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 so much respect for the fanctity of their tribunals, and cities of peace (B), that they will not have them ftained with the blood of the Wolf; although the oracles have intimated to them, that he will one day be destructive to ODIN.

REREMARKS ON THE SEVENTEENTH FABLE

(A) " At the end of "the world."] It cannot be doubted that the Wolf is the emblem of the Evil Principle, or of some power at enmity with nature. The river of Vices, said to flow from the foam of his mouth, is one of those strokes which manifestly indicate an allegory. I shall show in another place, that the paffage we have now read, as well as all of the same kind occurring in the EDDA, are no other than figurative, and poetic ways of propounding that phi

lofophic doctrine of the Celtes, Stoicks, and some eastern sages, which affirms that the world and the inferior Gods must one day yield to their enemies, and be again reproduced, in order to fulfil a new series of destinies.

(B) " The sanctity of ".... their cities of "peace."] There were cities, where the holiness of the place forbad all quarrels and bloodshed.

THE THE EIGHTEENTH FABLE.

G

Of the Goddeffes.

1

the

ANGLER afks, Who are Goddeffes? The principal, replies Har, is FRIGGA (A), who hath a magnificent palace, named Fenfaler, or the Divine Abode. The second is called SAGA. EIRA performs the function of physician to the Gods (B). GEFIONE is a virgin, and takes into her service all chaste maids after their death. FYLLA, who is also a virgin, wears her beautiful locks flowing over her shoulders. Her head is adorned with a golden ribband. She is entrusted with the toilette, and flippers of Frigga *; and admitted into the most important secrets of that Goddess. FREYA is the most illustrious of the Goddesses, next to Frigga.

* The Icelandic is, Ok ber eski Friggiar: Ok gietr Skoklætha hennar, &c. i. e. according to Goranson's Latin version, "Eique Pyxis Friggæ concredita eft, ut " et ejufdem Calcei.”

т.

She But

She married a person named Oder, and
brought him a daughter named Noffa, fo
very handsome, that whatever is beautiful
and precious is called by her name.
Oder left her, in order to travel into very
remote countries. Since that time Freya
continually weeps, and her tears are drops
of pure gold. She has a great variety of
names; for having gone over many coun-
tries in search of her husband, each people
gave her a different name; some calling
her Vanadis, or the Goddess of Hope, &c.
&c. She wears a very rich chain of gold.
The seventh Goddess is SIONA. She em-
ploys herself in turning mens hearts and
thoughts to love, and in making young
men and maidens well with each other.
Hence lovers bear her name. LOVNA is
To good and gracious, and accords so hear-
tily to the tender vows of men, that by a
peculiar power which Odin and Frigga
have given her, she can reconcile lovers the
most at variance. VARA, the ninth God-
dess, prefides over the oaths that men
make, and particularly over the promises
of lovers. She is attentive to all concealed
engagements of that kind, and punishes
those who keep not their plighted troth.
VORA is prudent, and wife, and so pene-
trating and curious, that nothing can re-
main hid from her. SYNIA is the portress
VOL. II.

H

of

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of the palace, and shuts the gates against all those who ought not to enter: she also presides in trials, where any thing is about to be denied upon oath; whence the proverb, " Signia is not far from him " who goes about to deny." The twelfth is called LYNA. She has the care of those whom Frigga intends to deliver from peril. SNOTRA is a wife and intelligent Goddess; men and women who are prudent and virtuous bear her name. GNA is the mef- senger whom Frigga dispatches into the various worlds, to perform her commands. She has a horse which runs over the air (c), and across the waters *. They reckon also SOL and BIL in the number of the

Afes, or' Divinities; but their nature hath been already explained to you †. There are, befides, a great many virgins who officiate in Valhall, pouring out BEER and ALE for the Heroes, and taking care of the cups, and whatever belongs to the table. To this refers what is faid in the poem of Grimnis, " I wish Rista and Mifta would fupply me with the drinking horns; for they are the nymphs who "should give cups to the Heroes." These

* The curious reader will find an additional passage

here in Goranson's Latin tranflation.

т.

† This, I fuppofe, refers to FABEE VI, &c. T.

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