to the wood
To be the Dragon's prey.
Let Siegfried know what we know,
And ponder o'er our song . . .
The wonder smith would fain, O fain,
Avenge his brother's wrong —
Smite to live, or wait his blow
And live not long.
Siegfried heard with understanding, and his heart was
hardened against the* wonder smith. He cut off the
dragon's head, and, hastening unto the smithy, he flung
the trophy at Mimer' s feet, bidding him to eat thereof.
Wieland * and his fellow fled, fearing greatly the prince's
wrath, but Mimer sought to appease him with flattering
words, and at length made offer, for life ransom, of the
steed Grane, which was of Sleipner's race.
Siegfried accepted the gift, and then, remembering
what the birds had sung, he smote Mimer with his club
and slew him.
Then returned the young hero unto his sire, King
Siegmund, who reproved him for killing the master
smith, but he took pride in the lad because that he had
slain the dragon.
Soon afterwards Siegfried was given arms and armour,
and became a complete warrior. A banquet was held,
358 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
and beakers were drained, when, with loud acclamations,
the prince was hailed as heir to the kingdom of the
Netherlands.
Thereafter Siegmund's strong son went forth to win
renown in distant lands, and northward he bent his way
towards Isenland. On the shore of the Netherlands a
ship awaited him. A great gale blew, and the master
mariner feared to go forth. But Siegfried would brook
not delay, and crossed the stormy seas without fear,
despite the peril he endured.
He landed in safety and journeyed towards the castle
of Queen Brunhild. The gates were shut and bolted,
but he broke them open. Then did the knights who
were on guard rush against him, and they began to fight.
But Brunhild came forth and bade that the combat should
cease, and she gave the prince right courtly welcome.
Now Brunhild was very fair, and was a battle maiden
of wondrous strength and prowess. Many wooed her,
but no knight came nigh who was worthy her skill;
those who encountered her were slain one by one. Maid
attendants she had, too, and they were clad in armour
and bravely were they wont to fight for their queen.
Siegfried saw that Brunhild had great beauty, but
he had no desire to win her by combat against her
knights or by vying with her in feats of strength.
" She whom I shall have for wife/* he said, " must
be gentle and womanly. I love not the battle maiden."
Yet he departed not without display of prowess, for
he seized a boulder and flung it so great a distance that
all who saw the feat performed wondered greatly.1
The prince then went on his way until he came to
the land of the Nibelungs* It chanced that the king had
died, and his two sons, Nibelung and Schilbung, disputed
1 He resembles the boulder-flinging mountain giants*
SIEGFRIED AND THE NIBELUNGS 359
over the treasurd hoard. Unto Siegfried they made offer
of a wondrous sword, which had been forged by the
dwarfs, if he would make just division of their father's
riches. He did as they desired, but they sought to
repay him with treachery. For when he was given the
sword, which was named Balmung, they said that he had
kept back part of the treasure for himself. A quarrel
was stirred up, and it waxed fierce. Then the king's sons
called forth twelve giants, so that the prince might be
overcome and bound, and thereafterwards imprisoned in
the treasure cavern of the mountain.
But Siegfried feared not any foe. He fought bravely
against the giants.
Then spells were wrought, and a thick mist gathered
in the place of conflict; but the sword Balmung was
wielded by Siegfried to such good purpose that he pre-
vailed. A thunderstorm raged;1 the mountains resounded
with dread clamour and the earth trembled. Yet did the
prince fight on, until he had slain giant after giant and
none remained alive.
Thereafter the dwarf Alberich came forth against
him, seeking to be avenged. A cunning foeman was
he, and not easy to combat against, for he had power
to become invisible. He possessed a cloak of obscurity,
and when he put it on Siegfried must needs combat with
menacing nothingness. Long they fought, and in the
end the prince had the dwarf in his power.2
Although Siegfried put to death the two sons of the
1 Thor is suggested here.
s There is a curious Banfrahire story of two mountain fairies who fought for the
lave of a fairy lady. One was dark and the other was white. The farmer had power
to render himself invisible, but when he did BO in the duel a red spot remained. The
white fairy saw the red spot floating in the air, and shot an arrow through it. The
dark fairy wa* slain because the red spot was his heart This story is not of a common
type, an4 Is evidently very old. The fairies occupied opposing hills, as if they were
the usual Scottish mountain gianta. Of course, giants and fairies have much in common.
360 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
king, he spared Alberich, from whom he won the Cloak
of Obscurity, which could, when he wore it, render him
invisible. For he followed the dwarf as he fled towards
the mountain cavern in which the treasure was concealed.
Then did the masterful hero possess himself of the
hoard, and he made Alberich the keeper of it when he
vowed to obey his commands.
The Nibelung people acclaimed Siegfried as their
king, but he tarried not long in their midst. He took
with him twelve bold war -men, and set sail again for
the Netherlands. His fame went speedily abroad, and
his deeds were sung of by gleemen in many a hall.
A right valiant and noble prince did Siegfried be-
come; all men honoured him, and by women was he
loved. Many a fair maiden sighed because he sought not
to win one or another. But he rejoiced in warlike feats
and in games, and his heart was moved not with desire
for any damsel.
There came a time, however, when gleemen sang
of the beauty and grace of the Princess Kriemhild, the
daughter of the King of Burgundy. In the wide world
there was none fairer, and Siegfried loved her in secret
ere yet he beheld her, for he knew that she was his
heart's desire, and he resolved that he would woo her
right speedily.
He spake to his knights thereanent, and they told
both king and queen of Siegfried's bold intent Sieg-
mund and Sigelinde sought to repress his desire, but
the prince would not be restrained.
The king warned his son that the warriors of Bur-
gundy were fierce in war, and among them were Gunther
and strong and vengeful Hagen.
"What I shall obtain not by feir request/' Siegfried
said, "I may win in battle."
MEC.FRIHD
t-it\ lly [term
SIEGFRIED AND THE NIBELUNGS 361
His sire made offer of a great army, but the prince
said he would go forth as one of twelve knights. He
scorned to win Kriemhild by force, and vowed he would
woo her by reason of brave deeds.
Then were preparations made for the journey, and
the queen caused rich and gorgeous apparel to be fashioned
for Siegfried and his men, and when they rode forth they
were indeed of noble seeming.
Siegmund and Sigelinde sorrowed greatly when their
son kissed them farewell.
" Grieve not," Siegfried said, " for no evil shall come
nigh me."
Then rode he away, the noble prince^ to share his
meed of joy and meet his doom.
CHAPTER XXXIII
The Promise of Kriemhild
The Fair Princess — Her Dream and her Desire — Arrival of her Lover —
Hagen*s Warning — The Year of Waiting- — War declared — Siegfried's Great
Deeds — Two Kings taken captive — Lovers meet — -A Vision of Beauty — The
Worthy Knight — The Kiss and the Vow — Gunther desires Brunhild — Sieg-
fried's Reward.
THE Princess Kriemhild was of great beauty, nor could
her equal be found in any land. Many a gallant knight
came to death seeking to win her. When her sire, the
King of Burgundy, died, she was guarded by her three
brothers, Gunther and Gernot and Giselher. The queen
mother, who was named Ute, had much wealth, and
dwelt with her three brave sons and fair daughter in a
splendid and stately palace at Worms.
Now it chanced that, ere Siegfried came, Kriemhild
dreamt a strange dream, and in the morning she spake
regarding it to her mother, saying:
" Methought that I did possess a falcon which was
strong and of noble seeming. It was faithful to my will,
but there came two fierce eagles and slew it before my
eyes, I wept; never did I endure greater sorrow."
The wise old queen said: " I can read thy dream, my
child. Thou shalt have a strong and noble husband, but
early shall he be taken from thee.**
" Dear mother mine,'* pleaded the princess, c< speak
not to me of a husband. I desire not the love of any
THE PROMISE OF KRIEMHILD 363
man. My heart's wish is to be ever fair, and to live
with thee as I live now until death comes. I seek not
the sorrow that love doth surely bring,"
" If ever thou shalt have surpassing joy in this life/*
Ute said, ccit shall be given thee by a husband's love.
Ah, Kriemhild, thou wouldst indeed be a comely bride !
May God send hither a knight who is worthy thee."
Kriemhild blushed. " Speak not again in such wise,
mother mine," she said softly. " Full oft is it found by
women that their bliss but leads to great sorrow. Neither
shall I seek, so that I may avoid all misfortune."
But although the fair princess was long thus minded,
the time came when she knew the love of a noble knight,
to whom in the end she was wedded. But even as the
falcon of her dream was slain, so was her husband. He
fell by the hands of her own kinsmen, and so great was
her desire for vengeance that many found death ere it
was fulfilled.
Siegfried and his knights came riding towards the
palace at Worms. Many marvelled greatly to behold
them, so noble were they and so richly apparelled. Their
raiment flashed with gold, and gold -decked were their
bridles. In shining armour they came; high were their
helms, and their shields were new and bright. On
proudly stepping steeds they rode their stately way, with
clink of sword and spear and clang of armour. Siegfried
led them on. Nor ever was beheld a fairer knight; on
his shield a crown was painted, and he wore the great
and matchless blade Balmung, which men gazed upon
with wonder.
Tidings wore borne to the palace of the prince's
approach. King Gunther wondered who he might be,
so he bade Hagen to survey him from a window.
Hagen did so and said: "Never have I gazed upon
364 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Siegfried, but methinks this noble knight is him and no
other. Surely he cometh hither to seek some new enter-
prise. . . It was this same prince who overcame the
Nibelungs and possessed himself of their treasure. For
he fought against giants and slew them, and wrested
from the dwarf Alberich the Cloak of Obscurity. Never
was there a greater hero. He killed the dragon of the
forest and bathed himself in its blood, so that no weapon
can wound him. Let Siegfried be given welcome, O
king. Worthy is he indeed of the friendship of brave
men."
The king went forth from the palace. He welcomed
the prince. Then he spoke to him saying :
" Why hast thou come hither unto Worms ? "
Siegfried made bold answer. cc The fame of thy brave
knights," he said, "hath gone abroad. I would fain
combat with them and with thee for all thy lands and thy
strongholds."
But the king spoke words of peace, and sought to
have the prince for his ally. In the end his will pre-
vailed, and Siegfried and the knights drank wine together
with Gunther.
Thereafter they held games, and Siegfried outshone
all others by reason of his strength and skill, for there
were none who could throw boulders or shoot arrows like
to him. When the knights tilted in the courtyard the
eyes of many fair maidens were turned upon the stranger
knight.
Fair Kriemhild peered forth from a palace window.
She was well content to watch the noble prince, Sieg-
fried beheld her not* but he knew that Ms loved one was
gazing upon him. Yet at heart was he sad, and he won-
dered how he could win her.
Next day the king and all his men went forth to
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THE PROMISE OF KRIEMHILD 365
hunt. Siegfried went with them, and Kriemhild fretted
alone. Heavy, too, was the heart of the prince.
The weeks went past and the months; the knights
hunted oft and vied one with another at sports, but the
lovers met not. Nor did Siegfried ever once behold the
fair lady he sought for his bride. ... So was a1 long year
of waiting endured by the twain.
Now it chanced that two kings, who were brothers,
desired to war against Gunther and invade his kingdom.
Namely were they Ludger of the Saxons, and Ludgast
of the Danes. They sent envoys to Worms to make
demand of the tribute which was paid aforetime; but
Gunther, having taken counsel of Siegfried and his
knights, answered them "Nay", and called forth his
war-men and made ready for conflict.
Ere long the armies met in battle array. The Danes
and Saxons were in number forty thousand, and the
strength of th<! Burgundians was not nigh so great. But
great were the deeds of Siegfried, and on the field there
was not his equal.
Ere the battle began the prince challenged King
Ludgast to .single combat, and fiercely did they fight
one against the other. Hard were the blows that Sieg-
fried dealt with his sword, Balmung, and in the end the
king yielded and was taken prisoner. Ludgast's knights
sought to rescue him, but the prince slew thirty, so that
but one escaped.
Hagen guarded the royal prisoner, and Gernot rushed
into the fray with but a thousand men. Bravely fought
the Burgundians. But Siegfried was their strong arm
that day. Thrice he drave through the mass of foemen,
and the blood of slain men ran behind -him like to the
Rhine waters. At length he came nigh to Ludger, whom
he sought The Saxon king knew well that his brother
3 66 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
of Denmark had been taken captive, and he was wroth
thereat. He deemed that Gernot had done the deed.
But soon he discovered the truth. Not long, did he
combat with the heroic prince when he beheld upon
his shield a shining crown.
"Cease fighting," the king cried to his men, "for
the devil hath sent against me bold Siegfried, the son
of Siegmund."
So the Saxon banner was lowered, and King Ludger
was Siegfried's prisoner. Five hundred valiant knights
were taken captive also, and were led to Worms by
Hagen and Gernot.
Now a trusty messenger bore unto Kriemhild secret
tidings of the battle, and when, she heard of Sieg-
fried's mighty deeds her face reddened like to the rose,
and her heart rejoiced not only because he had won
great renown, but for reason that he had suffered no
hurt in battle.
The two captive kings were brought before Gunther,
and they made offer of much gold for life ransom.
Then did Gunther speak nobly. "Thou shalt go
free," he said, "but first let there be a peace treaty
betwixt us."
Readily did the royal prisoners pledge themselves,
and they were honoured as guests. The wounded
knights were tended with care, and those who sought
not to depart from Worms ere they were healed, re-
mained as friends. The war was ended and there was
peace, and Siegfried prepared to return to the Nether-
lands; but Gunther pleaded with him to tarry yet awhile.
That the prince consented to do because of the love he
bore for Kriemhild.
A great banquet was held thereafter. From far and
near brave knights assembled to rejoice because that
THE PROMISE OF KRIEMHILD 367
victory was given to their arms. All the high-born
ladies were bidden as guests, and Queen Ute came
with a hundred maidens. Many knights awaited the
coming of that fair company, hoping that their eyes
would be gladdened by sight of the beauteous princess.
Siegfried hoped and waited also.
Then appeared the fairest of the fain Like to the
rose-red dawn beaming amidst murky clouds she came
before them all. . . .
Ended was then the trouble of one who had long
brooded over her; at last did he behold his heart's desire
in all her beauty. Many gems were sparkling on her
garments. Her cheeks were rose red and shining with
love. . . . None who was there did ever before gaze
upon such beauty. As the cloud -girt moon excelleth
the stars, so did Kriemhild surpass in splendour all the
women who were about her, . . . Gallant knights and
gay were stirred with reckless desire to display their
prowess before that fair lady.
The chamberlains made clear a path before her, yet
did the love-lorn war-men press eagerly to gaze upon
Kriemhild.
Siegfried was gladdened and made sorrowful. a How,
ah, how can 1 win theel" he sighed. u Alas, my hope is
vain! I dare not draw nigh to thee. . . , Would I were
dead."
His cheeks by turns were red and white. . . . Peer-
less he stood apart, the great son of Siegmund ; noble was
his bearing, and as fair was he to Io6k upon as if he were
painted upon parchment by a cunning master. Truly
was it said that eye did never behold a lordlier warrior.
The busy chamberlains bade the knights to stand
aback, and they gazed with gladness upon the fair ladies,
richly robed, who came following Queen Ute.
368 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Then Gernot besought King Gunther that Siegfried
be presented unto fair Kriemhild, and the prince was
brought before his heart's desire, so that she might greet
him. His sadness was swept from him, like dew before
sunlight.
Modestly did the maiden greet the brave prince, and
her cheeks reddened when he was nigh to her.
"Sir Siegfried, I bid thee welcome," she said; <ca
valiant and noble knight art thou."
His heart rejoiced thereat; he no longer despaired
when he heard her voice, and, bowing low, he kissed her
1 white hand. Then met their eyes, which were filled with
secret love. The prince pressed her hand softly, and
their hearts did beat together.
Never again had Siegfried such gladness of soul as
at that sweet moment, when he turned to walk by her
side. . . . All eyes were upon them, and one to the
other said that never was there a knight worthier such
a prize.
They went before the king, who bade Kriemhild to
kiss the noble prince. „ » . Nor did Siegfried conceive
ere then that life had such joy in store for him.
King Gunther said: "Thus is Siegfried greeted be-
cause that many valiant men have fallen by his sword.
* . . God grant that he shall never take leave of
us."
So was the ceremony ended ere the banquet began*
Kriemhild parted a little while from her lover* She went
forth in 'radiant beauty amidst all fear feir maidens ; there
were none like to her — none*
Ere long the lovers met again. The prince waited
not for mass; he sought his heart's desire* So they
spoke one to another, and she praised him sweetly,
thanking God the while for his valour in battle.
SIEGFRIED AND KRIEMHILD
Pram the pttinthiR by Scbnuvr run Cetrot
THE PROMISE OF KRIEMHILD 369
Siegfried bowed low and said: "Thee shall I serve
all my days, because that I love thee so."
For twelve days did the rejoicings continue, and
each day the prince walked beside Kriemhild. So was
royal honour bestowed upon him. The guests made
merry; they tilted in the courtyard, they feasted and
drank wine together; but at length the time came for
them to depart.
One by one they took leave of Ute and Kriemhild,
as did also Siegfried, who was plunged thereat in de-
spair.
"Never can I win her," he sighed. . . .
He went forth "and called his men; his steed was
quickly saddled, and he turned to ride homeward.
But Gunther, hearing of his sudden purpose, sent
Giselher to plead with him to remain, saying : " Here
thou canst ever see the fair maidens at will/'
"Unsaddle the seeds/' the prince commanded. "I
thought to go forth but Giselher hath prevailed upon
me to tarry yet a time/'
Because of his love he remained there ; nor could he
have been happier elsewhere, for he spake to Kriemhild
each day, ... So time passed, but heavy was his heart
with love. For love he tarried but to sorrow, and in the
end he died for love,
Now it chanced that King Gunther desired greatly
to have Brunhild for his bride. He spake with Siegfried
thereanent. It was told that Brunhild had vowed to woo
not any man who surpassed her not in feats. Great was
her strength. First she flung a spear, and her wocter must
needs excel her with his. Then cast she a stone, and
leapt as far. The knight who failed in either trial was
speedily slain. Many sought to woo her, and many died
because of their boldness.
3?o TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Gunther boasted that never was there a woman born
whom he could not vanquish. But Siegfried warned
him, saying:
" Thou knowest not Brunhild, who hath the strength
of four men. Go not unto her if thou dost prize thy life."
" So great is her beauty," the king said, " that I must
needs try to win her."
Hagen counselled that he should take Siegfried with
him; whereat the king offered the prince reward of
honour and service if he would aid him to win Brun-
hild.
Siegfried said: "If thou shalt give me Kriemhild for
wife, thee shall I serve in this thy enterprise. Nor other
reward do I seek."
Gunther said: cc Thine shall Kriemhild be when I
return unto my kingdom with Brunhild for wife."
So they took vows together, and made plans for their
journey. The king desired to have an army with him,
but the prince prevailed upon him to go forth with only
the brothers Hagen and Dankwart and himself. Then
Siegfried said that he would take with him the Cloak of
Obscurity, which he had won from the dwarf Alberich.
To Kriemhild went Gunther and the prince, and be-
sought her to have fashioned for the four knights raiment
both rich and goodly, and the king said they must needs
have three changes for four days.
The fair princess set her maids to work, and she
herself did cut out each garment. Snow-white silk from
Araby and Zazamanc, and silk, green as clover, did the
princess bring forth, and silks also from Libya and
Morocco. With rare gems was the rich attire adorned,
and wrought also with embroideries of gleaming gold.
The black - spotted ermine was spared not, and linings
were made of bright fishes* skins.
THE PROMISE OF KRIEMHILD 371
When the king and his three brave knights were all
apparelled, each one vowed that their equals were never
before beheld.
Kriemhild pleaded with Gunther to go not forth upon
his perilous enterprise, but he would not be changed in
his intent. The princess wept when farewells were spoken,
and to Siegfried she said :
<c To thy care do I commend my brother, King
Gunther."
Siegfried answered her : " Sorrow not, nor have any
fear. If I die not, I shall bring him back again in safety
to the Rhineland."
Kriemhild gave him thanks, and was comforted.
Then were their shields of gold and bright weapons
and armour carried to the shore. They went aboard —
Gunther, the king ; Siegfried, Prince of the Netherlands,
and the valiant brothers, Hagen and Dankwart.
The white sail was spread ; a fair wind filled it, and
the ship went down the Rhine.
Many fair maidens watched from windows. Kriem-
hild wept as the ship fared on.
CHAPTER XXXIV
How Brunhild and Kriemhild were won
Brunhild's Domain — The King and his Vassal — Wooing the Amazon —
Her Challenge — Misgivings— Siegfried aids Gunther — Spear and Boulder Con-
tests— Brunhild is won — Fears of Treachery — Siegfried's Secret Mission — Ad-
venture in Nibelung — The Army — Return to Burgundy — Wedding Feast —
Brunhild's Jealousy — Struggle in Darkness— Invitation to Worms.
FOR the space of twelve days the ship voyaged across the
sea, and then drew nigh to a strange shore. Siegfried
had beheld it aforetime, and knew that it was Isenland,
but Gunther and his knights gazed with wonder on
the green lands and the many castles towering upon
the headlands.
"He who did cause these strongholds to be built,"
the king said, "must indeed be a mighty monarch.'*
ccThou dost now behold the many towers and the
fair domain of Queen Brunhild," said Siegfried. "Yonder
is the great castle of Isenland."
The ship was steered into a safe haven, and the prince
warned his fellows to have care of their doings in presence
of the queen. " Thou shalt say," he counselled them,
" that I am but a vassal to King Gunther/'
They went ashore and 'mounted their steeds. Sieg-
fried held the stirrup to the king; the twain were dad
in snow-white silken raiment which glittered with bright
jewels. Hagen and Dankwart were apparelled in bkck.
Tidings of their approach were borne unto Queen
Brunhild. A courtier spake unto her, saying:
872
BRUNHILD AND KRIEMHILD 373
" There cometh hither, O queen, four goodly knights,
and one is like unto Siegfried. With him is one of less
noble seeming, but he rideth in front, and must therefore
be a mighty king indeed. The other two resemble not
one another. The first is black-browed and sullen, and
fierce are his eyes; his fellow is fair to look upon and
is yet of fearless bearing."
