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The Gods were not ignorant, that those children were breeding up in the country of the Giants; they were apprized by many oracles, of all the evils they muft fuffer from them; their being fprung from fuch a mother was but a bad prefage; and from fuch a Sire was ftill worfe. Wherefore the Univerfal Father dispatched certain of the Gods to bring thofe children to him. When they were come, he threw the Serpent down into the bottom of the ocean. But there the monster waxed fo large, that he wound himfelf around the whole globe of the earth; and that fo intirely, that at pleasure he can with his mouth lay hold of the end of his tail. Hela was precipitated into Niflheim, or hell; there she had the government of nine worlds given her, into which

those that are fent her; that is, all we diftributes

die through

fickness or old age (B). Here the poffeffes vaft apartments, ftrongly built, and fenced with large grates. Her hall is GRIEF; FAMINE is her table; HUNGER, her knife; DELAY, her valet; SLACKNESS, her maid; PRECIPICE, her gate; FAINTNESS, her porch; SICKNESS and PAIN, her bed; and her tent GURSING and HOWLING. The one half of her body is blue, the other half covered with skin, and of the colour of human fleshi She hath a dreadful terrifying look, and by this alone it were easy to know her.

Or perhaps, her curtains, &e

REMARKS ON THE SIXTEENTH FABLE,

(A)" He Hath expofed the "Gods to very great perils." I should be inclined to call LoKE, the Momus of the northern Dei

ties; did not the tricks he plays them often exceed the bounds of raillery. Béfides, the monsters he hath engendered, and who are

along

Gods, and deftroy, the world. How could the Evil Principle have been more strongly characte rized?

(B) "All who die through

Celtiberi in acie exultabant, tanguam gloriosè - feliciter vitâ exceffari. Lamentabantur in morbo, quafi ture piter miferabiliter perituri, Val, Max, c. 6, "The Cimbri, and Celtiberi leaped with joy in marching to battle, as being to

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quit this life in a manner equal"ly happy and glorious; but be"wailed themselves when con"fined by distempers, alarmed at

along with their father, in the late ter ages, to make rude affaults upon the Gods, plainly indicates a fyftem little different from that of the Evil Principle, Notwithftanding what hath been advan❝fickness or old age.”] Cimbri & ced by fome learned men, this opinion was not unknown either to the Perfians, Goths, or Celtes: perhaps indeed we ought thus far only to agree with them, that it did not belong to the ancient religion of either of these people. But the hazardous and labouring condition in which they believed all nature to be, and the affaults which it was to fuftain at the last day, led them infenfibly, to imagine that there was a power who was at en mity with Gods and Men, and who wrought all the evils which defolate the universe. This was the occupation of Arimanes among the Perfians, and of Loke anong the Scandinavians. Loke produces the great ferpent, which entirely encircles the world. This ferpent, by fome of the characteristics of it in this fame Mythology, feemsus obferve, however, that the into have been intended as an emblem of corruption or fin. He alfo gives birth to Hela, or Death, that queen of the infernal regions, of whom the FDDA gives us here fo remarkable a portrait: And laftly, to the wolf Fenris, that monfter who is to encounter the

the thought of dying a shame"ful and miferable death" Here we have a proof, that this doctrine of the EDDA was that ' alfo' of all the Celtic nations; and here we fee what an impreffion it made upon their minds, I could accumulate ancient authorities still fur ther in confirmation of it, but refer the reader to the preceding volume. (See Vol.i.p.176,&c.) Let

fernal region here defcribed, where a punishment, rather disagreeable than cruel, is reserved for those who have died without their arms in their hands, is not an eternal Hell, but only an intermediate abode, or, if you will, a Prifon, whence thofe who are confined

