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blind, replied the other, and have nothing to throw with. Come then, says Loke, do like the rest, shew honour to Balder by toffing this little trifle at him; and I will direct your arm towards the place where he stands. Then Hoder took the Misseltoe (в), and Loke guiding his hand, he darted it at Balder; who, pierced through and through, fell down devoid of life: and surely never was seen, either among Gods or men, a crime more shocking and attrocious than this. Balder being dead, the Gods were all filent and spiritless: not daring to avenge his death, out of respect to the sacred place in which it happened. They were all therefore plunged in the deepest mourning, and especially ODIN, who was more fenfible than all the rest of the lofs they had fuffered. * After their forrow was a little appeafed, they carried the body of Balder down towards the fea, where stood the veffel of that God, which passed for the largest in the world. But when the Gods wanted to lanch it into the water, in order to make a funeral pile for Balder †, they could never make it ftir: wherefore they caused to

* What follows is different in the Latin Version of Goranson.

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+ The sense of Goranson's Version is, " In order "to carry the body of Balder, together with his fu"neral pile."

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come from the country of the Giants, a certain Sorceress, who was mounted on a wolf, having twisted ferpents by way of a bridle. As foon as the alighted, Odin caused four Giants to come, purely to hold her steed faft, and secure it: which appeared to him so dreadful, that he would first see whether they were able to overthrow it to the ground: for, says he, if you are not able to overthrow it to the earth, I shall never be secure that you have strength to hold it fast. Then the Sorceress bending herself over the prow of the veffel, set it afloat with one single effort; which was so violent, that the fire sparkled from the keel as it was dragging to the water, and the earth trembled. Thor, enraged at the fight of this woman, took his mace and was going to dash her head to pieces, had not the Gods appeased him by their interceffions. The body of BALDER being then put on board the vessel, they fet fire to his funeral pile; and NANNA, his wife, who had died of grief, was burnt along with him. There were also at this ceremony, befides all the Gods and Goddesses, a great number of Giants. Odin laid upon the pile, a ring of gold, to which he afterwards gave the property of producing every ninth night, eight rings of equal weight. Balder's

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Balder's horse was also confumed in the fame flames with the body of his master *.

* For an Account of the Funerals of the ancient Scandinavians, and of the Piles in which the wife, flave and horse were buried along with the Owner, fee Vol. I. p. 341, &c. In the first part of this work, our Author promised to give proofs of whatever he had advanced concerning the manners and customs of the ancient Danes; and whoever examines with attention, the original pieces contained in this second Volume; cannot but acknowlege he has kept his word.

REMARKS ON THE TWENTY-EIGHTH FABLE.

(A) "That none of "them would do any hurt " to Balder."] It is well known to fuch as have dipt into the ancient romances, that there were formerly Necromancers and Sorcereffes, who could so throughly enchant lances and swords, that they could do no hurt. This ridiculous opinion is not entirely eradicated out of the minds of the common people every where, to this day. Our ancient northern historians are full of allufions to feats of this kind. Saxo, lib. 6. affures us, that a certain champion, named Wisin, was able to charm his enemies fwords with a

fingle look. There were certain Runic characters, which produced this effect; but in general they were the Fairies and Goddesses who excelled in this fine art. Frigga herself was particularly diftinguished for it. We fee in the text, that the could charm and inchant whatever she pleased. Tacitus, who describes her under the title of the "Mother of the Gods," (a name which is also given her in the EDDA in more places than one) speaks in like manner of the power she had to protect her votaries in the midst of darts thrown by their enemies. Matrem дейт

deûm venerantur (Estyi): Infigne fuperstitionis, formas aprorum gestant. Id pro armis omniumque tutela, fecurum Deæ cultorem etiam inter hoftes præftat, c. 45.