A force of knights bade the strangers to deliver up
their arms. Unwilling was Hagen to do so, but Siegfried
said that such was the custom of the country. Ill at ease
were Gunther and Hagen and Dankwart when they be-
held the queen and all her maidens coming towards them
in midst of five hundred knights with drawn swords.
Brunhild spake to Siegfried only. She bade him
welcome to her kingdom.
Then she asked of him: "Why dost thou come hither
now with these goodly knights?"
Siegfried made answer : " I thank thee, O Queen,
for thy greeting. This noble knight whom I serve is
King Gunther. I have followed him because such is
his will, else I should not have come hither. He desireth
with all his heart to have thee for his bride."
"If such is his desire," Brunhild answered coldly,
"the king must needs contend against me in the lists.
If he proves to be the stronger, I shall be his bride ; but
if he fails, then must he and those who are with him be
put to death."
Hagen said: "The king shall for certain prevail,
because he doth so greatly desire to wed thee."
Brunhild answered him, saying: "Then must he
cast the stone and leap to the spot where it falls, as I
shall do, and he must also contend with me at spear-
throwing. Be not too certain of his success. Consider
well my challenge."
374 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Siegfried whispered to Gunther, saying: "Fear not,
for I shall give thee mine aid."
Then the king spake boldly unto Brunhild. "For
thy dear sake," he said, " I shall risk my life, contending
against thee even as thou dost desire/'
Brunhild was made angry, and so fierce was she of
aspect when her armour was put on, that Hagen and
Dankwart feared for the life of the king.
Meanwhile Siegfried had hastened towards the ship,
He donned the Cloak of Obscurity, which gave to him
the strength of twelve men. Then he returned to the
lists unseen by any who were there.
A ring was made, and Brunhild's seven hundred
knights stood round it fully armed with naked swords.
Then the great queen came forth. Four men carried
her shield, and when Hagen beheld that he cried : <cAlas!
King Gunther, she is the devil's bride. We shall surely
be slain."
Three men carried Brunhild's mighty spear* Gunther
began to be afraid, and wished that he were back again in
Burgundy.
<c Not even the devil could escape her," said he,
Dankwart lamented that their arms were taken from
them, "Had Hagen and I but our swords," he said,
"Brunhild's war-men would be less arrogant" Hagen
spake likewise, and the queen, who heard what was said,
bade that their armour and weapons be returned to
them.
Then was a boulder carried towards the queen by
twelve knights, . „ . The men of Burgundy were
stricken with fear, . . , "Would indeed that the devil
had her," groaned Hagen.
Brunhild made ready to cast the stone. Gunther
watched her with mute amaxe. His heart sunk witMn
BRUNHILD AND KRIEMHILD 375
him. Then it was that Siegfried, wrapped in the Cloak
of Obscurity, stole to his side and touched his arm. . . .
The king started. He looked behind him, but saw
no man. "Who laid his hand upon my arm?" he asked
hoarsely.
" Hush ! " whispered Siegfried. c< I have come to
help thee; so be not afraid.''
First Brunhild flung her great spear against Gunther.
He would have perished then, but Siegfried warded off
the blow, yet not without hurt to himself.
Without delay the prince hurled back the spear, so
that the haft struck the queen, for he desired not to
slay her. She was felled to the ground. , . * Angrily
she arose, but she praised the king for this prowess*
Thereafter Brunhild seized the mighty boulder with
both hands, and, having flung it a great distance, she
leapt beyond the place where it fell.
Gunther then went towards the boulder with the
invisible prince. By the king did it seem to be lifted
and thrown, but the mighty deed was accomplished by
Siegfried, who cast the stone farther than Brunhild, and
leapt farther with Gunther in his arms*1
Wroth wts the queen because that her feats were
surpassed, but she spake to her knights, saying:
11 Now is Gunther made king over ye all."
Her fece wts flushed; her heart thirsted for ven-
geance.
1Th« ttone-fErowIng contest St reralniwetut of the <b«k of Scottish Kill giants »nd
gttntft****, wfcw> contend on< «fam*t tin other from Height to height. Sometime* a
battle*** >od *ometimt* a tto&f h*mmcrt but mo«t often * boulder, u thrown. !x&
W*l«t t mwmuin giint fling* i quoit. ID Kot*-»hir« i giintei* contend* *gain»t
*n4 wm*ad* htm m the forehead, Gwntwe* trc often i»land dweller* like
, wbo*« ndrthcrrt oriffc if not deputed, even bf German folklorUta* The
IwnUnd wti €vi<J<mUy t H*g heroine of » people among whom Matriirchy
m lit* m it did in the Pict«h *rc»» of ScotUnd, Tilt wooing of Scathich by
Cttchui*imi to of «mll*r th*r*ctcr to th« wooing of Brunhild, In die lubte^ucnt duel
CwchttJ*mQ »<id bk JK», th« Utr*r throw* KU »p«ir blunt end foremott.
376 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
The warriors of Isenland came towards the King
of Burgundy and laid their weapons at his feet. They
deemed not that it was Siegfried who had accomplished
the mighty deeds and saved Gunther's life.
Meanwhile the prince hastened from the field and
returned to the ship, in which he concealed the Cloak of
Obscurity. Thereafter he came towards the castle and
spake to Gunther, asking him when the trial of feats
would begin. So did he deceive Brunhild and her
people.
The queen delayed her departure from Isenland, and
began to assemble a mighty army. Fearing that she
meant ill towards them, Siegfried spake to Gunther and
said that he must needs hasten to the kingdom of the
Nibelungs and bring back with him a thousand knights,
who would be their sure defence. The king was made
glad thereat.
Once again did Siegfried assume the Cloak of Ob-
scurity. Then he entered a boat and made it sail swiftly
over the waves. Many gazed seaward with wonder,
thinking that the .boat was driven by wind and tide, for
they saw not the prince.
Night had fallen black when Siegfried reached the
Nibelung kingdom. He went towards the door of the
great mountain in which the treasure hoard was con-
cealed. He knocked loudly, demanding admittance as
a weary traveller. In a strange voice he spoke, and
the giant porter, who was moved to anger, seizing
his shield, opened the door,
"Darest thou with thine evil clamour to awake our
people?" the porter growled, and then struck a savage
blow. Siegfried parried, but the giant smote again*
He came nigh to overcoming the prince, who was greatly
alarmed* and yet at heart proud of his strong servant
BRUNHILI3 AND KRIEMHILD 377
For a time they fought hard together, hut at length
Siegfried threw down the giant and bound him.
Then came against him Alberich, the dwarf, clad in
full armour; he fought with a mace which had seven
balls on chains. The prince was for a time in great
peril, but he overcame the dwarf also, and bound him.
Alberich then cried: "Had I not already vowed to
serve another knight, thy slave would I be. Who art
thou?"
Said the prince: "My name is Siegfried. Knowest
thou me not?"
" Glad am I it is thee and no other," the dwarf said.
"Worthy indeed art thou to be King of the Nibelungs."
Then Siegfried unbound the dwarf and the giant,
and gave order that a thousand knights be brought
forth to do htm service. Alberich awakened the heroes
who were within, and thirty thousand hastened to obey
the ruler. He chose from among them a thousand, and
they all sailed forth together in many fair ships towards
Isenland, where Brunhild reigned as queen, and Gunther
and Hagen and Dankwart awaited their coming.
When three days had passed, Brunhild and her maidens
saw, looking from the castle windows, the white sails of
many fair ships coming over the sea towards Isenland.
The queen was stricken with alarm, fearing a sudden
invasion, but Gunther told her that the vessels bore his
vassal Siegfried and certain of his own warriors whom
he hid left behind,
Brunhild went to the beach, and the first she greeted
as aforetime was Siegfried- He was clad in gorgeous
raiment, and noble was his bearing, . * , Thus was
Gunther rescued from peril once again by the Prince of
the Netherlands*
The queen then realized she must needs depart from
378 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Isenland, and, having chosen her mother's brother to be
chief ruler, she sailed towards Burgundy with Gunther
and his knights. But she refused to be wed until she
had reached the palace at Worms.
A swift and easy voyage was made, and when they
were nigh to home Siegfried was sent ahead as envoy to
Worms, so that Queen Ute and the Princess Kriemhild
might know how the king had prospered.
Giselher beheld first the prince's approach, and he told
his mother and fair sister that Siegfried was nigh. » . ,
Their hearts were filled with dark forebodings, but soon
did the prince make them to rejoice with his glad
tidings.
Siegfried sat by Kriemhild's side. Her face was
rose-red with love, and it was her heart's desire to kiss
him. ...
" Gunther entreats thee to come to the shore," the
prince said, "so that thou mayest welcome Brunhild
hither."
Kriemhild went gladly with all her maidens, and
Giselher led forth a great force of war-men* Brunhild
was well pleased because that Gunther was a mighty
ruler, and Kriemhild and she kissed one another with
love. Together then they all made their way towards
the stately palace at Worms.
A great banquet was held, and Gunther and Brunhild
were wed, Thereafter in secret did Siegfried speak unto
the king, saying:
"Hast thou no memory of thy vow? Thou didst
swear that when Brunhild came hither I would be given
Kriemhild for wife. * . . Well have I served thee/'
Gunther said: " I forswear not my <mth. What I can
do that shall I do now."
So the king called KriemhlM t*efore him and md;
A
&
P
BRUNHILD AND KRIEMHILD 379
c£Thee did I promise unto Siegfried, and if thou wilt
have him now my heart's desire will be fulfilled."
The princess answered: "Him I shall wed with great
joy."
Then were the oaths sworn betwixt them. Proud
and happy was the noble prince; maidenly and demure
was the beauteous princess.
They all sat down to feast together. Brunhild was
at Gunther's side. Her face was pale and cold, and
when she beheld Siegfried and Kriemhild together she
began to weep bitterly.
The king spake to her and asked: "Why dost thou
sorrow? 'Twere more seemly to make merry, for thou
art now Queen of Burgundy.*'
" I weep,'* Brunhild said, <c because that thy sister
hath been wedded to thy vassal, . , , Great is my
shame thereat/*
Gunther told his queen then that Siegfried had lands
and castles that were his own. " Great riches hath he/*
said Gunther, *cand therefore am I glad that Kriemhild
hath wedded with him/1
But Brunhild still sorrowed, and refused to be com-
forted*
When the feast was over they all returned to their
chamberS| but Brunhild said she would not be as a wife
to the king until he told her all concerning Siegfried and
Kriemhild* Gunther was wroth, and answered not, seek-
ing to appease her with caresses, but she kid hands upon
him so that he was overpowered Then, binding the king
with her waist girdle* she hung him on the wall
Next morning Gunther told Siegfried what had hap-
pened* and the prince promised once again to be his
aid* So, when night fell, he assumed the Cloak of
Obscurity and entered Gunther's bedchamber, where he
38o TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
wrestled with the queen. A fierce conflict it was, and
Brunhild deemed that her opponent was none other than
her husband* In the end Siegfried prevailed, and he
took from her the silken waist girdle which she wore,
and drew from her finger unawares a ring of fine
gold.1
Thus was Brunhild subdued; after that hour she had
but the strength of other women.
Siegfried gave unto Kriemhild the girdle and the ring
which had caused many knights to die in the lists at the
castle of Isenland.
When the rejoicings came to an end the guests went
their ways. Siegfried returned unto his own land, and
Siegmund and Sieglind kissed and embraced him and his
beauteous bride.
c< Henceforward," Siegmund said, <£my son shall reign
as king.'1 So spake he unto his people, and they rejoiced
because that Siegfried was a mighty warrior*
Ten years went past, and a son was born to Kriemhild,
He was named Gunthen At the same time Brunhild
had a child, and he was called Siegfried,
All went well until Brunhild, who thought of Kriem-
hild with jealous heart, prevailed upon Gunther to invite
Siegfried and his queen to a feast at Worms,
Gary went forth with the king's message, and was
received with gladness by Siegfried and Kriemhild, and
they bade him tell unto Gunther that they would both
attend the feast.
When Gary returned to Worms, Bronhild asked
of him: "Is Kriemhild still as fair ts she wts sdbre-
time?"
1 Evidently her strength was due to the migic girdle* The dwtrf Laurin, In Dtr
Kttfae Roscngerttit, hai * girdle which givet htm the ttrertgth of twelrt men. When
Dietrich of Bern, wrestling with him, *natche» it off, he h*» th* dvrarf in hi*
BRUNHILD AND KRIEMHILD 381
The envoy answered her "Yea," and she brooded
over it.
Brunhild still regarded Siegfried as a vassal to King
Gunther, and she was angry because that he did not
make payment of yearly tribute nor visit Worms to do
homage, as befitted a subject rulen
CHAPTER XXXV
The Betrayal of Siegfried
The Rival Queens — Their Quarrel — Brunhild plots against Siegfried —
Haven's Vow — The Tragic Hunt — How Siegfried was deceived — The Death
Wound — Last Words — A Sad Homecoming — Kriernhild's Sorrow — Scene in
Church — Blood Testimony — Gunther pleads for Forgiveness — Treasure taken
to Worms — Where Hagen concealed it,
SIEGFRIED and Kriemhild went riding with a gay company
towards Worms. There was joy in every heart, but it
was fated to end in heavy grief. Prince Gunther journeyed
not with them; never again did he behold his sire or his
rriother.
The aged King Siegmund rode forth with his son; he
had desire to meet with Gunther and his knights, but
had he known what sorrow was in store for him he
would have fared not from the Netherlands,
Gunther gave to all of them right hearty welcome.
The queens greeted one another with affection, but from
that hour Brunhild could forbear not watching Kriemhild
with jealous eyes. * . . When she beheld the twelve
hundred knights of Siegfried, she said: "Never was there
a subject king who had greater wealth**' * . . The
queen, however, gave meet entertainment to her guests;
but ere long jealousy overcame love; the heart of Brun-
hild grieved because that Siegfried and his queen were so
rich and powerful.
It fell that on a day when the knights tilted in the
courtyard Kriemhild lauded her hu$b$tnd*s prowess*
THE BETRAYAL OF SIEGFRIED 383
" Siegfried," she said, " excelleth every other knight
as the moon doth the diminishing stars. For good
reason take I pride in him.'*
"Valiant he may be/' answered Brunhild, "yet thy
brother Gunther surpasseth him, for he is the greatest
of all kings."
" My brother is indeed a noble knight," Kriemhild
said, "yet is my husband his equal."
Said Brunhild: "Did not the king surpass me in
feats of strength in Isenland, what time Siegfried remained
in the ship ? He is but my husband's vassal. From his
own lips 1 heard him confess it.
"Were Siegfried but a vassal," Kriemhild retorted,
"thinkest thou that my brother would have given me
unto him for wife ? I pray thee to repeat not what thou
hast said*"
" That indeed I shall," said Brunhild. " Siegfried is
our subject, and his knights await to do us service when
called upon."
Angry was Kriemhild, **No service canst thou
claim," she said* c< My husband is greater than thine.
If he were not he would have to pay tribute, and
never hath he done so, I pray thee to cease thine
annoyance**1
"Boast not with empty pride," Brunhild cried angrily;
c< I tm honoured fkr above thee*"
**Know now,n retorted Siegfried's queen, "that my
husband is no vassal to thine, and is indeed a greater
monarch* The kingdom of the Nibelungs he won by
his strong right arm, and he hath inherited the Nether-
lands from his sire. To no man doth he owe allegiance.
I tm indeed t free and a mighty queen* Dare not to
chide me* Thou shalt see when I enter church in thy
company that I shall not walk behind/*
384 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
" If thou art not my subject, then shalt thou go by
thyself, nor walk in my train/' Brunhild said.
In anger did Kriemhild leave the Queen of Burgundy,
and she bade her maidens to put on their richest attire.
Many wondered to behold the queens walking
apart. . . . It was doomed that many should sorrow
because of that in aftertime.
When they met before the church Kriemhild went
forward to enter first, and Brunhild forbade her, " Thou
art my vassal," she said; "walk not before me."
"Twere better that thou shouldst hold thy peace,"
retorted Kriemhild; "how can a vassal's paramour walk
before a queen?"
"What dost thou mean?" Brunhild asked angrily,
"Whom dost thou call a paramour?"
" None other than thee," answered Kriemhild. " Did
not my husband win thee for thine? Thou didst prefer
him thou now callest a vassal, forsooth* , . . Speak not
to me any longer. Thou knowest the truth now*"
Then Kriemhild entered the church, and Brunhild
followed her, weeping sore. There was deadly hate
betwixt them, and for that reason many a goodly knight
went to his grave.
When the service was over, Brunhild confronted
Kriemhild, saying: "Thou didst call me a paramour*
I demand thee now to prove thy words."
"'Twere easy to prove them," retorted Kriemhild
proudly, showing her rival the ring and the girdle which
Siegfried had taken from hen
"A paramour to Siegfried thou wert indeed," the
said.
Brunhild bowed her head with shame, weeping
bitterly; and when Gunther asked her why she sorrowed
she told him what Kriemhild had said*
C» c,l' .Itlt U AM) H
/, i,tn w. /' \./M •* i ttt.i
THE BETRAYAL OF SIEGFRIED 385
Then was Siegfried brought before Gunther, and in
Brunhild's presence he swore that he had never uttered
what Kriemhild had boasted of.
"I grieve that my wife hath made Brunhild to
sorrow," he said.
The knights who were there spake one to another.
"Would that women might cease their gossip," said one,
" Forbid your wives to boast about ye, else there will be
strife and shame among us all."
But Brunhild was not comforted. It chanced that
Hagen came nigh to her and found her weeping. He
asked her why she did grieve so, and when she told him
what Kriemhild had said, he waxed wroth because he
had sworn allegiance unto Brunhild and served her faith-
fully, guarding her honour and her life.
" For this insult," he said fiercely, <c Siegfried shall
pay with his heart's blood. I shall avenge thee, O queen,
or die/'
Hagen spake to Gunther and the other knights in
like manner, and he roused them all to enmity against
Siegfried, who recked not of their secret plotting.
Hagen first contrived that certain knights should visit
Worms, making pretence that they came as envoys from
King Ludgtst declaring war against King Gunther. Sieg-
fried made offer of his service, and Kriemhild was proud
thereat, yet did she fear that ill would befall him because
that he was reckless and overdarmg In battle.
Hagen spake with her treacherously* and she told him
that when her husband bathed his body in the dragon's
Mood t leaf covered a spot betwixt his shoulders, and
that if he were wounded there he would surely die:
Brunhild's knight rejoiced in secret, but he promised to
defend Siegfried, tm1 counselled Kriemhild that she should
mark the spot by sewing a small red cross upon his cloth-
386 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
ing, so that he might know where to defend her loved
one.
Then Hagen spake, to the king, and Gunther ar-
ranged that they should go through the forest on a great
hunt which would last many days.
" Go not forth," Kriemhild pleaded with her husband.
" I dreamt that thou wert given chase by two wild boars,
and I saw the forest flowers made red with blood."
u Fear not for me, my heart's love/' Siegfried said ;
" I go not a-hunting with foemen, but with thine own kin."
Kriemhild wept bitterly. <c Alas 1 I fear for thy life,"
she, cried. " But yesternight I did dream that thou wert
caught betwixt two hills, which fell upon thee, and thou
wert lost to my sight. „ . . Stay with me here, Siegfried,
else I shall sorrow without end."
Siegfried kissed and embraced her with tenderness,
and then hastened to join the hunt.
She watched him through her tears as he went from
her. Never again did she behold her dear one in life.
There was none like to Siegfried at the hunt. Many
wild animals he slew, and he caught a bear alive and
bound It, and when he set it free they all gave chase, but
it would have escaped but for his valour.
They afterwards sat down to feast together. Food
there was in plenty but no wine. Siegfried made com-
plaint thereat, for he was grievously athirst, and he vowed
he would never again hunt with them. Little did he
dream that a plot was laid to accomplish his detth.
Hagen said that there was a dear spring near by, from
which' they could take refreshment, and he challenged
Siegfried to race with him thither for a wager.
Hagen stripped off his clothing, but Siegfried ran in
full armour, carrying his shield and spear and his bow and
quiver, and yet he reached the spring first* But the hero
THE BETRAYAL OF SIEGFRIED 387
drank not. He cast off his armour, and laid his weapons
on the grass to await the coming of Gunther, the king,
so that he might have refreshment before any other.
Dearly did he pay for his courtesy. When the king
had taken his fill, and Siegfried stooped down to drink,
Hagen drew away stealthily the sword and the bow, and
then plunged the spear through the hero's back at the
spot where Kriemhild had embroidered the cross. He
drew not forth the weapon, but made hurried escape.
Never before did he run so swiftly from any man. Sieg-
fried sprang up in anger, the spear sticking fast in his
back, and sought for bow or sword to take vengeance on
Hagen. But he found his shield only, and flung it after
the traitor. It smote him to the ground, and the forest
echoed the blow. Had Siegfried but his sword, In that
hour Hagen would have been slain.
Snow-white grew the cheeks of that sore-wounded
man, the lordly guest of Gunther : he sank to the
ground; his strength went from him; death was in his
face* Alas! many a fair woman wept tears for him in
aftertime.
Among the flowers lay Kriemhild's noble husband,
and they were made red with his life blood*
He spake faintly, bitterly reproaching those who had
plotted treacherously against him. He called them
cowards all* al have served ye well," he said, "and
thus am I repaid* The children yet unborn shall suffer
for this foul deed/1
Gunther wept* a Weep not for treachery, thou from
whom treachery hast come/* Siegfried said.
*c Now is all danger past," cried Hagen ; <c I rejoice
that he is brought low/*
** Boast not, murderous mm" Siegfried warned him ;
11 In lair conflict I had naught to fear from thee, * * . Oh,
388 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Kriemhild, Kriemhild, my deepest grief is for thee ! , , .
Would that our son had never been born, because he
must bear from his enemies the bitter reproach that his
kinsmen are murderers and traitors."
Gunther he reproached for his ingratitude. cc I have
saved thy life," he said ; " I have been the guardian of
thine honour. This foul deed is my payment. . . . If thou
hast any honour left, protect my wife, thy sister. . , ."
