TEUTONIC

MYTHOLOGY.
BY

JACOB

TRANSLATED

GKIMM.

FROM

THE

FOURTH

EDITION

WITH

NOTES

APPENDIX

AND

BY

JAMES

STALLYBRASS.

STEVEN

VOL.

LONDON:

GEORGE

BELL

COVENT

I.

AND

GARDEN.
1882.

SONS,

YORK

STREET,

TO

Professor

MAX

MULLER,

M.A.,

:^ts

^or^

IS

EESPECTFULLY

DEDICATED

BY

PERMISSION.

Sue,

"c.,

^^BEF^EEN.

pO.,

J"ING
ft.

AND

fl^NTEF^,

PREFACE.

TEANSLATOR'S

"

I THINK

than

Scandinavian
otlier.

any

these

It

Norwegians

also

as

our

veins, whom

the

creed

of

What

Mr.

task

tradition,so

Scandinavian

in

know

to

sources,

High-Dutch

indeed
it

to

seems

enough

view

able

to be

it

as

all

ways.

Scandinavian

well."

that

it

Carlyle's

"

be

the

was

the

it up

into

we

other

from

whole.

for,strange

still considered

was

it

Icelanders,

whole

connected

it

; and

gleaned

build

apply

course

supplement

to

to

can

and

of

recovered

thanks

one

ago

be

can

that

Low-Dutch,
was

will

Mynwlogie

and

of

his mastery

trace

The

into

to the

of

the

word

since

within

his

of

on

with

Grimm

to

necessary

and

the

In

languages

scattered

facts
all the

among

this

commanded

who

man

he

firm

scientific

certitude

Mythology

first wrote
of

of

his book
Teutonic

significanceof

the

the
all
;

literature

which

show

Teutonic

which

the

nations

he

by
the

was

enabled

him

strangest disguises.
nations

but

as

has
a

of

made

and

persons

as

great
of facts

storehouse

Mythology,
Names

wide

materially aided

was

basis, and

through

and

principlesof Philology, which

specialprovince

derivation

first

thought

Danube.

Comparative

strides

focus

true

the

field of Teutonic

system

one

establish
a

whole

bring

to

Iceland

first to

perhaps

was

of the

prevalence

the

Scandinavian

(of which,

forty years

us,

Grimm

Jacob

to

in

runs

many

these

so

interesting
still

so

ago

it.

prove

from

in

years

is

blood
in

preserved

Deutsche

with

most)

to prove

far

his

mythology

happen

And

whose

interest

been

of the

Carlyle says

Grimm

of

It

Odin.

in

".

all Teutonic

the

of

men

of

; 800

century

still resemble

point

have

they

; the

interesting

more

latest ; it continued

eleventh

we

is another

Hero-Worship

as

fathers

here, is

us

worshippers

doubtless

mythologies,that

to

till the

our

to

thing, the

one

still

were

There

"

is,for

regions of Europe

the

Paganism,

and

clue

to

things

Translator's Preface,.

vi
in

perhapsit

and

Etymology is his

the

to

classical

the

of
occasionally
his Deutsch

Still,among

But then

forte.

guessinginto

random

from
transfigured

is

his hands

etymology in

pointwith

every

tradition.

; and

at home

he is most

himself

Slavic,Lettic and

circle of

Oriental

Ugric, Celtic, and

kindred

it at

superseded

been

never

that he confines

Not

compares

the wide

and

mythus

myth,it has

be.

can

never

field ; he

Teutonic

of

versions

the various

scientificfact.
There

is

Grimm.

no

to detect in many

which

with

at
indignation

bags a

edition
(fourth)

the firsttwo

consist of his

Appendix

death

the

on

of the

will form

matter

as

If Grimm

fourth

the author
had

Kved

but he

was

no

longer free.

taken

the

three volumes

third,will contain the

lation
trans-

will

of the third volume

editions

(1844

an

and

1854) were

Appendix

part of

consisting,

Teutonic

Vol. III.

our

H.

After

it such

collected in his note-books

boolc

ready to

no

run

Grimm's

doubt, have
out

of each

task

additional

for future

which
great Dictionary,

he would,
life,^

nations.

Meyer, of Berlin, the

and includingin
edition,

have

Ye

"

and secondly,
Anglo-SaxonGenealogies,

to finish his

used to say, he had

his

Supplement.

to Prof. E.

had

the latter years of his

He

third

and

spiritedaway

of various
Superstitions
a

his heirs entrusted

bringingout

and

glee

Mythologiewill,like

Deutsche

of the

and

with

?"

more

vols.,accompanied by

short treatise

bred

It is

ago.

swan-maid

be publishedin
original,

Appendix

largecollection

This

of

and

text, and the remainder

own

publishedin

of
first,
a

of the

author's second

The
each

have

which, and part

of

of Grimm's

of

what

born

presenttranslation of the

The
last

German

up

to-daythe

heroes ; the

has

to

delights

zeal
patriotic

gods and

Slav who

or

he

of

of years

the

at

than

he hunted

which

Germany,

over

goddess,elf,or

new

was

gods,and

my

smile

poachingCelt

any

mythic being that

away

to forbear

the trail of his German

he

with

forefathers thousands

our

times

he hunts

which

all

from

indebted

more

and popular custom

nursery-tale

beliefs and habits of

impossibleat

is

lovingcare

Raus-mdrchen

und

his Kinder

the

to mention

Not

Folk-lore

to whom

one

use.

engrossed

incorporated

of his ten

fingers,

pith of

the

that

much

Preface.

jottingsin

the text

irrelevant

was

himself
feeling
this

later

these

Translator's

posthumous

select and

book, rejecting

German

editor,not

threw
reject,

his third volume

into

matter

of his

pleonastic. The

or

to
liberty

at

vii

the whole

(where it occupies

merely arrangingthe items accordingto the

pages),
subjectsin the book, and numbering each by the page
370

This

illustrates.

few extracts

to

Suppl.").I

devoted

and

accurate

it

to in

it appeared
pressed
opinion ex-

by

this

valuable

most

whole
to

means

parts,and

other

by

gentlemen

branches

to individual

full classified

to the

detailed Index

It is hoped

book.

attention
special

Folk-knowledge. A

science of

which

alreadyintroduced

author's

editor himself and

articles by the
addingoriginal
have

of

But in the present Englishedition it is intended

digestthis Supplement,selectingthe

who

have

to confirm, the
materially

contradict,or

order

frequentlyreferred

so

where
it in the Foot-notes,especially

from

in the text.
to

Supplement

book, under the form ("see

the
a

is the

of

of the

Bibliographyand

an

will accompany

work

render the

the

EnglishEdition

as

completeand serviceable as possible.

Grimm's
sum^

Prefaceto

of the

book, and of the whole

Vol. II.

accompany

the edition of 1844,

is

There

with
reader's acquaintance

bound

keep it where

to

The
the text

only additions

1. The
the

most

the

are

book

I find it in the

have

felt

to make

in

original.

ventured

it

An

Norse,Greek, and
a

much

High

does

comes

even

various

quotationsin

bristles with

when

written for

I have

"

ordinaryEnglishman

Old

impliesthe

:
following

part untranslated.

But

it,which

alterations I have

find the Old and the Middle

an

in

part of the book, that

every

or

in the German

will,as
subject,
much

so

givinga vigorousre-

about

Anglo-Saxon

to

making

Slavic,I

out

must

limited and

more

reader

ordinaryGerman
German

and
a

as

suppose

might

as
intelligible

Chaucer

word

learned

for
languages,

or

tively.
respec-

passage

in

the author to

publicthan

that

readable.
which, I hope,will find this English edition sufficiently
I have

therefore

translated

great many

words

and

sentences.

Translator's

viii

interest, and

the

where

translated
the

book

too

my

own

are

much.

(XII.

to

3.

consulted

have

words,

for Grimm's

comprehending
of

awkward

coining the
word

One

Mythologie
I

?
up

mythology,

Deutsch

remains

meagre

necessarilydraws

he

time

book, though
what

But

would

German
would

Grimm

does

not

be

amongst

expressly intends
the

English

happened
English
the

whole

ear

at

to

us

it to

the

cross

the
than

be

by

sea.

"

branch

the
of

I have

more

limited

one

the

would

the

portion of

his

Low

was

"

race

thought, that
to

been.

the

by
It

what

England

German

truer

it

direction.

and

have

itself.

system

to include

therefore
title

of

other

Netherlands

same

translate

To

in the

the

the

remains

Norse

generally understood

thrown
At

richer

and

complete

have

shade.

the

ology
Mythbuilding

at

giving

substantive

Deutsch

misleading

Teutonic

Scandinavian,

of

the

regards

comprehensive

more

the

as

the

the

sense

Deutsche

"

not

aimed

would

upon

quite a
as

include

sunply

are

much

'.

vag

'.

author

into

Anglo-

'

wider

stituting
sub-

Netherlands, instead

than

intention

Deutsch

mean

least

rather

from

own.

in

of

in

Ought

its fulness

exhaustive

not

of the

the

distinct

it forms

that

mythology,

Norse

so

'

Dutch

book.

that

the

the

of

few

by

see

instead

Netherlandish

German,

latter,because

the

of

account
more

disclaims

expressly

he

that

as

of

chapters

of their

to

waeg

Mid.

the

admit

size of

additions

convenience

'

dialects

title of

to

reader's

as

a,

'

bound

the

of the

some

headings

'

Dutch,

be translated

to

am

'

have

[ ], except

is accustomed

adjective

the

on

"

and

the Teutonic

aU

with

he

words

the

used

also

have

brackets

divided

English

ce, which

and

10

swelled

To

pended
de-

Trans.".

"

sections

the

quotations.

have

square

signature

smaller

into

XVI.)

the

Saxon

in

paragraph

translation,any

of clearness, I have

sake

the

2. For

such

from

Apart

the

bear

would

English

always placed

which

notes

the

understanding

is not

that

all

argument, of the

the

even

reader's

the

on

Preface.

he
; for

which
for the

facts

on

VL

I.

CHAPTER
INTEODUCTION.i

had turned
shore of Asia, Christianity

the westernmost

From

at

oppositeone of Europe. The wide soil of the continent

ment;
which
had given it birth could not supplyit long with nourishneither did it strike deep root in the north of Africa.
and
became, and remained,its proper dwelling-place
Europe soon
to the

once

home.

notice,that the direction

It is worthy of
worked

its way,
which

miration

the

then

was

to tlieWest

North

South

from

and

to

quarter,life itself was

one

North, is contrary to the

driving the nations

South.

the

in which

As
to be

from

the

new

faith

current
East

of
and

spiritual
lightpenetratedfrom
from the other,
reinvigorated

with Heathenism, the meaning of the term

book that deals so much
for
and Romans
had no special
name
be
The
Greeks
ought not to
passedover.
used
that
in
not
nations of another faith (forerepodo^oi,
were
sense);
fiap^apoi
contrasted 'idvos,
but with the Jews
and Christians of the N.T. are
Wvta,
a
nd
the
Lat.
uses
idviKOL,
gentiles
pi.thiudos, by preferencein
gentes,
; Ulphilas
the gen. after a pronoun, thai thiudo,simrai thiudo (giiamm.4, 441, 457),while
As it was
thiudiskus translates idviKws Gal. 2, 14.
mainly the Greek religion
1

In

the
the Judteo-Christian,
the word"EXX.r;yalso assumed
meet
with (K\r)viK(ioi
i6viKoii,which the Goth would
stillhave rendered
he does render "EXXf^i/e?
thiudos,John 7, 35.
as
thiudiiilcos,
This
1 Cor. 1, 24.
12, 20.
12, 13 ; only in 1 Cor. 1, 22 he prefersKrekos.
"eXX";i/gen tills bears also the meaning of giant,which has developed itself
that stood

opposed to

meaning iOviKos,and

we

than one
of more
national name
(Hun, Avar, Tchudi) ; sc the Hellenic
walls came
to be heathenish,
gigantic(seech. XVIII). In Old High German,
Notker
still iises the pi. diete for gentiles(Graff5, 128). In the meanwhile
meaning of kw/xt; into the wider one of ager,
pagus had expanded its narrow
it stilllives on
in It. paese, Fr. pays ; while 2Mganus
campus, in which sense
which was
began to push out gentilis,
lapsinginto the sense of nobilis. All the
Romance
languageshave their pagano, paycn, "c.,nay, it has penetratedinto
Bohem.
pohan, Pol. poganin,Lith. pagonas [but Russ. j)or/a?i unclean]. The
out

Gothic

campestris
adj.haithns agrestis,
the Old H.G. heida
7, 2(i renders fk\r]i/is
by liaitlind),
paganus
Mid. H.(}. and Dutch heide heiden,A.S. hu:L) Jtcc^in,
an
Engl,heath
adj.lieidaii,
The
Old
Norse
heitJi
hei'Sinn
and
Swed.
Dan.
heathen.
use
/leffiit'wj/. O.H.G
;
word
Our present
retains its adj. nature, and forms its gen. pi. heidanero.
heide, gen. heiden (forheiden,gen. heidens)is erroneoi;s, but current ever since
Luther.
Full confirmation
is afforded by Mid. Lat. agrestis paganus, e.g.in
the passage quoted "in ch. IV from Vita S. Agili; ami the wilde heiden' in
Heldenbuch
is an evident pleonasm(seeSupplement).
our
hdithi campus
(Ulph. in Mark

earlydevelopedan

=^

'

INTKODUCTION".

The

worn

and

the

empire of

out

its frontier

Eomans

both its interior

saw

Yet, by the

vulsed,
con-

mighty
had
her ancient gods,subjugated
doctrine which
just overthrown
her conquerors
Eome
able to subdue
the
anew.
was
By this means
flood-tide of invasion was
graduallychecked, the newly converted
to turn
their arms
lands began to gatherstrengthand
againstthe
left in their

heathen

overstept.

rear.

Slowly,step by step, Heathendom

Five hundred
in him

gave

thousand

Christendom.

to

way

years after Christ,but few nations

; after a

same

of

majority did, and

most
important,yet not all (seeSuppL).
From
Greece and Italythe Christian faith passed into
of all,in the second

on

the

or

and

thiid

find here

after,we

soon

the

years

and

there

Teutonic

the

this occurred

in

the

about

The

the

fourth

those

the

Gaul

first

the

Goths

300,

year

the

or

Germans
time

same

the

were

first

firm

Christianity
gained a

of

course

; and

Goths.

whom

people amongst

the

christian among

the Alamanni
Ehine, especially

little earlier^ among

About

centuries.

believed

Europe

century, the

footing;
West-goths

leadingthe way and the East-gothsfollowing

the
; and after them
and
converted.
Vandals, Gepida^
All these races
held
Eugii were
by the Arian doctrine. The Burgundians in Gaul became Catholic
at the beginning of the
fifth century, then Arian
under
their
Visigothrulers,and Catholic again at the commencement
of the
sixth

The

century,

Arian

Suevi

in

Spain

at

were

first

Catholic, then

(about 469), until in the sixth century they,with

West-goths,went
end

of

the fifth

the

Eranks,

soon

likewise to the Catholic church.

over
or

the

beginningof

after

that

the

the sixth

Alamanni,

did
and

Not

all the
till the

win
Christianity

after

them

the

converted
in the seventh
Langobardi. The Bavarians were
and
eighth centuries,the Frisians,Hessians and Thuringians in the
eighth,the Saxons about the ninth.
had
into Britain,but was
Christianity
early found entrance
checked
by the irruptionof the heathen Anglo-Saxons. Towards

the close of the sixth and

also went
The

over

to the

Danes

became

at the

in the

course

of the seventli

century,they

faith.

new

christians in the tenth

beginningof
^

the eleventh, the

Waltz's

UlfUa, p.

35.

gians
century, the Norwe-

Swedes

not

completely

INTKODUCTION.

half of the

second

till the

made
cliristianity

the

eighth

and

the
and

vonians

twelfth

Hungarians

in the

Lettons

in

twelfth,Esthonians

and thirteenth,Lithuanians

not

tenth, Sorbs

the

of the tentL

beginning of

the

at

in

Slavs, the

North

the

Poles

and

at the end

Eussians

in the eleventh, and

Then

Heraclius

former, the Moravians

Among

the ninth, Bohemians

in

Obotritie

centuries.

adopt
(d.640)

the firstto

were

under

after the

years

ninth

Slavs

South

Carentani, and

the Croatians,then, 150

the

the

the

christian faith:

time

same

to Iceland.

its way

Slavic nations

the

Of

the

About

century.

same

the

eleventh, Li-

and

Finns

the

in

tillthe commencement

even

of the fifteenth.
All these data
exclude

neither

adherence

only to

are

in limited

the

in

true

as

earlier conversions,nor

some

heathenism

to

be taken

main

later

longer and
and

Eemoteness

areas.

they

pendence
inde-

of a tribe.
religion
might protect the time-honoured
reaction.
often attempt at least a partial
Apostates too would
of the rich
lead captivethe minds
would
sometimes
Christianity
carried
and
people were
great,by whose example the common
it affected firstthe poor and lowly.
away ; sometimes
When
Chlodowig (Clovis)received baptism, and the Salian
followed

Franks

his lead, individuals

alreadyset
West-goths had

the

Catholic

adherents

had

inclined

into collision.

came
an

found

example.

Arian

remained

in

even

them

also

was

the

uprooted in

won

sixth and

with

Arian

to

over

now

certain districts of the

the

become

other,Albofled, had

was

kingdom.

and
But

communion.^

heathenism

Frankish

and

the two

Here

baptizedwith him,

the Catholic

centuries

seventh

doctrine, while

Chlodowig,Lantlnld,had

was

tribes

Burgundians

parts of Gaul.

his conversion, the

heatlien ; the latter

the

to

in other

christian before

the former

Intercourse

sister of

One

of all the Frankish

out

not

yet

Neustria

The
Bohemian
Fourteen
princes baptized845 ; see Palacky 1, 110.
the
in
stillheathen
North-slavs"
Middle
Riaderi,Tolenzi,Kycini, Circipani"
The
HehuolTl
23
21.
(an.
1066).
latter half of the 11th century ; see
1,
1

Rugians not till 1168 ; Helm. 2, 12.

est Albofledi.s.
ha-ptizata

13.

chrismata est,Greg. Tur. 2,

wife Bruneadministered
to Sigibert's
the Goths, chrismation is
So among
31.
the
who
assumes
Herminichild
child (4,27),and to Ingund's husband
(5,38,
froni
converts
have
of Joannes.
The Arians
re-baptized
new
name
appear to
Catholicism
compelled by her grandmother-motherin
; Ingund herself was
'
'. Rebaptizarekatholicos,
law
Eugippii vita
Goisuiiitha
ut
Lanthildis

rebaptizaretur

Severini,cap.

8.

INTRODUCTION.

heathen

had

inhabitants

in
Vosges, Austrasia
have
been livingin

towards

Frisians into the

and

like

in

eleventh

so

manner

the

among

the

Normans

and

there

among

Finns

Here

Saxons
and

still to

into the tenth,

Swedes

century,and
the

the

among

into

the northern

among

in

Lithuanians

and

in the

seem

lingeredon

the

extinct in the twelfth

not

heathens

heathenism

century, among

twelfth.^

and

was
idolatry

ninth

Seine, Burgundy

northwards
present Flanders, especially

Vestigesof

Friesland.^

and

; and

Ardennes

the
the

Loire

the

on

the

Slavs

universally

not

sixteenth

and

teenth^
seven-

Laplandersclingto it still.
not popular. It came
from abroad,it aimed at
was
Christianity
the country
indigenousgods whom
supplantingthe time-honoured
These
revered and loved.
gods and their worship were
part and
and constitution.
Their
parcelof the people'straditions,customs
had their roots in the people's
names
language,and were hallowed
by antiquity; kings and princes traced their lineageback to
individual gods ; forests,mountains, lakes had received a living
consecration
from their presence.
All this the peoplewas
to
now
the

; nay,

; and

renounce
was

denounced

sin

and

remotest

what

is elsewhere

and

persecutedby

crime.

shifted away

glorycould

The

commended
the

heralds

and

source

seat

to far-off regionsfor ever,

henceforth

be shed

and

truth

as

of the

of

all

only a

and

new

sacred

leyalty

faith
lore

as

was

fainter borrowed

placesin one's native land.

in escorted by a foreignlanguage,
The new
faith came
which
the missionaries impartedto their disciples
and thus exalted into a
sacred language,
which
excluded
the slighted
mother-tongue from
almost all share in publicworship. This does not apply to the
could
follow
the original
text of
Greek-speakingcountries,which
the

christian

which

the

revelation, but

to

the

far

wider

area

over

Latin

itself from
the

The

it does

church-language was
spread, even
among
whose
pating
populations,
ordinarydialect was
rapidlyemanci-

Eomauce

was

on

the
in the

contrast

of

converters

rules

of

ancient

Latin.

Still

more

violent

remainingkingdoms.
the

heathen, sternly devout, abstemious,

and
mortifyingthe flesh, occasionallypeddhng, headstrong,
^

Authorities

19, 47.
^
3

proper

given in

Heathenism

Fornmanna
Wedekind's
converted

Cli. IV."

lasted the

Conf.

lex

longestbetween

sogur

4, 116.

notes

2, 275, 27(3.

in

Frisionum, ed. Gaup}),p. xxiv,

Laubach

and

the Weser.

7, 151.
Rhesa

1387,the Samogits 1413.

dainos,p.

3.33.

The

Lithuanians

INTRODUCTION.

to
subjection

slavish
offend

the

the

but

national

Eome, could

distant

feeling.Not

rude

only the

what
(see Suppl.). And
wonder-working giftscould not effect,was
againstobdurate pagans by placingfire and

abomination

an

christian

ways

to

bloody sacrifices,

of heathenism

side
pleasure-loving

sensuous

fail in many

not

was

their

words

often

to

sword

be

to them

their

or

executed

in the hands

of

proselytes.

that of a mild, simple,spiritual

was
triumph of Christianity
doctrine over
cruel,barbarizingPaganism. In exchange
sensuous,
The

for

peace

of

and
spirit

promptingof

and

not

few

their

the pressure

promise of heaven,

of his ancestors.

the memory

earthlyjoys and
inner

the

others
spirit,

Many
example

the

man

gave

followed

liis
the

of the crowd,

of irresistibleforce.

Although expiringheathenism is studiouslythrown into the

shade
by the narrators, there breaks out at times a touching
excusable protest
the loss of the ancient gods,or an
lament over
againstinnovations imposed from without^ (seeSuppl.).
missionaries

The

did not

disdain to work

upon

the

senses

of the

by anything that could impart a higher dignityto the

Christian cultus as
compared with the pagan : l^ywhite rol)es for
the
subjectsof baptism,by curtains, peals of bells (see Suppl.),
also a wise
It was
lightingof tapers and the burning of incense.sites and templesby
heathen
to preserve
or
measure
politic
many
suitable, into Christian ones, and
simply turning them, when
anotlier and
assigningto them
equally sacred meaning. Tlie
heathen gods even, though represented
as feeble in comparisonwith
in themselves ;
the true God, were
not always pictured
as
powerless
they were
pervertedinto hostile malignant powers, into demons,
and giants,who
had to be put down, l)ut were
theless
neversorcerers
and influence.
credited with a certain mischievous
activity

heathen

and

Here

there

heathen

tradition

or

lived
custom
superstitious
applyingto Christ, Mary

and
by merely changing the names,
and the saints what had formerlybeen related and believed of idols
(see Suppl.). On the other hand, the piety of christian priests
suppressedand destroyed a multitude of heathen monuments,
to
and beliefs,
annihilation historycan
whose
cease
liardly
poems

on

Fomnianna

so^nir 1, 31-35.

Luxda'la,p.

170.

72.74.
"'

Greg. Tur. 2, 31.

Fonnu.

sog. 1, 260.

2, 200.

Kralodworsky rukopi.^,

INTKODUCTIOIi

heathenism

of

all trace

practiceof

The

blamed.

be

advantage that might

in

and

to

accrue

spring,and

sacred

pollutingthe

historyfrom
Willibrord,in fellingthe

day

some

preservation.Boniface

of

was

deprivedus of them is not

the extinction
pure Christianity,
than
more
concern
infinitely

which

sentiment

lament, though the

their

be

denied

aftergrowthsof heathenism,
ban, rendered

country, from
alienate

image-breaking Calvinists
idolatrythat was practisedby

sects

some

loosingthe
freer,

fixingof

our

gaze

inward

consecrates

beyond

'

of the Piomish

burden

more

floor

eradicated

the Reformation

elevation

of

introduction

(seeSuppL).

It

and

the

and

for

us

Alps

parties,
non-conformityhere

themselves, nay, in individual

the heathen

among

the

once

that

everywhere,and

us

near

which

at

oak,

more

every

would

us.

Probably

the

is

God

domestic.

faith

our

and

the

the

'

to

of

longer

sacred

long after them, thought only of the

such means
(seeSuppL). As those pioneers purg"edtheir
first time, it is not

to

sentiment

and

morals,

minds

and
a

there

ous
precoci-

half-way to meet
afterwards
its purification
of Christianity,
as
that Old Norse
is remarkable
legend occasionally
came

in utter

disgustand doubt
from
the heathen
faith,placed their reliance on their own
strength
in the Solar lioS 17 we
Thus
read of Vebogi and
and virtue.
Eadey a sik ];autruSu,'in themselves they trusted ; of king Hakon
allir aSrir,]?eir
trua
a
sem
(Fornm. sog. 1, 35) konungr gerirsem
certain

mentions

who, turningaway

men

'

'

megin,'the king does like all others who trust in their

2, 151) ek trui ekki a skurSgoS
own
might and main ; of BarSr (ibid.
ec5r fiandr,hefi ek ];vi
lengitruat a matt minn ok megin,'I trust not

matt

ok

sinn

'

vildi
long while, "c. ; of Hiorleifr
sacrifice
aldri biota,'would
never
(Landn. 1, 5.7); of Hallr and
sinn' (Landn. 1,
Thorir goSlaui^'vildu eigibiota, ok triiSu a matt
getitat Hrolfr
11) ; of king Hrolfr (Fornm. scig.1, 98) ekki er ]?ess

in

idols and

fiends,I have

'

this

'

tima
blotat goS,lieldr triiSu
kappar bans hafi nokkurn
pions
sinn ok megin,'it is not thought that king H. and his chamfi matt
have
at any
time, "c.;of Orvaroddr
(Fornald.sog. 2, 165; cf.
505) ekki vandist blotum, ]?vihann truSi a matt sinn ok megin ';
that
Tliis is the mood
of Finnbogi (p.272) ek trui a sialfan mik.'
in a Danish
still finds utterance
folk-song(D.V. 4, 27), though

konungr

ok

'

'

without

reference

to

religion:

INTRODUCTION.

jeg mit gode sviird.

Og saa min gode liest,
Derniist troer jeg mine dannes"v"enne,
Jeg troer mig self allerbedst ;
Forst troer

it is Christian

and

the inner

consecrate

We

(seeSiippl.).
if Paganism
that,even
longer,and brought out

to elevate

and

man

assume,

may

besides,wliicli strives

sentiment

have

lived

and

in

sharper relief and

characteristics of the nations that obeyed
some
more
spontaneously
and disruption,
it,yet it bore within itself a germ of disorganisation
without
the intervention of Christian teaching,
which, even
luxuriated

would

while

conld

shattered

have

and

strange plant whose

it.^ I liken heathenism

dissolved

to

we
fragrantblossom
regard with
of nourishinggrain that covers
to the crop
wonder
; Christianity
To the heathen
too was
wide expanses.
germinatingthe true God,

to the Christians

who

the time

At

the heathen

doctrine with

Old

as

to

matured

into fruit.
press

have

notion,which

entertained

their power

well

faith,and
of

as

invoke

Norse

the

of

even

latter in

the missionaries

fusingthem

Anglo-Saxons we

are

in heathen

new

into

told,that

gods,or

cases
particular

of

one.

some

at least

in which

they

passages in winch the gods'

and Harbard's
song may
holiest things unshaken
(see

and

sagas
coarselyderided.

the

resist,of combining the

to

time in Christ and

same

forward,many

Christianity
began to

their ancient

at the

continued

to

all in

Of Norsemen
believed

had

when

seem

did

are

brilliant

songs have remarkable

good deal in Lokasenna

for

rough joking, -which still leaves the

when
a daringpoet can
pare
comSuppl.). But faith has certainlygrown fainter,
and Freyja to dogs (Fornm.
OSinn
Islend. sog. 1, 11. ed. nov.
207.
sog. 2,
Nialss. IGO) : when
372.
another calls the gods rangeyg
(squint-eyed,
unfair)
and rokindusta
to Freyr, I shall quote a
we
come
(Fornm. sog. 2, 154). When
for him ; but here is a passtory manifestlytending to lessen the reverence
sage
from Oswald
2913
'din
der
ist
ein
ich wil glouben
:
got
junger tor (fool),
den alten.' If we
had a list of old and favourite dogs'
I believe we
an
-names,
should find that the designationsof several deities were
bestowed
the
upon
brute by way
of degradation. Vilk. saga, cap. 230. 235, has handed
down
Tlwr (butcf.ed. nov., cap. 263) and Paron, one
being the O.N., the other the

pass

"

Slav

in the

name

herdsmen

hunters

Slovak

form

Thunar

Parom

doubtless

ch. VIII.

Perun

in

With

the

Saxon

for dogs,as perhaps Donner

is to this day. One sort of dog is called hj the Poles Grzviilas (Linde 1, 7'i9a.
Hrmiles (Jungm".
Thunder, Forest-thunder.
2, 798),by the Bohemians
1, 759)
In Helbling 4, 441 seq. I find a dog IVunsc^i (notWiinsch). Similar to this is
the transference of national names
to dogs : the Bohemian
BoJrok is a dog's
or

was

nse

name,
to

mean

but
a

an
signifies
Same, Sabme

Obotrite
=

Lapp

(Jungm. 1, 150) ; Sumr

Hell)ling4, 458 has a

in the

Frank

Nialssagaseems
(seeSuppl.).

had

INTRODUCTION.

'

been

christians much

by

even

named

and

their

aid

3, 12 says
spells.Landnfimabok
truSi a Krist,en
]?6het hann a Thor til seefara
varSa' ; he believed
alls ]7ess,
mestu
er honnm
]?otti

hann
ok

harSrseSa

have

to

seem

and

in enchantments

invoked

Helgi :

deities

old

later,the

So

them.

formerlyproved helpfulto

Christ,and

yet

"c.

the

Hence

Thor

called upon

he

in

and

voyages

of
ok
in

difficulties,

transferred heathen

to Christ.
ei^ithets
Beda 1, 15 relates of Eedwald, an East- Anglian king in the beginab uxore
ing of the 7th century : rediens domum
sua, a quibusdam
doctoribus seductus est, atque a sinceritate fidei depravatus,
perversis
ita ut in morem
habuit
antiquorum
posteriorapejora prioribus,
Samaritanorum, et Christo servire videretur et diis quibus antea
too

poets

'

in

serviebat,atque
Ohristi

arulam

et

eodem
ad

fano

victimas

in

altare habebat

et

sacrificium

(see Suppl.).

daemoniorum'

This

helps to explainthe relapsesinto paganism.

The
doctrines and ideas is easier to write,
historyof heathen
remained
races
accordingas particular
longer outside the pale of
intimate acquaintancewith
the Greek
and
baptism. Our more
Koman
rests upon
religion
writingswhich existed before the rise of
Christianity;we are oftener at fault for information as to the
altered shape which that religion
had assumed
the common
among
people in Greece and Italyduring the first centuries of our era.
Eesearch
has yet to penetrate,even
deeperthan it has done, into
the old Celtic faith ;

must

we

shrink

not

from

recomizino-

and

ex-

and
customs
amining Celtic monuments
on
ground now
occupied
Germans.
Leo's
the
real
by
importantdiscoveryon
bearingsof the
of the Slavs and
The religion
Malberg glossarymay lead to much.

Lithuanians

would

be

far

known
to us, if these
accurately
nations,in the centuries immediately followingtheir conversion,
had more
of their antiquities
carefully
preserved the memory
; as it
scattered detail only wants
is,much
and traditions still
collecting,

alive in

districts aftbrd

many

mythology we
Germany

possess

holds
While

were

few

each

as

more

somewhat
middle

the

whole

rich

On

the

place,peculiarto

herself and

of

that

decided
races

Finnish

fuller information.

conversion

centuries,the Teutonic

material.

and

Gaul

and

finished in the
forsook the faith

course

of

not

favourable.
un-

Slavland
of

very

of their fathers

graduallyand slowly,from the 4th to the 11th century.

Eemains
of their lano;uage
been preservedmore
too have
fullyand

very

INTRODUCTION.

from

of

works

periods. Besides wliicli we possess

writers,and especially
Tacitus, accounts

successive

the

Eoman

earlier undisturbed
from

scanty and

of

time

Teutonic

foreignsource,

the

in

of the

heathenism, which, though

are

yet exceedinglyimportant,

invaluable.

nay

The

converted
about

is
first,

the Saxons

and

the East

of
religion

South

obscure

more

to

than

us

races, which

that

of the

incomparablyless than

know

againwe

German

were

Saxons
about

the

insightwe should get into the

character and contents
of the suppresseddoctrine,how
vastly the
picturewe are able to form of it would gain in clearness,if some
at
St. Gall, or one
clerk at Fulda, Eegensburg, Eeichenau
or
Bremen, Corvei or IMagdeburg,had in the eighth,ninth or tenth
before us, after
and setting
century, hit upon the plan of collecting
Scandinavians.

the

the

on

tell me,

one

here

and

far different

Grammaticus, the stillextant

of Saxo

manner

tribe

What

of
superstitions

beliefs and
that

there

by

that

time

Let

their forefathers !

nothing more

was

plainlyshows

footmark

there

traditions of his

that

to

no

be had

recollections

such

reallyhave died out.^ And who will show me in Sweden,

such a
which
tenaciously,
longer and more
clung to heathenism
during the twelftli
compositionas actuallyappeared in Denmark
could not

century

for this fact,would

But

Sweden

thing impossiblein
Saxo

to

are

only

not

what

the

me

placedbefore
we

then

monument

the recent

declare such

eight books of
the Norse
logy,
mytho-

first

truth,the

of

they show

because

in

people had to be
I especially
remark, that Saxo
converts.
of some
prominent gods ; what righthave

the

scantier records of inland

faith of the

ancient

lightthe

infer from

to

welcome

most

all mention

suppresses

In

the doubters

for their intrinsic worth, but

altered

an

not

non-mention

Germany,

that

of many

deities in the far

they had

never

been

heard

of there ?

Then, apart

from

Saxo, we

religionpreserved for
whither

it had

Iceland.

It

multitude

of

fled

as

us

it

in
were

find
the
for

purer

remotest
more

authorityfor
corner

of

the Norse

the

North,

perfectsafety, namely, in
"

preserved not only in the two Eddas, but in a

Sagas of various shape,which, but for that emigration
is

and Hildegimd was

the tenth century the heroic tale of Walther
iu
\\Titten down
was
heathen
aiid
arelie of
in Latin at St. Gall,
poetry
poetized
at
German
a misprintfor deutsch
I],probably Merseburg.
[dcutlich,
1

As late

as

10

INTKODUCTION.

the

coming

to

Sweden

and

doubt

to cast

language.
and

on

all

it

makes

genuinenessof the Norse mythology is as much as

the genuinenessand independenceof the Norse
it has

That

obscurer

an

perishedin Norway,

Denmark.

assail the

To

probably have

would

rescue,

handed

been

down

to

both

us

in

clearer

modern
authoriti-es,
shape,through older and more
the easier to study it from many
sides and
mqre

historically.
Just

little can

as

undertaken

collect and

to

of German

known

perceivethe kinshipand

mythology with

of the Norse
I have

fail to

we

heathenism,

and

the rest of Teutonic

forth

set

that

system of Norse
clearness
the Old

and

German

from

aloof

mythology. By such
space, and to sharpen our

it ;

that

so

in

latter,where

far

faith,so

limitation
vision

it stands

as

for

nexion
con-

mythology.

all that

of
exclusively

close

can

be

now

the

complete
hope to gain
criticism of

the Norse,

opposed to

or

need

we

substance

ourselves with -the

only concern
tendency it coincides with that of

or

inland

Germany.
The antiquity,
and Norse
and affinity
of the German
originality
mythologiesrest on the followinggrounds :
1. The undisputedand very close affinity
the
of speechbetween
the now
two
demonstrated
races, and
irrefutably
identityof form
in their oldest poetry. It is impossible that nations
speaking
whose songs all
stock,'
languages which had sprung from the same
the badge of an alliteration either unknown
wore
or
quitedifferently
in their
should have differed materially
appliedby their neighbours,
to
religiousbelief. Alliteration seems
give place to christian
rhyme, first in Upper Germany, and then in Saxony, precisely
it had

because

been

existing.Without

the

characteristic of heathen

true

that

their

of form
peculiarities

that

the

the

one

German

race

one

should

another.

otherwise

Saxon

and

Old

over
superiority

liave in many

than

the

and

chief divinities of

from
not

the

their

prejudiceto
and

High

had

the two

in

marked

language;

German

the Old

dialects

Norse,

pointsits claims

have

to

the

and

as

the

their

quite

incredible

seem

other none,

been

is

still

poetrieshave

or

that

reallydifferent

differences

dialects have
so

and

it would

gods and

should

were

their

it
originalaffinity,

finish ; but

have

There

Norse

then

songs

no

doubt,

but

Gothic, Angloseveral

pointsof
the faitliof inland Germany
may
distinction and individuality.

11

INTKODUCTIOxN'.

by all Teutonic
jointpossession,
worship. If we are
relatingto religious

tongues, of many

2. The

4th

form

same

authorities of the

the Norse

faith with

the German
are

the

in

by the Goths
8th, in exactlythe

used

century, by

and

and

0.
muspilli,

Sax.

notions

thus

out:

with
mudspelli,

A. Sax. ides,
with the Eddie
itis,

the

the

word

produce a
Alamanni

the

in
bear

to

in

of
century, the affinity

13th

or

to

it continues

as

the Norse, and

breaks

anon

sense

12th

therebyvindicated.
3. The identityof mythic

ever

able

terms

antiquityof

the

the

latter,

nomenclature, which

and

O.H.G.

agreement of the

muspell,of the O.H.G.

the A. Sax. brosingamene

the Eddie

dis,or of

conclusive evidence.
brisingamen, affords perfectly
in which
both there and here the
similar way
4. The precisely
religious
mythus tacks itself on to the heroic legend. As the
the Eddie

with

Gothic, Fraukish
we

in the

5. The

and

the connexion

run

of the veiled

into

another,

one

myths

also which

background.

minglingof

constellations.

intimate

all
genealogies

Norse

scarcelydeny

can

stand

and

union

the

This

mythic element

is

an

uneffaced

with

names

vestigeof the

of

plants

primeval

worship and nature.

religious
6. The
gradual transformation of the gods into devils,of the
customs.
wise women
into witches, of the worship into superstitious
in disguised
The names
of the gods have found a last lurking-place
There is some
oaths, curses, protestations.^
analogy
ejaculations,
between
this and the transfer of heathen
myths from goddesses
and gods to IVIaryand the saints,from elves to angels. Heathen
festivals and

between

customs

were

transformed

into

christian,spots which

retained for
sometimes
alreadyconsecrated were
lics,
of the Cathochurches and courts of justice.The popularreligion
in the adoration of saints,includes a good many
particularly
and often graceful
and pleasingrelics of paganism (seeSuppL).

heathenism

had

which is found to this

depositfrom god-myths,
illday in various folk-tales,nursery-tales,
curses,
saws,
games,
understood
of days and months, and idiomatic phrases.
names
8. The
doctrine
undeniable
intermixture
of the old religious
with the system of law ; for the latter,even
after the adoptionof

7. The

Conf.

aedepol!

me

evident

our

'

donner

herole !

me

! ' the

! hammer
castor

Sei-v.

'

lele ! lado !' the

"c.
medius^lidius,'

Lat.

'

pol!

INTRODUCTION.

12

tlie

unravelling

In

with

part

overlook

the

the

Celts,

Slavs,

confirmation
find

certain

old

forms

and

usages

Finnish

nations

the

Against
of

historical
and

is,

faithfully
by

aversion

of

worth

the

of

of

facts,
our

of

without

mythology

what

themselves,
have

left

which
is

general

not

task

to

be

of
of
view

attained

covered
half-dis-

early

the

the

(see

more

substance

SuppL).

and

scorn

heathenism

of

object

My

distortions

securing

of

ness
incomplete-

the

by

afterwards

remaining
slow

the

in

mania

but

on

the

to

the

mean

the

and

very
taken

damage

preserved.

been

collect

to

guarded

has

these

decadence.

solutions

that

the

High

course

done

mythologies,

all

of

on

frequently

sufficiently

am

nations

christians

so

with

the

and

astronomical

simply

fellow-labourers

enlist
store

and

has

or

data,

light

duration

its

Greek

connexion

loose

introduced

in

and

metaphysical

foisting

to

which

Norse

the

throw

tonic
Teu-

of

Slavic

the

of

with

Frankish,

superstitions

and

myths

adapted

error

and

Gothic,

heathenism

domestic

study

the

peculiarly

are

our

with

also

But

German.

by

Lithuanian

and

fruitful

(so

nationalities
Old

would

scope

contact

with

afford

they

our

mere

those

Celtic

especially

wherever
of

the

of

the

of

nations,

extension
in

indispensable

appears

Finns,

This

languages

particularly

ones,

and

justification

the

of

ways)

many

it

neighbouring

of

Lithuanians

and

reason

relations,

mythologies

elucidation.

or

ample

complex

these

to

not

in

not

SuppL).

(see

of

would

faith,

new

and

to

solid
and

IL

CHAPTER

GOD.

all Teutonic

In

varieties

are

is

there

Norse,

the

even

it lacks

Norse

Gothic

the

vowel

know

the

nom.

as

man,

fatar, pruodar,

them

company,

have

nowhere

of the

with
also

other

of

names

424.

432)

need

any

such

heathen

down.^

form

deus

firmly

too

distinction.

The

masc.

noun,

connecting

cot

gen.

cotes,

bear

indeed

the

sanctity
that

quent
fre-

preserved

reason

M.

mans,

to

as

inviolate,than

Dut.

the

(1,486), and

god

(1, 1071).- Moreover,

God

and

article

(4,383.

394.

404.

proper

nouns

beings-reject every

are

and

existed, though

reg.

same

1, 180), the

likely that

more

ace.

genitivesirreg.,

the

having
the

The

the

established

dcr got in

as

MS.

2,

260a.

is said

to

of

deity.

On

radical

the

arrived

drift of these

has

Sa.xo

does

The

Slav,

andbahts
shall

and

not

to

"

inflect

ciMtor

speak

or

hugh is
bhaj colere

minister.
have

an

mere

word

Gqd

have

we

connected

with

not

the

to be this : The
word, though used
archaism, pointing to a time when
irregularity diie to abtrition, the

yet

adj.
as

Tlior

Uhland

with

perhaps

; conf.
in ch, IX.

also

p. 20,

p. 198.
the
Sanskr.
with
note

the
on

bhaga

obscure

word

boghat,

felicitas, bhakta

bahts
dives.

in
Of

the

the

Trans.

connected
;

the

immediately

seems

is this

word
was
really neuter
having always been masc.

devotus,

it is not

remarks

form

neut.

of

meaning

certaintyf

at

The

masc,

they

oldest

dialects,

Gothic

the

three

same

its

here

irreg.genitives

expected

It is

occur.

vocative

divine

the

it,only with

it

worn

three

doulit

not

.preserved the

Lat.

the

perhaps

we

do

spelling cot (Gramm.

O.H.G.

have

met

had

use

should

(-s,-r) of

guffs w^ithout.

the
has

had

name

with

O.H.G.

and

fateres

and

mannes

we

in O.H.G.

in

cot, 0.
and

(hence

goten), yet

is formed

therein

Now,

M.H.G.

god

all the

sing,termination

sing,

gen.

fadrs, br6(5rs.

of

O.H.G.

god,

Though

masculine

as

dialectic

The

got, M.L.G.

make.

to

word

Fris.

with

always

God.

name

O.

M.H.G.

remark

not

agreeing

i,

general

gud,

the

use

do

; I

sing,cotan
and

Dan.

grammatical

the

by

has

Being

Supreme

gu", A.S., O.S.,

Goth.

gocf ; Swed.

Norse

0.

called

been

consent

one

the

tongues

Goth,

6e6s, deus

GOD.

14

shows

the difference of vowel

god, O.Ii.G. cuot, M.H.G., guot,

A.S.

good,Goth, gods,O.N",goor,

first have

should

we

show

to

as
an

intermediacy of the gradationsgida gad, and gada god, which

God is called the
other cases
does take placein some
; and certainly

who

and

from
O.N.
distinguished
?).
; Goth. Gautos
God has long been compared

Koza

O.H.G.

word

The

(Bopp,comp.
a

gram., p.

then
Sridatta),

address

and

one

God

as

with

samozazdani

first half

of

Cotadio, Cotascalh, Cotafrit, Cotahram,

Cotalint,but

they are

the

one.

When

stand

for

so

that

we

forms

god,not

derivatives

the

man,

its

to

meaning j
justas
may

O.H.G.

definite

Being as a more
the compound
syllable,

last
as

in

as

names,

Cotakisal, Cotaperaht,

anything as

can

only

Irmincot, Hellicot.

Ulphilasexchanges the

the tenuis in

741.

; Vuk

proper

many

also

Servians

of the Divine

generalnotion
cot

infer

can

the

as

and
Irmandio, Hiltiscalh,Sikufrit,

like

formed

well carry

In

not

'HXl6Soto";,

a compound,
originally

been

! self-created God

bozhe
the

cot forms

O.H.G.

The

have

must

apt meaning,

very

supposed,

datus, increatus,

se

Mitradatta
"e6SoTo";,

word

Teutonic

our

Pers. Kliocld

been

has

be, as

qvadata (a

svadata, conf. Devadatta

Sanskr.

(A. S. Geatas,

the

with

Gotar),

Zend

of the

violent contraction

latter

35). If the

O.N.

Gautar

be

must

of the

name

(O.H.G. Kuzun,

Gutans

called themselves

Goths, who

national

the

from

removed

ll is still farther

Good.i

for

TH

D, which

plains
ex-

Luke
(god-fearing)
guda-faurhts

; thus

ably
though the dat. sing,is invariguSa.^ Likewise in speakingof many gods,which to Christians
would
idols,he spellsgtida,using it as a neuter, John 10,
mean
idols are meant
The
A.S. god has a neut. pi. godic,when
34-5.
the O.H.G. and
(cod.exon. 250,2. 254,9. 278,16.). In like manner
M.H.G.
god) is commonly neuter, and
(false
compound apcot,ajjtcot
Tit. 1, 1
2, 25, gagudei(godliness)

forms

its

3254.

3302

pi.apcotir;
can

be

whether

correct, is

the

M.H.G.

'

dcr

questionable
; we

aptgot
have

'

in

taken

Geo.
to

(Is 6 Oeos,I\raik 10, 18, Luke

18, 19, wliich inGothic
ayados d jj.!]
man
is rendered
'ni livashuii ]nuSeigsalja ains GuS', but in A.S, nis nan
god Ijuton God ana'. God is the giver of all good, and himself the highest
him ro dyadoi/. y
Thiis Plato names
bonum.
good, smnmum
2 In
into D
belore a vowel in inflection,
Gothic the rule is to change TH
of guS is
-S.
The
haubi'S,
fuS
faSs,
peculiarity
-dis,-da,
fadis,
fada,
as,
;
that it retains TH
throughout the sing.,guS, guSs,guSa,guS ; though in pi.
1

ovbeh

'

and

in derivatives

it falls under

rule asain.
"

Teans.

15

GOD.

throughout, yet our

pi. gutter itself
usiug ahgottas a masc.
since the_true God_js
can
only be explainedas originally^neuter.
have
no
can
plural; and the O.H.G. cota, M.H.G. gote
one, and
In Ulph. afgudsis only an adj.,
and
contain so far a contradiction.
11, 26 ; eihwXa
denotes impius Sk. 44, 22 ; afgudeiimpietas,Eom.
1 Cor. 5, 10. 10, 20. 28, or by
he translates by galiuga(figmenta),
1 Cor. 10, 20 ; and elhtoXeiov by galiugestaOs,1 Cor.
galiiicjaguda,
8, 10.

Another

3, 694

; Luther

expressiongotzeI

N.H.G.

has in Deut.

'

12, 3

die

have

discussed,Gramni,

gotzen ihrer goiter,making

demigod ^ (see
the neut. goffidolum
Suppl.). The O.N. language distinguished
from the masc.
gud'deus. Snorri 119 says of Sif it harfagragoS,'
if a heathen would have said it.
the fairhaired god ; I do not know
from fear of desecrating
and exclamations, our people,
In curses
In Er. Alberus

gotzerridolum.

fab. 23, the gotz is

'

the

God,

of

name

resort

potz tausend

! or,

kotz

but I cannot

trace

the

similar
older

alteration of it-? poiz wetter!

some

! Mz

custom

back

Fr. dieu into

of the

! instead

wunder

tausend

of Gottes ;

speech. The
to be
Ueu, hlcu,guicu^seems
to

ancient

our

(seeSuppl.).

Some
that

change

to

of

heathen
Thus

remarkable
the

God

of the word

people^may

common

also

in
have

older

our
a

speech and

connexion

with

notions.
it is thrown

(seeSuppl.). Poems
welcome

uses

goteunde

^
a personal
intensify
pronoun
have, by way of giving a hearty

in,as it were,
in
mir

]\I.H.G.

willekomen

to

; Trist. 504.

Frib. Trist. 497.

1 Writers
of the 16-1 7th centuries use
olgotzefor statue (Stielersays, from
the Mount
of the apostlesasleep on
of Olives,
allegorical
representation
has den olgotzen tragen
for doing house
61
oil). Hans Sachs freqiiently
The
IV. 3, 37"^ 99^
O.H.G.
drudgery,I. 5, 418'i 528^. III. 3, 24* 49^
coz,
(Juvenal6, 343),which Graff 4, 154 would identifywith
simpuvium Numae
and belongsto giozan=fundere.
a vessel,
gotze,was
2 Such
arise from two causes
must
not be abused,
: a holy name
a fear may
that
of
softened
down
to
dreaded
the
has
be
an
devil,
by
or
unholy
name,
e.g.,
animals
its
how
the
call
formidable
form
people
modifying
; see Chap.'XXXIII,
(Dan. tordenveir
preierto say donnerwetter
by another name, and for Donner
donnerwetzstein
for Thursday),donnerwettstein
donnerkeil,
or
1),
(wetterstein

an

'

'

wasche, dummer.

In Fornm.

sog.

10, 283

we

have

Oddiuer

for OSinn

haps
per-

puqiosely changed into Mutesheer

;
Phol into Falant, is worth considering.
whether
*
Sangbieu (sangde Dieu), corbieu (corps dc D.) vertuldeu (vertude D.),
morbleu
(mort de D.),parbleu(par D.), vertuguieu,vertugoi (vertu de D.),
niorguoi(mort de D.), "c. As earlyas Renart 18177, por la char bieu. So
the Engl, cock's bones,'od's bones, 'od's wouuds, 'zouutls,"S:c. Conf. Weber
Wuotansheer

metr.

rom.

3, 284.

(Woden's

host)

was

16

GOD.

gote suit

ir willekomen

welcome

to

dar

nacli

mir

und

mir,

rehte

Dietr.

4619.

1268.

1393.

unde

mir

wis

nu

Dietr.

shall be

got alrest,
willekomen

wis

und

oueh

208.

406.

got

willekomen

sin

ouch

Eilh.

sit ouch

Nu

5200.

; Oswalt

unde

mir

wis

(ye

gote wilkomen^

sit willekomen

solt groz

1082.

305, 27.

got wilkomen

mir

du

2189.

; Lanz.

mir

niir

; Trist. 5186.

sit mir

128, 13.

; Dietr. 5803.

uncle

me)

; Parz.

got wilkomen

got wilkomen

and

willekomen

west

lande

iurem

country,

your

got ; Frauend.

Trist. 248.
mir

God,

sin,

dem

mir

richen

got wilkomen

1163.

got

; Ls.

1,

Occasionallygote stands alone : diu naht si gote willekomen

;
Iw. 7400, explainedin the note, p. 413, as 'devoted to God,'though
it only means
to-nightbe (thou)welcome '. Upper Germany has
to this day retained
the greeting'gottwilche,
gottwillkem,gottikum, skolkuom'
(Staid.1, 467. Schm. 2, 84). I do not find it in
514.

'

Romance
on

Otto

ende

; but

poems
I. and

tni.

Saxon-Latin

the

his brother

Supreme Being is

The

has

Heinrich

of the

song

10th

sid wilicomo

conceived

century

bethiu

goda

omnipresent,and

as

is

under
expected,as much as the host himself,to take the new-comer
his protection
; so the Sloveny say to the arrivingguest bogh th
vsprimi,God receive you ! ^ and we to the parting guest God
call it commending or committing
We
guide,keep, bless you !
I compare
to God, M.H.G.
with these
one
gote ergeben,Er. 3598.
who
the Hail ! called out to one
arrives or departs(heill
ver
]?u!
also associated the names
with which
Stem. 67"'86''),
of helpful
are
'

'

'

'

heill ]?udsyniom ser

gods : heill ]?ufarir,
well by (theaid of) the Asynior; Stem.
allz Jjic
lieilan biSr vera
tyr vera ! Srem.
In
an

the

of

assurance

den

Trist. 4151.

has for its

f. d.

The

schatz

or

weiz

nu

nieman

Here
;

too

Svenska

Dmission

of and

the

got

visor

alone

2, 7.

between

the

thou

well,be

heill scaltu

Agnarr,

40.

ignorance:

comfortable

This

31*.

God

of the omniscient

name

weiz

daz
wan

of

emphasizes

got unde

ich ;

(except)got

unde

of / with

God

combination

counterpartthe opprobriousone

XXXIII.

gud

the

knowledge

2308, 3.^

mill ; Nib.

utan

way

same

! fare thou

tJioiiwith

devil,ch.

enough : ingen vet min sorg

in
That
we
are
fullyjustified
is

two

datives

is archaic,conf. Zeitschr.

2, 190.

a.

! Frauend.
192, 20 ; conf. 177, 14.
diu waltvogelltn
dan got unde
nieman
; Ecke
das mac
ein kleinez vogellin,
und
ich und
niemen
bevinde daz wan
er
getriuwe sin ; Walth. 40, 15. Birds play the spy on men's privacy.
2

Bilgewaz

hie haert

primi,gralvaVenus

uns

anders

96.

wol

17

GOD.

by

is shown

remarkable

kunna

engan
know

and

OSinn

save

ok

to

Amis

1889, 3.

ik

die

beide got u. in ; Parz.

the side of the

Deity : got

hugSa

which

secrets

can

none

Not

is named

the Evil One

tiuvcl loben ; Iw.

den

Nib.
sane

diit et de

O.Fr.,jel te pardoinsde

noch

w?r

neic si im

280, 5.

Wh.

378, 25.

his

whispered them,

got ; Iw. 4635, i.e.no

der tii'vclnoch

beschirmet

ek

daz

as:

Sometimes

245.

; ]\Iones untersuch.

mi

time,

1,487.
95^ Fornald. siig.

38"-^

in

Also

gote; Iw. 6013.

unde

heathen

sog. 1, 380

has

he

whomsoever

to the

geloube gote unde

leit ;
himile
iu unde
klage ich unser
ffotevon
landr. 11. 16. 37.
klagegode unde iu; Eichtsteig

989.

messe

By

Offinn.

is at once
revealed,Sa^m.
divinity
are
phrasessuch
quiteparallel

as

in Fornald.

passage

mik

nema

far back

speech so

of

these modes
referring

by
in

1273.

protectshim.

one

passionsto God ;
Ages attribute human
is He often picturedin a state of complacencyand joy
especially
and againin the contrary state of wrath and vengeance.
(seeSuppl.),
and happily
is favourable
to the creation of eminent
The former
of the Middle

Poems

endowed

men

(in amiable

worhte

dich als ebene

do

freudcnwas,
ime
ze

freuden

er

Troj.19922.
Misc.

maz;

frouwe, an
So

formet

ze

werdc,^ do

sin
so

he

when

1^

Perci-

made

scnftcsmuotes. do er
do
got der was iii froiden,
vil

muot

reinem

er

geschuofdie

1, 24^

got si zer werlde brahte,do

Wigal. 92S2.
wibe

reinen fruht,wan

got der

was

tugent,wlinne, schoene

vil ivol
an

libe ;

milte,der si beide schuof nach lobe ;

gczicrdc
got selb i^i richen freudcnwas, do er ir lipals ebene
ich weiz daz got in froiden was, do er niht,
2, 186.
got

was

dir vergaz

vostre

; MS.

muote

schuof

troubadour

form, training
"

(soevenlymeted);MS. 1, 22\ got in grossen

created wine) ; Altd. bl. 1, 413.
dich schuof {i.e.,

stuont

1, 201*.

MS.

er

gar lool

gemuot,do

"

zuJit,do'r Parzivalen

suczen

maz

hohem

in

was

was

trim

einer

an

148, 26.

geschuofso

got der

was

got der was

reine ein wip ; MS. 1, 17^

Parz.

val);
er

got

cors

sings:

waz

man

belha

amoros;

ze

sol schouweu.

lobe

domna, de

cor

liayn.1, 117.^

y entendia

It is

an

Ls. 1, 35.

Dieus, quau

equallyheathen

gavairthi peace.
creative God
rejoicingin his -work,the M.H.G. poets especially
lac der gotes iliz ; Parz. 88, 15.
den henden
and zeal : an
attribute dilujence
5.
fliz
Parz.
den
140,
got het sinen Ilizgar ze wnnsche
gotes
;
jach,er triiege
ich
4130.
wol an si geleit
woen
got selbe worhte dich niit siner got; Wigal.
licher hant ; Wigal. 9723.
zware
got der hat geleitsine kunst und sine kraft,
So in
disen loblichen lip; Iw. 1685.
sine meisterschalt
sinen tliz und
an
1

The
To

Gotliic

the

18

GOD.

sentiment, tliat imputes

to

God

propensity to

gaze

at

human

do : got mohte
selbe gcrne sehen die
beauty,or to do whatever men
selben juncfrouwen; Fragm. 22"'. gott moht
in (him, i.e. the
musician)gerne hoeren in sinen himelkceren; Trist. 7649. den slac
scoUe got selbe haben gesehen(shouklhave
that stroke)
seen
; Eol.

198,

18. Karl

72

got selbe

moht

ez

sehen

gerne

; Trist. 6869.

ein

puneiz (diadem),daz in got selber mohte sehen ; Frauend. 84, 16.

gestritendazz d'engelmohten hceren in den niun koeren ; Willeh.
nach
230, 27. si mohte
betwingen mite (might nigh compel
durch si
withal)eines engelsgedanc,daz er vil lihte cincn ivanc
for her) ; Iw. 6500
from
heaven
himele
taic (fail
von
(imitated
by
Ottocar 166"). icli weiz daz wol, daz sin got niclit vcrdrilzze ; MS.
ir har gelichdem
2, 127^
golde,als ez got tailnschcn soldo; MS. 2
dat geinc (ging,
62^. sin swert
went) an siner hant, dat got selve
?
vrdchdc mere
dey engele
(woidd ask to know), we der ritter were
machen
muosten
lachen, dat hey is sus kunde
; Haupts zeitschr, 3,
of the attendant
This hilarity
24.
guardian-angels(ch.XXVIII)
be thought of in connexion
valklirs must
with the laughingof
or
In Ilartmann's
Erec, when Enite's white hands
ghosts(ch.XXXI).
daz got liicn
355 : und
a horse, it says
groomed (begiengen)
wiere,
This view

of

expressedin
Ullar hylliok
On
an

in

rite,icli wain,

erde

the

angry

will

be

The

idea

blithe
sympathizing,
the

subst.

allra

other

Irnldi,O.N.

goSa ;

hand,

ob

er

solJien marstcdlcr

recurs

rt"/^y

rcid' varS

several

graciousgod,is particularly
47^^.
hylU : OSins hylli; Sam.

