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country of the VANES; but the Vanes delivered him up an hostage to the Gods, and received in his place Haner. By this means a peace was re-established between the Gods and the Vanes. Niord took to wife Skada, the daughter of the Giant Thiaffe. She prefers dwelling on the spot where her father inhabits, that is, in the land of the mountains; but Niord loves to refide near the fea: yet they came at length to this agreement between themselves, that they fhould pafs together nine nights among the mountains, and three on the fhore of the fea One day Niord, returning from the mountains, compofed this fong; "How do I hate the abode of the mountains? "I have only paffed nine nights there; but how " long and tedious did they seem! There one hears "nothing but the howling of wolves, inftead of the "fweet finging of the swans *, who dwell on the fea"fhores." In answer to this. Skada composed the following verfes: "How is it poffible for me to en"joy my reft on the couch of the God of the Ocean; "whilft birds in flocks returning each morning from "the foreft, awake me with their fcreamings?" Then Skada returned to the mountains, where her father dwells; there fnatching up her bow, and fastening on her fnow-fkates, fhe often employed herself in the chase of savage beasts.

RE

*It is very remarkable, that the ancient Icelandic bards fhould have got hold of that fabulous opinion of the SWAN's being a finging bird; which fo generally prevailed among the Greek and Roman poets. It would be a curious fubject of difquifition, to inquire what could have given rise to so arbitrary and groundless a notion.-There can be no mistake about the bird here; for the Icelandic words are the fame with our English: Sangui Suana, “ The fong, or finging of Swans.” Cantus Cygnorum.

REMARKS ON THE TWELFTH FABLE.

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"He seems to dart forth rays of light."] Of all the nations who have formerly adhered to the Gothic' religion †, none have given us fuch a particular defcription of it as the Icelanders. If we are not therefore always able to prove, that fome of the points contained in the doctrine of the EDDA have been univerfally received by other ancient nations of Europe; muft it be thence concluded, that thefe doctrines were unknown to them? Analogy authorises us to judge the contrary. The conformities, we difcover in that part which we know, may ferve to answer for what remains unknown. But this reafoning, which I think well found ed, shall not hinder me from feeking more pofitive proofs of that refemblance and conformity, as far as one can difcover any traces of it amid the ruins of antiquity. There is in this place matter for the exercise of investigation. Who is this God Balder? Was he known

to the other nations of Europe f It seems to me probable, that Balder is the fame God, whom the Noricians and Gauls worshiped under the name of Belenus. This was a celebrated God among the Celtes. Many infcriptions make mention of him. We even find monuments, where he is exhibited according to his attributes. That which hath been long preferved at the caftle of Polignac, reprefents him with a radiated head, and a large open mouth; which exactly agrees with the picture here given of him in the EDDA; as a God refplendent and eloquent. We easily fee, that Belen and Balder came from the fame origin, that is, from the Phrygian word Bal or Balen, which signifies King, and which they formerly applied to the Sun. Selden (de Diis Syris. Synt. II. c. 1.) thinks that the an cient Britons called him Belertu». cades. This was the Apollo of the Greeks and Romans, the Sun confidered as a benign and falutary

+ Fr. La Religion Celtique.

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conftellation, who chafed away maladies, animated the spirits, and warmed the imagination, that fruitful mother of poetry and all the other arts.

(B)" He checks the fury of "the fea, ftorms and fire."] This God, or at least a God with thefe attributes,' hath been adored by all the ancient nations of Europe, as well Goths as Celtes as alfo by the Perfians, and the people who dwell around the Euxine and Cafpian feas. They all of them affigned a Geni us or God to the waters, whether of the fea, or of rivers, or fountains. This God would not fail to be adored, and loaded with prefents In many places among the Gauls, they every year confecrated to him animals, precious ftuffs, fruits, and gold and filver. Such was that fmall piece of water near Touloufe, into which great riches were thrown in honour of this Deity. They looked upon him as eafily provoked, and upon his goodness as not a little precarious; but fuch as was not ill adapted to the temper of him who was the mafter and director of fo de ceitful an element. Thus the EDDA fcruples to admit him into the family of the Gods. The common people, in divers places of Germany and the north, are fill