He groaned, for his wound afflicted him sore. Again
he spake saying: "In days to come ye shall suffer for
this jnonstrous deed ; yourselves have you slain when ye
dew me/'
He spake no more. Among the blood-steeped
flowers he struggled with death. . . .
They laid his corpse upon a golden shield and bore
it towards Worms, and in the darkness they left it at the
door of Kriemhild's dwelling.
In the morning, when the fair queen was going forth
to prayers, she saw the dead body of Siegfried,
<cMy husband is dead," she cried. "Brunhild hath
desired that he should be slain, and by Hagen was he
murdered/' Heavy was her heart with grief unutter-
able, nor could she be comforted.
Old King Siegmund embraced his dead son and wept
bitterly.
Tenderly was Siegfried's body lifted and borne within;
his wounds were washed ; in grave robes was he dressed
and laid upon a bier.
After three days of mourning the body was borne to
the church, and many assembled there to gaze with
sorrow upon the dead hero*
Gunther came and said that Siegfried had been slain
by robbers. " I sorrow because that he is dead/' he told
Kriemhild*
THE BETRAYAL OF SIEGFRIED 38$
" If there was sorrow in thine heart," she answered
him, " my husband would not now be laid in death.
Would I were dead and he were still alive ! "
When Hagen approached the body of Siegfried the
spear wound bled afresh. Thus was it proved to all who
were there that he was indeed the murderer.
Great was the mourning on the day of Siegfried's
funeral. Many wept in the streets. Kriemhild went to
the grave, and or ever the coffin was covered over she
besought to gaze once again upon the face of her hus-
band* Her desire was granted her, and she lifted up
that fair head in her white hands and kissed the death-
cold lips of Siegfried. Then fell she in a swoon, nor
did she open her eyes again until next morning, *
Siegmund departed soon afterwards and journeyed to
his own land* But Kriemhild would not return with
him, because she desired to be avenged for her husband's
death* She was ever mourning, but Brunhild cared not
5 & her pride.
At length Gunther sought her forgiveness, deeming
that she had mourned overlong* Kriemhild said: "I
shall forgive him with my lips but never with my heart,"
Yet was $he at length constrained to pardon all who had
plotted the death of Siegfried, save Hagen, whom she
could not suffer to look upon.
Hagen spake to Gunther of the Nibelung treasure,
which he could not but think over, and the king con-
trived that Kriemhild should send for it* So came it to
pass that a strong army was sent unto Siegfried's kingdom.
The dwarf Alberich lamented the loss of the Cloak
of Obscurity ; yet did he deliver up the vast treasure, in
the midst of which was a magic rod which would give to
the one who possessed it anything that might be wished
for. But none knew its virtues.
390 TEUTONIC MYTfJ AND LEGEND
Thus was all the wealth of the Nibelungs brought
unto Kriemhild. She distributed gold to rich and poor,
and many adventurous knights paid visit to Worms to
share of her bounty. Wages she gave to a great number,
so that ere long she had a strong force of war-men at her
service.
Hagen was greatly alarmed thereat, and spoke unto
the king of KriemhilcTs doings. He counselled that the
treasure should be taken from her ; but Gunther refused
to do any harm unto his sister because of the vows he
had sworn. Then did Hagen seize the hoard by force,
and carried it away. He sank it in the Rhine at Loch-
heim, with hope to enrich himself in after-time.
So was KriemhikTs immediate hope of vengeance cut
off. She took her departure from Worms and went to
dwell with her mother at Lorsch. There she embroi-
dered tapestry with pictures of Balder, who had by his
brother been slain.
There she tarried for many years, biding the hour of
vengeance. Tidings at length came from beyond the
Rhine which brought nearer the fulfilment of Siegfried's
dying words : " Yourselves have yc slain when ye slew
me.0
Uil t»I A III <»| sIHiFRl! I)
I t .* /f. f'.t'r'*,, « j I ,
CHAPTER XXXVI
The Nibelungen Tragedy
Kriemhild wed* Etzel — Her Desire For Vengeance — The Festival— -Invi-
tation to Gumher and his Knights — Hagen's Bravery — The Doom Journey —
Dietrich ami Hiktebrand — How the Guests were received — Treachery of the
Queen — Scene at Banquet-—It« Tragic Ending — Dietrich intervenes — -Hall in
Flame* — -Unconquered Heroe* — Gunther and Hagen overcome — Gladness ends
in Grief.
IT fell that thirteen years after Siegfried's death Queen
Helche of the Huns died, and King Etzel1, who was a
heathen, sought another bride* Rudiger, the rich mar-
grave, surnamed aThe Good**, was sent as envoy to
Worms to win Kriemhild; whereat Gunther was made
glad, because Etzel was a mighty monarch, but grim
Hagen grew angry, fearing that the widow of Siegfried
would stir up enmity against them- Kriemhild ceased
not to grieve for him whom she had loved, but her
brothers tnd Queen Ute urged her to be wed to the
mighty monarch of the Huns, and at length she gave
her consent. Then sent she to Hagen for the Nibelung
treitsur^ which she desired to distribute among the Hun
warriors; but he refosed to give it up saying : <c She shall
not give it unto those who are my foemen.**
Kriemhild was made wroth thereat Yet had she &
portion of the treasure left, and she guve great gifts to
the knights who came with Rudiger.
The widowed bride had lost not her great beauty
« AttlU, "lit* *e0gff*
392 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
despite her long and deep sorrow, and when she came to
the Court of Etzel, the courtiers vowed that she was even
more fair than was Queen Helche. She kissed the king,
and when she was wed she was kissed by twelve noble
knights, among whom was Blcedel, the brother of Etzel,
and the great warrior king, Dietrich of Bern, who had
taken refuge at Etzel's Court when his uncle, Ermenrich,
had by treacherous doings possessed himself of the
kingdom of the Amelungs. So it came that Kriemhild
had friendship and service from many strong war-men.
Great was her power. All the treasure that Hagen had
left her she gave to the knights, and at length she said
unto herself:
" Now am I made powerful, and can strike against the
enemies of Siegfried, for whom my heart still calleth."
As the days went past, and the years, her desire for
vengeance grew stronger. There was not a Hun knight
who would not do her willing service. Yet none did
conceive of her fierce intent.
A son was born to King Etzel, and his name was
Ortlieb, Like was he in countenance to fair Kriemhild,
and the king loved her more dearly because of her child.
So at length when she craved of him a boon he said that
he would grant it willingly; and the queen besought him
that he should send envoys to Worms and invite, unto
a festival at his Court, Gunther and all his knights. As
she desired, so was it done. Kriemhild spoke in secret
to the envoys and bade them not to leave Hagen behind.
Gunther received the message gladly, nor suspected
aught of Kriemhild's evil desire ; but Hagen warned the
king in counsel with his knights, saying : " We dare not
go from here unto the Court of Etzd. Our lives are in
peril, for Kriemhild forgets not who skw her husband
Siegfried, * . . Her memory is long*n
THE NIBELUNGEN TRAGEDY 393
Thereupon Gunther's brothers taunted Hagen,
"Thou knowest thine own guilt," one said; "therefore
thou hast need to protect thyself well. 'Twere better
thou didst remain at Worms, while those who fear not
sojourn among the Huns."
Hagen was made wroth. <cNo man among you
feareth less to venture forth than I do, and with thee
shall I go if ye are determined to visit the Court of EtzeL"
So it was arranged that they should set out forthwith,
and Hagen spake after that of their journey as " the
death ride",
Queen Ute had great desire that her sons should
tarry in the kingdom. " I have dreamt an evil dream,*'
she said. <c Methought that all the birds in fair Bur-
gundy were skin."
" He who is led by dreams/* 'said Hagen, " is with-
out honour and no hero. Let us unto the festival of
Kriemhild."
Many women wept when they set forth* With
Gunther rode a thousand and sixty knights, and his
army did number foil nine thousand men. When they
reached the Danube River they found it to be high and
running swift. Hagen sought for the ferryman, who
desired not to take them across unless he were given
rich reward. While searching, he saw bathing in a brook
certain water fairies. He went stealthily towards them
and possessed himself of their vestments* They had
need, therefore, to make known to the fierce knight how
he and til who were with him would &re upon their
journey. One did promise that they would prosper and
win great honour, but another said : a TTwere better to
turn back. . , . . Ye are all doomed. Who rideth unto
the Court of Etzd rideth to death, Nor shall one return
agtin unto Worms save the priest."
394 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Then Hagen met with the ferryman and slew him for
his boklness. He seized the boat, and, returning unto
Gunther, he ferried across the knights and all their
followers. As he crossed with the last company of men
he beheld the priest among them, and remembering the
prophecy of the water fairy, he seized him there and
flung him overboard. But, although the man could
not swim, he was driven over the waves and reached the
shore in safety. When Hagen saw that the priest could
return unto Burgundy, he knew that the foretelling of the
water fairy was true, and said unto himself: "These, our
warriors, are all dead men/'
When they landed, Hagen splintered the boat in
pieces. He was resolute indeed, and made certain that
no man should turn back. The Bavarians came against
them to avenge the ferryman's death, but they were
beaten back, and Gunther and his war- men marched
forward until they came unto Bechlaren, where Rudiger
the Good gave them generous and hospitable entertain-
ment and many gifts.
Tidings of their approach were borne unto Kriemhild.
" The day of reckoning is at hand,'* she said unto herself*
" Fain would I now slay the man who did destroy my
happiness. , . . He shall pay dearly because that he
hath made me to sorrow/'
Aged Hildebrand spake unto Dietrich of Bern of
the coming of the Burgundians, and counselled that he
should ride forth to greet them. Hagen was a dear war
friend to Dietrich aforetime, and there was good will
betwixt them. So the fierce knight of Burgundy gave
his friend warm greetings.
Dietrich was made glad, yet did he inwardly grieve>
when he beheld the warriors from Worms.
"Know ye not," he said, "that Kriemhild hath
THE NIBELUNGEN TRAGEDY 395
ceased not to sorrow for Siegfried ? „ * , This very day
I did hear her lamenting because that he was dead."
Gunther reasoned that Etzel had bidden them thither
with right royal welcome, and that Kriemhild had also
sent warm greetings, but Hagen knew well that sorrow
awaited them.
The Hun king knew not that his queen plotted
against his guests, and his welcome was hearty and frank;
but Kriemhild was haughty and cold. She kissed but
her brother Giselher, who had no part in Siegfried's death.
Unto Hagen she spake, saying :
" Hast thou brought hither the hoard of the Nibe-
lungs which thou didst rob from me?"
Hagen answered : " I have touched it not. It is
hidden below the Rhine waters. There shall it lie until
the Day of Judgment."
"So thou hast brought it not," she said coldly.
** Many a day have 1 grieved for it, and for the noble
knight whose possession it was/'
u I have brought but my weapons and my armour/1
said Hagen defiantly,
c< I need not gold,n Kriemhild sighed ; ce but I would
fain have recompense for murder and robbery,"
Then were the Burgundians, at the queen's desire,
asked to lay down their arms; but Hagen made refusal
for himself and the others, saying that it was the custom
of the Burgundians to be fully armed on the first three
days of t festival
It chanced that soon afterwards KriemhOd urged
certain of her kmghts to sky Hagen; but they forbore,
fearing as they did his dark brows and quick-flashing eyes.
When Eight fell the guests were conducted to their
dwelling* Grim Hagen and Volker, the minstrel, fearing
the treachery of Kriemhildf sought not to take rest*
396 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
They clad themselves in their bright armour. Then they
took their swords and shields and stood outside the door
to guard their companions. After a time Volker took
his fiddle, and, sitting upon a stone within the porch, he
played merry airs which gladdened the hearts of those
who were within, and they forgot their anxieties. Then
he gave them soothing music and sweet, so that they
were lulled to sleep. Thereafter he took up his shield
again and stood beside Hagen at the door to guard the
Burgundians against Kriemhild 's war-men.
In the midst of the night the fierce Huns made
stealthy approach ; but when they beheld the knights
keeping guard they turned away. Volker desired to
challenge them to combat, but Hagen forbade him,
and Volker cried out to the followers of Kriemhild :
"Cowards, would ye venture hither to slay men in
their sleep?'* They answered him not Kriemhild
grieved because that her plan had failed, but she ceased
not to plot against the guests.
A tournament was held in EtzeFs courtyard, and
Volker slew a Hun warrior. But for the king, vengeance
would have been taken for that cause. " He hath been
slain without intent," Etzel said; "let my guests go forth
unharmed."
Kriemhild then spake to Dietrich of Bern and old
Hildebrand, beseeching their aid to encompass the death
of Hagen.
Hildebrand answered: "One man is not sufficient to
overcome him/' And Dietrich, answering her, said:
" Speak not of this again, O Queen, I pray thee. These,
thy kinsmen, have never done aught against me*
"Twill bring thee shame if thou dost any hurt to them,
because they are now thy guests. It is not for me to
avenge the death of Siegfried."
THE NIBELUNGEN TRAGEDY 397
Thereafter did Kriemhild plead with Bloedel, King
Etzel's brother, making him promise of rich reward, and
he promised to achieve her purpose. He went forth to
attack Gunther's men with a thousand of his followers.
Dankwart was in command when Bloedel fell upon them
without warning, and fierce was the conflict.
Meanwhile Gunther and Hagen and other knights
sat at feast with King Etzel. Kriemhild caused her son
Ortlieb to enter and sit nigh to Hagen, and the king
said : " Lo ! here cometh my only son to be among his
kinsmen.'*
Hagen loved not the lad. " He hath a weak face,"
he said. " I could never be a guest at his Court."
Suddenly Dankwart rushed into the feasting hall.
He alone of all the war-men had escaped the sword of
Bloedel, whom he slew ; his body was red with the blood
of foemen. ** Why dost thou tarry thus, brother Hagen?"
he cried ; " our men are slaughtered in their dwelling.'*
"Guard the door," cried Hagen, and seizing his
sword he smote off the head of Prince Ortlieb before his
father's eyes. Then he slew the lad's tutor and cut off
the right hand of a minstrel who had borne Kriemhild's
message unto Worms. Volker drew his blade also and
made slaughter* In vain did the three kings, Etzel and
Gunther and Dietrich^ make endeavour to subdue the
fray. Many Hun knights were slain, for the Burgundians
were seized with battle fury and sought dire vengeance,
They cut their way up and down the hall, and there
was none who could stand against them.
Then did Kriemhild plead with Dietrich of Bern,
beseeching his aid, what time he watched, standing upon
a bench, the doughty deeds of his old war comrade Hagen.
^Stve me and King Etzel from this our dire peril/*
cried the queen*
398 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
" I can but try," Dietrich answered. " Not for many
years have I beheld such fierce fighting.'*
Then he uttered forth a great shout, and his voice
was like to the blast of a war horn." Gunther heard
him, and called upon his men to pause in the fray.
cc Mayhap," he said, " we have slain knights of Dietrich."
<c No harm have ye done me or mine," Dietrich said,
<c but I ask of thee that I and those with me may have
thy permission to go forth in safety."
"Thy wish is granted," answered Gunthef*.
Then did Dietrich clasp the fainting Queen Kriem-
hild with one arm and took King Etzel's with the other.
Thus did he leave the hall with six hundred of his
knights. Rudiger went also with five hundred. Neither
sought to take part in the fray.
Thereafter was the conflict waged again with great
fury, nor did it pause until not a Hun was left alive in
the hall.
The JBurgundians rested awhile ; then they threw out
the bodies of their foemen. Kinsmen of the slain mourned
greatly.
King Etzel seized his shield and desired them to
combat against the stranger at the head of his men ; but
Kriemhild warned him that he could not withstand the
blows of fierce Hagen. But his knights had to hold him
back by force, and, seeing this, Hagen taunted the king.
"The darling of Siegfried and her new husband are
faint-hearted," he cried. " Ha, Etzel ! Siegfried had thy
lady to wife before thee. I slew him. Why, then,
shouldst thou be angry with me?"
Kriemhild heard with anger. " Much gold shall I
give, and castles and land," said the queen,. <c unto the
knight who shall slay Hagen."
Volker shouted defiantly : <c Never before beheld I $o
THE NIBELUNGEN TRAGEDY 399
many timorous knights. Cowards all ! ye have taken of
the king's substance and in his hour of trial ye desert
him. I cry shame upon ye all/'
Many bold warriors rushed against the knights of
Burgundy. Stranger knights who were there fought also.
The nimble Iring of Denmark struck mighty blows,
and in the end he wounded Hagen. Queen Kriemhild
praised him when he returned weary from the fray, and
prompted him to return again. When he renewed the
conflict, however, Hagen slew him.
So fell many brave men, and the long summer day
ended and darkness felL The tumult ceased.
Then the Burgundians besought King Etzel that they
should be permitted to leave the hall and fight in battle,
but Kriemhild forbade it.
Her brother Giselher spake to the vengeful queen
saying : u I deserve not death at thy hands. I was ever
faithful unto thee* I came hither because that I did bear
thee love and thou didst invite me. Thou must needs
now show mercy unto us/*
"Can I show mercy who hath never received it?*f
she answered him* ** The vile Hagen slew my child, so
those who stand by him must suffer with him. But
this I shall promise thee — if Hagen be now delivered up
a truce will be granted forthwith/*
Gernot answered : a Never shall thy wish be granted.
Rather would we die than ransom our lives with a single
knight/1
**Then must we die indeed like to brave men/*
Giselher said,
**My brother Hagen is not without friends,** cried
Dtnkwut; **ye who have refused quarter shall not
receive it. Not at our hands/1
In the midst of the night Kriemhild bade her
400 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
followers to set fire to the hall. That they did right
gladly. The flames raged furiously, and one of them
within cried : cc Woe is me ! we are doomed to die.
Rather would I have fallen in battle."
Great was the heat, and the knights were tortured
with thirst. Then did Hagen bid one of them to drink
the blood of the slain war-men. One who suffered much
knelt beside a corpse and drank the blood. The draught
made him strong again. "Better is it than wine/' he
said.
The others did likewise, and were all refreshed so
that they were able to endure their sufferings amidst the
flames. Burning faggots fell upon them, but they pro-
tected themselves with their shields. Terrible was the
heat. Never again shall heroes suffer as did these that
night.
" Stand close to the walls/' Hagen commanded ;
" your armour shall protect ye j let the blood quench the
flaming brands."
When morning broke, the Huns wondered greatly to
behold Hagen and Volker again standing on guard at the
hall door."
Fierce attack was again made by the Huns, but they
were beaten back. Nor did the conflict have pause
until the last of EtzeFs great knights was slain.
Then did Kriemhild and the king make appeal to
Rudiger to aid them, but he desired not to attack the
brave Burgundians*
" Shall I slay those whom I did entertain in my own
house ?" he exclaimed, "I forget not past friendship,1*
Yet was he constrained to fight, and he mourned his
lot with the Burgundians.
" Would that I had a strong shield like thee," Hagen
said ; " mine own is hewn and battered sore/*
til
u
J
ft
<
w
DC
H
X
0
THE NIBELUNGEN TRAGEDY 401
Rudiger gave Hagen his own shield ere he fought at
Etzel's command with those whom he loved. Fierce was
the conflict and long, and in the end Gernot and Rudiger
slew one another.
Then did Wolf hart, the bold knight of Bern, lead on
the followers of Dietrich to avenge the death of Rudiger.
One by one they were cut down by Gunther's heroes,
save Hildebrand, who slew Volker. But Hagen made
vengeful attack and wounded him. The old warrior
fled* He hastened unto Dietrich, and cried : " All our
men are slain, and of the Burgundians but Gunther and
Hagen remain alive/*
Dietrich was wroth* He sorrowed for his brave
knights* No longer could he withhold from the fray*
So he put on his armour and went unto the Hall. He
first bade Gunther and Hagen to surrender; but they
defied him*
Dietrich drew his sword and fell upon Hagen, whom
he speedily wounded.
** Battle-weary art thou,n Dietrich cried ; u I shall slay
thee not"
As he spake thus he caught Hagen in his arms
and overpowered him. So was the valiant hero taken
captive*
Dietrich led him bound before Queen Kriemhild, and
her heart rejoiced, aNow is all my sorrow requited/*
she said ; ** thee* Dietrich, shall I thank until my life hath
The Prince of Bern said : ** Slay him not He may
yet serve thee* and thus make good the evil he hath
Hagen was cast into a dark dungeon, there to await
hit doom.
Dietrich thai fought tgtinit Gaudier, who was more
402 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
fierce than Hagen had been. Indeed he came nigh to
slaying Dietrich. But he was at length borne down, and
taken prisoner and bound.
When the King of Burgundy was taken before
Kriemhild, she said: "I welcome thee, O Gunthen"
He answered her : " If thy welcome were made with
love, I would thank ye, but I know well that thou dost
mock."
Dietrich pleaded with the queen that Gunther and
Hagen should be spared, but his words fell upon ears
that heard not.
Kriemhild went unto Hagen and demanded that he
should return unto her the treasure he had stolen.
The knight answered her: "Vows I took not to
reveal where the hoard is hidden so long as my king
Bveth."
Then did the queen command that her brother
should be slain. With her own white hand she held
high by the hair before Hagen the dripping head of
Gunther.
"Now all thy brothers are dead," Hagen cried,
"Where the treasure is concealed is known but to
God and myself alone. „ . . Thou devil, thou shalt
never possess it!"
So wroth was Kriemhild that she seized a sword and
smote off the head of Hagen.
"Alas," cried King Etzel, "the boldest knight who
ever fought in battle hath fallen by a woman's hand ! f>
Old Hildebrand, recking not what would happen
him, drew his sword and smote the queen* A loud
cry broke from her lips, and ere long Kriemhiid died.
So ended the festival of King Eteel, as gladness
must ever end in grief.
What befell thereafter I can tell not* Knights tnd
THE NIBELUNGEN TRAGEDY 403
soldiers, wives and maids, were seen weeping, and heard
lamenting for their friends*
So ends the Nibelungenlied,
»*••••
Minstrels, singing the sorrowful lay of the death of
Siegfried, and the fall of the Nibelungs, have told that
Queen Brunhild and Queen Ute sat side by side em-
broidering on tapestry the death of Balder.
Again and again did Brunhild say to the mother of
Gunther: **Each time I picture Balder, his face grows
like unto that of Siegfried/*
Soon tidings were brought to them of the death
of Gunther and all his men,, Brunhild wept not* She
went out into the darkness, nor ever returned again.