Sa^m. 45^^.

of the

times

in the Edda

];er
Asabragr; Sasm.
];aFreyja oc fnasaSi ;

er

hccte.

and

primitivesensuous
avenging deity (seeSuppL), the most
treated
of presentlyin ch. VIII, under

J^erOSinn,
228''.

genuocte da mite,

and

of
representation
strikingexample

Donar, thunder.^

elsewhere

85^

OSinn

Soim.

71^

"

rci"r

er

o/racTr; Siem.
she

was

wroth,

fere muser,
fist Dex de sa main iiue, por nature
tout le mont
i
chief
trere
s'ele
la
voloit
contrefere,
nen
a
no
porroit
Dex,
;
porroituser,
que ja
s'ilsen voloit pener, mi porroit,
ce
cuit,assener, que ja une telle feist,por peine
Clirestien;

que

jaia

il i meist

(see SuppL).

liominircc deum, Liv. "2, 9. deos iratos liabeam ! dii immortales

Tacitus
Rose.
16.
And
this
Cic.
on
ibus irasci et succensere
consvieverunt,
pro
ira
irati
Germ.
Hist.
the
Germans
5.
of
an
: propitiine
dei,
dii,
%
very subject
1

Piacula

infensiBatavis dii,Hist. 5, 25. And in the Mid. Ages : tu odium Dei

crebresccnhabeas ! Vita Meinwerci, cap. 13 " 95.
omniumque sanctorum
diversis
calamitatibus
in
ot
cottidie
Dei
tibus jayijamque
justojudicio populo
in
vel
Deus
oflensus
quibus placaii
quid esset
esset,
flagellis
quo
posset operibus; Pertz 2, 547.
26.

....

19

GOD.

as the
panted,
guSin o-eid' ordin

snorted

and

or

his beard.

ira)is announced

(deorum
deos); Fornald.

wolf in Iieinli.XLII

angry

; Fornm.

2, 29.

sog.

352.
; Egilss.

231.

go5a grcmi
go5 (offendere

rjrcmia

at

out
spirtles

imo

god cWohjan; HeL 157, 19.

than wirdid in waldand
:
grani, mahtig modag; HeL 41, 16 (elsewhere
ein zornec
diu Sffilde,
or the world, earth,is gram),
got in daz gebot
2,

sog.

(badethem),daz
ich

717

daz

; Reinh.

got wil

975.

daz

4.

845,

riime

anclen

got! (God

6, 2, in forbiddingSunday labour, says

iracnndiam

sinen

verviieren
sinen

rue

The
talis

quia

hie ist

43, 28.

riuwe ! Trist. 11704.

got immer

ez

ir her ; Parz.

mit

got roeche da selbe

daz

wsene

vengeance); Gudr.
12131.

was

hie suohten

uns

geschehengotes rdche
Osw.

69.

zorn

(wreak his
it); Trist.
Lex Bajuv.
vitanda

causa

provocat,et exinde

flagellamurin
the expressions
were
coarse
frugibuset penuriam patimur. How
abuse
An
that putteth God
stillused in the 17th century '
on
his mcltlc,and maketh
him to hold strict and pitiless
inquisition,
that verilyhe shall,for saving of his honour, smite thereinto vnth
his fists ; and
offended
to run
again:
itpon the sjKnrs of an
in the Mid. Ages called gotc hide,
was
jealousGod "} A wicked man
form of imprecationwas
One
loathed by God.
to consigna man
ad

Deuni

est, quae

"

"

"

hatred

to God's

goteshaz !

in

uz

off)balde in goteshaz !
ein boeswiht

devil, "c.) daher

the

goteslioz ; Altd.

haben

2, 47.

the MLG.

But, what
in

ace.

der

var

hebe dich der

so

3, 212.

w.

which

sunnen

varet

hen

an

1799.

does

Hartmann
Serious

not
on

haz

varn,

haz

ir suit farn

Unprinted

Er. 93.

nu

ziuhe

deserve

hc(z hill xarn

to

have

the

'

in
'

in

von

and
haz

so

perfect
tens
heigh-

der

Parz.

sunnm

haz; Eracl.

375, 26.
on

3196.^

46.
Riiediger

mir

sunnen

shine

manner

gotes haz,'or
has

of

; Frauend.
sun

like

svnncn

poems

Wiggert

Eeinaert

the sun,

si hiezen in strichen in der

sunnen

godeshaz
In

him

man

kindly.

Niirnb. 1080, p. 158, 180.

benedictions,
called 'der gotesslac,'
stroke.
or distress is habitually

illness

ich

miieze

so

strichen

der

hat der gotes

(al.foul weather,

6104.

Iw.

substitutes for God

haz !

hicz in dev

gotes

colouring
;

sunnen

Helmbr.

cursed

gesendet beide

prepos.

the heathenish

1100.

mich

109, 12.

inch hat rehtfe goteshaz

'

in another
parallel

haz !

Frauend.

(sheer

goteshaz alsam

er

without

247, 26.

hin !

den

vart

nu

gewinnen goteshaz; Eoth 611.

godsatliebbe ! Huyd. op St. 2, 350.
deserves
notice,this fornmla
particular

mueze

nu

Trist. 14579.

; Kl. 518.

bestanden

Jmz

mir

von

liz strtchet

Trist. 5449.

20

GOD.

Gizericli

Vandal

The
where

Vand.

it to,

shall drive

they

that God

stepsinto his ship,and leaves it to the winds

is angry

or

with, ej)'
ov"i

what

people he shall fall

6 6eo^ copjiarai.
Procop.de hello
among

1, 5.

Such

hostile attitude breeds

then

and

now

rebellious spiritin

promethean defiance and threats,or even

takes a violent practical
turn
4, 94 says of
(seeSuppl.). Herodotus
koI Tr/ao? ^povWjv re
koI
oi avroi
the Thracians : ovtoc
"pj]iKe"i
deM.
If
tod
avco
darpaTrrjvto^"6ovt"";
ovpavov, wrreiXevat
Trpot tov
the god denied the assistance prayed for,his statue was
flung into
in water, or
In the
beaten.
the river by the people,immersed
the incident of
we
repeatedlycome
Carolingianromances
upon
Charles threatening
the Deity,that if he deny his aid,he will throw
the churches with all their prieststo
his altars,and make
down
men,

which

cease

from

So dame

breaks

land

the

Breide

holy relics ;

in

out

Orendel

battle,has the houses

to

the

the
vintagefailed,

the

river.^

statue

of Urban
would

Arcadians

; Eol.

gods

only anger

not

bath

or

squills
(Theocr.7,

chase

the

If

with

their Pan

scourge

their

the

246, 30.

into

thrown

was

bootless from

when
((TKiX\.ai,";),
they returned
106). The Greeks imputed to

break

after losingthe
actually,

gods pulled down

of his

1211, 1428, "c.

the altar and

uncover

Marsilies

; and

2395

; e.g. Ferabr.

Franks

threatens

too

The

the

of

and

hate,

but envy, love of mischief,vipueai,^.

(seeSuppl.), In our modern speech: der liche,

liebste,
gnddige^grosse, gute,allmdchtige.In our older tongue : herre
herro the godo ; Hel.
Gute frau,276.
got der guote ; Eeinh. 1296.
Epithets

3.

78,

1309.

90,

of

Hel.

den

gesach;
^

When

again ;
-

Here

dwells

himel

von

riJceo

Christ; Hel. 1,

Morolt

list 114.^

1793,

If God

got von

Trist. 2492.

3.

can

got mich
heilac; Wesso-

bmii,

we

can

build

p. 16.

is,there
liebe Gott

peoplesay

riki

der riche

3526.

Cot edmahtico,cot

"

2.

der rMe

114,22.

hebamme,
God

thie

drohtin ; Hel.

our
lightningstrikes,

der

gnmdeger trehtin;Eeinh.

143, 7.

got der riclie;Nib.

4971.

V.d. wibe

Ettners

Where

riU

richen got

godo

God:

rieh

195,9.

himele; Eoth.
durch

the

fro min

6.

Freq. the

"

god;

ie

God

is grace
!

And,

peace ; of a solemn
di'ive den lieben Gott

and
to

sjiotit is said
from

person's

in his sanctum.
to disturb a solitary
(Lessing1, 243),means,
OHG.
rtlilii
dives,potens, also beatus ; and dives is near akin to Diviis,
as
Dis, Ditis springsout of divit. From the Slav. 6%/us derived boghut(dives),
with Ops, the
Lilh. hagotas; compare
ops, in-ops (Russ. u-boghiy),opulentus

room

Bona

Dea.

Conf.

Diefenb.

celt. 1, 196.

21

GOD.

mahtig drohtm ; Hel. 2,2. frea celmildig

; Csedm.
manno
wealdend; Thorpe's anal. 83.
se
cclmihtiga
1,9. 10,1.
Geb. vil milter Christ ; Cod. pal.
miltisto (largissimus)
; Wessobr.
The AS. has freq.
ece
350, 56.
:
dryhten,ieternus ; Caedm. 246,
Also : witiggod, sapiens; Beow.
3382.
3555. 4655.
11.
Beow.
Cffidm. 182, 24.
1364, 2105.
witigdryhten; Beow. 3101. 3679.
Waltant got;
Ctedm. 179, 8. witigwuldorcyning; Ca3dm. 242, 30.
Hild.
waldindingergot; Eoth. 213. 523. 1009. 2332. 4031.
Gebct.

brunn.

"

"

ivaltant Krist

9,

OV.

Gudr.

; Csedm.

(AS.)wealdend

heofnes

4.

feeder

]?eodawealdend.

17, 15.

2243.

wealdend; Beow.

wuldres

25.

25, 91.

wealdend; Cffidm.

alwealda; Beow.

(OS.)

630.

waldand

waldand

drolitin

god.3,17.
This epithet
is not found
1, 19.
The notion of wielding',dominari,regere, is further
in the Edda.
apphed to the Supreme Being in the phrasees ivaltcn,Parz. 568, 1.
! M. T"nt. godwouds !
13225.
So ouv gottivalt's
En. 7299.
10165.
Huyd. op St. 2, 548. Our ace. in das wait Gott ! is a blunder ;
1/^
called the
Agxicola596. Praet. weltb. 2, 50. God is occasionally
; Hel.

waldand

4,5. Q,Q.

5, 20.

aloivaldo 4,8.

8, 2. 69, 23.
'

'

'

"

Old

lebtnoch, i.e.the

dev alte Gott

MHG.

popul.'der alte Yater'.

Montenegro 101), bogh is named

In

4401.

The
(sweetheart).

Servian

stari

MS.

', the old blood2, 214'' der alte friedel

century poets sometimes

Geo. 90, 401
216, 5. 434, 23.

MHG.

diu

hohste

134, 7. 150, 14. and

the

men,

25, 91.

"

that God

OHG.

them, and

of

the

use

6.

487, 20.

zi waltanteru

the

hcnti,
the all-

time

same

Lat.

which

; with

hant, Parz. 484,

The

saw

(Vuk 2, 244.

song

krvnik

God
is at
'all-wielding'
all-remembering
seeing,
all-knowing,
; hence
OV.

A.S. eald metod.

ever.

13th

epithetaltisdmus,Wh.
may be compared the
Wh.

'

Frauenlob

in

shedder, killer ; and

as

66, 20. der aide got ; Pioth.

got sin alt gemiiete; Wh.

hat

568, 8.

same

it is said of fortunate

unfortunate, that God forgotthem

N. Boeth.

145. (MHG.)
(OHG.) kesah tih kot ! 0 te felicem !
gesachin got!=happy he! Altd. bl. 1, 347. so mir got crgaz ;
vergezzen ; Nib. 2256, 3. wie gar
Troj.kr. 14072. so hat got min
iuwer got vergaz (how utterlyGod forgotyou) ; Iw. 6254. got min
heete sin vergezzen ; Trist. 9243.
genaxlevergaz ; Ecke 209. got
=

licher trehtin,wie vergaeze d^ ie min

examples,see
got iemer
you

in his

Gramm.

sclwnwe

sight!

so

Trist. 12483.

For other

guards: daz
4, 175." God, by regarding,
Iw.

794.

0.

Engl.God

you

see

God

si

keep

22

GOD.

substantive

Among

several vvliicliGod
lias in comare
epitliets
mon
with
earthlyrulers (seeSuppl.): Gothic frdiijaOS. frdho,
I shall treat of more
fro, AS. fred ; which name
fullyby and by.
"

OHG.

"

truhtin,MHG.

drottinn.

OHG.

"

of God, is
the

trehtin,OS. drohtin,AS. dryhtcn,ON".

MHG.
which
Jieriro,
Jierrc,
however, when used

contracted

never

Romance

into her, any

domnus, don.

than

more

Dominus

into

Conspicuous above all is the name

Father (seeSuppl.).In the Edda, alfod'r.
Sn.
(Siem.46'' 88* 154^
3. 11. 17),herfa"ir,herjafad'ir,
valfa"irare appliedto OSinn as
and
created
the father of all gods,men
things. Such compounds
not found in the other dialects,
ish
are
they may have sounded heathenfeederalwealda, Beow. 630, and the
; though the AS. could use
idea of God

Father

as

The

heathens.

to

well

as

matercula
to

more

nowhere

seen

s65

all appearance,

meotod, metod, Csedm.

AS.

"

i. 3, 6.

AS.
God.

appliedto

father Goth,

is

ttotl';, ttoctl'^, Lith.

14. eald

223,

fadr

metod, Beow.

3222. OS. metod, Hel. 4, 13. 15, 17. 66, 19,

metod, Beow.

expressionwhich

an

christians than

0.
grandfather,

is with
lord,as pater irary'jp
fa]?s

with

pats. The

To

hereafter.

say

connected

1883.

altfatar

OHG.

the

coupled togetherZei*? Tran^p,

esp. in the voc. Zev
the Romans
Jupiter,
Diespiter,
Dispiter,Mars pater,^
Terra
Atj/jl^ttjp,
AajnaTrjp,
mater, so the Lettons bestow
goddess the epithet mahtc, mahviina^=mafer,
every
244. Bergmann 142),on
which we
shall have
(Biittner

almost

on

familiar to

more

Greeks

"TTciTep, and
as

became

743. 1883, I have

Beow.
ealdfteder,
As the

"

likewise

in

appears

the

Edda,

Ssem.

miotu"r

signifyCreator,as verballyit bears the sense of

moderator, finitor. The full meaning of metod will not be
mensor,
have
exact
a
more
disclosed,till we
knowledge of the relation
the Goth, mitan
between
(tomete) and maitan (tocut),the OHG.
241,^seems

226^

and

mezan

being no

meizan

105, the
miotuSr

Eornald.

too, the

; in

of
shifting

OISI".miotucfr

The

'

to

wolfs

the

HeimSallar,' and

poets

use

441,

'manna

mezzan

(Wunsch's) gewalt

sin
^

Jane

to

with

head

sog. p.

pater !

(d

consonant

appears

Cato

Cato
conjuring-spell,

ir

134
160

and

metere, besides

t),the quantityis

for

also sector,messor

be

which
the

Heimdall
sword

is

'

was

mans

there

inverted.

; in Snorri

killed

miotuSr

is

104.

called

'

so

in

(seeSuppl.). In MHG.
of exquisite
: do
symmetry in creating
bilde mciz
; Troj. 1962C.
got selb in
miotuSr'

but what
?

metiri

Lat.

can

mean
Di.-^sunapiter

able
in the remark-

2;;

GOD.

riclieiifixiudoiiwas,
7.e: rehte

laugemczzcn,

nie uach

voUeni

got der

was

kunde

wer

do

maz,
mezzen

create

25.
'

MS.

got het

throws

in

ze

is

er

der

wunsclie

in

er
'

to

do

ir

lipals
si

an

weder

do
frijiden,

so

chcnc

; Miyc.

maz

cbcne maz,

daz

er

2, 18G.

an

si

er

dicli als cbcne

Tit. 130. 1.
anders denne
gemezzen,
werke
ilber mich
gesaz, Parz. 518, 21.

thing as
giezen to cast,

the

same

(Troj.19805), or
1, 195^ 2, 226'')
; and
gcgozzcn

in

ein

'

uf ir vel,ir mlindei

rot

und

ein

bilde
'

schaj^en
(Walth. 45,

24,

wiz

'

uns

bilde

mould

Suchenwirt

1, 22''

got

so

therefore

154".

1,

; MS.

maz

sol

werlte

zer

des nocli des vergaz ; MS.

er

154

ir kel

it says
'

; which

lighton the Gothic tribal name

significant
Gduts, A.S.
Gcdt OHG.
K6z (seeSuppl.). AS. scippcnd,creator, OHG.
sccfo,
Wh.
of
1, 3. NHG.
scephio,MHG.
scJicpfa-re,
schopfer.Some
these names
be strung together,
can
or
they can be intensified by
composition: drohtin god, Hel. 2. 13. wcddand
fro min, Hel. 148,
14. 153, 8. frcd dryhten,
Beow. 62. 186.
CiL^dm. 2, 9. 108,
lif-frcd,
18. 195, 3. 240, 33. Beow. 4.
The earthlycuning with a prefixcan
be used of God : ivuldorcyning,
king of glory,Ctedm. 10, 32. hcvancuning,Hel. 3, 12, 18. 4, 14. 5, 11. and synonymously with these,
rodora
loeard,Ccedm. 11, 2. or the epic amplification,
irmin-got
a

"

"

obana

a"

AcwTie,Hild. got von

himele,Mb.

2090,4. 2114, 1. 2132,

1.

2136, 1.
Of

such

epicformulas (seeSuppl.),beautiful specimens,all of

the Eomance
one
tenour, can be cited from the poets, especially
:
his creative
they are mostly borrowed from God's dwelling-place,
and truth : Dios aquel,que
powder, his omnipotence,omniscience
esta
el seint eel
en
alto,Cid 800. 2352. 2465.
qui la amont
maint
Ben,
26018.
qui maint el firmament, Berte
(abides),
sizet unde
nideriu sihet,N. ps. 112, 5.
129. 149.
der hoho
qui
siet et de loing mire, Ben. 11687.
haut
qui haut siet et loins
"

voit,Berte 44,
sitzt,Melander

181.

Guitecl.

Jocoseria

2, 139.

1, 439.

cot

der

liber

der blauen

almahtico, dii

himil

decke
inti

Wessobr. Geb.
eel
gaworahtos(wroughtestheaven and earth),
a
creat, Ferabr. 775.
scnhor,qui lo nion
(|uitot le mont forma,
Berte 143. que fezit nueyt e dia,Ferabr. 3997. per aycelsenhor que
fetz eel e rozada (skyand dew), Ferabr. 2994. 4412.
qui fist ciel et
Berte 28. QQ". 111. 139. 171. 188. Aimon
876.
qui feis mer
rousee,
et onde, Meon
des hant
3, 460.
salee,Berte 67. qui fist et mer
la nue, Berte
daz mer
gesalzenhat, Parz. 514, 15. qui fait courre

erda

24

GOD,

183

lo6.

17780.

1GG58.

erde

18,

qui

fait toner, Een.

qui li soleus raie,Berte 13. 81. der himel und

or
mergriezenzelt (countsthe sea-sands,
pebbles).

par

gebotund

Mar.

celui

Zeu";).par
{ve(})e\r]jepeTa
die

der der sterne

zal weiz, Wh.

466, 30.

der die sterne

hat

Parz. 629, 20.

der uns
gezalt,
(moon's)schin, Wh.
gap des manen
der
476, 1. qui fait croitre et les vins et les blez,Ferabr. 163^
niir ze lebene geriet(planned).
Nib. 2091, 4.
Kl. 484, der mir ze
lebene gebot (bade),Eoth. 215, 517. 4552.
der uns
daz leben
gebot.Mar. 24. (M. Dut.) bi den here die mi ghebot (Gramiu.
4, 134), die mi ghewrochte, Elegast 345. 451. 996.
qui tot
baillier (oversee),
35.
Berte
a
a
qui tot a a garder,Berte 7.
totz
the
nos
a
manjutgier,Ferabr. 308. 694. 1727.
que
cunnies forwardot, Hel. 152, 5.
tos
homes
qui sor
puet et vaut,
Meon
3.
4, 5. dominus
qui omnia potest,Docum. of 1264 in Wenk
no.

151.

wider

wunder

hat

den

264, 25.

der durch

30, 29.

der

der

weinen

unde

A.

vermac,

gewalt,Parz. 43,

Parz. 7 9.
takes),
der beidiu krump
Parz.

nieman

sleht

der

9.
und

Heinr.

git unde

der

1355.
nimt

aller

(givesand

lachen

Wh.
258, 19.
geschuof,
gescuof(both crooked and plain),

sihet alle

Diut. 3, 52.
getougen (secrets),
elliu herzen siht,Frid. 355.
der in diu herze siht,Wh.
ane

der ie daz guote

geriet(ayethe good devised),

Greg.2993.
ther suntiloso man
0. iii. 21, 4.
dera nie voller genaden
(sinless),
menti
zeran
ne
(tear,waste),Er. 2490.
qui onques
(nunquam
mentitus),Berte 82. 96. 120. 146. Mdon
3, 8. icil dieu qui ne
mik
mer
ment, et qui fist tot quanque
er
skop
serre, Een. 19338.
ok

ollu rseSr,Fornm.

solina hefSi
Landn.

If,in

sog. 1, 3.

skapat,ibid. 1, 242.

sa

het

oUu

er
a

rseSr,ibid. 8, 107.

J^ann sem

solina

er

skapaSi,

p. 139.
of the

and phrasesdescripepithets
tive
of God, unmistakable
traces of Heathenism
predominate,while
others have
barelyan inklingof it,the followingexpressionsare
still more
with
the
heathen
of
indisputablyconnected
way
thinking.
In the Norse mythology,the notion of a Deus, Divus, if not of
the uppermost and eldest,yet of a secondaryrank, which succeeded
to power
later,is expressedby the word as, pi.ccsir (see Suppl.).^
Landds
(Egilss.
and~tryit Thor, the
pp. 365-6) is patrium numen,
chief god of the North, is designated,
though as and allmdttki as is
given to OSinn (Landn.4, 7). dsmcrjuiis divine power : tha vex
some

precedingnames,

25

GOD.

asmcgin halfu, Sn.

honum

must

name

at

26.

time have

one

asmegin,Sn. 65.
universal,extendingover

been

Upper
ans, pi.
gas, pi.

Saxony, under such forms as : Goth. OHG.

OIST.
anseis, cnsi,AS. 6s, pi. es (conf.our
gans, with
hansa). It continued
goess, AS. gos, pi.ges ; and hose
and

Germany

Goth. Ansila, OHG.

Anso
:
part of proper names
Anshelm, Anshilt, Anspald,Ansnut conespond in sense
"c.
Cotaliilt,

; AS.

Osweald, Oslaf,Osdasg,Osred

Asdis, Asgautr, Aslaug, Asmundr,

41-2, cms

denotes

"c.

which
beam, 8ok6";,

is also

the

OHG.

Cotahelm,

to

; ON.

in

Now

"

form

to

the

But

fa'raz i

Asbiorn,^

UlphilasLu, 2,

meaning of the
ON", as, whether
because the mighty gods were
thought of as joist,
rafter and ceiling
of the sky, or that the notions of jugum and
used
mountain-ridgewere associated with them, for as is especially
of jugum terrse,mountain-ridge.
Pan. bierg-aas
(dettias sliding
Landn. 3, 17). But here we
have some
beam, portcullis,
other
strikingpassages and proofs to weigh. An AS. poem
couples
the shots of auses
and of
together esa gescot and
ylfa gescot,'
a

one

'

'

'

elves,jaculum divorum

geniorum,justas

et

alfar,Sa^m. 8" 71'*82--'83^

potiti
per

magna

vincebant, non
would

be

in like

manner

victoria,
jam
"What

anseis)vocavere.

dethroned.

into

merge
from

And

proceres

the

elder

an

can
race

does sesir and

says, cap. 13

est

be

plainer?

of

heroes,and

dynasty

here the well-known

of

Turn

quasi qui

suos

liomines,sed scmidcos,id

puros

distance

same

loca

Jornandes

the Edda

gods

statement

Gothi,
fortuna

(which

anscs

The

lesir

Norse

the

much

at

they

have

of Suetonius

and

whom

or
a:si,
Hesychius,^that the Etruscans called the gods assures
may
fairlybe called to mind, without actuallymaintainingthe affinity
of the Etruscan
or
Tyrrhenian race with the ancient German,
between
as is the likeness
striking
rvpf)T)v6"i,
rvpcnjvo^i and the ON.
durs.^
OHG.
Ipnvs,
when
of this analogy,
The significance
however, is heightened,

Ursus

has the
for wliich the Waltharius
divinns,Asbinia
(ursa divina),
conf.
Reiiih. fuchs p. ccxcv.
For Asketill,
hybrid O.spirn,prop. Anspirn ;
1

end

see
Oscytel,
-

cesar,

Suet.
id

of ch. III.

Octavian.

est

Hesych. s.v.

alaoi

97.

cap.

reliqna pars
6(o\

e
vno

futnrumque, ut

Csesaris nomine,
tcov

inter deos

Etrusca

referretur,
qnod
linyua detis vocaretur.

Tvpprjviov. Conf. Lanzi

2, 483-4

also Dio

Cass. 56, 29.

^

have

Unfortunately
l"ursmeans

durs

anything to

rather

hostile and

a
giant,and
do with the rvparjvoi,
would
dieaded people,"Tkaks.

demon,

which, if they

imply that

these

were

26

GOD.

and perhaps also the Roman

religion,
and the Greek, supposed a circle of twelve superiorbeings closely
of clii consentes or complices
bound togetherand known
by the name
Iwpt and hond,
(see SuppL),exactlyas the Edda uses the expressions
(Srem.24"^ 89".
literally
meaning vincula, for those high numina
Sn. 176. 204),and also the sing,
hapt and hand for an individual god
cannot
93'').Though hapthandun in the Merseburg poem
(Sffim.
the same
to mean
with certaintybe taken
thing (the compound
it is possiblethat dens
here to denote
mere
seems
bodilychains),
ans
a yoke,is the
and 82o"iare referable to Sew I bind ; that same
we

that tlie Etruscan

observe

'

'

thiug as
disregardthe
same

the

'

brace

and

'

band

of all

fact that tivelve is likewise

"esir; conf. Ssem. 3^

things;

neither

can

of the

the number

we

Norse

'

]?viliSi of the set,kindred.

be
added in support. In the
other appellations
Some
may
consilium.
earliest periodof our
language,the neut. ragin meant
Now
the pluralof this,as used in the Edda, denotes in a special
the
manner
pluralityof the gods (see SuppL). Begin are the
that consult together,
and direct the world ; and the expressions
powers
hoU regin(kind,merciful gods),
bliS regin,^
uppregin,ginregin
this technical meaning. Ragnahave entirely
(superspotestates)
the
rokr (Goth,ragineriqvis
? dimness, darkness of gods) signifies
Ssem.
end of the world, the settingof the divine luminaries.
89'' has "rognirok regin" coupledtogether,
rognir(cf.196")being
used
to
distinguishthe individual ragincis (raguneis?),masc.
These OK
reginwould be Goth, ragina,as the hopt and bond are
heathen conception
The same
Gothic hafta and
banda, all neut.
'

eesir or

"

^r^rt^tgiscapu,
reganogi^ac^w, Hel. 79, 13. 103,
the decree and counsel of the gods,
3, equivalentto fatum, destiny,
Hel. 103, 7, from ivurd,fatum.
and synonymous
with tr^wWgiscapu,
have
We
And
Hel. 6Q, 19. 147, 11.
seen
again in ^^dorfogiscapu,
that metod likewise is a name
for the Su]Dreme Being,which the

peeps

out

christian

The

in the

OS.

poet of the Heliand

blithe,happy gods ; when

has

ventured

to

retain from

the

peoplesteppedalong in statelygorgeous
hugSn at (psir vseri j^ar
appeared: menn

attire,men
thought that gods had
komnir,' Landn. 3, 10. The Vols, saga

hygg ec at
says of SigmrS : 'Ipat
in Parz.
So
of the gods.
her fari einn af got^mtim,'
I think that here rides one
ir
verjach,si ne gesachen nie helt so wiinneclicli,
36, 18 : alda wip nnd man
c.

26

'

'

they saw
gate im solten sin gelkh (declared,
must

be

like

XV),

of whom

never

hero

The
is there for my
more
reason
the Nib. 84, 4 says : der dort su MrUclun

him).

so

gods
Siegfried(cli.

winsome,

note

on
'

their

gat (seeSuppL).

27

GOD.

heatlicn

T"nt those gen.

pluralsregano, metodo againpoint

of the bindinggods.
to the plurality
The collection of Augustine's
letters contains (cap.178),in the
altercatio with Pascentius, a Gothic
or
perhaps a Vandal formula
sihora armcn,
the meaning of which is simply /cypte eXerjcrov}
Even
if it be an interpolation,
and written in the fifth or sixth century,
instead

poetry.

of at the end

that sihora should

of the

fourth,it is nevertheless

remarkaljle

be

employed in it for God and Lord.

Ulphilas
would
have said : fniujaarmai.
The inf. armen,
if not a mistake
for arme,
time there
might do duty as an imperative; at the same
is a Finn, and Esth. word armo
misericordia. But
signifying
gratia,
sihora,it seems, can only be explainedas Teutonic, and must have
been alreadyin heathen times an
epithetof God derived from his
victorious might (see Suppl.).Goth, sigis,
ON,
sign,
sigr,OHG.
AS.
OSinn
is
sigc victoria,triumphus.
styled sigrgo",sigtijr,
Hel.
sigfd"iLr
sigidrohtin,
; and the Christian poets transfer to God
47,

13.

Cfedm.
125,6. sigidryhtcn,

114, 19.

33, 21.

48, 20.

Beow. 3544. vigsigor,

Beow. 3108.^ elsewhere sigoradryhtcn,
sigmetod,
sigoraiccaldcnd,
sigorafrcd,
sigoracyning.It is even
sigoragod,
sible
posthat from

that

in Teutonic

ancient
and

sihora

the

sprang

title

sira,sire still

languages.^
as dwelling
gods beingrepresentedas superiand njjjjrcgin,
in
the
on
high,
sky,uphimin,up on the mountain height(as,ans),
it was
natural that individual gods should have certain particular
mountains
and abodes assignedthem.
current

Eomance

The

for God
generalnames
and gods,we
have obtained results which
compel us to accept an
intimate connexion
between
in our
ceptions
expressions
language and conheathenism.
and God,' the graciThe
me
ous
proper to our
and the angry God, the froho (lord)
and the father,
the behold- ^
the images of ans, fastening,
band,
ing,creating,
measuring,casting,

Thus, from

mere

consideration

of the

'

also pray 'juma sirlaga,'

and the Tchuvashes
'tora
The
God
have
sanil.
i.e.,
riiss.
sirlag,'
gesch. ?, 359.
mercy
; G. J. Mijllors
'
Morduins
when
have
it
thunders
pashangiiiPorguini pas,'
say
mercy, god
The

Tclieremisses

Porguini ; Georgi description

1, 64.
""'
den sighat got in siner hant,MS. 2,16".
*
Gott. anz.
Diez however
1833,pp. 471-2.
1,41.

raises

doubts,Roman,

gram.

28

and

GOD.

ragin,

all

into

collectively,
again,
cultus.

but

lead

wish

both
the

path

first

to

individually,

and

be

to

determine

trod.
the

with

shall
nature

all

take

the

up

and

more

all

the

bearings

weight
threads
of

tlie

III.

CHAPTER

WORSHIP.

The

them,
with

And

gifts.

Peayer.

there

at

we

John

the

exact

dat.

of

enemy's
do

whether
the

vleizn

of

act

of

knee.

As

is not

giwitan, AS.

at

head,

Verehrung,

Cor.

with
abire

means

; could

Now

Paul.

Diac.

let

compare

holy, for

icth ; but only a

heilac,O.S. has
A\ith

the

few

which

of the

the

O.H.G.

subst.

ivih,

documents

hereafter.

more

bending
anda-

ana

use

FrSn

OS.

fied
signi-

twice

1, 8

the

uses

ON",

vita

is adoration,
the

word,
On

denotes

the

the

gods

rest

connexion

holy

or

cerns
con-

vtilis, O.H.G.

is Goth,

this

merely

is not

iron

from

comes

heilagr.

irpoa-

An

word.

(as reverentia
word

Teutonic

hdlig, O.N.

only helag, A.S.

or

spells,erroneously, I
O.H.G.

The

prob. aiza.

oldest

us

veit, and

ehren, to honour, but also verehren, revereri

cultus) ; A.S. urur'dian, O.S. giu-erthSn. All that
is

accompanied,

also have

inveitan

onr

them

surrender.

of

hand,

of the

sense

quished
van-

suppliant prostrationlike
the

only

Greek

of

driusands

if

the

used

was

the

of

14, 25

quotes under
ira, Goth.

doubted,

inveitan

to, approaching ?

Biorn

be

token

in

this word

using
of

for

once

in

irpoa-Kweivis
ground

15, 19.

; and

instead

ace,

motion

is vindicare.

O.H.G.

an

the

guS;

variance

Fraveitan

by

gesture

read,

gewitan,

inclinare,^which
1

the

we

merely ffoing up
accedere.

caught, may

with

equivalent

5, 6.

14, 25

Cor.

songs,

what

(=antlitz),inveitiS

Kvvi]ai";

Mk.

9, 18.

8, 2.

fallingto

by

bowing

was

by Ulpliilas

Goth,

the

TrpoaKuveco

was

popular

know

not

up

there

correspondence

upon

12, 20.

'irpoaKvvr]at";

Greek

;Mod.

In

We

For

invariably followed

it is

because

offered

prayer

employed

(see Suppl.). Whether

9, 15

sense

for prayer,

word

come

Matt.

9, 38.

Mk.
dcrird^ofxaL,

the

once

phraseology again.

4, 7-8.

occasion

was

consider

we

is inveita, invait, invitum.

Lu.

is

(see Suppl).

adoration,

Norse

Sacrifice

for
with

connexion

permanent

up

Sacrifice.

his reverence^

expressed

man

kept

wherever

When

"

express

the

and

Prayer

were

also for sacrifice

of

which

by

gods (see Suppl.),and

the

to

actions

simplest

in

the

preferring
of will
sense

of

dominicus.
^

Cleasl)y-Vigfussongives

fine,'or

under

vita

'

to

wit.'

"

no

meaning

Trans.

like

inelinare, either

under

vita

'to

30

WORSHIP.

think,vita.
honorem

it is derived

From

veita

peragere ;

vcita

veita

vaitjan?);
(CJotli.

tiSir,sacra

lieiSr,

i^eragere ; veitsla,epulum,

Gotli. vaitislo ? ^
The
both

Goth.

in

Uda

secular

and

2)etaiind pittan;

but

with

person

fallan
1.

of the

ace.

joh

MHG.

whom
ii.

T.

so

diu

an

4,86-9. 97.

my

anbeten

heton

heto-man

3.

nach

me

gote

sin

adore,are
The

bedon

minun

te

one

OS. bed6)i

is not

translates

beado

adorare

Jiehen,when
flehen, Aegid. 30.
MHG.

Tiirl. Wh.

also express

can

the prep,
bilde

Our

beten, ibid. 98,

Gramm.
of

8 ; and

by

ask, bcten

badi kXuhSwv

of

by

which
prosterni,
jacere,

bed,

prep.

again
also

and

AS.

"

sense

from

2, 25, that bidjanoriginally

goten vleheu, Parz. 21,

71''; but in the

pray,

this of itself would

to humble
by ge-cdff-medan,i.e.,
it signifies
supplicare,
governs

den

but

ace,

15.

after God

must

bitten

followed

In

68.

(seeSuppl.):

an

ca^des, strages.^The

tual
spiri-

another, as bitte request is

barma, Hel. 33, 7.

'the old badu, AS.

nidar-

T. 46, 2. 60,

11,25.

anehet,she

min

distinct from

in my
conjectured
contained the physicalnotion
the only explanationof Goth,

suggestwhat

ii. 14, 63.

cultores,0. II. 14,

146,

(objectofj adoration,Ben.

gebetprayer..
:

But

OHG.

petSn adorare,construed

iii.

always followed by
abgot,Barl. 72, 4. an ein

si iemer

muoz

be

34, 1, 2,

O.i. 17, 62.

find hetcn

biiten

is

jietais derived

petota inan, Diut. 1, 513'\

orare,

te

from

0.
Z)e;;on,

miA

used

hidjan precari,rogare, orare, are

with
The
sense.
same
spiritual

preces,

Test,

New

The

oneself.
the

6.

Wh.

demulcere, solari,the

dat.

of

gote

126, 30.
ace,

Parz.

(seeSuppL).^ It is the Goth Mdihan,

from
N.
I only know
An
OHG.
flehon vovere
fovere, consolari.
and
he spellsit flehon: ten (ace.
quem) wir fiecap. 8, Bth. 178,
We
zu
hotou.
but'gott anflehen'.The Goth.
gott flclicn,'
say
aihtron
begging rather than
TrpocraiTelv
7rpoaev-)(ea6ai,,
expresses
OHG.
diccan, OS., thiggian,is both
asking or praying. The
is invariably
while AS. picgan,ON., piggja,
precariand impetrare,
119, 23. 421, 25.

Nib.

499,

'

"

Bopp, Comp.

invoco.
^
Wliat

gram.

tlieZend
p. 128, identifies inveita with

nivaedliayemi

the Slav, moliti rogare, molitise orare,

Sloven, moliti still means
Boh. modliti se,
porrigere,
Pruss.
oratio.
madia, conf.
conf. Lith. meldziu
rogo, inf. melsti, and malda
door to oratio.
is next
Goth, maj^ljanloqui,maj^leinsloquela,which
^ Iw.
3315
vlcgetegot ; Lut in the oldest MS. vlehete gote.
was

physicalmeaning of
Pol. modUc
si^? The

the

'31

PRAYER,

that asking has passed over

into effectual
so
impetrare,accipere,
asking,getting(seeSuppl.).
Another
expressionfor prayer is peculiarto the Norse and AS.
dialects,and foreignto all the rest : dST. hd)i or been,Swed. Dan.
hotie,
Ion, AS. hen, gen. bene f.,Credm. 152, 26, in Chaucer
Engl.
bensian
from
hena
the
Icel.
boon;
it,
supplicare.Lastly
supplex,
like the Lat. colere is used alike of
Dun. dyrkc,which
Swed. (hjrlca,
to be a recent
to
seems
worship and of tillage,
upstart,unknown
the ON. language.

On

the form

and

of heathen

manner

prayer

we

lack

tion
informa-

that it was
merely conjecture
accompanied by a lookingup
to heaven, bendingof the body (ofwhich
bidjangave a hint),
folding
of hands, bowing of knees, uncovering of the head. These gestures
that the human
grow out of a crude childlike noti.n of antiquity,
; I

suppliantpresents and submits himself to the mighty god, his

victim (seeSuppl.). Precari dsos ccclumconqueror, as a defenceless
10.
is attested by Tacitus himself. Germ.
Genuflecque snspicere
the supplicareof the Eomans
flexo
tere is in Gothic knussjan,
was
customs
of the
Fallingdown and bowing were
corpore adorare.
clirislians too ; thus

in

Hel.

47,

6.

48, 16. 144, 24

we

have

te

hntgan. 58, 12 : te drohtine hnigan. 176, 8 : te bedu fdlan.

In the S61arlio3 is the remarkable
145, 3 : gihneg an kniobeda.
126" ;
ec
laut,to her (the sun) I bowed, Sam.
: henni
expression

Ijedu

from

inclinare.

liUa

falla

kue

ok

luta, Vilk.

saga

cap.

6.

nu

kongsdottirsinn Icgg,ok mrelti,ok sir i loptiff

tqyp, (stroked
leg,and spoke,and looks up to the sky),Vilk, saga cap. 61,

sirauk
her
So

the saga

of

St. Olaf

tells how

the

men

bowed

before the

statue

J?viskrimsli,Fornm. sog. 4, 247. felltil iardar fyrir

likneski (fell
to earth before the likeness).Fornm.
sog. 2, 108.
The Langobards are stated in the Dial. Gregorii]\I.3, 28 to have
In the
adored s%d)inissiscervicibus a divinelyhonoured
goat'shead.
Middle
Ages people continued to boiv to lifeless objects,by way of
blessingthem, such as a loved country, the road they had traversed,
of Thor, hitu

day.^ Latin writers of the time, as Lambert, express urgent

used not only to
entreaty by iKdibusprovolvi
; the attitude was

or

the

Dem

clem wege
stigenigen, Iw. 5837.
nigen, Parz. 375, 26. dem lande
nigen, Tri.st.11532.
nigen in elliu lant,Iw.
nigen in daz lant,Wigid. 4018.
7755.

in

tuon, Iw,

die werlt

nigen, Fraiuend.

^57 (seeSuppl,).

103, 10,

den

stigen iind wegen

segen

32

WORSHIP.

God, but
Morolt

to all whom

41^

uf ir

that

fuoz, MS.

fuoz,MS.

Greg.355.

wished

hie viel sie uf sinen

uf den

unz

one

1, 155\
buten

1, 54^

neigim nider uf die

fell
peoj)le

be reverenced
Hel. 33, 7.

wilt fallan te minun

fotun, bedos

ze

(bowed

God, Koniginh.hs. 72
hiti

Uncovering the

An

ouch

These

at the

tal

uf den

nise ich ir

0, Boh.

to the

feet,of

him

who

song

has

; but

the

was

to

fiiezen

sie Idanieti

same

vuoz,

barma,

te minun

ground)gein sinen
'

nige

passages show

bohu,' to

has also the

celo prede bohy,'to beat one's brow

lo

fuoz,

before her),und
(fall
(bowed) weiuende Uf sinen

hant,Dietr. 55^

bow

se

Iw. 8130.

vuoz,

sich

463, 2}

Teutonic

neig im

valle flir si

nieder,Wh.
'

before the feet,and

sich bot

before

to hono^^r

un-

before God.^

head

from
of old a token
was
(seeSuppl.)certainly
of respect with our
shown
to
ancestors, which, like bowing, was
at least
deityas well as to kings and chiefs. Perhaps the priests,
those of the Goths, formed an exceptionto this,as their name
pileati is thus accounted
for by Jornandes, quia opertis
capitibustiaris
litabant,while the rest of the people stood uncovered.
In a

survival of heathenish
further

harvest-customs

established,ch. VII.

we

In

shall find this

ing
uncover-

Nicolai

Magni de Gow
registrum superstitionum(of 1415) it is said : Insuper hodie
novilunium
inveniuntur
homines, qui cum
prime viderint Jlcxis
gcnibus adorant vel depositocaputiovel piilco,inclinato capite
honorant
aUoquendo et suscipiendo.^An AS. legend of CuSberht
relates

how

that

saint

was

wont

to

go

down

to

the

sea

at

tians
ChrisKarl 14''. The
fuazi,O. III. 10, 27. an sine fiieze,
Berth.
10.
Karl
lOi"*.
venie
Parz.
called
it
460,
fallen,
Ages
lution
Ksrclu-. 2958.
3055.
173.
Kneeling and kissingthe ground, to obtain absoder
den
mit
21.
lac
E
arl.
venie
da
uf
siner
maz
langen
er
:
366,
(lay),
anger
Morolt. 28''. Troj.
Trist. 2095.
venien
1, 23^.
venie, Frib.
suochen,MS.
Pez. bibl. ascet. 8, 440. gie
terrae
9300.
osculationibus,
quas venias appellant,
siniu
kirchen
und
banekte
ze
glidermit venien und gebet,
(prostrated
?)ze gote
^

Cod.

Fial in sine
in the Mid.

kolocz. 180.

was
beatingof the forehead in presentinga petition,
tchelo-bitnaya,
Hehnold
Conf.
vultibus
Russia
Catherine
II.
in
pronis
adorare,
by
prohil:)ited
^

The

1, 38.

practice,
may be inserted here :
Dietm.
Merseb.
elevato a capitepileoalloquiturseniorem,
p. 824 (an. 1012).
in I.
Odofredus
inclinat
Ruodlieb
93.
sublata cxjdare
honeste,
2,
surgens
loco
Or
hie
de
secundo
colligimusargumentum,
signori,
digest, postulando:
magistratudebet ei revereri,quod est contra
quod aliquisquando veniet coram
3

What

else I have

collected

about

this

extraherent sibi capellumvel birretum

Deo, non
Ferrarienses,
qui,si essent coram
in capite
Pillcus
de capite,
tlexis genibus postularent.
nee
est, Isengrimus 1139.
la
261.
den
Meon
oster
4,
huot, Ms H. 3, 330.
gelUpfet
chape (in saluting),
sin
zSch durch
in
huot
sinen
er
abenam, hiemit eret er
also, Wigal. 1436.
er
uf
do
hUbscheit
den Imot gezogenlichen
stuont er
geswinde
abe,Troj.1775.

33

TEAYEK.

briny breakers,to singhia

with palms
prayers, and afterwards to kneel doivn on tlie shingles,
stretched out to the firmament.^
Liftingtip and foldingof the
to a master, particularly
to a
also jjractised
hands (see Suppl.)was
to his neck

and standingup
niglit,

3, 78

In Ls.

feudal lord.

in the

have

we

'

bat mit

zertdnen

armen,'prayed

The
Old Bavarian
stapfsakcn(denialof
outspread arms.
was
accompaniedby elevation of the hands, EA. 927
indebtedness)
(see Suppl.). It is not impossiblethat the christian converts
in praying. In a manuscript,
retained some
heathen customs
bably
proof the 12th century, the prayers are
to be accompaniedby
den tihirdin herza in modum
curious actions: so miz (measure)
some
demo nahile,unde miz denne von
zuo
crucis,unde von dem hrustlejffile
eime rippe unz
daz andire, unde
an
sprichalsus. Again : so miz
die rehtun
denne
hant von deme lengistin
vingireunz an daz resti
gire.
deme dumin
deme minnisten vinunde miz denne von
zuo
(wrist),
called der vane
des almehtigin
One prayer was
gotis';
(flag)
with

'

nine

women

ninth
'

daz

has

the

read

to

ir lih nict

that her

read

to

are

the others

not

all to

are

psalm
die

more

body touch

it nine

the

stand

Sundays,

Domini

est

'

so

ez

morginet'
;

terra,in such

the

posture

unde
ellehogin

diu

chnic,'

ground,except at the elbows

till the lightedcandle has

and

knees;

erde,wan

die

burnt

out

Diut. 2, 292-3.
"We

uviliudon

any definite meaning to the Gothic

aviliud
from
; it is formed
ev'^apiareiv
%api9, which

cannot

an

and

there

Suppl.). The

liuS cantus,
gratiae
; does it contain
something heathenish about it ? (See
careful collecting;
of prayer deserve more
the help of the gods,mostly contain the

0. Sax. alat, olat

resembles
was

attach

now

moreover

old forms

the Norse, which

invoke

ah
er
daz er uf trunc von
fin,daz nam
gimmen unci von golcle
gnuoc, ein scliajicl
Ls.
ini
sin
35.
zucket
er
was
18635.
dem houptesin,Troj.
er
gereit,
he-piKiU, 3,
Kolocz. 101.
Festus
houbt den huot liez vliegeniind spracli,
daz er von
dem
id
est
dicuntur
Saturno
lucem
facere
sacrificantes,
capitadetegere
;
explains:
again : Saturno fitsacrificiuni ca^jite
aperto; conf. Macrob. Sat. 1, 8. Serv. in

Virg. 3, 407.
i
niht to sse, and standan
he wolde
on
W.TBs gewunod IpSdt
on
j^am
gan
siSSan
his
and
his
cneowu
oiS
his
sealtum
gebedii,
singende
swnran,
brinime,
toheofenlicmu
rodere; Thorpe's
on
J^aniceosle gebygde,astrchtumhandl)redum
fair
the
but
to rescue
have
it
honiih
2.
138.
7G-7.
thought
[I
analecta,pp.
had inadvertently
saint from a perilouspositionin "which the German
placed
to
into the sea
him
by making him "wade
up to his neck, and kneel doum
saint
de
his
In
the
O.Fr.
".
Kicolas,
jcu
Tervagant
Trans.]
sing
prayers
"

"

has to be

approached

on

bare elbows and

knees ;

Legrand fabl. 1, 343.

34

WORSHIP.

verb

with the

propitiumesse: bi(5 ec Ottari oil goS dvga

(I Ot. pray all,"c.),SnBm. 120''. biSjaJ?a disir duga, Seem. 195*.
to help,conf. Gramm.
4, 687. There is beauty in the
Duga means
in
ON.
biSjom herjafoSri hugom sitja(rogemus deum
prayer:
animis sedere nostris),
Ssem. 113*,justas Christians pray the Holy
Ghost to descend : in herzen unsen
sdzi,0. iv. 5, 30 (seeSuppL).
duga

Christians

at prayer

lifted up their
so

sense

confession

or

(Bingham

arms

read in the Kristinbalkr

we

Mta

looked

lib. xi. cap.

of the-old

the

toward

Uast,and

7, ed. hal. 3, 273); and

Gulathinglaw:

'

ver

skulum

austr, oc biSjatil ens

bow
must
we
helga Krists ars ok friSar,'
east,and pray the holy Christ for plentyand peace (conf.
Syntagma
orientalem
de baptismo p. 65) ; in the Waltharius
1159 : contra

prostratus corpore
ic stande ; and

partem

precatur ; in AS.

formulas

edstiveard

Troj.9298. 9642 : keret inch gen orient. The

looked Northheathens, on the contrary,in praying and sacrificing,
VM7'ds : horfa (turn)i nord'r,Fornm.
leit (looked)
i
sog. 11, 134.
norffr,Seem. 94^ beten gegen mitternacht, Keiserspergomeiss 49^
looked upon
the North was
And
by the christians as the unblessed
heathen quarter,on which I have given details in EA. 808 ; it was
unlucky to make a throw toward the north,EA. 57 ; in the Lombard
the northern tract is styled nulla ora,'EA. 544.
boundary-treaties
to explaina passage in the Eoman
These oppositeviews must
serve
and the wolf heathenly,
de Eenart, where the fox prays christianlg,
in

'

Eeinh.
As

fuchs p. xli.^
the

expressionsfor askingand

for

be

the

a
identical,
prayer

peopleit was

thoughtto

was

uttered

by

nu

unt

daz
so

the
effectual,

more

so

munde

manegem

Wigal. 4458.
genade niht versagen.
die juncvrouwen baten alle got,
ist er so gnsedecunt so guot
so
er

reine

gemuot,

niemer

kunde
stiezen

manegem

betelichiu dine

more

got enwolde
stn

obtaining,
pp. 30, 31, are

At the abrenuntiatio

caperata),
expressinganger

one

and

munde
Iw.

versaoen.

had

to face the

hatred

but

5351.

sunset,with wrinkled

the confession
to heaven
; Bingham
at

raised
the sunrise,Arith eyes and hands
Conf. Joh. Olavii synt. de baptismo,
13.14.
pp. 64-5.

brow

(fronts

of faith,to face
lib. xi. caj). 7. "

35

SACKIFICE.

in
so

wes

of

syt mit vlize daden,

he id in
dem

von

der

royt,

munde

rosenroten

dinge versagen.

vrouwen

helfensingen,MS.

so

inkunde

nummer

bedelicher
Ged.

de munde

(tothe nuns) waron

si god baden,

sperwere,

1, 57". 2, 42^

Cod.

berol. 184, 54^

Hence

novelle 61.^

Conf. cento

into
introduced
opfer,a sacrifice,was
German
offcrre.'^
being derived from the Lat. offcro.
by Christianity,
The AS. very properlyhas only the verb offrian
and its derivative
there proceeded
In OHG., from ojpfaron,
ojiforon
offrung(oblatio).
^ and
from Germany
MHG.
also a subst. oipfar,
ophern and cypher
;
Sacrifice.

"

word

The

to have
nations, ON".
spreadto neighbouring
expressionseems
Lett, uppuris,Esth. ohiver,Fin.
Lith. apjoiera,
Swed. Dan. offer,
offr,
Sloven, ofer. Everywhere the original
2ihri,Boh. ofera, Pol. ojlara.
heathen terms disappeared(seeSuppl.).
to
for the notion
The oldest term, and one
universallyspread,
if the
hloian (we do not know
was
worship (God) by sacrifice,'
Goth. pret.was
bdiblot or blotaida)
; I incline to attach to it the
full sense
of the Gk. Oveiv'^ (see Suppl.). Ulphilas saw
as
yet no
objectionto translating
by it ae^eadai and XaTpevecv,Mk. 7, 7.

the

'

branded
in the Mid. Ages likewise,by strong
was
Mock-piety,hj-pocrisy,
abezzen (eat the feet off),Ls. 3, 421. Fragm.
wil gate die fiieze
: er
phraseology
Mones
28".
anz.
3, 22. imserm
Herrgottdie fiiessabbeissen wollen (biteoff),
1

Schmeller

saints' feet off

(pray the

wollen

2, 231. den heiligendie fiissabbeten

(fiiszler),
herrgottfisler
2,
So the Ital. mangiaparadiso,
10 ehen, p. 62.
1, 93. heiligenfresserin,
Fr. mangeur
de crucetix,Boh. Pol. liciobrazek (lickerof saints).A sham

them),

Holer
1. 4, 17. herrgottbeisser,
Siniplic.

48.

Schmid

saint is

termed
indifferently

Mones
tevipelriune,
tempeltrete,
kapeltrete,

p. 123. 137 (seeSuppl.).

Not from operari,
which

in that

Komance
operare,

sense

was

the

same

to the

church, the

Fr.
ofrecer,

languages likewise using

obrar, ouvrer

xxnknown

schausp.

It. offerire,
Sp.
adheres
technical sense
and
Fr. oublie,
Sp. oblea,

to

never
offrir,
ofrenda,
offerta,

oblata come
the
perhapsthe MHG.
offrande. From
iV)rmed the
and
offerta
unless it is from eulogia,
are
oblei,
oblagia. From offre
derivation
from ferre,
Wei.
offryd,Ir. oifrion,
aifrion,offrail.Lastly, the
is confirmed
offerre,
by the German
phrase ein opferbringen,darbringen.'
^
Ophar, opfcrcould hardlybe the Goth. ai))r bwpov,in which neither the
Ir. iodbairt,
vowel nor
the consonant
The
Wei. ubert,Gael, iobairt,
agrees.
(sacrificiixm)
probablyl)elongalso to offerta.
*
uses
When
Sozomen
hist. eccl. 6, 37 in a narrative of Athanaric
ivpoaKwelv
Ka\ dvfiv,
the Gothic would
be inveitan juh blutan.
'

'36

WORSHIP.

37; he

Lii. 2,

it with

construes

an

of the

ace.

person:

iDlotan

colere,with apparentlyno thought

fraujanis to him simply Deiim
of a bloody sacrifice. For Xarpeia Eom.
12, 1, he puts Uotinassus,
and for d6o"T"/3/]";
John 9, 31 gxxWostreis.The latter presupposes
a
hlostr (cultus,
of which
subst,
the S is explained in
oblatio),
Ushldteins {iTapdK\r}cnq)
2 Cor. 8, 4 impliesa verb
Gramm.
2, 208.
the AS. Uotan
uses
usblotjanto implore. Ccedmon
pret. bleot,
pret.onbleot, of the Jewish

onUotan

with

of

ace.

In

onbleot

iElfred's Orosius

lac
]?fet
have

we

it Uetsian,later

from

dat. of person

thing and

173, 5.
ficare)

and follows them

sacrifice,

Gode

the

blotan

Uotan

to bless.
blessian,

pret.blotte.

The

OHG.

and
pliezand pluozta,appears only in glosses,

victimare,immolare, Gl. Hrab.

No

258'\
be

case-construction

inferred

from

found, but

Gl.

382.

emni.

^; pluostarhUsidolium, Gl.

102

ibid. 405.
sacrificator,
phcostrari
of

more

heathen

worship ;

with

universal

use

it

look, and

the

their conversion

not

an

968".

of the

ace.

at that time

thingmay

subst.

pluostar

no

soon

used

of christian

die out.

doubt

But

its

remaining,that

Goths, Alamanni, Saxons, before

The
Christianity.

blotaGi,takes, like the Gothic,

an

thus, Gragas 2, 170, in the formula

ON.

ace.

verb hloia,pret.blet and

of the

of the

kirkior

Edda:

Diut. 1, 245,

T. 56, 4.
jun.209.
402.
emm.
fanum,
^j/oasAils
is plainthat here the word has

leaves

among

(aswidely as)kristnir menn

(fanacolunt);and in the

libare,
litare,

411. Gl.

for it

words

heathendom

vogue

to

It

was

thing,the

in Norse

equally in

Avas

966"

I derive

pluozan,pret.

renders

partic.
kaplozaniuimmolata.

sacrificium,Uuostar, Is.
95,

959'' 960^

is

(filiumsacriDeo) 177, 21.

sunu

hostiam
(obtulit

same

up

object worshipped;

trygdamCd:sva

soekia,heiSnir

Thor

hlota,mik

menu

viSa

hof

sem

hlota

hlota,hlota"i 06in.

always the meaning is sacrificio veneand ON. the verb

the idea
brings out more
and AS. more
that of the thing. But

Seem. Ill'',
113",141", 165^-:
So that in Goth,

rari.
of

the

person,

in

the O.Dan,

even

1, 166"

version of the OT.

Gl. Hrab.

954^*

hlothe

immolare, Woc^Amadh

'

'

uses

is incomplete
Laclia,
plostar,
; in Gl. Ker. 45. Diut.
it stands : bacha sacriticat,ploastar
or
jiloazit,
; so that it is
zepar plozit
bacha
Or perthe subst.
to translate only the Lat. verb, not
{j^aKxri).
haps
for
and
the
is
non
better reading is bachat
bacchatur,
meaning

The

meant

OHG.

'

sacriticat '.
^

Landn.

1,2:

blotaCi

hrafna

jn-ia,
worshippedthree

ravens,

who

were

that cow.s
be
show
him
the road ; so, in Sasm. 141% a l)ird demands
told occasionally
and we
sacriticed to him ; the victim itself is ON. hlot,
are
:
Landn.
feck at bloti,
ak bloti niiklu,offered a sacrifice,
a great sacrifice,
2, 29.

going to

SACRIFICE.

37

"

ed. pp. 171. 182. 215. 2-1'J.

holocaustum, Molbech's
lihamina.blotelsd

Uplandslag,at the very beginningof the churchwith dat. of person, implying

balkr has : senginskal affgiiSum
hlotcc,
I do not know.^
true derivation of the word
an
ace. of the thing. The
the disagreeing
it is not to be looked for in bloS sanguis,
At all events
as
of the two
Gothic words plainlyshow; equally
consonants
another ;
pluozan and pluot from one
divergentare the OHG.
besides,the worship so designatedwas not necessarily
bloody. A
Also the O.Swed.

"

remarkable

in the Livonian

passage

the Sameits

rhyming chronicle

(Schamaits,
Samogits):
ir hluotcldii der warf
sin loz nach

hant

zuo

ein

Here, no
a

term

tells of

4683

which

had

ir alden

Uiiotete alles mite

is sacrificed.

penetrated from

it
understanding

blotkarl,heathen

site,

quek.

animal

doubt, an

er

hant

zuo

fancy the poet retained

Scandinavia

out
with-

to Lithuania

himself ; for bluotkirl is

priest;

the

term

is

merely the O.Swed.

foreignto the Lithuanian

language.^
A

few

of these

more

(see SuppL).
"

generalterms for sacrifice must

antheiz
Diut. 1,
(hostia,
victima),

OHG.

