Teutonic Mythology: Gods and Goddesses of the Northland
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TTeeuuttoonniicc MMyytthhoollooggyy Gods and Goddesses of the Northland by 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. 355 Svipdag asks questions about them, and Fjolsvinn gives him information. But before Svipdag came to the castle, within which his chosen one awaits him, he has made a remarkable journey (alluded to in Grogalder), and he has seen strange things (thus 9, 11, 33) which he compares with those which he now sees, and in regard to which he also desires information from Fjolsvinn. When the questions concern objects which are before him at the time of speaking, he employs, as the logic of language requires, the present tense of the verb (as in strophe 35 — segdu mèr hvat that bjarg heitir, er ek sè brudi á). When he speaks of what he has seen before and elsewhere, he employs the past tense of the verb. In strophe 33 he says: Segdu mér that, Fjölsvidr, er ek thik fregna mun ok ek vilja vita: hverr that gördi, er ek fyr gard sák innan ásmaga? “Tell me that which I ask of you, and which I wish to know, Fjolsvinn: Who made that which I saw within the castle wall of the ásmegir?”* * Looking simply at the form, the strophe may also be translated in the following manner: “Tell me, Fjolsvinn, what I ask of you, and what I wish to know. Who of the ásmegir made what I saw within the castle wall?” Against this formal possibility there are, however, several objections of facts. Svipdag would then be asking Fjolsvinn who had made that which he once in the past had seen within a castle wall without informing Fjolsvinn in regard to which particular castle wall he has reference. It also presupposes that Svipdag knew that the ásmegir had made the things in question which were within the castle wall, and that he only wished to complete his knowledge by finding out which one or ones of the ásmegir it was that had made them. And finally, it would follow from Fjolsvinn’s answer that the dwarfs he enumerates are sons of Asas. The formal possibility pointed out has also a formal probability against it. The gen. pl. ásmaga has as its nearest neighbour gard, not hver, and should therefore be referred to gard, not to hver, even though both the translations gave an equally satisfactory meaning so far as the facts related are concerned; but that is not the case. 356 Fjolsvinn answers (str. 34): Uni ok Iri, Bari ok Ori, Varr ok Vegdrasil, Dori ok Uri; Dellingr ok vardar, lithsci alfr, loki. “Une and Ire, Bare and Ore, Var and Vegdrasil, Dore and Ure, Delling, the cunning elf, is watchman at the gate.”* Thus Svipdag has seen a place where beings called ásmegir dwell. It is well enclosed and guarded by the elf Delling. The myth must have laid great stress on the fact that the citadel was well guarded, since Delling, whose cunning is especially emphasised, has been entrusted with this task. The citadel must also have been distinguished for its magnificence and for other qualities, since what Svipdag has seen within its gates has awakened his astonishment and admiration, and caused him to ask Fjolsvinn about the name of its builder. Fjolsvinn enumerates not less than eight architects. At least three of these are known by name in other sources — namely, the “dwarfs” Var (Sn. Edda, ii. 470, 553), Dore and Ore. Both the last-named are also found in the list of dwarfs incorporated in Völuspa. Both are said to be dwarfs in Dvalin’s group of attendants or servants (i Dvalins lidi — Völuspa, 14). * I follow the text in most of the manuscripts, of which Bugge has given various versions. One manuscript has in the text, another in the margin, Lidscialfr, written in one word (instead of lithsci alfr). Of this Munch made Lidskjalfr. The dative loki from lok, a gate (cp. luka, loka, to close, enclose), has been interpreted as Loki, and thus made the confusion complete. 357 The problem to the solution of which I am struggling on — namely, to find the explanation of what beings those are which are called ásmegir — demands first of all that we should find out where the myth located their dwelling seen by Svipdag, a fact which is of mythological importance in other respects. This result can be gained, providing Dvalin’s and Delling’s real home and the scene of their activity can be determined. This is particularly important in respect to Delling, since his office as gate-keeper at the castle of the ásmegir demands that he must have his home where his duties are required. To some extent this is also true of Dvalin, since the field of his operations cannot have been utterly foreign to the citadel on whose wonders his sub-artists laboured.