When search was made, she was found lying dead
in the grave mound of Siegfried, whom she had loved.
CHAPTER XXXVII
Dietrich of Bern
Hildebrand's Pupil — Alberich the Dwarf — Grim and Hilde — The Magic
Sword — Conflict in the Cavern — Giant and Hag are slain — Great Sigenot —
E>ietrich taken Prisoner — In the Dragon's Lair — Hildebrand put to Shame —
Giant overcome — Heime's Challenge — Wieland*s son Witege — Fierce Combat
— Dietrich in Peril — Peace Terms.
DIETRICH was the son of great Dietmar, King of
Bern, whose brother was the fierce King Ermenrich.
He was but seven years old when there came to his
father's Court the battle hero, Hildebrand, far famed for
valorous deeds. Unto that great warrior was given the
care of the young prince, so that he might gain manly
wisdom and skill in feats of arms. Fast friends they
became ere long, and faithful were they one to another
in after years, until death did thrust them apart*
It chanced that when the lad grew strong, and had
desire for daring adventure, a giant and a giantess,
whose names were Grim and Hilde, ravaged the land
with fire, and did slaughter many goodly subjects.
Dietmar raised a mighty army and went out against
them, but he could discover not the hiding place of
the monsters, who ever came forth unawares to work
their evil designs,
Now Dietrich had great desire to combat with the
giant and giantess, for he was brave as he was strong*
and he sought most of all to win a warrior's renown*
404
DIETRICH OF BERN 405
With Hildebrand he hunted one fair morning in a deep
forest. They came to a green and open space3 when
suddenly a dwarf started up and ran to escape them.
The lad gave speedy chase, and soon he had the little
man in his power* His name was Alberich, and he
had fame as a cunning robber and a wonder smith.
Dietrich desired to slay him, but the dwarf cried out :
" Kill me not, O Prince of Bern, and thou shalt have
for thyself the great sword which I forged for Grim and
Hiide. It is called Naglering, nor is its equal to be
found in the world, I shall also guide thee unto a
cavern where much treasure lies hidden*"
Dietrich promised to spare the life of the dwarf if
his promise were fulfilled, and Alberich said: "Thou
must needs combat with Grim, who hath the strength
of twelve men, and also with Hilde, who is even more
to be feared, ere thou canst possess thyself of the treasure*"
Binding vows were then taken by Alberich, who pro-
mised to return at eventide with the wondrous sword.
As the dwarf promised so did he do* He met Dietrich
and Hildebrand close to a great mountain diff, and
delivered up the shining sword, Naglering. Proud was
the ltd of that wondrous weapon, which brought him,
t$ it befell, great fame in after years*
The dwarf then vanished, and Hildebrand and Die-
trich went towards the diff. Ere long they found the
secret door and opened it The sunlight streamed
within, and tfiey beheld* lying beside a fire, gaunt Grim
tnd Hildc, who both tt once sprang up angrily and
desired vengeful combat* The giant sought for his
Naglering! but found it not. Cunningly indeed had
the robber dwtrf taken it from him.
The giant then seized a burning log and leapt at
Dietrich* Fast and ferocious were his blows, and the
406 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
lad would full surely have been skin but for the sword
he wielded.
Hilde sprang at Hildebrand and wrestled with him.
Long and fierce was the struggle, because the warrior
had great strength,, but the giantess held him tightly
round the neck, until, gasping for breath, Hildebrand
fell to the ground. So was he completely overcome,
and the end of his days seemed to be very nigh.
In vain the old warrior called upon Dietrich, who
waged desperate conflict with the giant. But at length
the lad prevailed. Leaping aside to escape a mighty
blow, he smote Grim with Naglering and cut off his
head. So perished the ferocious giant, who had laid
desolate a great part of the kingdom of Dietmar.
Hildebrand was meanwhile in sore distress. Hilde
began to bind him, so that he might be put to death
by torture, but Dietrich smote her so great a blow that
he clave her body in twain. But she relaxed not thereat
her ferocious embrace of the swooning warrior. Such
was her power that she united her severed parts before
the lad's eyes, and caused herself to be made whole again.
So Dietrich smote her the second time right through the
middle, and yet again she was joined together as before.
Hildebrand cried faintly: "Leap thou between the
Hag's severed body when thou dost strike next, and
turn thine eyes from her/*
As the warrior bade, so did Dietrich do. He cut
HUde in twain^ and immediately separated her body
with his own, nor did he look round.
That was the end of Hilde.1 No longer could the
work hor evil will* So she cried :
1 When Hcrculct fought with the nln*-h«de<i Hydrt, etch h«d, MV« one, which
could not be hurt, grew tgam M tut m k was cut off. Then hit nephew **ittttl hi »
by tearing the wotind* with i torch. Se* Ctsuk Mjtk **d Ltgmd, page &$$*
DIETRICH OF BERN 407
" If Grim had fought with Dietrich as well as I have
fought with Hildebrand, we should ne'er have been over-
come."
Then life went from her, and Hildebrand was set
free. The old warrior embraced the prince, praising his
valour and skill, and the glory of battle gleamed in the
eyes of Dietrich.
Great was the treasure which was concealed in the
cavern. Dietrich took for himself a wondrous shining
helmet It was named Hildegrim, after the giant and
the giantess, and it gave more than a mortal's strength
to the hero who wore it
The prince put the helmet on his head. He
triumphed in the power it gave him. Then with
Hildebrand he returned unto his sire, King Dietmar,
who rejoiced greatly because of the valorous deeds of
his son, and he made him a full knight before all the
people.
There lived among the mountains to the west a great
giant whose name was Sigenot, and he vowed to be
avenged upon Dietrich because that he slew Grim, his
uncle, and Htlde, his aunt, and possessed himself of their
treasure, and especially the helmet Hildegrim. One day
Dietrich rode forth alone to hunt in the deep forest, and
in the midst of it he found Sigenot lying feat asleep,
Proud wit the M of his strength, and overconfident
withal, tnd he desired greatly to combat with the giant
So he dismounted and went fearlessly towards him and
kicked his body, Sigenot leapt up in anger.
**At lift thou art come,*1 he cried* "Long have I
waited for thee, Prince of Ben*, so that I might take
vengeance for the skying of my kinsman Grim.
The giant tebed his jpneat spear, and Dietrich drew
Mi sword Naglermg. But unequal was the combat*
4o8 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
The giant smote but a single blow with the spearhaft
and felled the prince, whom he speedily bound. Then
he bore Dietrich through the forest, and cast him into
a dark, underground cavern, which was a dragon's lair.
Snakes crept about and hissed in the darkness ; the-
prince had need to combat with them.
Meanwhile Hildebrand went through the forest
searching for the prince. He wondered because he
could not hear his huntsman's horn, and when he found
his horse bound to a tree, he feared greatly that Dietrich
had been slain. Great was the grief of Hildebrand, , * *
Suddenly he heard heavy footsteps coming through
the trees, and ere long the great Sigenot confronted
him.
"Who art thou, and whom dost thou seek?" the
giant bellowed.
" Hildebrand is my name," answered the bold
warrior, "and I seek for Dietrich, Prince of Bern."
The giant thrust his spear at him, but Hildebrand
fought fiercely with his sword. Ere long, despite his
valour, the warrior was disarmed, and Sigenot caught
him by the beard, and dragged him through the forest,
bellowing the while:
"Follow me, Longbeard, follow me; now are Grim
and Hilde avenged. Soon shalt thou find thy Prince of
Bern."
Now never before had a foeman dared to lay hands
upon Hildebrand's beard, and for that reason he was
more wroth with than afraid of the giant. As the
warrior was being thus ignobly dragged to the ctve in
which Dietrich lay boufid, he saw the sword Naglering
lying on the ground. Nimbly he dutched it ere his
captor was aware, and, striking fiercely, he wounded the
giant, who suddenly relaxed his hold so that the warrior
IXi.TKIMI
'/»#»«• A *-| //if
DIETRICH OF BERN 409
leapt free. Then did fearless Hildebrand smite Sigenot
and slay him with a single blow. So perished the kins-
man of Grim when he deemed proudly that his vengeance
was complete,
Deep was the underground cavern in which Dietrich
was kept captive. The prince heard the voice of Hilde-
brand calling to him, and entreated him to make haste.
<c Many vipers still remain alive," he said, c< although
not a few have I slain and devoured."
Hildebrand cast off his clothing, and each garment
did he tear in shreds; then he made a rope which he
lowered into the dark, snake-infested cavern, so that the
prince might have release from his torture and unceasing
conflict*
Dietrich seized the rope; but when Hildebrand began
to pull him up, it snapped asunder.
*Twas then that the dwarf Eggerich came nigh,
rejoicing because that Sigenot was slain* He speedily
procured a rope ladder, and it was lowered to Dietrich,
who was thus given escape from the dragon's cave and
the hissing snakes that swarmed there,
The prince embraced his rescuer, but Hildebrand did
chide him much because that he had ventured forth in
the forest alone*
Then they took leave of the dwarf Eggerich, and
returned together unto Bern, When the people came
to know that the giant Sigenot was slam> they rejoiced
grcttly, tud aeekimed Hildebrand and the fearless son
of Dietmtr*
Now there w»$ not in »H the kingdom a young
warrior who wt$ Dietrich's equal* His fame went far
and wide, and bold knights came riding to Bern so that
they might win his favour with challenge to feats of
turn* Those who were worthy and of high birth did
4io TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
the prince choose to be his followers. In time he had
thus command of many valorous knights. Among these
were Witege and Heinie, who had great fierceness and
daring^ and were so gloomy and cruel of heart that in
peace as in war they were dreaded and shunned. Men
they smote and women they hated and scorned; many
young warriors they slew in conflict. Churls were they
both, and how they came to be honoured by Dietrich
must now be told.
Heime came first unto Bern. Dwarfish was he in
stature, but his heart was full of valour, and he had
strength beyond his years. He feared not the prince,
despite his mighty fame. Unto him did his sire Studas,
who was a breeder of war steeds amidst the mountains,
give a swift grey horse, which was named Rispa, and the
sword Blutgang.
When he rode boldly into the courtyard of the castle
at Bern, Heime challenged Dietrich to single combat.
The prince was made angry thereat. Hastily did he put
his armour on and the shining helmet Hildegrim j then
with his spear in one hand, and in the other his great red
shield on which was pictured a golden lion, he charged
the bold and low-born stranger. Terrible was the shock.
Heime's shield was pierced through, but Dietrich's horse
stumbled so that he came nigh to being thrown. Both
their spears were broken in twain.
Then did the young warriors, leaping to the ground,
cast aside their spearshafts and draw their shining
swords. Fiercely did they comb&t one against the other*
But Blutgang rang feindy against Naglering. Heime
had skill and valour, but ere long his sword wts cloven
and shattered so that he was placed at Dietrichfs mercy*
But the prince was drawn towards Mm by reason of hit
prowess, and slew him not. He honoured^ in generous
DIETRICH OF BERN 411
mood, the surly stranger, and gave him place among his
knight followers.
Ere many days passed another young warrior, seeking
adventure, challenged the son of Dietmar to combat.
His name was Witege, and he did hie from Denmark*
The prince was moved with wrath against him, for he
grew weary of the conflicts with each bold stranger who
sought to put his skill and valour to test. But in that
fierce Dane he met a knight who was more than his equal.
Now Witege was the son of Wieland, the wonder
smith, a cunning and far-famed worker in iron. Skilful
was the lad with bow and arrows, as was Eigel, his uncle.
He scorned to work at the forge, and desired to seek
adventures, so that he might win renown as a warrior.
Of the feme of Dietrich he heard one day, and he
resolved to challenge him to single combat.
Wieland could not prevail upon him to remain at
home* so he fashioned for Witege a suit of shining
armour^ a great helmet, dragon - mounted, a spear of
much strength, and a white shield on which was painted
a hammer and tongs. Unto the lad he also gave a
wonder sword of great sharpness, named Mimung, which
he had aforetime forged by compulsion for a tyrant king.
Witege then set out to journey towards Bern in the
knd of the Amelungs* On his way he met Hildebrand
tnd Heime, who were also riding to Dietmar's Court
with i stranger knight. Witege waited them not, for
they sought to rest awhile.
Soon he drew nigh to a strong castle in which twelve
robbers hud their dwelling. These, when they did
behold the young knight coming towards them, spake
one to another, saying : w His shining armour shall we
take from him, tnd Ms right hand shall we cut off, and
then send Mm homeward/*
4i2 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
So they sallied forth against WielancTs strong son.
Two rode in front and bade the lad surrender; but
Witege drew the sword Mimung and slew them right
speedily. The others charged against him and waged
fierce and unequal conflict.
'Twas then that Hildebrand and Heime and the
strange knight came nigh. Hildebrand urged his com-
panions to hasten to Witege's aid, but Heime said:
"Help him not; his pride is great; now let his valour,
be put to proof."
But the old warrior would $uffer not that the robbers
should slay the youthful hero; so he rode forward and
the others followed him. Against the fierce band did
they all battle together, save Heime, who looked on, and
ere long seven lay dead on the ground, and the others
were making swift escape.
Witege gave thanks unto Hildebrand, and together
they took vows of knightly fellowship to be ever brotherly
and true in after-time.
"Whither goest thou, valorous youth ?" asked the
elder warrior.
"I ride towards Bern," the son of Wieland made
answer, "for it is my desire to meet with Dietrich in
single combat"
Hildebrand cared not to hear speech so bold from that
valiant young hero. Indeed he feared for Dietrich's
safety. So when night fell, and the Dane lay fast asleep^
he drew from the lad's scabbard the sword Mimung find
placed iii it his own.
At momingtide WJtege called upon Dietrich to
dispky his valour. As the tale has been toldt
Dietmar's son waxed wroth* because that the Dane
was of lowly birth, being, indeed* but the son of t
smith*
DIETRICH OF BERN 413
In vain did Hildebrand warn him of the youth's
prowess and skill at arms.
"The time is at hand," Dietrich said, "when peace
must prevail in the kingdom. I shall allow no churlish
stranger to challenge me to conflict. Heavily shall he
pay for his boldness."
" It may be," Hildebrand said, " that thou shalt not
prevail against this valorous youth."
" Him shall I have this day hanged outside the gates
of Bern," answered the prince.
u Ere thou art able to accomplish that," Hildebrand
said, "thou hast a fierce battle to fight I bid thee
success, but not without fear."
Never before did Dietrich meet a doughtier war-man.
Strong and rapid were the blows which Witege gave. He
smote the prince heavily on the head, but the helmet
HUdegrim resisted the edge of Hildebrand's sword, and
the Dane cursed his sire Widand because that his
sword was of so little avail
w Had I but a sword worthy my strength," he cried,
u victory would speedily be mine."
Dietrich pressed him hard. With both hands he
grasped the sword Naglering, and made daring on-
slaught with purpose to smite off the head of Wieland's
son. But Hildebrand went between the warrior youths
and called a truce.
** Spare thou his life,*1 he cried to Dietrich, "and thou
thai* have itHI yet another brave knight amidst thy
** The dog shall die this day/1 the prince made angry-
retort ; ** itimd thou aside, so that his life may have end,"
The old knight was angry. He drew from his
tctfoimrd the sword which Widaud fashioned, and gave
It unto
TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
"Thine own sword Mimung' I return unto thee.
Now defend thyself as befits thy valour."
Glad thereat was the heart of Wieland's son. <c Alas,"
le cried, "that I did curse my sire! Behold, O Dietrich,
:he sword Mimung; now have I as great desire for battle
is a thirsty man hath for drink and a hungry dog for its
food."
'Twas then the swords sang loud. Mimung clove
armour and shield as they were but cloth. The son of
Wieland indeed struck mighty blows, and in time he
wounded Dietrich. Indeed, five wounds did he give
unto the prince, so that he was forced to call upon Hil-
debrand to put end to the fray* But the old warrior
was wroth with Dietrich, and did heed him not.
King Dietmar then called upon Wieland's son to
cease fighting, and promised him great gifts and a noble
bride; but Witege waxed in battle fury, and sought for
naught else but the death of that arrogant prince. Blow
after blow he gave, until at length he split asunder the
helmet Hildegrim, so that Dietrich's golden hair appeared,
Hildebrand desired not the prince's death. His wrath
was melted when he perceived he was in peril, and he
leapt forward and ended the fray. Then besought he
Witege, because of the vows they had taken one with
another, to swear fellowship with Dietrich and become
his knight.
As the old warrior desired him, so did Witege do,
He sheathed his sword and took oath of service to the
prince, and they became fast friends. Together they
went Into the castle and drank wine*
But ill-pleased was Dietrich because that he WEI not
the victor as aforetime, and he mmde resolve to go forth
to seek further daring adventure, so that his feme might
not be sullied in the knd of the Amelungs.
CHAPTER XXXVIII
The Land of Giants
Maidens of Jochgrimm — The Storm Giant Ecke — His Search for Dietrich
—Combat in Dark Forest — Giant slain — The Well Nymph — Maiden in Flight
y-Ecke*s Brother F**old-~- Overcome by the Prince — The Beast— Arrival at
Castle — Giant's Treachery — The Knights who quarrelled — Heime becomes a
Robber,
DIETRICH rode along through the forest in thick dark-
ness* He journeyed towards Jochgrimm mountain,
where dwelt the beauteous princesses who had heard of
his feme and desired greatly to behold him. The prince
dreamed not of their treachery, or of the perils that he
must needs pass through*
Now there were three young giants who wooed the
maidens* They were brothers, and their names were
Ecke and Fasold and Ebenrot Ecke, which signifies
**The Temfier", was but eighteen years old. He had
already won fame as a warrior in single combat; but
haying slain on« foeman he could find not another who
dared to contend against him* Oft had he heard of
Dietrich's valour and great deeds, and he vowed that he
would ky him low- Unto Ecfce was'promise made in the
land of giants that if he slew Dietrich he should have for
wife Seburg, the fairest of the throe princesses in Joch-
grimm*
Ecfce had wondrous strength* Twice seven days and
twice wven nights he could list mud travel onwards, nor
«rrer fed fiiitit; from htB to hill he could leap like a
4i 6 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
leopard. He required no steed, nor was there one that
could carry him,
When the strong giant came to know that Dietrich
was to ride forth from Bern, he prepared to go against
him. , . . The Princess Seburg clad her lover in bright
armour and wished him well. He made swift departure.
. , . When he entered the forest the birds fled terrified
before him; branches were bowed down and rudely shaken
as he passed; trees swayed and groaned, and those that
he smote crashed down and were uprooted. * . . So
rushed Ecke upon his way until he reached Bern, whore
he was told that Dietrich had gone towards Jochgrimm
by another way.
Without pause the giant followed after the valorous
prince. So swift was his pace that he came nigh to him
ere night fell. He beheld four knights lying on the
ground. But one alone was alive, and he was grievously
wounded.
" Seek not the Knight of Bern," the wounded man
said; "like to lightning is his sword stroke."
Ecke went onward; raging furiously he went. He
feared not Dietrich; his heart's desire was to combat
against the arrogant hero. Night fell as he went through
the trees*
In the blackness he heard a horseman combg nigh,
"Who art thou," he cried, "that rideth through the
darkened forest?"
A deep strong voice made answer; <c Dietrich of Bern/*
"Thou shalt fight with me," Ecfce cried, for he was
Impatient to win renown.
But Dietrich desired not to combat with tny foemtn
in the darkness, and rode on*
Ecke strode beside the Knight of Bern, and mtde
boast of his amour.
THE LAND OF GIANTS 417
"By Wieland, the wonder smith, was it fashioned/'
Ecke said; " nor can thy blade Naglering cleave it. Bright
and sharp is mine own sword Ecke-sax 'Twas forged
by him who made Naglering; of gold is the hilt, and it is
inlaid with gold. Of fine gold is my girdle also. Much
booty will be thine if thou canst overcome me."
But Dietrich could not be tempted to fight for sword
nor treasure in the forest blackness.
Ecke was made angry. " Thee shall I proclaim as a
coward," he cried, " because thou art afraid. . . ."
" When day breaks," Dietrich said, " I shall combat
with thee. Here in the darkness we can behold not
one another.1'
But Ecke, confronting him, refused to wait, "Thou
shalt have the Princess Seburg for thy bride if thou art
ready now for combat. Fairest is she of all maidens
upon earth.**
Dietrich leapt from his horse. "By the gods," he
cried* ** I shall fight thee now, not for thy treasure nor
even thy sword, but for Seburg the fair one!**
On stones did they strike their swords. . . » The
firesparks flashed bright, and they beheld one another in
the blaxe and began to fight. Nor was there darkness
then, for their swords glowed like flames as they smote
together and flashed in the blackness* The clamour of
battle roared like thunder through the forest; the heavens
heard the dash of their shields* . * * The night was
fitted with terror; the trees were scorched about them;
the grass was trodden under the ground by their feet
Loi^g they fought* nor did one wound the other,
Then Ecke bounded against the prince with all his
strength; their shields were interlocked, and Dietrich
stumbled and fell Ecke held him down and said:
* If them wilt permit me to bind tfee% thy life shall
4i 8 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
I spare. Fain would I deliver thee thus unto Seburg
with thine armour and thy steed."
" Death is better than shame/* Dietrich made answer.
So they wrestled one with another in the darkness.
In vain did Ecke strive to overcome the Knight of Bern,
who at length clutched the giant's great throat, and
sought tQ roll over him. Long and terrible was that
fierce struggle. Nor would one make peace with the
other although they were of equal strength.
In vain did the prince beseech Ecke to swear oaths
of fellowship with him.
Dietrich's steed at length broke free. It heard his
cries and ran towards him in the night. Falke was its
name, and it loved the prince better than life. Now it
came to his aid, and, rearing high, the bold steed leapt
upon the body of Ecke and broke his back.
Dietrich leapt to his feet, and seizing the giant's great
sword he struck fire, and in the sudden blaze he smote
off his foeman's head. Then was there silence in the
forest.
When dawn broke through the trees Dietrich clad
himself in the giant's shining armour; he girded on the
mighty sword Ecke-sax, then rode on his way with the
head of Ecke dangling from his saddle bow.