258. 278''; and

as

Diut. 1, 246. 258."

verbs, both
OHG.

aiitheizon and

msaken

inheizan

be added
240^

246,

(immolare),

Gl. Hrab. 968^

(litare),

insaket

pirn

ibid. 959" 960*, to which

add the Bavarian
(delibor),
stapfsaken,
liA. 927 ; just so the AS. onseegan, Cod. exon.
171, 32. 257, 23.
to
fibre (devote as
Cisdm.
fiber
172, 30.
onsecgcm
sacrifice),
tifer onsecge, Ps. 65, 12.
lac onsecge
90, 29. 108, 17.
onscegde,
Cod.
15.

exon.

Cod.

Ca^dm.
254, 19. 257, 29; lac onscegde,
exon.

168,

28.

onscegdnes(oblatio). As
with
the prefix and-, so
Hrab. 960*, which
(delibor),
"

107,

Csedm.
gild onscegde,
inheizan
is

and

113,

172, 11.

onseegan

apparently the OHG,

would
yielda Goth,

21.

are

formed

ineihan
anddllcan

and

pini
; it is

Letter for letter it agrees ^vitli (fiXoiSda)

I lightup, burn, which is also expressed
in 6{jco and
the Lat. sulUo ; Imt, if the idea of bumt-olfering
was
contained in blotan,it must
have got obscured very early.
originally
-Even
in AlIIG.
the word
have already become
to
seems
extinct; it
survive

still in tenns
in
referringto place,as blot:.graben,
6/o";.'garten
conf.
the
Hessen,
phrase ^blotzcn miissen,'to have to fork out (sacrifice)
money.
An old knife or sword also is called blotz (seeSuppL).
may

38

"VVOKSHIP.

ireihan,that

has misread

Graff 1, 128

immolare, libare Graff (2,1015) seems

later neihhan

think

ineihhan,which

this OHG.

from

(Gramm. 2, 810),as neben from inebeu ;

by aphseresis
To
Graff 1, 127.
this place also
conf. eichon
vindicare),
(dicare,
(libare,
immolare),Diut. 1, 245. 248.
'pifelahan
belongs the OHG.
denotes
All this strictly
dedication,
consecration
only the on-saying,'
of the offering
; and it follows from the terminologyat least

to have

risen

'

"

that

selected

particularobjectswere

Thus

is elsewhere

antheiz

inthcizan

In

the

also the

; hence

vovere

sense

same

AS.

sacrifice.^

solemn

promise,

has

onsecgan

determinative

to have

seems
(offerre)

hmdan

lac Icbcodan, Ciedm.

early,AS.

votum,

vow,

for

to it.

added

substantives

simply

beforehand

173,

9.

ON.

been

in

use

hodn

(oblatio).
I derive Muds
AS.
this biudan
(mensa),ON. hioffr (discus),
leod (mensa,lanx),OHG.
plot,from its having originally
signified
the altar.
the holy table of offerings,
The Goth, fidlafalijan
(with dat. of pers.)prop, to please,give
is used for Xarpeveiv,Lu. 4, 8 (seeSuppL). In Mk. 1,
satisfaction,

very
From

"

44. Lu.

5, 14

athairan

is used
adferre,Trpoa^ipeiv,

of sacrifice ; and

in
oblatio ; so Wolfram
bring by itself means
Parz. 45, 1 says : si hrahtcn opfervil ir goten,and Tundgr. II. 25 :
It is remarkable
that the Goth, salj'an,
ein lam zopphere hrdhtc.
is intransitive and
which elsewhere
means
divertere,
manere
[put

in

the

AS.

subst.

"

up,

lodge,John

1, 39. 40]

is in

Lu.

Mk.

1, 9.

Ovfitdvand

14,

12.

1 Cor.

10,

for
hunsla saljan,
transitively
which
John 16, 2 stands for Xarpelav Trpoaipepeiv,
brings it up to
and
AS. sellan,ON. selja,
the meaning of OHG.
tradere,to hand
included a personal
because the solemn presentation
over, possibly
(obire)is occasionally
appliedto
approach. The OHG.
ingangan
Diut, 1, 272\
Lacomblet
afgodahegangan,
worship : piganc (ritus),
its many
Gildan, Jceltan,among
meanings,has also to do
1, 11.

20. 28

used

dueLv,and

"

with
that

worship and
our

sacrifice ; it

guildstook their

3, 11. 6,

1. that

caustum,

Credm.

to

So the O.Boh.

promise or

devote

name.

from

175, 6, 177, 18.

5.

AS.

gildonsecgan,

(God's)geld,Hel.
holohvjnegicld,

172,

Beda
idololatria,
deofolgield,

ohiecati obiet
an

the old sacrificialbanquets

OS. waldandes

geld lestian,Hel. 16,

is a gield,
60, 5.
offering

was

11.

3, 30.

Abel's
Cod.

(Koniginh.lis. 72) is strictly

opferverheissen,

offering.

39

SACRIFICE.

Cod. exon.
243, 23. OHG.
hse^engield,
offerWarn. 2906.
: gote ir gdt bringent,
heida,n]ceU sacrilegiurn
dbiu blostar iro ghelstro,
Is. 382.
sacrificium,Is. 395.
nncffJielstar,
"

251, 24.

29.

245,

exon.

Peculiar

tbe

to

dialect is the

AS.

Idc,neut., often

generalterm

containingtbe notion of sacrifice :

lac gode,CcX"lm. 177, 26.
onbl^ot ]78et
drybtne Idc brohton,60, 2.
Idc onsregde,
107, 21. 113, 15. ongan Idc,
Idc bebeodan, 173, 9.
rendered

90,

definite

more

by

(seeSuppl.). Tbe

19

verbs

word

seems

to be of the

root

same

as

the

(Indus,modus), ON. leikr,

at firstthe dance and play that accompanieda
and to have signified
then graduallythe giftitself.^ That there was
playing
sacrifice,
and singingat sacrifices is shown
by the passages quoted further
Goth.

laiks

masc.

OHG.
(saltatio),

leih

of Bremen,
Gregory'sdialoguesand Adam
I regardas more
definite (seeSuppl.),
The followingexpressions
of firstfruitsat
Ulph. in Eom. 11, 16 renders d7rapxv"the offering
which I derive not from skapan,
delibatio,
a sacrifice,
by ufarskafts,
on, from

from

but

skaban

(shave) radere,

were
dirapxal'

since

the

first

of hair off the victim's forehead,Odyss. 14, 422. 3, 446.

clippings
have passedfrom its
must
If we explainit from skapan,this word
The Goth, vitod
into that of facere,immolare.
meaning of creare
icizot (Graff1, 1112.
is lex, the OHG.
Fundgr. 1, 398^) both lex
the latter alone ; justas
the Fris. vitat invariably
and eucharistia,
zakon in Serv. has both meanings [but in Euss. only that of lex].
"Ulph. translates dvaia by Goth, hunsl, Matt. 9, 13. Mk. 9, 49.
Lu. 2, 24 ; then againXarpeiav Trpoa^epetvin John 10, 2 by hunsla
"

to
the reference is expressly

where
saljan,

is called

1, 11.

hunslastniSs,]\latt. 5, 23-4. Lu.

AS.

Christian

killing.And

and

sacrament,

denotes

the

being applied to a
eucharist, hilsdgong the

the

partakingof it,Msc/fa^t the sacred vessel of sacrifice ; conf.

260, 5 hiisdhtu halegu for the sacred vessels of Jerusalem.
the

hihl

OK

in

never
christian,

neither

can

I guess

in

the

heathen
the

root

Norw.
sense.

of the

sponding
corre-

of

Engl, hoiisd,allows

husd,

dvo-iaaWjptov

But

Swed.

laws

No

hunsal

is found

"

wise
Like-

is used

and

word.

CiTedni.

in

in

OHG.;

Twice, however, Ulph.

to offer ; Sloven, dar,

-what is laid before,prilozhiti
Sci-v. frilCg
offering,
the
darina, daritva
Swpov. [Euss. clarii sviatiiye Soipa "lepameans
it
be
to
not
Slavic,
eeenis
eucharist.] The Sloven aldov,bloodless oflering,
zhrtva
0.
Slav,
(Kopitar's
in
by
resembles
Huns,', aldozat. evaia is rendered
in^Russ. zhertva
zhariti to roast,burn I or zlu-ati devour,
1

Glagol.72"=),
zhera glutton?].

by

[fr.

40

WORSHIP.

Ovata

renders

by sducfs,
pi,saudeis,Mk. 12, 33.
thought of the sacrifice as that of an

suppose he
and boiled ; the root

seems

to be siuSan

to

Rom.

12, 1.

animal

seethe,and

I sup-

slaughtered
the ON.

has

probablybecause its flesh is boiled.^ In Eph. 5, 2 we

have
hu7isl jah sdud' side by side,for irpocr^opavkoI Ovaiav,and
in Skeir. 37, 8 gasaljandssik hunsl jah sauS.
The OHG.
zepar is
of hostia,victima, Hymn. 10, 2. 12, 2. 21,
also a sacrifice in the sense
could
5. Gl. Hrab. 965^ Diut. 240'^ 272'' (seeSuppl). We
match
of
it with a Goth, tihr,if we
might venture on such an emendation
the unique dihr Scopov,
Matt. 5, 23 (conf.
Gramm.
1, 63). My conjecture
German
that our
ungeziefer(vermin),formerlyungezihcr,in
and the O.Er. atoivre also belong to this root, has good reasons
its favour.
To this day in Franconia
and Thuringia,
ziefer,
gezicfcr
but
not only designatepoultry,
sometimes
include even
(insects)
sauffr

ram,

'

'

"

goats and swine

228).

"Wliat

cannot

even

(Reinwaldhenneb.

seems

be

172, 31. 175,

to make

restricted to

id. 1, 49. 2, 52. conf. Schm.

view

againstmy
animals

at

is,that

all,Ceedm.

the

4,

A.S. tihcr

90, 29. 108, 5.

Cod.
^igoxtifer,
of
the contrary,in 60, 9 it is Cain's offering
exon.
257, 30 ; on
in distinction from Abel's gield; and in
grainthat is called titer,
^Ifr. gl.62^^ we
find wmtifer,libatio. But this might be a later
confusion ; or our ungezieiev
to weeds,and consequently
may have extended
include anything fit for sacrifice in
zepar itself would
there is also to be considered the
plantsand trees.^ Meanwhile
ON.
a
tafn,victima and esca ferarum.
Lastly,I will mention
heathen : forn,
term
peculiarto the ON. language,and certainly
fern, victima, hostia,fdrna, immolare, or instead of it fornfcera,
conf. Fornm.
time,according
sog. 1, 97 2, 76. this forna at the same
to Biorn,meaning elevare,
tollere. AS. forn porcus, porcaster (?).
3.

204, 6. 301,

1.

203,
^igntiher,

12.

"

Rom.

bodies a Krwigr.sauS' was

scarcelya happy
if
sauSs
combination,
conveyed the notion of something boiled ! Can nothing
'
be made
of s6t5jan
satiare sootlie (Milton's
the soothest shepherd '
sweetest,
Goth. sutista).PGrimm's
law of change in mutes
has many
exceptions: pater
father fseder vater (4 stages instead of 3, so mater) ; sessel a settle,
and sattel

12, 1. 'present your

saddle,both

from sit sat ; treu true, but trinken drink, "c.

Titur. 5198, ungezihere
stands for monster
can
; but what
in Lanz. 5028 vor grozem
ungezibele1 nibele 1
a

"

Caidm.

depends on

ungeziheUmean

tid gewat ofer tiher sceacan

: ^pa,
seo
middangeardes. This
meaning Thorpe himself did not rightlyseize,I understand
passed on over (God's)giftof this earth. The inf. sceacan
(elabi)
gewat ; so in Judith anal. 140, 5 : gewiton on fleam sceacan, began
still more
freq.gewiton gangan.

passage, whose
thus : As time
to flee ; and

Trans.

9, 2

41

SACKIFICE.

If tlio 6 did

fom

vetus,

sorcerer,

canus
antiquiis,
prisons,

the

glossesfor

same

apphed by

then be the term

the

former olden time, and

would

there

be

the

that

actual

an

the

with

would

so

an

sacrifices of

heathen

christians to

easilyglideinto

kinshipconceivable

(zauber,magic),and

zoupar

it
identify

adj.fom
furnic
fornccskiasorcery, and the OHG.
the
use
(Graff3, 628) ; and in particular,
would
illustration of baccha
pluostar. Fom
could

hinder,we

not

sorcery,

z'eparand

between

additional

link

nay,

between

the

knowing as we do that the verbs

wihan
and
[AS. gearwian to prepare,
perhaps zouivan
garaican,
Goth, veihan to consecrate, and taujan to bring about]are applicable
OHG.
to both, though our
karo, haraiui victima,Graff 4, 241
notions of sacrifice and

sorcery,

than what is made

(Germ, gar, AS. gearw, yare) expresses no more
ready,made holy,consecrated."^ We shall besides have to separate
and census,
Mid. Lat. votum
more
exactlythe ideas vow and sacrifice,
is,as it were, a
closelyas they border on one another : the vow
privatesacrifice.
at its
ancient language had a varietyof words
Here
then our
be supposed that they stood for different
command, and it may

tilings
; but
matter

is,to
difficulty

the

unravel

what

the

differences in the

were.

Sacrifice rested

that human
supposition
intercourse takes place between

on

the

food is

agreeable

gods and men.

gods,that
and he really
The god is invited to eat his share of the sacrifice,
enjoysit. Not tilllater is a separate divine food placedbefore him
:
(seeSuppl.). The motive of sacrifices was everywhere the same
to
to the gods for their kindnesses, or
either to render thanks
to be
or
to be kept gracious,
appease their anger ; the gods were

to

the

the two
gracious again. Hence
When
and si?i-offerings.2
(!/ia7i/j-oirerings

main

made

meal

kinds
was

of

sacrifice :

eaten, a head of

from
accord, to Benfey 2, 307 process, comes
Skr. kratu sacrifice,
or
vitula,Virg. eel. 3. 77) and operarlwere
kri facerc , and in Latin, facere.
(agnis,
Bu'ot. peBdnv of
used of the sacred act of sacrifice ; so in Grk, pi^^iv e'pSfti/,
Od. 17,
ivoric
and
is
our
t
he
ivirken,
fpSeti/ epyeiv,
iinppj^fiv
,
olfering liecatomb,
dvcria.
for
so
AtlienaJUS
Oveiv,
as
dpuais
211.
403,
8pqv
Biieiv,
5,
pi(eiv,8pav,
heisterbac.
for
(Ciesar.
consecrare
also uses
The Catluilic
conficcre,
im-JioTc
1

The

"

priest

'
10, 16
the
alicpiidi)lusnovi facere in Burcard of Worms
compare
of the victim.
the slaughtering
and p. 193'=. The Lat. cujcresignified
generally
offerings; but as these were
conciliatory
strictly,
"'"7ui-opl'er,
latter
the
as
used
I
have
expression,
identical witli
sin-offerings,

9, 27)

'

.S/f"rf-opfer,

short and

familiar.

"

Tiians.

42

WORSHIP.

the enemy
killed,
of the cattle
conquered(seeSuppl),a firstling
born, or grainharvested,tlie gift-bestowing
god had a first rightto

game

part

(the

of the

food,drink,produce, the spoilsof

idea

same

grounded).

If

which

on

the

on

tithes to

contrary

the

church

famine,

war

or

of the chase

afterwards

were

failure

of

crops,

a
pestilencehad set in among
people,they hastened to present
have by their
propitiatory
gifts(see Suppl.). These sin-offerings
nature
occasional and fitful character,while those performed to
an
the propitious
recurringfestivals.
deity readily
pass into periodically
There is a third speciesof sacrifice,
by which one seeks to know
the aid of the god to whom
and to secure
the issue of an enterprise,

could also be
presented (seeSuppl.). Divination however
without
sacrifices. Besides these three, there were
special
practised
births,
sacrifices for particularoccasions,such
as
coronations,,
also for the most
part coupled
weddings and funerals,which were
it is

with

solemn

As

oftener

banquets.
favour more
the gods show
cheerful than
oppressed by

than

anger,

and

their sins and

men'

as

errors,

are

thank-

the more
the earliest and commonest,
sin-offerings
were
offerings
in the world of plantscan
be laid
and impressive. Whatever
rare
before the gods is gay, innocent,but also less imposing and effective
than an
animal
sacrifice. The
streaming blood, the life spiltout
Animal
to have
seems
a
stronger binding and atoning power.
sacrifices
while

are

natural

the husbandman

The

to

the

will offer up

great anniversaries
assemblies

and

warrior,the
of

assizes.^

grainand

the
In

hunter, the

heathen

herdsman,

flowers.
coincide

with

the' Ynglinga saga cap. 8

pular
po-

they

thus : J?askyldibiota i moti vetri (towardswinter)til

specified
at sumri, J?at
it J^riSja
at miSjum vetri biota til groSrar,
ars, enn
var
(forvictory). In the Olafs helga saga cap. 104 (Fornm.
sigrblot
(itis their custom) at hafa blot
sog. 4, 237) en jjater siSr ]?eirra
haustum
(autumn) ok fagna ];a vetri, annat blot hafa ]?eirat
a
sumari
at sumri, ];a
fagna ];eir
; conf. ed.
miSjum vetri,en hit ]?riSja
offered to
sacrifice was
holm. cap. 115 (seeSuppl.). The Autumn
winter
the winter, and til ars
ubertate)
welcome
(pro annonae
; the Midare

sacrifice til
welcome

the summer,

groSrar(pro feracitate)
; the Summer
and til sigrs(provictoria).Halfdan
1

RA.

245.

745. 821-5.

one

to

the Old

43

SACRIFICE.

long duration of his life and

But the great generalblot held at Upsal every
kingdom, Sn. 190.
Fornm.
winter included sacrifices til ars ok friSar ok sigrs,'
sog. 4,
sometimes
til arbotar
The formula
154.
runs
(year'sincrease),
til friSar ok vetrarfars goSs (good wintertime). In a striking
or
held

sacrifice for the

greatmidwinter

'

'

'

'

great national sacrifices are

of cattle,
food and drink
offerings

Gutalagh,p. 108,

of the

passage

the

from the smaller

distinguished
:
firi J?ann tima
hult oc
oc
a
a
lengi eptirsi];antro];umenu
vi
ok staf-gar|7a,
a
oc
hauga,
oc
haij^ingu]?blotajm J?air
synum
dydrum sinum, oc fdcjyimi]? riiati oc tnundgcdi,jjatgier]?uJ^air
sinni.
Land
alt hafj^i
sir hoystu hlotan mi]?fulki,
eptirvantro
ellar hafjn liuer Jjrijjiungr
sir. En
smeri ]?ing hafjju mindri
hlotan med, Jilepimati oc
haita siipnautar: ])iet
mungati, sum
allir saman.'
s%i]yu
J^air
with their numerous
Midsummer-fires,
Uaster-Jlrcs,
Mayday-fires,
such
ceremonies, carry us back to heathen sacrifices ; especially
customs
as
rubbmg the sacred flame,running throughthe glowing
flowers into the fire,
embers, throv/ing
large
baking and distributing
loaves or cakes,and the circular dance.
Dances
passed into plays
'

and

dramatic

representations
(see ch. XIII, drawing the ship,ch.
the witch-dances, ch. XXXIV)..
Afzelius
XXIII, and
1, 3
describes a sacrificial play still performed in parts of Gothland,
acted by young
fellows in disguise,
who
blacken
and rouge their
faces (seech. XVII, sub fine). One, wrajDt in fur,sits in a chair as
the

victim,holdingin his mouth

which

reach

bristles :

far

as

The

is
offering

with
with

the

have

boar

laurel and

of straw-stalks
the

and

VI) ;
the

victorygained over

in documents

name

of the

Wiirdtwein

of the Mid.

gemcinwoche or

dipl.magimt.

conf. Hofers

ostr. wb.

25

or.

(Ecc.fr.

Michael's

on

intended

also

the

Ages

Another

1, 59) ; Zisa's day

was

celebrated

all

through."In

on

to

in

the

534

"

1, and

(seech.

stills bears

(see ch. XIII, Zisa),

chronicle

28th; so that the holdingof

addition

Oct.

on

Scheffers Haltaus

the

sacrificed

was

high festival

week

III-V.
praef.

1, 306.

Yule, which

Thuringiansin

common

sow-

(ch.XXXIII).

orange

this

of

(ch.X),just as

rosemary

rue, rosemary

fine,

cut

appearance

sacrificed at

great sacrificialfeast of the ancient Saxons

is traced to

be

and

ears

this is meant

by

England is decked
devil's

his

as

bunch

placesit

142.'

p.
on

Sept.

Sept.29, St.
nmst
harvcst-ofering
on

the great

festivals,
they

when
specialoccasions, particularly

famine

or

44

WOESHIP.

disease

rife ; sometimes

was

3, 4;

for

or

blotinn

favour

dauSr

var

for

longlife :

with
(thockasaeld)

when
(sacrificed

kamban', Landn.

'

1, 14. 3, 16.

biota til langlifl,'

Landn,
the

This

epithetJcamhan

man's

jnchim^ida funus, r^Iid.

Dut. hiitiban comere,

to Andr.

Human

blotted

er

body

; I connect

refer to

must

it with
Diut.

the

2, 207*.

OHG.
conf.

4.

from

are
Sacrifices

human

by

their nature

heinous

great disaster,some

some

'

dead) fiir thokkasaeld,ok kallaGr

the sacrifice of the dead

note

people: Grimr,

blood.

crime

AVith

and

originexpiative
;
only be purged and

can

all nations

of

antiquitythey
old-established custom
an
evidences
were
place it
; the following
beyond a doubt for Germany (seeSuppl.). Tac. Germ. 9 : Deorum
out

maxime

Mercurium

colunt,cui certis diebus Jmmanis

litare fas habent.

puUice

Germ.

39

tempore in silvam

stato

liostiis

quoque

(in the

coeunt,

celebrant barbari
people'sname)
horrenda
primordia. Tac. Ann. 1, CI : lucis propinquisbarccnturiones
apud quas tribunos ac primorum ordinum
arae,

caesoque

ritus
barae

Tac. Ann.

mactaverant.

Cattis exitiosius

perum,

Mercurio

sacravere,

danUir.

homine

13, 57

bellum

sed

fuit,quia victores diversam

equi,viri, cuncta

voto

quo

Isidori chron.

Goth., aera

446

Italiam
corum) unus
Eadagaisus
diis
promittenssangwincm Christianorum
.

Jornandes

Hermunduris

Martem

cap. 5: quem

Gothi

aciem

Marti

victa

occidioni

ac

(regum Gothi-

quorum

belli feritate
suis

pros-

aggreditur,

litare,si vinceret.

asperrimaplacavere
victimae ejus mortcs fuere caidorum, opinantesbellorcultura,nam
um
praesulem aptius humani
sanguinis effusione placandum.^
Orosius
he calls a Scythian,but
7, 37 of Eadagaisus,whom
makes
him
lead
Goths
to
est
barbaris
Italy: qui (ut mos
dcvovcrat.^
hujusmodi generis) sanguinem diis suis proimiare
^

Lasaulx

die

siilmopferder

semper

Griechen

u.

Eomer, Wurzburg

1841,

pp.

8"13.
-

and
TTji
avTo)

Conf.

C?es. de

B. Gall. 6, 17 on
the
on

Procop. de B. Goth. 3, 14
unavTcov
drjjjLiovpyov
aaTpanris
[iuas re Ka\ Upela anavTa.

6i'ii/aTosfir], T] voam
Qvaiav
dtafPvycocri,
dvovaiv

onep

Kvpiov
.

ciXovcxi, rj es
ro)

6"o

worship of

povov

and
avTov

aX\

Mars

Antes

the Gauls ;
among
Bebv yih yap i'vatov

vopl^ovatvflvai,Kal dvovcriv
eVetSai/ avrols

iv

tvoctlv

6
iJStj

TvoKepov KaditTTCipevois,
eTrayyeWovraiptv,

rjv

de
avTiKa
'^v)(^rjs
TTOirjcrav, 8ia(pvy6i/T"s
o'iourai ti)vacorrjpiav
Bvaias
avrols
t^s
Si)
ravrr^s

avrt

/cat

VTrea^ovTO,

the

Slavens

rrji

fcovrjcrOai.
^

oruiu

Of
,

him
.

ubique, qnod

Avigustine says, in
Romae

sacriliciisnon

sermo

Jovi

desisteret.

105, cap. lO : Rhadagaysus rex Gothquotidie,nuutialjaturc|ue

sacrijlcahat

45

teAuniFiuE.

2, 15 of the Thulites,i.e. Scandinavians

bello Goth.

Trocopiusde
Se

lepeicov

KciXkiaTOV
to
crcpicrt,

XoiTov

eVel Oeov
Heriili
dvd

ir

"7roi7](Tatvro

ttoXvv

tovtov

pwrov.

Franks

2, 25, of the ah^eadyconverted

ol ^pdyyot,tt
he Tri"i"ye(pvpa";
eirtka^ofjievoi,
ov"i7rep evTavOa

TotOcov,

Twv

Ka"i

i^

rd a-cofxara

Tov

irorajxbvdupoOivia

ol /Sdp^apoi
yap

Tovv.

ovroi,

Sidonius
decimum

quemque

Saxon.

daemonibus

paganorum,
42

qui fanum

captorum

violavit ; the
remained
Dietmar

heathens
of the

longer.

What

Graecus

Avar

de

necare.

to heathens

cruciarias

poenas,

partib.

Frisionum, additio sap. tit.

Frisians

diis,quorum
'

crimina

allowed

paganissua

to

sell slaves, and

for sacrifice. Tlie

(a) Suevis pccudismore

Cimbri,and

Epist.Bonif 25 (ed.
agi in partibus illis

immolandum

ad

tempia

Laubachi,'who

trans

relates of the

Strabo

inter
alia
Wlirdtw.): hoc quoque
dixisti,quod quidam ex fidelibus
vemtndcnt
were
mancipia; masters

christians sold them

remeaturis

de
Capitul.

will be cited later.

Northmen,

est

mos

immolatur

effregerit
law affected only the
.

t^?

et in hostiam, more
sacrificaverit

Lex

oUulerit.
.

epptir-

/xavreia'i irocovfievoi.

aequales et

per

diabolo

quishominem

si

avrcDv

XP^I^^^"^dvdpcoircov

re

ritu
hoc tristiquod superstitioso

plus ob

/cat

re

yvvai-

Kau

re

7ro\e/j,ov

re

ocTia

ovx

koX

of the Po

rd iroWd
Xpiariavolyeyov6Te"i,

ra?
lepevovre'?,
ravrj]
ApoUinaris8, 6 of the Saxons:

dWa

Kol

rov

Ovaiaiq
ho^T]^"^v\dcraovaL,

'KaXai.d^

ta-

Ibid.

iSoKet eivat.

lepevov

evpov

Sr]

ofiiXov, o"?

their passage

at

So p

av

Ibid. 2, 14, of tlie

avToU

oaiov

Se

rcov

"Apet Ovovaiv,

ra"

yap

deojv
voixl^ovTe"i

rwa

6uaiai"; IXdaKeaOai,

(ov

p(07r

6"i iariu, ovrrep

pcoir

niytarov elvai.
vo/mi^oucrt

avTov

dv6

ivayl^ovai.

koI

lepelairavra
ivSeXex^cTT^^TO,

6vovai

litatus

captiveprince
(ch.XIII, the

goddessZisa).^For evidences of human sacrifice among the Norse,

Miiller's sagabibl.
2, 560. 3, 93. As a rule,the victims were
see
captiveenemies, purchasedslaves or great criminals ; the sacrifice
of

women

and

of the Greek

children

by
Sta^aT7]pLa
;
-

the Franks

on

crossinga

the firstfruits of war,

the

river reminds
first prisoner

Litlinanians : draconc:^"
."'ituDaniae
cap. 24, of the
homines,
litcmt
vivos
etiam
volucribus, qiiibus
quos a mercatoribus
adorant cum
in
mactilam
iie
omnino
corpore habeant.
probates,
emunt, diligenter
the bridge,the firstto
first
to
cross
2 Hence
the
Iblk-tales,
in onr
own
Avhich meant, falls a
with
his
life,
tlie
the new
country, pays
enter
bnihlingor
et quantosad
of
thcHiins
properant,
:
Jornandes
Scythiam
sacrifice.
cap. 25,
Vidorine.
Utavere
habuere,
Scytharum
cwuitie priusin iwjressu
1

Adam

of Bremen

de

46

WORSHIP.

taken,was

supposed to bring luck. In folk-tales we find traces of

the immolation
of children ; they are killed as a cure
for leprosy,
they are walled up in basements
(oh.XXXV,
XXXVI,
end) ; and
feature that particularly
a
pointsto a primitivesacrificial rite is,
that

toys and victuals

handed

are

in to the

is

completed. Among the Greeks and

fell amid noise and flute-playing,
that
and

the tears of children

immoletur

daughters,
nay, of
the gods ; Worm
mon.

and
to

son

sacrificed oiine

Yngl. saga

after the

one

sons

cap, 29.

And

Romans

the

likewise the victims

their cries

stifled with

Extraordinaryevents

'.

kings'sons
up his

are

while the roofing-in

child,

might be drowned,

caresses,

'

might demand
kings themselves.
dan, 285.
King
other to OSin

Swedes

in

flebilishostia

ne

the

death

Thoro
Oen

for his

of

offers

the

Old

long life ;

grievousfamine, when

other

offered up their
great sacrifices proved unavailing,
Domaldi; ibid. cap. 18.

oion

king

Animal

but sometimes
were
mainly thank-offerings,
sacrifices
also expiatory,
and as such they not seldom, by way
of mitigation,
took the placeof a previoushuman
sacrifice. I will now
quote the
conccssis animalihcs
evidences (seeSuppl.). Herculem
et Martem
with animals suitable for the purpose
placant,Tac, Germ. 9 ; i.e.,
as
(Hist.5, 4), concessum
meaning sacrum
againstprofanum ;
and only those animals were
whose
flesh could be eaten
suitable,
It would have been unbecoming to offer food to the god,
by men.
'

'

which
time

the

sacrificer liimself would

these

sacrifices appear

have

be

disdained.

At

the

same

also

banquets; an appointed
beast is placedbefore the god,the rest is
portionof the slaughtered
cut
in the assembly. The people
consumed
up, distributed and
thus became
and the god is regarded
partakersin the holy offering,
with them
at their meal
fices
as
feasting
(seeSuppl.). At great sacrithe kings were
expectedto taste each kind of food,and down
and dwarfs
had their portionset
to late times the house-spirits
aside for them by the superstitious
people. Quadragintarustici a
immolatitias
comedere
compellebantur,
Langobardiscapti carnes
to

"

than that the

no
more
Greg.M. dial, 3, 27 ; which means
Langobardspermittedor expectedthe captivechristians
their sacrificialfeast.^
^

I do

not

'.
expecting
"

know

Trans.

how

These

'immolatitiae

can
comjiellere

be

down

to

to

share

'hostiae im-

carnes' and

softened

heathen

permittingor

47

SACRIFICE.

molatitiae,
quas stulti homines

juxta ecclesias ritu pagano faciuut

also mentioned
in Bonifacii epist.
25 and 55, ed. Wlirdtw.
In tlie earliest period,the Horse
to
have
been
the
seems

are

favourite

animal

introduction

of

for sacrifice ; there

its flesh
Christianity

nothingin the

was

converts,
and

their not

as

'

of the

ways

doubt

no

that

slaughterof

horses

eatingof horseflesh ; conf Nialss. cap. 106,

Northmen
reviled the Swedes
hross-ceturnar ;
as
Fagrsk.p. 63.

King Hakon,

whom

time

Boniface

ed.
(Ei^ist.

(hrossa-sldirj
The

Fornm.

Wlirdtw.

25.

Catti.

87

As

kuI
l3oa^,

aXXa

ed
i7n6etd^ov(TL,

cuttingo^

of the

bonn.

28, 5.

"

head, which

consecrated

by way of
approaching the scene
fastened to the stems
Tac.

antefixa
ora,
horses,which

[xvpLa k

arra

ann.

of

par

Here

fiovPT

the

with

overthrow,

had

were

no

'iTrirovi

the

Cacina,
horses

saw

on

heads

trtincis arlorum

other than

seized in the battle and

to their

horseflesh.

the rest,but

When

god.

the

142),i

overlook

not

(equorum artus,simul

1, 61),these

as

(beheading),

"";

must

consumed

to

Varus's

we

not

was

eminence

of trees

the Germans

late

Serr. 121.

Thuringiansare strictly
enjoined to abstain from
Agathias bears witness to the practiceof the Alamanni
Kab

sog. 2,

learn that the Her-

we

the

re

Christian

subjectssuspectedof
skyldieta hrossasldtr ;'Saga

sacrificed the horses of the defeated

of

new

his

called upon
'at hann
was
Christianity,
Hak. g6(5acap. 18.
From
Tac. ami.
13, 57
munduri

the

There

offensive to the

so

the

309.

before

eaten.
universally

was

heathen

the

givingup

is

the Eoman
offered up

gods^(seeSuppl). A similar immolati diis eqid ahscissum

meets
in Saxo gram. p. 75 ; in the North they fixed it on
us
cainit'
the neidstange(niSstong,
stake of envy) which gave the power
to
bewitch
an
Egilss.p. 389. In a Hessian kindermarchen
enemy,
but no longerunderstood,
(no.89) we have surviving,
a reminiscence
^

'

Inter cetera

afjrestemcahallum

comedere
caliquantos
adjunxisti,
plerosque
lieri
sinas.
And
deiiiceps
nequaciuam
inprimisde volatiUbus, id est graculiset cornicnlis atque ciconiis,
cavendae
sunt
ab
quae omnino
christianorum.
etiani et fibri et leporeset cqui silvatici luulto
esu
et doviesticum. hoc

aniplius

vitandi.

Af^^ain,
Hieronymus adv. Jov.

niatae, Quadi,Vandali
delectantur.

Otto

Nik

et

et

innumerabiles

lib. 2 (ed. basil. 1553.

2, 75) Saraliae gentes equai-inn et vulpium carnibus
"

frising.
6, 10
audiat, quod Pecenati (thewild Peschen;ere,
Falones
vocantur
qui
(the Vahven, Nib. 1279, 2. Tit.
ininmndis
carnibiLs,
ut^jote cquiniset catinis usque hodie
.

1280, 2)
4097), Orudis
vescuiitur.

et

Rol.

hi

of the heathen : sie ezzent diu ros.

horseflesh
eating
(see Suppl.).
in that passage of Jornandes
about Mars : huic

98, 20

Witches

also

are

charged with
""'

bantur

Also

exuviae.

truncis

suspende-

48

of

WORSHIP.

tlie

of

mysterious meaning

suspended Iwrscs

Norse

the heatlien

horse-sacrifices among

But

"

on

tion
further informa-

have

we

head}

peculiarvahie. The St. Olaf s saga, cap. 113 (ed.holm. 2,

ok
stign,at j^arvseri drepitnaut
181),says: ]?atfylgSiok }?eirri
slain neat and
the sayingthat there were
liross til arbotar (followed
of the
end
at
the very
liorse for harvest-boot).A
tail-piece
Hervararsagamentions a similar sacrifice offered by the apostate
at the election of king Svein (secondhalf of 11th century):
Swedes
til
ok hoggviti sundr, ok sJcipt
var
]?aframleidt hross eitt a J?ingit,
hluttre ; kostuSu
bloSinu
]?aallir Sviar kristni ok
ids, en rio]?U(5u
led forward ahorse into the Thing,and hewed
liofust blot ; then was
with the blood
and they reddened
in sunder, and divided for eating,
Dietmar
of Merseburg's
Tornald. sog. 1, 512.
"c.
the blot-tree,
Danish) sacrificial rite,
(strictly
descriptionof the great Norse
of

however

which

extinct

was

hundred

time,
torted
dis-

legendwiseand
exaggerated

circumstances

evidentlycontains

his

before

years

quia ego de hostiis (ISTorthmannorum)

in
his
mira
audivi, haec indiscussa praeterirenolo, est unus
nomine, in pago qui
partibuslocus, caput istius regni,Lederun
; he

says

dicitur,ubi

Selon^

tempus

Sed

post

et ibi diis suismet

canibus

et

mense

annos

novcm

theophaniam

nos

quo

venerunt,
cum

1, 9

domini

Ixxxx,

et

Januario, post

celebramus,

con-

omnes

ix. homines, et totidem

oblatis,immolant,
gallispro accipitribus

hoc

pro

cqms,

certo,

praedixi,
putantes hos eisdem erga inferos servituros,et commissa
bene rex
noster
(Heinrich1.
crimina apud eosdem
placaturos.
quam
an.
931) fecit,qui eos a tam execrando ritu prohibuit! A grand
able
festive sacrifice,
coming once in nine years, and costinga considerJust
in this there is nothing incredible.
of animals
number
there was
lived on, when
hecatomb
nothing like that
as the name
here the legend was
so
number
likelyto keep to a highsacrificed,
victims
perhaps it
sounding number; the horror of the human
the reason
in bodily. But
threw
allegedfor the animal sacrifice

ut

"

"

is

evidently wide

her

Franks,

mark

the

7, 5)
('ej-iist.

tlie Great

Gregory
with

of

'

ut

de

; it mixes

admonishes

animalium

up

what

Branichild

cajntibussacrilicia

done

was

to

take

cautions
pre-

non
sacrilega

exhibeant.'
"

Leire

Selond,ON.
Lederun, the Sax.

Selon

for

; conf. Goth,

Siclundr, afterwards

dat. of Ledera, ON.

tahernacuhim.
hleijjra

Sioland, Seeland,
HleiSra,

afterwards

land.
t.e., Zea-

Lethra,

49

SACRIFICE.

witli what

funerals ^

at

and

of nobles

the bodies

done

was

rich

expiation. It

for
that

men

followed

were

only

was

in death

and
by domestic and hunting animals, so that
by bondsmen
Suppose 99
they might have their services in the other world.
have
been
sacrificed
to
say prisonersof war,
intended to
have
been
cannot
the gods,the animals specified

to

will

we

men,

chase with

ambiguous

eisdem

stands

making

refers to homines

named

or

legendhas

alone

added

on.^

of Bremen's

How

beasts

of the

So whether

the

that of all the victims

and

hounds

cocks

story looks by the side

Dietmar's

shall
Upsal sacrifice,

the

on

any

whom

(aseosdem just after

somethinginadmissible

sacrificed ; men,

were

gods,to

diis

there is
either way
latter),
the new
year'sfestival I believe

the horses

of Adam

or

of them.

use

for the

asserted. At

the

to their

view

of the

use

horses
slaughtered

apart and

set

ever

one

no

yet for the

enemies, nor

those

escort

be considered

on

p. 53.

Among
and most

that of the
sacrifices,

all animal
solemn.

Slavic and Finnish

Our

have

ancestors

liorse

this in

nations,with Persians

common

and

preeminent

was

Indians

with several
:

with all of

sacred animal.^
passedfor a specially
from Agathias
Sacrifice of Oxen (see SuppL). The
passage
koX ^oaq) proves the Alamannic
re
(iTTTrof?
custom, and that from
A letter to Saint Boniface
the Olafssaga
(nmct ok hross)the Norse.
82, Wiirdtw.)speaksof ungodly priestsqui tauros et liircos
(Epist.
diis paganorum
immolabant.'
And
from Gregory the Great
one
ad Mellitum
10, 76 and in Beda's hist. eccl. 1, 30) affirms
(Epist.
of the Angles : hovcs solent in sacrificiodaemonum
multos occidere.
the horse

them

'

With

and

servants
Sigiirt5r
conf.
RA.
well,

and

hawks

are

burnt,Ssem.

225^ ; elsewhere

horses

morbo
dogs
Asvitiis,
consumptus, cum
caneetequo
mandatur
terreno
Saxo
antro
as
misinterprets,
though the
;
gram. p. 91, who
dead man
fed upon them : nee
contentus
equi vel canis esu, p. 92.
^
'
Pro accipitribus
that
used.
in
default
of hawks, cocks were
means,
Some have taken it,as though dogs and cocks were
sacrificed to deified birds of
But the ' pro ' is immistakable.
prey.
^
Conf. Bopp'sNalas and Damajanti,p. 42, 268. The Hyperboreanssacrificed
as

344.

'

asses

metam.

20.

to

Apollo ;
The

Pindar

same

In a Mod. Greek
poem
.'similaroft'ering
to
seems

fr. 187.
Anton. Liberal,
Buckh
inscr.
I, 807. 809.
Delphi;
corp.
w.
Tadupov,Xvkov koI aXcoTroCy 8u]yT]ais
429-434, a
be spoken of ; and Hagek's bohm.
chrou. p. 62 gives
Slavs.
That, I suppose, is why the Silesians are

was

Pyth.

done

instance among
the
called ass-eaters (Zeitvertreiber
1668,

an

same

10.

Callimach.

at

p. 153) ; and if the Gottingorsreceive the

be very old in Germany itself (see

nickname, these popularjokesmust

Suppl.).
4

50

The

WORSHIP.

Hack

and hlack cow, which

ox

hold
to be killed for the house-

not

are

Val.
they sacred sacrificial beasts?
(Superst.887), were
Suplit,a free peasant on the Samland coast (Samogitiaor SemiI will add
sacrificed a Hack hull with strange ceremonies.^
galia),
During a famine in Sweden under
a few
examples from the Norse.
Sviar blot stor at Uppsolum, it
king Domaldi : ]?aeflSo (instituted)
proving
; and the oxen
yxmim
fyrstahaust (autumn) blotuSu j^eir
insufficient,
they graduallywent
up to higher and higher kinds ;
Yngl. saga, c. 18. ]7a gekk hann til hofs (temple) Freyss, ok
leiddi jjagatuxan
gamlan (an old ox), ok maelti sva : Freyr,nu
bra sva
viS, at hann qvaS vi3,
gef ek ]?eruxa ]?enna ; en uxanum
"

'

'

(dealtthe

ok fell niSr dauSr

9.

At

gamall,var
(thenwas

];atkallat
led forth

saga p. 214-8.
The Greek
a

Sacrifice of

"

Cotvs,Sa^m.

(asthe
cKarofji^r}

too

of neat, but

very

soon

conf, Kormaks-

Fornm.

sog.

This

other.

; else

Franks

between
so

set

seems

why
700

the

on

nmjcdissacrivus

relic of the

the term
and

apart for holy

3, 193.^

den.

there

(17

must

higher

votivus than

any

on

sacrifices of the heathen

True, there is

sacrivus ?

600

use

ancient

or

at

of other beasts also.

Boars, Pigs (see SuppL). In the Salic Law, tit. 2,

compositionis set

138.

2,

oxen) consisted

; Holzmann

hundred

506.

100

shows,

name

sacrificesof

had

141.

blot-neat,

called

old,it was

and

victoryhad),Egilss.
p.

who

largenumber

Indians

The

foe:

bull mickle

that should he hew

first of

groan

J?avar leiddr fram grdc^ungrmikill ok

hlotnaut,]?atskyldi sa hoggva er sigrhefSi

vanquished his

that had

Islend. sog. 2, 348. conf. Vigaglumssaga,cap.

duel the victor slew a hull with the same
weapons

formal

blow, that he gave

dead);

fell down

and

such

ox

and

have

15

no

sol.)
; but

been

vast

ence
differ-

of animals
in

great number

price per head did not need to be high.

selected immediatelyafter birth,and marked,
Probably they were
In
then
and
reared with
the rest till the time of sacrificing.

heathen

times, so

that

the

"

Frankish

and

Alamannic

documents

there

often

occurs

the

word

for agnus, occasionally

but sometimes
usuallyfor porcellus,
friscin^,
limited sense
of porcinusand agninus;the word may by
in the more

Berlin, monatsclir. 1802. 8, 225. conf. Lucas David

1, 118-122.
the
butchers
at a set time of
and
of
districts
France,
In many
Germany
decked
with
flowers
and ribbons,
the
streets a fattedox
the year lead through
Holland
In
and
collect
and
they call
fife,
drink-money.
accompaniedby drum
while
butcher
%valks in
his
a
horns,
the ox hdder, and hang gildedapples on
old
relic
sacriiicialrite.
of
this
some
seems
a
front with the axe
(beil).All
1
2

51

SACRIFICE.

lives only in
natus, new-l)orn,^but it now
originexpress recens
How
to explainthen,
of porcellus(frischling).
the sense
are
we
the
that this OHG.
friscingin several writers translates precisely
Lat. liostia,
victima, holocaustum
(ISTotker
cap. 8, ps. 15, 4, 26, 6.
33, 1. 39, 8. 41, 10. 43, 12. 22. 50, 21. 115, 17. osterfriscing,
ps. 20,
i.e.lamb unblemished
3.
lamp unkawemmit
kakepan erdu friscing,
given to earth a sacrifice,
Hymn 7, 10),except as a reminiscence of
?
The Jewish paschallamb would not suggest it,
heathenism
for in
the idea of porcellus
was
predominant. In the North, the
friscing
sacrifice;
offered to Freyr,was
a
periodical
expiatoryboar, sdnargoltr,
to modern
and Sweden
has continued down
times the practice
in the shape of a boar.
of baking loaves and cakes on Yule-eve
This golden-bristled
boar has left his track in inland Germany too.
Christmas
on
Accordingto popular belief in Thuringia,^whoever
will get sightof a young
abstains from all food till suppertime,
eve
ing
brought up last at the evengoldenpig,i.e. in olden times it was
banquet. A Lauterbach ordinance (weisthum)of 1589 decreed
(3, 369), that unto a court holden the day of the Three-kings,
therefore in
Yule
time, the holders of farm-steads
(hiibner)
should furnish a clean goldferch
while
(gold-hog)
gelded
yet under
doubt slaughtered
led round
milk ; it was
the benches, and no
afterwards.^
So among
the Welsh, the swine offered to the gods
its

"

sub

Ducange

v.

Eccard

Grati" 3, 833.
beitr. zur
Gutgesells

Fr.

blet 1, 327.
p. 138.
^ This

passage
those of Vinkbuch

from

2, 677.

or.

Sclimeller

gesch.des

the Lauterb.

ordin.

can

now

match

in the Alamann
country. It says 1, 436
7 schilling
a swine worth
pick out in the convent
pfennig,and
begins,let it into the convent
crewyard,-where it must be
fare and

I.

denkm.

Dorows

Lacom-

2, 55.

wtb. 1, 619.
deutschen
alterthums, Meiningen 1834,

by

another

from

; the provost shall

soon
as harvest
as

allowed

generous
there it is left tillthe Thursday after St. Adolf's
half to the
it is slaughteredand divided, half to the farm-bailiff,
and
cheese to
bread
the same
day there is also a distribution of

free access

day, when
parish; on
the parish.
fi.xed by the
"

to the

The

corn

and a half
shillingstallies with the seven
the
ordinary
ordin.,and is a high one, far exceeding
an
1827, pp. 336-7); it was
arrangement longcontinued

price of

Lauterb.

seven

value (conf GiJtt. anz.

and often employed in these ordinances,and one
well suited to a beast selected
is doled out
for sacrifice. The
like that of Vinkbuch,
Lauterbach
goldferch,
alter it (3,370) ;
and consumed
at a festive meal
; the assize itself is named

has been
forgottenor suppressed.
St.
too.
in other parts of Germany
30
Adolf was
his day falls on
(Conr.v.
a bishopof Straszburg,
August 29 or
Dankr. namenb.
p. 117),and the assize therefore in the beginningof September.
at

Vinkbuch

the

Assuredly such

Swine
and

as

heathenish

assize-feasts

slaughteredfor the
both of these by turns

are

name

were

only

held

household
are

when

winter

sets

in,in Nov.

there
called schlachtmoivat,

or

Dec.

might lingeriu

52

WOESEIP.

became

destined

one

for the

King'stable.
Anglo-Saxons,and
(Freyr)we have to

'

eoforirenheard of the
the worship of Froho
and by. The Greeks
stands very

Nerthus

sacrificed swine

near

It is the 'sivin
of its exact
treat

more

to Demeter

ealgylden,

relation to
in detail

who
(Ceres),

by
as

NiorSr,Freyr and Freyja,

to

came
Rams, Goats (seeSuppl.). As friscing
"

victima,so

to mean

Goth. sauSs,seems
for animal
to have
sacrifice,
converselya name
for the animal
sau"r=^Qi\\Qv.
itself,
given rise to the OjST. name
therefore not rare, though it is seldom
of sacrifice was
This species
expresslymentioned, probably as being of small value. Only the
goGa cap. 16 informs us : ];arvar oc drepinn (killed)
saga Hakonar
Small
denotes principally
hross.
allskonar small, ok sva
{firj\a)
generallythe small beasts of the flock as opposed
sheep,also more
alls konar (omnis generis) is here
and horses,and as
to oxen
sacrifice of he-goats
to include goats. The
added, it seems
(hircos)
'

'

spoken of in the above-quotedEpist.Bonif. 82. In the Swedish

the water-sprite,
teach any one to play
before it wiU
superstition,
folkv. 2,
the harp,requiresthe sacrifice of a llach lamb ; Svenska
of she-goats
128.
being sacrificed ;
Gregory the Great speaksonce
of their gods,
he says the Langobards offer to the devil,i.e.,io
one

is

caput

dedicantes
reared

hoc

ei,

; Dial.

3, 28.

caprae,

aloft,and

the

per

circuitum
This head

people bowed

nefando

currentes, carmine
of

she-goat(orhe-goat?) was

before

it.

The

halloiclng
of a
(Luc.David 1,

he-goatamong the ancient Prussians is well known

87, 98). The Slavonian god Triglav is represented with three
goats'heads (Hanka's zbjrka 23). If that Langobardic carmen
could judge more
had been preserved,
nefandum
we
exactlyof the
it with
from the report of the holy father,who viewed
rite than
'

'

hostile eyes.
About

other sacrificial beasts

we

cannot

be

for
certain,

of Diet-

dogs and hawks and cocks, hardly any but the last are to be
depended on (seeSup^^l.).But even then, what of domestic poultry,
and christian
Jewish
a
fowls, geese, pigeons? The dove was
mar's

this also

tWtmoneS.
sends
which
It is
which
often

reference to heathen
The

common

man

sacrifices ;
at

AS.

for Xov.

is

expressly
feast, and
yearly slaughtering
gets up
neighbours (conf.maiichli,Stalder 2, 525),
his

an

name

to his
distribution of flesh.
of the common
sacrifice and
survival
be a
may
solemn
in
Sei-via
the
that
remarkable
too, at
burning of the badnyak,
and
ivhole
swine is roasted,
the
is exactlylike
a
yule-log(ch.XX, Fires),
Vuk's
103-4.
with
it
a sucking
fig along
Montenegro,pji.
;

meat

and

sausages

SACRIFICE.

06

Asklepios,and in Touraine a
of a
white cock used to be sacrificed to St. Christopherfor the cure
doubtless only
bad finger(Henri Estienne cap. 38, 6). Of game,
the Greeks
sacrifice,

fit to eat

those

uneatable
and

fit to

to

sacrifice,
stags,roes, wild boars,but

never

ghostlybeing,and
kind of worship. Yet one might suppose that for expiation
justas slaves
beasts,equallywith men, might be offered,
the burnt
and falcons followed
hounds
body of their
of Bremen's
first of all placeAdam
must
Here we
tion
descrip-

bears,wolves
receive

were

offered cocks

also

master.

or

themselves

foxes,who

possess

account

great sacrifice at Upsalaby the side of Dietmar's

of that at Hlethra
(seep. 48) : Solet quoque post novevi

annos

communis

(4,27) of

the

"

ad quam
celebrari,

ceremoniis

quod

animante

jam

induerunt

Sacrificium

redimunt.

se

masculinum

est,

novem

est.
mos
sanguinedeos tales placari
in lucum
qui proximus est templo.
arbores ejusex
ut singulae
gentilibus,

divinae

credantur.

quorum

corpora

orum

Ibi etiam

mixtim

christianitatem

ab

illis

itaque tale est : ex omni

capitaofferuntur ; quorum
Corpora autem
suspenduntur
Is

enim

morte

lucus

tam

sacer

est

vel tabo immolatorum

hominibus,
qui pendent cum
narravit mihi
quidam christian-

canes,

suspensa

vidisse.

scptuagintaduo

se

solennitas

; reges et populi,
praestatur immunitas
dona ad Ubsolam
transmittunt,et, quod omni

crudelius est, illiqui

poena

provinciarum

nulli

singulisua

et

omnes

Sveoniae

omnium

Ceterum

naeniae,

quae

in

sunt et inhonestae,
ejusmodiritibus libatoriis fieri solent,multiplices
ideoquemelius reticendae. The number nine is prominent in this
sacrificialfeast,exactlyas in the Danish ; but here also all
Swedish
of legend. First, the heads of victims
in the spirit
is conceived
the Franks and Langobards;
the essential thingagain,
as among
seem
"

then the

dogs come

but at the
up wolves

same
or

in

support of those Hlethra

time remind

dogs by

us

of the old

the side of

hounds

and

custom
judicial
criminals (RA. 685-6).

hawks,'

of

hanging
That only

is in
livingcreature is here to be sacrificed,
accord
with
an
episode in the Eeinardus,which was
sti"ilcing
composed less than a century after Adam, and in its groundwork
At the wedding of a king,
might well be contemporary with him.
the males of all quadrupedsand birds were
to have been slaughtered,
It looks to me
their escape.
but the cock and gander had made
like a legend of the olden time, which stillcirculated in the ll-12lh
a
even
centuries, and which
nursery-tale(No. 27, the Town-

the

viale

sex

of every

54

WOKSHIP.

musicians)knows
animals

somethingof.^ Anyhow,

times

male

to be in

seem

one

of every

not

come

up

for sacrifice.^ As for killincr

specialdemand
koL aWa
species(and even Agathias's
arra
/xvpia does
it would
to that),
be such a stupendous affair,
that its

actual execution
have

in heathen

existed

could

never

have

been

conceivable

; it

only

can

in

popular tradition. It is something like the old

Mirror of Saxony and that of Swabia assuringus that
every living
creature
at
deed
of
a
present
rapine,whether oxen, horses,cats,
dogs,fowls,geese, swine or men, had to be beheaded, as well as the
actual delinquent(inreal fact,only when
his property)
they were
f
like
the
Edda
or
exacted of all animals
relatinghow oaths were
and
all beings were
and plants,
The creatures
requiredto weep.
belongingto a man, his domestic animals, have to suffer with him
in

of

case

Next
the

cremation,sacrifice or punishment.
to the kind, stress was
undoubtedlylaid

animal,

on

the colour of

tvJiite

White
being considered the most favourable.
horses are
often spoken of (Tac.Germ.
10.
Weisth.
3, 301. 311.
831),even so far back as the Persians (Herod.1, 189). The friscing
of sacrifice was
probably of a spotlesswhite ; and in later lawrecords snoiv-whitc pigs are
pronounced inviolable.* The Votiaks

sacrificed
the

red

old German
of

the Tcheremisses
stallion,
law

dun

or

for witchcraft
sacrifices^;

also, animals

demanded
requisite.The water-sprite
have

Saxo

Gram.

p. 16

says;

that

mean

hlack

beasts ?

Hack

lamb

often

pied cattle were

tithes,this might have

fines and

and

hlack

cat

We

some

may

under

requiredin
connexion

particularhue

ment
paywith
were

lamb, and the huldres

hlack

offered up

divinam

rem
"

of

tohite. When

to them

facere

(Asb.1. 159).
fnrvis hostiis ; does
that

suppose

cattle

were

Or will any one

trace this incident in the Reynard to the words of the
in
Matt.
Vnlgate
22, 4 : tauri mei et altilia occisa sunt, venite ad nuptias;
which
describe
the preparationsfor the wedding-feast
?
merely
Any liint
1

about
^

males
The

is

just what

Greeks

the passage lacks.

animals to god?.,
female to

ofiered male

white

male
lamb
to Helios
a
(sun), a hlack eive
Lithuanians
sacrificed to their earthgod Zemiennik
animalia ; Haupt'szeitschr. 1, 141.
^
*

cum

goddesses,II. 3, 103 :
lamb
to Ge
(earth). Tiie
domestica
utriusquesexus

zeitschr. fiirdeutsches recht 5, 17, 18.

RA. 261. 594.
Weisth.
3, 41. 46. 69. conf. Virg. Aen.
8, 82
foetu concolor albo sus ; and the Umbrian
: trif apruf rufru ute

Reyscher and

Wilda

Aufrecht und Kirchh.

apros rubros aut piceos),
s
RA. 587. 667.
Weisth.
1, 498. 3, 430.
gods ; Tettau and Temme
preuss. sag. 42.

umbr.
White

2,
si^rachd.
animals

Candida

fciu (tres

278-9.

hateful

to

the

55

SACEIFICE,

garlandedand adorned
cows,
gold-horned
requires
in Mansfeld
a

sacrifice.

for

Saem. 141*

coal-black

with

ox

of
village

and in the

white

and

star

the

in

passage

Edda

Fienstadt

white

feet,and

cations
imposed as dues.^ There are indihe-goatwith gildedhorns were
led round
were
that the animals,before being slaughtered,
circle of

the

within

perhaps,as

in the service

Greeks

e.g.,that

colts and

formal

at

of

of landmarks.

On

information
laid down

bullocks

procedure in

the actual

except
its life

from

the

on

had

ox

Norse

are

land,or

explainthe
pp. 51, 52

"

the
give them
(seeSuppl.). Probably

Romans,

death^

the

transfer of

law-records
removers

and

currere,
to

also that the victim should

of man,

For such

waggon.

^^e?' circuituni

to
going voluntarily

to be taken

had

care

the

among
of

appearance

"

is how

that

assembly

and
benches,

the

leading round

the

not

have

been used

drawn

never

plough or

requiredin our ancient

the ploughing to death

sacrifice,
we

have

authorities.

scarcelyany

While

sacrificial stone, all the

the

animal

streaming blood

caught either in a hollow dug for the purpose, or

in vessels.
With
this gore they smeared
the sacred vessels and
utensils,and sprinkledthe participants.^
Apparently divination
of the blood,perhaps a part of it was
was
performed by means
(ON. hlaut)was

mixed

with

ale

mead, and drunk.

do not
(hX^wibollar,
hloibollar)

bowls

nations

In

or

seem

the
to

North
have

the bloodbeen

large;

had

big cauldrons made for the purpose (seeSuppl.).

Swedes
taunted by Olafr Tryggvason with sitting
at home
were
hlotlickingtheir sacrificial pots, at sitjaheima ok sleikja

some

The
and

'

holla

Fornm.
sina,'

in Strabo
Tal"s

3, 382

jvvai^lvavrcjv

lepeiai
1

7, 2

sog. 2, 309.
e^o? 8e ri rwv

cauldron

of the Cimbri

is noticed

BLrjyovvTaL
Klfi/Spcov
tocovtov,

on

irapriKoXovOovv
7rpo/jidvTet"
eViTreTTope^aTrr/Sa?
\ev)(eliJiove"i,
Kapiraalva'^
TroXAor/at^e?,

Neue

mitth.

des

avarpaTevovcraLf;

thiiv. siiclis.vereins

V. 2, 131, conf. II. 10, 292.

Od.

