Teutonic Mythology vol#02.pdf

Teutonic Mythology

Gods and Goddesses

of the Northland

Viktor Rydberg

IN THREE VOLUMES

Vol. II

NORRŒNA SOCIETY

LONDON - COPENHAGEN - STOCKHOLM - BERLIN - NEW YORK

1907

TABLE OF CONTENTS

VOLUME II

53. Myth in Regard to the Lower World — 353

54. Myth Concerning Mimer’s Grove — 379

55. Mimer’s Grove and Regeneration of the World — 389

56. Gylfaginning’s Cosmography — 395

57. The Word Hel in Linguistic Usage — 406

58. The Word Hel in Vegtamskvida and in Vafthrudnersmal — 410

59. Border Mountain Between Hel and Nifelhel — 414

60. Description of Nifelhel — 426

61. Who the Inhabitants of Hel are — 440

62. The Classes of Beings in Hel — 445

63. The Kingdom of Death — 447

64. Valkyries, Psycho-messengers of Diseases — 457

65. The Way of Those who Fall by the Sword — 462

66. Risting with the Spear-point — 472

67. Loke’s Daughter, Hel — 476

68. Way to Hades Common to the Dead — 482

69. The Doom of the Dead — 485

70. Speech-Runes Ords Tírr Námæli — 490

71. The Looks of the Thingstead — 505

72. The Hades Drink — 514

73. The Hades Horn Embellished with Serpents — 521

74. The Lot of the Blessed — 528

75. Arrival at the Na-gates — 531

76. The Places of Punishment — 534

77. The Hall in Nastrands — 540

78. Loke’s Cave of Punishment — 552

79. The Great World-Mill — 565

80. The World-Mill — 568

81. The World-Mill makes the Constellations Revolve — 579

82. Origin of the Sacred Fire — 586

83. Mundilfore’s Identity with Lodur — 601

84. Nat, Mother of the Gods — 608

85. Narfi, Nat’s Father — 611

86. Giant Clans Descended from Ymer — 624

87. Identity of Mimer and Nidhad — 630

88. Review of Mimer’s Names and Epithets — 641

89. The Mead Myth — 644

90. The Moon and the Mead — 669

91. Myths of the Moon-God — 680

92. The Moon-Dis Nanna — 681

93. Cosmographic Review — 692

353

THE MYTH IN REGARD TO THE LOWER WORLD

( Part IV. Continued from Volume I )

53.

AT WHAT TIME DID LIF AND LEIFTHRASER GET THEIR PLACE OF

REFUGE IN MIMER’S GROVE? THE ASMEGIR. MIMER’S POSITION

IN THE MYTHOLOGY. THE NUMINA OF THE LOWER WORLD.

It is necessary to begin this investigation by pointing out the fact that there

are two versions of the last line of strophe 45 in Vafthrudnersmal. The version of

this line quoted above was — enn thadan af aldir alaz : “Thence (from Lif and

Leifthraser in Mimer’s grove) races are born.” Codex Upsalensis has instead — ok

thar um alldr alaz : “And they (Lif and Leifthraser) have there (in Mimer’s grove)

their abiding place through ages.” Of course only the one of these versions can,

from a text-historical standpoint, be the original one. But this does not hinder both

from being equally legitimate from a mythological standpoint, providing both date

from a time when the main features of the myth about Lif and Leifthraser were still

remembered. Examples of versions equally justifiable from a mythological

standpoint can be cited from other literatures than the Norse. If we in the choice

between the two versions pay regard only to

354

the age of the manuscripts, then the one in Codex Upsalensis, which is copied

about the year 1300,* has the preference. It would, however, hardly be prudent to

put the chief emphasis on this fact. Without drawing any conclusions, I simply

point out the fact that the oldest version we possess of the passage says that Lif and

Leifthraser live through ages in Mimer’s grove. Nor is the other version much

younger, so far as the manuscript in which it is found is concerned, and from a

mythological standpoint that, too, is beyond doubt correct.

In two places in the poetic Edda (Vegtamskv., 7, and Fjolsvinnsm., 33)

occurs the word ásmegir . Both times it is used in such a manner that we perceive

that it is a mythological terminus technicus having a definite, limited application.

What this application was is not known. It is necessary to make a most thorough

analysis of the passages in order to find the signification of this word again, since it

is of importance to the subject which we are discussing. I shall begin with the

passage in Fjölsvinnsmal.

The young Svipdag, the hero in Grogalder and in Fjölsvinnsmal, is in the

latter poem represented as standing before the gate of a citadel which he never saw

before, but within the walls of which the maid whom fate has destined to be his

wife resides. Outside of the gate is a person who is or pretends to be the

gatekeeper, and calls himself Fjolsvinn. He and Svipdag enter into conversation.

The conversation turns chiefly upon the remarkable objects which Svipdag has

before his eyes.

* S. Bugge, Sæmund. Edda, xxvi. Thorl. Jonsson’s Edda, Snorra St., viii.

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