He had no great joy in his victory, because he feared
that he would be accused of killing Ecke in his sleep,1
Dietrich rode on until he came to a forest spring and
beheld a water nymph lying beside It wrapped in soft
slumber. He laid hands on her, and she awoke- Then
1 This ttory wai org intlly t storm myth, fa which Dietrich wit Thtmor (Thor ), and
Edce « tempest* Tf*e three princeae* are th* jiaot mafda of ft Tyrolm folk t*$% who
brew itormt on Jochgrirnm mountain, A Highland haf it ulio a »torm*brcw«r* Sh«
it a«ociftte<J vrith the firtt week of April which i* c*U*<l «C*ilIe»ch". Al Crom*fty
an April h*g «*»*« th* uw&we&titly gtlti aod, «c*or«liiif to * local wyiafc nil!
!wrki fe crook*" («n*j#ie* ttw pott) «*f tJ*« fithffr-foiJt who *•»*! fo to MW,
THE LAND OF GIANTS 419
did the nymph heal the prince's wounds, and he became
strong again. She pointed out to him the path which
led unto Jochgrimm mountain, and gave warning of the
dangers which would beset him. Then did Dietrich
mount his steed again and ride towards the land of the
giants,
As he went through the forest a beauteous maid
came running towards him. Swift were her steps, and
her face was pale and terror-stricken, because that she
was pursued by the giant Fasold, Ecke's brother, and his
fierce hounds.1
Dietrich gave the maiden his protection, and went
against the giant who pursued hen When Fasold beheld
the prince clad in Ecke's armour, he cried:
€<Art thou my brother Ecke riding hither on a
steed r
Dietrich made answer: <c I am not thy brother; him
have I slam.**
<* Thou dog of death," bcUowed Fasold, " thou hast
murdered Ecke whilst he lay in sleep, else would he
never have been overcome/*
** I fling thee back thy falsehood," Dietrich answered*
** Thy brother challenged me to fight in darkness for the
sake of fair Seburg, Had 1 known he was of such great
strength I should ne'er have crossed swords with him."
Wroth was Fatold* and he rushed against Dietrich.
Stronger was he than Ecke. In combat he scorned to
strike more than one blow; never before was a second
n^ttim! Fiercely he smote his brothers slayer, and
Dietrich feu from his horse and lay In a swoon. The
* AnotW n*ttr* mytk So <b ii»* m«<k<w of the Boyne, T*r, Nc*, »nd oilier
riven i«t b*for* lit* euirafvd w*lt dwnoa, wfeo m*f be « fitnt, » dmjpon, or a kdpi«,
tlktf bad r>^fi«t«t, wh«n A^wiftg w»urt t ceremonial ahiervtmre, CM* M
• tlwft. P«**b£x the Severn ^ory, u rcUlcd bj Gcoflfrey of Monmoutb,
of ^ffliUr ctwr*Ct*r. Tb«r* «rc ti*o Grc<k
420 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
giant then turned away and went towards the castle.
He deemed that the prince was slain.
Dietrich lay not long upon the ground. His strength
returned to him; he rose up; he leapt upon his horse;
he hastened after the giant, for he desired to be avenged.
Now Fasold had vowed never to combat with any
foeman who survived his first blow, but Dietrich taunted
him, saying: "Thou art afraid to stand against me, A
coward is Fasold, else would he combat with his brother's
slayer."
The giant turned fiercely, for no longer could he
endure the prince's words. Swiftly were their swords
drawn, and hot but not brief was the conflict. Thrice
was Dietrich wounded, but five times had he wounded
with Ecke-sax the giant Fasold, who at length cried out
for mercy.
" If thou wilt but spare my life," Fasold said, " thee
shall I serve, and ever be thy faithful henchman/*
" Had I not slain thy brother," answered Dietrich,
c< I would have thee gladly for my knight; but I can claim
not the service of one whose kin I have wronged. Yet
shall I take oaths of fellowship with thee. Let us pledge
ourselves now to help one another in time of need, and
be like unto brothers before all men/*
So they swore oaths of knightly brotherhood, and
went together towards Jochgrimm mountain,
A great beast came out against them, and men say
that it was like unto an elephant. Fasold would Mn
have let it pass, but Dietrich dismounted and made fierce
attack with Ecke-sax. Yet, although he gtve the monster
many wounds, he could not slay it* The beast came
nigh to treading him underfoot* but once agtin did his
steed Falke come to his rescue; it broke firee; it leapt
against and kicked the monster^ which turned from
THE LAND OF GIANTS 421
prince a while. Then Dietrich crouched under its
stomach and stabbed there with the keen sword Ecke,
making nimble escape as the beast fell to die.1
Then Dietrich and Fasold went on their way. They
next beheld a great dragon flying towards them. It was
flying very low, and in its jaws it carried a knight, who
called loudly for help.
Dietrich struck at the monster, but even Ecke-sax
could not pierce it. Whereat the knight said: "By my
sword alone can the dragon be slain, but it lies within
the monster's mouth."
The Prince of Bern thrust his hand between the
dragon's jaws- He pulled forth the sword.
u Wound me not when thou dost strike," the knight
cried,
Dietrich smote the monster with the keen-edged
sword and slew it, and the captive knight was drawn
forth,
**Thy name and lineage?" the prince demanded of
him*
u My name ts Sintram,1* answered the knight, " and
kinsman arn I to Hildebrand at Bern. I was journeying
towards Bern, so that I might become a follower of
Prince Dietrich. The dragon came upon me while I
slept* else would it not have carried me away."
Dietrich's heart wts made glad, and he restored
unto Sintram his wondrous sword, saying: "I am he
whom you seek to serve* even Dietrich, Prince of
Bern/1
So they went together on their way with Fasold.
Then, as they drew nigh unto Jochgrimm mountain, the
gitnt fotfot his vows, and sought to take flight But
»St> -» th* ikarm in iffvwuif »$* tht Ftfhcr dragon, which Sigurd tubUd, put
Tht
422 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Dietrich would not have him go free until he reached
the castle in which the princesses had their dwelling.
Ere long they reached a great castle. Two giant
statues stood on each side of the door, and Fasold led
him in. But when the prince came between the statues
their arms fell, and had he not made swift escape he
would have been slain by their stone clubs.
Dietrich was made wroth. He turned upon Fasold
forthwith, and slew him because of his treachery. Then
he entered the hall, and the three princesses and their
mother, the queen, came towards him, for they deemed
he was Ecke.
"'Twas your desire," the prince said, "to behold
Dietrich of Bern. He now greets thee thus."
So saying, he flung at their feet the head of the giant
Ecke, and then turned from them. . , , He hastened
without, and, mounting his steed, rode with Sintram
towards Bern.
Heime came forth to meet Dietrich and greeted him
with such warmth that Dietrich gave unto him the sword
Naglering, which Alberich1 had forged for the giant
Grim, Ecke-sax he did keep for himself.
Witege was ill-pleased because that his fellow knight
was thus honoured.
" I forget not," he said unto Heime, ** that when I
was beset by robbers thy sword remained In its sheath/1
"Evil is thy tongue, thou self-sufficient man. Fain
would I have it silenced," Heime sakt
Both knights drew their swords to combat one against
the other. Dietrich was wroth and stepped between
them. Then he spake to Heime saying;
"Rash knight, thou shalt now go hence, Twns
1 Albcri ch wit c«Ued in Frnich legend Auberon, Spen**r introduced him to thi*
country a* Ot*ran* Alberich tifn&o "elf Kinf".
THE LAND OF GIANTS 423
unseemly that thou didst not aid thy fellow when robbers
came against him. . . . When by thy deeds thou hast
proved thyself a hero, thou mayest return again unto
Bern/'
"With the sword thou hast given me," Heime said,
" I shall win more than any man can take away/*
He went forth alone* He waged war against the
robbers and slew them, and became chief of a robber
band. Many a wayfarer fell by his sword, and he was
dreaded by valiant knights. He returned not unto
Dietrich again until he was possessed of much treasure
by his evil doings.
Against many giants did the prince combat, but
never was he in greater peril than when Laurin, the
dwarf, had power over him and his knights and held
them all in captivity.
CHAPTER XXXIX
The Wonderful Rose Garden
Dietleib the Dane — How he became a Knight — Kunhild stolen by the
Dwarf King — Knights to the Rescue — The Garden laid waste — Laurin's
Vengeance — Witege overcome — Combat with Prince — The Invisible Com-
batant— Laurin is Spared — Visit to Mountain Dwelling — The Banquet —
Knights made Prisoners — Dietrich's Fiery Breath — Battle with Dwarfs and
Giants — The End of Strife.
FIRST be it told of the lady Kunhild's brother, Dietleib
the Dane. He had fame in his own land for strength
and prowess, and great and glorious were the deeds of
his sire, the brave Yarl Biterol£ It chanced that when
the three journeyed towards Bern they were set upon by
Heime and his robber band in the midst of a forest.
Boldly fought the Danes, and the robbers were all killed,
save Heime alone, whom Dietleib, with his sword
Welsung, wounded on the forehead and put to flight.
Thereafter the young Dane became a servant unto
Dietrich, making pretence that his name was Ilmenrik.
It chanced that the prince paid visit to the Court of
Ermenrich, and there was his Danish servant taunted
by Walter of WasgensteJn. Dietleib was wroth^ arid he
challenged the arrogant knight, wagering life against life*
to prevail against him in performing feats of strength*
All the Court assembled to behold the sport, and the
knight was boastful and proud. But great wm the
might of Dietleib the Dane* He could putt the stone
THE WONDERFUL ROSE GARDEN 425
and throw the hammer so that men marvelled to be-
hold, nor could Walter of Wasgenstein prevail against
him.
Then did King Ermenrich pay life ransom in money
for the boastful knight, and the Dane gave a great feast
to which his master did invite many valorous war men.
Proud was Dietrich of his servant, and he made him
a knight. Heime, who had returned, was present at the
feast, and Dietleib sat beside him, and ere long he spake,
saying :
"On thy forehead is an evil scar, Heime. How
came thou by it?'*
Heime made answer : " I shall tell* thee in secret,
llmenrik, Wounded was I in combat with Dietleib the
Dane* I shall rest not until my shame be wiped out
with his life blood/'
^Know then,** the new knight whispered, "that I
am he whom thou didst attack with thy robber band.
Look in my face. . . . I am no other than Dietleib,
Fast was thy horse, else thou hadst not escaped me.
But I seek not now to denounce thee before Dietrich,
Let this secret be kept between us/*
It chanced upon a day thereafter that feir Kunhild,
Dietleib's sister, danced with her maids upon a green
meadow* She went towards a linden tree; then suddenly
she vanished from sight. The King of Dwarfs, whose
name was Laurrn, had long loved her for her beauty,
and desired to have her for his bride* So he came
secretly towtrdi the mttde% md below the linden tree
he emit over her his Cloak of Obsctmty ; then did he
ctny ftir Kunhild tway towwds his castle among the
Tyrolcse mountains*
The Iwurt of Dietleib was filled with sorrow, because
tlit fit tared hit sitter very dearly, He hastened unto
426 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Hildebrand, who dwelt in his castle at Garda, and be-
sought his aid, saying :
" The castle of Laurin is in the midst of a Tyrol
mountain, and in front of it he hath a wondrous Rose
garden."
" Many a life may be lost ere Kunhild is rescued,"
Hildebrand said; "but let us unto Dietrich and his
knights, so that we may take counsel with them*"
When that the knights came to know that Kunhild
was taken away by the dwarf king, Wolfhart spake
boldly, as was his wont, and said :
" Alone shall I ride forth and rescue this fair maid."
Dietrich heard the boast, nor made answer. He
spake to wise old Hildebrand, saying: "Knowest thou
aught of Laurin's Rose garden?"
"Tis told," Hildebrand said, "that it hath four
gates of gold* But no wall shields it. Round the Rose
garden is drawn a silken thread, and he who breaks it
shall have his right hand and left foot cut off. Laurin)
King of Dwarfs, ever keeps watch o'er his wondrous
garden, which is of exceeding great beauty,"
Witege spake: " Laurin can punish not an offender
who entereth his garden until he doth prevail against
him in single combat*"
"Then shall we fare forth," Dietrich said. *<We
seek but Kunhild, and need not despoil the Rose
garden*"
So the Prince rode towards the Tyrol mountain in
which Laurin, King of Dwarfs, hid his dwelling. With
him went Hildebrand, HeribrancTs son ; Witegt, Wie-
land's son; Dietleib the Dane, and Wdfhart, Hilda-
brand's kinsman.
Dietrich and Witege rode In front, because that
Hildebrand had taunted the prince, m was Ms wont,
THE WONDERFUL ROSE GARDEN 427
for he had been his master. "Were I not with thee,"
he said, <c thou couldst not overcome the dwarf."
So it fell that Dietrich and Wieland's son were first
to reach the wondrous Rose garden. Witege broke to
pieces a golden gate, and they entered together. Fair
were the roses, and of sweet and refreshing fragrance ;
their beauty gladdened Dietrich's eyes, and he was loath
to despoil them, But Witege sought to defy the dwarf,
and he rode through the blossoming shrubs, trampling
them ruthlessly underfoot. Soon was the fair garden
made desolate as a wilderness,
Wroth wa$ Lturin, King of the Dwarfs. He rode
forth on his steed, clad in full armour ; his spear was in
his hand* But three spans high was he, yet had he
wondrous strength and skill in conflict.
11 What evil have 1 done thee that thou shouldst
thus destroy my roses?*1 he cried bitterly. c<Thy right
hand and thy left foot 1 now demand, and must needs
obtain,**
Wkege defied the dwarf with laughter and scorn,
He deemed not that he WES endowed with magical
power* Diamonds sparkled upon Lturin's armour;
these made it swordproof and ipearproof* He also
won i girdle which give him the strength of twelve
men. On Mi head was a shining crown, and therein
was hit weakness* Golden birds sang forth from it as
if they wore alive.
Witege lowered hit spear, Laurin charged fiercely,
and at the first thrust swept him from the saddle* In
jprmt wrtl wis Wielandf§ §0% for the dwarf bound him;
but Dietrich nude ofiw of gold to atone the evil he had
done.
he told Laurin, **wiU bloom again in
428 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
The dwarf made answer that he possessed already gold
in abundance, but that his roses could not be restored
unto him.
Witege taunted Dietrich* " Fearest thou to tilt with
him?" he said; "must I die because thou dost shrink
from Laurin?"
The prince was wroth, and he challenged the dwarf
king forthwith to single combat, taking upon himself
the blame for the evil which his knight had accom-
plished*
'Twas well for Dietrich that old Hildebnmd then
rode up with Wolf hart, his kinsman, and Dietletb the
Dane. The old warrior counselled the prince to tilt not
with the dwarf, " Rather shouldst thou fight him on
foot with sword against sword,1* he said. " His armour
thou canst not pierce, for by reason of the diamonds it is
charmed against all weapons* Smjte thou him upon the
head,"
As Hildebrand counselled, so did Dietrich do. He
leapt from the saddle and challenged Laurin to combat
with swords. Fierce was the conflict. The prince smote
upon the dwarfs head blow after blow* so that he was
made feint. But Laurin drew round him his Cloak of
Obscurity and fought then unbeholden by the Prince
of Bern.
Many wounds did Dietrich receive; but he wtxed
in battle fury and suddenly took the unseen dwarf In
his arms and wrestled with him. From the prince's
mouth issued forth flames of fire, but without avail;
he could not injure Laurin*
** Snatch off his waist girdle,*1 Hildebrtfid cried
Ere long Dietrich possessed himself of the magic
girdle, which gtve to the dwtrf his great strength*
Then the prince had him in his power. He cast the
THE WONDERFUL ROSE GARDEN 429
little king on the ground and tore off the Cloak of
Obscurity.
Laurin feared that he would be put to death, so he
called upon Dietleib, KunhikTs brother, who pleaded for
his lift, for the young Dane desired most of all to dis-
cover where his fair sister was held in captivity. Thus
did the dwarf king escape the vengeance of Dietrich.
He gave thanks unto Dietleib> and when he had sworn
oaths of brotherhood with him> he invited the prince and
all his knights into his mountain castle*
They went together over a pleasant plain, and
through a fair forest* A great linden tree was there,
and many fruit trees whose odours were sweet. Birds
sang merrily in the branches, and Dietrich was glad of
heart* He began to make answer to the birds; but old
Hildebrand warned him not to whistle until he had left
the wood* All the knights were lighthearted save
Witege. He had bitter memory of how the dwarf had
prevailed against him^ and suspected treachery. Wolf-
htrt taunted him* but Wiekad's son rode in front. He
was first to retch the ctstle entrance. He saw there a
bright golden horn suspended on a chain. He blew a
loud blast upon it* When he did that the door opened
wide and they til went within. An iron door was
opened ; it closed behind them. Then through a door of
shining gold they went ; it was shut fast like to the other,
Soon Dietrich and his knights found themselves in
a bright and spacious hall. Hundreds of dwarfs were
there. Tttey made many; they dtnced and they held
tournament*. Delicious wine was given unto the
stranger^ and wen Witege forgot to be suspicious* and
made merry with the others* Then did Lturin begin to
work his dfil designs, He cast a spell upon Dietrich
and his knights* m that they could behold not one
430 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
another. They saw but the merry dwarfs and the
glories of the mountain dwelling.
At length fair Kunhild appeared. She had been
made Laurin's queen, and wore a gleaming crown.
Many maidens came with her, but she was fairest of
them all. Dwarfs playing harps, and dancing and per-
forming strange feats, skipped before her and around.
In her crown shone a bright jewel. It dispelled the
magic mist, and the warriors beheld one another again.
Then was a great feast held. Kunhild sat with
Laurin, and Dietleib, whom she embraced tenderly, she
took beside her. They spoke in low voices one to
another. Great was her desire to leave all the splen-
dour and wealth that was there, and return once again
to her own kin.
The dwarf persuaded all the knights to lay down
their arms. So merry were they that they did so with-
out fear.
Evening came on, and Laurin led Dietleib to a
chamber apart, where he made offer to him of rich
treasure if he would desert Dietrich and his knights*
But the young Dane refused resolutely to be a traitor,
whereat the dwarf vanished and the door was locked
securely. Dietleib was mtde blind.
Then were the strangers given wine, which caused
them all to fell into a deep deep* The vengeful king
Laurin thus had them in his power. He ctuied them
to be bound, and they were all cast together into t deep
dungeon, so that vengeance might be wrttkcd upon
them, because that the Rose garden hid been despoiled.
There they ky helpless tnd Wind
Kunhild wept tor them. When the dwtrft were ill
asleep she stole in secret to her brother's chamber and
gave to him a golden ring which dispelled hit magic
THE WONDERFUL ROSE GARDEN 431
blindness, Then did the young Dane secure possession
of his weapons and those of his fellow knights.
Meanwhile Dietrich woke up. Wroth was he when
he found that he was fettered. The dwarfs girdle re-
stored his sight, and flames issued from his mouth, which
melted his bonds of iron, so that he rose up. He went
towards each of his companions and set them free one
by one.
Dietleib then came with all their weapons, and with
the prince he fought fiercely agamst the dwarfs. At
length Dietrich wrenched from one of them a golden
ring. He gave it unto Hildebrand, and his sight was
restored* Then did the old warrior enter the conflict.
The dwarfs fell fast before them* Thousands were put
to dettht for theVe wts none in Laurin's castle who could
prevail against the three great warriors.
At length Lturitt rushed without* He blew a great
bltst upon hi$ hor% and five giants armed with clubs
came to his aid.
Wdfhtrt tnd Witege ware still blind, but they could
rest not while the clamour of btttle raged about them,
so they rushed mto the fttf tnd fought bravely* Then
give Kunhild unto them jewelled rings, tnd their blind-
ness was dispelled.
The ive gknts fought against the five knights, and
long ind terrible wit the smiggle which ensued; but one
by out the monsters were slam, and Dietrich and his
knights mm tnitmphimt The heroes wtded knee deep
til bloody so great wn the slaughter which they nccotn-
plished in the kingdom of Laurin.
The» wii the ownf king in«de prisoner and Kunhild
•tt free. Dtetridt tucl hit knights possessed themselves
of much trettwrei md they returned unto Bern, taking
with them Layrtn tiid Dietleib's Mf sitter.
432 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Laurin was laughed at and put to shame, and he
brooded over his evil lot, desiring greatly to be avenged
upon Dietrich and his victorious knights. So he sent
a secret message unto his uncle, Walberan, who was king
over the giants and dwarfs in the eastern Caucasus, and
besought him to come to his rescue.
He spoke secretly thereanent unto Kunhild, whereat
she made promise that if he swore oaths of friendship
with Dietrich, she would return with him to his moun-
tain dwelling and be his queen once again*
So she prevailed upon Laurin to do her wiU. ** My
Rose garden", he said, "I shall plant 'again that the
roses may bloom fair and fragrant in the sunshine of
May/'
The dwarf king drank wine with the prince of Bern
and made peace, vowing to be his lifelong comrade and
helper*
As they sat together at the feast, a message was borne
unto Dietrich from King Walberan, demanding all the
treasure and all the weapons that were in Bern, and the
right hand and left foot of every knight who had wrought
destruction in the Rose garden* Defiantly did the prince
make answer and prepared for battle,
Dietrich and Walberan challenged each other to
single combat, and they fought with great fierceness.
Numerous were their wounds, nor could one prevail over
the other* It seemed as if they would both be skin.
Then did Laurin ride forth, and, embracing his
unde, he prevailed upon him to make peace. Htlde*
brand pleaded likewise with Dietrich, and the combat
was brought to an end* Together they then sat down
to feast and drink wine, tnd they vowed otths of friend-
ship, so that there might be lasting pctce between them*
Kunhild returned with Laurin unto hit mountain
THE WONDERFUL ROSE GARDEN 433
dwelling* The Rose garden was planted once again,
and it bloomed fair in the sunshine of May.
Herdsmen among the hills, and huntsmen who wend
thither, have been wont to tell that they could behold
on moonlight nights Laurin and fair Kunhild dancing
together in the green forests and in the valleys below
the Tyrolese mountains, Dietleib's sister hath still her
dwelling in the bright castle as in other days. She Is
Queen of the Dwarfs and can never die.