8 av iyoipi^co^ovv tJvlv,
evpvfJLfrconov,
vtto
ijvoi/'tto)
u8fJ.r]TT]i),
^vyoi/'jyayev dui'jp
iyuipf^co,
TTjv Toi
)(^pvaov Kfpacriv 7rfpt.)(evas.
^
Oc eingii
neiiia
skylditortyna hvurki I'ene monnuni,
shoiald they kill (tortima0
Eyrb. saga, ix 10. And none
o"oi

"

unless of itself it ran

man,
^

sialft gengi i hurt.

neither

beast

nor

a-tilt.

Saga Hakonar
g6?a,cap. 16. Eyrb. saga p. 10. rauS horgin,reddened
Fornald.
stalla lata rioSa bloSi,1, 454. 527.
(stone)altar,
sog. 1, 413.
Stem. 114'^ rioiSutiihbloSinu hl6ttre,
Fornald.
sog. 1, 512. the Grk
ai/xa r"
conf.
E.xod.
8.
^o"}i(o
24,
TTfpixffiv.
the

56

WORSHIP.

ovv
Totf
'yvfivoTroSe'i

irr^jjiivaL,
^ojcrfia
')(CLkKovv
e^ovaat,
hia

T0t9

Tov

avroii"i
rjr^ov

al)(jiaXu)-

"

avv^VTcov^t(f"7]peL";
arparoTTeSov
Karaare-^aaai8'
e'cKoai, et;^oy
eVl
')(^a\Kovv, d/Kpopecov
p arr) p
'

"

oaov

X e y3t; t o 9
ava^dOpav, tjv dva/3d"Ta(jjfidvTt'?)
uTre/OTrerr/? tov
etc he tov
fierecopiadevra'
eKaarov
eXaifiOTo/xeL
7rpo-)(^eofievovaL/u,aTO"i
Tcvd
eiroiovvTo}
Another
cauldron of
TOV
fxavTe'iav
et?
Kparrjpa,

Se

the

of St. Cohimban

Suevi, in the Life

nationes

Suevorum

etenim

inibi vicinae

moraretur, et inter habitatores illius

cum

; quo

Sunt

reperiteos sacrificium profanum litare velle,

progrederetur,
vocant, quod vigintiet sex
quod vulgo cwpam
vasque
magnum,
cerevisia plenum in medio habemodios amplius minusve
capiebat,
bant positum. Ad quod vir Dei accessit et sciscitatur,
quid de illo
loci

Illi aiunt

fieri vellent ?

expresslytold

that the blood

is

of

that the cauldron

victim

it may have meant

incomplete,
Usually the cauldron served

it never

roasted.

was

of the
(eyp-eiv)
this

From

who

it ; unless

ale,and

in later times

to

cook, i.e.boil,the victim's flesh ;

4,

61

describes

great cauldron

the

my

108 ; the
be

may

not

the narrative

of

the
conjecture,

the

boiling
Scythians.

ram

was

took part in the sacrifice sudiiautar

sodden),Gutalag p.

of witches

2, 26). Here

filled with

was

Herodotus

sacrifice in

(from

only a drink-offering.

seething,
accordingto

smips,and those
of the

Thus

Bened.

ann.

with

mixed

was

Mercurium

quem

Bobbiensis,vita Columb.

7tli cent. Mabillon

the firsthalf of the

are

Wodano,

suo

Jonas
se velle litare.
alii,

vocant

we

deo

the
boilings,

connected

with

(partakers

cauldrons
this.^

called

and

The

pots

bution
distri-

of the

piecesamong the people was probablyundertaken by

held there and then in
a priest
great holidaysthe feast^ was
; on
the assembly,on other occasions each person
might doubtless take
^

'

They

say the Cimbri

had

this custom, that their

women

marching with

gray-haired,wliite-robed,
accompanied by priestess-proplietesses,
the shoulder,wearing a brazen girdle,and
scarf buckled
over
in hand, and having
in the camp, sword
the prisoners
bare-footed ; these met
30
crowned
amphorsB (180 gals);
them, led them to a brass hasin as large as
the
and they had a ladder,which
the priestess
mounted, and standing over
handed
With
the
blood
that gushed
basin, cut the throat of each as he was
up.
into the basin, they made
a prophecy.'

them

were

with

linen

trolds too, a kind of elves,have a wpiper kettle in the Norw.

saga,
Faye 11 ; the christians long believed in a Saturni dolium, and in a large
Meon
cauldron in hell (chaudiere,
3, 284-5).
^
They also ate the strong broth and the fat swimming at the top. The
heathen
his refusingthe flesh,drecka sot^itand eta
offer their king Hakon, on
^

The

Jlotit
; Saga Hakonar

goSa cap.

18.

conf. Forum,

sog. 10, 381.

57

SACKIFICE.

his share home

with

him.

That

priestsand people reallyate the

of passages (conf.above, p. 46). The
food,appears from a number
in Epist.Bonif. cap. 25
7, 405 adopt the statement
Capitularies
(an.732) of a Christian
presbyterJovi mactans, et immolatitias
carnes
vescens,'only alteringit to diis mactanti,et immolatitiis
'

'

carnibus
allowed
consume

vescenti'.

We

to offer small
a

part of them

et ad honorem
offerre,

It

that privatepersons
were
suppose
giftsto the gods on particular
occasions,and
may

; this the

daemonum

Christians called

'

more

gentilium

de part.Sax. 20.
comedere,'Capit.

is

likelyalso,that certain nobler parts of the animal

assignedto the gods,the head, liver,
heart,tongue} The head
skin
them

of

were

suspended on

and

in honour

trees

of

(seeSuppL).

Whole
ashes

slaughtered
game

were

on

where
lurntofferings,
the pileof wood, do not

Goth, allhrunsts

]\Ik

so the
6\o/cavT(o/na,

the

animal

seem

to

converted

was

have

been

in

merely to translate
N. ps. 64, 2 ; and
alhrandopher,

OHG.

The

use.

is made

12, 33

into

the

Gk.

the AS.

onhred"
rommes
bloSe, Coedm. 175, 6. 177, 18 is meant
hryncgield
to express
in the Jewish sense.^
purelya burntoffering
Neither were
used ; the sweet
incense of the
incense-offerings
christians was
a
new
Ulphilasretains the
thing to the heathen.
0.
Gk. tliymiama Lu. 1, 10. 11 ; and our weih-rauch
(holy-reek),
Dan. rogelseare
Hel. 3, 22, and the OK
Sax. wiroc
reykelsi,
formed accordingto christian notions (seeSuppL).

While

the

sacrifice of

slain animal

is

sociable,more

more

by the collective nation or

community ; fruit or flowers,milk or honey is what any household,
individual may give. These Fruit-offerings
therefore
or
an
even
are
and paltry; historyscarcely
mentions
more
solitary
them, but they
have lingered
the longerand more
in popular customs
steadfastly
(seeSuppL).
universal,and

When

usually offered

the husbandman

for the
standing
^

is

god

who

cuts his corn,

blessed

the

he leaves

clump

harvest,and he adorns

of

ears

it with

Koi Koikla (tongueand entrail.-^)

yXo}(T(Ta
lepetovSianeTTpayfifvov,
Phitarcli,
1.
Od. 3, 332. 341. conf. De
yXayacrasrdfiveivand eV irvpl/iiuXXeti/,
in sacriliciis,
Nitzsch ad Horn. Od. 1, 207.
usu
In the folk-tales,
ever
wholinguae
has to kill a man
or
beast,is told to bring in proof the tongue or heart,
apparentlyas being eminent portions.
aiav.2}dliti
obiet,to kindle an offering,
Koniginh.hs, 98.

Phoc.

58

WORSHIP.

-"

ribbons.

To

this

day, at

in Holstein,five
fruit-gathering

or

six

applesare left hangingon each tree,and then the next crop will thrive.
More striking
will be given later,
ing
in treatexamples of this custom
of individual gods. But, just as tame
and
eatable animals
available for sacrifice,
were
especially
so
are
(frugiferae
fruit-trees
of
formal
transfer
Tac.
Germ.
and
and
at a
arbores,
grains;
10),
land,boughs covered with leaves,applesor nuts are used as earnest
of the bargain. The MHG.
poet (Fundgr.II, 25) describes Cain's
wolte sie oppheren mit
sacrifice in the words : eine garb er nam,
er
cheren joch mit agcnen'a sheaf he took,he would
offer it with ears
and eke with spikes: a formula
expressingat once the upper part
beard
and
and
the whole
stalk (spica)as well.
or
ear
(arista),
Under
this head we also put the crowningof the divine image,of a
the
sacred tree or a sacrificed animal with foliageor floioers
; not
'

faintest trace

of this appears

in the Norse

sagas, and

as

littlein

our

survivingfolk-tales I can
bring forward a few things. On Ascension day the girlsin more
than one part of Germany twine garlandsof white and red flowers,
the cattle in the
and hang them
up in the dwellingroomor over
stable,where they remain tillreplacedby fresh ones the next year.^
At the villageof Questenberg in the Ilarz, on
the third day in
oldest documents.

Whitsuntide, the
overlooks
fasten to

the
it

From

later times

lads

whole

carry

and

oak

an

and, when
district,

the

up

castle-hill which

they have

it

upright,
trees plaitedtogether,
the qucste{i.e.
garland)
set

largegarland of branches of
and as big as a cartwheel.
They all shout
hangs,'and then they dance round the tree on the hill top both
tree
and garland are
renewed
year.^ ISIot far from the
every
mountain
in Hesse
with a cavern
Meisner
stands a high precipice
of the Hollow
Stone.
opening under it,which goes by the name
a

'

Into this

cavern

every

Easter

Monday

the

the

youths and

neighbouringvillagescarry nosegays, and then

will venture
No one
coolingwater.
down, unless he
with
hunch

him.^

The

lands

some

examples, which

Bragnr VI. 1, 126.

Otmars
to

volkssagen,
pp.

can

128-9.

draw
has

Wigands

Wigands

archiv 6, 317,
archiv 6, 318.

flowers

townships have to pay a

valley)every year for rent.* In
heathen
a
easilybe multiplied,

What

of the custom
is told of tlie origin

be fiction.

of

some

Hessian

of the
of mayflov)ers
(lilies

all these

seems

in

maidens

Casselsches

wochenbl.

1815,p. 928*'.

59

MINNE-DRINKING.

to have

practiceseems
offerings.^

transferred

been

to

christian festivals and

at a iDanquetto
primitiveand widespread custom
set aside a part of the food for tlie household
gods,and particularly
and Hulda, the gods were
to place a dish of 'broth before Berhta
The drinker,before taking
also invited to share the festive drink.
out of his vessel for the god or housewould pour some
any himself,
of it
the Lithuanians,when
they drank beer,spiltsome
as
sprite,
the ground for their earth-goddess
Zemynele.^ Compare with
on
this the Norwegian sagas of Thor, who
appears at weddings when
invited,and takes up and empties huge casks of ale. I will now
ot the Suevic ale-fuh (cupa)in Jonas
to that account
turn
more
once
(see p. 56),and use it to explain the heathen practiceof viinneHere
drinking,which is far from being extinct under Christianity.
As

it

was

"

also both

and

name

custom

Teutonic

all the

to

common

appear

races.

The

Gothic

I think
pret.munda) signified
(pi.munum,
pret.gamunda) I bethink me, I remember.

man

(pi.gamunum,

gaman

the

From
minnon

same

minion

lansuase

have

we

the

is derived

verb

the

remember

to

amare,
same

man,

minna

OHG.
a

loved
and

munum,

one.

amor

amor,

ON.

the

In

also minni

recordari,but the secondary meaning of

minna

minia

memoria,
never

was

developed.
It

was

customary

to

honour

an

absent

deceased

or

the

one

by

banquet, and

the
of him
at
assembly or
making mention
this goblet,this draught was
draininga goblet to his memory:
called in ON. crfi
or
againminni (erfi funeral feast).
dryckja,
At
grand sacrifices and banquets the god or the gods were
Sa^m. 119''
minnis-ol
(ale),
remembered, and their minni drunk:
furo
ol),minnis-\\orn,minnis-ixxM (cupful),
(opposed to ominnis
minni
hvert (theygave many
minni
morg, ok skyldihorn dreckia 1
each had to drink a horn to the m.).um
golfganga at
a m., and
minniol signod'
206. 253.
minnom
a.som, Olafs helga.
oUum, Egilss.
"

and

Beside

in

cattle and

special
cases,

as

grain?other
even

valuables

in christian

were

offered to

times voyagers
at
gift; in Swedish

sea

gods
particular
e.g., would

vow

offra en
to their church
silver sliip
as
a votive
folk-songs,
blankaste
malm
of metal), Arvidss. 2, 11(5 ; en giyta af
(of
(vessel
(jrytaaf malm
silver)AhlqvistsOhind II. 1, 214 ; also articles of clothing,e.g. red shoes.
'
like the Gk. aivivba,
of no technical term
In the Teut. languages I know
a

Lat. libo,for drink-offerings

(seeSiippL).
Xfi'/So),

60

WORSHIP.

(ed.holm.)113. signa is the German

crate,
segnen to bless,conseOSins full,MarSar
signa full OSni, Thor.
full,Freysfall
drecka, Saga Hakonar
goSa cap. 16.18. In the Herrau5s-sagacap.
At the burial of a
11, Thor's,OSin's and Freya'sminne is drunk.
toast
king there was brought up a goblet called Bragafull(funeral
saga

cup),before which
emptied it,Yngl.
Stem.
called

stood

up,

cap. 40 ; other

saga

Fornald.

146^

one

every

sog.

1, 162. 7,148.

The

Krists

193^

custom, but drank

hragarfuU,
also
gobletwas
conversion

After

of

the minne

minni, Michaels

and

have

The

1, 345, 417. 515.

vow,

Christ,

minni, Fornm.

sog.

of
sog. 10, 1781, St. Martin demands
be proposedinstead of those of Thor, OSin, and

In the Fornm.

Olaf that his minni

the other

the

solemn

passages

minnisvcig (swig,draught),Sa3m.

they did not give up

Mary, and the saints

took

ases.

other

races

the

from

littleweaned

just as

were

practice
;

lated
had changed its meaning, it is transonly where the term minne
instead of memoria
;^ notablyas earlyas in
by the Lat. amor
Liutprand,hist. 6, 7 (MuratoriII. 1, 473),and Liutpr.hist. Ott. 12:
vinum
bibere.
diaboli in aniorcm
Liutpr.antapod.2, 70 : amoris
heati
bibito. Liutpr.leg.65 : potas in amo^x
mei causa
salutisque
gelist;
Here
the Baptistis meant, not the EvanJohannis
prsecursoris.
the
in the Fel. Faber
but
evagat.1, 148 it is distinctly

latter.

In

Eckehard

nioris est,osculato et

casus

2, 84:

S. Galli, Pertz

epoto,laetabundi

discedunt.

amoreque,
In

ut

the Rudlieb

2, 162:

post poscitvinum
nos
participat
quando vale

In the so-called Liber

the

In

Gerdrudis

amove,

tres, postremo basia

quod haustum
fingens,
benedixit.

gemit et
occultus,accordingto
dixit post

nos

the Munchen

MS.,

at

of a scuffle :
description
ictum,
hujus ad edictum nullus plus percutit
sed per clamorem
13th
a
the Peregrinus,

poscunt Gertrudis
cent. Latin

et

rogat ut potent sanctae

ut

possent omni

poem,

amorem.
v.

Gertrudis

335

(Leyser2114) :

amove,

frui.
prosperitate

Von dem gelouben 1001 says of the institution of

poem
to Christians :
the Lord's Supper, whose cup is also a drink of remembrance
Lout.
mit dem wine, imde scgentedarinne ein vil guote mmne.
den cof nam
er
lovingcuf, Tliom's Ai.ecd. 82.
1

The

12th

cent,

61

MINXE-DRINKIXG.

neig im

Erelc's departure: der wirt

At

do

im

cr

gewinne

heiles

ze

Gertrude

sant

fuoz,ze hand

den

an

Er.
champion 'tranc sant Johannes segcn,'
killingEtzel's child,says, Nib. 1897, 3 :

armed

while

iz

wir

trinken

nn

trinkt imd

wan

The

Hagene,

8651.

win,
geltenskiincges

niht

anders

mac

unde

die minne

truog

Tninnc,Er. 4015.

gesin
Ezeln
geltet

win

; Helbl.

14. 86.

G, 160.

gcltcnrecalls the meaning it had acquiredin

with sacrificing
connexion
2,40. si do zucten di suert
; conf. Schm.
eine minne
unde scancten
(drew their swords and poured out a m.),
minne
in Hoffm.
Herz.
Ernst
schenken,
fundgr. 1, 230, 35.
Johannis
minne
sant
Berthold
276-7.
geben, Oswald 611. 1127.
1225
thing that was afterwards
(seeSuppl.). No doubt the same
in our
older speech
schenken
einen ehrenwein
called
; for even
shown
to higher and
loved
denoted verehrung,reverence
era, ere
Here

word

the very

'

'

beings.
that had
particular
and Gertrude.
drunk in honour of them, John tlie evangelist
minne
drunk
is said to have
John
poisoned wine without hurt, hence
to him
drink consecrated
a
prevented all danger of poisoning.

Ages then,it

In the Mid.

revered

Gertrude
seems
a

to have

John

been

peacemaker,and

rector scholarum

above

saints in

two

was

all saints,and

linked with

his.

in the Latinarius

she is invoked

But

therefore her memory

she

of

metricus

also esteemed

was

Andreas

certain

as

cudis
pia Gerdrudis,quae paciscommoda
bellaqueconcludis,nos caeli mergitoludis !
to
prayed her daily, dass sie ilim schueffe herbergguot,'
find him
lodging good; and in a MS. of the 15th cent, we are
informed : aliquidicunt,quod quando anima egressa est,tunc prima

clerk

nocte

'

angelis,sed
remarkable
of

whom,

more,

tertia nocte
statement

as

well

she

as

minne
travellers and
I know

beata

pernoctabitcum

of

no

as

was

used

vadit

will be
of Hulda

John's)than

nocte

sicut diffinitum
further

found
and

on

est
to

especiallyto
as

testimony

to

that

in

arch-

cum

de

be

the

drunk

passages

Gertrude's

This

ea.

apply to Freya,

Eerhta, Gertrude reminds

represented spinning.Both

lovers of peace,
older

Gerdrude, secunda

John's

us

and

the
trude's
Ger-

by partingfriends,
quoted have shown.

minne

(whichpresupposes

Paidlieb ; in later centuries

we

find

62

WORSHIP.

tliem

plenty of

Johans

sant

der

Anigb. 33*^.

varn

sant

setz

Johans

sant

Johannes

trinken

sant

3103.

diz ist sancte

segen

trinken, Anshelm

segen, Ls.

ich daht

3, 336.
t/(?/^.a?^s

sant

an

(to fare) mit sant Gertr'Ade minne,

Johans
ze
blirgenmir, daz du komest

bl. 413.

Altd.

mir

scliier,Hatzl.

lierwider

trinken,

.,

txvak"n, Ls. 2, 262.

scgen

2, 264.

minne, Ls.

gesunt

brahte

Johans

sant

und

Johannes

minne, Cod.

Gertrude

sant

scgen

191''.

scheiden

minne, Cod. pal,364,

158.

segen, Fischart

Johans

3, 416.

kolocz.

72.

lande, Morolt.

dem

von

namen

S. Johans
kl.
gescli.

2, 262.^
Simpliciss.

99^

then,whom

Suevi

Those

Columban

were
approaching,

was

bably
pro-

the saint blew

drinking Wuotan's minne ; Jonas relates how

vessel to pieces and spoilttheir pleasure
: manifesto
the whole
in eo vase
fuisse occultatum, qui per prodiaholum
datnr intelligi,
So by Liutprand's
fanum
litatorem caperetanimas sacrificantium.
heathen
a
is drunk, we
god to
devil,whose minne
may
suppose
have
been meant,
priggjasdlda 61 OSni (givethree tuns of
(jcfa
ale to

gefa Thor ok 0(5ni 61, ok signa

sog. 2, 16.
Thors ok OGins, ibid. 3, 191.
drecka minni
ibid. 1, 280.

OSinn),Fornm.

fidlasum,

signof Thor's hammer, christians used the

for the blessing
cross
(segnung)of the cup ; conf. poculum signare,
Walthar. 225, precisely
the Norse sig7ia
full.
a
as
religiousrite,apparentlyexists to
Minne-drinking,even
this day in some
parts of Germany. At Otbergen,a villageof
Hildesheim, on Dec. 27 every year a chalice of wine is hallowed by
As

the
as

the North

made

and
priest,
Johannis

the

handed

segen

the

congregationin
is not

(blessing)
; it

places. In
dricka

to

Sweden

and

eldhorgsskcd,drinkinga

done

Norway

toast

in

the church
any

find at

we

to drink

of the

bouring
neigh-

Candlemas

Swed.
(seeSuperst.Z:;,

122).

S. Johannis
vulgo Johannistrunk, Lips. 1675.
Schmeller
minn
und trunk.
Scheffers HaUans
p. 165. Oberlin s. vb. Johannis
Gertrude
On
archiv
189.
Ledeburs
2,
1830, 171-6.
2,593. Hannov.
mag.
Hoffni.
horae
bidr. 392-411.
belg.
Clignett's
espec, Huyd. op St. 2, 343-5.
Hanka's
Bohem.
glosses79'' 132*
Antiqvariske annaler 1, 313.
2, 41-8.
ment,
render Johannis
amor
(holym.). And in that Slovenic docuby suxitd mma
1

Thomasius

de

poculo

the
conf. xliii) is
Freysinger MS. (Kopitar'sGlagolitaxxxyii,
i
obieti
nashe
tchesti
ich
im
i
piyem,
: da klanyamse, i modlimse,
bibamus
et oblieis et honores eorum
et precemur
im nesem
(utgenutiecttmius
old
tchest
is honor, Ti^rj, cultus, our
era
; but
gationesnostras illis feramus);
and
in
Servian
in
of
used
the
a
sense
minne,
I also find slava (fame, glory)
In
slave bozhye to the glory of God.
wine
drunk
is
za
1
no.
94)
(Vuk,
song
of
Ukko
bowl
mentioned
Ukkon
an
the Finnish mythology is
malja,
; malja
vel sanitatem.
in memoriam
Swed. skal,strictly
scutella,
potatio
the
combination

'

'

63

MINNE-DRINKING.

Now

Suevic

that

cnpa

filledwith

cauldron, like that which the

sacrificial
Augustus.^ Of the Scythian cauldron

beer

(p.75)

Cimbri

sent

hallowed

was

to the emperor

have

alreadyspoken,
know
what
part the cauldron plays in the Hymisp. 75 ; and we
qviSa and at the god'sjudgment on the seizure of the cauldron (by
from
Thor
giant Hymir). Nor ought we to overlook the ON.
names
Ashctill,Thorhctill (abbrev.Thorkel) AS. Oscytcl
proper
(Kemble 2, 302) ; they point

to

we

kettles consecrated

to

the

as

and

to Tlior.

Our

will gain both by the

knowledge of heathen antiquities
study of these drinkingusages which have lasted into later times,
and also of the shapesgiven to laked meeds, which
either retained
the actual forms of ancient idols,
or were
accompaniedby sacrificial
observances.
A
cakes and bread-rolls might
historyof German
contain some
unexpected disclosures. Thus the Indicul. superstit.
26

simidacra

names

de consparsa

farina.

of
figures

Baked

animals

reverenced,or the
representedanimals that were
attributes of a god.^ From
a striking
passage in the Fridthiofssaga
(fornald.
sog. 2, 86) it appears that the heathen at a disa blot halced
imagesofgods and smeared them with oil : satu konur viS eldinn
ok bokuSu
meS dukum,' women
smurSu
ok J?erSu
goSin,en sumar
anointed them with
sat by the fire and baked the gods,while
some
the fat
fault a baked Baldr falls into the fire,
cloths. By Fri(5]?iof's
down.
blazes up, and the house is burnt
According to Voetius de
the day of Paul's conversion
they placeda
3, 122 on
superstit.
baking,and
figureof straw before the hearth on which they were
to

seem

have

'

if it

broughta fine brightday,they anointed it

they kicked it from the hearth,smeared

threw

with

wise
butter ; other-

it with

dirt,and

it in the water.

explain in popularofferings
and rites,
of animals
as the colour
(p.54),leadingthe boar round
the shape
(p. 51), flowers (p. 58), minne-drinking(p. 59), even
of cakes, is a reminiscence
of the sacrifices of heathenism
(see
Much

therefore that is not

easy

to

Suppl.).

sacred cauldron
-

than

2f/3n(TTa)8S)povrov
tney had, Strabo VII.

ra
eneii-^av

Baking
in the

in the

North

cochelins lor New

shape of
alone,

Year's

see

most

2.

have been much

boar must
in
below, Fn'j's boar ; even

day, Mem.

Xe^rjra,tlie

Upmrarov Trap'avroi^

de I'ac.celt. 4,

429.

more

France

widely spread

they baked

WORSHIP.

64
Beside
heatlien

of

about
one

remains

to

divine

images.

The

at

brought
was
divinity

be

cultus

spot,but

essential

sacrifices,one

and

prayers

times

various

to bestow

out

not

the

its presence

on

the

carryinfj

solemn
remain

to

of

feature

rooted to
the entire

(seech. XIV). So Nerthus rode in state (invehebatur

Berecynthia(ch.XIII), so Fro travelled out
populis),and
carried round
the sacred
in spring,
plough was
so the sacred ship,
Gothic god rode in its
(ch.XIII Isis).The figureof the unknown
the Summer
or
May, carrying-out
(ch.VI). Fetcliing-in
waggon
of the

compass

and

Death,

and

Winter

land

founded

are

on

Holda, Berhta

similai"view.

beingsall make their circuit at stated seasons, to the

march
of
the
joy and the christian's terror ; even
Frau
be
host may
so
interpreted(conf.ch. XXXI.

the like

heathen's
Wuotan's

Gaudeu).

When

Fro

had

ceased

to

with

appear, Dietrich

(boar)and Dietrich Bern still showed

the sonargoltr
or
(atonement-boar)was

themselves

conveyed

the ber

(ch.X. XXXI),
to

the

heroes'

banquet (ch. X), and the boar led round the benches (p.51),
Among public legal observances,the progress of a newly elected
king along the highways,the solemn lustration of roads,the beating
in olden
times gods'images and
can
of bounds, at which
priests
kind of thing. After
hardlyhave been wanting,are all the same
the church permanentlysanctioned such processions,
the conversion,
and saints' images were
carried,particularly
except that the Madonna
when

had set in, so as to

war
or
drought,bad crops, pestilence
rain (ch.XX), fertility
of soil,healingand victory; sacred
carried to help in puttingout a fire. The Indicul.
even

bringback
images were
paganiar.XXVIII
which
Vita

feria
amUtu

tells

'

de simulacra

quod per

camjyos

portant'on

importantpassage from the manuscript

secunda
Marcsvidis
(not Maresvidis): statuimus ut annuatim
pentecostes patronum ecclesiae in parochiisvestris lo7i(/o
et domos
lustrantes,et pro gcntilitio
vestras
circumfcrentes
Eccard

1, 437 givesan

lacrymiset varia devotione vos ipsosmactetis et ad

curti
et in hac
refectionem
eleemosynam comportetis,
pauperum
solennisetis,ut
cantibus
et
pernoctantes super reliquiasvigiliis
determinatum
a vobis amhitum
pialustratione commane
praedicto
amlarvali

in

Confido
honore
debito reportetis.
cum
plentes ad monasterium
de patronihujus misericordia,quod sic ah ea gyrade terrae
autem
The
ccssent.
et variae aeris inclementiae
semina liberius proveniant,
Koman

ambarvalia

were

and
of fields,
purifications

sacrifices were

65

PROCESSIONS.

offered

of

at

hounds

have

terminus

and

roads

been
the

budding

the

very

as

with

the

during

similar

Wends

corn

publicus

loud

to

late

period

them.

On

the

as

cries

the

15th

Giesebrecht

May
of
the

lirocession
German

1, 87

the

heathenism

Gabel-heath

century

and

in

walked

riding
must

burg
Mecklenround

the

CHAPTER

IV.

TEMPLES.

In

inquiries on

our

the

sacred

dwelling-places of

will be safest to

begin,as before, with expressionswhich

christian

temple

terms

Gothic

The

alhs

16)

iep6v(Mk. 11,

and

John

18, 10. 19, 45.

it

would

be

several

such

alhai.

Once

hus

the

thing, when

43

fratres tamen,
or

ut

alhs.

without

any

statues,

in

ascribed

to

Unless

it

holec, which
naked
and

seems
name

with

has

the

been

Goth

of

of

the

alhais,

simple
Why

razn.

the

templum

and

va6"i

earlier ;

deos

sed

christian
found

were

in

namely

Tacitus,

ostenditur

numini,

Aids

nomen

pi.

heroic

sacred

grove

abode

of alcus
is not

alcis is either

falx),which

of

wood,

adduced,

This

"

of
or

Ut

name

the

point, for it

hardly

can

notable

[or alca akKr)].

to

itself the

worshipped,

was

divinity that
some

even

perfectlycorresponds

brothers
; the

the

interpretationeromana

vis

Ea

of

pair

sacred

dat.

were

is rendered
name

even

venerantur.

them^ it is the

is here

Numen

the

peregrinae superstitionisvestigium.

Gothic

to

lepov;

antiquae religionislucus

(as falcis

6,

anomaly

heathen

memorant.

juvenes

of alx

gen.

for

Cor.

use

ornatu,

nullum

simulacra,

the

to

the

appears

muliebri

Pollucemque

Castorem

the

word

Naharvalos

praesidetsacerdos

nom.,

heathen

same

apud

equally

for christian

Possibly the
Germ.

apply

To

alhs, dat. alh, instead

domus, which

to

of

2, 27. 46. 4, 9.

10, 23).

word, for it shares

of

disdain

quite inoffensive

8, 20. 59.

its gen.

them.

notions

9. 21.

Lu.

49.

18, 20, gudhiisstands

sense

the

14,

1,

it

the

preceded

Christian

Lu.

29.

27. 12, 35.

IG.

7, 14. 28.

only, John

Ulphilas

should

11.

forming

nouns,

Jewish-

14, 58. 15,

time-hallowed

has

never

nulla

Mk.

gods,

supplanted by

were

the

translates

fem.

5. 51.

(Matt. 27,

mo?

church, and

and

the

is called
tree

be

alx.

in it.^

Wendicliolz, Boliem.
strictlya bald

means

golec, Russ. gholiak. Besides, the Naharvali

the other
can
scarcely have been Slavs.
^
refer to the place. The
convinced
that numen
I am
not
plain sense
can
have), and the
the divinity has that virtue
to be :
(which the Gemini
Alcis,'or 'of Alx,' or if dat. pi.,'the Alcae, Alci '. May not Alcis be conn,
aX| ; uXkw
oKkt] strength,safeguard,and the dat. ciKkI pointing to a nom.
wretch,

I defend

beggar boy,
Lygian nations
a

Pol.

'

or

even

Caesar's

alces and

Pausanias's

aXfcai

elks %
"

Trans.

67

TEMPLES.

Four

five centuries

or

the

to
Ulphilas,

after

tribes of

Upper

ish
Germany their word alah must have had an old-fashioned heathensound, but we know it was stillthere,preservedin composition
of placesand persons
with proper
names
(seeSuppl.): Alaholf,

Alahtac, Alahhilt,Alahgund,Alahtrut

; Alahstat

in pago

Hassorum

(a.d.834), Schannat trad. fuld. no. 404. Alahdorp in Mulahgowe

Alahstat,Alahdorf may have
(a.d.856),ibid. no. 476. The names
been borne by many
placeswhere a heathen temple,a hallowed place
of the king stood. For, not only the fanum, but
of justice,
or a house
the folk-mote,and the royalresidence were
regardedas consecrated,
Ages, as frono (setapart to the
or, in the language of the Mid.
fro,lord), Alstidi, a king'spfalz(palatium)in Thuringia often
in OHG.
in Dietmar
mentioned
of Merseburg,was
nom.
alahsteti,
alahstat.

the Saxons, who

Among

were

converted

the word
later,

kept itself alive longer. The poet of the Heliaud uses alah masc.
exactlyas Ulphilasdoes alhs (3,20. 22. 6,2. 14,9. 32,14. 115,9.
htis loo, 8. 130,
15.
129, 22.
130, 19. 157, 16),seldomer goclcs
ulh hCiligne
Caxlm. 202, 22 alhn (1.
18, or, that helaga M%s 3, 19.
=holy temple); 258, 11 calhstcde (palatium,aedes regia). In
for eolhstedas',
Andr. 1042 I would read ealde ealhstcdas
(delubra)
'

'

conf. the proper

in Kemble

1, 288. 296 and

Ealh-

quasistone-hard,rock-hard,which possiblyleads us to
primary meaning of the word.^ The word is wanting in OiST.

hcard

the

Ealhstdn

names

'

1, 292

documents.,else it must
Of

another

example,the

had

primitiveword
OHG.

ivih

(templum),Hel. 3,
129, 23.

have

130, 17.

the form

the

air,gen. als.

Gothic

fragments furnish

(nemus),Diut. 1, 492*

15. 17. 19.

154, 22.

14,8.115,4.
169,

wih

; 0. Sax. vAh

119,17.

no

masc.

127,10.

1 ;

friduwih,Hel. 15, 19 ; AS.

Csedm. 228, 12.
: wiges (idoli),
Caedm.
colere),
228, 24. conf.

wiges,or weoh weos, also masc.

Jjisnewig wurSigean (hoc idolum
wigweorSing (cultusidolorum),Beow. 350.
weohweorSing Cod.
Csedm. 227,5. weobedd
exon.
253, 14. wihgild(cultus
idol.),
(ara),
for weolibedd,wihbedd, Ccedm.
for weohas.
127, 8. weos
(idola),
Cod.
a

sliortvowel

462, the
1

south

same

There
of

The

341, 28."

exon.

; and

in

England,as

spiteof

the

to be true

seems

is however

alternation of i and

noun

Cracknor

reasons

eo

Hard, the
"c."

name

urged in Gramm. 1,
which in the sing.,
as

I have

of the ON", vc,

Hard,

in the AS. indicates

of many

Tkans.

in
landing-places

the

68

TEMPLES.

Ve,denotes

but has

particular
god ;

double

namely,a masc.
pi.,
vear
dii,idola,and a neut. ve loca sacra.
Gutalag 6, 108. Ill :
haita a liult ej^a
lucos aut tumulos,,
hauga,a vi ejjastafgar]?a
(invocare
idola aut loca paliscircumsepta)
a
a
liult,
hauga,vi oc staf; trua
in loco sacro). In that case
i vi (stat
have
gar];a
we
; han standr
between nemus,
here,as in alah,a term alternating
templum, fanum,
its root beingdoubtless the Gothic veiha (Ihallow),
idolum, numen,
one

vaili,vaihum, OHG.

wihu, weih, wihum,

adj.veihs sacer, OHG.

appliedto sacrifices

the
was

wih
and

; and

we

from
saw

which
on

also

p. 41 that

In Lappish,vi
M^orsliip.

comes

wihan

is said

to

silva.

mean

Still

is

decisive

more

for
Diut.

thus

full,runs

wih.'

Jiaruc,edo

for

and

1, 495^

So

of

liand the notion

'

heathen

word,

which

becomes

of

inquiry. The OHG.

glossesboth for fanum, Hrab.

course

the

for

959^

Hrab.

delubrum,

third

specially
important to our
pi.haruga,stands in
masc,

in

nemus,

lucus,
Dint.

1,

Hrab.

969%

Jun.

492^

The

last

flanzota, edo
plantavit=:/t"?^si;

nemus

that

haruc, like will,includes

and

templum, fanum,

It is remarkable

on

the

on

Jiaruc
96 o^.

212.

gloss,
(or)

the

one

other that of wood,

the Lex

Eipuar.has preserved,
to designatea place of
evidently from heathen times, harahus
a wood
(RA. 794. 903), AS. Jicarg
judgment, wliich was originally
pL heargas(fanum),Beda 2, 13. 3, 30. Orosius 3, 9, p. 109.
masc,
heargtviBf(fanitabulatum),Beow. 349. set hcarge,Kemble, 1, 282.
ON. horgr masc,
pi.horgar(delubrum,at times idolum,simulacrum)
Sffim. 36^ 42^ 91^ 114^ 141^ ; especially
worth notice is Siem. 114*^ :
bloSi
steinom, griotat gleriorSit,roSit i nyio nauta
hoj^grhlaSinn
with neat's
(h.pavenwith stones, gritmade smooth, reddened anew
is coupledwith hof (fanum,tectum),36=^
Iidrg/^
blood). Sometimes
and
141% in which case the former is the holy placeamidst woods
Fornm.
rocks, the built temple,aula ; conf. liamarr ok liorgrl
sog.
To both expressions
5, 239.
belongsthe notion of the placeas well
lucus.^

grove,

that

'

"^

Gk

And

in

was
/3a)/x6y,

likewise
ara,

place liaraga

one

Goth,

Goth,

the

nium.

with
'Ad

the

heathen

term

for altar,

table

a
(p. 38) ;
fiot,AS. heoA, strictly
fdti, AS. hed,hedd (lectus,p. 30) gets to mean
distorted
into
AS. wihbed,weohbed, weobed,afterwards
Graff
pulvinar templi),
kotapetti
(gods'-bed,
lectus,

hiuds, OHG.

areola,fanum, conf.
;

Elsewhere

hadi, OHG.

OHG.
loeofed(ara, altare),

3, 51

arae.

Brunhild's bed and the like,also the Lat. lectistercompare

altare S. Kiliani,quod vulgo lectus dicitur,'Lang reg. 1, 239. 255

which

(A.D. 1160-5)

(seeSuppl.).

69

GPtOVES.

that of tlicnunien

as

unconnected

with

and

The

Gk

23, 148.

Lastly,synonymous
AS.

image itself(seeSupj)!.).
Hariic

the 0. Lat.

hanispex,anispex.
grove, II. 8, 48.

the

haruga,
amga,

with

haruc

is the OHG.

betoken

or

Ssem.

109=^;harri (nemus) 86'^ 87^

the

j^rtrawc

themo

pi.arae, here stands

Temple then

[^"
a

(al.
za

built and

walled

and

1, 255.

arbor,a sacred

OX.

harr

What

figureto

we

ourselves

house, resolves itself,

the farther back

as

we

"o

holy place untouched

and
hand, embowered
by human
in by self-growntrees.
There dwells the deity,
his
veiling
in rustling
foliageof the boughs ; there is the spot where

into

shut
form

the hunter
herdsmen

has to

present

his horses and

What

oxen

good

the game

and

writer of the second

Celts,will hold
KeXroi

to him

he

has

and
killed,

the

rams.

century

of the Teutonic

says

and

on

the cultus of the

all the kindred

cre^ovat fxev Ala, a"ya\ixa Se ALo"i

nations

Spy?,
vy^rfkrj
Lasicz.
46 :
1, 142). Compare
deos nemora
incolere persuasum
liabent (Samogitae).Habitarunt
di quoque sylvas(Haupts zeitschr. 1, 138).
I am
not maintainingthat this forest-worship
exhausts
all the
of deity and
its dwellinghad formed
conceptionsour ancestors
Here and there a god may
place; it was
only the principalone.
haunt
a
mountain-top,a cave of the rock, a river ; but the grand
where
generalworship of the peoplehas its seat in the grovc^ And nocould it have found a worthier (seeSuppl.).
of the
all that there was
At a time when
rude beginningswere
must
mind
have been roused to a higher
builder's art, the human
Maximus

by

the

sightof loftytrees

feel inside the stunted

long afterwards

To

KekrcKov

8, ed. Eeiske
Tyrius(diss.

devotion

structures

the architecture

the Lat. lucus would

under

reared

an

sky,than

by unskilful

peculiarto

corresponda

open

Goth,

the

liands.

Teutons

liuhs, and

it could ^
When

reached

its

this is confirmed

Icdh. The
En",d. lea, ley has acquired the meaning
by
of meadow, fiehl ; also the Slav, lug,Boh. lutz,is at once
glade,and
grove,
sacred to gods (see
meadows
Not only the wood, but wooded
meadow.
were
the

OHG.

Suppl.).

Wi,

AS.

u,

(arbor),

ad

aras
sacrificati^de za
qui
Dint.
we) ploazit,
1, 150; ara, or rather
for templum (seeSuppL).

also ivood.

means

the sacred

means

j^aro, gen. parawes,

lucus^

bearwe, Kemble.

tree ; tet

also

whence
sacrifice,

II. 20, 184.

re'/xei'o?
rdf^ov,

grove

demo

however

re/iew?

hcaro,gen. bearwes, which

a

bull of

seems

70

TEMPLES.

did
perfection,

it not

in itsboldest creations stillaim

reproducing

at

Would
not
the abortion
of
soaring trees of the forest ?
miserablycarved or chiselled images lag far behind the form of the
god which the youthfulimaginationof antiquitypicturedto itself,
the

throned
under

and

bowery summit

the

on

the

itself filled with

that

influence
of

of

nearness

forest life had

word

afterwards

furnished

tudine

Germ.

the

first on

Semnones

found

man

The

the

denoted

ceterum

mighty
being

whole

first

cohibere

nee

ac

illud
Stato

and
forest,

the Germans

speciem adsimulare

Litcos

secretum
adpellant

of

39,

deities.

sweep

'

name,

of

the

march-fellowships
; marJca, the

oris

arbitrantur.

coelestium

nominibus

humani

in uUam

deos, neque

Germ.

Tacitus.

by

soul

to the forest-cultus of

earliest testimonies

The

'

the

In

tree ?

sovran

from

their

they took
boundary.

which

from

sacred

the
primeval forests,

nation, is attested by the

our

que

of

shade^

the

of

are

parietibus
ex
magni-

consccrant,deorum-

nemora

sola reverentia

quod

in

vident.^

silvcim

auguriis
ejusdem sanguinis

tempore

omnes
priscafonnidinc sacram^
nisi
coiiunt.
est et alia luco reverentia.
nemo
populilegationibus
vinculo ligatusingreditur,
ut minor
et potestatem numinis
prae se
ferens.
licitum :
si forte prolapsusest, attolli et insurgerebaud

et

patrum

humum

per

evolvuntur.*

cap. 40

insula

in

est

oceani

castum

Waldes

hleo,hlea (umbra, iimbracuUim) Hel. 33, 22. 73, 23. AS. hleo,
liwa, Graff 2, 296, MHG.
lie,liewe.
2
Euodolf
of Fuld (f 863; has incorporatedthe whole passage, with a few
in his treatise De
translatione Alexandri
alterations,
(Pertz 2, 675), perhaps
^

ON.

OHG.
hlie,

from

intermediate

some

In his

day Germany

Tacitus's

source.

possessed

no

masters

words

must

who

could

be taken as they stand.

build temples or chisel

the

the dwelling of the gods, and a sacred symbol did

grove was
instead of a statue.
that the divinity
Moser " 30 takes the passage to mean,
to the whole
nation was
not
to give one
trict
discommon
so
as
worshippedunseen,
the advantage of possessing
the temple ; but that sejsarategods did have
statues

so

their

This view is too political,

and also ill-suited to the isolation
images made.
of tribes in those times.
No doubt, a regionwhich included a god'shill would
and sacredness,as spots like Ehetra
and Loreto did
renowoi
acquirethe more
from containingthe Slavic sanctuary or a Madonna
that
did
not
:
prevent the
same

worship

compare
ita vocant

what

from
he says

montem

obtainingseats

elsewhere.

With

in Hist. 2, 78 : est Judaeam

deo
deumque, nee simulacrum

the

words

Tacitus

of

inter
aut

Syriamque Carmelus,
templum, sic tradidere

majores,ara

tantuni
et reverentia ; and in Dial, de Orat. 12 : nemora
luci et secretum
not
ipsum. In Tacitus secretum
secessus, seclusion,
^
This hexameter
it is the author's own.
is not a quotation,
*
Whoever
is engaged in a holy office,
and
stands in the presence
;=

of the
his

god, must

privilege.So

he

not

who

stumble, and if he falls

in

holy

combat

sinks

to

to

the
the

vero

and

ground, he
earth,may

et

arcanum.

cincts
preforfeits

not

set

GROVES.

dicatumque

nemus,

Naharvalos

apud
numini

in

veliiculum

eo

connect

12

detractae lucis in

nationes

conpertum
fectos ;

in

ostenditur
.

et
effigies

vocant,

Ann.

1,

not

61

signa(i.e.

inde

that

this

apud
was

grove

et.
mox

hccum,

extracta

posterum

cona

secrated
con-

propinquisharharac arae, apud

2, 25 : propinquo hico defossam
praesidioservari. Hist. 4, 14 :

legionisaquilam modico
Civilis primoresgentis
in
sacrum
be
matched
by others
expressionscan
.

4, 73

Eomanorum

appear
Incis

convenisse

Ann.

sacram.

pugna

; conf.

mactaverant

pugnae,

in

A^'arianae

later,Cons. Stilich. 1, 288

centuries

43

proelium ferunt ; with

locum

silvaiii Herculi

it does

though

tribunos

Arminio

transfugis,nongentos

one.^
quas

ab

Baduhennae

quern

cap.

depromptae silvis
imagines,ut cuique genti inire proeliummos est,
Caesar
transgressus Visurgim indicio perfugae

cognoscit delectum
alias

cap 7

j^assage in Hist. 4, 22

lucisqueferarum
2,

contectum.

lucus
antiquae religionis

effigiata
signa)quaedam

Ann.

veste

Aids, nulla simulacra,

nomen

which

71

These

vocatos.

nemus

from

Claudian

three

proculHercyniae per vasta silentia silvae

venari tuto liceat,
^ucosquevetusta
truces, et robora numinis instar
religione
harbarici nostrae feriant impune bipennes.
Ut

De

bello Get. 545

Hortantcs
nee

his adde

volucres,sed clara

'

pure

could have

had

natureno

worship that

eye

Non

palam

Alarice,moras

omnes,

rumpe
It is not

deos.

for the

we

'

mores

somnia
vox

!
are

nobis,

edita luco est

told of here ; but Tacitus

if their most

Germanorum,'

essential feature had

Gods dwell in these

escapedhim.
in human
images (simulacra,
form)are mentioned by name
set up, no temple walls are
But sacred vessels
reared.^
himself

liis legs,
but must

'

groves
as

and

no

being
altars

finish the

fighton his knees,Danske viser 1, 115 ;

if overturned, must
not be set upright
placesa stranger's
carriage,
What
is fabled of an
idol called Sompar at Gorlitz (neue
again, RA. 554.
lausitz. luonatsschr. 1805, p. 1-18)has evidentlybeen
spun out of this passage
in Tac. ; the Semnones
are
placed in the Lausitz country, as they had been
in
who only puts a king Schwab
previouslyby Aveutiu
(Fnuikf.1580, p. 27*^),
the placeof Sompar.
so

on

in certain

adds

Badulumna,

perhaps the

Badvinna, Patimna

name

of

place,like

Arduenna.

zeitschr. 9, 241).
2
Brissonius de regno Pcrs. 2, 28 ; ' Persae diis suis nulla
nulla simulacra ' ; after Herodot.
constituuntj
1, 131.

Miillenhoff

(Haupts

templa vel

altaria

72

TEMPLES.

stand in the
the

heads
forest,

boughs

of

trees.

of animals

There

(feramm imagines)hang on
worship is performed and

divine

sacrifice offered,
there is the folk-mote
sacred

and

reminiscence

and

the

assize,
everywhere a

of

not
here
antiquity. Have
we
alah, ivih,faro, liaruc faithfully
How
could
such
portrayed?
technical
terms, unless
they described an
organized national
have sprung up in the language,
worship presidedover by priests,

and

awe

lived ?

During
this custom

endured,

will

centuries,down

many

here

of

to the introduction

veneratingdeityin

insert the

detailed

of

Christianity,

sacred woods

narrative

and

given by

trees.

Wilibald

(t 786) in the Vita Bonifacii (CanisiusII. 1, 242. Pertz 2, 348) of

the holy oak of Geismar
Fritzlar in Hesse).^
(on the Edder, near
The

falls between

event

facius)

ad obsessas

ante

...

Carli ducis

725 and

the years
ea

731.

Hessorum

Is

metas

(Boni-

autem
cum

consensu

Charles

Martel)rediit. tum vero Hessorum

jam
multi catholica fide subditi ac
septiformis
spiritus
gratiaconfirmati
animo
manus
impositionem acceperunt, et alii quidem, nondum
intemeratae fidei documenta
confortati,
integrepercipererenuerunt,
alii vero
alii etiam Unguis et faucibus clanculo,
aperte sacrificabant,
alii vero
praestigia
auspiciaet divinationes,
atque incantationes
occulte,alii quidem manifeste exercebant, alii quippe auspicia et
ritus incoluerunt,
alii
auguriaintendebant, diversosquesacrificandi
sanior inerat, omni
etiam, quibus mens
abjectagentilitatis
proof
{i.e.

phanation-enihil
consilio arhorcm
orum

servis

vocabtdo
Dei

constantia

secum

horum

commiserunt.

quorum

consultu

atque

quandam mirae magnitudinis,

qii"e priscoPaganrobur Jovis,in loco,qui dicitur Gaesmere,
appellatur
astantibus,succidere
arborem

cumque

succidisset,
magna

mentis

quippe aderat
deoriim
intra se diligensuoriim
copiaPaganorum, qui et inimicum
modicum
tissime
devotabant, sed ad
quidem arbore
praecisa
flatu
immcnsa
roboris
divino
confestim
moles,
desuper
exagitata,
palmitum confracto culmine, corruit,et quasi superinutus solatio
in quatuor etiam partes disruptaest, et quatuor ingentismagnitudinis
aequalilongitudinetrunci,absque fratrum labore astantium
vice
Pagani etiam versa
apparuerunt. quo viso prius devotantes
benedictionem
Domino, pristinaabjecta maledictione, credentes
1

confortatus

tentavit.

shorter account

of the

same

in the annalist Saxo, p. 133.

/6

GROVES.

Tunc

reddiclerunt.

autem

sauctitatis antistes consilio inito

summae

arboris materia ^)oratorium

constmxit,
supradictae
From
dedicavit.
that time
illudque in lionore S. Petri apostoli
the
had
in this place a seat in Hesse ; hard by was
Christianity
id genticaput,'
of the nation, 'Mattium
ancient capital
(Marburg),
Tac. Ann.
1, 06 ; which continued in the ]\Iid.Ages to be the chief

fratribus

cum

of

seat

According to Landau,

government.
of it stood

built out

unsimilar

Not

some

are

the church

the oak and

site of St. Peter's church

the

on

at Fritzlar.

(seeSuppl.).

regionis w^ell wooded

whole

The

ex

in

contained

passages

the

Vita

S.

w^orshipof the northern

audivit
Bened,
2. p. 714, 715, 718) : Amandus
Acta
Franks:
sec.
Gandavum, cujus loci habitatores iniesse, cui vocabulum
pagum
ut
irretivit,
quitas diaboli eo circumquaque laqueisvehementer
relicto deo, arhores et ligna pro deo colerent,
incolae terrae illius,
Amandi

monasteria

adorarent.

idola

atque fana vel

wood

the

(f 674),on

and

"

fana destruebantur, statim

Ubi

ecclesias construebat.

aut

tree

"

Amandus

belvacense

in pago

pervenitad quendam locum, cui

praedicaret,
fluvium
vocabulum
est Eossonto
respondit
juxtaAronnam
ei ipsacoecitas evenisset,nisi quod
ilia,
quod non ob aliani causam
auguria vel idola semper coluerat. insuper ostendit ei locum, in
adorare consueverat, scilicet arhorem, quae
quo praedictum idolum
'
dcdicata
erat daemoni
nunc
igituraccipesecurim et banc
nefandam arhorem quantociussuccidere festina'.
dum

domini

verbum

Amonsj

Saxons

the

and

Frisians the veneration

of groves

lasted

longer.At the beginningof the 11th century, bishopUnwan

all such woods cut down
Adam.
Brem. 2, 33) had
of Bremen
(conf.
inhabitants of his diocese : lucos in episcopatu
"among the remoter
much

in

suo,

sione

regionisillius
quibus paludicolae

falsa christianitatis

cap- 22.

Of the

veteri

immolahant, succidit; Vita

in the Old

holy tree

errore

Saxon

IrminsM

cum

profes-

IMeinwerci,
I will treat

Saxony and Westphalia

have
until quite recent times preservedvestigesof Iwhj oaks, to
which the peoplepaid a half heathen half christian homage. Tims,
Easter
of Minden, on
in the principality
Sunday, the young people
used with loud cries of joy to dance a reigen(rig,
of both sexes
in

ch. W.

to be
or

Otlier MS.

Several

have

of,
tliought

follows.

as

'

districts of Low^er

mole

such

'

'

or

metallo

thing would

'.
have

tlie oak is not

brazen image on
alluded to in what precedes

been

74

TEMPLES.

circular

dance)round

old oak}

an

Wormeln, Paderborn, stands

of Wormeln

and

In

thicket

which

Jiolyoak, to

Calenberg still make

solemn

of
village

the

near

the inhabitants

processionevery

year.2
I

inclined to trace

am

Hobj

Wood

likelythat

from

itselfwould
not

to be

forests themselves
the

and

which

EA.

the

can

Mid.

Ages;

appear

to

have

sprung

out

taken

the

the

have

holy wood

forests too

there

from

on

the

rule,there is

be

name

It is not

wood, the wood

forests,as

the

to

of

name

explained
by

contrary, these

the

heathen

of

the cultus

place of
common

groves,

of the

use

used to be sanctuaries

for criminals,

886-9.

old

An

in

of

first withdrew

In such

in such

Still less

found.

king'srightseems

people.

and

holy ;

royal ban-forests

the

the proper

situated

christian church

be named

church

heathenism

to

nearlyall parts of Germany.

in

common

so

back

account

Notteln

in the

wounded

Saxon

name

given to

year
had

of

battle between

779

Franks

(Pertz 2, 377) informs

Saxons

and

us, that

at

badly

himself

secretly
conveyed from his castle into a
cum
merore
se in castrum
holywood : Hie vero (Luibertus)
magno
recepit.Ex quo post aliquotdies mulier egrotum humeris clam in
portavit.Vulnera
sylvam Sytheri,
sacra, nocte
quae fuit tlicgatlwn
lamentatione
ibidem lavans, exterrita clamore effugit.Ubi multa
animam
expiravit.The strange expressionthegathonis explained
for the highestdivinity
(summus
by t' a'yaOov(thegood),a name
et princepsomnium
deorum),which the chronicler borrowed from
Macrobius's
somn.
Scip. 1, 2, and may have chosen purposely,to
heathen
avoid naming a well-known
god (see Suppl). Sytheri,
Sunderi (southern),
of the wood, seems
to be the same
as
the name
a

in Franconia
on

The

forests in

(Hofersurk.

the sacred soil ?

forest

or

called Dat

more

p.

than

308).

one

Did

did he wish

hilligeholt

district,
e.g. a Sundernhart
this heathen

hope for

ing
heal-

to die there ?

is mentioned

by

document

In the county of Hoya there

Mtinst. beitr. 3, 638.
Kindlinger's
stood a Heiligcn-loh
(Pertz 2, 362). A long list of Alsatian
allude to the holy forest near
in Schopflin
documsnts
Hagenau; no.
in comitatu
nominate
foresto heiligenforst
218 (a.d.1065) : cum
238
no.
Gerhardi comitis in pago Nortcowe.
(1106):in sylva

in

Weddigen'swestphal.mag. 3, 712.
beitrage2, 121.
Spilckers

75

GEOVES.

273

(1143): praedium Loubacli in sacro

nemore
situm.
utantur
297 (1158):
silva.
no.
317
pascuis in sacra
no.
402 (1215): in sacra
silva. no. 800 (1292)
no.
(1175): in silva sacra,
in hcilirjeyiforst.
in konigesbriicken
conventum
829
no.
(1304)
nostrum
et imperii dictum
851
nemus
no.
heiligvorst.
(1310)
in foresta nostra^ quae
dicitur der hcilige
forst,pascere et
pccora
1076 (1356): porcos tempore glaudium nutriendos in
tcnere.
no.
silva sacra.
The alternating
words
forst,silva,
nemus/ are enough
of the well-known
of the term.
the significance
The name
to show
Drcieich (Drieichahi)
is probablyto be explainedby the heathen
worship of three oaks ; a royal ban-forest existed there a long time,
and its charter (I,498) is one of the most
primitive.
The express allusion to Thuringiaand Saxony is remarkable
in
that seems
to have
the followinglines of a poem
been composed
no.
JipAligeforst.

'

1200, Eeinh. F. 302

after the year

soon

tree, and exclaims

hangen^

har ode borst ;

habe

see

fruit

vm^stc
hciligcn
noch ze Sachscn
ze Diiringen
niht gewahsen
enkunde

In

bezzer obez uf rise.

Better fruit

allusion is

chase,hung

up

based

more

on

the trees

on

read

'

Thus,
Altd.

in Ls.

da sint

bough.

on

firstfruits of the

animals, or
?

after-influence.

an

frone

'

; and

it is said of

storyis

Either the

In

Alex.

5193

we

From
to

the notion

of

sinL'le tree.

forest
Festus

demon,

There

heiligeninne.

have

we

sat

on

tree ;

and

in

hollow tree:

are

saints in there,

That

people'sprayers
(seeSuppl.).

temple the

divine
transition is easy to payinj^
liistisdelibratiLs (staffwith

die hoerent aller liute bet.^

honours

could not grow

sacred wood

2, 575, misfortune, like

3, 161

w.

holy forest
Thuringianor of Saxony

There

bristles ;

and again,
inklingsnow
tible
sacrifices offered to sacred trees,yet of a lastingindestructrees.
and the fancy that ghostlybeings haunt particular

der edelc wait

awe,

of

or

heard
not the poet have
or
original,
may
of heathenish
doingsgoing on in his own day
? (seeSuppl.).
Tliuringians
of the Mid. Ages the sacredness of the
poems

forests still exerts

if not of

ancient

Saxons and
among
in other
And
ancient

goat on

any

Of

sacrificed

surely to

somewhere

tell from

hanging,

it has hair

That

in einem

The

sees

ich sihe ein obez

ez

; the wolf

has

hear

delubrum

all

76

TEMPLES.

forest cultus

immistakably does this

North, protectedby the longer duration
described by Dietmar
sacrifice at Ledera
Still

its

island which, from

in the

the

bore

more

of

name

Scclundr,sea-grove,

The

Scandinavia.

in like

Swedes

The

of heathenism.

great

(seep. 48) was

performed
magnificentbeech- woods,

now

even

the

prevailin

and

was

the finest grove

their festival

solemnized

manner

in all

of Bremen
Upsala ; Adam
says of the
sacrificed: Corpora suspenduntur in lucum
animals
qui proximus
lucus
est gentibus,ut
tam
sacer
singulae
est templo ; is enim
of sacrifice in

near

grove

arlores

ejus ex

HloSr

HeiSreksson

morte

vel tabo immolatorum

we

are

told

the

in

divinae

Of

credantur.

Hervararsaga cap.

16

born with
and horse in the
arms
(fornald.
sog. 1, 491), that he was
wood
(a mork hinni helgu). In the grove Glasislundr a bird
Jiolij
sits on the boughs and demands
a temple and
gold-horned
sacrifices,
The sacred trees of the Edda, Yggdrasiland
Ssem. 140-1.
cows,
M'Wiamei"r, Ssem. 109% hardlyneed reminding of.

