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where the bridge of the Gods touches heaven. The great city of Valafcialf, which belongs to Odin, is all built of pure filver. There is the royal Throne, called Lidfcialf, or the Terror of the Nations. When the Universal Father is seated upon it, he can view the whole earth. On the utmost limit of heaven, towards the south, is the most beautiful city of all: it is called Gimle. It is more brilliant and shining than the Sun itself, and will subsist even after the destruction of heaven and earth. Men of real goodness and integrity shall abide there for everlasting ages. The poem VOLUSPA speaks thus of it; "I know that there is " a place brighter than the Sun, and in" tirely covered with gold, in the city of "Gimle: there the virtuous are to refide; "there they shall live happy throughout " all ages (B)." Then Gangler demands, What will preserve that city when the black flame comes to confume heaven and earth? Har replied, We have been told, that there is towards the south, another heaven, more elevated than this, called the Clear Blue; and above that, a third heaven, still more elevated, called the Boundless. In this last we think the city of Gimle must be seated, but it is at present inhabited only by the luminous Genii.

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REMARKS ON THE NINTH FABLE.

(A) " In a city nam"ed Alfheim."] Alfheim signifies, in Gothic, the Abode of the Genii, that is, of the Fairies of the male sex. We may observe, that they are of different characters, Good and Bad; for there is no probability, that any one good quality could be ascribed to creatures blacker than pitch. It is needless to observe, that all the Gothic and' Celtic nations have had these Genii. The romances of Chivalry are full of allusions to this imaginary system. The same opinions prevailed among the Persians. In many places of High Germany, the people have still a notion, that these Genii come by night, and lay themselves on those they find sleeping on their backs; and thus produce that kind of fuffocation which we call

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the Night Mare. (See Keyfler. Antiq. Sept. p. 500.) In the same manner they accounted for those luxurious and immodest illusions, so common in dreams; hence

are derived the fables of Incubuses and Sucubuses; and that general opinion that there were Genii or Sylphs of both sexes, who did not disdain the embraces of mortals, With one single fiction, so fruitful as this, they might have run through the whole world of nature, and not have left a fingle phænomenon unaccounted for. To do this there was only occa sion for Good and Bad Genii, as we have seen above. With regard to the Bad, they were particularly dreaded at the hour of noon; and in some places they still make it a point of duty to keep company at that hour with women in childbed, for fear the Demon of Noon should attack them, if left alone. This fuperftition hath prevailed no less in France, than elsewhere ; though it came from the east. St. Basil recommends us to pray to God some time before noon, to avert this danger. The Celtes with the fame view, offered facrifices,

in his Exerc. ad German. Gentil. fac. Exercit. V. p. 221.

(B) " Live happy " throughout all ages."] We shall see this subject treated in a more extenfive manner in another place of the EDDA, for which (to avoid repetitions) I shall reserve many remarks I have to make on this important passage.

crifices. One says pleasantly, the true Demon of noon is hunger, when one has nothing to fatisfy it t. If one looks back upon so many chimerical terrors, and so many painful and abfurd observances, from which we are at this day delivered; who but must applaud the progress of literature and the sciences? See, upon this subject, a differtation of the learned Mr. Schutze,

+ Vid. Keyfler. Antiq. Sept. p. 500.-The fame author gives a very curious passage from an ancient SCALD, concerning the Errs. See P. 501, 502. T.

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THE TENTH FABLE.

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Of the Gods to be believed in.

ANGLER goes on, and afks, Who are the Gods, whom men ought to acknowledge ? Har answers, There are twelve Gods, whom you ought to serve. Jafnhar adds, Nor are the Goddesses less sacred. Thridi proceeds, The first and most ancient of the Gods is ODIN. He governs all things. And although the Gods are powerful, yet they all serve him, as children do their father (A). His spouse FRIGGA foresees the destinies of men, but The never reveals what is to come, as appears from that conversation in verse which Odin one day held with Loke. "Senfeless "Loke, why wilt thou pry into the fates? "Frigga alone knoweth what is to come, " but the never discloseth it to any person." Odin is called the Universal Father, because he is the Father of all the Gods. He is

alfo called the Father of Battles, because he

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he adopts for his children all those who are flain with their swords in their hands. He affigns them for their place of refidence, the palaces of Valhall and Vingolf, and bestows upon them the title of Heroes (B). He has a great many other names, as Hanga-Gud, &c. [Here forty-fix names are enumerated.]

A great many names indeed! says Gangler: furely that man must be very learned who knows them all distinctly, and can tell upon what occafions they were given. Har replies, It requires, no doubt, a tolerable memory, to recollect readily all these names. But I will intimate to you however, in a few words, what principally contributed to confer them upon him: it was the great variety of languages (B): for each people being defirous to adore him, and address their vows to him, they have been obliged to translate his name each into his own language. Some of his other names have been owing to adventures, which have happened to him in his travels, and which are related in the ancient histories. Nor can you ever pass for a man of learning, if you are not able to give an account of all these wonderful adventures.

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