The Rose garden blooms ever fair, but unbeholden by
men, in the sunshine of May, and many have sought to
find it in vain.
CHAPTER XL
Virginal, Queen of the Mountains
The Maid -devouring" Giant — Hildebrand slays Orkise — -Dietrich and the
Giants — Night Battle — The Black Horseman — Slaughter of Monster*— Cattk
Muter — Prince taken Prisoner— The Rescue — Janibas surrounds Virftrml'i
Castle — Magic Tablet — The Avalanche* — A Peerless Queen — Dietrich wins
his Bride*
TIDINGS came unto Dietrich at Bern that Virginal, Queen
of the Mountains, was in sore distress because that a
giant wasted her land and had perforce to obtain as
tribute, at each new moon, a fair maiden, whom he did
devour.
The prince set forth with old Hildebrand to give aid
to the queen, who had great beauty, and ruled over those
dwarfe and giants In the Tyrolese mountains that never
sought to do injury unto mankind. Her oppressor wts
named OrkJse, whose son was Janibas, an evil magician.
As the two heroes rode through the forest there came
unto them a dwarf whose name wts Bibung. He guided
them towards Jerasputit, where the queen hid her dwell-
ing, but when night came lie vanished* Snow feM neicf
morning, and the knights were parted one fit>tu another.
Ere long Hildebrand heard bitter cries, and lie beheld a
fitlr maiden who had been taken to the forest so that the
giant might obtain Ear for tribute. Fairest was she of
Queen Virginal's maidens. The knight proffered hit
protection and vowed to rescue her* whereat her heart
was filled with gratitude and her eyes with joy fours*
QUEEN OF THE MOUNTAINS 435
Soon the forest was shaken with dread clamour, for
the giant was coming nigh with his dogs to possess him-
self of his prey. Hildebrand drew his sword ; not slow
was he to enter the conflict, and ere long he slew the
giant and put to flight his evil son Janibas*
The maiden returned with glad heart unto the queen,
and gave tidings of how the giant Orkise had been slain.
There was great rejoicing in the castle, and eagerly did
Virginal and all her people await the coming of the
heroes.
Meanwhile Dietrich fought with many of the giant's
followers* The clamour of battle resounded far and
near, and when Hildebrand hastened to his aid the
horde was overcome; many were slain and many made
escape.
Together did they then go upon their way towards
the palnce of Jertspunt Darkness came on, and they
rode to the gate of the custle of Orkise, deeming it theirs
by right of conquest* But small hospitality were they
shown. No sooner did they demand entrance than fierce
giants issued forth against them. Heavy clubs they bore,
and they smote fiercely # but soon they were overcome by
the valorous heroes. Then appeared a black horseman.
He spake in a strange tongue* and giants sprang up out
of the earth to continue the fight. As they were cut
down others took their place, and when all the giants
were slain, hissing snakes and nameless reptiles issued
forth against Dietrich and Hildebrand, to that they had
to 6ght constantly throughout the night Hie black
horseman entered not die fray, and when dawn broke he
from siht, Then did the heroes enter the
cutJe and tet it litetjr three of Queen Virginal's maidens
whom they found there,
N0wt during the night the hemoes dew a fierce
436 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
dragon. It carried in its jaws a brave knight whose
name was Rentwin, and with him did Dietrich and
Hildebrand journey towards his father's castle. There
did they remain until their wounds were healed.
Thereafter the prince and his veteran companion set
forth with Rentwin and his sire towards Jeraspunt
Eager was Dietrich to behold the fair maiden queen
Virginal. He spurred his steed; he rode in front, and
ere long he was lost to his fellow knights* *Twa$ ill for
him that he waited not for them, because the way wm
strange and wild, and he wandered from the straight
path. So it chanced that he came unto the castle of
Duke Nitger, called Muter*
Now the duke had many giants, and when one of
them issued forth, Dietrich asked of him to be guided
unto the palace of Queen Virginal. Answer was given
him according to his desire ; but when he turned to ride
away the giant smote the hero with his club so that he
fell from his horse. Then was brave Dietrich seized
and bound and thrown into a dark dungeon* The
duke's sister treated him with kindness. But for her
protection the prince would have been put to death.
When Hildebrand reached the palace of Virginal he
received tidings that the prince had been taken captive,
So he hastened back unto Bern, and rode forth with mtny
brave knights, among whom were Wolf htrt and Witege
and Heime* They laid siege to Castle Muter and fought
against twelve giants. While the battle wiged fiercely,
Dietrich made escape and entered the fray. Victory WAS
then with the heroes of Bern, and all the giants were
slain.
The knights sought to put Duke NIt$jer to dct tht but
his sister pleaded for him, and his life was spared by
Dietrich*
QUEEN OF THE MOUNTAINS 437
Then did they all set forth towards Jeraspunt On
their way they beheld a dwarf riding towards them.
Unto Dietrich spake the little man, and he told that
fierce Janibas had surrounded the palace of Queen
Virgiaal with a great army, and made demand of all her
maidens and the magic jewel in her crown which gave
her power to rule over all her subjects.
So the heroes pressed onward* They climbed the
mountains over ice and snow, and soon they heard the
fierce clamour of battle. The howling of the great black
dogs of Jtntbas was like the howling of wintry tempests;
strange monsters fought there, and the queen's defenders
were in sore straits. The voices of the giants were loud
as thunder peals.
In the midst of the battle Dietrich saw the black
horseman* He knew him to be Janibas. An iron tablet
he held in his hand and wrought spells upon it The
prince spring upon him* His sword flashed fire. He
broke in pieces the iron tablet and slew the dread worker
of evil Then petled the loud thunder amidst the
Tyrolesc mountains; the glaciers were sundered, and
avalanches fell upon the evil army of Janibas, which
suddenly vanished from sight* Soon was there silence
and peace, and an end to that dread conflict*
Queen Virginal sat alone* high throned in her moun-
tain palace, unmoved and beautiful; brightly gleamed
the jewel in her crown* A glistening silver veil was
drawn round her body, and her maidens crouched
trembling at her feet*
When the battle was ended* Dietrich made approach,
and the caJkd him ^fier®1*, and greeted Urn with love*
«4 No longer an 1 reign here in Elfland;* she spake.
44 Thy great deed* have 1 beheld, and for thy sake 1 shall
leave my home and my kingdom, and henceforth live
438 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
among men; for I shall be thy bride, and love thee so
long as life may last."
Then were Dietrich and Queen Virginal wedded
there with pomp and ceremony, and elves and heroes
feasted within the mountain palace, and drank wine and
made merry. Ere long Dietrich and his bride and the
brave knights journeyed together to Bern, where they
were received with acclamations by the people.
Dietrich and Queen Virginal lived happily together,
and when King Dietmar died, the prince reigned in his
place* Then was there peace within the kingdom ; but
evil was being wrought in another land, and it was feted
that King Dietrich must become a fugitive among men
ere he could triumph completely over his evil foemen*
CHAPTER XLI
Dietrich in Exile
Ermenrich and Sibechc — Fate of the King'* Sons*-*- The Harlungi—
Quarrel with Dietrich— Battl* bttwtea Klatinea-^Convoy captutwi — Knight*
raruomed— Dktrich »urrcnder» hit Kingdom— At the Court of EtxdU-Cam-
pftign *g ftlntt Ermenrich— Boy Warrior* *Uin — Wltege mud the Mermaid —
Sorrow in H unaland—The Nibclung Tragedy — Vengeance of Hagen't Son —
Emi of Exile,
KING ERMENRICH was a mighty monarch, and all the
rulers of the Southland owned him as overlord, and
paid yearly tribute* His nephew, Dietrich, helped in
his wars, and gave to him at length his fierce knights
Witege and Heime*
Now it chanced that Ermenrich had an evil counsellor*
His name was Sibeehe,1 and his wife had been wronged
by the king* Sibedhe first thought to slay Ermenrich,
but cho*e rather to cause the great monarch to murder
his own children and wage war against his own kin*
Terrible was the vetigejufi^e of Sibedhe; by reason of it
many brave knight* went to their death, and lor long
years bitter warfare waft waged,
Ermenrich had three sons* Sibeche bore false witness
against on« and the king's second bride, Svmnhild* The
prince was hanged and Gudrun'* daughter was trodden
ID death by many steed*. Another wts sent to Britain
at an envoy in m leaky ship and w«s drowned* The third*
tiliy <rfife* V*Uu«f UW.
440 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
by Sibeche's advice, journeyed to Norway to demand
tribute, and there was he slain. Evil charges were then
made, reviling the king's nephews, the Harlungs; war
was waged against them, and they were overcome and
slaughtered in their Rhine4and stronghold*
Nor was Dietrich spared. Sibeche poisoned the mind
of Ermenrich against the valiant King of the Amelungs.
"Thy nephew's kingdom grows greater year by year/*
said Sibeche to the jealous king; <c ere long he shall wrest
thine own from thee* Thou shouldst dem&nd of him
payment of yearly tribute."
Then was the knight Randolt sent unto Bern to
demand tribute, but Dietrich gave scornful refusal,
whereat Ermenrich was made wroth, so that he vowed
he would have his nephew hanged as a traitor,
In vain did Witege and Heime plead with the king-
He gave ear to Sibeche, and marched against Bern with
a great army- Dietrich went forth and met his sire's
brother in battle array, and in a fierce night attack
achieved an overwhelming victory, so that Ermenrich
was beaten back*
It chanced, however, that Dietrich lacked sufficient
treasure to continue the war, and old Hildebrand made
oflfer of all the gold he possessed, as did also Bertmm of
Pola. So the knights set forth with Wolfhart, Dktleib
the Dane, and other heroes to guard t convoy of five
hundred horses bearing treasure unto Bern* Ermenrich
came to know of their mission, so he htd the convoy
taken in ambush. Thus were the bravest knights of
Dietrich made prisoners tnd his wtr treasure captured
Dietleib alone escaped. He carried the mournful tidings
of disaster unto his king.
Dietrich sent envoys unto Ermenrich tnd offered
exchange of prisoners, so that tils ki%hts might be §et
DIETRICH IN EXILE 44t
free; but the fierce monarch made answer that he would
have them all hanged unless Dietrich ransomed them
with his kingdom.
Noble-hearted was DJetmar's great son. He could
suffer not to reign as king if his faithful followers were
put to death. His soul was sad, because that Queen
Virginal had sickened and died, and he sent a message to
Ermenrich saying that he would depart from the king-
dom if the lives of Hildebrand and Wolf hart and his
other knights were spared*
Then Ermenrich came unto Bern with his army, and
Dietrich bade fkrewell to his own land amidst the lamen-
tation of the people, who loved him well. His brother,
Dtether, who was but a child, went with him. Old
Hildebrtnd left behind hss wife Ute and his babe Hadu-
brand, and followed his king, as did also the other
knights for whose sake he had given up his kingdom.
Dietrich took refuge in the Court of EtzeP, King
of the Huns. He was made welcome there and greatly
honoured. He fought with Etzel against the King of
Wilkina~land*> and against the King of Russia and
Pokndt tnd achieved grett conquests. Grateful was
Etxet for the help which Dietrich and his knights gave
him*
But ever did Dietrich mourn for his lost kingdom*
Queen Hekhe pitied him, because that he was sorrowing
continually, and give him for wife her niece, the gentle
Prtiiassi Herrtd, Soon tfterwiurds King Etfcd made
promise that he would raise for Dietrich in early spring
i great army, to that he might wage war against Errncn-
ffeh» urn! witt back the kttigdom of the Amehngs*
Y«n hid piiicd since Dtetirar's ion rode forth
from Born* His brother Diether had grown into early
44* TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
manhood; a brave and bold young knight he was, Well
loved was he by Etzel's sons, Erp and Ortwin, and when
the great army assembled, the three young friends must
needs go forth to battle together, for they desired greatly
to win renown as valiant war-men.
Etzel's queen would fain have held them back. She
had dreamed in an evil dream that a dragon had entered
the castle, carried away the lads, and devoured them while
she looked on. But they pleaded with the king, and he
gave them their desire. Dietrich vowed that they would
have sure protection from danger, and Etzel sent Forth
with them the Margrave Rudiger and his fearless knights.
With Dietrich went Diether, and old Hildebrand, Wolf-
hart, and Dietleib the Dane, and the other heroes
who shared with their king exile 5n the land ot
Huns*
Sibeche commanded the army of Ermenrich, who was
stricken with sickness, and he waited for the Invading
army on the southern bank of the river, at Ravenna, nigh
to the frontier of the kingdom of the Amelungs.
Dietrich pushed towards Bern, but when he retched
the city of Istria he left his brother Diether and Etzel's
sons, Erp and Ortwin, in the care of old Elsan, so that
they might suffer no harm. He deemed them too
young to risk the perils of war against battle-hardened
heroes.
Ill-pleased were the kds with their lot* They mtde
resolve to follow the army, and having deceived old
Elsan they stole forth from the city and rode swiftly to
the front They rode to their doom*
On the night before the battle Dietrich1! forces were
drawn up on due north bank of the river, and old Hilde-
brand went out to scout* A knight ctme from the foe-
men's camp with similar intent. They met but fought
DIETRICH IN EXILE 443
not, for the knight was Reinald They sorrowed together
that friends were divided by war, and ere they parted
they embraced and kissed one another.
In the morning Dietrich led his knights across the
river at a ford which Hildebrand had found. They fell
upon Sibeche's division of the army and put it to flight,
Witege was with Sibeche, but he fled not He rode on;
he slew Dietrich's standard-bearer, but the tide of battle
went past him, and soon he found himself alone*
Twas then that Diether and EtzeTs two sons reached
the front They saw Witege and called him a traitor*
Qrtwin went against him, but ere long he was cut down*
Then did Erp seek vengeance; he rushed against the
ferocious knight In vain did Witege warn him to hold
back lest he would share his brother's fate; but Erp was
without fetr — a great warrior would he have been had
he Eved* Brief was the conflict* for Witege drew his
sword Mimung and smote the prince so that his head
mi taken off,
Diether sorrowed tnd wts made wroth* He drew
his sword mid rock against Witege.
Wiekud's son wttched him drawing nigh, and he
spake to the lad> saying:
u Sty if thou ut Diether* brother of Dietrich ; if
thou trt, I desire not to combtt with thee."
Dfethor stict; **The brother of Dietrich I am in*
it thou thtlt know to thy toss ere Io«g*n
11 Then coftifatt agwnst another,*1 Witege stid ; ** seek
bittte glory elsewhere. I desire not to be thy skyer/1
**Thmi hut skin both Erp suni Ortwiii/1 cried
Dtfthert * but me thou ihtlt not escape* Thou dog and
trtit®rt I would die mther than mfc iky thee,1*
BoW ifttck made he forthwith* hut Wit^e fwrdi
Mm not He but fmrried Ms Wows. But §t length
444 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
Diether smote off his horse's head, and he had perforce
to leap to the ground.
"I call to witness the god Irmin," Witege cried,
"that I fight now but to defend myself/1
When he said that he smote at Diether with his
sword Mimung and cut the young hero In twain.
Witege wept. Sad at heart was he because that he
had slain the lad, and greatly, too, did he fear the wrath
of Dietrich.
Elsan, who had followed the lads from Istria, had
meanwhile found Dietrich, and he gave him tidings of
their fate. Dietrich smote off his head, and hastened
towards the place of sorrow* He found the dead bodies
of the young heroes; he wept over them.
"Alas," he cried, "what grief is mine! What sin
have I committed that I should be punished thus ? My
body bears not a battle scar. I have triumphed in the
field, and yet is my brother taken from me, and the sons
of Eted laid in death. Never again can 1 return unto
the land of the Huns,"
He looked around him* He beheld Witege taking
flight on Diether's horse across the heath, and his heart
burned to be avenged. On his steed Falke he letpt at
a bound and rode after the traitor knight, Fkmes issued
from his mouth, so great was his fury*
As he drew nigh to Witege, he called : ** Flee not
before me, thou hell-hound ! If thou art not as great
a coward as thou art a traitor, sttnd now that I may
avenge my brother's death/1
Witege paused not He cried in answer : <€ I hid to
fight for my life against Diether. Twts not my desire
to combit against him,n
Swiftly rode Witege until he came to the shore of
the lake at the river mouth. Dietrich pressed on close
DIETRICH IN EXILE 445
behind him; his spear was in his hand; he hurled it
against the traitor. . , *
But Witege paused not; he rode into the water,
and his wrathful pursuer was but a horse-length behind
him. . . ,
Then suddenly there rose out of the lake the mer-
maid Waghild, his grandsire's mother. She seized
Witege and his steed and drew them beneath the waves.
. , . Dietrich rode out until his horse had to swim, but
he sought in vain for his brother's slayer, . , * Never
igain was Witege beheld by human eyes, for the mer-
maid bore him unto her cave under the waters and
guarded him there.
Dietrich returned to the battlefield, and the remnants
of Sibeche's army were put to flight* But Dietmar's
great son hid no joy in the victory, nor could he press
on fkrther with the army of Huns, because that Etzel's
two tons were slain* He could hope not for aught save
the vengetnce of him who had given him help to win
back his kingdom,
He mourned for Diether and for Erp and Ortwin,
and when they wens given burial he bade Rudiger to
lead back the army unto the land of the Huns* So did
the nuuqgnwe do s he returned unto Etzei with his
heroes; he stood before the king; he gave unto him
the mmionifiil tiding! of the lots of the two princes*
The queen lamented aloud* hut the king, whose
heart was sorrow-stricken also, spike saying:
m So hath it happened ts it ever doth in the fortunes
of war. Each man must die at his appointed time/*
Then tsked he of Rudiger: ** Where is Dietrich
and HiJdebriiid? Why come they not into my pre-
tence r
** They mourn apart**1 answered the Mai^grave j ** lotth
446 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
are they to approach thee because that Erp and Qrtwin
have been cut off!"
Then sent Etzel two knights unto Dietrich, but he
refused to go with them before the king; whereat the
queen, who at first was wroth against him, rose up and
did herself go unto the hero.
She spake to him, saying: "How fought my sons
Erp and Ortwin ? Were they fearless and bold in btttle
and worthy their kin?"
"Because they feared not," Dietrich answered, cct!iey
fought and fell one after another; nor would they fci
parted, so great was their love,"
The queen kissed him while she wept, and then fed
him before King Etxel
Then did Dietrich cast himself at the feet of his great
ally, and made offer of his life because that the princes
were slain. But Etzel raised him up ; Dietrich he kissed,
and they sat down together* So was their friendship
made more enduring.
When two summers went past the queen died. But
ere life was taken from her she warned the king to wed
not a wife from the knd of the Nibelungs, ** Else,11 she
said, **thou and the children she may htve ihsdl suflfer
evil beyond concept/*
But the good queen's words were forgotten when
Eted sent envoys unto King Gunther, so thit he might
have Kriemhild for his bride.
Now Dietrich and old Hildebrtnd hid tfonrtime been
friends of King Gunther and Hage% tnd when the con-
flict wts waged at Bfc&eFs Court, by rcticm of Kramhild'i
evil doings, they did hold aloof, until impetuous Wolf-
hart was drawn into the fray. Then was old Hildebrand
wounded, and all the knights of Dietrich were skin,
then, us tmth been toW* that Dtettntr't
DIETRICH IN EXILE 447
son took arms against Hagen and Gunther and overcame
them. But when they were put to death, Hildebrand
slew Kriemhild, whom he called "a devil".
Etzel said : <c A devil she hath been indeed. But for
her many a noble knight would still be alive/*
Now be it told of how King Etzel passed from before
men* Aldrian, Hagen's son, vowed to avenge his sire's
death. So he paid visit unto Etxel and spake to him
regarding the Nibelung treasure*
** If thou wilt accompany me," he said, €< I shall reveal
to thee alone where the gold lies hidden."
Etxel went forth. Hagen's son led him to a secret
cave which is below the Rhine water. There he beheld
vast treasure and his eyes were gladdened. But Aldrian
stepped back suddenly and said :
** Now mayest thou have full enjoyment of the gold
which thou didst desire, and I shall have vengeance for
my tire's death.**
When he spake thus, Aldrian shut the door of the
cave, and Etxdi perished of hunger in that concealed and
•eeure prison in the midst of all the treasure which he
desired to obtain,
So time went past, and then tidings came to Dietrich
that Brasenrich had been skin by two princes, who
avenged the death of Svanhild, and that Sibeche desired
to tit upon the throne* He raised an army to march into
his own kingdom, and old Hildebrand went with him*
€i Rather would I die in Bern/* Dietrich said* "than
remain any longer in ddle even among the Hunt/*
CHAPTER XLII
The King's Homecoming
The Army of Hunt— fUkkbmnci md H*dnb*mttd— The
Hildebrand identifie* hU Son— Haaubrmnd iutpect» Treachery— Th« Combat
— Tmgic Ei^iJng-— 3>i«tdeh'» Victory — Triumphant Return to B«ni— 8lb«ch«
Aged King— A Bcathkw H«ro—T1i« WEM
Now the length of time which Dietrich pas»ed in exile
was thirty and two years. He had new ceased to long
to return again unto Bern* Hildebrtnd* who shared with
him his sorrow, shared also his hope. He hud uned
aged, and men tell that he had grown a century old, yet
was he fierce in conflict as of yore, and wise as he wmt
brave*
When Dietrich^ leading his army of Huns towards
Bern, drew nigh to the northern frontier of the land
of the Amelungs, Hadubrand came forth against him
with a strong band. Then were the opposing forces
drawn up in battle array* And it was fated that
Dietrich should return alone unto Born*
Ere the batde began two brave knights rode forth
from either army, challenging one another to single
combat* Fearless and of noble seeming were they both.
One was old Hildebrand; the other was H ad u brand,
his own ®o% who was but a babe when his fether fmred
forth with Dietrich from Bern* Long had they been
parted; now, at last, were they met, but to fight as
foemen.
THE KING'S HOMECOMING 449
Son and father had adjusted their armour with care;
they were clad in coats of mail ; their swords were girded
over their armour when they rode into the fight.
