A H AN D BOO K O F NO RSE MYTHO LOGY KA RL MORTENSEN DOCT O R OF PH I L OSO PHY UN IV E RS ITY O F CO P EN H AGEN ; A DJU NCT A T TH E CA TH E DRA L S CH OO L ( ROYAL GYM NASIUM) A T O DENSE TRAN SL A TED F ROM TH E DANISH I A . CL N TON CROWEL L ASS OCIATE PR OF ESSOR KN B ROW N UNIV ERS ITY N EW YORK W TH OMAS Y . CRO ELL COMPAN Y P UB LI SH E RS A U TH OR ’S P RE F A CE TH IS p o pular pre s entati o n o f th e myth s and s aga s w h ich to o k shap e he re in th e N o rth but wh o s e fo undati o n i s co mmo n pro perty o f all th e p e o ple w h o s pe ak a Go - Ge e s e e thic rmanic languag , fir t app ar d in 1898 and h as bee n u se d s ince th en in th e s tudy o f N o r s e Myth o l o gy in th e high s ch o o l s and unive rs iti e s o f all th e S candina P e o o e vian c o untries . S ince ro f s s r Cr w ll h as th o ught that th e little b o o k might al s o achieve a m o de s t s ucc es s in th e y o unges t but rich es t and m o st p o we r ful branch which “ - s o frOm our o mOn . o t I e h a gr wn c m m , hav witho ut h e s itati on ac cepte d h is friendly pro a i o s p o s al to transl te t int Engli h . I find gre at s atis facti o n 111 h av ri g my w o rk put ’ into th e w o rlds mo st compre hens ive lan guage and place d b efo re s tude nts in th e e es e e e s o Unit d Stat , wh r I hav many s e e s o n e es fe l frie nd , wh r ma y r lativ and l ow - countrymen have fo und a h om e and a iii ’ i v A UTH OR S PREPA OE e o o w e futur , and t ward which c untry No rtherners lo o k with th e deepes t admira tio n and respe ct fo r th e mighty fo rces which are s eeking to co ntro l mate rial things and to break new ground in th e infinite realms o f h e e t intell ct . I s ince re ly thank Pro fes so r Crowell fo r h i s e e e e o f Da s e int llig nt r nd ring my ni h t xt, s ince o n acco unt o f th e nature o f th e sub ce h - e o h a s e j t and t e half p o tic f rm , it call d f o r patie nt wo rk and fo r unc o mm o n ins ight . I wo uld likewise thank th e Thoma s Y . Crowell Company o f N ew Yo rk for their ess to s th e o o willingn publi h b k . It i s my ea rne s t ho pe that th e American s tudent into who se hands th e book may fall will b e able to map from it Ethé advantage which th e translato r h as had in mind and to feel awake ned {in {hiigri {s ome o f th e l ove fo r our o e s om o m mo s ld t c m n e rial , which h as inspired th é author i n h i s ta sk . K ARL M R E O T NSEN . ODEN S E , DEN M A RK r 1 Dec emb e , 1 9 2 . TRA NSL A TOR ’S PREFA CE Th e o Dr Mo e ’ e id a f tran slating . rt ns en s N o rdis k My th o log i s ugges ted its elf whe n my atte nti o n w a s call e d to th e b o ok by P ro fes s o r E Mo k f L e . g o ipzig . e e e to th e o r w h o I am chi fly ind bt d auth , h as read th e trans lati o n o f all th e pro se and o e e o s o s c mm nt d up n unu ual p int , all with e o e h i s c o n fri ndly and c rdial inte r s t . With s ent I have tran slate d th e illu s trative stro h es o th e e o to p fr m Ic landic , acc rding th e e o f B Si mo ns th e ermani s ti s ch e t xt . j in G ’ H z li th ek f H andb b o o r o s o . , having c n ultati n ’ ' Ge ring s Vo lls tcindig es War ter buch de r E dd a th e Ge s o o f Ge , rman tran lati n ring, th e D s o f G es sin th e E s o f ani h j g , and ngli h e s o me unpubli sh e d s el e ctio n s by my fri nd , th e e Dr A S o s o e e e b e lat . drian c tt , m tim m m r en o f th e B r own Univers ity faculty . Wh h o e e s aw t e w o rk w as practically c mpl t , I ’ Olive B ray s m o re re ce nt tran slati o n and H He r Dr . w as slightly influenced by it . ’ Vi TRA NSLA TOR S PREFA CE manns son o f C o rnell Unive r s ity h as rea d my s o e s a o e o s su es tr ph , m king c rr cti n and g g o s fo r h i s e es en ti n . I thank him int r t and r nt c o u a eme P o es s o A . g , and I thank r f r H e s e o f B e fo r e s u l r rlin many h lpful hint . I have al s o been a s s iste d in many ways by A M m e e E . o e . y wif , Carri Cr w ll , ’ P II ch ofield s s o o es s o . S r f r W . tran lati n ’ o f S Oph us B ug g e s Th e H ome of th e E ddi e P o ems h as be e n m o s t valu able fo r re fe r f es e th e o s e . ence , p cially in e matt r p lling A . C . C . I DEN E I PROV C , R . , a nua r 1 91 . J y, 3 CONT E NT S GENERAL INTRODUCTION FIRST SE CTI ON CHA PT ER I How THE W RL WA S R . O D C EATED II TH E G S T R L F . OD AND HEI I E III R G R K . A NA O SE CON D SE CTI ON I MM P PUL R B L F . CO ON O A E IE II . CHIEF GODS AND MYTHS OF THE GODS 9 5 1 15 Fre y a nd Nj o rth 129 He imda ll and B aldur 134 14 6 viii CON TEN TS THIRD SE CTI ON PAGE FORMS OF WORSHIP AND RELIGIOUS LIF E 153 F O UR TH HERO SAGAS Th e Vo lsung s Th e He lg i Sag as Vo lund th e Smith Th e Hj ath ni ng ar Be ow ulf CONCLUS ION INDE" G E NE RA L I N TROD U CT I ON 1 B “ o se h . y N r myth ol ogy w e mean t e info rmati o n w e have co nce rning th e re li g io us co nceptio n s and usages o f o ur heath en o e e s e e o f w o r f r fath r , th ir faith and mann r s th e o s s o e e e s hiping g d , and al th ir l g nd and s o s o th e o e e Th e im ng ab ut g ds and h ro s .