SCANDINAVIAN LITERATURE. The ancient Scandinavian language, once common to the whole north-western portion of Europe beyond the Baltic, is now confined to Iceland, where it has undergone little change since the 9th century. [ICELAND, in GEOO. Div.] This dialect of the Gothic is the parent stock of both Swedish and Danish, the former of which has retained more of the original character than the other, which is also the language of Norway ; and, if not for the literature they contain, in a philological point of view they deserve far more•attention than they have hitherto obtained from Englishmen, since they throw considerable light on the history of our own language. There is also a striking similarity of construction between them and English, which renders them of comparatively easy acquisition to our selves. Nearly the same grammatical simplicity prevails, nor are their verbs and nouns subject to those numerous changes of terminations which render such languages as the German and the Russian so per plexing to a foreigner.
Though literature, in the usual meaning of the term, was of ex ceedingly tardy development in both Denmark and Sweden, the people possessed an abundant stock of those traditional poetical records which scarcely lay any claim to individual authorship, being rather the embodying of the sentiments and feelings of an entire race than those of individuals. Of these, by far the most important are the Eddas. Though committed to writing by Bishop Siitnund only in the 11th century, it is supposed that an earlier collection was then in existence. A part of Bishop Samund's gathering has been lost, and what remains we owe to Snorri Sturluson, the grandson and pupil of Siimund. The elder Edda is in verse, not rhymed, but rendered metrical by the use of alliteration or assonance, in which the alliteration is employed twice in the first line of a couplet, and the second begins with the same letter. Many variations, including end rhymes, were subsequently introduced. The younger Edda is in prose, with a mixture of verse, partly quoted from earlier poems, in nearly every case from the elder Edda.
Though a distinction has been drawn between the elder and younger Eddas, there is little doubt but that some parts of the latter are at least equal in antiquity to some of those in the elder: and as little that in the elder Edda there have been many interpolations, which have been pointed out by Sirarock (' Die Edda, die iiitere and jiingere,' 1855), who, however, says, "Who would venture to lay hands on so reverend a piece of antiquity, and where would it end if each were to follow his inclination or caprice, and began to model the tradition according to his own notions." The elder Edda consists of thirty-seven poems, of various degrees of poetical merit, all relating to the mytho logy, which will be treated of in the next article. After beiog forgotten for nearly four centuries, a copy was found by Bishop Sveusen, and in 3 vole. 4to, containing the original text, a Latin trans ion, and a dictionary of the northern mythology, in 1787. A later and more correct edition has been since published by Rusk in 1818. The later Edda is divided into two books,—Gylfaginning, or Gylfa's fascination, and relates a like story to that of Vafthrudnismal (or song of Vafthrie:lni) in the elder Edda ; but oecasion'is taken to deliver the principal doctrines of the northern faith in answer to the disguised Odin's inquiries. Bmgaroedhur, or Bragi's Discourse, borrowed also from the Ocgirsdrecka, or Oegir's Drinking Feast : here Bragi, the scald of the gods, discourses of the origin of poetry. These were first
translated and published by Resenius in 1640. In some manuscripts, however, and in Rask's printed edition, these are accompanied by some of the Scaldaic songs. [Seam] Of other Scandinavian poems there are many distinguished by the title of Kamp° Viser, or Heroic Ballads, which strains of romantic minstrelsy servo to give an idea of the compositions of the ancient bards or scalds. Deeds of arms and bravery constitute their main subjects ; for in the infancy of states personal courage and physical strength are regarded as the chief titles to pre-eminence, more especially in such a region as Scandinavia, where the sword was the only patrimony of the younger branches of a family, and was a possession quite as honourable and frequently more lucrative than that of the soil. Possessing a very great extent of sea-coast, the inhabitants regarded that element also as their natural territory. Their piratical expeditions, undertaken partly through necessity and partly from the love of adventure, obtained for them a fearful fame ; and the leaders of these hardy pirates assumed the imposing title of Sea-kings. These Viser contain moreover no small quantity of legendary fable and supernatural lore, derived from the ancient Sagas and the mythology of the Edda [SCANDINAVIAN MYTHOLOGY], whose wild traditions were so congenial to the spirit of the people that they continued to cherish the remem brance of them long after the establishment of Christianity (which was not earlier than the commencement of the 11th century) ; and in modern times they have been largely made use of by Oehlenschidger and other living or recent poets, who have found in them a source of powerful interest for their countrymen. For a while indeed it was very doubtful whether the Gospel would prevail against the popular belief In the Valhalla. The labours of the early missionaries in the 9th and 10th centuries produced very little effect ; the people con tinued to be almost entirely pagan, and Svend Tvseskiasg, the successor of Harald, renounced Christianity, and did all he oottld to re-establish the worship of the ancient idols ; nor was it until after the acceasion of Caputo the Great (1014), that Christianity became the national religion, and churches and convents began to be built. For several years afterwards, however, little improvement took place in the intel lectual condition of the people. Literature can hardly be said to have been cultivated at all. Its sole monument is the history (written in Latin) by Saxo Grammaticus, who died iu 1208. In Germany, as well as in England and Scotland, where this literature and mythology were once predominant, both faded away more quickly under the influence of elviliestiou. Odin, or, as he was called by those nations, Woden, was forgotten, but the popular tales and fictions remained. The ballad poetry of Scotland retains many a lay identical almost with those of the Scalds ; while Puss in Boots. Blue Beard, the Pig who would not go over the style, and Jack the Giant-killer, have their Scandinavian originals. Hewitt's ' Literature and Romance of Northern Europe;' and Dasent's 'Tales from the Norse,' contain much that is interesting on the subject Ui the modern literature of the Scandinavian nations, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, notices will be found in the BIOGRAPHICAL Dtvistos, under the names of the more eminent authors.