Lastly,the agreement of the Slav, Prussian, Finnish and Celtic

and tends to confirm it.
paganisms throws lightujjon our own,
of Merseburg (Pertz5, 812) affirms of the heathen
Dietmar
temple
at Eiedegost
; quam
undique sylvaab incolis intacta et venerabilis
circumdat
(ibid.
816) he relates how his ancestor Wibert
magna;
about

the

bure

accolis td deum

nunquam

violatum,

in

Eomano

rooted up

ab

dictum,

antique

1008

year

eo

ecclesiam

grove
in

omnibus

radicitus

construxit.

of the

Slavs

litcum

lw7ioratum,et
eruens,

Zutibure

sancto

ab

Zutiaevo

martyri

is for Sveti bor

of
holy forest,from bor (fir),
pine-barren
; a Merseburg document
1012
ecclesia in Scutibure,' Zeitschr. f.
an
already mentions
a
An OIST. saga (Fornm. sog. 11, 382) names
archivkunde, 1, 162,
Helmold
hlotlundr (sacrificial
1, 1
grove) at Straela,called Boku,
cetera
hodie profectointer illos,cum
says of the Slavs ; usque
'

Names
trees
givento particular
pro deo.
Gna.
It
is
ON.
are
same
names
Hlin,
worthy of
goddesses,e.g.
christian
that
heathen
into
the
idea
of
divine
has
trees
notice,
figureson
crept
doubters
I
refer
rooted
the
tree
so
was
deeply
worship among
peo^^le.
legends,
forest
the
the
in
of
of
which
tree
a
to
Tyi-oleseimage
story
grew
grace,
up

bark

peeledoff)qiiem

at

the

time

venerabantur
of

(Deutschesageu, no. 348). In Carinthiayou find iladonna figuresfixed on the

to be the
trees in gloomy groves
(Sartorisreise 2, 165). Of like import seem
wonderful
of
maidens
inside hollow trees,or perchedon the
descriptions
sitting
de la infantina,
Eomance
ch.
3.
no.
see
boughs (Marienkind,hausmarchen
in the wood, ]\Iar.legend,177.
XVI.). Madonna
Many oaks with Madonnas
in Normandy, Bosquet 196-7.

77

GROVES.

omnia

sint

comraunia

ac

fontium,quos

in

the

Sloven,

gay,

kaheius, Lex
the

A song
polluichristiauorum accessu.
{hain,Boh. hai,
p. 72 speaks of the grove
gaj; conf. gains,gahajus.Lex Eoth. 324,

autumaut

Koniginhof MS.

liag,Pol.

hicorum

accessus
nostris,solus proliibetur

cum

Bajuv.21, G)

holy sparrow.^

a meadow
especially

the

thick nnderwood

with

scared

christians

sallo,Finn, snlo

Esth.

The

which

from

means

; the national

away

holy wood,
god Thara-

(ad.ann. 1219): in confinio

in quo
et silva 2y^dchcrrima,
Wironiae
dicebant indigenae
erat mons
deum
Osiliensium
natum
qui Tharapila-vocatur, et de
magnum
of a bird ? (seeSuppl.).
loco illo in Osiliam volasse, in the form
described

is
])ila

the

by Henry

Letton

"

To

Prussians,Romove^N^'s, the

the Old

and

of the

seat

No

witli cloths.

beast

be

to

The

by

unconsecrated
to be

slain.

There

were

Constantius

which
IKcirtrec

as

in the
the

As
5th

contains

middle

to

to

be

sacred

set foot in

not
injured,

in

groves

other

Burgundians
But

(b.378, d. 448) written

narrative of a
a striking

of Auxerre

century, there is

tradition.

it of German

such

many

473

early as

stood

by the heathen.*
beginningof the

bough

Autisiodorensis

S. Germani

Vita

oak hung
liohj

allowed

was

person

felled,not

images on

Lithuania.^

and

Prussia

parts of

there stood their

tree

forest,no

the

gods ;

spot in the land,

sacred

most

did

not

if the

even

not

and
enter

likelyto

be

was

honoured

Gaul
a

tillthe

mixture

in

it
story is purely Celtic,

place here, because it shows how widely the custom

prevailedof hanging the heads of sacrificial beasts on trees.^ Eo
400) territorium Autisiodorensis urbis visitatione
tempore (before
Cui mos
erat tirunculorum
potius
propriagubernabat Germanus.
is
dare,
christianae religioni
industriis indulgere,
operam
quam
ferarum
copiam insidiis atque artis
ergo assidue venatui invigilans
arhor pirus in
streuuitate frequentissime
capiebat. Erat autem

deserves

in
groves and trees of the Bohemians
roZ;
conf.
and
sacred
a
nroczysJco,
109.3, Pelzel 1, 76. The
grove
fatum ; roshtcha is from rosli,rasti
Russ. roshtclia,grove [rootrek role
fari,
glow]. On threat of hostile invasion,they cut rods (wicie)from the grove,
'

Brzetislav burnt

the heathen

down

Poles

called
=

and

sent
'-

ner

on
^

them

round

to

summon

their

neighbours.

'furupidin Formn. sog. 11, 385; but on

Castren 329.
597.
Joh. Voigts gesch.Preussens
1, 595
BoUand.
Acta sanctor.
July 31, p. 202 ; conf.

Conf.

Mickiewicz
1, oG.
Slav nations conf. Schief-

"

*
^

Huic

Legenda aurea, cap. 102.

(Marti) praedacprimordiavovebantur,huic truncis suspendebantur

Jurnandes
exuviae,

cap. 5.

78

TEMPLES.

itrhe media, amcenitate

: ad
gratissima
cujusramusculos ferarum ab
eo
deprehensarum capitapro admiratione venationis niniiae dependchant.
Quern Celebris ejusdem civitatis Amator
episcopushis
desine, quaeso, vir honoratorum
:
frequens compellebateloquiis
haec jocularia,
spleiididissime,
Paganisvero
quae Christianis ofFensa,
'

imitanda

hoc opus

sunt, exercere.

idololatriae cultura est,non

chris-

tianse

Et licet hoc indesinenter vir deo

elegantissimae
disciplinae.'
nullo modo
admonenti
dignusperageret,iile tamen
se
adquiescere

voluit aut obedire. vir autem

batur, nt

solum

non

etiam

et

aures

Gennani

domini

consuetudine

atque iterum eum hortamale arrepta discederet,

verum

iterum

ipsam arhorem, ne Christianis offendiculum

esset,radicitus exstirparet
sed ille nullatenus aurem
voluit
placidamapplicare
In hujus ergo persuasionis
admonenti.
tempore quodam die Gerurbe in praediasui jurisdiscessit. tunc
beatus Amator
manus
ex
arhorem
caudicibus abopportunitatemopperienssacrilcffam
cum
scidit,et ne aliquaejus incredulis esset memoria
igni concremandam
illico deputavit.
oscilla^)
vero,
tanquam trophaeacujusquae
dam certaminis umbram
ostentabant,longiusa civitatis
dependentia
terminis projicipraecipit. Protinus
fama gressus suos
ad
vero
suasionibus

retorquens,dictis

beatissimo
A

poem

ferocem

exaggerans

religionis,
cujusjam

animuni

fuerat ritu

incendit,atque iram suis

effecit,ita

atque

oblitus

ut

sanctae

mortem
insignitus,

munere

viro minitaret.
of Herricus

composed

about

876

givesa

fuller

tion
descrip-

of the idolatrous j)eartree

:

altoqueet lato stabat gratissima

quondam
urbe jpirus
omni ;
media, populo spectabilis
non
quia pendentum flavebat honore pirorum,
frondis :
nee
quia perpetuae vernabat munere
^

Virg.Georg.

2, 388

(Bacche) oscilla
tibiqiie

ex

alta

suspenduutmollia

that are hung up, but real heads

In the story,however, it is not masks
of beasts; are
the ferarum
images ?
imagines in Tac, Hist. 4, 22 necessarily
Does osciUa mean
oscillantia ? It appears that when
they hung up the
caj^ita
conf. Isengr.645. Reinardus
heads, they propped open the moiith with a stick,
3, 293 (see Suppl.). Nailing birds of prey to the gate of a burg or barn is well
to this day.
known, and is practised
Hanging up horses' heads was mentioned

pinu.

there hung a wolf

tells ns, in OSin's mansion
1
simulacra and insignia
these mere
eagle; were
the gate: Ad
set up an
Witechind
when
over
the
eagle
sacrificing,
Saxons,
says,
Victoriae construentes
orientalem
; this eagle
portam ponuntaquilam,aramque
the threshold is also
A dog hung up over
to have been
her emblem.
seems
mentioned, Lex. Alam. 102.

The Grimnismal
10
p. 47.
outside the door,and over
that an
on

79

BUILDINGS.

deprensarum passim capitaoMo, ferai^m

arhoris ohscoenae patuiishaercntia ramis
praebebantvano plausum spectaculavulgo.
ramalia ccrvi
horrebant illic trepidi
frendentis ap)ri,
fera spicula,
et dirum
denies,
sed

acribus exitium

meditantes

forte molossis.

qiioque sic variis arbos induta tropaeis

fundebat rudibus lascivi semina risustunc

ft

the

not

was

laughterof
in the

priests
; they saw
and dimmed,

Thus

far

forests and
At

have

rate
degene-

sacrifices.^

dwelt

worship of

the christian

that offended

practicea performance,however

of heathen

we

that the oldest

the multitude

the

on

ancestors

our

which

evidences

go to prove
-connected with sacred

was

trees.

the

same

time it cannot

times there

were

temples built

be

doubted, that

in the earliest

even

singledeities,and perhaps rude

In the lapseof .centuries the old forest
and been supersededby the structure
populationsand less with others. In
for

images set up inside them.

worship may have declined
of temples,more
with some
indefinite or incomplete,
statements
fact,we come
a good many
so
across
that it is impossibleto gather from them with any certainty
whether
the expressionsused betoken
the ancient cultus or one
departingfrom it.
The
of the

to
weighty and significant
passages relating
to be the following
subjectseem
:
(seeSuppl.)
most

Tac. Germ.
Mother

40

describes

Earth

; when

goddessround

among

satiatam

conversatione

the
the

the

sacred

priestin
people,he

mortalium

grove

and

festival time
restores

her

the
has

to her

this

part

worship of
carried

the

sanctuary:

deani

temploreddit.
Tac. ann.
1, 51 : Caesar avidas legiones,
latior populatio
quo
foret,quatuor in cuneos
dispertit,
quinquagintamillium spatium
ferro

""

flammisquepervastat ;
St. Benedict

found

non

sexus,

non

aetas

miserationem

at Montecassino
vetustissinmm
fanuni, in quo ex
stulto
rusticano populo Apollo colebatur,
gentiliuma
circumquaque
enini in cultuni daemoniorum
luci succreverant, in quilius
adluic eodem
tempore
infideliuni insana multitudo
sacrificiissaciile^'is
insudaliat. Greg. Ma".,'.
dialogi
These were
2, 8.
not German
heathens,but it proves the custom to have been
the more
universal.
more
antiqiio

80

TEMPLES,

illis gentibus
profana simul et sacrcij et celehcrrimum
templum, quod Tanfanae^vocabant, solo aequantur. The nation to
and
the Marsi
which
this temple belonged were
perhaps some
neighbouringones (seeSuppL).
Vita S. Eugendi abbatis Jurensis ("tcirc. 510),auctore
monacho
Condatescensi
(inActis sanctor. BoUand. Jan. 1, p.
ipsiusdiscipulo
50, and in Mabillon, acta Ben. sec. 1, p. 570) : Sanctus
igitur
beatonim
famulus
Christi Eugendus, sicut
et
patrum Eomani
ita etiam
natalibus ac provincia
Lupiciniin religione
discipulus,
extitit indigcnaatque concivis.
ortus nempe
est hand
longe a vico
cui vetusta
paffanitasob celebritateni clausuramque fortissimam
siiperstitiosissimi
templiGallica linguaIsarnodori,id est,ferrei ostii
indidit nomen
in loco,dchihris ex
nunc
:
parte jam
quo
quoque
attulit:

dirutis,sacratissime

micant

colis ;

pater sanctissimae

inibi

atque

coelestis regni culmina

dicata Christi-

prolisjudiciojDontificali
presbyteriidignitatesacerdos. If

plebisquetestimonio extitit in
born
about the middle of the 5th century, and his
Eugendus was
father alreadywas
cluirch which had been
a priestof the christian
the site of the heathen
erected on
temple,heathenism can at the
latest have lingeredthere only in the earlier half of that century,
at whose
commencement
the West
Goths passedthroughItalyinto
Gallica lingua here seems
Gaul.
to be the German
spoken by the
of
invadingnations,in contradistinction to the Eomana
; the name
still more
the placeis almost pure
Gothic,eisarnadai'iri,
exactlyit
Goths
either "West
or
might be Burgundian, Isarnodori.^ Had
that had penetrated
Alamanns
some
Burgundians,or perhaps even
so
far,founded the temple in the fastnesses and defiles of the Jura?^
and of the
Tlie name
is \vell suited to the strengthof the position
which
the christians in part retained (seeSuppl.).
building,
A Constitutio
554
Childeberti I of about
(Pertz3, 1) contains
de agro suo,
ut quicunque admoniti
the following
: Praecipientes,
dedicata
vel idola daemoni
ubicumque fuerint simidacra construda
1

foimd
inscription

An

in

but supj)osedby
Neapolitanterritory,

Orelli

'

(Gudii inscript.
by Ligorius,has
Tamfanae sacrum
Geiman, and formed like
p. 188) ; tlieword is certainly
(Eavenna), "c.
Hludana, Sigana (Sequana),Liutana (Lugdunum), Eabana
not
far removed, Ir. iaran, Wei. haiarn,
Yet the Celtic forms also are
iron gate,
Armor,
uarn
(ferrum); Ir. doras,Wei. dor (porta): haearndor
2053

to

have been made

Iv. 11, de Wal

'

iintiq.
p.
"

"luotedin
^

Davies's

Frontier

nations

Brit.

mountains

Ritters erdkunde

Mythol. pp. 120,

held

sacred

560.

and

made

placesof

1, aufl. 2, 79. vol. 2, p. 903.

sacrifice

by

some

8]

BUILDINGS.

ab

hommibus, factum

destruentibus

statim

non

datis
prohibuerint,

vel sacerdotibus haec

abjecerint
aliter discedant
nou
fidejussoribus

nisi in nostris obtutil:"uspraesententur.

S,

Vita

Eadegundis(t 587) the

contemporary
iter

Baudonivia

nun

wife of

Clotaire,
composed by

(acta Bened,

ageret (Eadegundis)seculari pompa

sec.

se

1, p. 327) : Dum

comitante,interjecta

terrae
ac
spatio,
longinquitate
fanuiiiquod a Francis colebatur in
itinere beatae reginaequantum miliario uno
proximum erat. hoc
ilia audiens jussit
famulis fanuin igne comburi, iniquum judicans

coeli contemni

Deum

audientes
omni

universa

Franci

conabantur

fremitu

diabolica

et

machinamenta

multitudo

cum

defendere.

sancta

venerari.

Hoc

giadiiset fustibus vel

vero
reginaimmobilis

in pectore gestans,equum
et Christum
sedebat
perseverans
quem
movit
in antea {i.e.
non
ulterius)
antequam et fanum perureretur
firmarent.
The situation of
ipsa orante inter se populi pacem
the temple she destroyedI do not venture
to determine;Eadegund
that
was
journeyingfrom Thuringiato France,and somewhere
on
et

line,not far

the

from

Greg.Tur.

vitae

Ehine, the fanum

6

be looked

may

for.

Eunte

in
rege (Theoderico)
et ipse(S.Gallus)simul abiit. erat autem
ibi

Agrippinam urbem,
fanum
diversis
ornamentis
in
refertum, quo barbaris (1.
quoddam
Barbarus)
cibo potuque replebaopima lihamina exhibens usque ad vomitum
ibi et simulacra
tur.
ut deum
adorans,membra, secundum
quod
dolor
in
ubi
S.
attigisset,
sculpebat ligno. quod
unumquemque
Gallus

audivit,statim illuc

igne,cum

censoque

applicatet
usque

patrum

nullus

succendit.

at

conscendere,auctorem

cum

ex

tantum

illi videntes

fumum

the

one

ad

dehd)ri

coelum

incendii quaerunt,

inventumque evain fugam versus

aulae se
quae acta fuerant Paganis

ginatisgiadiis
prosequuntur ; ille vero
regiaecondidit. verum
postquam rex
blandis eos sermonibus
minantibus
recognovit,
is distinct from

clerico

properat,acstultis Paganis adesset,ad fanum

uno

who

appears
later ; he died about 553, and by the

lenivit.

in Alamannia

king

is meant

This Gallus

half

century

Theoderic

I of

Austrasia.
Vita

S.

Senonensis

(Duchesne 1, 562. Bouquet 3, 491) :

Pex Chlotarius virum Dei Lupum episcopumretrusit in pago quodam
Neustriae nuncupante Vinemaco
(leVimeu), traditum duci pagano
duci terrae),
nomine
Bosoni Landegisilo
{i.e.
(no doubt a Frank)
ille direxit in villa quae dicitur Andesagina super fluvium
quem
Lupi

TEMPLES.

82
ubi

Auciam,

decurionihus

templa fanatica a

erant

Aiicia

614.) Andesagina is Anseuiie,

cidta.

called

afterwards

was

(a.D.
la

Bresle,Briselle.
Beda, hist. eccl. 2, 13, relates

how

king

NorthumLrian

the

Eadwine, baptized627, slain 633, resolved after

mature

consultation

and was
especially
understandingto adopt Christianity,
his chief heathen
in his ancient faith by Coifi (Coefi)
made to waver
suorum
priesthimself: Cumque a praefatopontificesacrorum
cum
septisquihus erant cirquaereret,quis aras et fana idolorum
: ego.
cumdata
quis enim ea,
primus profanaredeberet ? respondit
ad exemplum omnium
aptiusquam
quae per stultitiam colui,nunc

wdth

of

men

ipse per sapientiammihi

Accinctus

insanire.

eum

donatam

nee

destruam

?
.

in

et

manu

ascendens

improper things for a

idola.
quod aspiciensvulgus aestiut appropinquabatad
distulit ille. mox

regis (allthree
priest),
pergebat ad

heathen

vero

gladioaccepit lanceam

ergo

emissarium

mabat

Deo

unlawful

and

fanum, profanareillud,injectain eo lancea quam tenebat,multumsociis destruere ac

veri Dei cultus,jussit
que gavisusde agnitione
locus
suis. ostenditur autem
omnibus septis
succendere fanum cum
non
ille quondam idolorum
longe ab Eboraco ad orientem ultra
hodie Godmundinga ham, ubi
et vocatur
Dorowentionem
amuem
pontifexipse,inspiranteDeo vero, polluitac destruxit eas, quas
ipsesacra verat, aras.^
S. Bertuffi Bobbiensis

Vita

(t 640)

Acta

in

Bened.

2, p.

sec.

ubi
Iriae fluvio adjacentem accessit,
quandam viUam
fanum quoddam ariorihus consitum videns allatum ignem ei admovit,
in modum
piraelignis.Id vero cernentes fani cultores
congestis
et ictibus conMeroveum
apprehensum diuque fustibus caesum
Iria runs
The
into
iUud demergere conantur.
in fiuvium
tusum
164

Ad

"

the Po

; the event

219,

220

Alemanniae

vita S. GaUi

ad

(f 640)

(S. Columbanus
fiuvium, qui Lindimacus

Venerunt

superioratendentes
ambulantes

Lombards.

among

Strabonis

Walafridi
p.

occurs

et

in

actis Bened.

Gallus)infra partes

vocatur,

juxta quem

pervenerunt Turicinum.

venissent

ad

caput lacus

sec.

cumque
in locum
ipsius,

ad inhabitandum.
dicitur,placuitHlis loci qualitas

per

ad
littus

qui Tucconia

porro

homines

hj wigbed (seep. 67),fana by heargas,

and the other time by getymbro.
idola by deofolgild,
septa once by hegas(hedges),
for
the
The spear hurled at the hearggave
signal its demolition.
iThe

A. S. translation

renders

arae

83

BUILDINGS.

crudeles

simulacra
colentes,
inipii,
et
et divinationes
idola sacrificiis
venerantes, observantes aiiguria
multa
contraria
cultui divino superstitiosa
sectantes.
sunt
quae
docebant
homines
Sancti igitur
inter illos liabitare,
cum
coepissent
adorare Patrem
et custodire
et Filium
et Spiritum sanctum,
eos
fidei veritatem.
zelo
Beatus quoque
Gallus sancti viri discipulus
armatus
pietatis
igni sucfana, in quibus dacmoniis
sacrificahant,
ibidem

commanentes

cendit

et

follows

erant

invenit

quaecumque

et

oblata

demersit

in

lacum.

"

Here

important passage which will be quoted further on ; it

: cumque
ejusdem templisolemnitas ageretur.
says expressly
Jonae
Bobbiensis
vita S. Colunibani
(-f615) cap. 17. in act.
Bened. 2, 12. 13 : Cumque jam multorum
societate
monachorum
ut
densaretur, coepitcogitare,
potiorem locum in eadem eremo
inconstrueret.
{i.e.
Vosago saltu)quaereret,quo monasterium
olim fuisse cultum, a supra
venitquecastrum firmissimomunimine
dicto loco distans plus minus
octo
niillibus,
priscatempora
quem
Luxovium
ibiqueaquae calidae cultu eximio constrununcuj^abant,
ibi imaginum lapidearum densitas vicina saltus
ctae habebantur.
densabat,^quas ctdfu miserahili rihique
profano vetusta Paganorutii
This Burgundian place then
(Luxeuil in
tempora honorabant.
an

"

Frauche

Comte,
with

adorned
their

Had

statues.

worship with

own

old

Vesoul) contained

near

the

these ?

is

castrum

same

thermae

settlers connected

Burcfundian
The

Eoman

spoken

of

in the
Vita S.
Castrum

Agili Eesbacensis

(f 650),in

intra vasta

namque

eremi

Acta

Ben.

dirutum, quod hujus

[qu.lux

2, p. 317

Vosagus dicitur,

septa, quae

iwoxoXjfanaticorumcnltui olim dedicatum, sed tunc

saltus

sec.

incolae,quamquam

ad

solum

usque

ignotopraesagio,

is then built
A church
?] nominavere.
cohicrunt
the heathen
site : ut, ubi olim prophano ritu veteres
on
et erigerentur
arae
vexilla,habitaculum
fana, ibi Christi figerentur
Deo militautium,quo adversus aerias potestatesdimicareut superni
Eegis tirones. p. 319 : Ingressique(Agilus cum
Eustasio)hujus
itineris viam, juvante Christo,Warascos
accelerant,
praedicatori
qui agrestiumfanis decepti,
quos vulgifaunos vocant, gentiliurn

Luxovium

The

nniltitiule of statues made

supplyan

ace.

evidentlymeans
foHis buxi.

ovium

"

the

adjoiningwood

thicker ?

Must

we

not

speciem after imag. lapid.1 [vicinasaltus densabat

So in Ovid: densae
'"crowded the adjoining
part of the wood

copiam

or

Traxs.]

84

TEMPLES,

virus

Fotini
seducti,in perfidiamdevenerant,

errore

quoqiie

infecti,
quos,

Christi fecere
Vita

matri
depulso,

errore

ecclesiae reconciliatos

veros

servos.

S. Willibrordi

Pervenit

Bonosi

seu

in confinio

(f 789),in

Fresonum

deo

et

Fosite

Acta

Bened.

Danorum

ad

sec.

3,

609

p.

quandam insulam,
Fositesland appel-

accolis terrae

suo
quodam
latur,quia iu ea ejusdem dei fana fuere constructa.
Qui locus a
ut nil iu eo
vel animalium
liabebatur,
paganis tanta veneratione
ibi pascentium vel aliarum
quarumlibetrerum
gentiliumquisquam
liaurire
tangere audebat, nee etiam a fonte qui ibi ebulliebat aquam
a

quae

nisi tacens
Vita

ab

praesumebat.
S. WiUehadi

ut
(f 793),in Pertz 2, 381 : Unde contigit,
in morem
quidam discipulorumejus,divino coni]3uncti
ardore,/rt.?ia
et ad
nihilum,
gentiliumcircumquaquc ercdct coepissentevertere
facto barbari, qui adliuc
forte
prout poterant, redigere
; quo
furore nimio succensi,irruerunt super eos repente cum
perstiterant,
impetu, volentes eos funditus iuterimere, ibique Dei famulum
fustibus caesum
multis admodum
plagisaffecere. This happened
in the Frisian pagus
Thrianta (Drente)before 779.
of the 9th cent.)
Vita Ludgeri(beginning
1,8 : (InFrisia)
Paganos
clestruere
deluhra
iilum
ut
coram
asperrimos
niitigavit,sua
in fanis aurum
oculis paterentur. Inventum
et argentum pluriraum
in aerarium
Albricus
regisintulit,accipienset ipse praecipiente
Carolo portionem ex
illo. Couf. the passage cited p. 45 from the
"

"

Frisionum.

Lex

Folcuini
locus

intra

terminos

pagi,quem

gentilitas
fanum Marti
is Famars

In

in

all

'

the
upon

are

from

not

was

would

the

any

notices

5th, 6th, 7th, and

mere

8th

to

have

been

ubi

6, 55

Est

sicperstitiosa

dixeruut.

"

This

which

Germanicus

grove, but a real building,

called the destruction of it a
next

centuries,as

and
Alamanns, Anglo-Saxons,
often

Tanfana

of heathen

castra, templa,fana among

ticus)seems

loco

Pertz

Valenciennes.

hardly have
ground '. During the

Tacitus

without

14

a.d.

Martinse

sacravcrat,Fanum

Hainault, not far

in

to
levelling

we

veteres,

the sanctuary of
probability

demolished
otherwise

(circ.
980),in

gesta abb. Lobiensium

three

or

four

centuries
In

temples in Germany.
I

have

shown,

we

come

Burgundians,Franks, Lombards,
Frisians.
By fanum {whence fanaunderstood
a
buildingof smaller

85

BUILDINGS.

xxxi.
by templum one of larger; the Indiculus superstit.
that
i.e. fanis (see Suppl.).I admit
casulis (huts),

extent, and
4 has

'

'

de

heathen
had been

temples be intended,they might be

left standing; in which case there is
in their midst

communities
that

they themselves

the

exercise

of

had

their

keep

to

taken

of both kinds

cases
hypothesis,

can

doubt.

If the Tanfana

suppose

the

after the

had

allowed

twofold

certain

cultus,or

for
buildings

there

may

to

for either

pronounce

So much

co-existed.

all of them

that leave

be built

Alamann, the Saxon

what

was

to have

done

in the

doubt, some

no
still,

were

have

the Germans

for
in

us

by Germans,
and

we

the Frisian

done in the first century,is stillmore

temples;and
been

for

of
irruption

temple could

of the

same

room

possessionof Eoman

authorities ; but it is not

the doubtful

which

ones

up the Eoman-Gallic

Gauls; it is difficult therefore

heathen

Roman

German

religion^(see Suj^pl.).No thorough

the
of the state of religion
made
among

own

has yet been

investigation
Gauls immediatelybefore and
side by side with the converts

any

nation

German

the dominant

: that
hj'^pothesis

whether

it doubtful

cited leave

authorities

of the

some

likely

2nd, 3rd, and 4th.

in earlytimes have been named

in a variety
must
Temijles
AS. OS. ON", liof,
of ways
OHG.
:
(see Suppl.)
aula, atrium f"
OHG.
halla,templum (Hymn. 24, 8),AS. heal,ON. holt (conf.
hallr,
Goth, hallus)
lapis,
sal,ON. salr,AS. sele,OS. sell,aula ;"
;" OHG.
AS. reccd,domus, basilica (C?edm.145, 11. 150, 16. 219, 23), OS*
rakml
(Hel.114, 17. 130, 20. 144, 4. 155, 20),an obscure word not
Built

in the

found

As

the

other

vulgartook

to associate with

(t 1135) in
Deuz, which

Roman

his account
had
been

thoughtit was
In the emperor

built

by

dialects ;" OHG.

piitapur,delubrum

(Diut. 1,

fortificationsfor devil's dikes, it

Eoman

was

natural

castella the notion of idolatry.Eupertus Tuitiensis

that levelled such a castcllum
of the fire of 1128
at

adapted
Julius

to

christian

worship,informs

Caesar, others

Constantius

and

us

that

some

Constantine.

by
Otto's time, St. Mary appears by night to archbishopHeribert:
Tuitiense castrum
ibique
praecipe,
petens, locum in eodem mundari
Deo
Sanctis constitue,
ut, ubi quondam
mihique et omnibus

'

surge, et
monastcrium
habitavit
peccatiun et cultus daemoniivi, ibi
of the like,in the Vita
sanctorum,'with more
fanum
ut Cologne above,
p. 81.

jnstitia regnet
Heriberti

et

cap. 15.

memoria

Conf.

the

The asylum that atrium and temple offered within

their precinctsis in
OHG.
vrone
gric^astui^r,
frUhof, OS. vrUhoh, Hel. 151, 2, 9. MHG.
conf.
with frei,
vuthof.Nib. 1795. 2 ; not at all oiu- friedhof [but conn,
free],
Goth,
freidjan,OS. fridon fparcere). That the constitution of the Old
German
still ibr the most
sanctuaries was
part heathenish,is discussed in EA.
-

ON.

886-92.

86

TEMPLES.

minores ecclesiae
195=^)^;to which were afterwards added petah'ds,
AS. cyrice.The MHG.
(Gl.sletst. 21, 32) and cUrililid,
poets like
to use
heteh'ds of a heathen temple as opposed to a christian church
(En. 2695. Barl. 339, 11.28. 342,6. Athis D 93. Herb. 952. Wigal.
"

Pass. 356, 73.

8308.

Tit.

3329),so

1, 326. 3,

125),much

as

allow

to

Protestants

395.

T.

15,4. 193,2.209,1.

in

M.

Nethl. bedehus

Catholics in their

the

church,

own

countries

(Maerl.
do not

but

only a bethaus,praying-house
(seeSuppL). 0. iv. 33, 33 has the periphrase
gotesMis, and ii. 4,
52 drulitines /wis. Notker
no
scrupleof translating
cap. 17 makes
the Lat. fanis by chilechon,just as bishop does duty for heathen
retained.Is. 382.
priestas well. In the earliest times templewas
The

hut

which

Diut. 1, 195.^

pictureto ourselves under the term

fanum
most
or
pirr(A.S.bur, bower) was
likelyconstructed of logs
and twigsround
the sacred tree ; a wooden
temple of the goddess
With
Zisa will find a place in ch. XIII.
halla and some
other
are
names
w^e
compelledto think rather of a stone building.
all the christian teachers
We
to the
see
eager to lay the axe
sacred trees of the heathen,and fire under their temples. It would
almost seem
that the poor people'sconsent
never
was
asked,and
the rising
smoke
the first thing that announced
the
to them
was
broken power
of their gods. But on a closer study of the details in
the less high-flownnarratives,
it comes
out that the heathen
Avere
not so tame
and simple,nor
the christians so reckless.
Boniface
resolved on hewing down
the Thunder-oak
after takingcounsel with
the alreadyconverted Hessians, and in their presence.
So too the
on
Thuringianprincessmight not have dared to sit so immovable
her palfreyand give the order to fire the Prankish
temple,had not
her escort been numerous
enough to make head againstthe lieathen.
That these did make
armed resistance,
from Eadegund's
an
appears
burnt down, ut inter se populi pacem
request, after the fane was
we

are

to

firmarent.
In

erected

of the

most

cases

the site of the

on

^
Actiim
Schannat
no.

in

it is

expresslystated that a
heathen tree or temple.^ In

church
this way

was

the

illo

betap4re(the church at Fulda) publice,Trad. Fuld. ed.

in bedebur,Lacombl.
Erhard
412 (a.d. 1162). in bedebure,
no.
p. 148 (A.D.1121). bctbur,Meyer Ziirch. ortsn. 917.
ubi fana destruxerat
Sulp. Severus (ed. Amst.
1665), p. 458 : Nam
193.

"

statim
(Martiniis),

7, 52, p.

859

ibi aut ecdesias ant monasteria

(speakingof Bishop Reinbern

construcbat. Dietniar of Merseb.

Slav, territory,
a.d.
1015)

on

87

TEMPLES.

the

At

in

the

temple

Either

these

church,

art
to

still

sacrifice

of
and

have

We

with

regard

The
in

results

are

whether

groves,

temples

in

stone,

in

the

heathen

the

partly

services,

but

for

room

into

have
bind

the

understood

firmly

and

in

miglit
I

these

ing
build-

them

also

new

the

of

opinion

and

XVI.

temple.

make

must

sucli

X.

Nomas'

inferences

important

VI.

chaps.

grave-mounds

Scandinavia,

some

old

this

of

only

not

places

Friesland
be

drawn

exclude

from

investigation.

present

my

which

the

to

of

they

yet

almost

certainly

worked

high

forth
hence-

the

remains,

to

were

any

masses

preserved

from

Saxony,

form

Germans,

evidence

ground

halls

and

to

considerable

arrange

together.

walls

heathen

the

the

believe

but

of

reason

in

and

Baldrshaga,

with

slow

be

may

among

their

or

We

building.

baer

place,

where

conf.

conld

(see Suppl.).

their

North,

plentifully

levelled

were

the

or

the

the

God

true

perceive

in

more

Sigtun,

at

christian

how

and

the

monuments

but

proper,

existed,

temples

here

we

heathen

of

Germany

of

they

from

departed

not

presence

time

same

absence

entire

the

from

flowed

and

consulted,

were

had

sacredness

old

the

that

thinking

of

habits

people's

were

these

on

the

earliest

mountain

afterwards

or

in

pleasant

there

and

built,

of

seat

also

heathen

worship

mead

there

the

were

was

the

first
of

tribunals

nation.

the

idolorura

Fana

lapidibus

destruens

sacro

chrismate

plantationem
.

fluirch,

incendit,

et

penmctis,
ednxit."

et

On

see

Massmann's

Eradius

476.

daemonibus

mare

aqua
the

puryans
conversion

cultum,

immissis

benedicta,

novam

of

the

Pantheon

quatiior
Domino
into

V.

CHAPTEK
PKIESTS.

The
service
from
the
In

venerandus

also used

for

this

meaning,

the

Mk.

22.

19,6.

That

these

the

gocfi,Nialss.
the

faint

additional
from

word

the

though
vestige

117.

96.

cap.

An

(sacerdotium).
of

found

the

alhs

OHG.

and

sinista

remarkable

high priest of

in

the

priestswith

the

decidedly

haruc

and

1, 514V
paro,

the

Strictlythe Evangelist ;
For

of

as

our

ut

alah

appeared,
dis-

is

as

Ulphilas^ associates

of

standing, priest),a
us,

the

sacerdos

est

perpetu-

connexion

The

in EA.

that

Nam

sinisto:

reges.

OHG.

ance
disappear-

tribunus

sinistus, et

vocatur

the

which

28, 5 informs

discussed
are

the

267-8

(seeSuppl.).
for

names

of

]3riest

Diut. 1, 150% (being derived

jjarawar-i,
words
for temple given on
p. 68-9, and

and

sense

have

heathen

the

by

called

was

nuUis

nobility I

in

go"ord

unobjectionable. Only

Now

MarcelL

apud Burgundies

discriminibus

lianigari,Diut.
from

Amm.

Burgundians

m,axivius

us,2 obnoxius

found

elder, man
{'Trpea/Surepo';,

sentence

More

accordance

the

2, 206.

sog.

cotinc
"

omnium

from

dialects, just

other
had

in

appears

is

argument

the

Goths

Eornm.

glossed,Diut. 1, 187 (Goth, gudiggs ?).

gudja

18, 19.

go"i (pontifex),liofsgo"i (fani antistes),Egilss. 754.

OK

Freys

Jo.

1.

1.

1, 9. (see Suppl.).

expressions follows

heathen

were

27,

8, 4,

gudjinon (lepareueiv),

33.
MklO,
w/"7^^wf?/'a(dp;!^i6/3ei'9)
Lu.
gudjinassus {leparela)

1, 8.

Lu.

20,

1, 5.

Lu.

14, 61.

The

excellent.

Matt.
gudja (t'epeu?,

is in Goth,

man

only latelyacquired

being simply able,

vrum

11, 27.

10, 34.

63.

2,

guS (deus)is formed

has

froinm

; our

MHG.

God-serving, pious

derived

one

then gagudci (pietas,

euae^eia).
adj.gaguch (godly,pius,eva-e^ij"i),
I find pius translated
OHG.
and MHG.,
strictlyreverens,
erJiafi,

hut

of

is

10)

Goth.

the

immediate

the

to

Germ.

Tac.

From

deity itself.

of

name

is called

who

one

deity (minister deorum,

of

the

for

general term

most

the. translator

perpetuity attaching

had

no

to sin- in

choice.

"

Trans.

composition,

see

Gramm.

554-5.
*

Ir. and

If haruc
Gael,

meant
cam,

wood

or

cairn, and

rock, and
cairneac

harugari priest,they
77^.
priest.O'Brien

are

very

like

the

89

PRIESTS.

confirmingwhat I have maintained, that these two terms were

synonymous). They can hardlyhave been coined by the glossist
the Lat. aruspex, they must
liave existed in our ancient
to interpret
speech. A priestwho sacrificed was named loluostrari
(seep. 36).
"

The

fact that cotinc could

close connexion

between

bear

the

of tribunus

sense

shows

the

tlie offices of

priestand judge, "which

peculiarto the High Germ,

in a term
clearly
dialect : eiva, ea signified
not
only the secular,but the divine law,
these being closelyconnected
in the olden times, and
equally
out

comes

stillmore

sacred ; hence
AS.

Goth,
se-lareow,
se-gleaw,

K. 55=^
in

law-

eoiuart,ewart

56%^ Gl. Hrab.

ward, administrator

vitodafasteis,
one

974^ N. ps. 50, 9.

O.I. 4, 2, 18. 72.

of

learned

eioarto

law, vojjLVKO'i,
in the

of the weak

law,
decl.

gotesevmrto I. 4, 23. and as late as the 12th

21. and, without
the least reference to the

century ewarte, Mar.

Jewish
office,but quite synonymous
ewarte, Eeinh.

1705.

Wh.

of Saracen

der baruc

und

with

priest:

die eicartcn

der

heilige

sin,Parz. 13, 25.

priests(see Suppl.). The very similar

EA. 781.
eosago, esago stood for judex,legislator,
The poet of the Heliand uses
the expression*
wihes ward (templi
custos)150, 24; to avoid the heathen as well as a foreignterm, he
the gierodomail
adopts periphrases:
(geehrte,
honoured),3, 19.
the frodo man
fruot,prudens) 3, 21. 7, 7. frodgumo (gumo,
(frot,
6, 12, which sounds lilvcgudja
homo) 5, 23. 6, 2. godcund gumo
in which
Wolfram
above, but may convey the peculiarsense
uses
In the Eomance
der guote man'}
expressions
prudeTishomo, bonus
homo
(prudhomme, bonhomme) there lurks a reference to the
ancient jurisprudence.Once Ulphilasrenders apxiepev^
by auhumists veiha,John 18, 13, but never
Upev"i
by veiha.
in foreignwords
there came
With
Christianity
(seeSuppl.).
The Anglo-Saxonsadopted the Lat. sacerdos in abbreviated form :
translates Beda's pontifexand
sacerdj,pi. sacerdas ; and Alfred
and
summus
pontificum(bothof them heathen),2, 13 by hisco])
T. and 0. use
in the same
sense
caldorhiscop.
hisgof,
hiscof(from
217, 23

'

"

Parz.

457,2. 458, 25. 460, 19. 476,23. 487, 23.

The

godo gumo,

0. ii.12,21. 49 of Nicodemus

Hel. 4, 16

Lanis said of John ; ther giiato man,

; in Uhich's
4620
abbot is styledder guote man, 4013. 4639. conf. 3857,
ewarte, 4026
an
zelot,
i.e.
frouve (v.infra),
originally
priester.But with this is connected diu r/uote
bona socia,so that in the good man
also there peeps out something heathenisli.
In the great Apologue, the cricket is a clergyman,and is called
heretical.

(Ken. 8 125)preuchmsand

Frobert

Fruotbert

(seeSuppl.).

90

PRIESTS,

0. I. 4, 4.
episcopus),

27. 47; and

the

Hel.

'priester (frompresbyter,
the idea of elder and
following

on,

to be the names
imdijyfaffe
(papa) came
Fr. prcstrc,pretre ;
prcost,Engl, priest,

with

generallyused; AS.
Veldek, presterrhymes

most

in

bell. Gall. 6, 21, says

Cffisar,

druides

habent

qui rebus

the statement
what

C"esar is all
He

superior),

mester. En. 9002.

Wlien

"

150, 24 hiscop.Later

had

need
Tacitus

did

there

more

the

his

'

than

non

The
review

German
of

us

of the German

6, 16

studere

to make

as

sacrificiisstudent,
as

and
priests

them

'

sacrificiis must

and

dicting
contra-

sacrifices.
the Gauls.

the

they did

not

to

in the comiexion

of sacrifices.

Germans

; but

Neque

excessivelyaddicted

as

sparinguse

the

Germans:

mistake, or

between

contrast

latter

As

little

elaboratelyfinished
want
for priests
or

own.

as
priests,

their

down

set

prevail among
Druid-systemof the Gauls
sacrifices of their

praesint,
neque

be

alongdrawing a

sacrifices ; and
no

not

tells

described

mean

divinis

of the

we

have

titles,
were

alreadygatheredfrom
in

cursory

of the

worship
gods
employed
and
is entrusted
judging the people. In campaigns,discipline
to them
the w^hole war
alone,not to the generals,
being carried on
it were
in the presence of the deity: Ceterum
animadas
neque
vincire nee
vertere neque
verberare
quidem nisi sacerdotibus perducis jussu,sed velut deo
missum, non
nee
quasi in poenam,
adesse- bellantibus
credunt. Germ. 7 (seeSuppL).
imperante,quem
it is they that
The succeedingwords
also refer to the priests,
must
take the
et signa from
the sacred grove and carry them
efligies
the

in

'

'

into

battle.

We

learn

from

cap.

10, that

the

sacerdos

civitatis

for the
it is done
by rods,whenever
nation.
If the occasion
be not
a
public one, the paterfamilias
himself can
direct the matter, and the priest
need not be called in :
far the
limitation of the priestly
a remarkable
power, and a signhow
rightsof the freeman extended in strictly
privatelife ; on the same
I suppose,
that in very
tions
transacprinciple,
early times covenant
could be settled between
the intervention
the parties,
without
of the judge (RA. 201). Again, when
the chvination was
by
the
the neighing of the white
steeds maintained
state,priests
by
accompaniedthe sacred car, and accredited the transaction. The^^ncs^
alone may
touch
the car
of Nerthus, by him
her approaching
and lead?
is perceived,
he attends her full of reverence,
presence

superintendsthe

divination

"

91

TEIESTS.

lier back

at

but

German

Ann.

Segimund,the

1, 57 calls sacerdos, had

been

of

son

not

Ubiorum), and after tearing

priest(apud aram
had fled to his home.
ruperat),
chaplet(vittas

the alien

up

Tae.

whom

Seo-estes

sanctuary,cap. 40.

last to her

Eoman

priestsgive us anythingbut a
completeview of their functions (seeSuppL). On them doubtless
also the performance of public prayers, the slayingof
devolved
victims, the consecration of the kings and of corpses, perhaps of
other duties.
of oaths, and many
marriagestoo, the administering
hear nothing at
their insigniaand gradations,
we
Of their attire,
Tacitus cap. 43 speaks of a sacerdos muliebri ornatu, but
all ; once
formed
a
separate,possibly
givesno details. No doubt the priests
a
hereditaryorder,though not so powerful and influential as in
there were
Gaul.
higher
Probably,beside that sacerdos civitatis,
the Cattian, i.e.
and lower ones.
Only one is cited by name,
Xdrrav
who
with
rwv
Hessian, Libes in Strabo (Ai^t]";
lepeiK;),
in the pompa
of
other German
prisonerswas
dragged to Eome
still have
Of him
Tacitus (so far as we
Germanicus.
him) is
is worthy of notice,that the Gothic
silent.^ Jornandes's statement
in distinction from the rest of the people,
termed pileati
were
priests
and that during sacrifice they had the head covered
the capillati,
with a hat ; conf. EA. 271 (seeSuppl.). OSinn is called SiShottr,
few

Tkese

incidental

notices

of

broadhat.
The

of Christito the introduction

anity,
succeedingperiod,down
the condition
of the
on
scarcelyyieldsany information
in continental Germany ; their existence we
infer from
priesthood
that of templesand sacrifices. A fact of some
importancehas been
preservedby Beda, Hist. eccl. 2, 13 : a heathen priestof the Anglo-

Saxons
enim

forbidden

was

to carry arms

licuerat,
pontificemsacrorum

in equa

equitare.Can

which, it is true,
christian
mounted

can

this
be

clergymen, when
and

to ride

or

vel

male

horse

Non

ferre,vel praetcrquam
have any connexion
with the regulation
equallyexplainedfrom the Bible, that
riding about the country, should be

colts,not

arma

horses

(KA. 86-88)? Festus also

flamini diali non
: Uquo
licebat,
ne, si longiusdigrederetur,sacra
neglegerentur(see Suppl). The transmission of
such customs, which
have
impressed themselves on the habits of

remarks

Libes

on

asses

vehi

might be Leip, Leb, O.N. Leifr,Goth.

Laibs

var.

lect. has Ai/3us.

92

PEIESTS.

I shall try elsewhere

quite admissible.
in detail,
tudes
attihow
to show
a good deal in the gesturesand
of priestly
prescribedfor certain legaltransactions savours
at sacrifice and prayer
(seeSuppl.). It is not unlikely,
ceremony
heathen
turned
into christian ones, that it
sacred places were
as
also thought desirable amongst a newly converted
was
people to
their former
attract
religion.
prieststo the service of the new
cultivated portion of the people,the most
the most
They were
capableof comprehending the christian doctrine and recommending
From
it to their countrymen.
the ranks of the heathen priesthood
would therefore proceed both the bitterest foes and the warmest
of innovation.^
The collection of the Letters of Boniface
partizans
has a passage lamenting the confusion of christian and heathen
rites,into which foolish or reckless and guiltypriestshad suffered
to fall.^ This might have been done in blameless ignorthemselves
ance
from deliberate purpose, but scarcely
or
by any men
except
such as were
previouslyfamiliar with heathenism.
delineated in
Even
is but very imperfectly
the ;N"orse priesthood
A
the Eddas and sagas.
noteworthy passage in the Ynglingasaga
regardsthe Ases altogetheras colonists from Asia,
cap. 2 which
the
makes
and their residence Asgard as a great placeof sacrifice,
raSa
twelve principal
Ases sacrificial
: skylduJjeir
priests(hofgoGar)
1 milli (they had to advise about
manna
fyrirbio bum ok domum
diar
sacrifices and dooms) ; and it adds, that they had been named
and drottnar (domini). This representation,
though it be but
(divi)
the
of Snorri's,
the high estimation in which
shows
a conjecture
order stood, so that gods themselves
were
placed at the
priestly
need not therefore confound
head of sacrifices and judgments. But
we
diar and drottnar with real human
priests.
would
life,

to

seem

have

been

Just as the Catholic clergyfurnished as well the props as the opponents of

Reformation.
the
The notable example of a heathen priestabjuringhis ancient
faith,and even
puttingforth his hand to destroy the temple he had once held
This priestwas
an
English,not
sacred,has been quoted from Beda on p. 82.
of
more
a British
exactly
one, though Beda, evidentlyfor the mere
purpose
-1

his station,designateshim

marking
cuimhi,

by

Jamieson, supplement sub.

see

in Gaelic

even
proper name,
thumbria
should

have

and

adopted

it is

the

Gaefic word

Coifi

(choibi,
choibhidh,
coivie,archdruid). Coifi is not a
incredible that Eadwine
king of Norv.

British

and
religion,

maintained

British

priest.
2

Ed. Wurdtw.

qui tauros
tuorum.

dixissent

non,

Pro

ut scripsisti,
itaquepresbyteris,
sacrilegis

sacrificia mordiis paganorum

immolabant, manducantes
modo
vero
incognitum esse, utrum
baptizantestrinitatem
"c.
Connect
with this the presbyterJovi mactans, Ep. 25.

hircos

et

an

82. Serr. 140

"

93

PRIESTS.

T must

draw

attention to the

fact,that certain

men

who

stood

gods by services and veneration,and priestsfirstof

all,are entitled /mwfZs of the,gods^(seeSuppl.). Hence such names
AS. Fredtvinc,
as
Frcysvinr,
Bregowinefor heroes and kings (seech.
X, Frowin). According to Eyrbygg.pp. 6, 8, 16, 26, Eolfr was
a
Thors vinr ; he had a hof of that god on a meadow, and was
fore
thereto

nearer

named

the

Thorrolfr,he dedicated

to him

his

Steinn and named

son

again dedicated his son Grimr to the god and

him
named
meant
the
was
Thorgrimr; by this dedicating(gefa),
to Landn.
appointingto the office of goGior priest. And (according
Here
the
2, 23) Hallstein gave his son as goSi to Thorr.
we
see
office running on through several generations
priestly
(seeSuppl.).
Also
II. 10, 527.
However, Odysseus is also called All ^t'Xo?,

liim

Thorsteinn,who

ddavdroKTi
AloXo'i "})l\o";

OeoiaL,Od. 10, 2

he is ra/uLLTj'idv6/j,(ov,
director of

; but

winds, therefore

then in Od. 10, 21

a

priest.

How

encroached
the
office in the North
on
deeply the priestly
administration of justice,
need not be insisted on
here ; in their
character the jDriests
to have exercised a good deal of
seem
judicial
control over
the people,whereas
little is said of their political
influence at the courts of kings; on
this pointit is enough to read
the Nialssaga. In Iceland, even
under
the Judges
Christianity,
retained the name
and several of the functions of heathen godar,
time
Gragas 1, 109-113. 130. 165.
Convents, and at the same
of old sanctuaries (seep. 85,note)
state-farmers,
especially
occupiers
apparentlycontinue in the Mid. Ages to have peculiarprivileges,
which I shall enlarge
in treating
of weisthiimer.
on
They have the
keeping of the county cauldron, or weightsand measures, and above
to which
all,the hrood-animals,
everywhere
gTeat favour is shown
(seeSuppl.).
The goSiis also called a hlotmad'r (sacrificulus),
hliotr (Egilssaga
need not be priests
denoted
p. 209), but all blotmenn
; the word
rather any participant
in sacrifices,
and afterwards,
christians,
among
in general. It tallies with
the heathen
in Tacitus
the passage
about the paterfamilias,
that any iarl or hersir (baron)might perform
sacrifice,
though he was not a priest. Saxo Gramm. p. 176
1

The

MHG,

poets still bestow

on

hermits

and

warrior). In the Eenner

frhmt, gotes degen (J^egn,
heiligergoteskneht (cniht,servant). [See however
passim in the lives of saints].

monks

the epithets
gotes
24587, St. Jost is called

'serviis

dei,famulus

dei'

94

PEIESTS.

after liis

diruit,vidimarios
baptism: Delubra
mean
proscripsit,
flaminium abrogavit. By victimarii he must
He
the j)riests.
tells us
on
blotmenn, by flamens
p. 104, that at
the great Upsala sacrifices there were
enacted effoeniinati corporum
mimorum
mollia nolarum
ac
crepitacula
motus, scenicique
plausus,
;
has also something to tell of choruses and dances
Greek antiquity
relates of Harald

of

priests.
On the clothingof

ISTorse

there

Was

information.

any

the

I have
priests,

connexion

not

them

between

across

come

and

the

Bragi the god of song has nothing to do with sacrifices ;

thought a sacred hallowed thing: OSinn
poeticart was
spoke in verse, he and his Iwfgo"arare styledliod'asmi"ir (songsmiths),Yngl. saga cap. 6. Can sMlcL (poeta,but neut.)be the
Diut. 1, 183.
?
Gl. ker. 69,
the rare OHG.
as
sgalto(sacer)
same

poets ?
yet the

of christian minstrels

Even

scaldo.

is

another

thing and

also

down

come

conversion
to

us

one

about

skalds.

heathen

Poetry borders

is
vates
closelyon divination,the Eoman
soothsayer,and soothsayingwas
certainlya

so

songster and

alike

told,that

has

after the

soon

Amm.

function.
priestly

Marcell.

14,

mentions

Alamannian

and Agathias2, 6 fiavrei'; or 'x^prjafMoXoyot

'AXaixavviKoL
auspices,
ring
Ulphilasavoids using a Gothic word for the frequentlyoccurand
he
for the fern.
invariablyputs praiifetus,
7rpo(jii]T7]^,
Lu. 2, 36 ; why not veitagaand veitago?
The
praufeteis,
irpo^rjTL'i
OHG.
and AS. versions are bolder for once, and givewizago,
vAtcga}
when
?
the priest,
Was
a veitaga
conductingauguriesand auspices,
and for
is sjmmad'r(spae-man),
conf, inveitan,p. 29. The ON. term
A.S. witegestre).Such
diviners
woman,
prophetessspdkona(spaeMimir
and Gripir. In old French
they are devi7i
were
poems
which
to
mean
occasionallycomes
divinatores),
poets :
(divini,
4, 145.
uns
ce dient li
devins,qui de voir dire est esprovez, Meon
devin,Een. 7383 ; so Tristr. 1229 : li contor dient (seeSuppl.).

We

have

now

antiquity.The
"

wife

erroneous

of
speak of the prophetessesand priestesses
mundium
(wardship)in which a daughter,a sister,
to

stood, appears

The

). is

is

witegian).

become

oui'

verb

in the old heathen

ei in

our

MHG.
weissager,

weissagen,MHG.

time

not

to

have

excluded

Avissagefor wizege ; equally

(OHG. wizagon,AS.

wissagen, Iw. 3097

PRIESTESSES.

tliem from

such
holy offices,

necne

ita dicere

95

from
a
or
sacrificing
(seeSuppl.),
good deal of influence over the people. Tacitus,after tellingus
how mightilythe German
women
wrought upon the valour of their
for greater securitydemanded
noble
warriors,and that the Eomans
from particular
maidens
nations,adds : Inesse quin etiam sanctum
et providum (feminis)
putant^,ncc aut consilia earum
aspernantur,
And
aut rcsponsa
1.
50
before
Caesar
negiigunt.
: Quod
that,
apud
Germanos
consuetudo
sortihns et
ea
esset,ut matres
fam. eorum
vaticinationibus declararent,
utrum
proelium committi ex usu esset,
; eas

non

as

fas

esse

Germanos

superare,, si ante

lunam

proeliocontendissent (seeSuppl.).
While historyhas not preservedthe name
of one
German
vates,
has
it
those of several prophetesses.Tac. Germ. 8 : Vidimus
sub
divo Vespasiano Veledam
(as a prisonerin his triumph)diu apud
Hist. 4, 61 : Ea virgo nationis
plerosquenum.inis loco habitam.
Bructerae, late imiKritalat,vetere apud Germanos
more,
quo
et
arbitrantur
plerasquefeminarum/a^idJz'cas,
augescentesuperstitions
Veledae
auctoritas
adolevit ; nam
dcas.
Tuncque
prosperas
Germanis
et excidium
res
legionum praedixerat.In 4, 65, when
the peopleof Cologne were
making an alliance with the Tencteri
habebimus
Civilem
et Veledam
they made the offer : Arbitrum
Sic lenitis Tencteris,
ad Civilem
apud quos pacta sancientur.
legati
missi cum
et Veledam
voluntate Agrippinensium
donis,cuncta
ex
coram
adire, alloquique Veledam
perpetravere. Sed
negatum.
Arcebantur
venerationis
inesset.
aspectu, quo
plus
Ipsa edita in
turrc ; delectus e propinquisconsulta
responsacjitcut internuntius
numinis
portabat. 5, 22 : Praetoriam triremem flumine Luppia
Veledae traxere.
donum
5, 25 ; Veledam
propinquosque monebat.
Her captivity
was
probablyrelated in the lost chaptersof the fifth
This Velcda
book.2
had been
precededby others : Sed et oKm
Auriniam
(hardlya translation of any Teutonic name, such as the
ON.
have
Gullveig,gold-cup; some
guessed Aliruna, Olrun,
adulatione
Albruna) et complures alias venerati sunt, non
nee
novam

'

'

tamquam

facerent

dcas. Germ.

1 A
^\^l(lforce of phantasy,
and
themselves
preeminentlyin women.

Statius

two

silv. I. 4, 90

as
syllables
short,which

thinks

8.

the

state called

Captivaeque

seems

more

later one,

named

Ganna, is

have
clairvoyance,

shown

Veledae ; he scans
the first
preces
than Dio's BeX^Sa. Zeuss 436

correct

Vilida. Graff has a n. prop. Wallodu

BeXe'Sa,BtXtSa
I would
1, 800.
Ka/ftf^rtmarca in Jornandescap.
suggest the Gothic fern, name
48, and the Thur-

ingiauname

of

place JFalada

in Pertz I. 308.

96

PRIESTS.

cited

by

Dio

consulted
eventura

Cassius,67, 5 ;i and
habentem

'

woman

in the

narraret,'
Greg. Tur.

to Mentz

of

out

5,

14

(Pertz1, 365).- As
our
prophetessespredict the
Tacitus Ann. 14, 32 speaks of
Feminae
But

in furore
have

we

the

(inAimoin

much

later

Alamannia, is noticed

847

anno

turbatae

Cassandra

Gunthcramnus

end

of

British

example

3, 22

erant

quae

she

is mulier

still,
TMota, who

in the Annals

of

had

Fulda,

foretold the fall of

the

Troy,
(v,infra)
; and

world

druidesses

adesse cxitium

sublimest

577

spiritum pldtonis,ut ei

i.e.irvdoivhaaa).
One
phytonissa,
come

year

in these

canebant

before

us

in the

; conf.

words

14, 30.

Voluspa (see

Suppl.).
Those

barefooted Cimbrian
in Strabo (v.
grayhaired,
priestesses
linen doublet,begirtwith brazen
supra, p. 55) in white robe and
the prisonersof war
and prophesying from
clasps,slaughtering
^

nane, in
265.
2

(al.Tavva) rrapdevosfiera

Vavva

conf. the

masc.
a

Gannascus

name

Lothr.

urk., as hxte

T7]u

in Ann.
as

709, Don

which
Hubertus
Traditions,
Palatine,according to his

Bf\rj8aviv rrj lifXriKr}deia^ovcra,

19 ; the fern. Ganna, dat. GanCalmet, ed. 1728, torn. 1. preuves p.

11, 18.