Hildebrand, Heribrand's son, spoke first when they
drew nigh one to another. He was the older and the
wiser man. Few were his words, but he asked:
** Who among men was thy sire ? . . . Which genera-
tion's child art thou ? If thou wilt give me the name of
but one of thy kinsmen, I shall know the others; all
the nobles of the kingdom are known unto me,"
Hadubrand answered: "Wise old men who died
long ago were wont to tell me that my sire's name
was Hildebrand. . * * Mine own name is Hadubrand,
In yetrs ptst Hildebrand fled eastward with Dietrich
tnd many of his men. He left behind him, helpless
ttid alone, hit wife and his child ; he left his own people
behind* Dietrich had lost his sire; he had become a
friendless mt% and my sire hated Ermenrich — that
worthy hero! * * * Hildebrand was wont to be with
Dietrich a leader of the people; he loved warfare;
well known was he indeed unto valiant men, . . . I do
not believe that he is still dive,**
Hildebrand was deeply moved, and he spake, saying :
M Now do 1 ctll to witness Imnini1 the god of my people,
that I dare not combat with thee, because that thou art
to nor of kin/*
As he spake the did hero took from his arm the
twisted armlet of fine gold which Dietrich h«d given
him* He held if towards hit son, saying:
u This do I give unto thee for love's sake, Htdu-
brand/1
The ion advanced not to accept his f*therft pwiared
gift, He inspected treachery, so he spake, saying :
450 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
UA warrior must receive gifts with his spear— when
lance is against lance. . . . Thou art an old and cunning
hero* Fain wouldst thou entice me now with gentle
speech, , . * Thou wilt throw thy spear at me betimes.
. . , So old art thou grown and so cunning, that thou
art become a hardened deceiver."
Mournfully did Hildebrand shake his head.
"Seafarers have told me," his son protested, athtt
they heard from the east of warfere above the Wendel-
sea.1 *Twas told them; * Hildebrand^ Hmbrmd*$ wn^ u
"O ruling godl What fete is ours?" cried
brand. ..." For thirty summers and thirty winters
have I wandered as a fugitive. Ever went I into btttle
against the bowmen, nor would one of them give me my
d«th* . * , Now my own child wiU hew me with his
sword or throw me down with his spear. » » . or else
I shall be Ms murderer* . . *lf
In silence he gazed a moment upon his son; he
regarded the noble form with sorrow and pride*
"Thou mtyest easily win the fight with so old a mm
m I am," he said, "if thy strength is great If thou
dost triumph, thou shah hare my treasure for booty/'
Hadubrand made answer with softer wke, for he
had spoken harshly: "1 can see from thine Honour^1
he said, " that thou hast a good master ; and methinks
thou didst never become a fiigttive by compulsion/*
Pleasant were the words of Hadubrand in die ears 01
his sire* Hildebrand loved Ms son because that lie was
fearless and bold and thirsted for the fray. He could
deky not meeting him any longer* lest he should be called
a coward by friends and foemen alike, So lit spake,
saying:
THE KING'S HOMECOMING 451
<c He who would deny thee combat now would be the
worst of eastern men. Greatly dost thou covet glory!
By common right of war this conflict should show forth
to-day which of us can make boast among men."
Then began they to fight* They tilted with their
spears one against the other, but the heavy thrusts were
parried by their shields* , . * Ere long they drew their
swords-— their hard-edged splitters — and fearfully they
hewed until» at length, their white shields were splintered
and battered, , , . They cast aside their broken bucklers*
* * . They fought then with their swords alone.
Silence fell upon the opposing armies. No man
spake* Every eye wts turned upon the brave warriors
in fierce conflict. * „ » Neither side was confident of
the issue* * . . Never before was Hildebrand so well
matched ; never did Htdubrand combat against so power-
ful a fbeman*
Long they fought* so that it seemed the conflict
would never end, . * . Then fell the last swordstroke.
Sudden was its fali like lightning, and as sure, and Hadu-
bntnd sank upon the ground, bleeding from his death-
wound.
Hildebrand flung his blade from him* He knelt
beside the Men hero. The stern old warrior wept
bitter tears*
* Alii,*1 he dried, a I htve skin mine awn son I**
Hfdubraiida enduring sharp agony, looked up with
dbrth-tmght eyes.
** Thou art* indeed* my sift,1 * he said * ** no man save
Htldebrand could haw prevailed against me.**
Hildebrand wound hit arms about the dying hero*
Deathly white was his fice like that of his son. Fate
had stricken htm sore. . . . The battle began to be
waged nigh unto him and went past . . , He spake not
452 TEUTONIC MYTH AND LEGEND
to the nobles who came near at eventide* * » , The eyes
of the fallen warrior were then ghxed by death ; his lips
were cold ; his armour was reddened by blood ; Hadu-
brand had died of his wounds. Hildebrand, Heribrand's
son> had died of grief* * * *
Victory was won by Dietrich, His enemies were
scattered before him, and those who were not skin fled
unto their homes.
But sad was Dietrich's heart when he rode in triumph
into Bern because that old Hildebrand wts dead* By the
people he was received with great rejoicings; he went
unto his palace; there did the nobles greet him ur*d
do him homage, laying at his feet gifts of gold and
many gems. So was he acclaimed the rightful king.
Sibeche sought in vtin to stem the tide of victory
which thereafter fell to Dietrich's arms* He murched
against the king with a great army; he fought but a
single battle* By t brave knight wis he ehtllenged to
single combat, md after fierce and prolonged fighting he
was cleft in twain. Thereafter wts his army defatted*
and those who survived the vengeance of Diefirkh kid
down their arms and did him homage. Then was Diet**
mar's great son exalted among men, for he was crowned
king over all the dominions which Ermenrich had held,
When Etxel died he was made king of the Hunt also.
Thus did he become the greatest monarch of hit tt
he who had long been an exile from his own land*
Long was the reign of King Dietrich* »ttd there
peace owr tH the wide dominions which he ruled, for
it was given unto him to be wite *§ he w»s powerful.
To a great old age did he live. And minstrel^ wan-
dering from land to hud to sing in the halls of heroet,
hire told thtt he never died* For it chanced that he
went forth one day to hint in t deep forest* Among
THE KING'S HOMECOMING 453
the huntsmen there was none who was his equal even
although he was burdened with years. He bathed him-
self, after the chase was ended, in a small lake. A dwarf
came nigh and cried out :
** O King, the greatest stag which man hath ever
looked upon is rushing past ; it escapeth the hunts-
men/1
Dietrich left the water ; he wrapped a rug about him-
self and called for his horse, but he was not heard.
Then there burst through the trees a noble and high-
stepping black steed. No man, rode it. Dietrich sprang
into the saddle ; he urged it on, and the black steed ran
faster than the wind*
The dwarf rode behind him : a Swiftly indeed thou
dost ride," he cried ; ** when wilt thou return, O King ?"
Dieorich made answer t ** I can hold not back this evil
steed, nor am I dismount from it. Nor can I return
Again until it is the will of God and the Holy Mary/*
So Dietrich vanished from sight* And nevermore
was h« teen munong men. Yet when the wind is high,
and the world it tempest-stricken, the sound of hoofe are
heard m rnid~«tr, and men know then that Dietrich, seated
on his bkek steed, is pursuing the stag as of old across
the
1 Uk* O**H Oiari«m*fn«, tUfig Arthur, Ac., he it the WUd Hvmttm«i in
tiefl*
INDEX
AEffe or Mgmt (I'jir), xxvii, ao, 65, 73,
9t* 99* too, 107, I53ii 170* 171, *73»
*7S«
/lC»ch*rc (etk'ha-rtt), aoa, 304.
A%han ** Seven Sbeptri w» xlv «.
Afrk% ** Lot*i-ht*d* * of, xtviL
Alberich {*J*btr-ik)» the «tf ktGg, 352 «,
77, 389*
(*irhim«), borne
447.
ao,
r* ***!, i» % i% 13, a£ 18$-
jptlaot of D«aoa*rk, 313, 343*
1341ft*
S«t
tiw
731% 90,
MUfey
<*«'««), §.
of, xjiv, *»y.
Arnold, Matthew, 10, ao, 163-4, i6S«,
1 86.
Arthur (Celtic, artl)«r)» the alecpir^,
xlvii | hunting, 453 «.
ArVak (ar-wak) and Alavid (al-avid),
sun-steeds, 6. x
Ai*-clan gloom, xxvii
Asa-gods (i-sa), creation, of, 3*
Aagard (aa'gard), xxv, xxxi, xxxvi, 10,
it, 15, l^» 19, 33, as, 36, 27, st8» 39,
jo, 3** 34» 35» 3«» 38, 44» 4^» 5** 57»
7»» 74. 7^1 fcU of, 77*
8Si 86, $7?
79»
89,
131, 132, 138,
151, 156, 157, 167,
530,
183, 188, 384, 304*
Minor, xliv.
xxviL
A*k, fine man, 9, 10% 187.
last of the
34^. 343.
143, 151, 155.
A*mund (a'tmoond), mm of Svipdag,
8t» 86, S;.
Alk (at'tt), kinfi of th« Hotuj, 336, 3^7^
334, 343> 344> 34S» 347. 349. 35^
351. S^*te> jr/**/ax«I X/rt&u
AtUU (at'e-ta), Etnp«ror of Hum, xxxix t
Atlt.
-bod'a), Ha« of Iroawood,
456
INDEX
Babylonian myths, xxviii,
Bsenkhied (benTcide), Brynhild's sister,
326.
Balder (bal'dir), xxv, xxvii, xxix, xxxvi,
xxxvii, xxxviii, io» 27, 28, 65, 66,
146; world vows, 147; fete foretold,
148-0.; his death, 150-1? funeral,
152-4; in Hela, 155-6, 157; poem,
158-9; his avenger, 165, 166, 167,
168, 169, 170, 173; his return, 183,
184; in heroic story, 321-31, 390,
403.
Balder's spring, 227.
Balmung (bal'moong), Siegfried's sword,
359, 363, 365.
Balo* (baul-or), Celtic night-god, xxk.
Bechlaren (bechl&r-en), 394.
Beli (ba-k), the giant, 39, 54, 6a, 68.
Bel-Mcrodach, xxviii.
Beowulf, the elder, 189.
Beowulf (bft-a-wulf}, the hero, xxv|
historical theory, xxxix; a thane,
291; his resolution, 193; arrives at
Heorot, 193, 194, 1951 fight with
Grerwiel, 198, 199, 200; the feast,
201 j fight with Grtudefi mother,
aoa-6; triumph arxl return home,
207^ j dragon nght and death, 2 10-9;
as Bo« and Vale, 131% 2831*.
Beowulf poem, xx; its gloom, xxviii
the plot, xxxix; hktory of, xl, xtij
narrative, 187-219,
Bergclmer (bcr-gftlWr), 4 10, 169.
Bern, Verona, xlii *.
Bertram (bcr'tram) of F03% 440*
Bestla (bettla), 4.
Beyla (W -la), wife of Bygvcr , 96.
Bibttng (bee-bung) the dwarf, 434*
Bifroet (b*-fresi}, xxxvii, 15, 16, 19, 20,
Hkke (bikTcee), 8a
Illy moon-maid, xxxvii* 6, 7, 22,
Billing (btllingX df ol
166,168,
Billing, sunset elf, aa
Biirost (bii»re»t) and Bifrost, xxxvii*
Biterolf(bi'te-rolfl, 434-
Bjarmaland (b*yar'ma-knd), 257.
Bjarmians, 225.
Bjorno-Hoder (h*yorno-hooder), 45,
BUck Isle, xlv.
Bloedel (blos'del), brother of Etxel, 392,
397*
Blutgang (biut'gang) sword, 410.
Boann (bo'an), the Irish river goddess,
xxxi,
Bodvild (bod'veeldj* Qu««n of Swedtn,
284,
Boe (bo'«), B»id«r*i avenger, ajp, 231.
Also <&?*#«
Bolvcrkin (bol' wcrk - in), «*tht evil-
doer", Odin a*, 24.
Bor (ber), ton of Btirc, 4, % xa
Border BalUdt, H«k 1% »?6»SM
O«rk Saundcn, 305*8, 3#n*
Borghild (borg^lld), wlf«
Boas (bo'uflja* B«owittf w& Vftit, a 19/1.
Also^SW.
Boync river myth* 4191^
Bntgt (bm'gte)* »S* 39* » «S3» *7*t
Bnm (t«ri0K dog with **
Branstock (bc*n-«tock), th< onk, 280,
Brian lo«obdbe {bn»fan bor'iv}, xlvli
Brimer (bri'mw), 184,
Britain, King of, b^t«M 436^^ 140,
141,141.
Briton*, «*rly, xt
Brunhild (bcooalml^
|Sit #$i Jilt 3*1* J«i
Mb
$3%
J3i*
343* 344, 345-
INDEX
457
Bure (bur'e), first Asa-god, 3, 4.
Burgundians (ber-gun'dians), 352 /#,
Burial custom* in legends, xxiv, xxv,
Bygver {blg*ver}, Frey's aervant, 96.
Byrger (blr-ger), 6,
Byrr, xxxvi.
Bytanthm (bi-zan'tium), 331,
C*ill«ach (cal-yach), period in April,
418*.
Caitleach Mor (cal'y*ch more), the
Scottish hag, xxiL
Cat, the b% grey (M Midgafd Serpent M)>
4Slt 134,
Celtic gloom* xxviii; toiiirau 168^
Celtic myths, xxix.
Ch&riemagfif (t harle-min), 453 *.
ChriittAnity, adopted in Northern
Europe, xx.
Cock, HeU'i Red fki, 14. 178* 179*
Code of th« North, Set Goldcwib,
C:on*uniiiiopl*, xliit.
Coriiwua (koi'm.yetK Comi«h giant-
tkycr, xxxli*
Carnw«,nt giaiiu of, Kjmliy xxxiv.
Cr«siiiont ttory of, t.
Cr*?matiofi, bwM ettstomt, xxtv-v.
(koo's«}, King of the Finn*,
xxxv,
Odin
D*f , »o« of Kift^ H^ni, 300,
). C«ltk |H
xixlf »
J?i*
tsoifi A
Demon brides, 259 >/.
Denmark, Beowulf visits, 192.
Devil, Odin and Svipdag identified
with, xxxviii.
Diether (deet'her), Dietrich's brother,
441, 442, 443, 444, 445.
Dietleib (deet'leep) the Dane, 4^4,
435, 439, 430, 43 *» 433. 440, 443.
Dietmar (deet'niar)j 4041 4°6> 407,
409, 4x1, 412, 414, 438, 441, 445,
Dietrich (deet'reech) of Bern, xxxii,
xxxvii, xxxviii, xxxix, xl, xlii, 353 «,
380% 393, 394, 396, 397» 39^, 401,
402, 404, <P5» 406» 4^7* 40#> 409.
410, 411, 413, 414, 415, 416, 417,
418, 419, 430, 43*, 422, 423* 434»
435, 437, 43S, 439, 431, 433, 434»
435* 4&> 437» 43^» 439,
44V 443. 444» 44S» 44^»
4$*> 453*
Dingwtll (ding'wftll), xx.
^^(dii'eijoffate, 15, 17-
Dragon in Btowtif, 210-8, 421 n.
Drmupner (drowp'ncr), Odin** magic
^t> yt* &?> 68, 154, 155, 157.
Dromi (drd'me), the dmin, 93,
(dva'Iin)t Sin d re w, $9.
I'^dmund (ed'mund), Kirxg of Knglaml,
341 »,
Earthqaake* caused by Loke» 176.
Kberirot (ebcn'rm), 4 r 5-
4*7*
Edifitx sword, 4'7t 41&, 42O, 431-
Elder or Poetic, xvii,
Prow, xvii>Xviii,xix,
Edward th* Cocfewor> xtvl
I0^tt (*kTc*r>kh) th* dwarf, 409.
tibt «4ff EW, xiat^ j&
JJt ««^ 11% rt% 4***
458
INDEX
Egth«r (elc'ter), "sword guardian**,
Gymer as, 74.
Egypt, xliv.
Elan («l'an), 190*
Eldir Wdir), 171.
Elf maids of Urd, 15.
Elf smithy 12.
Elivagar (el.i-vag'ai:), th« river*, 2» 22,
38, 57, 100, m, 133, 133, 142,
Elk (el'la), the English King, 341 n.
Ellt (eM*) the hug "Old Agt", 133,
134.
Elian (*r**a)» 442, 444.
Elves, xxxv, xxxvi- at Ragnarok, 179.
Eividner (el-vid'twr), home of Htl» 91.
Embla {^ml^ first woni*n, 9, {$7,
Eormanric (ar'tnen-rcekK In Btfr&ulj,
20!,
Ephe«u*, S«m Si««ptrft» of xliv, xlvi.
Erik, th< devil, xxxviii.
Erik («'rik) of Dtran^k, 265, 966.
Erik of Norway, 265, 266, 167.
Ermernich (w'mcn - rttk), xlii, xtiii,
341 % 39^ ^|» 4$4
44lt 44t* 447> 449. 4
Efp» m of |lMl» 44%
Erp, ton ol Gadrufi, 353.
•tort <#*«)» KJbf df Bum, Hit »*
59S 39^ W> 399. 400, 401, 403,
44% 44S 444»
Fafoer (fef*o«X 3&& t§7» 314*
Fairies, Scottish, xxxv t
Faiice{i
. *»
90 >
giurd, 91 ; bbding oft 92, 93; in Gulf
of Black Oridf, 93, 941 imirct <^
River Voct, 95, 96, 132* 171, 175^
176, 179; at Ragnarok, iSo» 181,
182, 183,
Fiant (fee 'am) (FingalUni), xtv, xlvl.
Finn the King in B*<rwulf, 301,
Fbn* mac -Coal (ift^mitk'^!}! th«
Scottitlif gkat, xxxii, atxxvlii, xx*!xf
xlv; link* with Sigurd, 315*, 319 w.
Finn*, 225.
F>kr {fjf*j'ftt% Satmi^ M, 33* 47, 74,
if*
FJomtr {fyor-ncr}, Odin *s* 316.
Fiodde^n, xlvii.
Foik taJtt and mythoiogiet, xxiii
Fomort (lo'mott), xxxtii,
45*
Frty (frl) as elf king, xxxv> jcxxvi;
il^i Ait-^ »!» |$t 1^, 37i 44* 4ti
531 toc^Jtiirl^ s4# 5|i wt
4|i bw G^<Jt 66, 67, 6S, 69
yt» 7^ 741 k rtvoli, 77! 9dt
berok
» xxxvi
T H<, ui*u*mf.
tmltMUf
Frederick th* Grmt^m,
13*
SI*
1% 511
54,
7*1
f tjS»
>4fi I4$i ij
&%•
Fall* {
157-
INDEX
«5Her of Frigg, 147, 153,
459
Gaelic literature, xatviii
Game of gods, 13, 184.
Gangraad (gang'raad), Odin as, 169.
Garden of Hek, 359 j flower* from,
$6&| in Spenser** Fturi* Qutttu,
Gatm, watch dog, 95* 17$, i8o>
G«ts (gi-tu), 191.
Gcirrod {gti>*ad)» the gto> xxxSil-lv,
xlivY 99; captura Loke, 131, 132,
IJ3I Tbor
, iCing of Scxony, s§4* 206.
btndiag Fenrtr,
ts*
G«o«5r*y of Mcwmouth, xx, xxxii, xxxSv,
410 »,
mid, 66 j wootd for Frey,
Oto1! wolf-dog,
$35* **^» *
taii «
, xxxv f xxxix, xl.
MUto» 4» » 44*
mother,
st, 123, 124,
xxxii, xxxlii,
JPi*
3^, ^ 37»>
3*6, y&,
Gjoll rock, 95,
Glam, xxxix.
Gleipner (gllp-ner), the magk cord, 93,
Glencoe, xlv,
Glittering Hetth, 287, 316.
Glittering Plains, 365, 267,
Gloom of Teutoixk Hterttwe, xxvii| of
Celtic, xxviii
Goau of Thor, 100,
Gods, local and Imported, xxvii.
Goemagot (goy'ma-got), Cornish giant,
xxxii.
Goldcomb, 14, 61, 6a, 178.
Golden Age of gods, 12, 29, jo,
187.
Gorm, King of Denmark, xliv, 354,
355* 35$, «59t a6o» a64t J^S*
Gram, the VoUung sword, 391, 3961
W* 3"f 3^% 3x5, 316, 336.
Grarws (gran'ni), Sigurd'i steed, 314,
3»a» 3*9 1 SiegMed1*, 357.
Graamar (gmn'mar), tire of Hodbrod,
Gra/i Dtsctni $ O&n, 159-62.
Greect, xliv.
Greek mythok>gy, xxk; river
419 »«
Grendcl (gren-dtl) In Btwulf, xxxix,
aoa, »o6, aa$, 113,
Grendel's motherr aoa, 206*
Grep (grip), 30, 3£> 54> 55*
Grtybeard the ferrytnan, Odin «% 143,
144, I4S*
Grid (greed), tilt hag, xxxlv, 13% ijj,
134.
Gtkiarvold(gTt«)d'ar.void)t rotffk wand,
tja
Gdtes (gwem). xxitix, 404* 4^ 406,
407, 408> 400, 4^
3*7,
ftaU
Griper
343, J44, 545-
Sigtod1* aocle, 3x5.
Jl (gryot 4oon'-gja
net'* doawoo, 130.
460
INDEX
Groa (gra'a), elf of growth, 47, 48, 49,
50, S3. &>» 77, 79* *42, *435 *»
Hamlet's mother, 232/1,
Gudhorm (gud*h6rm}> son of fl*lfd*n»
& 77» 7S, 79. ^0"
Gudmtmd (gud'moond) AS Mimer, a57»
35$» 259» 2^3» 2^7» 368« *^9 ***
Gudrun (goo'-droon), 32^! 328, 330,
33 *» 332» 333* 334» 335» 3^» 34Ji
g./t2 343* 344* 345* 34^* 34^» 349i
Gulf of Bl*ok Grkf (AmjvwtrKr), 19,
*75*
Gulveig-Hoder {gul'vig-hoo-dcr}, the
, Odto's ^mr» 35,
37*
Gttnlad (goonlad), wooed by Odin, aa,
3»7» $&* l»9*
3i 334» 335t 344t
344 347*
Gtttitto (gmt'no), f ja
Gw^w ^tiai'feirK |S0»
3^t 3^ 3% 35^
374* 37S» 37^ J77»
401, 4oat 4^ 447^
Gustr (gust VT),
173,
333.
