Har answered him. The rivers, called Elivages, flowed so far from their sources, that the venom which they rolled along became hard, like the scoria of a furnace when it grows cold. Hence was formed the ice; which stopped and flowed no more. Then all the venom that was beginning to cover it, also became frozen: And thus many strata of congealed vapours were formed, one above another, in the vast abyss, Jafnhar added; By this means that part of the abyss which lies towards the north, was filled with a mass of gelid vapours and ice; whilst the interior parts of it were replete with whirlwinds and tempests. Directly oppofite to it, rose the fouth part of the abyss, formed of the lightnings and sparks which flow from the world of fire. Then Thridi proceeded, and said; By this means a dreadful freezing wind came from the quarter of Niflheim, whilst whatever lay opposite to the burning world was heated and enlightened. And as to that part of the abyss which lay between these two extremes; it was light and ferene like the air in a calm. A breath of heat then spreading itself over the gelid vapours, they melted into drops; and of these drops were formed a man, by the power of him who governed (B). This man was named YMIR; the Giants call him Aurgelmer. From him are descended all the families of the Giants; according to that of the Voluspa; "The prophetef" ses are all come of Vittolfe, the spectres " of Vilmode, and the Giants of YMIR." And in another place; "The rivers Eli vages have run drops of poison; and "there blew a wind, whence a Giant was "formed: From him came all the fami" lies of the Giants." Then spake Gangler, and faid, How did this family of YMIR spread itself? Or do ye believe that he was a God? Jafnhar replied, we are far from believing him to have been a God; for he was wicked, as were all his pofterity. Whilft he flept, he fell into a sweat, and from the pit of his left arm were born a male and female. One of his feet begot upon the other a fon, from whom is descended the race of the Giants, called from their original, the Giants of the Frost (c). REMARKS ON THE SECOND FABLE. (A) Muspels-heim fig- bable for its being so cold nifies, the abode or refi- towards the north, and dence of MUSPEL *. But warm towards the fouth. who is this Muspel? Of For this purpose they this we are intirely igno-placed, towards the south, a huge mass of fire, which they supposed had been there for ever, and served as a refidence to wicked Genii. rant. The ancient sages of the north were defirous to explain how the world had been framed, and to advance something pro * Literally, Mufpel's Home. This was the т. matter : matter of which the Sun was made. This Ether, or Fire, so placed at one extremity of the world, enabled them also to affign a probable reafon for its final, conflagration; for they were absolutely perfuaded, that it would at the last day be consumed by fire. And as to the north, it was continually cold there, because opposite to that quarter lay immense mountains of ice. But whence came that ice? Nothing could be more eafily accounted for; for Hell, which had been prepared from the beginning of ages, was watered by those great rivers mentioned in the preceding fable; and those great rivers themselves, in flowing at so vast distance from the fouth, whilst the course of their streams carried them still farther from it, froze at last in their currents, and swelled into huge heaps of ice, which communicated a chilliness to the northern winds. Between that world of fire and this of ice, there lay a grand abyss, which contained nothing but air; and here was placed, in process of time, the earth which we inhabit. If we read the fragment of Sanchoniathon, preserved by Eufebius, De Prep. 1. 2. c.10. we shall find there a hiftory of the formation of the world, very much resembling this. (B) " By the power " of him who govern" ed."] Here we have the pleasure to observe, that our philosophers faw the neceffity of having recourse to the intervention of a Deity in forming the world. The vivifying breath here mentioned, seems to carry in it a strong affinity to the "Breath of Life" which God breathed into the nostrils of the first man; according to the phrafe of Scripture, Gen. chap. iii. ver. 7.-One cannot doubt that the Celtic and Gothic nations, as well as the Perfians, and most of the Orientals, derived many of their traditions from Scripture. (c) *Giants of the "Froft."] There would be no end of amassing all the ancient traditions Eblis. -YMIR having been formed, as we fee, out of the congealed drops, all the Giants descended from him are called, upon that account, THE GIANTS OF THE FROST. It must be observed, that these Giants are a species intirely diftinct from the men of our race, the Edda having not yet given any account of THEIR formation. which some way or other relate to the subject of the text. It hath been a general opinion in the east, that God began with creating Genii, both good and bad, of very immense powers: who for a long time before we existed, inhabited a world prior to this of ours. One may see in Herbelot, what the Perfians relate concerning the Dives, Nere, Peris, and their king VOL. II. A 0 THE THIRD FABLE. GAN Of the Cow OEdumla. ANGLER then defired to know where the Giant Ymir dwelt, and in what manner he was fed. Har answered, Immediately after this breath from the fouth had melted the gelid vapours, and resolved them into drops, there was formed out of them a Cow named OEdumla. Four rivers of milk flowed from her teats, and thus she nourished Ymir. The cow, in her turn, supported herself by licking the rocks that were covered with falt and hoar-froft. The first day that she licked these rocks, there sprung from her, towards evening, the hairs of a man; the second day, a head; on the third, an intire man, who was endowed with beauty, agility, and power. He was called Bure, and was the father of Bore, who married Beyzla, the daughter of the Giant Baldorn. Of that marriage were born three fons, Odin, Vile, and Ve; and 'tis our belef, thac |