66 worse; for a wolf, an all-devouring monster, per"petually torments the bodies who are sent in thi ther (B)." Gangler resumes the discourse, and says, Which then are the Gods that shall survive? Shall they all perish, and will there no longer be a heaven. nor an earth? Har replies, There will arise out of the sea, another earth most lovely and delightful: covered it will be with verdure and pleasant fields: there the grain shall spring forth and grow of itself, without cultivation. VIDAR and VALE shall also survive, because neither the flood, nor the black conflagration shall do them any harm. They shall dwell in the plains of Ida; where was formerly the residence of the Gods. The sons of Thor, MODE and MAGNE repair thither thither come BALDER and HODER, from the mansions of the dead. They down and converse together; they recal to mind the adversities they have formerly undergone. They afterwards find among the grass the golden Dice, which the Gods heretofore made use of. And here be it observed, that while the fire devoured all things, two persons of the human race, one male and the other female, named Lif and Lifthraser, lay concealed under an hill. They feed on the dew, and propagate so abundantly, that the earth is soon peopled with a new race of mortals. What you will think still more wonderful is, that Sunna (the Sun), before it is devoured by the Wolf FENRIS, shall have brought forth a daughter, as lovely and as resplendent as herself, and who shall go in the same track formerly trode by her mother; according as it is described in these verses: "The brilliant monarch of "Fire† shall beget an only daughter, before the wolf "commits * Goranson renders it Crepidas, "Sandals." But M. Mallet's version is countenanced by Bartholin. Deaurati orbes aleatorii, p. 597. T. † There seems to be a defect or ambiguity in the Original here, which has occasioned a strange confusion of genders both in the French of 1 "commits his devastation. This young Virgin, after "the death of the Gods, will pursue the same track as "her parent (C).” Now, continues Har, if you have any new questions to ask me, I know not who can resolve you; because I have never heard of any one who can relate what will happen in the other ages of the world: I advise you therefore to remain satisfied with my relation, and to preserve it in your memory. Upon this, Gangler heard a terrible noise all around him; he looked every way, but could discern nothing, except a vast extended plain. He set out therefore on his return back to his own kingdom; where he related all that he had seen and heard and ever since that time, this relation hath been handed down among the people by Oral Tradition (D). : of M. Mallet and the Latin version of Goranson. The former has, "Le Roi brillant du feu engendrera une fille unique avant que d'etre en"glouti par le loup; cette fille suivra le traces de SA MERE, apres la mort " des dieux.” The latter, Unicam filiam genuit rubicundissimus ILLE REX antiquam EUM Fenris devoraverit; quæ cursura est, mortuis Diis, viam MATERNAM. I have endeavoured to avoid this, by expressing the passage in more general terms. T. REMARKS ON THE TWO LAST FABLES. Had the EDDA had no other claim to our regard, than as having preserved to us the opinions and doctrines of the "ancient "northern nations*" on that im portant subject, an existence after this life, it would have merited, even on that account, to have been preserved from oblivion. And really on this head it throws great light on History: whether we consider that branch of it which principally regards the ascertainment of facts, or that which de Les Celtes. Fr. Orig. votes votes itself rather to trace the different revolutions of manners and opinions. Such as are only fond of the former species of history, will find in these concluding Fables, the principles of that wild enthusiastic courage which animated the ravagers of the Roman Empire, and conquerors of the greatest part of Europe. Such as interest themselves more in the latter, will see (not without pleasure and astonishment) a people whom they were wont to consider as barbarous and uncultivated, employed in deep and sublime speculations; proceeding in them more conclusively, and coming, possibly, much nearer to the end, than those celebrated nations who have arrogated to themselves an exclusive privilege to reason and knowledge. I have before observed, that the philosophers of the north *' considered nature as in a state of perpetual labour and warfare. Her strength was thus continually wasting away by little and little; and her approaching dissolution could not but become every day more and more perceptible. At last, a confusion of the seasons, with a long and preternatural winter, were to be the final marks of her decay, The moral world is to be no less disturbed and troubled than the natural. The voice