SCANDINAVIAN MYTHOLOGY. Our knowledge of Scandinavian mythology is mainly derived from the collections of ancient northern sagas known as the Eddas (q.v.), which constitute the Wilde bible, as it were, of heathen Scandinavia. The value and interest attaching to these records of the ancient faith of the Northmen are enhanced by the fact that there are strong grounds for assuming that the closest affinity, if not identity, of character existed between their religious doctrines and practices and those of the Germanic nations generally. Hence, in the absence of anything beyond the inci dental notices of the pagan religion of Germany, which are contained in the classic writers, the Eddaic exposition of northern mythology is of the highest importance to the student of the history of every nation of Teutonic origin. Owing to the remote situa tion of the Scandinavian lands, and the bold which the Odin religion had taken of the minds of the Northmen—whose natural tendencies inclined more to the pagan merits of valor, courageous endurance of hardships, indomitable resolution, and unflinching fidelity in hate and love, than to the Christian virtues of submission, meekness, and for giveness of injuries—Christianity took root slowly and insecurely in those and only long after a national literature, based upon the superstitions and memorials of the ancient faith, had been firmly established among the people. But although there is every reason to believe that all branches of the great Indo- Germanic family of nations had essentially the same system of belief and worship, and venerated the same deities, minor differences were numerous. Thus, for instance, while Danes, Saxons, and Goth huters worshiped Odin as their chief god, the Swedes generally paid supreme honors to Frey, the god of the year; sonic tribes of northern Germany regarded Hlodyn, or the earth, as their principal deity; and the Norwegians directed their worship to Odin's son, Thor; while in sonic parts of Norway even, as in Halgoland, the people worshiped deities not honored elsewhere in Scandinavia. Thus the chief objects of worship in the latter district were Thorgerd. Hortrabrud, and Irpa, the daughters of Halogi, or high flame, from whom the name of the country was derived, and who was probably identi cal with Loki (fire), who, after having, according to the myth, been beneficent :n the beginning of time and united with the All-father, fell from his high estate, and, like sonic fallen angel, became crafty, evil, and destructive as a desolating flame. Halgo
lavl appears from remains discovered there to have been a special seat of fire or sun worship, which seems to have been nearly universal at one period of the world's history.
Leaving for the present the discussion of the sources from whence the northern mythology derived some of the numerous complex elements which entered into its com position, we proceed to give a short summary of its cosmogony: In the beginning of time a world existed in the n. called Niflheim, in the middle of which was a well, Ilvergehneer, from which sprang twelve rivers. In the s. was another world, Muspel heim, a light, warm, radiant world, the boundary of which was guarded by Surt with a flaming sword. Cold and heat contended together. From .Niflheins flowed venomous, cold streams called Ehivaager, which, hardening into ice, formed one icy layer upon the other within the abyss of abysses that faced the n., and was known as the From the s. streamed forth the sparkling heat of Muspelheim; and as heat met cold, the melting ice-drops became instinct with life, and produced, through the power of him who had sent forth heat, a human being, Ymir, the progenitor of the frost-giants, by whom lie was called (Ergehner, or chaos. He was not a god, but evil, both he and all his race. As yet there was neither heaven nor earth, neither land nor sea, hut only the abyss Ginnunga-gap. Ymir drew his nourishment from the four milky streams which flowed from the udders of the cow Aedhumla, a creature formed from the melting. frost. From Yinir there came forth offspring while he slept—a man and woman growing from under his left arm, and sons from his feet; amhthus was generated the race of the frost giants, or Ilrimthursar, among whom the All-father dwelt in the beginning of time before the heavens and the earth were created.