Thomas

of

Luttich,privatesecretaryto the
Timgris et Ebnronibiis 1541, professes
to have received
fi'om an
antiquary Joan. Berger out of an old book
vetustissimis characteribus descripto),
and which he givesin his treatise
(libello
De Heidelbergaeantiquitatibus,
relate as follows : Quo tempore Velleda virgo
in Bruchteris
imperitabat,vetula quaedam, cui nomen
Jettha,eum
coUem,
ubi nunc
est arx
nunc
nomen
Heidelbergensis et Jetthae collis etiam
liabet,inhabitabat,vetustissim unique ^:"/iamtm
incolebat,cujusfragmentaadhuc
Fridericus factus elector egregiam domura
comes
palatiniis
nuper vidimus,dum
aulam
Haec
mulier
vaticiniis inclyta,
construxit, quam
et
novam
ajjpellant.
venerabilior
in
hominum
volentibus
raro
conforet,
prodiens,
conspectum
quo
silium ab ea petere,de fenestra,
'prodeunte viiltu,
non
respondebat.Et inter cetera
colli a fatis esse datum, ut futuris
ut inconditis versibus canebat, suo
praedixit,
recensebat, inhabitaretur et templis
temporibus regiisviris,quos nominatim
celeberrimis ornaretur,
Sed ut tandem
fabulosae antiquitati
valedicamus, lubet
adscribere quae is liber de infelici morte
Egressa
ipsiusJetthae continebat.
deambulatione
ut
recrearetur,
quondam amoenissimo
tempore plumum,
progrediebatur juxta montes, donee
intra convallem
pervenit in locum, quo montes
declinant et multis locis scaturiebant
pulcherrimi fontes,quibus vehementer
ilia coepitdelectari,
illis bibebat,cmn
et assidens ex
ecce
lupa famelica cum
catulis e silva prorupit,quae conspectam mulierem
nequicquam divos invocanfonti
tem dilaniat et frustatim discerpsit,
nomen
dedit,vocaturque
casu
suo
quae
omnibus
amoenitatem
loci
notus.
hodiernum
in
diem
ob
quippe
fons lujwrum
in this may be genuine
It is scarcely
worth
while tryingto settle how much
Elector

tradition, and

how

of the
glorification
on

the

hill Avould

much
new

book

the erudition

palaceat

seem

of the 16th

Heidelberg (

been
her rock, and

to

have

De

copied

century foisted in, to the

the very mndow
Veleda's tower, though

Heidberg) ;
from

has a high tower (Vols, saga, cap. 20,

nine virginsat
Maniklata
the rock, with
1)
on
24,
instead of
Hcida
her knees (Siem. 110. 111). If the enchantress's name
were
of
the ON.
echo
be
and
would
the
an
it
suit
better,
Jettha,
locality
perhaps
Heidr.

Brynhild

too resides upon

25 ; conf.

MenglotS,OHG.

97

PRIESTESSES.

their blood in the sacrificialcauldron,

appear

as

witches by
frightful

togetherwith divination they

oftice. Their minutelydescribed apparel,
we
exercise the priestly
the priests.
may
suppose, resembled that of
While in Tac. Germ. 40 it is a 'priestthat attends the goddess,
and guidesthe team
of kine in her car ; in the North
conversely,
have handmaids
we
waitingupon gods. From a remarkable story
which
the
in the Olaf Tryggv. saga (Fornm. sog. 2, 73 seq.),
at all
christian composer
we
evidentlypresents in an odious light,
events
gatherthat in Sweden a virginattended the car of Freyr on
hona
the people: Frey var
its travels among
fengintil J?ionosto
and
taken a woman
young
ung ok friS (intoFrey's service was
is
and she is called hona
Freys. Otherwise a priestess
fair),
called gyffja,
to goSi,
corresponding
hofgoSi; ^ see TuriSr
Iwfgycfja,
JjorlauggySja, Landn. 1, 21.
hofgySja,Islend. sog. 1, 205.
Steinvor and FridgerSr,
1, 99. 3, 268.
Sagabibl.
But the Norse authorities likewise dwell less on the priestly
it seems,
functions of women,
than on
their higher gift,
of
as
121.
divination: Perita anguriifemina, Saxo Gram.
A''aldamarr
la i rekkju,
at hun
miok gamla ok orvasa, sva
konungr atti moSur
en
margir heiSnir menn
]70var hun framsyn af Fitons anda, sem
that she lay in bed,
so
(King V. had a mother very old and feeble,
of Python,like many
and there was
she seized by a spirit
heathen
whicli
Fornm.
to be a term
Of like importseems
folk),
sog. 1, 76.
borders on the notion of a higherand supernatural
being,as in the
of Veleda ; and that is dis (nympha,numen). It may
be not
case
that the spakona in several instances bears the proper
accidental,
Tliordis (Vatnsd.p. 186 seq. Fornm.
Islend. sog.
name
sog. 1, 2.55.
Kormakkss.
1, 140.
; dis however, a very earlyword,
p. 204 seq.)
which I at one time connected with the Gothic filudeisei (astutia,
OS. idis,AS.
itis,
dolus),appears to be no other than our OHG.
ides (femina,nympha). As famous
and as widelyspreadwas
the
term
volva^ which first denotes any magic-wieldingsoothsayeress
(Vatnsd.p. 44. Fornm. sog. 3, 214. Fornald. sog. 2, 165-6. 50G),
and is afterwards attached to a particular
mythic Volva,of whom
of the oldest Eddie songs, the Vuluspd,treats.
Either volu
one
the side of the

IMaid ;

Bructerian

"

"

Can

fonte)be

our

the

gothe,goth for godmother (taufpathin,

gotte,
susccptrixe
sur\ival of

an

old

heathen

vir;^in.
baptized
"^

The

Slavic volkhv magus.

"

Trans.

term

'} Murolt

3184

has

saci'O

godeof

the

98

PRIESTS.

here

stands
asserted

which

different

the

in

one

the

also

that

11,

134-7.

and

the

of

and

of

(numen)

to

(Ssem.

(conf.

Sagabibl.

cii'cle.

and
all

whom

in
the

of

cap.

and

89,

their

also

cave.

"

2, 108.

be

100.

paid,

the

to

guess

3,

were

even

not

are

the

of

(canicula)

honours

name

excluded

their

godhood,

virginity

(see

beside

e.g.

but

sog.

divine

valkyrs,

priestly,

(Fornm.

lucorum)

Nialss.

the

in

there
ch.

XVI

Suppl.).
shall

We
have

other

we

the

had

of

to

these

besides),

names

feature

marked

to

return

set

priesthood.

our

forth

'

gleg

who,

mythology,
their

'

and
in

with

(and

women

with

accordance

trespass

connexion

'

wise

'

on

the

not

name

Hyndla

"

dwells

but

(nympha

accorded,
So

3, 155).

Ir-pa

the

118^)

in

Thorhiorg,

"

conf.

and

wolves,

on

horgabruSr
was

4^,

Edda

is

or

derived

upon

Hei"r

be

may

Walawa

only

come

we

4).

Vala

OHG.

being

ranSa

3,

form

an

above,

Hafn.

Thorger"r

172),

somewhat

resides

and

142.

this

rides

that

virgins

title

guS

from

Here

Orvarodssaga

older

correspond

Eiriks

Ssem.

the

of

Walada

saga

the

in

volva

prophetess

the

claim
woiild

the

(Edda

Vala

the

of

only

them

of

In

the

or

suggests

way.

little

the

is

each

to

Wala,

volvu,

for

they

deeply

superhuman.

sacrifice,

divination

CHAPTEE

VL

GODS.

Now,
real

gods

think,

branches

of

and

retained

have

them,

far

so

evidence

the

for

terms

between

all there

Above

priesthood.
the

Old

Goths,

similarityextends
in

sacred

offered, priestsconducted

enjoyed
The

their

and

decisive.

When

the

language, then,

same

and

the

not

without, they always have

the

Teutonic

and

should

it be

for

As
we

have

demanding

in song

people, and

collect and

arrange

or

themselves
victims

were
'

women

that

born

it,and

from

influences

worship.
gods,

nations, spread
in

over

; how

common

the

genuineness of
All

criticism

denying
alive

lies before
unfold

left to

are

acknowledge

that

principalgods

now.

story

they

nation

anians,
Celts, Slavs, Lithu-

Slav

The

their

of

of belief and

populations

with

as

violent

to

between

midway

out

which

long

itself

is of

language
divisions

so

kind

same

proofs of

sets

and

exposed

in Teutondom

otherwise

identity

customs

animal

several

worship.

reallygot past

up

sequence.

them

regions,have

that
itself,

entire

of

settled

practise a

"widelydistant

lies

race

all

Finns,

this

of

sameness

the

are

The

And

the

to

authority.
by

nature

ffisir,
biota, horgr,

divinations, wise

and

sacrifices

turies
cen-

many

'

furnished

own

and

analogy

meanings,

and

human

proof
and

of

same

the

to

divine

one

chain

slightlyvarying

remains,

Norse
the

all but

sufficient

speak

words

earliest

the

the

Saxons.

the

beyond

groves

and

with

and

Franks

Alamanns,

of

unmistakable

an

the

and

but

the

deity,

most

rate

any

allows
or

forth

shines

long before,

known

at

for

name

the

worship, sacrifice,temples

of

dialects

other

all,or

All

time.

general

same

terminology

Norse
the

older, of

goSi were

notions

heathen

oldest

documents

the

completed, show

the

same

present day

deficiency of

the

as

be

to

the

it to

the

have

language

our

in

Germany

for

inquiry, whether

the

for

fully prepared

are

claimed

be

can

we

our

the

and

or

Norse

mythology,

cripplesand

doubting

what

hilates
anni-

is treasured

propagated amongst
eyes.

materials

Criticism
in

their

can

an

but

historical

100

GODS.

only questionthat can ftirlybe raised,is : Whether

hold good for the rest
the gods of the North, no
longer disputable,
To
of Teutondom
?
say yea to the questionas a whole, seems,
from
the foregoingresults of our
inquiry,altogetherreasonable
the

Then

almost

and

necessary,
if it knew

negativeanswer,

the circle of Norse

maintain, that
to all

common

and

Germany,

annihilated

but

by

what

about, Avould try to

was

formerly

gods,in substance, were

the earlier conversion

But

here.

it

were

guished
extin-

exceptionsand
assertion,and materially

multitude

of

would greatlylimit the

survivingvestiges
out of the remainder.
alter what might be made
In the meanwhile
a denial has been
attemptedof quiteanother
never
kind, and the opinion upheld, that those divinities have
existed at all in Germany proper, and that its earliest inhabitants
knew
nothingbetter than a gross worshipof nature without gods.
This view, drawing a fundamental
German
distinction between
and Scandinavian
heathenism, and misapprehending all the clues
infallible
which
discover themselves
to unprejudicedinquiry as
stress
evidence of the unityof two branches of a nation,laysspecial
the nature
of the heathen
faith,dating
on
upon a few statements
about

from

the

part proceedfrom

lipsof

the

themselves

concern

century and

sixth

christians,who

zealous

to understand

or

for the

These

onwards.

did not

most
at all

faithfully
portray the paganism
rather to set up a warning
was

whose purpose
they were
assailing,
mination.
againstthe grosser manifestations of its cultus as a detestable aboIt will be desirable to glanceover
the principal
passages
in their

uniformity and one-sidedness.

Agathias(i*before 582),himself a newly converted Greek, who

he had
from
coloured reports what
could only know
christianly
heard

about

the

distant

worship as opposed to
Kol

peWpa TTora/xMV

thus

Alamanns,

the Frankish

exhibits

SiuSpare

yap

the Alamannic
rtva

IXdaKovTat,

koX (f)dpa'y"ya";,
Kai
rovTOi";
\d(f)ov"i
wairep
foUow the words
Then
quoted on p. 47 about

koX

28, 4.
BpMvre'i
their equine sacrifices.
oaia

But

his

contrast

to

the

Franks

breaks

down

at

once,

when

account
of thc7n from the lipsof
exactlythe same
their first historian Gregory : Sed haec generatiofanaticis semper
cultibus visa est obsequium praebuisse,
Deum,
nee
prorsus agnovere
sibiquesilvarum atque aquarum, avium bestiarumque et alioruui
we

hear almost

101

GODS.

finxere
quoque elementorum
sacrificiadelibare consueti.

(^ginhard)in

2, 10.

Greg.Tur.

eisque

Einliard
Similarly,

"

Caroli cap. 7, about the Saxons : Sicut onmes

incolentes nationes et natura
feroces et cidtui

contrarii.
dediti,nostraeque religion!

daemonum

colere

Vita

Gerraaniam

fere

formas,ipsasqueut deum

"

Ruodolf

of

Fuld,

quoting Tacitus and Einhard, adds (Pertz 2, 676): Nam

exhibebant ;^and
venerationem
frondosis arboribus fontibusque
after

mentions

the

Irminsfd, which

Suppl.). Lastly,Helmold
de
religionenisi nomen
apud

habetur

eos

shall deal

1, 47 affirms

"

lucoruui et fontiuni

of the

destruens,"c.'
sacrilegos
in exactly the
Conceived

Holsteiners

(see
Nihil

nam

superstitionummultiplexerror

Vicelinus
.

then

hereafter

christianitatis habentes

tantum

ceterarumque
.

with

et

lucos

et

onmes

ritus

heathenish

arbores
II.

586,

anno

the

of
prohibitions

rites in decrees of councils

and idolatrous

Concil. Autissiod.

spiritare

same

can.

Non

in laws.

and

licet inter sentes

aut

ad

exsolvere ; conf. Concil. Turon.

Leges Liutpr.6, 30 : Simili modo et qui ad

sacrivos vel ad fontes vota

566,

anno

can.

22.

"

sanctivam, sacrivam)vocant,
sanguinum (al.
atque ad fontanas adoraverit. Capit.de partibusSax. 20 : Si quis
ad fontes aut arbores vel lucos votum
fecerit,aut aliquidmore
comederit.
And
tlie
gentiliumobtulerit et ad honorem daemonum
converters, the christian clergy,had for centuries to pour out their
wrath againstthe almost ineradicable folly. It is sufficient merely
of Caesarius episcopus
Arelatensis (f 542)
to allude to the sermons
kalendarum
contra
Contra sacrilegos
et aruspices,
quoque
paganActa Bened.
issimos ritus,coutraque augures lignicolas,
fonticolas,'
arborem,

quam

rustici

"

"

'

sec.

1, p.

668.

All these
truth.

passages

That

German

contain,not
heathenism

an
was

untruth, yet
destitute

not

the whole

of

not
gods,they canthey all date from

possiblyprove; for one thing,because

periodswhen heatlienism no longerhad free and undisturbed sway,
wellbut had been hotly assailed by the new
doctrine,and was
The generalexercise of it had ceased,isolated
nigh overmastered.
cherished it timidlyin usages kept up by stealth ; at the
partizans
in simplicity
or
error
tinued
conchristians who
time there were
same
ceremonies
to practise
by the side of christian
superstitious
Such
ones.
doings,not yet extinct here and there among the
^

Adain

of Bremen

againcopiesRuodolf,Pertz 9, 286.

102

GODS.

from
all regulatingguidance
people,but withdrawn
by
heathen priests,
could not fail soon
to become
and
to
vulgarized,
of
the
older
as
mere
faith,which faith we have no
dregs an
appear
As
do not fail to recognise in the
we
rightto measure
by them.
common

devils and

witches

of

more

Just

so

modern

times the

higherpurer fancies of
antiquitydisguised,
justas littleought we to feel any scrupleabout
in questionto the untroubled fountracingback the pagan practices
tainhead of the olden time. Prohibitions and preachings
kept strictly
to the practical
side of the matter, and their very purpose
to put
was
these last hateful remnants
down
of the false religion.A sentence
in Cnut's AS. laws (Schmid 1, 50) shows, that fountain and tree
worship does not exclude adoration of the gods themselves :
man
HseGenscipe biS,Jjsetman
deofolgildweorSige,J?ait
is, ]?a3t
oSSe monan,
weorSigehaeSene godas,and sunnan
fyreo55e floSwsestfmas oSSe
ter, wyllas oGCe
tenigescynnes
wudutreowa; conf
1, 366.

Homil.

239, that

he

abolished

it is said of

the heathen

Olaf the Saint,rornm,

sacrifices and

(many other) blotskaparskrimsl,

onnur

ok tre ok oil

skoga,votn
But

we

can

conceive

onnur

bseSi hamra

blot,baeSi meiri ok

of another

reason

gods :

sog.

Ok

ok

5,

morg

horga,

minni.

too, why

on

such

sions
occa-

are
passedover in
gods,perhaps stillunforgotten,
their names
silence : christian priests
avoided uttering
or
describing
their worship minutely. It was
thought advisable to include them
aU under the generaltitle of demons
devils,and utterlyuproot
or
their influence by laying an
interdict on whatever
yet remained
of their worship. The
Merseburg poems show how, by way of
still able to transmit
the names
of certain gods were
exception,
in formulas of conjuring.
themselves
and decay have no
in its debasement
Pictures of heathenism
rightto be placedon a level with the report of it given by Tacitus

the heathen

it was
yet in the fulness
eightcenturies before,when
of its strength. If the adoration of trees and rivers stilllingering
to the existence
in the habits of the peopleno longerbears witness
of gods,is it not loudlyenougliproclaimedin those imperfectand
tells
he expressly
defective sketches by a Ptoman
stranger ? When
of the god
of a deus
terra
editus,of heroes and descendants
us

from

five to

of the god who rules in war

(velutdeo imperante),
(pluresdco ortos),
ferred
the peopletransof gods (deorum nominibus) which
of the names
who cannot
begina divination
to sacred groves, of the priest

103

GODS.

himself
deos)and who regards
invokingthe gods (precatus
deorum),of a regnatoromnium
of the gods (niinistros
a servant
as
deos in aspectu,Hist. 5,
dens,of the gods of Germany (Germaniae
were
the captured
signa Eomana
17),of the diis patriisto whom
between
penetrates
hung up (Ann. 1, 59); when he distinguishes
dii
deos or dii penatcs (Ann. 2, 10. U, 16),communes
Germaniae

without

guishes
distinhe even
dii (Germ. 18) ; when
(Hist.4, 64),and conjugalcs
names,
individual gods,and tries to suit them with Eoman
Eomana) a Mars, Mercurius,
and actuallynames
(interpretatione
the German
Pollux,Isis,nay, has preserved

Hercules,Castor and

deus terra editus and of his son, and of

of the
appellations

goddess,

time the
possibleto deny
when
is it possible,
we
worshippedveritable gods ? How
the
of the language,
know
all the rest that we
account

Germans
take into

the
liberty,

and

manners,

in

that,sunk

that at that

is it

; how

the terra mater

notion

the

virtues of the Germani, to maintain

stolid fetishism,they cast

themselves

down

logsand puddles,and paid to them their simpleadoration ?

the Germans
who
more
knew
The opinion of C?esar,^
ficially
superbe
cannot
and fiftyyears later,
than Tacitus a hundred
our
He
to contrast
wants
the truth.
allowed
to derogatefrom
before

with

ancestors

Gauls, with

the

he

whom

had

had

more

familiar

and the moon,

of the sun, fire,
personifications
he limits the sum
total of their gods,will hardlybear even
to which
and moon
Eomana'.
If in the placeof sun
a forced
interpretatio
we
put Apollo and Diana,they at once contradict that deeplyrooted
which conceives of the
of the Teutonic way of thinking,
])eculiarity
sun
as
as a female,and of the moon
a male
being,which could not
have escaped the observation of the Eoman, if it had penetrated
deeper. And Vulcan, similar to the Norse Loki, but one of those
the

; but

converse

'

divinities of whom

there is least trace

to

be

found

in the rest

of

less foundation
than the equallyvisible
Teutondom, had certainly
and helpfuldeities of the nourishingearth,and of the quickening,
water.
fish-teeming,
ship-sustaining

statements

of the

more

Dporum

as

half-true

detailed

nimiero

can

only look

upon

Caesar's

which, in the face

roughcastopinion,
testimonyof Tacitus,hardlyavails to cast a
and

solos ducimt, quos eernuiit, et quorum

opibusaperte
et Lunam
fania
lie
quideiii
acceperuiit.
reliquos
;
and Tenchtheri
this B.G. 4, 7 where the Uisiiietes
iinis Suevis concedere,quibus no
dii quideia imiiwrtales
eos

juvantur,Solan et Vulcaiuim
li.G. G, 21.
Compare witli
say to Cjesar : Sese
pares esse possint.

104

GODS.

doubt

other

on

gods,much

less to prove

bare

elements

worship of

the Germani.

among

of individual

earlyexistence

for the

that vouch

All the accounts

and
time to their great number
at the same
gods,necessarily
testify
When
their mutual relationship.
Procopiusascribes a ttoXu? Oewv
to the Heruli,this
great host must also be good for the
o/xiXo'i
and for
know
the fewest particulars,
we
Goths, justthose of whom
all the Germans
together.Jornandes would have us believe that
the Goths
the first to make
Diceneus
was
acquaintedwith gods,
nobilissimos prudentiores
eis tunc
viros,quos
cap. 11 : Elegitex
'

'

numina
instruens
quaedam et sacella venerari suasit ;
theologian!
the ruler who
here evidentlywe
see
promoted the service of
particular
gods. But that Jornandes himself credited his Goths
et
Unde
with unmistakablynative gods,is plain from
cap. 10 :
illiqui piivocabantur, subito patefactis
sacerdotes Gothorum
aliqui,
portiscum citharis et vestibus candidis obviam sunt Qg\Q?"^\patcrnis
modulantes.
Macedones
ut sibi propitii
voce
supplici
repellerent
d'iis,
alien to the
have been totally
The fact here mentioned
even
may
real Goths, but anyhow we
gatherfrom it the opinionof Jornandes.
And
if we
also want
evidence about a race
lying quite at the
oppositeextremityof Germany, one that clung with great fidelity
to

their old-established

it in the

have

faith,we

Lex

Frisionum,

:
subjectis the penaltyon temple-breakers
Immolatur
diis quorum
templa violavit.
arrived at the followingresult.' In the first
have now
We
rested mainly upon
of the Germans
century of our era the religion

addit. tit.13, where

thousand

gods; a

or

the

twelve

section of the race, which

fathers

for

new

one,

the

hundred
the

was

old

years

the northern

later,among

exchange the faith of its

gods is preservedthe most

last to

system of

tradition to either
perfectly.Linked by language and unbroken
extremityof heathenism, both its first appearance in historyand its
fall,stands central Germany from the fifth to the ninth century.
During this period the figuresof the heathen gods,in the feeble
them by the reports of recent converts,
and hostile lightthrown
upon
but stillalways as gods.
before us faded and indistinct,
come
I must
German

gods,no

Grk.

Ukneski

here

Tacitus

repeat, that

image ^

signum,
(iyaXfia,
(seeSuppl.); can the

moulded

statue

Sloven,

in

knows
human

no

simulacrum

he

had

manaUhho,

ON.

shape ;

Gotli. manleika, OHG.

malik, idol,have sprung

what

of

from

manleika?

105

IMAGES.

stated

in cap. 43,
case
generallyin cap. 9, ho asserts of a particular
and
have no ground for disbelieving
his assertion. The existwe
ence
of real statues
at that time in Germany, at least in the parts
best known
to them, would
hardlyhave escapedthe researches of
the Romans.
He
knows
of nothingbut signa and foTvias,
apparently
used in worship as symbols,
carved and coloured,which were
and on
certain occasions carried about ; probably they contained

reference

some

The

model

betokened

the

to whom

taken

of

god

the ferarum
The

of

absence

attributes

was

consecrated

imagines on
further

veste

; and

trees

of the

liburnae

modura

the formac
sailing,

vehiculum

will be discussed

The

and

boat,signuniin

the boar

SuppL).

the nature

to

aprorum

figuratum(cap.9),
(cap.45) the god

in the like

and

coutectum

at

several deities.

sense

are

to

certain sacrifices
of

the

goddess

be

(see

Earth

on.

of statues

and

the impotence
temples,considering
of all artistic skill at the period,is a favourable
feature of the
German
cultus,and pleasingto contemplate. But it by no means
follows that in the people's
fancy the gods were destitute of a form
like the human
this,gods invested with all liuman
; without
would
with man,
and
be
attributes,
brought into daily contact
German
If there was
simply inconceivable.
poetry then in
any
which
I would sooner
assert than
existence,
deny, how should the
poets have depictedtheir god but ^vith a human
aspect ?
Attempts to fashion images of gods,and if not to carve them
of wood
out
and paint them, or quite
or
stone, at least to draw
roughlyto bake them of dough (p.C3),might nevertheless be made
at any period,
the earliest ; it is possible
too, that the interior
even

parts of Germany, less accessible

to

the

Eomans,

concealed

here

turies,
temples,statues and pictures.In the succeedingcenhowever, when
images also,to fill
templeswere
multiplied,
with the greatestprobability
their spaces, may
be assumed.
The terminology,
except where the words simulacra, imagines,
of several
for doubt, are employed,makes
which leave no room
use

and

there

which
Thumb?
finger,also Tliumbkin, Tom
may
have to do with idol
little,
s-mall].Other
[In the Slavic languages,mal
OHG.
terms are avard; piladi,
pilidi(bild)ethgiesor imago in general; in the
!Mid. Ages they said, lor making or forming (p. 23), cin hilde giezcn,eine
ence
scha-ne junclrouwen enjiezen,
Cod. Vindob.
211, without
428, num.
any referbUde mezzen,
to metal-casting
Troj. 19(526,mezzen, IMisc. 2, IttO. On
; em
the Lith. halwrnum, idolum, statua, conf. Pott de ling.Litth. 2, 51, Russ.
of affeL;tion).
bolvdn,Hung, hulcany; Russ. humlr,idol,both lit.and tig.(object
Bohem.

malik, the

little

lOG

GODS.

meaning varies,passingfrom that of temple to that of

image,justas we saw the meaning of grove mixed up with that of
alah originally
that word
rock or
meant
If,as is possible,
numen.
like haruc
and ivih,melt into the
stone
(p.67), it might easily,
terms

whose

sense

of

fanurn,idolum.

statue, of ara,

and

altar

In

this way

the

signifyboth fana and

idola or statuae, Diut. 1, 497^ 513'' 515^ 533^ justas our gotze is at
the false god and his image and his temple (see above, p. 15.
once
had a similar ambiguity,
must
have
Gramm.
3, 69-1). Idolum
from
and
delubrum, fanum
wdiere it is not expresslydistinguished
templum. In generalphrases such as idola colere,idola adorare,
that images are
be sure
cannot
idola destruere,we
meant, for just
truere
often and with the same
as
meaning we have adorare fana,desLook
fana.
at the
followingphrases taken from OHG.
abcut
wihero
stetio,fana excelsorum, Diut. 1, 515\
: ahcuti
glosses
Diut. ], 213^
steininu zeihan
in heilogem stetim, fana in excelsis,
OHG.

ahcut,ahcuti

(Abgott,false god)

1, 49 7^

inti ahcuti,titulos et statuas, Diut.

inti

haruga,aras

et statuas

Lacombl.

arch. 1, 11.

gana,

idols, pp.
Emmerammi

(Acta

Saxonum,

(Aribo,bishop
Lebuini,written

of

by

in the 8th

Freisingenin
Hucbald

suis vota

the

Inservire

years

statues

In

ac

few

instances

find the

we

falsegods
The

of the

ancient

simulacra
.

colitis.

vita

cultibus

sacrificia

putatis,quosque
be meant
must
(seeSuppL).

evidence

764-783).

idolorum

S.

genti

te

venerando

esse

tradidero

918-976, says

for

vita

Aribonis

century served many

deos

simulacra

existit' is undeniable

between

solvens

afgoda began-

uses

in

statement

cultor

(Pertz 2, 361-2):

numinihus

often

Sept. 6, 483)

tot idolorum

quae

Gram,

The

sanct.

that the heatlien Saxons

Saxons

Saxo

249, 320-1-5-7=

inti manalihun

altara

lucos, Diut. 1, 513^

et
"

does

Here,

no

quae

doubt,

nobler

designationdeus still
Cumque idem rex (Eadwine

employed,as it had been by Tacitus :

in 625) gratias
Beda 2, 9.
ageretdiis suis pro nata sibi filia,
of gods ;
The followingpassages testify
to visible representations
to describe
to
them, and we are content
they do not condescend
pick up hints by the way.
The very earliest evidence takes us alreadyinto the latter half
of the 4th

century, but it is

Hist. eccl. 6,
among

Goths

of the most

the manifold

37, mentions

the heathen

one

remarkable.

dangersthat

Wliile the barbarians

were

Sozomen,

beset

Ulphilas

yet heathens

107

IMA.GES.

(ert

eWrjvi.Kco'i6pT](TK"v6vT(ov)
eX\7]viK(oihere

^ap^dpcov

Twv

"

(toworship)is presently
6pr)aK6vetv
described more
minutely,when the persecutionof the Christians
by Athanaric is related Athanaric, liavingset the statue (evidently
of the Gothic
{^oavoue0' apfiafid^rj'i
deity)on a umggon
eo-Too?),
ordered it to be carried round to the dwellingsof those suspected
down
and
sacrifice {irpoaKvof Christianity
; if they refused to fall
velv Kol 6v"Lv),
to be fired over
their heads.
their houses were
By
covered
is
this
the
understood
not
is
a
carriage
exactly
dppbd[ia^a
;
the goddess,
herself unseen,
vcMculum
veste contectum, in which
was
Is it not the vagn in which
carried about (Tac.Germ. 40) ?
Freyr
in
and his priestess
holy days he journeyed round among
sat, when
the Swedish
people (Fornm. sog. 2, 74-5)? The people used to
the fields,
by which fertility
carry about covered images of gods over
in heathen

means

fashion,and

"

was

bestowed

them.'^

upon

Even

the harrdsclien in

our

poems

of

Ages, with Saracen gods in them, and the carroccio of the

cence
to be nothingbut a late reminiscities (EA. 263-5)seem
Lombard
The Eoman,
of these primitive
gods'-waggonsof heathenism.
such carriages.
not without
Greek and Indian gods too were
What
Gregory of Tours tells us (2,29-31) of the baptism of
Chlodovich
(Clovis)and the events that preceded it,is evidently
I take to be
touched up, and the speechesof the queen
especially
fictitious; yet he would
hardlyhave put them in her mouth, if it
had no gods or statues at all.
that the Franks
known
were
generally
the Mid.

speaks thus to her husband, whom

(Clotilda)
dii
prepossess in favour of baptism : Nihil sunt

Chrothild
to

qui neque
hqnde aut

sibi neque

aliis

poterunt subvenire

; sunt

she
quos

enim

is trying

colitis,
aut

ex

nomina
vero, quae
lignoaut ex metallo aliquoscidpti,
dii.
Here
she
homines
eis indidistis,
bringsup Satiirnns
fuere,non
ex

and

with
JiijAtcr,

and

then

Quid

from
classical mythology;
arguments drawn
Mars
Mcrcuriusi^iwepotuere ? qui potius sunt

magicisartibus praeditiquam divini numinis potontiam habuere.

et omnia
Sed ille magis coli debet qui coelum et terram, mare
quae
Scd
"c.
haec
extantibus
in eis sunt, verbo ex non
cum
procreavit,
regisanimus movebatur,
regina diceret,nullatenus ad credendum
ac
nostrorum
sed diccbat : Dcorum
jussionecuncta crcantur
j)ro1
vita
De simulacro quod percanipos
snperstit.
portant (Indie,
cap. 28) ; one
rusticis
liaec
Gallonini
essut
consne9
S. Martini
252)
: Quia
(Suiius 6,
cap.
cii'tiulo,simulacra (kiemomim, candido teda vdamine, niisera per agros sues

cumierre

dementia.

108

GODS.

(leunt;deus
nee

de deorum

When

nihil posse manifestatur,et quodmagis est,

German
esse probatur(that sounds
enough!).

vester

vero

gcnere

little boy dies

their

remarks

Chlodovich

in

Si

receivingchristian baptism,

after

soon

nomine

deorum

meorum

fuisset

puer

quia in nomine dei vestri

non
potuit. So detailed a report of
est, vivere omuino
baptizatus
hundred
Chlodovich's heathenism, scarcely
a
years after the event,
would be absurd, if
of a well instructed priest,
and from the mouth
of it. When
truth at the bottom
there were
once
no
Gregory had
of gods in the placeof the Frankish
(inwhich
put his Latin names
as
he simply followed the views and fashion of his time),he would
dicatus, vixisset

utique;

autem,

nunc

"

of

matter

course

it is not

; and

myths

Latin

those

to surround

on

go

be

to

with

names

the appropriate

overlooked, that

the

four

days of the week, the very kind

it was
which
quite customary to identifywith native gods. I
think myself entitled therefore,to quote the passage as proving at
the Franks (seeSuppL).
least the existence of images of gods among
the earlypart of the Vtli
incident from
The
narrative of an
deities named

century
Trcs

ergo

imagines

ibi colebat, quibus

So

credebat.

the

says

oratorium

uavicula

Egresside

Post

adierunt.

S. Galli (Pertz 2,

Vita

in his Vita

Sti'abo

by Walafrid

mundi

Creatori

quam

(8th)century.

of the next

course

magis

in

honore

orationem,

7)

written

(actaBened.

S. Galli

S. Aureliae
per

cum

reddenda

vota

detailed account

more

612

gentilitas
superstitiosa

dcauratas

et

aereas

in

of Constance

the Lake

at Bregenz on
idolatry

of

seat

upon

St. Gallus

and

Columban

Alamannia.

concerns

came

the

gods of

all

are

gyrum

sec.

the

in
is

given
2. p. 233) :

constructum

oculis cuncta

lustrassent,
placuitillis qualitaset situs locorum, deinde

oratione

sibi fecerunt.
Eepererunt
praemissacirca oratorium mansiunculas
deauratas
parietiafjixas^
in templo ires imaginesaereas
quas
autem
populus,dimisso altaris sacri cultu, adorabat, et ohlatis sacrificiis
dicere consuevit : isti sunt dii veteres et antiquihujus loci tutores,
quorum

solatio et

promiscuisexus

honorem,
1

et nostra

etiam

verum

So then, in

churcli

et

ad

in praesens.
ageretur,venit multitude

perdurantusque

ejusdem templi solemnitas

Cumque
minima

nos

aetatis,non
videndos

tantum

peregrines,
quos

non

cognoverant

old heathen gods'

imageshad
stillattached
wlio
^vere
people,
couf. Ledebur's
of this practice,

conciliate the

propter festivitatis

reallychristian,these

heen let into the wall,probaLly

several later instances
There
are
to tliem ?
Thiir. mitth. VI. 2, 13 (see iSuppl.).
archiv. 14, 363. 378.
to

109

IMAGES.

(Columbani) Gallus

abbatis

venerandi

Jussu

advenisse.

et in conspectu
coepitviam veritatis ostendere populo,
in frustacomminucns
omnium
simulacra, et lapidibus
jiroarripiens

is

His visis nonnulli

lacum.

in
jccit

in

oratory built

of St.

honour

sunt

ad dominum.

christian

lieatlien and

of

strange jumble

conversi

worship.

Aurelia,three heathen

Here

"

In

statues

an

still

againstthe wall,to which the people continue to sacrifice,

the christian altar: to them, these are stilltheir
without going near
the images
has knocked
old tutelary
deities. After the evangelist
them
into Lake
thrown
to piecesand
Constance, a part of these
to Christianity.
heathen turn
placesthan one
Probably in more
the earliest christian communities
degenerated in like manner,
owing to the preponderance of the heathen multitude and the
supinenessof the clergy. A doubt may be raised,however, as to
whether
by these heathen gods are to be understood Alamannish, or
gods ? Eomau
paganism in a district of the old
possiblyRoman
Helvetia is quiteconceivable,
and dii tutores loci sounds almost like
be remembered, that
the very thing. On the other hand it must
stand

Alamanns

had been

worshipthan

settled here for three

any

other

hardlybe at that time the popularone. That

the neighbouringLake of Zurich^ (supra,
p. 56)
in his older biography of the two
saints,

theirs could

sacrifice to Woden

on

by Jonas
altogetherGerman.
Lastly,the
to be jointly
worshipped stands

mentioned
was

and
centuries,

of

association

three

vinities
di-

prominent feature in
the Eomans
dedicated a temple to
domestic heathenism
our
; when
their images were
not
several deities,
placed side by side,but in
Eatpert (Casus S. Galli,Pertz 2, 61)
separate celiac (chapels)."
the

have

to

seems

subsequentone
est ad

quae

lumque

ab

the

confounded
at

out

events, that

two

Bregenz:Tucconiam

ubi
caput lacus Turicini,
demonum

L.

on

Zurich,and

(toTuggen) advenerunt,
vellent,
popu-

consistere

cum

(nam

adhuc

idolis

immolahant),
ct in lacum vicinuvi demergcnte,
vana
confringcnte
populus
in iram conversus.
sanctos
exinde pepulerunt. Inde iter
agentes pervenerunt ad castrum
quod Arbona nuncupatur, juxta
errore

revocare

(Jallo idola

Moiie
Curionsly,

worship at
of the

(Gesch. des hcid. 1, 171-5) tries

'J'liK'^'cn
upon

the

Heruli,who

had

never

to

put tliis W(jdenof there,instead

been heard

Ahunanns, because

But

this means
of distant ones.
order

to

convert

the district lies

Jonas says : Sunt inibi vicinae naliones Suevoruin.

tliose
settled thereabouts ; there was
occasion to speak
no
simply
Columban
in
to himself,
was
stavingin a placenot ai,'reenl)le
tlie heathen

inhabitants

; and

infrapartes Alamanniae, where

too,
by Wal'atVid's
description
intra would
do just as well.

110

GODS.

potamicum,ibiquea Willimaro presbytero honorifice suscepti,

gaudio permanserunt. Qui a Sanctis interrogatus,
septem dies cum

lacum

si sciret locum

in solitudine

illorum

ostendit

proposito congruum,

nomine
jocundissimum ad inhabitandum
Brigantium.
Ibique reperientestemplum olim christianae religioni
dedicatum,
demomim
autem
et consenunc
imaginihiis
pollutum,mundando
in pristinum restituerunt statum, atque pro
crando
statuis quas
ibidem collocaverunt.
sanctae Aureliae reliquias
ejecerunt,
By this
also the temple is first of all christian,
and
account
afterwards
therefore not an old Eoman
occupied by the heathen (Alamanns),

eis locum

"

one.

That

Woden

to

pieces,
may

broken

statue

almost

was

one

be inferred from

beer-sacrifice offered to him.

the

only the

vague

words

of those idola

vana

Jonas's

cantilena
Eatpert's

that

were

account

of

S. Galli

has

Castra de

Turegum adnavigantTucconium,
Decent
fidem gentem, Jovcm linquuntardentem.
This
the peopleapostatized,
Jupiteron fire,from whom
may
very
but
well be Donar
his statue is not alluded to.
(Thunar,Thor),
IV. quotes Jovis
According to Arx (on Pertz 2, 61),Eckehardus
find the passage ; conf. p. 122
et Neptuni idola,'but I cannot
Ermoldus
Nigelluson Neptune. It is plainthat the three statues
have to do with the idolatryon
L. Constance, not with that on L.
Zurich ; and if Mercury,Jupiterand Neptune stood there together,
deities.
the firsttwo at all events
may be easilyappliedto German
about Neptune. But I think
In ch. VII, I will impartmy conjecture
tres imagines have a better
we
may conclude from all this,that our
claim to a German
origin,than those imagines lapideaeof the
'

Luxovian

forest,cited

on

p. 83^

by Gregoryof Tours on statues of Diana in the Treves

country, and of Mercury and Mars in the soiith of Gaul, though they exchide
all thought of German
deities,
yet offer strikingcomparisons. Hist. 8, 15 :
estis monte
territorium
Trevericae
urbis expetii,et in quo
Deinde
nunc
hie Dianae
habitaculum,quod cernitis,
propriolabore construxi ; reperitamen
simulacrum,quod populus hie incredulus quasi deum adorahat. columnam, etiam
in qua cum
grandi cruciatu sine ullo pedum stabam tegmine.
statui,
multitudo
vicinarum
civitatiun confluere coepit,
A^'erum ubi ad me
praedicabam
nihil esse Dianam, nihil simulacra,
nihilquequae eis videbatur exerceri
jugiter,
cantica
cultura : indigna etiam esse ipsa,quae inter poculaluxuriasqueprofluas
fecit ac terram, dignum
sed potius deo omnipotenti,qui coelum
proferebant,
etiam
sit sacrificium laudis impendere. orabam
saepius,ut simulacro dominus
miseriFlexit domini
diruto
discutere.
dignaretur populum ab hoc errore
1

Two

narratives

in verba
cordia menteiu
suam
rusticam, ut inclinaret aurem
convocatis
relictis idolis dominum
aequeretur, (et) tunc
simulacrum
hoc immensum, quod elidere propria virtute

oris mei, ut scilicet

quibusdam ex eis
non
poteram, cum

Ill

BIAGES.

authorityfor images of gods among the Saxons is the

of Corvei (1,12),where
famous
he relates
passage in Widekind
their victoryover
the Thuringianson the E. Unstrut
530),
(circ.
Mane
ad
ut majorum memoria
autem
orientalem
facto,
prodit :
vidoriae
portam (of castle Schidungen) ponunt aquilam,aramque
errorem
construentes, secundum
paternum, sacra sua propriaveneratione venerati sunt, nomine
cohimnarum
imitantes
Martem, effigie
Graeci
Herculem, loco Solem
appellantAjJoIlinem.This
quem
than one
importantwitness will have to be called up againin more
The

chief

'

"

connexion.
To

Corvei

the

1145, where

annals, at year

the

Eresburg is
century hand (Pertz

spoken of,the followingis added by a 12th

5, 8 note): Hec eadem Eresburg est corruptovocabulo dicta,quam
et Julius
Cesar
Eomano
imperio subegit,quando et Arispolis
habuit ab eo qui Aris
Greca
nomen
designationeac 3Iars ipse
Duobus
dictus est Latino famine.
siquidem idolis hec dedita fuit,
id est Aris, qui urhis mcniis insertus,
quasidominator dominantium,
et Ermis, qui et Mcrcurius
mercimoniis
insistentibus colebatur in
forensibus.
on

statue

of Mars

to have

seems

stood

the town-wall.
That

to

Accordingto this,a

"

be

the Frisian

sufficient evidence.

84) mentions
hands

templescontained

on

the

It is true, the passage

only fana dei ;

sacred

images of gods,there

we

are

fountain,not

about

told that Wilibrord

that he

demolished

seems

Fosite

(p.

laid violent
any

image.

adjutoriopossem eruere
reliqiiasigillorum(tliesniallor
; jam enim
faciliora
autem
multis
figures)quae
erant, ipse confregeram. Convenientibus
eorura

ad hanc

Dianae

statuam,missis funibus traliere coeperunt,sed nihil labor eorimi

proficere
poterat. Then came
prayers ; egressusque post orationem ad operarios

crum
veni,adprehensumquefunem ut prime ictu trahere coepimus,protinussimularuit in terram, confradumque cum
malleis ferreis
m
pulveremredegi. So
to the ground, whose
structive
images went
contemplationwe should think very inThis Diana
now.
and
Gallic
was
probably a mixture of Roman
of a Diana
arduiiina (Bouquet 2, 319). The
worship ; there are inscriptions
second passage
stands in Mirac. 2, 5 : Erat autem
baud
procul a cellula,
constrnxerat
sepulchrum,martyris (Juliani Arvernensis)haec matrona
quam
cjrande delubrum,ubi in columna
altissima siinulachrum
(in vico Brivatensi),
Martis Mercuriiqne
colebatur. Cumque delubri illiusfesta a gentilibusagerentur
mortui
thura
mortuis
medio e vulgo commoventur
ac
deferrent,
pueri duo in
The
scandalum, nudutociueunus
gladio alterum appetit trucidandum.
lioy
to the saint's cell,
and is saved.
runs
vellet
Quarta autem
die,cum
gentilitas
iterum diis exhibere liljamina,
the christian priests
offer a fervent jirayer to the
the heathens
terrified : Kecedente
are
martyr, a violent thunderstorm
arises,
autem
coluerant confringentes!,
in
statuas
tempestate, gentilesbaptizati,
quas
lacnm vico amnitjue proximum projecerunt.Soon after this,
the Burgundians
settled in tlie district. The statues broken d(n\n,crushed to powder, and tlimg
into the lake,every bit the same
as in that story of Ratpert's.
"

"

GODS.

112
On

(Pertz2, 339),in describing

this
under
(circ.716), uses
King Eedbod
Francorum
ecclesiarum
Christi, quae
prius
Bonifacii

the otiier hand, the Vita

the

reaction

heathen

language: Jam
pars
subjectaerat imperio,vastata

erat

destructa,idolorum

ac

quoque

if it
renovata.
And
lugubriter
here is equivalentto deorum, the
should be thought that idolorum
esse
: Insanum
Vita Willehadi
definitely
(Pertz2, 380) says more
fanis

exstructis delubrorum

cultura

et vanum

lapidibusauxilium

dedita

nimium

Quo

stridebant

dentibus

profanum longiusvivere,imo
dcos

contra

invidissimos

suos

simulacris

in

eum,

et surdis

mutis

fera

audito,gens

solatium.

subsidii sperare

et

petere

et

idololatriis

dicentes, non

debere

sacrilegia
proferrepraesumsisseteloquia. The
esse

reum

mortis, qui tam

"

belongsto the middle of the 8th century, and the narrator

not
hundred
are
a
Anskar
years later ; still we
(f 865) comes
I
ilourishes. And
his words
in looking upon
as
warranted
mere
what
is
have
that we
a rightto take for empty
phrases,
not sure
am
written till 839 :
not
was
said in a Vita S. Goari (f 649),which
in Eipuaria),simulacrorum
Coepit gentilibusper circuitum (i.e.
idolorum
verbum
cultui deditis et vana
superstitionis
deceptis,
salutis annuntiare
(Acta Bened. sec. 2, p. 282), Such biographies
event

are

usuallybased
Frisians

The

on

are

older memorials.
in

every

the

sense

pointof

consideringthe multifarious
adjoiningnations, nothing can be

Scandinavians
these two

transition

intercourse

with

the

between

natural

more

to

than

to

their

neighbours
the habit of temple and
image worship. Even Fosete's temple in
HeligolandI can hardlyimagine destitute of images.
them
out of wood
in carvingfigures
or
Some
chiselling
facility
should
have expected from those
is no more
than we
out of stone
in Tacitus, and the art might go on
improving up
signaand effigies
and other implements that we
to a certain stage. Stone weapons
find in barrows
testifyto a not unskilful handling of difficult
materials.
That not a singleimage of a Teutonic
god has escaped
that the Frisians also had

suppose

the destructive

surpriseus
"Why, even
and

term

less than
in the

time

the total

North, where

their destruction

all the

of

hand

occurred

in

and

common

the zeal of the

disappearanceof

the heathen

temples.

of

images was

greater,

the

much

number

there is not
later,

Lethrian, all the Upsalianidols

in

the Norse

was

christians,need

are

clean gone.

one

The

preserved;
technical

shurdgo^ (Fornm. sog. 2, 73-5),from

skera

113

IMAGES.

skurd (sculptura)
referred to, it is
(sculpere),
; in the two passages
likueski af Freyr. Biorn
from
idolum, sculptile,
gives sJcdrgoff,
because it had to be placed under
skur, subgrundium (penthouse),
the OHG.
it were
as
skurguta (Graff
; with which
cover, in sheds
But there is no distinct proof of an
to agree.
ON,
6, 536) seems
skurgoS.
Dietmar's account
is silent about the gods'images at Lethra ^ ;
of those at Upsal (cap.233),the
in Adam
of Bremen's
description
remarkable
most
as
thing is,that three statues are specified,
they
Nunc
in that temple of the Alamanns
de superstitione
were
:
Sveonum

pauca

Ubsola

dicemus.

Nohilissinium

ilia gens templum habet,

Sictona civitate (Sigtiin)

non
dicitur,

longepositum a
In hoc templo,quod totum
vel Birka.
auro
ex
paratum est,statuas
trium
deorum veneratur
Thor
populus,ita ut potentissimuseorum
in medio
solium habeat triclinio. Hinc
et inde locum
possident
Wodau
The further description
et Fricco.
have nothing to do
w-e
with here, but there occurs
it also the term
the
m
scidpere
; as
whole
decorated with gold,he
ex
auro
temple was
paratum, i.e.,
of tlie gods above all as
might doubtless have described the figures
those in Alamannia
et deaiiratae.
Saxo
as
were
aereae
gilded,
j\ist
Septentrionis
p. 13 tells of a golden statue of Othin ; Cujus numen
cultu
prosequicupientes,
effigiemipsiuscmreo
reges propensiore
indicem
maxima
suae
complexisivmlacro,statnam
dignationis
cum
religionissimulatione
Byzantium transmiserunt, cujus etiani
confertissimo
brachiorum
lineamenta
armillarum
pondere perstringebant.The whole passage, with its continuation,is not only
but contraryto the genuine mytlis; we
unhistorical,
can
only see
of the gods taken by Saxo and his period,and
in it the view
inasmuch
as
consonant
golden and bedizened images of gods were
quod

"

with

such

view, we

may

infer that there

still lived in his time

of such

figures(seeSuppL).

describingHerold's

(Harald's)interview

recollection

mentions

4, 444

Ermoldus
with

in
Nigellus,

King

Charles,

of
(Pertz2, 509-10) the gods images(sculpta)
the heathen, and
that he was
said to have
had ploughshares,
kettles and water-buckets
forgedof that metal. According to the
to
Nialssagacap. 89, in a Norwegian temple (goSahus)there were
three figures
be seen
again,those of Thor and the two half-goddesses
size,and adorned with armlets ;
ThorgerSrand Irpa,of human
^

On

seq.

discovered figures
of
recently

'

Wudan.
Odin,'v. infra,

114

GODS.

probably Thor sat

of Thor
portraitures
in Norway.^
One
but

159, and

Thor

and

cap.

Fornm.

middle

to have

temple
of

in

on

been
which

his

in

in vogue, at least

those most

skurdgoS were

many

is descriljed
all,

1, 295. 302-6;

Altogetherthe

car.

in Fornm.

2, 44

sog.

read:

we

2, 153

Thorr

shipped,
wor-

and
sat

hann
mikill ok allr gidlihiXinn ok
var
tignaSr,
et argento confectus)
; conf. Olafs helga saga, ed.
of Thor is described ;
118-9, where a largestandingfigure
Isl.
Freyr gioiraf silfri,
sog. 4, 245, ed. Christ, p. 26.

1, 134.

sog.

the

seem

most

his statue

midju ok var
silfri(ex auro
Holm.

hi

mest

Landn.

3, 2.

One

man

carried

statuette

of Thor

in his pocket,so
Thors af tonn gert)
(likneski
Fornm.
when
christians,
to worship him
as
secretly,
livingamong
the
Thor's figurewas
carved
on
ondvegis
-pillars,
sog. 2, 57.
of ships,
2, 12 ; and on the prows
Eyrbygg. p. 8. Landnamab.
with
A figureof ThorgerSrholgabriiSr,
Fornm.
rings
sog. 2, 324.
Fornm.
of gold round the arm, to which
people kneel,
sog. 2, 108.^

carved

in whalebone

Magnnsen, bidragtil norclisk archaeologie,

pp. 113-159.
The fignre
of ThorgerSr
is another thing to notice in this passage.
off its arm, and the
snatch
tried
a
to
when
lent its hand
some
one
ring
up,
then brought a
man
goddesswas not disposedto let him have it. Tlie same
shed
his
knees
and
fell
on
laid it at the figure's
lot of money,
tears,then
feet,
The
the
let
which
the
now
at
and
figure
more
once
ring,
grasped
rose
go.
up
I
it
103.
as
a
the
tokl
in
is
genuine
regard
same
Foereyingasaga,
cap. 23, p.
like others which afterwards passed into christian
tiait of heathen
antiq^uity,
than one
iolk-tales of the Mid. Ages (seeSuppl.).Of more
image of grace we
its
shoe
its
it
or
a
told
that
off
footas a giftto those
are
dropt a ringoff finger
its
shoes
to
Christ
A
of
(Nicolai
a poor man
before
it.
who prayed
figure
gave
saint's
its
and
ed.
Werhiuft"
a
image
gold slippers
abbatis peregrinatio,
p. 20),
A figureof
Henneb.
des
Archiv.
71).
584.
vereins,
7",
pp.
(Mones anz.
7,
bends
her
and
as
a
to
that
is
finger
signthat
presented it,
Mary acceptsa ring
The
two
Maerl.
recueil
296-7.
2,
214).
she will keep it (Meon nouv.
2,
ent
differhave
at
one
and
bottom,
Meon
in
Maerlant,though
very
Virgin-stories
of ball pulls the
at a game
man
In the latter,
a young
turns
given them.
and puts it on the hand of a Madonna
; in the former,the
ring off his finger,
his
and
at
the
Colosseum
ring on the fingerof a
Rome,
puts
youth is boxing in
hold the man
to his
Both
now
the
which
bends
heathen statue,
figmes
finger.
afilicted
the
an
makes
French
youth
bring
the
O.
c-ngagement. But
poem
oil
the
the
takes
the
heathen
the
ring
Mary
one,
image of Mary to bear on
13142.
13265.
it to the youth. Conf. Kaiserchr.
and restores
other figure,
relates
Scott's
minstr.
"Forduni
407
chronicon
136),
2,
Scoti
(W.
13323.
1,
playingat ball slipshis
tliis fable as an event of the 11th century : a nobleman
and
of
broken
statue
only gets it back with the
Venus,
ring on the fingerof a
understands
who
Palumbus
magic. We see the story had
help of a priest
evid. a
in
its origin['wndeutsch,'
Teutonic
old
it
is
spreadat an earlytime, but
hands
her
her
in
the
infant
of
lap
slipfor itrdeutsch].Even in a painting Mary,
turn
s
tatues
fol.
341
Cod.
63). Similarly,
pal.
a casket to give to a
suppliant,
to "protect,
laugh,weep, eat and walk ;
the face aivaij, stretch out the arm
they speaJc,
78.
itself
262),another beginsto eat
tluis a figureof Christ turns
away (Ls. 3,
to
away
and grow bigger (Kinderm. legendenno. 9),
weep, to beckon,to run
1

Finn

There

115

IMAGES.

af

(Frcyr markaSr
Frcy'sstatue of silver,
carried abuiit in

tells of
Jonisvikingasaga
which

were

in

waggon

Sweden, Fornm.

temple on

gods,Fornm.

Imndred

Vatnsd.
silfri),

Gautlaud
sog.

11, 40

p. 44. 50

sog. 2, 73-7.

"

The

(I.of Gothland),in
densitas
; trulya
'

(seep. 83). Saxo Gram. 327 mentions

oaktree
in oak ? or an
simulacrum
a
qucrcii factum, carved
worshippedas divine ? (seeSuppl).
two figuresside by side are
Not
only three,but occasionally
and
those of Wuota7i and Donar
or of Mars
mentioned, particularly
Merciirius,as w^e see from the passages cited. Figures of Freyr
in Miiller's
and
Thor
together,and of Frigg and Freyja,occur
such joint
Names
of placesalso often indicate
1, 92.
sagabibl.
the Donnerseiche
(Thor's
worship of two divinities,
e.g. in Hesse
oak) stood close by the Wodansberg ; and explorerswould do well
to attend to the point.
of the statues,nor their descripBut noitlier the allegednumber
tions
for
what
historical
do
in the sagas can
they
;
pass
prove is,
there were.
that statues
They appear mostly to have been hewn
out of wood, some
perhapswere painted,clothed,and overlaid with
also to be met with,
silver or gold; but no doubt stone images were
.^
of copper or ivory
and smaller ones
for
the mention
of a peculiarterm
I have put off until now
of heathen idols connect
accounts
striking
statue, with which some
as
imaginuni,'

has

Jonas

it

themselves.

irmansidi, pyramides,Mons. 360.

irmansid, colossus,
aveirUn, irmansiUt, pyramides. Doc. 203^
Bias. 86.
colossus est irminsiM,
altissima
columna, Florent. 987^^,
OHG.

glosseshave

the

Gl. Schletst. 18, 1. 28, 1.

to

judge by

the synonym

word

The

literal

meaning

seems

to be

statue,

avard, which in Gl. Jun. 226 is used

for

(Deutsche Scaqen, no. 347. Tettaus,preuss. sagen, pp. 211-5-8). In Eeinbot's

Georg tlie idol Apollois floggedwith rods by a child,and forced to walk away
of the god Perun, Avhom, according to monk
(3258-69),which reminds one
Nestor,Vladimir the Apostoliccaused to be scourgedwith rods. In an Indian
Antiquity
story I find a statue that eats the food set before it,Poller 2, 302-3.
then did not regard these images altogetheras lumps of dead matter, but as
penetratedl)ythe life of the divinity. The Greeks too have stories of statues
shake the lance, fall on their kness,close their eyes {KaTajj-vaeis),
that move,
bleed and sweat, which
may have been suggestedby the attitudes of ancient
I
of the hand, bending a finger,
images ; but of a statue making a movement
in images of gods
have nowhere
the position
of the arms
as
read,significant
those whom
held to be.
over
That the gods themselves x^ 'P" vneptxovcnv
was
as
they wish to protect,occurs
earlyus in Homer.
1

Finn

Maynusen

ibid. 132-7.

116

GODS.

imago. It was not yet extinct in the 12th century, as

the beginning
from two placesin the Kaiserchronik, near
appears
of them ; it is said of
and very likelythere are more
of the poem,
Mercury (Massmann 129) :
uf einir ynnensule
Upon an yrmensul
Stood an idol huge,
stuont ein abgot ungehiure,
Him
den hiezen sie ir koufman.
tlieycalled their
and

statua

"

merchant.

Again

of Julius

"

On

sluon-en.
uf einir yrmensul sie in

Magus
yrmensul er steic.

lif eine

lantvolc

daz

im

allesamt

the

where
chapter,
Grail

as

Further, in

yrmensulhe climbed,

an

aU bowed.

land-folk to him

The

the

of

Frankish

Charles

destroyeda
Heresburg^

chief seat

seul

inneren

annals

Great

the

stated, that

'

MS.

Hanover

(Hahn 6151),the

text

On

neic.

described, instead

are

yrm.

god. Nay, in Wolfram's Titurel,last

of the (christian)
temple of the
great pillars

is,worshipped him

That

an

begruoben.
(Massm. 4432) :"

24"

of Simon

And

untrulyslew,
they buried him.

him

Eomans

ungetruweliche

in

Eomere

(Massm. 624) :

Csesar

in

'

of

printed

the

reads irmensdl
correctly

more

ad

ann.

his

it is

772

of

conquest

repeatedly

not
superstition,

of their heathen

Saxons

the

far from

Westphalia,and that it was called Irin insul. Ann.

et conquisivit
Karolus perrexitin Saxoniam
Petav. : Domnus
rex
Erisburgo,et pervenitad locum qui dicitur Ermensul, et succendit
ea

loca

in

(Pertz 1, 16).

Ann.

Lauresh.

Fuit

Carlus hostiliter

rex

Irminsul

(Pertz
Hirin the Chron. Moissiac, except the spelling
1, 30). The same
minsul
(Pertz 1, 295),and in Ann. Quedlinb.,"c. (Pertz 5, 37).
Saxonorum
idolum
combussit, quod
Karolus
Ann.
Juvavenses
:
in Saxonia, et destruxit

eorum
/a?iM?/i

quod vocatur

(Pertz1, 88). Einhardi Fuld. annales : Karolus

Saxet idolum
bello aggressus, Eresburgum castrum
Saxoniam
cepit,
onum
quod vocabatur Irminsul destruit (Pertz1, 348). Ann. EatisEresburc et Irminsul
(Pertz1,
bon. : Carolus in Saxonia conquesivit

dicebant

92).Ann.
fanum et
1

Now

incline

us

Irminsul

Lauriss.: Karlus
lucum

eovum.

in Saxonia

famosum

castrum

Irminsul

Stadtbergen,conf. the extract

to puslithe pillar
(seule)some

forest ; Clostermeier
Eggesterstein,
pp. 26-7
Saracho 735. 350. Conf. Massmann's
Saxonico

from

subvertit
Dietmar
miles

(Pertz1, 117).

but

strong

into

deeper
Eresburg,Horohus
Eggesterst.
p. 34.

15
:

Aeresburg expugnat,

the

in pago

reasons

Osning
Hessi

117

GODS.

prima vice,
et ipsum
ad Ermensul
cepit,
usque pervenit,
Aeresburgum castrum
et argentum quod ibi repperitabstulit.
fanum destruxit,et aurum
loco ubi
Et fuit siccitas magna, ita ut aqua deficeret in supradicto
Ermeimd
stabat,"c. (Pertz1, 150). Einhardi Ann. : Ferro et igni
idoluvi quod Irmincuncta depopulatus,
Aeresburgum castrum cepit,
Ann.