perfuaded that men owe him yearly tribute; and that when any body is drowned, this God hath carried him away. They call him, in Germany, Der Nix, and formerly in the north, Nocken. They had no other phrase to express a perfon's dying in the water, but "Nocken hath taken him ;" and hence, without doubt, is derived the French word Noyer, to drown The Gauls called this divinity Neith. They believed that he re fided in the fea, and in pools. There was near Geneva, in the lake which goes by the name of that town, a rock confecrated to him, which ftill retains the name of Neiton; a word approaching. very near to that of Noatun, which, according to the EDDA, is the refidence of the God of Waters. The Romans retained both the worship and name of this` God, who was adored by the ancient Celtic nations of Italy. In general, all the feveral people of Europe have had a great veneration for this Divinity, and nothing was more difficult than to bring them off from the worship they paid him; this furnished fubje&t for the prohibitions of many a council, Even within the bofom of the Chriftian Church, the people long continued to repair in crouds to certain fountains, in order to adore the beneficent Genius, who, by

an

an incomprehenfible power, made
the waters flow in equal and un-
interrupted abundance; they co- tions.

vered them with flowers, and prefents; and poured out liba

O fons Bandufiae, fplendidior vitro ;
Dulci digne mero; non fine floribus,
Cras donaberis boedo

THE THIRTEENTH FABLE.

Of the God Frey, and of the Goddess Freya.

NOR

TIORD had afterwards, at his refidence of Noatun, two children, named FREY, and FREYA; both of them beautiful and vigorous. Frey is the mildeft of all the Gods. He prefides over the rain, and the fun, and all the productions of the earth. He is to be invoked in order to obtain either fine feasons, or plenty, or peace; for it is he who difpenfes peace and riches. Freya is the most propitious of the Goddeffes. The place which fhe inhabits in heaven is called "The union of the people." She goes on horseback to every place where battles are fought, and afferts her right to one half of the flain; the other half belong to Odin. Her palace is large and magnificent ; thence the fallies forth in the chariot, drawn by two cats. She lends a very favourable ear to the vows of those who fue for her affiftance. It is from her that the Ladies have received the name, which we give them in our language. She is very much de lighted with the fongs of lovers; and fuch as would be happy in their amours ought to worship this Goddefs.

Then

Then fays Gangler, All thefe Gods appear to me to have great power and I am not at all surprised (A) that you are ble to perform fo many great atchievements, fince you are fo well acquainted with the attributes and functions of each God, and know what is proper to ask of each in order to fucceed. But are there fill any more of them, befides thofe you have already named ?

REMARKS ON THE THIRTEENTH FABLE.

FREY is fome inferior intelligence or divinity, who refided in the air: FREYA, who has often been taken for FRIGGA, is the Goddess of Love, the Venus of the Scandinavians. The ladies are called, in Danish, Fruer; and, in ancient Gothic, the word Freya appears to have fignified the fame thing. This name has a remark able analogy to the following words in the French language, viz. Frayer, to engender or spawn as fifles do; and Friand, which anciently fignified "full of defire" as alfo to Frija, which in Swedish fignifies to be amorous, and to feek in marriage; and Friar, a gallant. The name Aphroditis, which was given to Venus by the people of Greece, seems alfo to bear fome affinity to this. Gallantry being one of the prin

cipal virtues of every brave warrior, it was but right that the Goddess of Love fhould have the charge of rewarding one half, at leaft of those who had died with their fwords in their hands.

(A)" I am not at all furpriz"ed, &c."] The people fettled in Scandinavia, before the arrival of Odin, were a very fimple race, and easily aftonished. I his conqueror fubdued them as much by impofing on their minds, as by vanquishing their arms. Amazed at thofe fuccefles, which their own ignorance had occafioned, and was not able to account for; they very wifely fent to Odin himself, to inquire the caufe. We have seen that this was the end which GANGLER, or the king who affumed that name, proposed▸

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