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النشر الإلكتروني

THE SEVENTEENTH FABLE.

A

Of the Wolf Fenris.

S to the Wolf FENRIS, the Gods bred him up among themselves; Tyr being the only one among them who durst give him his food. Nevertheless, when they perceived that he every day increased prodigiously in fize, and that the oracles warned them that he would one day become fatal to them; they determined to make very strong iron fetters for him, and presenting them to the Wolf, defired him to put them on to shew his strength, in endeavouring to break them. The Monster perceiving that this enterprize would not be very difficult to him, permitted the Gods to do what they pleased; and then violently stretching his nerves, burst the chains, and set himself at liberty. The Gods having feen this, made a new set of iron chains, half as strong again as the former, and prevailed on the Wolf to put them

them on, assuring him that in breaking these he would give an undeniable proof of his vigour. The Wolf saw well enough that these second chains would not be very easy to break; but finding himself increase in strength, and that he could never become famous without running some risk, he voluntarily submitted to be chained. As soon as this was done, he shakes himself, rolls upon the ground, dashes his chains against the earth, violently stretches his limbs, and at last bursts his fetters, which he made to fly in pieces all about him. By these means he freed himself from his chains; and gave rise to the proverb which we still apply, when any one makes strong efforts *. After this, the Gods defpaired of ever being able to bind the wolf: wherefore the Universal Father sent Skyrner, the messenger of the God Frey, into the country of the black Genii, to a dwarf; to engage him to make a new bandage to confine Fenris t. That bandage was perfectly smooth,

* In the Icelandic, Leyfa or Læthingi edr drepi or Droma, i. e. according to Goranson's Latin version, Solvi ex Lædingo, et excutti ex Droma. DROMA is the name given in the EDDA, to this chain of the Gods.

T.

+ Goranson's Edition adds, "This nerve or string " was made of fix things, viz. of the noise made by "cats feet; of a woman's beard; of the roots of

"moun

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smooth, and as limber as a common string, and yet very strong, as you will presently see. When it was brought to the Gods, they were full of thanks and acknowledgments to the bringers; and taking the Wolf with them into the ifle of a certain lake, they shewed him the string, entreating that he would try to break it, and affuring him that it was somewhat stronger than one would think, on feeing it so slender. They took it themselves, one after another into their hands, attempting in vain to break it; and then told him, that there was none befides himself, who could accomplish such an enterprize. The Wolf replied, That string which you present to me is fo flight, that there will be no glory in breaking it; or if there be any artifice in the manner of its formation, although it appear never fo brittle, assure yourselves it shall never touch a foot of mine. The Gods assured him that he would easily break fo flight a bandage, fince he had already burst asunder shackles of iron of the most solid make; adding, that if he should not fucceed, he would then have shown the Gods that he was too feeble to excite their terror, and

" mountains; of the nerves of bears; of the breath " of fishes; and the spittle of birds, &c." (with much more.)

T. there

therefore they should make no difficulty of setting him at liberty without delay. I am very much afraid, replied the monster, that if you once tye me so fast that I cannot work my deliverance myself, you will be in no haste to unloose me. I would not therefore voluntarily permit myself to be tied, but only to show you, that I am no coward: yet I insist upon it, that one of you put his hand in my mouth, as a pledge that you intend me no deceit. Then the Gods, wiftfully looking on one another, found themselves in a very embarraffing dilemma; till Tyr presented himself, intrepidly offering his right hand to the monster. Hereupon the Gods having tied up the Wolf; he forcibly stretched himself, as he had formerly done, and exerted all his powers to disengage himself: but the more efforts he made, the closer and straiter he drew the knot; and all the Gods (except Tyr, 'who ' loft his hand') burst out into loud peals of laughter at the fight. Observing him then so fast tied, as to be unable ever to get loofe again, they took one end of the string, and having drilled a hole for it, drew it through the middle of a large broad rock, which they funk very deep into the earth; afterwards, to make it still more fecure, they tied the end of the cord which came through the rock, to a great stone which they funk ftill

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still deeper. The Wolf, opening wide his tremendous, jaws, endeavoured to devour them, and rushed upon them with violence. Which the Gods seeing, thrust a sword into his mouth, which pierced his under jaw up to the hilt, so that the point touched his palate. The howlings which he then made were horrible; and fince that time, the foam flows continually from his mouth, in such abundance that it forms a river, called Vam, or The Vices. But that monster shall break his chain at the Twilight of the Gods, that is, at the end of the world (A).

Such is the wicked race engendered by Loke. Hereupon Gangler says to Har, But fince the Gods have so much to fear from the Wolf, and from all the other monsters whom 'Loke' hath produced; why have they not put them to death? Har replied, The Gods have fo much respect for the fanctity of their tribunals, and cities of peace (B), that they will not have them stained with the blood of the Wolf; although the oracles have intimated to them, that he will one day be destructive to ODIN:

RE

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