wil come forth at the last day, to be judged upon other principles; and to be condemned or abfolved for more real virtues and vices. To this intermediate Hell was oppofed an Elyfium of the fame duration; viz. Valhalla, or Valhall, of which we fhall prefently have ample mention. One fees with furprize, in attentively reading this Mythology, that the whole is better connected and the parts more dependant on one another, than in any other work of the fame kind, that hath come to our knowledge. The inferior Gods, created along with this world, and united to it by their nature, and the conformity of their destiny, had every thing to fear at the last day from the enemies of nature. In order therefore to be the better able to refift them, they called home to them all the warriors, who had given proof of their va

lour by fhedding their blood battle. Thefe, thus received into the refidence of the Gods, were ftill exercised in all the operations of war, in order to keep them in breath, ready against the last great conflict. This was the great end to which all their pleasures and employments were directed. As to cowardly or inactive persons, what could the Gods have done with them, when they were thus threatened with an attack as fudden, as dangerous? They gave them up to the cuftody of Death, who was to punish their weakness with languor and pain. All this hath nothing to do with that Eternal Hell and Elysium, which we fhall fee sketched out in the EDDA with much more force and dignity; and where nothing will be regarded but fidelity, chastity, integrity and justice.

THE

THE SEVENTEENTH FABLE.

Of the Wolf Fenris.

S to the Wolf FENRIS, the Gods bred him up among themselves; Tyr being the only one among them who durft give him his food. Neverthelefs, when they perceived that he every day increased prodigioufly in fize, and that the oracles warned them that he would one day become fatal to them; they determined to make very ftrong iron fetters for him, and prefenting them to the Wolf, defired him to put them on to fhew his ftrength, in endeavouring to break them. The Monfter perceiving that this enterprize would not be very difficult to him, permitted the Gods to do what they pleafed; and then violently ftretching his nerves, burft the chains, and fet himself at liberty. The Gods having feen this, made a new set of iron chains, half as ftrong again as the former, and prevailed on the Wolf to put them on, affuring him in breaking these he would give an undeniable proof of his vigour. The Wolf faw well enough that the fe fecond chains would not be very eafy to break; but finding himself increase in ftrength, and that he could never become famous without running fome rifk, he voluntarily fubmitted to be chained. As foon as this was done, he thakes himteif, rolls upon the ground, dashes his chains against the earth, violently ftretches his limbs, and at last burfts his fetters, which he made to fly in pieces all about him. By these means he freed himself from his chains; and gave rife to the proverb which we ftill apply

I

apply, when any one makes strong efforts *. After this, the Gods defpaired of ever being able to bind the wolf: wherefore the Universal Father fent Skyrner, the meffenger of the God Frey, into the country of the black Genii, to a dwarf; to engage him to make a new bandage to confine Fenris t. That bandage was perfectly smooth, and as limber as a common ftring, and yet very strong, as you will presently fee. When it was brought to the Gods, they were full of thanks and acknowledgments to the bringers; and taking the Wolf with them into the ifle of a certain lake, they fhewed him the string, entreating that he would try to break it, and affuring him that it was fomewhat fronger than one would think, on seeing it fo flender. They took it themselves, one after another into their hands, attempting in vain to break it; and then told him, that there was none befides himfelf who could accomplish such an enterprize. The Wolf replied, That string which you prefent to me is fo flight, that there will be no glory in breaking it; or if there be any artifice in the manner of its formation, although it appear never fo brittle, affure yourfelves it fhall never touch a foot of mine. The Gods affured him that he would eafily break fo flight a bandage, fince he had already burft afunder fhackles of iron of the most solid make; adding, that if he should not fucceed, he would then have fhown the Gods that he was too feeble to excite their terror, and therefore they

* In the Icelandic, Leyfa or Lathingi edr drepi or Droma, i. e. according to Goranfon's Latin version, Solvi ex Ladingo, et excuti ex Droma. DROMA is the name given in the EDDA, to this chain of the Gods. T.

+ Goranfon's Edition adds, "This nerve or ftring was made of fix "things, viz. of the noise made by cats feet; of a woman's beard; of "the roots of mountains; of the nerves of bears; of the breath of fish66 es; and the spittle of birds, &c." (with much more.) T.

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