Lauriss.

pen-exitpartibusSaxoniae

hide

Et

in Ann.
(Pertz1, 151); repeated
Ormensul (Pertz1,220, 557).^
and Cliron. Piegin.,with
spelling
Tilian.,
ion
Dietmar of Merseburg(Pertz5, 744) further tells us, in connexAnd
Sed exercitus captaurbe (Eresburcli)
ingressus,
with later events:
juvenem praefatumusque in ecclesiam S. Petri,ubi priusah antiqids
Irminsul
colehatur,bello defatigatumdepulit. Taking all these
Irminsul passes
tions
gradathrough the very same
passages together,
now
unfolded
in ch. IV, and signifies
of meaning we
fanum,
vast
that
be doubted,
idolum
itself. It can scarcely
now
lucus,now
of
that region: what if Osning^ the name
w^oodlands extended over
in which
the pillarstood, betokened a liolythe mountain-forest
Charles was
supposed to
loood ? The gold and silver hoard,which

sul

evertit

vocabatur

Saxonibus

"

have

seized

of Fuld

the heathen

on

Ptuodolf

legendaryembellishment.^
the Irminsul

into detail about

more

goes

statement

well be

there,may

Saxons, that

'

; after his

arboribus

frondosis

general
fonti-

Truncum
(p.101),he goes on:
sub divo
liyninon
magnitudinisin altum erectum
parvae
quoque
quod Latine
appellantes,
colebant,patria eum
lingua Irminsul
dicitur universalis columna, quasi sustinens omnia
(Pertz2, 67G),

busque

venerationem

Poeta

Saxo

'

exhibebant

1, 65 (Bouquet 5, 1.37):

quod vocitaliant
Irminsul,cujusfactura simulque columna
Non
operisparvifuerat,pariterquedecoris.
Gens

eadein

coluit simulacrum

tain
(p. 25), which denoted a god,and also a mounwould
be Ansninc, Ensninc.
G. the name
But, beside this
; in High
(Pertz 2, 447), there stood also a
mons
Theotmelli, i.e. Detmold
Osnengi near
silva Osning not far from Osnabriick (Mdser urk. no 2),and a third in Eipuaria
to have exthe Lower
Rhine (Lacomblet no 310. 34.'}.354),which
tended
seems
on
in
towards the Ardennes
far as Aachen
(Aix la Chap.),mentioned
as
2

6s is the Sax. form

for

cms

Vilkinasagacap. 40 ; and accordingto Barsch on

itself was
110, and llattemerS,602% the Ardennes
charter above, the forest there
By the Osnabruck
modelled

on

the

Osning of

(ad similitudinem

Aachen

tinentis).That Osning is met

meaning [than that of a mere

with in several

Schannat's
called

illustr.
Eiflia,

1,

Osninka, Oseninch.

been
to have
appears even
foresti Aquisgranum per-

places,
speaksfor

more

general

it is
like as, ans, and fairguni,
proper
the sacred mountain
and forest. Ledebur
takes the Teutoburgiensissaltus to
be Osning. OA'?iabrtick,
nearlyrelated.
(bridgeof the ases) seems
ylsvicl^ruggi
3

Is this

(Saxo Gram.

Ermen-pillarhoard
106.

Keinh.

name]

an

allusion to the

fuchs CLII.)

legendof

Ermenrich's

hoard

118

GODS.

(seeSuppl.). Here

was

great wooden

shipped
pillarerected,and woruniversal all-sustaining
signifies

sky,its name
when
take
we
pillar. This interpretation
appears faultless,
the meaning is intensified by
in which
it other words
with
In the Hildebrands
lied,irmingotis the
compositionwith irmin.
god,the god of all,not a peculiarone, agreeingin sense
supreme
the (whole)people'sgod,formed
with thiodgod,
by another strengthening
under

the open

elevated
Hel. 33, 18. 52, 12. 99, 6. irminman, an
prefix,
expressionfor man, Hel. 38, 24. 107, 13. 152, 11. irminthiod,
the human

87, 13 and

Hel.

race,

In

Hildebr.^

in

the

same

way

compounded with irman, irmin (Gramm. 2,

explainproper names
immmilis
the great,high,divinelyhonoured
448). And irmanslXl,
dedicated to any one
statue ; that it was
god,is not to be found in
has eormcncgn
the AS.
itself In like manner
the term
(genus
Cod. Exon.
333, 3. eormcngrv.nd (terra),
humanum), Beow. 309.
in an
Beow.
1711. (and singularly
adj.form : ofer ealne yrmcnne
243, 13). eormenstri)nd(progenies).ON.
grund. Cod. Exon.
iormungandr (anguis maximus), iormunrehr
iommngrund (terra),
(taurusmaximus). Erom all this may be gatheredthe high mythic
"

"

of the Teutonic

branches

; for

race

diffusion

their

and
appellations,

these

antiquityof

neither to

the

all

among

Goths

they

can

Ermanaricus
king's name
(Airmanareiks,ON. lormunrekr) shows ; and beyond a doubt the
Hcvmunduri
(Gramm. 2, 175),the H being
are
properlyErmunduri

have

been

often

strange,

all such forms.

prefixedto
whatever

Now

iormun,

eormen,

famous

their

as

which

to

probablemeaning of

be the

may

evident,that the Irman-piUar had

to be felt down

Greek

whom

themselves
The

time, one

connexion, which

some

irman,

thing is
continued

Mercury or Hermes, to
period(p.ll6),with
which were
antiquityraised similar posts and pillars,
to

late

called Hermae,

Saxons

irmansUl, irminsul

from

the

the

name

known

have

may

Upper Germany,
a

due

in

I shall return

the word

8th

which

to the

Teutonic

one.

this ; the Eranks, in

century, connected with

about

more

notion
general

pillar.Probably Euodolf

suggestsour

13th
of

associated

heathen

with

his

image
truncus

set up

on

lignithe

the Lat. armus,

is with transposition
Slav, ramo, Bohem.
ramenso,
Sloven,
the
in
shoulder
compound
and
both
arm
and means
;
OHG.
aram,
this
irman
like
intensifies
pouitto
it
;
doe^
exactly
ramen-velik,valde magnus,
worth
is
too
considering
Arminius
; conf.
and
%
arm
irman
between
an
affinity
1

The

Schaftarik

1, 427.

ll'J

IMAGES.

of a
thoiiglit

and

choice

hallowed

(with,or without, a
hewn
into shape by the hand
god'simage ?),rather than of a pillar
of man
the worshipping sub divo,with the
; this fits in too with
word lucus used by some
of the chroniclers,
and with the simplicity
of the earliest forest-worship. As the image melts into the notion
of tree,so does the tree pass into that of image ; and our
Wesiphalian Irmen-pillarmost
naturallysuggests the idea of that
Thor's-oak in Hesse ; the evangelists
converted both of them into
tree-stem

churches

of St. Peter.

intimate

suspect an

connexion

between

the

and the Boland-pillars

erected in the later Mid.
Irman-pillars
in ISTorth Germany ; there were
in Sweden
ThorsAges, especially
and among
the Anglo-SaxonsJEthelstdn-jnllars
pillars,
(Lappenberg
remains
There
to
be
of
1, 376).
a sacred post
given an account
yet
in

Neustria,as contained

in

the Vita Walarici

(t622),said to have been composed

erat magmis,
ripam ipsiusfluminis slips

abbatis

Leuconeusis

in the 8tli century

Et

juxta
divcrsis imaginibus
figurahis,
immissus, qui nimio cultu morem

atque ibi in terram magna virtute

Walaricus
gentilium a rusticis colebatur.
thrown

down

et

his

quidem

the

causes

rusticis habitantibus

log to

in locis

be
non

stuporem omnibus

praebuit. Sed
armis et fustibus,
undique illiscertatim concurrentibus cum
iudigne
hoc ferentes invicem, ut injuriamdei sui vindicarent
(Acta Bened.
called Augusta (bourgd' Angst,
sec.
2, pp. 84-5). The place was
the town
of Eu), and a church was
built on the spot.
near
l)arvum

tam

I think

moerorem

I have

quam

now

et

shown, that in ancient Germany there were

It will further be needful to consider,how

gods and statues.

of gods with
antiquitywent to work in identifying
foreignnames
with foreign.
German, and converselyGerman
The Romans
in their descriptions
cared a great deal more
to
make
themselves
understood
than,
partially
by a free translation,
by preservingbarbarous vocables,to do a service to posterity.At
the same
time they did not go arbitrarily
to work, but evidently
with

care.

Caesar's

Sol, Luna

least ; but Tacitus

seems

and
never

Vulcan
to

are
use

perhaps

the

names

what

satisfies us

of Roman

deities,

except advisedlyand with reflection. Of the gods,he names

only
Mercury and Mars (Germ. 9. Ann. 13, 57. Hist. 4, 64) ; of deified
heroes,Hercules,Castor and Pollux (Germ. 9, 43) ; of goddesses,

120

GODS.

Isis

(Germ. 9),the
the mater

terra

by her German

mater

(Germ.40),

name

(Germ. 45). Incompatibledeities,such as

compared. What strikes us most, is
Apollo or Bacchus, are never
the absence of Jupiter,
and the distinction given to Mercury,who
with the Eomans, a mere
but a deityof the second rank
was
god
and

of

deum

here

merchants, but

maxime

colunt

Mercurium

while

Mars

stands

Hercules

and

the

out

to him

foremost

alone do human
themselves

content

all:

of

Deorum

sacrifices fall,

with

beasts.

This

prominence of Merciiry is probably to be explainedby the fact,

that this god was
worshippedby the Gauls likewise as their chief
the most
and
was
frequentlyportrayed(deum maxime
divinity,
Mercurium
colunt,hujus sunt plurima simulacra,Caes. B. Gall. 6,
17) ;^ and that the looks of the Eomans, when directed towards
it may
have
Gaul in the foreground
Germany, still saw
; besides,
in
before them
been Gallic informants that set the German
divinity
the Gaulish
of Mars
too
and
this light. Observe
juxtaposition
Tacitus names
the German
Mercurius in statues (p.lll),
as
precisely
ones
together(Ann. 13, 57). The omission of Jupiteris obviously
accounted
for,by his worship yieldingthe precedenceto that of
Mercury in those nations which Tacitus knew best : we shall see, as
we

go on, that the northern

reserved their
Hercules

of

Woden,

Baldr

highestveneration

I shall express

understand

and

by
and

and

the

my

remoter

for the

views

is hard
Dioscuri,

if we

HermoSr

branches

on

the

contrary
Isis and

thunder-god. On

further

Whom

on.

to guess ; most

we

are

likelytwo

to

sons

of the Edda, the brothers

go by the statements
would be the most fitting.

to German
gods became
adaptationof classical names
universally
spread,and is preservedwith strict unanimity by the
Latin writers of the succeedingcenturies ; once
set in circulation,
it remained
and intelligible
for long ages.
current
but one
The Gothic historian names
fashion,
god after the Roman
and that is Mars : Quern Gothi semper
asperrimaplacaverecultura
(Jornandescap, 5),with which the Scythian Ares, so early as in
Herodotus
4, 62-3,may be compared.

This

Paulus
express
Gwodan
*

1, 58.

Diaconus

winds

up

his

account

(1,9): Wodan
sane,
dixerunt,ipseest qui apud Eomanos

announcemtnt

Als.
Schopflin,
Conf.

ill.1, 435-60

Hummel,

Oberrhein,pp. 48,

98.

of

Wodan

quern

with

the

adjecta litera

Mercurius

dicitur,et

; esp. on a faniuii of Mercury at Ebermiinster

bibl. deutscli. alterth. p. 229. Creuzer,altrom. cultiu-aiu

121

GODS.
.

ab

Germaniae

universis

Jonas of Bobbio, in that

older countryman

Alamanns, declares

Illi aiunt,deo

se velle litare ;
alii,

vocant

deus

gentibusut

Just

of the

account

sacrificing

glossinserted by

his

so

Mcrcurium

Vodano, quem

suo

which,

upon

adoratirr.

another

vocatur, Latini
:
Qui apud eos Vuotant
correctly
Martem
ilium appellant
autem
greatly
; though otherwise Woden
resembles Mars (v.infra).
and
Gregory of Tours (supra,
p.l07)makes Saturn and Jiqnfcr,
Chlodovich
the heathen
again 3Iars Mcrciwufsqnethe gods whom
hand

less

says

adored.

1, 34 he expresses himself

In

vatus, Gabalitanae

of Corvei

Mais

and

the

Ill);and that little addition to

couplestogetherthe Greek and Latin

p.

and

Ermis

Mcrcurii

com-

Corvei

Annals

denominations

(seep.lll)

Aris

and

Mars,

JMercurius.

Indiculus

The

immolare

rege (inthe third cent.).WideHercules as gods of the Saxons (see

Alamannorum

names

Pri-

generalterms:

more

daemoniis

episcopus.
=

Chroco

pellitura
kind

urbis

in

vel Jovis^ ; under

sacris
8: De
up, under
feriis quae faciunt Jovi vel

reckons

paganiarum
20

De

is
Tacitus is silent,
of whom
thunder-god,
Wiliunderstand
in other quarters unforgotten
we
can
; and now
bald's narrative of the robur
Jovis (seep. 72),and in Bonifac.
25 (a.d.
(seeSuppl.).
epist.
723)the presbyterJovi mactans
Mcrcurio.

So

that

the

Paris, ed. W.
Matthaei
Watts,
operum
books w^hich
of some
Paris 1644, pp. 25-6, there is an old account
said to have been discovered in layingthe foundation of a church
are
In

the

Additamenta

(StAlbans)in

at Verlamacestre

contained

of them

burnt.

One

civium

Varlamacestrensium,

Fliochum

dcum

the tenth

invocationes

'

to have

been

et ritus idololatrarum

quibus comperit,quod specialiter

in

solis invocarunt

century, and

et

coluerunt,secundario

vero

curium,
Mcr-

videlicet mercatorum,
angliceappellatum,deum
fere omnes
negotiatores
quia cives et compatriotae
et institores fuerunt.'
Evidentlythe narrator has added somewhat
Voden

his

ovit of

would

erudition ; the

own

have

given us
Passages which
Diana,

far

will be

of

times

(supra,
p. 110).

Had

these been

and Mercury
first,

Roman

after.

invocations

welcome

more

and

rites themselves

information.

goddess by
speak of a German
is mentioned
a
given later. JS'cptune

appear

name

to

gods,Jupiterwould

have
certainly

been

the
few

named

122

GODS.

the

Eoman

Mercurius

instead; yet

103),he

Othin,

for

Othinus

uses

instead

once,

is

never

(pp.41,

Thor

Jovialis;Mars

who
Tyr,.

for

not

Othin,

or

usual

his

of

malleus

and

Jupiter,
p. 236,

has

to stand

seems

gods, he

of

names

Latin,avoids applying

in

writes

Grammaticus, though he

Saxo

p. 36

on

alluded

never

to

in

the idols of the Normanni, says 4, 9

Mgellus,citing
(Pertz2, 501),that for God (theFather)they worshippedNeptune,
and for Christ Jupiter; I suppose
OSin,
Neptune must here mean
Ermoldus

Saxo.

; the

JupiterThor

and

recur

names

same

453-5.

100.

4, 69.

beginningof the 14th century, still

Frisians worshipped Mercury (1,16.
that the heathen
remembers
17); I cannot indicate the Latin authorityfrom which no doubt he
Melis-Stoke, as late

the

as

this.^

drew

suppositionbe allowed,and

If the

and

almost

the six

necessary

one,

that,from
and

transfer of the above-mentioned

to

deities of Gaul

domestic

gods to

there

succeedingones,
eiglit

or

all the

educated

and

obtain

we

both

justifiable
the first century and during
went
on
an
uninterrupted
it

seems

few

similar Latin
and

Germany,
this alone

by

familiar

was

solution

the

of

names

of

yet been satisfactorily

phenomenon that has never
half Europe of the heathen
explained: the early diffusion over
of the days of the week.
nomenclature
These
a
are
names
piece of evidence favourable to German
heathenism, and not to be disregarded.
From
to me
to stand thus.^
The matter
Egypt, through
seems
in
which
of seven
the Alexandrians, the week
days (e^So/ia?),

remarkable

"

Asia

Western

the

but

was

Under

of 'dies Saturni'
Then

3, 18.

of the

Julius

Caesar

in connection

tjXiov rjfiepa

in
A^poScTr]^
rjfiepa

and

Justin

in

Clem.

Our

MHG.

heads

about Saracen
too.
their appearance
^
here use
I can
more

useful

names

of

handb.

gods,among

whom

Dio

Cassius

Romans,

apparently

the week

earliest mention

sabbath,TibuU. 1,
67.

apolog.1,
7, 12.

The

37, 18, about

'Epfiov

institution
the

they only trouble

Jupiter and Apollo
Mars, Jovinus, Saturnus.

information

it is true

close

tlieir
make

In Rol. 97, 7 are named

only the beginning,not the conclusion,which would be
the
on
of a learned paper by Julius Hare
investigation,
Nov."
Idelers
Conf.
of the week
1831).
Mus.,
(Philolog.

for my
the days
der chronol. 2, 177-180, and

zodiacales,
p.

Mart,

the

among

the

occurs

Alex, strom.

such

poets impart no

days of

the Jewish

with

fullycarried out, not long before

1

into vogue

ancient,came

planetarynomenclature

till later.

not

very

99.

Letronne,observations

sur

les representations

previouslyhad a week of
had adopted from
Christianity
it could not
easilyguard the
of days either (seeSuppl).
had

Eomans

century.^ The

of the 2nd

days,nundinae=noveudinae.

nine

againstthe

church
But

and

the hebdomas,

the Jews

idolatrous

from

passed on

now

names

the institution of the week, had

togetherwith

these names,
Eome

to

!-"-"

WEEK.

THE

OF

GODS

and

Gaul

Germany,

than

sooner

the

planetary
have lasted to this day (mostlyin a very abridged form),
names
solis they
except for the first day and the seventh : instead of dies
chose dies dominica
(Lord'sday). It. domenica, Sp. domingo, Fr.
the Jewish sahbahim, It.
dimanche
; and for dies Saturni they kept
sabbati dies). But the
sabbato, Sp. sabado,Fr. samedi (=sabdedi,
christian

heathen

of

names

longafter :

Ecce

dominicum

diem

countries the

In all the Eomance

did.
religion

these

even

barbaries

dies solis adest,sic enim

enim

consueta

popularuse

in

continued

days

two

vocitare

est, Greg.Tur. 3, 15.

of days is denied
Unliappilya knowledge of the Gothic names
in Ulphilas,
The sahhate dags,sabbato dags,which alone occurs
us.
have justseen, against
a planetary
designation
as we
proves nothing,
of the remaining six or five days. A sunnons
dags,a menins
I
dags may be guessed; the other four,for us the most im]Dortant,
would have been of
to suggest. Their preservation
do not venture
the very highestvalue to our inquiry.
Old
I. sunwAn
High
Germ.
dag, 0. v. 5, 22. Gl. bias. TG'^.
II. mdnin
Lacombl.
arch. 1, 6.
tac
(without authority,for
manitag,manotag in Graff 2,795.5, 358 have no reference ; manetag
in Notker, ps. 47, 1). III. dies Martis,prob. Ziuivcs tac among
Alamanns; in the lltli cent. Cks dac, Gl. bias. 70^;^ prob.different
IV. dies INIercurii,
Bavarians
and Lombards.
perhaps still
among
abstract
Wuotancs
tac ? our
term, diu mittawccha alreadyin N. ps.
"

"

"

"

93, and mittwocha,Gl. bias. 7G^.

"

V. dies

Gl. bias. 76^

tac, N. ps. 80, 1. c/o?i?rstac,

tac, Toniris

Jovis,Donares
Burcard

von

195*^:

Worms

quintam feriani in honorem Jovis honorati. VI. dies Veneris,Fria

dag,0. V. 4, 6. Frijetag,T. 211, 1." VII. at last,like the Romance
and Gothic, avoidingthe heathenish
T. 68,
dies Saturni,samlaziag,
1. N. 91, 1.^ samiztag,N. 88, 40.
dband, our sonnabend,
sunnun
"

An

old

hexameter

at

the

end

of

the

editions

of

Aiisoniiis

Mercurio,barbam Jove,Cypridecrines (nailson Wednesday, heard

hair on Fri(hiy).
2 Cies for
and
SG'^ writes gicinibere
Zies,as the same
glossist
' hiambazolus
n.
prop, in Karajan.

on

Ungnes

Thursday,

cinnum.

124

GODS.

alreadyin

0.

4, 9, prob.abbreviation

of

sunnundages aband, feria

solis cannot
have been meant
ante dominicam, for vespera
[conf.
Engl.Whitsun-eve]; and occasionally,
correspondingto tlie Eomdies

ance

Mid.
the

v.

dominica, frontaQ,N.
Gerim.

High

days of

the week
of

remains

"

are

Would

any

not

easilyto

MHG.

our

ps. 23.

Dunrestac, Berth.

73^

in

picked out
It

(Parz.452,
Neither

of the

is true,

tac

498,

22.

(Donerstag,

128), speltDuristag in

former, by

remarkable

Hofer

dant
abun-

sunnen

16. mcentac

do Donrestac

of

names

Semi-

57),and Dornstagin one of

Fritac {Parz.
448, 7. 470,
1495, Useners femgerichtenp. 131 ; nor
Berth. 134), Vricgtag,Uolrich
1.
Walth.
36, 31.
73^ nor yet
dbcnt (Trist.
samztac
3880)."
(Parz. 439, 2. Berth. 138),sunnen
the third and
fourth days. The
But
uncertainty hangs about
urk.

Germ.

Low

of 1300

be

literature ?

(suntacin Berth. 118) and mdntac

Amis
1648)^admit of no doubt.
Uolrich

believe,that the

one

p.

was
variation,

in

Bavaria

named

Eritac,

quite certain,eritagin Adelung's vat.

hss. 2, 189.
ergetag in Berth. 122 ; see examples collected from
urkunden, Schm.
1, 96-7),in Swabia on the contrary Zicstac,for
have
Both of these forms,which
Ziewestac.
nothing to do with
each other,live to this day in the speech of the common
people:

Erdac

form

(the true

not

idrta, irita,Vicentino-Germ.

Bav. ierte,Austr.

corta, ortd, Alem.

The insertion of
zinstag.
zistig,
zienstig,
zeinstig,
ziestig,
zinstag,
zicstag,

broughtin quite irrelevant

to
the form
In central Germany
seems
diestag,
notions.
ticstag
in the Pdion),whence
rectly
corour
dicnstag(less
predominate (dicstik
for the ie); the spelling
there is good reason
dingdinstag,
in
stag,as if from ding,thing,judicium,is false ; dinstagoccurs
seen
Gaupps magdeb. recht p. 272. The fovnth day I have never
in our
modern
dialects,
after the god,either in MHG.
or
named
be justified
as
the gwontig cited in the note can
unless indeed
tion
standingfor Gwuotenstag, Wuotenstag; everywhere that abstrac-

the

liquidhas corruptedthe word,

and

"

'

midweek

'

has

carried all before

it,but it has itself become

mentig,_ze
Staid. 2, 470 ought perhaps to be zue
248b
has
Tobler
gwontig,
has
giienti,
gueiiti,
mantage ; yet 1,
146
Urk.
which
no.
for
iirk.
19
and
guonti,
P,
Zellwegers
guentig,
Haltaus
1)6 supported by
to
seems
'an
has
tag,' which
gutem
In
called so?
]\Iondav after Lent
this
Or is
iahrzeitb.
1

Zuemtig for Monday,

490

only

he

particular

resemblance
have ' guotem tag.' The
Cod. pal. 372, 103 (ann. 13S2) wo
of this good day to the Westphalian Gudensdag (Woden's day) is purely
accidental.

the

GODS

OF

THE

125

WEEK.

unintelligible
by beingchanged into a masculine mitiwocJi,
Berth. 24, mdktig,Staid. 2, 194, conf. the Gothl. miijkadag,
viittich,
is found in the Cod. zaringobad.
Almqv. 442=^),an der mitkun' fern.,
140 (a.d.1261). So even
for the fifth day, the numeric name
no.
Schwa2Mnztac (Berth.128. Ottoc. 144^ Griitzer urk. of 1338.
has made
Schm.
its
1, 322), or pliingstag,
benspiegel,
p, 196.
into some
districts of Upper Germany through Grseco-Slavic
way
influences,irefiirrr], petek,piatek,
patek,though by these the Slavs
mean
Friday (seeSuppl.).
High
New
Germ.
I. sonntag. II. montag.
III. Dienstag.
V.
IV. mittwoch.
Bonnerstag. VI. Freitag. VII. samstag,
almost

'

"

sonnaiend.
Old

Saxon.

The

"

OS.

names

wanting, but

are

must

have

pointsfrom the OHG., as the derived

dialects prove.
We
Wodanes
dag for
pretty safelyassume
may
the fourth day of the week, for in Westphalia it is still called
Godenstag,Gonslag,Gaunstag,Gunstag,at Aix Goucsdag,in Lower
Rhen.
urkunden
Gudestag,Gunther, 3, 585. 611 (a.d.1380-7),
Gudenstag,Kindlingerhorigk.p. 577-8 (a.d.1448). The third day
the fifth Thunaresdag,the sixth Friundag.
was
probablyTiwesdag,

differed in

essential

some

"

The

most

after dies

unlike

would

doubtless

?
Saturni, Sdteresdag

be

the

conf. the

seventh,was

SaiterWestph. Saterstag,

Giinter 3, 502 (a.d.1365). In Sachsensp.2, 6Q

staig,
for sunavend
Saiersdach (seeSuppl.).
Mid.
op

Dutch.

St. 3, 389.

2, 140.

I. sondach, Maerl.

"

maendach, Maerl.

2, 159.

one

MS.

II. mancndach,

reads

Huyd.

2, 139.

III. Disendach, Maerl.

al. Dicendach,Dissendach,Cannaert

strafrecht,
pp. 124, 481

apparentlycorruptedfrom
V.

it formed

Donresdach,Maerl.

Vrindaglm,

Maerl.

Tisdach.

2, 144.

2, 143.

Wocnsdach, ]\Iaerl.2, 143.

Vridach, Maerl. 2, 159.

VI.

VII.

157.

120-3. 157-9. 276. 3, 197. 343.

IV.

Saterdach, Maerl.

also sonnacM, Maerl.

gen.

2, 114.

2, 164. 3,240.

(seeSuppl.).
merly
zondag. II. mdndag. III. dingsdag,fordinsdag,Disseiidag.IV. Woensdag, Belg. Goensdag. V.
Donderdag. VI. Vridag. VII. Zaterdag.
New

Dutch.

Old

Frislvn.

Wernsdci.

Saterdei
New

V.

I.

"

I. sonnadei.

"

II.

Thmiresdei, Tornsdei.

for
(references
Frislvn.

"

all these forms

Tysdei. IV.
Fredei. VII.
VI. Frigendci,
in Pdchthofen).

monadei.

I. s?ic?/?i,abbrev. from

III.

sinnedey,sendei,senned

126

GODS.

the final

in sneyn, no doubt, as in OFris. Frigendei,

old gen. sing,in the weak decl. II. moandey. III.

Fred);
(conf.
a

relic of the

Tycsdcy. IV. Wdnsdey. V. Tongersdey. VI. Fred, abbrev. from

Fredey. VII. sniuwn, snioun, abbrev. from sinnejuwn Sun(day)Conf. tegenwoordigestaat
Friesland
Wasvan
even.
1, 121.
Halbertsma
senbergh'sbidraghen 2, 56.
naoogst p. 281-2 (see
Suppl.).
=

North
IV.

Frisian.

Winsdei.

V,

Anglo-Saxon.

I, sennendei.

"

I.

"

Wodenes

daeg. IV.
Frigedseg.

VII.

Korse.

VI.

Tilrsdei.

Wodnes

Scetrcs

Fridei.

dseg.

sonnan
or

II. monncndci.

II.

sennin

Tirsdei.

(i7i=:eYen').

deeg.

monan

dseg. V.

Sceternes

or

VII.

III.

TImnores

III. Thoes

dreg.

VI.

doeg.

I.

sunnudagr} II. mdnadagr. III. Tyrsdagr,

Tysdagr. IV. Offinsdagr.V. Thorsdagr. VI. Friadagr,Frcyjudagr. VII. laugardagr.
I. sondag.
Swedish.
II. mandag.
III. Tisdag, whence
Finn, tystai. IV.
even
Onsdag. V. Tliorsdag.VI. Frcdag
VII. lordag.
I. sondag. II. mandag.
Danish.
III. Tirsdag. IV. Ows^a"7. V. Torsdag. VI. Frcdag. VII. lovcrdag(seeSuppl.).
Old

"

"

"

We

see, it is

only in

depart from the

bath-day because

names
means

Yet

even

here there may

9th

century

devil's bath ?

be

conf. ch,

day

people bathed

Salhatum

seventh

Saxon, Frisian

that

and

the

Scandinavian

Dutch
the

at

connexion

some

the battle of

on

singularverse

the

; a

laugardagr

of the

end

Latin poem

Fontenay (Bouquet 7, 301)

illud

non

XII, Saturn.

fuit,sed Saturni

[The

Germ,

week.
of the

has

dolium

the
;

for carnage

is

blutbad,blood-bath.]
Even

if the Germans

days

seven

This

from

the

from
four

the earliest times knew

j)hasesof

the

lunar

the

week

of

change,^yet

the

ON.

sol is used rather than

in other cases
as
sunnudagr is noticea])le,
to have been formed by the christian teachers in imitasunna
tion
; sunnudagr seems
of the other Teutonic languages. The Swed. and Dan. sondag (insteadof
soldag)must have been taken bodilyfrom a Plattdeutsch form.
To the Lat. word vix,gen. vicis (chauge,turn)corresponds,
without
the
usual consonant-change,
the Gothic viko,OHG.
and wehsal, both referwecha
able
to the verb veilia,
wichu
vaik, OHG.
(I giveway), because change is a
givingway [inGerman, der wechsel ist ein weichen ']. Ulph. has viko only
Lu. 1, 8, where evrrjra^eir^s ((firjixeplas
is translated
in vikon kimjis ; it
once,
is evidently
than rd^ishere,it expresses at the same
time a part
something more
of the gen. i(^r]fiepiai,
therefore lit. in vice generis',which the Vulg. renders
"

'

'

'

'

127

WEEK.

THE

OF

GODS

naming of the days and tlie order in wiiich they stand is manifestly
there
On
the contrary supposition,
an
importationfrom abroad.
Teutonic
out

variation

been

have

would

god

preparedto

seems

details ; and

in

Saturn,for whom

stand sponsor, would

no

been left

have

in the cold.

be

it would

But

no

less absurd

to attribute the

introduction

of

As

they
the heatlien Eomans,
into vogue
they could just
came
among
and
Germans
Gauls
well among
heathen
considering
as
; nay,
the three
nations, a rapid
the
lively intercourse between
had the Jewish week,
natural.^
diffusion is altogether
Christianity
offence to it,but were
which were
and it tolerated names
a frequent
dislodged.
alreadytoo deeply rooted, and could only be partially
of Gregory reveal the utter aversion of the clergy,
Those words
which comes
out still more
tagma
plainlyin the language (publ.in SynIcelandic bishop in 1107, who
de baptismo,p. 190) of an
with tliem in Iceland, and replacedthem
by
actuallydid away

the week

and

numeric

mere

the

How

names.

suffered hateful

of the

names

days

should

of idols to

names

to

the

Christians.

the christian teachers

be handed

over

ever

to their

have
recent

dailyuse, unless they had alreadybeen longestablished

people? And in Germany, how should the Latin gods

for

converts

the
among
have been allowed
to

to

get translated into German

ones,

as

if on

easy reach of the people,had

familiar with them for centuries ?

put them

pose
pur-

they

within

not

alreadybeen
ed
of these translations is fullyestablishAgain,the high antiquity
by their exact accordance with the terminologyused in the first
to turn German
as
gods into Roman.
as soon
centuries,
peoplecame
In
days' names
opinion,the introduction of the seven
my
by

'in ordine

vicis '.

Now

whether

viko

expressedto

the Goths

the alternation

of the moon's quarters,we

do not know
for certain ; I incline to believe
ON.
weha, woclia, AS. wice, wnce,
it,as the OHG.
vika, Swed. vecka, Dan.
sonant-change
meaning of septimana. The very absence of connge, are all limited to the one
that
remarkable
word.
It
is
pointsto a high antiquityin the
the Javanese

vt(ku

means

(Ilumb. Kawispr. 1, 196).

of time, the year

Finn, wijkko is more

section

fallinginto
likelyto

30

vukus

have been
I remark

The
than from so far back as the Gothic.
from the Norse
of sections of time must be inferred
further,that an observance
liythe Germani
from the mere
fact that certi dies were
fixed for the sacrifices to Mercury, Tac.

borrowed

Germ.

9.

I\Iainz 2, 27 seq. (Knpfert 4, no 7) describes a

Fuchs, gesch.von
round altar,
piob. of the 3rd or -Ith century, on which are carved the
the
.seven
week (1 Saturn, 2 Apollo,3 Diana, 4 Mars, 5 Mercury, U
gods of
7 Venus),and in an 8lh placea genius.
Jupiter,
^

Roman

Jos.

128

GODS.

amongst
it may
dom.
Our

us

not

be

placedat latest in the fourth or fiftlicentury

taken placesimultaneously
in all parts of Teuton-

must

have

forefathers,caught

ascribe the

originof

the

in

natural

delusion,began early to

to the native gods of

days'names
of Malmesbury, relatingthe arrival of
their fatherland.
William
in Britain,says of Hengist and
the Saxons
Horsa, that they were
seven

"

from

the

noblest

Erant

enim

abnepotes illius
barbararum
antiquissimiVoden, de quo omnium
gentium
pene
esse
regium genus lineam trahit,quemque
gentes Anglorum deum
uxori
ei quartum diem septimanae,et sextum
delirantes,
ejus Freae
sacrilegio
(Savile1601. p.
perpetuo ad hoc tempus consecraverunt
6. ed. 1587,
9). More circumstantially,
Geoffreyof Monmouth
(lib.
Hengist say to Vortigern: Ingressi
sumus
maria,
p. 43) makes
tuum
duce Mcrcurio
petivimus. Ad nomen
itaque Merregnum
curii erecto vultu rex inquirit
cui
cujusmodireligionemhaberent?
Hengistus: deos patrios Saturnum, atque ceteros, qui mundum
Mcrcurmm
gubernant,colimus,maxime
(asin Tac. 9.),quem Woden
linguanostra appellamus. Huic veteres nostri dicaverunt quartam
Wodenesdiem nomen
septimanaeferiam,quae usque in hodiernum
dai de nomine
ipsiussortita est. Post ilium colimus deam inter
ceteras
de
potentissimam,cui et dicaverunt sextam
feriam, quam
As Matthew
nomine
of Westminster
ejusFredcd vocaraus.
(Flores,
ed. 1601, p. 82) varies in some
also be
details,his words may
inserted here : Cumque
tandem
in praesentiaregis (Vortigerni)
essent
constituti,quaesivit ab eis,quam
fidem, quam
religionem
cui
?
coluissent
dcos
patres eornm
Hengistus:
patrios, scilicet
Saturnum, Jovcm
atque ceteros, qui mundum
gubernant,colimus,
maxime
autem
Voden
Me^rurium, quem linguanostra
appellamus.
nostri
veteres
Huic patres
dedicaverunt
quartam feriam septimanae,
in hunc
diem
hodiernum
Vodencsdayappellatur.Post ilium
quae
deam
inter ceteras
colimus
vocabulo
Fream, cujus
potentissimam,
vocabulo
est
Friday appellamus. Prea ut volunt quidani idem
quod Venus, et dicitur Preu, quasiProa a frodos [A-frod-ite from
froth ?] quod est spuma
secundum
maris, de qua nata est Venus
idem
dies appellaturdies Veneris.
fabulas, unde
Anglo-Saxon
and
at the jumbling of foreign
legend then, unconcerned
homespun
fable, has no doubt at all about the high antiquityof the names
its people.
among
sprung

ancestry:

"

"

"

129

GODS.

Saxo

Grammaticus,

of the Norse

and

it is derived

nomenclature,that

but that these

Othin

critical,
expresses his opinion(p.103)

more

not

are

Thor, after

the

same

the native

gods,
by
proves

Tliis he

fifth days of the week

Mercury and Jupiter. For Thor,

who
being Othin's son, cannot possiblybe identified with Jupiter,
neither can
the Norse
is Mercury's father; consequently,
Othin,
with the Eoman
The
Thor's father,
son.
Mercury,who is Jupiter's
is certainly
discrepancy
strong,but all that it can prove is,that at
Othin and Mercury began to be placedon the same
the time when
pedestal,
JMercurywas thought of as a Celtic divinity,
probably
with attributes differing
from
his
classical
Saxo
namesake.
widely
and
is quiterightin what he means,
his remark
confirms the early
^
heathen originof these names
of days ; yet upon
occasion,as we
after all by the oversaw
on
powering
p. 122,he lets himself be carried away
of Thor and Jupiter(seeSuppl.).
identity
The variations too in the names
of the seven
days among the
that they
various Teutonic races
deserve all attention ; we perceive
that
not adopted altogether
were
nor
so retained,but
cut-and-dry,
named,

are

national

as

after

ideas still exercised

heathenism

of

Wednesday

and

sank

soon

in

Latin

the Latin.

as

the fourth and

whom

from

Friesland

and

But

what

when

day ;

the

how

indistinct ? how

that from

the

naming

later

the- old

names

of

Bavarians

when

come

we

to

time,
(christian)
god that does duty for Mars had
the christian clergy,
came
supposing

idea of the heathen

them

The

Upper Germany they

to us,
especially
significant

arisen at

could it have

alreadybecome

is

and

is the deviation of the Alamanns

the third

caused

Saxony

them.

over

live on, while in

Saturdayto

into oblivion.

control

some

later

ever
proceeded,

had

to sanction

such

?
divergence

The
know

nations
the

planetarynames
Greeks,^not because they were
became
acquaintedwith Latin
not

1
-

Conf. Pet. Er. Miiller om

Indian nations also

The

us, the

that lie behind

of

Slavs,the Lithuanians,do
like the

days,they simply count

converted

later,but

culture later. The

79.
their days of the week

because

Finns

and

they
Lapps

Saxo, p.
name

after

planets
; and

remarking here,that Wednesday is in Sanskrit Budhuvaras,

have identified Buddha
with Woden.
In
Budhunld/ramei,because some
distinct
from
of
and
is
the
ruler
of
the
son
B
udhas,
quite
reality
Mercury
moon,
ind. bibl. 2. 177).
the prophetBuddhas
(Schlegel's

it seems
Tamil

worth

130

do

GODS.

this

point;Byzantium

and

had

it

over

had

of

(see SuppL).
nothing on

do

decided

Byzantium

influence

no

part only

again mostly

of

influence
christianizing

the

Even

the Esthonians

count, while

not

and

Lithuanians

over

the Slavs.

in their

These

Finns,

counting

from

day
day after rest, consequentlyTuesis their second, and Thursday their fourth,^altogether
deviating
which
makes
the Latin and Icelandic reckoning,
Monday second

and

Thursday

begin with Monday,

that

and

as

fifth.

Up.

the first

means
Friday,
piatek(fifth)
Thursday. Wednesday they
pfinztag(fifth)

the

Hence

Germ,

middle, sreda,sereda,srida

call
have

acted

our

upon

worth

findingout,

when

from

which
serrada),

Lith.

nomenclature

keski

for what

and

first introduced

the Slav

(whence

German

High

week,
(halfkeskivnjcko

have

Slavic

the abstract

; the

the

reason

High

be

well

German

and

and

sreda

mittewoche

names

too

It would

medium).

may

Finns

have kept
German
and the Eomance
while the Low
(Boh. sti-eda),
in Llineburg
Alone
of Slavs, the Wends
and Mercury.
to Woden
them
with
show
of naming after a god; dies Jovis was
trace
a
Peren, Perun, thunder-god: apparently a mere
Perendan, from
of the

imitation

German,

in all the other

as

days they

with

agree

the rest of the Slavs.^

The

dealingwith
with

the
and

Donar,

Germany

and

her

gods,we are
Mercurius
greatest probability,
3Iars as Ziu.
The
gods of

into German

translated

is,that,in Latin

considerations

result of these

nett

are

an

experiment on

warranted
as

the

in

Wuotan,

days

Tacitus's

of
'

records

interpreting,
as
Jiqnte^the

week

interpretatio

Eomana'.

(but O.Sl. ne-delia, noE.g. in Kussian : 1, voskresenie,resurrection

cloing). 2, po-nedel'nik, day after-no-work.
day. 4,
3, vtdrnik, second
sereda, middle.
6, chetverg,fourth day. 6, piatnitsa,fifth day. 7, subbota,
sabbath.
'^

Venus

Trans.

"

It is
and

Slav

striking,that in 0.
are
quoted in

Saturn

deities that have

any
be of the number

of those

been
that

Bohem.

(Hanka
glossaries

the order
identified

of their
with

days

Latin

54. 165)

of the week
ones

are

Mercury,
;

almost

and
sure

that
to

And
whilst of the Slav
preside over the week.
to Mars
to
gods, Svatovit answers
(Ziu),Eadigast to Mercury (Wuotan), Perun
Jupiter(Donar), iafZa (goldendame, zolotababa,in Hanusch
241, ^o^) to Venus
of the planets are construed
(Fria),and perhaps Sitivrat to Saturn ; the names
Mars
Smrto-nos
otherwise,
(letifer),
quite
by
Mercury by Dobro-pan (good lord,
rather bonorum
or
dator),Jupiter-by Krcde-moc
(rex potens),Venus
by Ctitd
venerandus
?
Saturn
Hlado-kt
caritatem
1),
(cupitor
by
(famelicus,or annonae
afferens). Respecting Sitivrat I give details at the end of eh. XII.

CHAPTEE

the
highest,

have

right to

Gothic

dialect

Wuotan,
man

have

word

honoured,
universally
divinity,

supreme

assume,

all Teutonic

among
called

been

which

(ODINN).

WODAN

WUOTAN,

The

VII.

also appears,

The

2, 146, 152.
Saxons

propensityof

their dialect

even

when

Saxo

Othinus,in the Faroe

Up

followed

in the Grisons

to which

the

country

name

very

caught the
earlytime, and

i}

isles
"

and

Vut

term

retained

drop

to

The

in

this

the g

to

Norse

is

form

Alamanns

it to

this

day

Woatan

prefixed,
from
6

modify

O"inn, in
Ouvan.

ace.

infer the extent

may

Upper Germany

from

of

Weda

final n, and

we

the

Guodan, the Old

or

Ouvin, gen. Ouvans,

from

in

name

158. 161.

the Frisians

Woden,

an

diffused

was

dialect has
a

by

the

Westphaliaagainwith

in

Guodan, Gudan, the Amrlo-Saxons

not

Wddan

Longobards spelt it

Wuodan, Wddan, but

128.

we

called in OHG.

was

as
though rarely,

Witotan,Trad. Fuld. 1, 149. 2, 101-5-8.

the

; he

Vodans

would

races,

as

or

the Eomance

"

Burgundians

in the

sense

of

of

idol,

false

god, 1 Cor. 8, 4.- (seeSuppl.).

It can
scarcelybe doubted that the

from

the verb

OHG.

word

ivuot, ON",

woatan

is immediately derived

vacfa, od',signifyingmeare,

but not identical with Lat. vadere, as

impetu ferri,
the latter has the a long,and
is more
likelyconnected with OS.
the subst. wuot
watan
comes
(our
gavitan, AS. gewitan. From
ingenium,
wuth, fury),as /ieVo?and animus
properlymean
mens,
and then also impetuosity,
wildness ; the ON. o"r has kept to the

transmeare,

cum

Frisian

god

Wains

has

simply been invented from

(Richth. p. 1142), where

the

gen.
Werns

in

the

pkinly
Warnsdei,
Wedens, Wodens, an r being put for d to avoid collision with
Wern.
And
the
the succeedingsd ; it will be hard to find anywhere a noni.
without
Frisians
Frisians
Winsdei,
present West
say Wansdey, the North
Wernsdei

compound
stands

such

for

r.
*

Conradis

worterb.

263.

Christmann, pp.

30

"

32.

132

WODAN.

meaning

of

sensus.^

According to this,Wuotan,
Ocfinn would be the all-powerful,
being,qui omnia
all-penetrating
permeat ; as Lucan
says of Jupiter: Est quodcunque vides,quothe spirit-god^
raoveris,
cunque
; conf. Virg. Georg. 4, 221 : Deum
ire per omnes
terras,and Eel. 3, 60 : Jovis omnia
plena. In the
is to bestir oneself,to swarm,
popularlanguageof Bavaria,wudcln
thrive,Schm. 4, 203 (seeSuppL).
grow luxuriantly,
How
have got obscured
or
early this originalmeaning may
it
is
extinguished, impossibleto say. Together with the meaning
of wise and mighty god, that of the wild,restless,
vehement, must
also have prevailed,
in the heathen time.
The christians were
even
the better pleased,
that they could bringthe bad sense
into prominence
out of the name
itself. In the oldest glosses,
is
wotan
put for
tyrannus, herus malus, Diut. 1, 276\ gl.Ker. 270 ; so wucterich,
wiltcrich (Gramm. 2, 516) is used later on, and down
to the present
day, conf. ein ungestiiemer wiieterich,Ben. 431 ; as in Mar. 217.

one

Herod's

mens

or

of murder

messengers

wiieterich e, O.i. 19, 18

are

king

himself

sense

unprinted poem of the 13th century says

the host led
apparentlyfor the wiitende heer,'^

her

gotewuoto. The

form

wuotunc

'

; an

'

'

Wuotan

; and

Wuotunc

Trad, patav. no.

19.

is likewise

The former

fiendish,bloodthirsty
being,and

man's

name

divinitywas
appears

to

in

differ in

to

not

seems

as

Wiietunges
it were
by

OHG., Wodunc,

degradedinto
live

the

names

yet

as

evil,

an

form

of

or
protestation
people,
cursingin exclamations of the Low German
in
0
! Firmenich
as
Woudan, Woudan
Westphalia:
1, 257, 260 ;
and in Mecklenburg : Wod, Wod
! (seeSuppI).
Proofs of the general extension
of Woden's
worship present
themselves,for one thing,in the passages collected in the preceding
chapter on Mcrcurius,and again in the testimonies of Jonas of
Bobbio (pp.56 and 121) and Paulus
Diaconus, and in the Abre-

nuntiatio,which
of

concurrence

liitherto been
If

we

are

word

deserves to be studied
a

number

of

more

and lastly
in
closely,

isolated facts,which

believe

in brief the attributes of this

god,he

the

have

overlooked.
to

sum

that has

up

been

is the

Goth, vopisdulcis,2 Cor. 2,

fullyexplained,
must
36, 3. 140, 7, AS. u-e"e,
either l^e regarded as wholly unconnected,or its meaning be harmonized.
Finn Magnusen comes
to the same
Lex. myth. 621. 636.
conclusion,
3 The
in the Mid. Ages, in a 'furious host' or 'wild
so
belief,
common
Trans.
hunt,'is described in ch. XXXI.

15, OHG.

never

wuodi, Diut. 2, 304% OS. wuothi, Hel.

"

13:^

woDAN.

bestows shape and

creative and formativepmvcr, who
all-pervading
from whom
and all things,
proceedsthe giftof song
beauty on men
whom
and victory,
at the same
of war
on
and the management
of the soil,
time depends the fertility
nay wishing,and all highest
Saem.
giftsand blessings,

113^'^

the heathen

fancy Wuotan

is not

wise,
only the world-ruling,
and battles.^
ingeniousgod, he is above all the arrancjer of wars
Adam
of Bremen
cap. 233, ed. 1595 says of the Norse god : Wodau,
id est fortior,bella gerit,hominique ministrat virtutem
contra
Wodanem
inimicos
sculpunt(Sveones)
armatum, sicut nostri
Martem
his
sculperesolent. To the fortior,fortis,would answer
of Svi"r,i.e.the strong,masterful,
swift (OS.suith)
ON", name
: but
Pertz 3, 379)
all the MSS.
fortior is,no doubt, a false reading,
(conf.
which agrees with the conclusion arrived
read 'Wodan, id est /"ror,'
To him, says the Edda, belong all the nobles who/a// in
at above.
and to Thor
the common
battle (Seem.77^).
folk,but this seems
added merely to depreciatethe latter ; in another passage (Seem.
oxiA
42^),Freya shares i\\Q,
fallenwith OSinn; he is named valfa"ir
choice ; her,host). Od'inn vildi J'iggja
at hlutmann
herfa"ir(val,
falli at hanga or herinom, Fornald. sog. 3, 31.
Eidem
prostratorum
muneris loco dedicaturum
manes
Saxo p.
se
pollicetur
(Haraldus),
Othinus armipotens,
146.
ordinandi
p. 37, auctor aciei corniculatae,
traditor et repertor,pp. 138-9, 146.
When
agminisdisciplinae
old,
he teaches arrayingof battle,p. 17, the hamalt at fyll-ja,
svinfjlkja,
Fornald. sog. 1, 380 ; he teaches how
to bringdown
with pebbles
sword will not wound, ibid. p. 157 (seeSuppl.).
those whom
need not be surprisedthen to find him confounded
We
with
Ziu or Tyr, the special
god of war, or Mereurius coupledwith Mars
(pp.107, 111),or a glosson Jonas of Bobbio, who had rightly
with Mercury (p.121),correcting
identified him
him
thus : Qui
apud eos (Alamannos) Vuotant (part.pres. of wuotan) vocatur,
Martem
Latini autem
ilium appellant. Are Adam's
words
also,
sicut nostri Martem
sculperesolent,'to be so taken that nostri
To

'

Got waldes an der sigehiir ! Wh.

hende fiiege
in got !
425, 24. sigehafte
Dietr. 84". OSinn, when
he sejit the peopleforth to
war, laid his hands on their
heads and blessed,
to Yngl.
ace.
cap. 2, gaf J^eim bianac ; Ir. beannact,beannugad, beandacht,Gael, beanuachd, Wei. bianoch (Villemarque,essai LIX)
benedictio,
prob. all I'rom the Lat. word ? conf. Fr. benir,Ir. beannaigini.
1

134

WODAN.

should

Saxones

mean

He, it is true, may

have

those

meant

mythology.
acquaintedwith Eoman
legend preservedby Paulus
Especiallydoes the remarkable
who dispenses
to whom
Diaconus
1, 8 show that it is Wodan
victory,
siliora (p.27)
therefore,above all other gods, that antique name
rightfully
belongs,as well as in the Eddas the epithetsSigtyr(god
of victory),
Saem. 68^ ;
of victory),
Seem. 248% Sn. 94, Sigfoffr
(father
Beow.
AS. vigsifjor
3107, sigmetod(creatorof
(victorin battle),
ridiBeow, 3554
(seeSuppl.): Eefert hoc loco antiquitas
victory),
ad Wodan, victoriam
Wandali
culam fabulam, quod accedentes
de
Winilis postulaverint,
se illisvictoriam
daturum,
illequeresponderit,
Tunc
accessisse Gambaram
quos primum oriente sole conspexisset.
Frcamad Fream, uxorem
Wodan, et Winilis victoriam postidasse,
"

dedisse, Winilorum

consilium

que

similitudinem

mulieres

solutos

crines erga

primo cum
videndas
viris adessent, seseque a Wodan
paritere regione,qua
solitus adspicere,
collocaerat
orientem
ille per fenestram
versus
Wodan
oriente
rent ; atque ita factum fuisse. Quas cum
conspiceret
subjunxisse,
sole,dixisse : qui sunt isti Langobardi? tunc Fream
faciem

ut

ad barbae

quibus

Wodan

tribuerat,victoriam

nomen

concessisse.

victoriam

dropsthe
victoria

enim

componerent

remark

Haec

Here
risu

potiusministratur ; and then

the name
Longobard : Certum

condonaret, sicque Winihs

deacon

Paul, as

dignasunt, et
adtributa

potestatiest

non

7?ia?tcque

adds
tamen

more

est

good

tian,
chris-

pro nihilo habenda

hominum,

sed

coelo

of
interpretation
Longobardos ab intactae
exact

primitus Winili dicti fuerint,ita

postmodum appellatos.Nam
juxta illorum linguam langlongam,
Wodan
bart barbam
adjectalitera Givodan
significat.
sane, quem
dixerunt,et ah universis Germaniae
gentihusut deus adoratur,qui
circa haec tempora, sed longe anterius,nee in Germania, sed in
non
Graecia
fuisse perhibetur.'The whole fable bears the stamp of high antiquity
; it has even
been related by others before Paul, and with variations,
as in the
Hist. Francor. epitomata,
which has for its author,though not Frewriter of the seventh
Chuni
degar,yet some
century. Here
ferro barbae

Paul

cum
longitudine,

Godfrey of
Diac.

Godam

or

unheard-of
in Paid.

with
Votam
'

Viterbo
the

sets

Toclacus

2, 305) has the legend out of

Wodan, Feria for Frea.
word
of
the
Germ,
thinking
got (deus). The

ed. Struve
(inPistorius,
names
corrupted,Godam
him

'

for

historiographushas evidentlysprung

out

of

'

hoc loco

'

135

WODAN.

(Huns)

bardi) Danubium

transeuntes

fuissent

At

praesumeret ?

introire

ad
capitis

maxillas

simulantes

"

Chunis

quare

conati

terminos
gens eorum
suis praecipiunt,
comam

hostium

circa maxillas

(Lango-

comperti,eis bellum

ligare,
quo potiusvirorum

multitudinem

comae

Cum

illi mulieribus

mentum

et

plurimam

mulierum

erant

of Vandals

Chunis,
a
Interrogati

inferre.

sunt

instead

named

are

habitum

ostenderent,eo quod
ad instar barbae

et mentum

desuper utraeque plmlangaevox dixisse : hi

deum
fertur eorum
fuisse
! quod ab his gentibus
sunt
Langobardi
Wodanum
Wisodano, a mere
(al.
locutum, quem fanatici nominant
claTunc Langobardicum
for Wuodano).
or reader's error
copyist's
conccdcrd victoriam,in hoc praelio
massent, qui instituerat nomen,
MSS.
Chunos
superant. (Bouquet2,406 ; accordingto Pertz,all tli.e
valde

longae:

'

fertur
'

read

this account, Frea

In

Wodano.)

is heard

the voice of the god,givingthe name,

It

with

it up
on

who
for any one
felt himself
gift.^Wodan

to follow

name,

to confer the

victory
In this

name.

people,in dressingup their

had thought of nothing but swellingthe apparent
men,
the reader,that
remind
I need scarcely
of their warriors.

as

numbers

Lombard

of the
mythical interpretation

this

national

new

up

bound

of fortune,for the

consisted the favour

wives

found

had

he

those for whom

nowhere

are

in the air.

bestowed

the custom

was

her advice

and

name

is

false one,

Ages.^
There is one
feature in the legendthat must not escape
more
the
on
notice. Wodan
from his heavenlydwellingloolis doum
our
tions.
earth through a window, which
exactlyagrees with ON. descripwhich he
on
OSinn has a throne named
sitting
fflicfshicdf,
in the Mid.

for aU the credit it found

can

the

survey

men

]?arer

world, and

whole

einn staSr

there

then
high-seat,

on

Sn. 10.
wist,"c.),

oc

allan heim, Sn. 21.

Jxier
hlustar

Lata fylgjanafni,Sfcm.
nafnfesti (name-feast),
Sn. 151.
1

2,

143.

Gram.
2

OSinn

194.

Vocabuli

among
goes on
)?aerOSiun settiz

HliSscialf heitir,
oc

er

of
Jjari hasoeti,oc }?a sd hann
J?a er hann sa (there is a stead
sat

all that

hear

saw

alia

heima,

that

]?aser
]?visoeti,

OSinn
(listens)

142*.

150\

Fornm.

Fornm.

when

luti,
0.

all countries, and

over

AllfoSr sitr i

vissi aUa

hight,and

H.

he

oc

hann

oj
89^.
HliSscialfo i,Sjem.

203.
gefa at
sog. 3, 182.
Islend.
203.
133.
sog.
3,

sog. 2, 51.
additione

largitionemmuneris

commendare,

Saxo

71.

Otto
Longobardi a longisbarbis vocitati,
himself

was

named

LdiigbarSr.

fris. de

gest.Frid. 2,

13.

But

136

WODAN.

wanted

Loki

When

to

his whereabouts, Sn.

hide,it

was

Sometimes

69.

imaginedsitting
by his side,and then
ok
OSinn ok Friggsdto i HliSscialfo,
The

to

proem

this seat that OSinn

from

the Grimnismal

bears

espied

Frigg,his consort, is
prospect :
enjoysthe same

also
she
sd

alia,Ssem,

heima

urn

strong resemblance

39.

to the

legend in Paul ; for,just as Frea pulls her favourites the Winili

so
resolve,
Frigg bringsto
through,in oppositionto Wodan's own
ever,
OSinn
favoured.
Sensuous
paganism,howgriefGeirroSr,whom
all thingsdepend
the god-likeattribute of overseemg
makes
of a particularchair, and as the
the positionor structure
on
giftforsakes the god when he does not occupy the seat, others can
enjoy the privilegeby taking his place. This was the case when
Freyr spiedthe beautiful GerSr away down in lotunheim ; Freyr
The
heima alia,Ssem. 81. Sn. 39.
sctsc i HliSskialf,oc sd um
hafffi
to mean
word
door-bench, from hli3
seems
literally
hlid'scialf
Csedm.
and skiaK (scamnum), AS. scylfe,
(ostium,conf. Engl,lid),
the languagein which the
79, 4. Engl, shelf (seeSuppl). Mark
of Christ : sohta imo thena helagon
OS. poet describes the Ascension
half Godes, endi thanan
stol,sititimo thar an thea suidron (right)
waldandeo
all gisihit
Crist,so huat so (whatso)thius werold
(seeth)
"

behabet,Hel. 176, 4"7, conf. Ceedm. 265, 16.

sky,from which God looks on the

earth,is not yet extinct among our people. The sittingon the
The
right hand is in the Bible, but not the looking down.
formulas
'qui haut siet et de loing mire, qui haut siet et
in point, for men
loins voit
(supra,p. 23) are not cases
everywhere have thought of the Deity as throned on high and
Zeus also sits on
Ida, and looks on at mortal
seeingfar around.
Helios, the
even
as
men
fieSiav,
; he rules from Ida's top,"ISijdev
But
II. 3, 277.
and discerns all things,
a
eye of the sun, surveys
whom
St. Peter
marcheu
tells us of a mortal man,
widely-circulated
admitted
into heaven, and who, led on
ended
by curiosity,
by
chair
which
look
into
the
the
down
07ie
can
Lord, from,
climbing
of
This idea

of

seat

in the

'

and

see

all that is done

steal two

He

earth.

sees

washerwoman

in his anger seizes the footstool

of the
and hurls it
stands before the chair (al.a chair's leg),

at the thief.^
1

the whole

lady'sveils,and

Lord, which
down

on

Kindermarchen

no.

To such
35.

lengthshas

the ancient fable travelled.

First in Bebel, ed. 1, Tub.

gartengesellscliaft
cap. 109, ed. 1556 p. 106, ed.
1590, pp. 98-9 (here a golden settle).Moserrf

1590

p. 85.
vermischte

1506, p. 6. Frey's
Rollwagenbiichlein
schriften

1, 332. 2,

137

WODAN.

it be alluded to in tlieMHG.