of dying Nature will be no longer heard by man. Her sensations being weakened, and as it were totally extinct, shall leave the heart a prey to cruel and inhuman passions. Then will all the malevolent and hostile powers, whom the Gods have heretofore with much difficulty confined, burst their chains, and fill the universe with disorder and confusion. The host of Heroes from VALHALL shall in vain attempt to assist and fupport the Gods; for though the latter will destroy their enemies, they will nevertheless fall along with them: that is, in other words, In that great day all the inferior Divinities, whether good or bad, shall fall in one great conflict back again into the bosom of the Grand Divinity, from whom all things have proceeded, as it were emanations of his essence, and who will survive all things. After this, the world becomes a prey to flames; which are, however, destined rather to purify than destroy it; since it afterwards makes its *Les Celtes. Fr. its appearance again more lovely, more pleasant, and more fruitful than before. Such, in a few words, is the doctrine of the EDDA, when divested of all those poetical and allegorical ornaments, which are only accidental to it. One sees plainly enough, that the poem called VOLUSPA hath been the text, of which this Fable is the comment: since in reality the same ideas, but expressed with a superior pomp and strength than are found in that old poem. It may perhaps afford some pleasure to peruse the following extracts, given literally from the translation of Bartholin *. "The Giant Rymer arrives from the east, carried in a chariot: the "ocean swells: the Great Serpent rolls himself furiously in the wa❝ters, and lifteth up the sea. The eagle screams, and tears the dead "bodies with his horrid beak. The vessel of the Gods is set afloat. “The vessel comes from the east: the host of Evil Genii † arrives "by sea: Loke is their pilot and director. Their furious squadron "advances, escorted by the Wolf Fenris: Loke appears with them . "The black prince of the Genii of Fire § issues forth from the "south, surrounded with flames: the swords of the Gods beam forth "rays like the Sun. The rocks are shaken, and fall to pieces. The "female Giants wander about weeping.' Men tread in crowds the " paths of death. The heaven is split asunder. "New grief for the Goddess who defends Odin. For Odin ad"vances to encounter Fenris; the snow-white slayer of Bela |, against "the * Vid. CAUSE Contemptæ a Danis Mortis, 4to. 1689. Lib. 11. cap. 14. p. 590, et seq. I have rather followed the Latin of Bartholin, than the French Version of our author. † Muspelli Incola. Bartholin. T. A stanza is here omitted, being part of what is quoted above in the 32d fable, p. 163: as also one or two stanzas below. T. § Surtur, Island. orig.-The reader will observe some variations between the version here, and that given of this same stanza in p. 13. they are owing to the different readings of the original. SC. FREY. T. the black' prince of the Genii of Fire. Soon is the spouse of Frigga beaten down. "Then runs Vidar, the illustrious son of Odin, to avenge the death "of his father. He attacks the murderous monster, that monster " born of a Giant; and with his sword he pierces him to the heart. "The Sun is darkened: the sea overwhelms the earth: the shining "stars vanish out of heaven; the fire furiously rages; the ages draw "to an end: the flame ascending, licks the vault of heaven." Many other pieces of poetry might be quoted to shew that the Scandinavians had their minds full of all these prophecies, and that they laid great stress upon them, But the generality of readers may possibly rather take my word for it, than be troubled with longer extracts. It will be of more importance to remark, that what we have been reading is, for the most part, nothing else but the doctrine of ZENO and the Stoics. This remarkable resemblance hath never been properly considered, and highly deserves a discussion. The ancients universally assure us, that the Stoic philosophy established the existence of an eternal divinity, diffused through and pervading all nature; and being, as it were, the soul and primum mobile of matter. From this divinity proceeded, as emanations from his essence, together with the world, certain intelligences, ordained to govern under his directions, and who were to undergo the same revolutions as the world itself, until the day appointed for the renovation of this universe. The fircs concealed in the veins of the earth never cease to dry up the moisture contained therein, and will, in the end, set it all on flames. "A time will come, says "SENECA, when the world, ripe "for a renovation. shall be wrapt "in flames; when the opposite "powers shall in conflict mutual"ly destroy each other; when the "constellations shall dash toge "ther; and when the whole uni Sc. SURTUR. |