71* 74, <fr
H«g» the ScotLiali, x*xi»; the British,
Bwmtlf* Sec CrtnMs mtiktr.
Hag of Ircmwooid, x»xv 30, 34, 39, 63,
* 288 j us Ljod,
389* Ste dt
H*g«n (ht'gen), 360. 363, 366, 370,
37*» 372» 373* 374* 377» 3% 3^6*
3#7» 3881 3% m 39* » 393* 394»
395*
397*
444 447.
Hnkon (halion), King of
343*
77* 78*
47*
l, Dr.
JUmA (h»m'a), ttM.
.fS, la
Good, 190,
4 xlt xH
ttj, 15$.
15^7,
til,
HIM V Omf 1^4 Ii,
79,
Halt
303 »«
$3, 44 6o» If i
M< % Wi III m
Si|
INDEX
461
Heime (hal'mc), 410, 41 1 > 412, 422,
423, 4*4, 4*5, 43^ 439, 44O.
Heimkringlaffelmtlcrifig-k), xviii, 77*1.
Het, xxx, 90, 91, iSa
Hcl* <h«r»)» io» 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, i8»
19, so, 23, 46, 49, 51, 6o» 62, 70,
77, 89, 147, 148, 151, 153, 157, 177,
178* i8i» 254-69, 37Q-8J, 3Qi» 335,
3&
Htkbe (hcl'chf)» Quetn of Huna, 391,
H«igt Thoreioa (Htf'p-TkNf'jMm), in
*, a6;, »6&
King of Hiiogtltnd, 335, 336,
•17.
Heigi Hundmg*ban« (Her«c Hun'-
H.iheim (
(bi^^), »^ 39* tot,
y, fm«l*ott of Svipdtg, 86.
or-ot}( th* gr«t h&il,
tog of, 1901 Btowui/ rc*cbc», 193,
Iffe* i§f | GruadcJomowi* in, 198-
f $ «**« b, aot ;
hydrn. 406
931
» «0»
Scottbh
sit,
401,
405,
nrrtt*
**
414*
43*.
44S
43St
Hildeburgh (heeFdc-boorg), aox.
Hildegrim (heel'de-grim) sword, 407,
410, 413, 414.
Himinbjorg (him'in-byerg), 16.
Hindajrfell (hind'nr«fd), 320, 332,
History in mythologies, xxsciv,
Hittite Thor, xliii n>
Hja&lprek (hyaaFprckJj King of Den-
tt**rk, 313, 314, 316.
Hjordis (hyor-dis), icnother of Sigurd,
3H» 313, 313, 314*
Hteb&rd (hl«'bwd)9 the eif tmith, 150.
Hnacf, 901.
Hodbrodd (hod'brod), m, 300,
Hoder or Hoduir (Hoo«dtr), xxix,
xxjcviH, 45, 146, 148, 149, 150, 151,
l66> 168, 183, 185, 231 n*
Hogut (feeg-ne), «on of Giuki, 3^6, 333,
344* 34#» 347t 34^» 349» 3S<>» 3S«>
Hogni, sir* of Sigrun, 300, 301, 304,
Holmgang (holm'gwig), xxxiii.
(he'n«r), 4* aft »9» 30, 57, 74
, Htm let's friend,
), 337.
Hother {hoo'ter}, xxxvii $
»nd ii*ycTr 221-31, 232,
Hrwftveigttr {hroc-§velg-ur)> 9,
Hrcidmar (hrtd-mw), 285, 286, 287.
Hrethcl (hrttt^l) the King, $13, §14,
Hitow (hrim'fttrK *ir« of AngerlxxU,
Hrii^hom
sjp.
BakWt ship,
boitd* Heotot,
462
INDEX
300$ GwsideF* mother, aoa, 203,
904, 306, 307, ao&
Hrottg&er (hKXMo^»cr)» the stone gknt,
134* *37» 138, 139* *40» *4*» *4*-
Hroatbg (hro&'ting) *wwt» 204.,
Hryro (hwsem) at Rtgnwok, x?$
Huge (hoo'ge), the dwarf *' Thooght ",
4l& 1*4*
Hogfo (hoo'gb), Odia*« rnvea, a&
(hoon'a-Und)T 298, 309, 311,
KSiig,
r), a,
Hymcr (hcc-mer), the gknt, 97 >
101, loa» 3t03» #Hf 105* I0
xio, 125.
300^ 30% 3x1, 3x6,
n»
3% 5'» 57-
193*
6, 7. *** «S» 39*
, colonitatiot of, xbt; Hunl«lof,
xxxviL
12.
Ulyik (U-lec W-*},
too
341*
Inmbmck {inslD^k), xliH.
In>«smm(b'ver.rv
Sftven Sleepen of, 9oav» xlv
Irish gianu, xxxlv.
Irmin (et'mlti}, 444* 449-
Irmin** w»y> Hit MBity WtyT xaorii,
449 M»
Iwowood (Uravid — ywn-wid), bonw
of
Ivalde (ee'v*l<i»e)»xxxTl) xxxvli,
12 ; *» Svw» aa» 34, 35,
34* &> 37i #» ^> 44, 45,
65, loo, 131, I3»» X3
a8,
« Jack mid JUT'.
(yalkj^ nwne of CMi», 170,
IV of Sootlaad, *Wl
(ya'nw-be*) the magician, 434*
435* 437*
(ytm-twc-*),
Thor'i son Mignl»
437-
Jochgrimm (yoch-grim) mountain, 41 $t
, Ermemrirh,
9. w» ^
53* 5& ^«*
137, i^ 139, 169, in*
8*
JuUinville on Gtttk ftad Cehk
xxix.
wy,
Jutknd
httibaod of Ihmib,
347
154,
nil nf
« «rf At
dog with
INDEX
463
39A
39* » 39% 393. 394, 395. 30, 397*
» 403, 446, 447.
(kocmlitelt), 434, 425, 43$,
430. 431, 43^ 433.
(km'ilr), ton of Njord, 174.
LauHa (Uy^roen) the dwarf, 380%
4#& 4*5, 4*6, 417, 4^ 439, 430*
43** 43*» 433*
Lidfef (lining), th« iron cluiin, 93.
Uifetr's (Hfiw) ft*m«, 78.
Ldif^r {l^&if)* fcofy dvtr, 144, i|J-
U/ tod Lmhntcr (tifthrt^T), {48,
Ugbt bwo. S*ifxJ*« M, xxxrtl, xxxix.
(Ut'or) tb* dwwff 154.
Loch Hint (nn'
L«fl
with
14*
A
tfeet te
$1
*et tit, iff § *t
3*5,
U4f« (W^w), Jttot of SUOM, 3*5.
Lugh (loo), Celtic dawn god, xxix;
Milky Wmy M» <4dbminM, xxxvHi»,
Lyngc (lin'gc), son of Handing, 311,
Lyugheid (lyngliidc), daughter of Hreid-
roar, 387*
Macdonald,
Hector, xlvil
Magic swords, xxxvii, xxxix. Also Bal-
£tutfart£, J&cAttpx, Gram*
Magic wanfb, xxxiv, 130. Alto Gridar*
void.
Magni (mag'n*), ion of Thor, 141, iSa,
iS>
Mahomet, xliv.
Mammon, Spta*tr*s as Mimer, aaow,
Manchuria (manlcoor-ia), xlvii.
ManJ (man'e) of the moon, 6, aa,
Marmot (man'nus), HaWdan as, 46*
Matriarchid tribe, xxU, xxxix, 37511,
Mead, long or tkjildic,
Men}*
Midgard (mld'gard), 9. 10, iff, z^ 15,
63$ conftktii ky 77, §31 ptaoe in,
Sfi, 13% 1731 aarthquakei k» IT^f
at Ragnarok. 17^ iU> I^r.
MWgard Scrpect, xxx, 90; Tbojr't fight
with, 07-11 1 j « a cat, 124, 195$
at Ragnarok, Vffy i*it 3^n»
MUky Wayt xxxriij Odbi rfd« onrer,
IJi It " Watiing Str«t?
Mill of «torm* In SaxoJ«
40^ S«
Hamlet w,
«•» 34t 3S» 45*
at Mammon, 369 »,
355*
464
Miming (mS'meng), son of Mimer, 223,
224. Alto Mimingus.
Mimingus, 51. Also Miming.
Mimung sword, 411, 412, 414, 443,
Modgud (med'gtid), 155.
Modsognir (mcd*8eg-nir}» 13,
Mokker-Ktlfi (moo*ker«kyiaf»«e} giant,
*4&» W«
Moon, odgia of, 5.
Moon myth* soocvii, xxxviiL
Mom (roam), toiture demon, 69*
Ho*mt*la gianta, 16, 31, 87* 107, 178,
359 »-
MwdEfor* (jtwxm'd&fer-etK 4, 6.
Mutiin (moo'ntn}, Odin's rtvtn, 26.
Munro, Neil, 350^.
Muse, Edck aa, xxil
Muspelheiin (mus'pcl-him*), xxvii, 3,
INDEX
Nifel-hel (nlfellitl), 17, 18, 19, 30, 50,
Night deities. Set AH &€tler> and
Mutwr Cft&tk (moo'ttr), 436,
Mysinger (me^'sirvg-er), the
rover,
Kaglefar (n^d^far), the
Mythology, origin of, xxiii; triUU
of, xxiv, xxxiv,
ahip,
405,
413, 417, 4»au
* xxxvii, xxxviii,
Nicpot*on, xlvil
N*rvc (nAr'va}> Mtmcr t*, 8, 45,
Mwnri (i^fft), aofi «rf L^«» 175,
Km (tw^t), n%ht goddcit*, xxx, % 30,
Ntture my th trage<ii«, xxi^c,
K^fti river my&t 419**.
xxviit, xxxv, xxxvlil, xli, 354- 4^>
NWwip {nee^lun**). ipn, ^
l^lt 3% m* 446-
Hl^eg Ci^ai^o^ I4» if* i% tS&
Nifclheim {nifc^imt}, xxvii, r, a} 5>
i^ i j, I4» ao, 4^ toa
Nik, Odin fci,
Nitger (ott'ger) of Gtttlft Mttt«rv 436.
Nithad (iwse'tood). King of Swedta*
383,^84.
Njord (ny«nd)» aocxv, »S» 39, 44, 45*
62; weds Skadc, 65, 66t 74; de»
terted by Skade, 75 1 attt^ckt Aigard,
76, 9% 146, 153, m, 179*
Noatun (n6'*-toon) niled by Njord, 6}»
7S> 9^
Nom$, 14, 15, 00, 4<5> 49» 59»
Norway, xviiit xix*
Otk,Tfeor«od,xUll
See H<ta,
Oddi (od'di), xvtii, xlx,
Odin (6'din), xxvif 3txxit xxxvi,
xxxviii, xliv, 4, 6» 8» xo» tl, )tt, 13*
*5» ^9» ait »» 33» »4i 215, J6, a?» 39*
3<>. 33« 34i 35» $6* 3?» 4* S7» 60* &*»
^5* 66, 69, 71, 74> 75, 76, 77§ 78, ?9»
8it 8^ 84, 86f 87, i&» 90, 91* 9a» 93.
IS5*
143, 144, I4$t
S5i» is§» 153,
«9S»
as^ 185, jg
3*»» 3»4f |I
341 *»34It4S3
.tr), *H1L
154-
aif.
ttttMt ^ej^tt, j
43** 4JI*
INDEX
465
Orkning {ork'niag), brother of Kost-
Ortlfob (ort1«eb)» tern of Etatel, 393* 397,
Ort win (ott'wfo), ton of Euel, 442, 443,
445* 446.
Omndt! (dr-vitn'd«l}t 39, 45, 47, 48,
4$» 55* $** M Orion, 65 » j That's
loo, iial 113, 131, 133, 134,
140, 141, 143, 143; as K*miet*t
ftubtr,
OmtidlL
334 n»
Onkfl*i (osh'ysuu) Cftve, xlv.
Oilnifollii (ot'uo^/th*), xlilr 341 w,
CXtar (cx'tA/), §§5*
xxiv>
*t 44
§34 *,
Hct i»fe
5,
rtj'
Ftc^rkk
340:
yi,
t
t » ftlft* <t*tt#ttm
9% i^rf tif % «M.
14 *
Reykjahoit (reyk'y*-holt), xviii,
Hhind (recnd), wooed by Odin, 165,
x66, 167, 168, ai9«. 341 », Also
Rig-vedsL, xxx.
Rinda (rin'da), the Ruthenian princ«5,
330, 331.
River deities, 4x911.
River of Torturt. See Site
Romulus Augu*tulu4, xliii.
Rorik (ro'dk), son of Hother, 331, 333,
333* 336, 343*
Rot* garden, the wonderful, 434*33.
Rofkva (roaTcva.), Orvandel's daughter,
H3, 117.
Rowan, m»^e wwad of, 133 j "Thor*§
salvation", 134.
fUwl^ (roodVgtr) **Th« Good",
39** Wt 39&» 4^ ^>«» 44«» 445-
Runet (roora), 37, 76,
Rydberg, xxl, xxii, xxxvil, xiiv, aofiw,
(dl'mund) th« Wise, xviii,
xk, 10*
Sflfft (8ft'p)« ft mftid^n, xxii, 36.
Si Swithin'i Day, xlvi, %n.
Saxo, Dftniih historian, xx, xxi, xxii,
xxvii, xxxviil, $19 Mt 333 % 358 w.
35.
Sc*^kr^ (ricadeland), iSa
gkct kw c of, xxxia, 375 «.
Humkt in, 141, Aft*
cjtwen In "Htmto". S
yth, 419 «•
466
INDEX
Shylock, 3$».
Sibech (f*'b!k)> 342 «.
Slbecfce (tTbek-e), 342, 439» 44<>» 44*»
443, 445, 447*
Siegfried (te«g' freed), *xxli»
xxxviil, xtti, 354, 355» 3#> 357,
3S9» 360, 361, ^ 2^4» 3*5» 3*7i
36*, 36fc 370» 37*> 37»» 373» 374>
375» 376, 377i 37*» 379* 3&» 3**>
382, #3* 3*4* 3*5* 3*$» 387* 3*%
389* 390» 39*t
3S4» 3St JJ» * 3
38*1 3^»
Sif, harv«*t goddew, 34, 35, *fr
(i%*br%)» dbn> of Grot,
Si^emund in ^w*«i/; 300.
Sigenot (ii'ge-not) th« gUnt,
Siggcir («g'glr)» King of tht
Sigmund (s^mund), tire of
xxv, xii, 387, 289, 491,
393,
Slguy
a%
!I»»
Sigrun
ol
»
wtfe orf Hdgl
SW*
Thjtwc idtntiW with, 65 »,
Slth, 49* S3» S5» 54 6»» 66, 77, *S3-
Skude (skit'det:), xxxvf 64} iclect* hua-
bfcnd, 65, 66 j Ittvet NJocd. 7S 9^1
punishe* Loke, 175-
Sket-runncn (ih«t*)« mythical, xxxvii,
)k Frty'i ihlp»
35*
Skirn«i
§, 66}
Fr^, 67* 6i» 6^ 70,
Skoil
SVuld (tkoold), I}*
Seven &*ep«ri of, xlv.
147, 14*.
«$4i *$^ 3*4.
f^ jl» l$4i in
Slid, rim of tort*r«,
Sp«D«r( §74-1.
Snorri SiurJiuton (•ttor'r* *oor1*.*«m},
xvilli xx.
Sot, wm twki, 6, 39, 165, 184*
Solw myth theory t xi
8nr
v»ttd*l a*> 65 *,
SUrt, ori^O ot 5-
H*dWts* ill,
Stoe. A^ mythi,
M^I
M4»*t|» lorn
INDEX
467
Svurin's mound, 47.
Srtsud (svm'iood), 8.
Sirifdttr (ivi&'dar), m » 33, 34, as*
Svipdag (»wip'd»g), xxxv, xxxvii,
xaxiri!!* 3clUt 46, 4& 49» so» $ I, s*,
$3» 5* SS» «& S7; & Aigard, 6l, 63 j
a* Skirner, 66, 77, 78, Soj as Ing,
Si| n Odar, 83* it *ca-dmgon, 84,
l& 17ft #H#t «o8», a*3*M **
Mother and Htxkr, 131 19} at Ham-
xxjtv, xxxvii, xxxvtil, aSa.
«» S«t 57»
(Utf-ka) Adi Tcthup
xiiH^
419**
|Ǥ| myth oft
Stc
Th^d*^ (toyif*m>irK xlli,
TKidrek (l^frtk) tip, 354^
it 7.
IS* <4» I7t 33» ?S 77*
ink
(ttlOf*), Omwfet'it
i««f«» » 4S
*** irt^»^| «P^ «
•tol *$*!» 74, 7
113*
IBMf ,
is ^ «7t
. 1^45, 4^47, 5*. 73, 75,
ft, 1% *
fft
Pi to
lt$|
with Utgtrd-Lake, 118-35} with
Thryin, 136-31 j with Geinod* 132-4;
poem, 135-6; fighting Trolls, 137*
conflict with Hmugner, 138-41$
Groa's inctjitation over, 142, 143;
btEtd by Greybeard, 143 -5 j at
Bftktar's pyre, ip, 153, 1541 taunted
by Lake, 173; captures Loke, 175$
at Ragimrok, 181, iS2; in heroic
it<My, aa6» 3561*.
Thorn (th6r't), daughter of Cuw, 225,
prlnceta of Denmark, 343.
Thorn, wife of Ragnar Lodbrog, 339,
341-
Thwkm (thftrlcri), xliv, 355, 356, 357-
^5-
Thndl, 188,
Thryrn (thrim) the giant, ia6, 127, ia8,
1^ IJG^ 131.
Thryraheim (thrimliiaMi), Sk*de'» home,
*fc 74» 75-
Thunder deiti^ Sc* 7$*r»
Thuncxr (thoon'er), xxxU, xltii, 4x8 ?/.
Thvid (thv«-te), Fearer boulder, 95,
Tkwatb, xxviii, xxx, Al*o rendered
Tiaroat and Tauth^.
Tiuwt (tftani), xxxiv.
Top« (t^'pe), tortttre demoOj 70.
9004 xxxviL
137,
Trygve«m (trvc-ienK KingOkv, 267.
!» 7^ 9%
*«
re*Jm,
106^ I07i 153,
180,181,334.
id Ragnamk,
Ubb« (oob^t), ion of Atlog, 341-
tllff (oo^bt), Seven SWpm of, xM,
III (oc4), 49.
fc
U rd <oo«i}, QmMt df Kela, 3
if, if, sov 46, <K»f irite i«k ipf
468
INDEX
152,^156; at Ragnairok, i7
201 ii, 229 w.
Urd's fount, 14, 59.
Uta (oot'a), Queen of Burgundy, 362,
3*7, 3$9» 378, 39*> 393» 403.
Ute (od'e)t Hildcbmnd's wife, 44*-
Utgard (oot'gard) Loki, xxxiij Thor
visits, 117-25, 171; Thorkill visiu,
Vaflhrudner (vkf-throod'ncr) the gUnt>
169, 170*
Vagnho&k (vag-cn'hof-dce), the gtat,
78, 80, H7.
Vak (vtla), prophetess, 148, *77» *%
185.
Vale (vkle), ton of Odin and Rhirxl,
149} i67> l65> j8^ Stt BM*
Vaiiuto (vAl'6tther), Odin «i» 25.
Valbal (val^l), 19, 25; Htg burned
^ 73* 89, 138, 167, 18% 30% 3134.
Vail (mli), tern of Lok«» 175,
Vsdkyri«» {vaTke*r-«x), at *lv«» and
«wan-makis» xxxv, 19$ as **Nocth«m
', 48, 89? as wiah*maidem,
Wt IS3*'I55J
228; BrynhiidoQ«ofth«»
Vawd (vm'«ood), 8,
Vtdfolr^r
Vegtam (v^tain),
14.
of Oditt,
15.
V«kr ( vraat), IDA of Odin acd Grid,
132, 180, sf x» ife,
Vinge (vin'ge), 346, 347, 348,
Vingdf (vin'golf)* 13.
Virginal (vir'gin-al). Queen of the
Mountain, 434* 435* 43$. 437i
Volk** (follcer), 395, 396, 398, 400,
401.
Vobittg (vol'toojig), afiSj 287, »88» 289,
aoot a^it 293, »94» ^95. Wi »0i
310.
Voisur*gft-«aga, xxxvIU, xU, 3 j6 w, 341 «t
, axxvfi, 39,
59. «tt #4t
(Veloond),
4S» ^ si» 53,
74» 75» ^7%
284.
, Ftar«f tottros
(w»«'he*)d) the mermaid,
445*
xlll
Waltwmn (vallxanh feiftg of glanti *uid
gknt* of,
Walter of Wwgm^tin (VaJ'wr el Vi^*
414, 415.
Wfct* (ta't«K IfiMt «, 65 m,
Waiting Strwt, xxxvii, 65*.
IOt«
41*1
414
441*
W(gJck (wigTA),
»i5» »«, M;, nfc
KtxA
INDEX
469
411,
Wind h&g$f xxxiit,
Witches, xfcxiJi.
(wi*te-ge)» son of Weland, 410,
4ia» 413, 414, 426, 4a7» 4*8»
436, 439, 440, 443* 444* 445*
Wolfdale* (wulf-dals), 46, .282, 183.
Wdfhurt (wolfhart}» 401* 4»6» 4*8,
4^9* 4^» 44«» 44*t 44«* 44^*
World Mill, xxx vit, 4l 5, 44, 69; gknt
maul* oft 9% 147^ 170$ in Hamlet,
^3» H* iS» i^» ^> ao» a7» 30, 59, 61,
62, 73, 89, 134, 178, 182, i«3*
Worms, 362, 363, 364, 378, 380, 382,
390, 393*
Wyrd (w«rd)» aox, 214, 215*
(ig'dm^l). Sec World
Ymer (ee'mer), the chaos giant, xxviii,
jcatxvi, a, 3, s> 9, io» 99, 169, 307,
Ynglinga (ingHng-a) Hftga, xviii.
Zeno,
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