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(B) "Then Hoder "took the Misseltoe."] If the Scandinavians had been a different nation from the Germans, the Germans from the Gauls, and the Gauls from the Britons; whence could arise this striking conformity which is found between them, even in those arbitrary opinions, which caprice alone could have given rise? I lay particular stress upon this remark, as what justifies me in calling the EDDA a System of CELTIC MYTHOLOGY; and I recall it on occafion of this pafsage. We fee here, that the Scandinavians, as well as the Gauls and Britons, attributed to the MISSELTOE a certain divine pow

er.

This plant, particularly such of it as grew upon the oak, hath been the object of veneration,

not among the Gauls on ly, (as hath been often advanced without just grounds) but also among all the Celtic nations of Europe. The people of Holstein, and the neighbouring countries, call ie at this day Marentaken, or the "Branch of Spec"tres;" doubtless on account of its magical virtues. In some places of Upper Germany, the people observe the fame custom, which is practised in many provinces of France. Young persons go at the beginning of the year, and strike the doors and windows of houses, crying Guthyl, which signifies Misseltoe. (See Keyfler. Antiq. Sept. and Celt. p. 304, & feq.) Ideas of the fame kind prevailed among the ancient inhabitants of Italy. Apuleius hath preserved fome verses of the ancient poet Lælius, in which Miffeltoe is mentioned as one of the ingredients which will convert a man into a Magician. (Apul. Apolog. Prior.)

*** As fo much stress is laid here on the circumstance of Balder's being flain by the MISSELTOE, it deserves a particular difcuffion: and as almost every thing advanced in this note is borrowed confefsedly from KEY

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KEYŚLER'S Antiquitates Selectæ Septentrionales (p. 3041 &c.) it will be proper to examine the arguments pro duced in that book; to which our ingenious Author, M. Mallet, has, I fear, rather given his affent too hastily.

Pliny is the writer of Antiquity, from whom we learn the particular account of the veneration paid to this Plant by the Druids of Gaul. Nat. Hist. lib. 16. c. 44. Non est omittenda in ea re & GALLIARUM admiratio. Nihil habent DRUIDE (ita suos appellant Magos) Visco & Arbore in qua gignatur (fi modo fit RoBUR) facratius. Jam per se Roborum eligunt Lucos, nec ulla facra fine ea fronde conficiunt, et inde appellati quoque interpretatione Græca poffint DRUIDÆ videri. Enimvero quidquid adnafcatur illis, e cælo missum putant, fignumque effe electæ ab ipso Deo Arboris. Eft autem id rarum admodum inventu, & repertum magna religione petitur: et ante omnia fexta Luna, quæ principia mensium annorumque his facit, et feculi post triceffimum annum, quia jam virium abunde habeat, nec fit fui dimidia. OMNIA-SANANTEM appellantes suo vocabulo, facrificiis epulisque rite Jub arbore præparatis duos admovent candidi coloris tauros, quorum cornua tunc primum vinciantur. Sacerdos candida veste cultus arborem fcandit. Falce aurea demittit. Candido id excipitur fago. Tum deinde victimas immolant, precan tes, ut fuum donum Deus profperum faciat his quibus dederit. FACUNDITATEM eo poto dari cuicunque animali Sterili arbitrantur, contraque venena omnia effe REMEDIO. Tanta gentium in rebus frivolis plerunque religio eft." So again in lib. 24. c. 4. "VISCUM e robore præs cipuum diximus haberi, & qua conficeretur modo, &c. Quidam id religione efficacius fieri putant, prima luna col lectum e Robore fine ferro. Si terram non attigit, comitialibus MEDERI. Conceptum fœminarum ADJUVARE, fi omnino fecum habeant. Ulcera commanducato impofitoque efficaciffimè SANARI."

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Here we fee the MISSELTOE is revered among the Gauls as a Divine Plant, producing most falutary effects; curing barrenness, repelling poifon, affifting women in labour, and curing ulcers;" and for its great beneficial qualities in general, called ALL-HEAL, and honoured with peculiar marks of reverence.

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