Can

Der
der

Amgb.

hat

erkorn,

den himel

nu

bi

uns
geiselt

3^ ?

poem,

habe ;

uuser

ich viirhte sere, unt

wirt

im

zorn,

her abe.^
wirft er uns
slegel
to earth out
In a Servian song (Vuk 4, 9) the angelsdescend
of
hence window)
God's window
(odBozhiegprozora ; pro-zor (out-look,
of zora
reminds
and of
one
(dawn),prozorie(morning twilight),
at earlymorn
Wodan
lookingtoward the sunrise. The dawn is,so
God looks into the
to speak,the openingin heaven, through which
den

world.

Also, what

Diac. 1, 20 tells of the

Paulus

(supra,
p. 18),whereby
their

enemies,I

the Herulian

inclined to trace

am

res^jcxit
; and

coelitus ira

coeiestisDomini
rogn ok OSinn

! wrathful

501

ySr OSinn,

er

grainr

see

warriors

Conf.
the

smitten

were

Egilssagap.

305:

before

reiffr

gods and 0.,;and Fornald.

is 0. with

angry

the Lord

up to "VVuotan : Tanta super eos

Vae
tibi,misera Herulia, quae

again:

flecteris ira!

of

anger

se

sog. 1,

you.

Victorywas in the eyes of our forefathers the firstand highest

not
of gifts,
but they regarded Wuotan
merely as dispenserof
victory; I have to show next, that in the widest sense he represented
the god to whose
has to look for every
to them
bounty man
other distinction,
who has the givingof all superior
blessings
; and
this

in

also Hermes

sense

(Mercury)was

idcov,
giver of
SctiTcop
to

that the

guess

things,and

good

Gihika,

name

the

to

Greeks

I have

eminently
pre-

ventured

the
KijncJw originally
signified

to us-.

same

H. Sachs (1563)v. 381.

ed. 1842, 4, 5, 39.
According to Greek and 0.
have
cliair
tha
the gods
Norse notions,
:
a throne or
reginoil a rokstola
gengengo
God's throne, the
the
Bible
heaven
is
:
goS, S;eni. 1''. Compare in
ginheilog
235.

Matt. 5, 34-5 ; and Hel. 45, 11. 12 (seeSuppl.).

earth his footstool,
1 Also
MS.
MS.
2, 6'': niit
2, 254'' : ze hus wirf ich den slegeldir.
einem

er
sleijel

zuo

dem

kinde

warf.

This

cuchjel-throicing
resembles,

throw, and the

ancestors, the hammer's
The
cudgel thrown
(Grail'6, 773).
slaga is malleus, sledge-hanimev
the obscure
thunderbolt
and
heaven
can
hardly be other than a
;

what

meant

OHG.
from

so

much

to

our

wJioso astray should ride,that

fihide,'
proverb, swer irre rite daz der den sler/el
he the s. might fiml,Parz. 180, 10,.may refer to a thunder-stone
(seecli.VIII,
Donar)which jwintsto hidden treasure and bringsdeliverance,and which only
those can
lightupon, who have accidentallylost tlieir way in a wood ; for
'

which

reason

of

stone
-

under
calls trunks of trees,from
document
slegelsurkiinde und zil,'
slegcl's

Wolfram

luck,

'

Haupts zeitschr. 1, 573.

Lasicz. 47

names

Latanus

which
and

peeps out the

mark
(aim).

donator

bonorum.

138

WODAN.

total of

the fulness of all

well-beingand blessedness,
in our
ancient
languageto have been expressedby a
graces, seems
singleword, whose meaning has since been narrowed down ; it was
tvunsch (wish). This word is probablyderived from wunja,
named
perfectionin whatever
wunnja, our wonne, bliss ; wunisc, wunsc,
The

sum

kind, what

should

we

Ideal.

call the

Thus, Er. 1699

'

der wunsch

daz mir des

garwe,'wish was in her complete; Iw. 3991
niht gebrast,'
wunsches
nought of wish was
wanting ; Iw. 6468
such store as wish can
wibe gert,'
der rat, des der wunsch
an
in
niht vergaz,'
in wife ; Gerh. 1754!
der got wunsches
an
crave
God
whom
nought of wish forgot(leftout); Parz. 742, 15 der
dir ist der wunsch
wirt in beiden
wunsch
gegeben';
; Trist. 3710
der wunsch
edlem obze,'the pick of noble fruit ;
Frauend. 87
von
of the earth ;
rich in all gifts
erden wunsches
Parz. 250, 25
riche,'
Avas

ir

an

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

iiberwal';Trist. 4696. 4746

235, 24, 'erden wunsches

worten,

von

'

bluomen

von

in perfectsatisfaction.
i.e.,
treasures

Parz.

22

'

wurzel

unde

1374

'

in dem

der wunsch

wunsche

sweben,'

magic wand, by whose impact

wishing-rod; conf.
wunschiligerta,

And

acquired,was

are

235,

; Trist.

'

the

ris des

wunsches,' root and spray

of
'

(secondary)meaning of desiringand longing for

attached
would
to have but accidentally
these perfections
seem
itself to the wunsc,
ON. osk (seeSuppl.).
of 06inn, appears Osci,Ssem. 46^
Among other Eddie names
Sn. 3, 24, i.e. he who
makes
men
partakersof wunsch, of the
highestgift. Osk, gen. Oskar, a woman's name, Fornm. sog. 1,246.
Eyrbyggja saga cap. 7. Laxd. p. 12.
fore
to be connected with this,and thereto me
Another
thingseems
to be a relic of the heathen
: the fact that our
poets of
religion
a
the 13th century personifywunsch, and representit as
mighty
found
in proof of this are
creative being. Instances
chieflyin
The

wish.

Hartmann,
Got

'

and

Eudolf

erloubte

Conrad

WimscJie liber

dem

er

lib unde

meistert nach
swa

von

deheinem
desn

to

gave

Wish

full leave,

in,
daz

him, God

About

ouch

body and mind

fashioned accordingto
that he

sin

sim

werde.

uf der erde

man

gebrastim

ze

loben

geschiht, to

niht ;

der Wicnsch hat in

Of whatsoever

so
gemeistert

earth,

praiseworthyfalls,
lacked him nought ;

man,

any

thereof
Wish

upon

his worth,

had him

fashioned

so,

139

WODAN.

daz

sin

er

wande

kinde

ze

nihts

er

im

an

tliathe

vrS,

vergaz

kunder, baz.
geschaffet,
Greg. 1091-1100.

hetn

er

luas

for he

he had

glad of liim for child,

nought in him forgot:
him shapen,if he could,
was

better.

a child won
They say that never
Wunsche
glich. a body so wholly equal to Wish
Ex. 330.
(or,exactlylike Wish).

sagt daz nie kint gewan

man

ein

gar dem

lipso

also

was

und

(dazphert)gestalt,
(der werltwise man)

ez

ob

er

danne
von

dem

daz

ez

den

So

wrought (tlie
horse),
(thewright)had had

it

was

that if he

gewalt

Wunsche

the command

hmte,

belibe st^ete

that

from

work)
(liis

Wish,
should

be

left

unaltered,
swes

er

und

darzuo

swenne

daz

volbra^hte,

erz

sinem

von

er

dar abe

also

was

daz

er

ez

dar

and

he

when

he

and

givalte

He

missezaeme,

volkomen
abe

niht

hete

geno-

ein bar.

"

perfectwas
have

alse groz als umb

take away
therein mislilvcd him,
it

that he therefrom

men
so

great

Him,

should

whatever
so

set it before

at his discretion

therefrom
im

attemptedthereon,
had completedit,

that he should

noeme

daran

swaz

whatever

fiirsich stalte

erz

und

gedsehte,

noughtwould

taken
as

hair.

Er. 7375-87.
als
was

ez

ein wunschldnt

Enite
der
da

der Wmisch

an
was

was

gehot(bade). Er. 8213.

(was a child of wish).

des Witnschcs

Ex. 8277,

kint,

ir nilites vergaz.
Er. 8934.
ir har und ir lich (lyke,
lych,body)

gar dem

Wunsche

gelich(like).Iw. 1333.
diz was
ir (zuht,schoene,jugent)und gar der rat (all
an
the store)
des der Wunsch
Iw. 6468.
(orwunsch ?)an wibe gert (desires.)
wande
sie nie gesahen (forthey never
had seen)
riter gestalt
zwene
(two knightsfashioned)
so gar in Wunsches
gewalt
so

an

dem

libe und

der Wimsch

an

vluochct

den

siten

(manners). Iw.
im so.
Iw. 7066.
(curses)

6913.

140

WODAN.

gevluochet. Hartm. biichl. 2, 113.

schcene und wol gevar (forgefarwet,
coloured),
er
was
rehte,als in der Wunsch erkos (chose). Gerh. 771.
to them) des begunde jehen (acknowledge),
mill herze in (ihnen,
in wsere
des Wunsches fiiz(zeal,
care)bereit, Gerh. 1599.
der Wunsch

mil- hat

mit kiusche

der Wunsch

der

an

sine sileze lebcnde

kroene
schoiie

alien frouwen

ob

Wimsches

des

mit

1660,

Gerh.

fruht.

ich ir schoene

daz

har

Gerh.

krone.

1668.

vloz

ein regen uz dem wolken

der uf des Wimsches
ouwe

goz

Gerh.

2307.
(?).
Gerh. 2526.
lobe (praise)
des Wunsches hronc.
an
ich begunde daz geschach (was accomplished),
swes
ie niinen werken
der Wunsch
jach (everto my works said yea)
so

heizen

regen

als ich wolte

des wunsches

als ich wiinschen

und

nach

Wunsches

des

Wttnsch

der

Gerh.

solte.

lere

2945.

(lore).Gerh.

4500.

siner hende

mit

(change,fault)hete si getwagen (cleansed).Troj.1212.

hat ane
der Wunsch
lougen (withoutlying,undeniably)
ir sine kmftj
an
erzeiget
wandel

vor

siner Jcilnste meisterschaft

und

mit vlize

an

der

Wunsch

hat

der

Wunsch

der

flizcsdenne
Troj.19620.

me

so

daz

fur sie

er

evinced in her). Troj.7569.

(carefully
of fault).Troj.3154.
vri (free
in gemachetwandels
laid out, spent)
hete an si geleit
(gelegt,
uf elliu wip (more pains than on
any woman).

ir bewert

leben

wibes

niemer

baz

gesdwpfenwolde

(better)
;

(measured),
gewcdtir bilde maz
model.
-siemanec
leit (legte)
er
an
Troj.19627

do sin
do

hsete sin der Wtinsch

und

wolde

er

und

bilden

schepfcnalso

als Helena
er

miieste

wan

er

min

klaren

sinen

niemer

wip,

lip
treit

frouwe

brechen

kunde

gesworn,

ein schoener

eit

(forhe

bears)
(tragt,
(eid,oath)
could

never),

141

WODAN.

unci solte Uldcn

(were he

iemer

fruht.

wunneclicher
(jcschcpfen
hat

ez

ze

niender.

vergezzen

Engelh.579.

geleit.Engelh.4703.

der hete niht

gespart

ir die sine

an
er

si der Wunsch

an

Wunsch

der

telle der Wunsch

sinem

daz haete

shape for ever),

Troj.19526-32.
to

mcisterscliaft,
beste hraft
fiizan sie geleit.Der

hete sine

mit ganzem
Other

werlde

Ion. 84.

too (not,
however.Wolfram
poets personify

nor

Gotfried):

der zweier kurtesie

sich
si

ze

ware

Wimsche

dem

niender

ir schoene

an

uz

was

daz ir der Wunsch

der Wunsch
in

was

het

mohte

wen

gedahte. Wigal. 9281.

in ir gewalt.
sich gcneigct
8735.

ib. 7906.

erlangen,

da der Wunsch
der Wunsch

ibid. 904.

ib. 10592.

bereit.

amic.
da

geweten,

getreten. Wigal. 9246.

wol schin,

der Wunsch

des Wunsches

het

inne

ib. 10612.

was.

het si gemachetso,
1338.

(Pf.1343).
des Wuoischcs ougenweicle
(food for the eye)
sit ir und miner
sfelden spil(are ye, and the play of my
delight).
1068. (Pf.1072).
Wigal. 8760. Amur
si schepfetuz des Wunsches
water). Martina, 259.
hcilctwdgc
(lioly

imd

ist ir

ze

vrS.

kinde

Amur

im groz, lane unde wiz,

Turl. Wh.
der het sich der Wunsch
gesellct.

(diuhant) ist
zuo

38=*.

ib. 137^
(herestood)der Wunsch.
vliz. Tyrol E, 3.
wol des Wunsches
dar an lit (therein
lieth)
si ist des Wunsches
mark or aim). Ms. 1, 84^
hostez zil (highest
hie stuont

sie ist der

Wunsch

sie ist des

Wunsches

ist niht

so

an

blic. MsH.
des
si

Wwischcs

Wunsches

2, 100^.

3, 493^

blucte sint

tragedes Wunsches

des

Ms.

(one of W.'s household). Ms. 1, 6^

ingesinde
uf ir zehen (from her crown
to her toes)
minneclichen
widen
wan
(save,but)des Wunsches

ir scheitel

von

uf erde.

krdnc

entsprungen in

hildc.

Ms.

tragen. Docen

mine

herzen.

1, 191^
misc. 2, 186.

Fragm. 45^

142

WODAN.

sie hat des

er

was

daz

und
der
da

so

gewalt. Amgb. 31^

Wimsches

gar des

hint,

Wunschcs

blint,
before)siner schoene waren
gein (against,
bi clarem velle (complexion)
doch menlich gestalt
;
im niht gebrechenliez (letnought be lacking)
Wunsch
hint den
stolzen hiez (should call
's Wtinsches
man
von
alle

man

statelyone). Lohengr.ed.
followingis

The

yr

an

in

Wunsch

ein amie

the earliest

but

outside the bounds

of MHG.

vlytgeleit.Haupts zeitschr. 3, 221.

is there a
Wensch
have no personification
; nor
poems
in Wolfdietrich
970 :
the Nibelungen or Gudrun
; but

W'lmsches

des

Eiickert str. 625.

yst Wensches

Dutch

Mid.

the

There

instances ;

more

many

in the Entekrist

of is found

I know

one

be

must

the

from

century (Hoffm.fundgr.2, 107):

12th

mit Wunschis
sie der
segniti

Wish's

gewalte

With

alte.

Tlie old

might
blessed her.

man

art,
provided with hands, power, looks, diligence,
thinks,
blossom, fruit ; he creates, shapes,produces master-pieces,
bows, swears, curses, is glad and angry, adoptsas child,handmaid,
friend : all such pretty-well stock phrases would
scarcelyhave
if
did not
sprung up and lived in a poetry,in a language, they
We

Wish

see

earlier times had a

higherbeing,of whom
a basis indeed
nearlyall the personifications
In the majority
to me
to rest.
of by MHG.
use
poets seem
in the place
of God
examples we might fairly
put the name

relate to
unconsciously
livelier image; on such
made
of

our

of Wish,
describe
gegozzen,
of

God,

or

that

the
MS.

of Wish

joyous or
1, 226^

p. 23 ; and

in the
the

; der

phrasesquoted on
God

angry
Wunsch

be in

doubt, whether

ir bilde,as
is

gebieten,to command,

to say

God

or

The

Wunsch
At

Wish:

times

mezzen

just as

'gramr

er

zlirnet

the

17-8,which
hat

freudenvoll

maz

appliedto the one as to the other,p. 24.

'der
p. 137, might be rendered in MHG,
iu,'meaning, the world is sick of you.

pp.

sie Got
is said

technically
ySr OSinn,'
iu,fluochet

poet seems

in the first passage

to

from

Gregor,Wish is subordinated,as a being of the second rank, so to

speak,as a servant or messenger, to the superiorgod; the latter has
in other
to give him
leave to assume
his creative function, which
hair are
he does of his own
cases
might. Again, when body,figure,
of Homer's
said to be 'like Wish,' it exactly reminds
us
KOfiav

143

WODAN.

II, 17, 51; and Xdpire'i,

the Gratiae,creatresses
XapkeaaLv ofjLolat,
of grace and beauty,play preciselythe part of our
Wish, even
down
to the circumstance,that in addition to the personalmeaning,
abstract %a/3t9, gratia,
there is an
is a wish.^
Piiterich of
as there
Eeicherzhausen
(Haupts zeitschr. 6, 48) speaks of die ivuntsclics
ir fiieze
have been
fiiesse of a princess
; the older phrase would
deni Wunsche
waren
gelich'. It is a genuine bit of German
heathenism
this creative facultyreside in a god,and not,
to make
'

'

'

after the Greek

fashion,in

features too,that
and

aue

heilwac

female

point back

to

be matched

can

and

meads

creature

as

in

child ; here Woden's

before
or
paterfamilias,
patriarcli
like

appearance
also used

in

mean

him

exclaim

(would suit

christian sense,

in

be called Wish's

marvellous

children

'

God

the

by

worn

'

as

scene

make

men

; and

wunschkint

their
'

is

for,child.^ Hereinen sun

verlorn,er

ich han

God

been
'

sense,

For the Norse

wish-maidens

which

child);

as

has doubtless

child '.

and

heathen

that

in his
rejoices

upon

created

Wish's

adopted,i.e.wished

an

Hecuba

Himself,' but

to

might

makes

of

sense

gote ze kinde

gezseme

whom

by

comes

other

brunno, or the

all,Wish

domestics
children,friends,

in the

bort 13330

self

are

eld.

and

by Phol's ouwa
gods ; Wish's crovm
of

there

heathen

native

our

holywellsof other
kings. And, most remarkable

gods and

And

personage.

he

was

to take
joleased
so
lovely,he

OSinn

in his train

does not

too

has these

(seeSuppl.)^

Wunsco,
oughtby rightsto correspondan OHG.
Wunscjo,(weak deck),which I am not able to produce even as a
be proved
man's
name
(seeSuppl.).^A ]\IHG. Wtinsche cannot
To the ON.

In many
and

Wolfram

preferthe
When

Oshi

placesit is doubtful,whetlier
Gotfiied, who

abstract

abstain

from

while
interpretation,

read in Parz. 102, 30

goal,beyond all that one could
we

si

was

icish

tlie poet meant

distinct

Hartmann
gar ob dem

or

Wish.

In

I always
personification,
admits of both by turn's.
zil (over wish's
wunsches

wish),the phraseborders close upon the above(thehighest that Wish ever created) ;
and
it is but a step from
mines
wunschesparadis,' MS. 2, 126% to des
'
Wunsches
'.
ouwe
or
So, da ist wunsch, und niender breste (hereis
paradis
liez im niht
'der Wunsch
one's wish, and nothing wanting),'MS.
1, SS''
left
him
W.
gebrechen,'
nothing lacking(seeSuppl.).
2
The Germ, an-wiinschen
verballytranslates the Lat. ad-opto. Trans.
3 Tluit
Wish
and very
was
boldly,by the christian poets,is
personified,
in heathen
lliat
believed
he
in as a person, even
was
ever
abundantlyproved,
scholars
German
I
believe
clear.
f
ar
from
some
to
times,is,
Ihinldiig,
my
Trans.
mare's
the
notion
little
better
than
nest.
a
as
regard
"* The
dictus de (
later : Johannes
does occur
der) Wunsch, Ch.
name
wochenOberhess.
the
In
1324
I.
des
mittli.
thiir.
ann.
vereius
(Neue
4,()5),
is
who
Wunsch
I
Joh.
read
of
blatt,Marburg 1830, p. 420,
a
probablyalive at
si ist des
quoted,_'

'

hustez zil

Wunsches

'

'

'

'

"

"

this moment.

144

WODAN.

(Straszb.
MS.), both the metre
idea may
and the strong gen. in -es forbidding. But the whole
in
the earliest times have taken far stronger root in South
Germany
tells next
than in Scandinavia,since the Edda
to nothing of Oski,

from

Troj.3154. 7569.

while

poetry as late

our

Wunsch.

That

it

19726

19620.

foreignto

not

was

century has

the ] 5th

as

North

the

much

so

of

to say

either,is plainly

Wunschdfrauen,wish-women; by the
Oshmcyjar
with our
stone connected
Wunschelrute,
Oskasteinn,a philosopher's
MHG.
and Mercury'sstaff;by Oskabyrr,
Wunschivint,
wishing-rod,
fair wind
; all of which
; by Oshabiorn,wish-bear, a sea-monster
Osk
will be discussed more
fullyby and by. A fem. proper name
in a few places; what
if the unaccountable
occurs
Oskopnir,Saem.
188% were
reallyto be explainedas Osk-opnir? Opnir,Ofnir,we
to grow
Both word and meaning seem
know, are epithetsof OSinn.
in relevancyto our
indeed, that
mythology it is a stumbling-block
the simple wusc
furnish no
the AS. remains
contribution, even
(optare)in
votum) seeming to be rare, and only wyscan
(optio,

proved by

the

common

use

yet

mythic

the

among

to make

of another

Anglo-Saxons too
well
extinct,though previously

in 91^

related

52,

18.

wiges

which

62,

46^

it

once

again the
speaks of

quoted instances

; I have

be added

now

from

dtegredwoma 179, 24;

10 ;

277,

5 ; wintres

woma

only mentions

Edda

the

the Cod.

exon.

hHdewoma

292,

22

to

woma

and
:

in

wom,

El. pp. xxx,

heofonwoma

250, 32. 282,

in this

this Omi

Now

AS.

in Andr.

Omi

and

Oski

for OSinn.

more

fragor,as

sonus,

omr,

may

woma

which

Omi

uses

to

clamor, sonitus

xxxi,to

Ssem.

in

though
cursorily,
stands

it,their oldest poetry is stilldimly conscious

of Wuotan,

name

breath,and

for

up

with

meet

we

to the

; and

it were
lord of Wish
as
WiXscfred,
have merely become
this being may
known
(seeSuppl.).
a

But

heroes of Deira

last,the

15 ;

ing
mean-

impetus,fragor,furor,is self-evident,and we see

ourselves led up to the thought which
antiquityconnected with
tions
evolved the abstracWuotan
himself : out of this livinggod were
wunsch
woma
wuot
(impetus,fragor).The
(ideal),
(furor),
of

hiemis

god
grace-bestowing

gracious and

who
stormful,the terror-striking,
even

so

the ON.

has

The

AS.

for terror.
wuomo

and

Wuomo

both
woma
are

an

was

sends

caUed

the

at

other

times

thrill

through nature;

Yggr standingfor OSinn,

Woma
is no longer found
as
alike unknown.
Thorpe

and

yggr

an

; in

OHG.

renders

the

145

WODAN.

'

heofonwoman

'

above

in

local

the passages
correctly
; in both
liowever imagine Onii,Woma
may
if

Indras, whose
of

rush is heard

battle,and the tramp of

by

sense

'heaven's corners,'
I doubt

coeli

We
fragoresare meant.
like the Hindu
an
as
air-god,
in the sky at break of day,in the din
the furious host
(seeSuppl.).
'

'

arrive at Indra's heaven,^

as the souls of slain warriors
Precisely
the victory-dispensing
takes up the heroes
god of our ancestors
that
fall in fight,
into his fellowship,
into his army,
into his
heavenly dwelling. Probably it has been the belief of all good
tliat after death they would
be admitted
to a closer commen,
munion
witli deity. Dying is therefore,even
accordingto the
christian view, called goiuff
to God, turning home
to God : in AS.
Ca?dm. 104,31. Or seeking,
2360.
metodsceaft
seon, Beow.
visiting
God: OS. god suokian, Hel. 174:,26
; fadar suohion,Hel. 143, 23;
Hel. 85, 21. 17, 17.
ujjodashem,lioht odar, sinlif,
godesriki siLokian,
14.

63,

137,

Herodotus

16.

176, 5.

In

4, 94, said levat

like

the

sense

Thracians,ace.

to

ZdX/jio^iv
(Fe/SeXei^Lv)
Smfiova,
which Zalmoxis
Zamolxes
is held by Jornandes
or
to be a deified
king of the Goths (Getae). In the Novth, faring to Off inn, being
guest with Offinn,visitingOffinn, meant
simply to die,Fornald.
with faringto
was
sog. 1, 118. 422-3. 2, 366. and
synonymous
Valholl,beingguest at Valholl,ib. 1, 106.
Among the christians,
these were
turned into curses
til O"ins !
Offins eigiJ?ik!
: far p4
OSin's have thee (see Suppl). Here is shown
the inversion
may
of the kindly being,with
whom
fain would
one
dwell, into an
evil one,2whose abode inspires
fear and dread.
Further on, we shall
in
exhibit more
detail the way
in which
Wuotan
was
pictured
drivingthroughthe air at the head of the furious (wtitende)
host
named
after him.
Valholl (aulaoptionis)
and Valkyrjaobviously
notion
of wish and choice (Germ, wahl, Scotch wale).
express the
irapa

'

'

Of

the

god,which
1

of figureand
peculiarities
are
brought out in such

Bopp'sNalas,p.

outward
bold

of this
appearance
relief in the northern

264.

So Wuotan's
of itself degenerates
name
into the sense
of hwy (wut) and
has instances of it. In
he
anger ; the Edda
pricked Brynhild with
revenge
the sleei)ing-thorn,
S:em.
194% and she says : OSinn
])\\veldr,er ek eigi
nmttak
He breeds enmit5^and strife : einn vehh- OSinn
bregSa bhmnstofom.
ollu bolvi,jpviatmeS
sifjungom sakrunar bar, S;cm. 165''. ininiicitias Othinus
Sa.\o gram. p. 142, as christians
serit,
the seeds
say of the devil,that he sows
of discord, gremi OCins,Sa^m. 151^ (seeSuppl.).

le

146

WODAN.

Grimnir

but

is

hrokum, green
heldumaffr,cloaked
fountain,he

Sfem. 4%

cloak

oculo ; p.

sencx

ortus

came

had

yfirser,

a
sa

obligedto

hat and

Germany,

wide mantle:

1 hekhi

grmnni ok

breeks, Fornald. sog. 1, 324.

When

he

leave

one

desired

to

of his eyes

drink

of

in pawn,

altera
Saxo, p. 12, he a.^-pearsas cprcndaevus,
ocello ; p. 138,
contentus
uno
37, armipotens,
semper

So in the

Sagas : kom ]?armaSr

ok hafSi hatt siSan ;
einsynn ok aatgdapr,
orSspakr,
old man,
word-wise,one-eyed and sad-eyed,
an
very

ocidis,hispidoamictu.

gamall,miok
and

blue

1, 325.

man,
was

and

in

us

In

15.^

Sn.

orhus

there

left among

traces

hroad

hldm

Mimi's

few

he wears
a
one-eyed,
feldi hldm, blue cloak, Stem. 40.
OSinn

Norse

The

found

have

myths, I

maSr

hann
hafir lieklu flekkdtta
sog. 2, 138.
hann
at beini,
berfcettr ok hafSi knytt linbrokum

hat, Fornm.

wide

var

ok einsynn,
Fornald. sog. 1,120.
(veryhigh),ok eldiligr
]9akom maSr 1 bardagann meS sid'an hatt ok heldu Ud^ hann hafSi
Odinn
eitt avga, ok geir (spear)i hendi, ib. 1, 145.
J^ettamun
einspnn,ib. 1, 95. sa
gamli verit hafa, ok at visu var maSrinn
mikinn
meS si"im hetti,
ib. 5,250.
meS hctti Hangatyss
hann mann
cidari Odiniana
incedere,
Othinus,
Vigagl.saga, p. 168.
ganga, cum
cultu
Saxo
44.
An
Eddie
Gram.
OS
ohnubens,
ne
proderetur,
inleo,
him
Siffhottr,
broad-hatted,Saem. 46^ and one
song alreadynames
sog. 2, 25-6 ; conf. Mlillers
saga merely Hottr, hatted, Fornald.
it not for the name
Were
given him in the
sagabibl.3, 142.
the intention of the
Grimnismal, I should have supposed it was
else that,
christians to degrade the old god by mean
or
clothing,
trying to conceal himself from
wrapt in his mantle, he was
Have
christians.
we
a
right here to bring in the pileatiof
A saga in Saxo, p. 12, tells prettily,
old
how the Mind
?
Jornandes
god takes up a proteg^in his cloak,and carries him through the air,
but Hading, peeping through a hole in the garment, observes that
As for that heklumad'r
the sea-waves.
the horse is steppingover
har miok

var

of the
head

hat

with

of the wild

its rim

turned

host, who

can

up, he
at

once

is

our

be

Hakolberend
turned

into

at the
a

Gothic

Ace. to the
fountain, Kulin in Hofer 1, 290.
look m"o
not look into running water, because you
religion,
popiilar
you must
the
God's eye, Tol)ler's Appenzel p. 369'' ; neither must
stars with
point at
you
for fear of stickingthem into the angels'
eyes.
your fingers,
2 There
Molbech
is a Swed. miirchen of Greymantle(grakappan),
14, who,
like Mary in German
tales,takes one up to heaven and forbids the openingof a
3, 407.
lock,Kinderm.
^

Conf.

Tritas

in

the

WODAN.

that hakuls

147
for

is found in 2 Tim.
(f)e\6vr]"i
iv. 13.
Iduna
Swedish folk-tales pictureOdin as bald-headed,
10,
In the ancient poetry he is Harharffr,Sidgrani,Sidskcggr,
231.
all in allusion to his thick growth of hair and beard.
The name

Ilahdahairands,

now

"

I have

Eedbeard
sog. 2, 239

and

257 the Grani

"

understood

elsewhere

of

Thor,

but

in

Fornald.

Rau"grani are expresslyOSinn

(see

Suppl.).
The

Norse

GiXngnirby
the lance
sword

myth

sword

or

Stem.

name,

of

Mars,

wonderful

Sn. 72 ; which

196.
not

he hacks

breaks, when

with

OSinn

arms

the

at

staff of

whom

over

on

with

par

Mercury. Sigmund's

spear, Vols, saga cap. 11,

victories with, Ssem. 165.
A

5, 250 says

reyrspiota(gavehim the reeden spear)t hond,

ok )?at
honum
skyldi hann
yfirliS Styrbiarnar,
All the enemies

put

OSinn's

lie lends this spear to heroes to win

remarkable
sog.
passage in the Fornm.

alia !

(geir),

S'pcar

the spear

seldi honum

ok baS hann
ma^la

05in

he shoots shall

skiota

ySr
fly,are
a

the

victory. So too the

spiotiat fornom si" til
Eyrbyggja saga p. 228 : }?askaut Stein];6rr
heilla ser yfirflock Snorra ; where, it is true, nothingis said of the
the enemy
over
being the god's. Saim. 5% of OSinn
spear launched
skaut (seeSuppl.).
himself : fieigSi
ok 1 folk um
doomed

to

To

the

which,

as

death, and the shooter

god

of

combative

wolves

the
upon
named
are

Sachs

5,499),we
(i.

pounce

victoryare

obtains

attached

courageous

ivolves and

two

animals, follow

two

the

ravens,

fight,and

The
and El. xxvi. xxvii.
fallen corpses, Andr.
Gcri and FrcJci,
Sn. 42 ; and so late as in Hans
read in

schwank, that the Lord God has chosen

wolves for his hounds, that

are
they are his cattle. The two ravens
Hvginn and Muninn, from hugr (animus,cogitatio)and munr
(mens) ; they are not only brave,but cunning and wise,they sit on
the shoidders of OSinn, and whisper in his ear
whatever
they see
and hear,Sa^m. 42'' 88^ Sn. 42. 56. 322.
To the Greek
Apollo too
the wolf and raven
informed
sacred ;^ his messenger
the raven
were
him when
Koronis
and Aristeas accompanied him
was
unfaithful,
Herod. 4, 15 ; a raven
is perched aloft on the mantle of
as a raven,
Mithras the sun-god. The Gospels representthe Holy Ghost as a

Delio
sine

In

Marc.

Cap. 1, 11, the words:

transl. by Notker
are
coiistiterunt,

albisze.
ralena unde
wizegfogela,
instead of ravens
haukar
OtJins
Saem.
:

vero
'augiirales

37

To

to

warcn

Ot5inn

167^.

hawks

alitcs ante

garo
are

ze

curriini

Apollinisreito

sometimes

given

148

WODAN.

Christ at his

descendingupon

dove

him,

upon

Krist

sih

er

dove

this

an

ctt' avrov,

ejxeivev

sat im

but

0. i. 25, 24;

Hel.

32

1,
1

30,

'in

of the

(our Lord's shoulder). Is

ahslu

drohtines

uses

John

eum,

super

thoughts? None of the Fathers have this

in the Mid. Ages there is talk enough about
shoulders ;^ and the dove, though frequently

echo of heathen

circumstance,
doves

but

restingon

contrasted

with

appliedto

the

it.

mansit

gisidalta,'
says
icppan

baptism,Lu. 3, 22, and resting

the
Evil

Oswald's

his

flies to

Oswald

talks to it,95-6, and

Oswalt

p. 67

wolf, the christians

be put in the

nevertheless

one),may

raveii

the

(which,like

raven

and

shoulder

kneels before it,854.

arm,

Conf.

placeof

749.

942.

Ziugerle,

(seeSuppl.).^

is
figureof the bearded old man, Wuotan
answering
or water-god,
apparentlyto be regardedas a water-sprite
of the earlier
which
of Mptunus
some
well to the Latin
name
he is Hnikar, Hnihuffr,
him
writers put upon
(p.122). In OK
that

under

Now

the two

Mkarr, Nilcuz,and the hesitation between

Sn. 3
arise
AS.

in

'

'

"

"

Nikuz

Nicor, and
alone.

On

to

Gregor.Nyssen. encom.
saw

these I shall have

"

preaching,Ephraem
in his mouth.
wisdom

Nichus

OHG.

water-sprites
(seeSuppl.)
1

which

may
expresslymade optional Nikarr e"a (or)Nikuz
of old dialects. Nikarr
correspondsto the
from the diversity
are

be ON.
of

forms

on

the

more

shoulder
rujlii

to say, when

epithetof

Another

that
Ei)hraemirelates,
his

initial Hn

when

OSinn

seems

to

treating
is equally

Basil the Great was

put words of

^vhite dove,which
read in Pauh
Ave

Great
Diac, vita p.
dove sat
xuhite
of
hist
vision
a
Ezekiel,
was
14, that when
times
which
at
his
he,
beak
in
then
its
his
and
mouth,
put
head,and now
u'pon
of
narrative
a
the
down
conf.
his
stvlus
to
the writer,got nothing for
;
put
226-7.
also
1.
229
tine
AugusMyst.
;
p.
poet of the 12th cent.,Hoffm. fundgr.2,
and Thomas
are
portrayedwith a white dove perchedon their
he

Gregory
expounding

the

the

Aquinas
hoveringover their heads. A nursery-tale(Kinderm. no. 33) makes
and tell him in his ear all that he has to
doves settle on the pope'sshoulder,
A white dove descends singingon the head of St. Devy, and instructs him,

shoulders
two

Of

do.
Buhez

make
ravens

There

are

p"

other occasions the dove flies

And
117.
on
Paris 1837,
will trace the story of
No
one
the will of heaven.
known
is
coincidence
striking(seeSuppl.l
to these doves, stillthe
and
in
Denmark
found
Sweden,
said to have been
lately,

Nonn.

santez

down
to
Wuotan's
-

or

rather strange reportsare well-founded,

ought to be made known without delay. A ploughman at Boeslund in Zealand
the lids is carved
Odin,
filled with ashes ; on
turned
golden urns
up two
wolves at his feet ;
and
the
two
his shoulders,
on
standingup, with two ravens
the
discovered
near
Kunstbl.
1843, no.
19, p. 80^. Gold coins also were
the
with
Odin
ravens
which
represents
villageof Gomminga in Oeland, one of
Kunstbl.
his shoulder ; the reverse
has ruues
1844, no. 13, p. 52".
on

of Odin, which, if some

representations

149

WODAN.

noticeable for its double

As

46'' has Biblindi.

Sn. 3 ;
Bijii"leSa Bijlindi,
motus, aer,
(Germ, beben) signifies

form

bif

Sicm.
aqua,

lindi,ON.
quaking element, and the AS. \vSq is lenis,OHG.
AS. BifliSe,
linr (forlinnr)
BeofliSe,OHG.
Pepalindi,
might be
; an
for tlie
of the air,a very apt name
by the soft movement
suggested
all-penetrating
god ; but these forms, if they gave rise to the Norse
Wuotan's
dominion
term, are no longer found in AS. or OHG.
how
it is that he
the water
both over
the air and over
explains,
and comes
walks on the waves,
rushing on the gale. It is 05inn
the

"

that sends wind

wind

the

Fornm.
ships,

says,
Do

poets use

Greg. 615

ing
good sail-

sande

in

other

wunschivint

in the

same

sense

(tothem)

den vil rehten

But

is from
Ssem. 16o^,i.c^Oskahyrr
; \"yrv
oshahjrr,
It is in strikingaccord
purran, to rise,be lifted up.

this,that the MHG.

Hartmann

sog. 2, 16, hence

is called

byrja,OHG.
with

to

der slieze Krist

wunschwint

attributes of

Wuotan

(seeSuppl.)
point

more

to

Hermes

and

Apollo. He resembles the latter,in as much as from him proceed

illness is the stroke
contagiousdiseases and their cure ; any severe
The Gauls also
of God, and Apollo'sarrows
scatter
])estilence.
diseases (Apollinem morbos
imagined that Apollo drove away
Caes. B. G. 6, 17) ; and Wodan's
magic alone can cure
depellere,
The raven
the god'sshoulder exactlyfits
Balder's lamed horse.
on
plainlythe circumstance that OSinn invented
Apollo,and stillmore
the poeticart,and Saga is his divine daughter,
justas the Greek
Muses, though daughtersof Zeus, are under Apollo'sprotection,
and in his train. On
the other hand, writing and the alphabet
Tlie Egyptianpriests
not invented by Apollo,
but by Hermes.
were
de myst.
of all inventions
at the head
(lamblich.
placed Hermes
"

Aegypt. 8, 1),and Theuth or Thoth is said to have first discovered

letters (Plato's
Phaedr. 1, 96, Bekker) while,ace. to Hygin. fab.
of cranes.
In tbe
learnt them by watching the flight
143, Hermes
read (Thorpe's
anal,
AS. dialoguebetween
Saturn and Solomon, we
bocstafas sette?' 'ic the secge,
hwa
aerost
p. 100): 'saga me,
Mercurius
se
dialogue,entitled Adrian and
gyqcmd'. Another
Epictus(MS. Brit. mus. Arund. no. 351. fol. 39) asks: 'quisprimus
of
is either a corruption
which
fecit literas ? and answers
Seitli,"
Theuth, or the Scth of the Bible. Just so the Eddie Palnatals ]?attr
to OSinn, if we
to ascribe the first teachingof runes
seems
may so
,

'

'

150

WODAN.

the
interpret

words

nam

ec

uj'ip riXnar,Ssem. 28^

them
ofreist,
]?aGrofhiigSiHroptr, i.e.,

thought out,

Srem.

idrottir kendi

hann

attributes to
de

195^

Also
rlXnum

meS

read

Snorri,Yngl. cap. 7
ok lio"um.

Mercury the invention

of

denariis

sicut

OSinn

ofreS,Jjfer
Jjser

quasi jocaridicuntur, quod

legimus,primum cliahohis hoc per

out,

allar

Hincmar

out,

J^essar

of Eheims

: sicut
dice-playing

omnino

cut

diabolicum

isti qui

est,et,

Mercuriuw

unde
prodidit,
inventor
illius dicitur,1, 656.
et Mercurius
Conf. Schol. to Odyss.
Our
23, 198, and MS. 2, 124^ : der tiuvel schuof das wiirfelspil.
folk-tales know
something about this,they always make the devil
to this
play at cards,and entice others to play (seeSuppl.).^When
Wish's
staff,recals Mercury's
i.e..
we
add, that the wishing-rod,
the occupacaduceus,and the wish-wives,t.e.,osknieyjar,
valkyrior,
tion
of the Psychopompos ; we
fairly
recognisean echo of the
may
in the epithetTrismcgistos
Gallic^ or Germanic
(Lactantius
]\lercury
Hermes
in Ausonius),which
later
i. 6, 3. vi, 25, 10.
ter maximus
and

poets, Romance

German,

in

the

12tli and

13th

centuries^

Tervigant,
deity Termagant Tervcigan,
and Mercury are described as
Hermes
Terviant.
Moreover, when
dator bonorum, and the Slavs again call the same
god Dobro-pan
that the
(p.130, note),as if mercis domains ; it is worth noticing,
Misnere
Amgb. 42% in enumerating all the planets,singlesout
Mercury to invoke in the words : jSTu hilf mir, daz mir s^lde
kum
noch
ich wider uf der
wache!
schin er mir ze geliicke,
so
sselden phat (pfad). Just so I find Odin invoked in Swedish
lar
popuAsagrim ! Svenska fornsangor1, 11.
songs : Hielp nu, Oden
hielpmig Othin ! 1, 69. To this god first and foremost the people
in distress ; I suppose
turned when
he is called Asagrim, because

transferred

to

the Ases

amons

Eeuscli,sagen

In

Saracen

he bore

the

name

of

Grimnir

des preiiss. Samlands, no. 11. 29.

of
the Old British mythology there appears a Gwydion ah Don, G. son
Brit.
r
esearches
Davies (Celtic
myth. p. 118, 204, 263-4,
Don, whom
pp. 168, 174.
practised
Avriting,
353, 429, 504, 541) identities with Hermes
; he invented
named
caer
Gwydion, G.'s
magic, and Inult the rainbow ; the milky way was
castle

(Owen,
Gwydion seems

name
or

sub v.). The

of kin
near

British

antiquariessay nothing
Wodan.

of Woden,
yet
So the Irish

Givodan
to the above
the Engl. Wednesday
modelled
on
for dies Mercurii, dia Geden,whether
(seeSuppl.).
not, leads lis to the form Goden, Gwoden
3 Even
of the present time speak of a groszmachtige
Mercurius,
nursery-tales

Kinderm.
"*

have

no.

This
to

99. 2, 86.

Termagan, Termagant

do with

tlie Irish tormac

occurs

in
especially

augmentum,

0.

tormacaim

Engl,poems,
augere.

and

may

151

WODAN".

of the
then

of

Herald

takes

gods among

his

up

that
significance,

without

It is therefore not

in whose

men,

also the
hovels

ivanderings

he

especially
by
parallelled

lodging,are

and

now

those

of

guise,of God and St. Pdcr.

Our
olden times tell of Wuotan's
wanderings,his waggon, his
know
that in the
p. 128). We
way, his retinue (duce ]\Iercurio,
stars forming the Bear in the northern
very earliest ages the seven
sky were thoughtof as a four-wheeled waggon, its polebeing formed
:
by the three stars that hang downwards
II, 18, 487.
KoXeovaiv.
"ApKTov6\ rjv Koi d/jia^av i7rii{\i](nv
So in OHG.
Od. 5, 273.
: ursa
glosses
ivagen, Jun. 304 ; in MHG.
lb. 1. 772, 26.
himclwagcn,Walth. 54, 3.^ hcrwagen Wackern.
The clearest explanationis givenby Notker
cap. 64 : Selbiu ursa
Offinn

Hcenir, or,

and

in christian

"

ist

pi demo

norde

mannelichemo

zeichenhaftiu

fone

dien

siben

glaten sternon, die aller der liut wagc7i heizet,unde nah einemo
gloccunjoclie^
gescafiensint,unde ebenmichel
sint,ane (except)
des mittelosten.

The

Anglo-Saxonscalled

Jyisl(waggon'sthill,pole),or

the constellation

simply pisl,but

carles

quoted in Lye, the Engl, charles wain, Dan.

harlwagn. Is carl here equivalentto lord,as we
in the

same

christian

legend?

appears

to have

ivagan,

after the

evidence
heure

borne

transference

And

concerns

in heathen

highestgod
MS.

us

as

late

elsewhere

1470

dar

I have

nowhere

of

name

Dutch

king

of

dat

Wtwkmes

language has

ende

dit teekin

staet ; het sevenstarre

1, 24.

Huydec. proeven

famous

here, the constellation

The

as

also is

karlsvogn,Swed.
have herrenwagen

the

times the full

of heaven.

of

to

(the constell.)
ourse,

Woonswaghcn,
up

de

is te

poeten in

segghene

Arcturus, dat wy
ofde

met

Wocnswaglicn;
with plaustrum

only vagn d himnum.

It is a question,
whether
the great open highway in heaven
to
which
of sacredness,and
people long attached a peculiarsense
the older fancy of a
perhapsallowed this to eclipse
milky way
districts called Wuotancs
(caerGwydion, p. 150) was not in some
of a place,
luec or strdza. (way or
street).Wodcncsurg,as the name
stood its ground in Lower
Saxony,in the case of a villagenear
Magdeburg, Ch. ad ann. 973 in Zeitschr. fiir archivk. 2, 349 ; an
Mercurii,nor

with

But, what

heetend

Woenswaghcn.
conf.

is it

or

of this in

fablen

heeten

sense

wccn

wmnes

an

ON.

OSins

vagn

"

'

'

"

1
2

Septentrion,
que
Crossbeam,such

nos
as

char d del
bells

de Eon.
apelon; Roman
are
(glocken)
suspendedon; conf.

ans, as, p. 125.

152

WODAN.

older doc. of 937 is said to have

Neu. mitth. des thiir.vereins
Dietm.

Merseb.

2, 14

sivege, Heinricus

p. 750.

Wiggert in the
Watancsweg (conf.
praedium in Wocleneswegc,

VI. 2, 22).
Annal.

Saxo

272. Johannes

de

Wden-

urk. p. 74
Wodcnsiveghe(Lenz.)Brandenb.
(anno 1301). later, Wutenswege,GodenscMvege,

de

(anno 1273), 161

Gero ex familia
arch. 2, 165, 170.
conf. Ledebur
n.
Gutensivegen,
Meibom
Ann. Magdeb. in chron. Marienthal.
3,
Wodcnswcgiorum.,
here the lustration der Iwningesstratc,EA.
I would
mention
263.
69 ; in the Uplandslag vidherb, balkr 23, 7 the highway is called
But we
shall have to raise
like the heavenly wain above.
harlsveg,
a

by and by, whether

Wodensweg.

the

doubt

all in

Plainer,and
mountains, which

more

in

to

the

notion

purpose,

heathen

times

of way,

appear
were

via, is contained

the

names

at

of certain

to the service of

sacred

now
Othenshcrg,
Onsherg,
Sigt^shergi,Ssem. 248^
in Schonen.
the Danish
I. of Samsoe
on
Godesberg
; Odeoisherg
Glinther 1,211 (anno
Bonn, in docs, of Mid. Ages Gudenesberg,
near
1131), 1, 274 (anno 1143), 2, 345 (anno 1265) ; and before that,
So early as
Lacomblet
97. 117, annis 947, 974
m
Wodenesberg,
Caesarius heisterb. 8, 46 the two forms are put together
: Gudinsvel,ut alii dicunt, Wudinsberg. Near the holy oak in Hesse,
b'erg
still so
which
Boniface
brought down, there stood a Witodenesberg,
in a doc. of 1154
named
(Schminke beschr, von Cassel,p. 30, conf.
Wenk
3, 79),later Vdenesberg,Gudensberg; this hill is not to be
confounded
with
Gudensberg by Erkshausen, district Eotenburg
with a Gudcnbcrgby
wochenbl.
1830, p. 1296), nor
(Niederhess.

the

god.

At

2, 64. GudenOberelsungenand Zierenberg(ib.p. 1219. Eommel

of this name
hurgby Landau, p. 212) ; so that three mountains
silva
in Lower
montem
Hesse
alone ; conf.
Vodinberg,cum
occur
'

eidem

monti

attinente,'doc. of

1265

in

Wenk

II, no.

174.

In

Wodenesbergis named
notes
in a doc. of 1130, Wedekind's
1, 367 ; acurtis Wddcnesbergin
of 973, Falke
tradit. corb. 534.
a doc.
Gotansberg(anno 1275),
Mabillon's
vocatas.
Langs reg. 3, 471 : vineas duas gotansbcrge
in loco ubi mons
the following
acta Bened. sec. 5, p. 208 contain
:
Wdnesberch
dicunt Wonesberth
Wodanesberg) a radicibus
(1.
quem
said to be situate in pagus Gandavensis, but more
astra petit,'
rectly
corComes
Mt. Ardenghen between
Boulogne and St. Omer.
in Lorraine
(Don Cahnet, tome 2,
Wadanimontis, aft. Vaudemont
different

neighbourhood,a

Henricus

comes

de

'

153

WODAN.

to be the same,
and to mean
WodariiL.),seems
Wodnes
A
mons}
heorgin the Sax. Chron. (Ingram pp. 27. 62),
later Wodnesboroiigli,
Wanshorough in Wiltshire ; the corruption
alreadyin Ethelwerd p. 835 : facta ruina magna
ex
utraque parte
in loco qui dicitur Wodnesbyrg for Wodnesberg ; but Florence,ed.

preiives XLVIII.

'

'

1592,

225, has

p.

'

Wodncsbeorh,id

Wodeni

est mons

Wodnes-

'.^ A

heorgin Lappenberg'smap near the Bearucwudu, conf. Wodncsbiiry,

Wodnesdyke,Wddanesfddin Lappenb. engl.gesch.1, 131. 258. 354.
To this

add, that about the Hessian

must

we

goes that

King

Charles lies prisonedin

the Saxons, and

over

opened

but he will yet

army,
at the

well

it,that

in the

forth of the

come

Gudensberg the story

he there won
a victory
wood

for his

thirsting

mountain, he and his host,

appointedtime. The mythus of a victorious army piningfor

is alreadyappliedto King Carl by the Frankish
water
annalists
when
(Pertz1, 150. 348),at "the very moment
they bringout the
destruction of the Irminsul ; but lieyond a doubt
it is older and
heathen:

Saxo

Gram.

has it of the victorious Balder.

42

The

ment
agree-

of such

legendswith fixed points in the ancient cultus cannot

but heightenand
confirm
their significance.
A peoplewhose
faith is falling
to pieces,
will save
here and there a fragment of
and
it,by fixingit on a new
unpersecutedobjectof veneration.
After such
be

not

afraid to claim

such
annalists,
Other
arium

instances

numerous

names

as

mo7is

of ancient
Mercurii

Woden-hills,one

when

mentioned

need

in Latin

Fredegar.
occur,

Lulli, in Wenk

besides
II.

those

12,

of mountains.

The

brevi-

place in Thuringia
:
Wudancs/msun,'and again Wotencshusun (conf.Schannat no.
105) ; in Oldenburg there is a Wodensholt,now
Godensholt,

'in

84.

cited in

land-book

Wodensholte

Tideke

of

no.

names

1428, Ehrentraut

Tammen

Fries, arch. 1, 445

'

to

'

schillinge
(W6; Wothenower
denover ?),seat of a Brandenburgfamily,Hofers urk.
p. 270, anno
1334 ; not far from Bergen op Zoom
and the Scheldt,towards Antwerp,
stands to this day a Woensdrccht,
if Wodani
as
trajectum.
Wocnsd

Wodenssele, Wodani

gut

aula,lies

near

Eindhoven

on

the

"VVe know

of Graisivaudan,
a
valleynear Grenoble in Dauphine, for
the Titurel has Graswaldane
for connecting it
; but there is no around
"
the god.

"which
with
-

town

Our

stands both correctlyfor hurh,byrig,

present -borough,
-burj-,
castle,
for the lost beorg,beorh,mountain
incorrectly
(Germ,
i/.
.
v

(Germ, burg),and

berg)."Trans.

154

WODAN.

Dommel

in N. Brabant

Taxandria,p. 23,

remarkable

passage

pointed out to
amplius supersunt aperte Cymbricorum
was

forte culti erant, indita

honoris

in

eis dictum
Martem

hebdomadis

speak

of

in

alias

eer

docui,et

esse

Wolf:

Imo

ubi
pagis aliquot,

Mercurii

Roysel. Uti enim

lionorem

Gramaye's

Woen

omnes

in

Woensel,

Mercurium

sciunt,ita Roy

sanguineocognominatum ostendunt illi qui tertiam

feriam
Eoydach indigitant In due time I shall
lie in the neighbourhood of
Eersel and Eoysel,which
colore

Woensel, and all

This Woensel
p. 158.

J. W.

by

deorum

nominatim

nomina,

Martis
JSersel,-

me

it in

on

in

of them

is like

the

the

N. Brabant

district of

OSinssalr, Othansale, Onsala

Wunstorp,Wunsdorf,

and

convent

small

town

Oirschot.
named

on

in Lower

Wodcnstorpin a doc of 1179, Ealke

Near
tradit. corb. 770.
Windbergen in the Ditmar
country, an
of Wodcnslag,Wonslag. Near
open space in a wood bears the name
in Schleswig are
the villagesof Wonsbcke, Wonski,
Hadersleben
Woyc7isformerlyWodensycn, An AS. doc. of 862 (Kemble 2, 73)
the name
Wonstoc
contains in a boundary-settlement
Wodencsstoc,
and at the same
time betrays the influence of tlie
Wodani
stipes,
god on ancient delimitation. Wuotan, Hermes, Mercury, all seem
Saxony, stands unmutilated

as

to be divinities of measurement

spanne,

Woenslct, p. 160

and

demarcation

; conf. Woedcns-

(seeSuppl.).

denotingthe waggon and the mountain of the

in Lower Germany, where heathenism
old god,have survived chiefly
of the people in
custom
itself longest
maintained
; a remarkable
It is usual to
Lower
way.
Saxony at harvest-time pointsthe same
in afield to Woden for his horse.
leave a clump of standing corn
the best of
steed Sleipnir,
rides the eight-footed
OSinn in the Edda
ver"r (food)is a
all horses, Sffim. 46=^ 93^. Sn. 18. 45. Q"5. Bleipnis
for hay,Yngl. saga cap. 21 : other
poetic name
sagas speak of a
in
tall white hm^se,by which the god of victorymight be recognised
rooted out the
has not
battles (seeSuppl.). Christianity
entirely
than for the Saxon
harmless
practicefor the Norse any more
peasant. In Schonen and Blekingen it continued for a long time
for reapers to leave on the field a giftfor Odens
to be the custom
The usage in Mecklenburg is thus described by Gryse :
horses}
As

these names,

Geyers schwed. gesch.1, 110. orig.1, 123. In the Hogmmssocken,

Odini lamellae, of which the
Oeland, are some
largestones named Odi7is fiisor,
1

155

WOUAN.

de
(at harvest-tide)
meiers (mowers) dem
god korn angeropen
afgade Woden umme
de roggenarne
geendet,heft
(invokedfor good corn),denn wenn
(each)veldes einen kleinen ord
men
up den lesten platzeins idem
unde humpel korns unafgemeietstan laten,datslilve baven (b'oben,
unde
geschortet,
drevoldigento samende
a-b'ove)an den aren
besprenget(earsfestooned togetherthree times, and sprinkled).
hade (theirhats)vam
her getreden,
Alle meiers sin darumme
c?'C
(v.supra, p. 32), unde ere seisen (scythes)na der
Tcoppegenamcn
dem kornbusehe
siilven wode [mode ?]unde geschrenke(encircling)

Ja,

hebbeii

heidendom

im

nnd
upgerichet,

hebben

also angeropen

unde

tor

tid der

andern

noch

solker

men)
(-leuteu,
Woden

orden

dissen

an

tor tid

der

arne

rossc

nu

voder,

dorn,

jar beter

gebruk im
afgodischer

welker

averall

gebeden:

distil unde

tom

sempliklud

dremal

WodendiXvel

den

dincm
^Yodc,hale (fetch)
nu

arne

dar

korn

denn ok

gebleven. Daher

Pawestom

gewanet, bi etliken ackerliiden

heiden

in

gebruk
avergelovischer
gesporetwerd, und

ok

anropinge des

oft desiilve helsche

hunter),sonderliken im winter, des nachtes

let.^
up dem velde mit sinen jagethundensik horen
from
who has heard the same
David Franck
(Meklenb.1, 56-7),
old people,
quotes the rhyme thus :
hellish

jcger(thesame

story is told,that Odin, in turning his horse

out

to graze,

took

the hit off him

tlie stone into

; the weight of the bit sjijlit
Another
memorial.
w
hich
two
set
a
s
a
were
is,that Oden
story
upriglit
pieces,
In
where
not
to tie his horse up.
and knew
about to tightan adversary,
was
it with his sword,and tied his horse fast
the hurry he ran
to the stone, pierced
through the hole. But the horse broke loose,the stone burst in piecesand
and

laid it

on

huge

block

of stone

the deep bog named

rolled away, and from this arose
Hogrumstrask ; people
Abrah. Ahkpiist,
could reach the bottom.
tied polestogether,
but never
There is a pictureof the stones
Oelands historia,
Calmar
1822. 1, 37. 2, 212.
is also a
och Brimius,no. xviii. In the Hcigbysockenof Oeland
in Liliengren

have

the
on
which,ace. to the folk-tale,
Odinssten,
granitenamed
Ahltheir
swords
used
whet
to
to
;
marching
battle,
the special
importance of Odin's horse in
quist2, 79. These legends confirm
the Gautrekssagap. 40 quote from the Clavis
his mythus. Verelii notae
on
I do not (juite
i lielgbunden,'which
runici
Odin
heter
hesta
srna
:
computi

smooth

warriors

block

of

old,when

of

'

In the Fornm.

understand.
and

rides away

by

sog. 9, 55-G
enormous

has his horse shod

Sweden, where a war

OSinn

leapsto

at

(seeSuppl.).
^
dorch Nicolaum
Spegeldes antichristischen pawestdoms(popery),
With
the verses
E
sheet
iiii''.
Eost.
1593.
in
4,
predigem
Rostock,
him, conf. the formula
thistleand

in weisthiimer

thorn the next.

Let

it lie fallow

one

smith's,
black-

breaks

out

Grysen,
by

cited

year, and

bear

156

WODAN.

Wode, Wode,
hal dinen

rosse

distel

nu

voder,

nu

dorn,

un

acliter jar beter korn !

He

at tlie squires'
mansions, when

adds, that

there is Wodel-hccr

served

out

to

the

mowers

the
; no

rye

is all cut,

one

weeds

flax

Wodenstag,lest Woden's horse should tramplethe seeds ; from

leave any flax on
Christmas to Twelfth-daythey will not spin,nor
Wode
is galloping
and to the question
the distaff,
why ? they answer,
We
across.
are
expresslytold,this wild hunter Wode xidiQS,a tuhite
fine meadows
Near
Siituna in Yestergotlandare
Jwrse}
some
the god's horses
called Onsdngarne (Odens angar, ings),in which
said to have grazed,
Afzelius 1, 4. In S. Germany they tell of
are
Mone
the lord of the castle's grazinggray (orwhite),
anz.
3, 259 ; v.
heer'. I have been told,that in the neighbourhood
infra,the wutende
of Kloppenburg in Oldenburg,the harvesters leave a
on

'

bunch

of corn-stalks uncut

dance round

and
the field,

on

There

it.

formerly.
in Schaumburg I find thus described :^ the peoplego
A custom
but it is
in parties
of twelve,sixteen or twenty scythes,
out to mow
so
managed, that on the last day of harvest they all finish at the
leave a stripstandingwhich they can cut down
same
time,or some
at a stroke the last thing,or
they merely pass their scythesover
At the last
left to mow.
the stubble,pretendingthere is stillsome
stroke of the scythethey raise their implements aloft,
plantthem
and beat the blades three times with the strop. Each
upright,
the field a little of the drink he has,whether
on
beer,brandy,
spills
be

may

rhyme

it still,
no

over

sung

there

doubt

was

their hats,beat their

milk,then drinks himself,while they wave
scythesthree times, and cry aloud Wold, Wold, Wold ! and the
or

knock

women

march

They

all the crumbs

home

was

in use, which

thus

of

out

their baskets

shoutingand singing. Fiftyyears

has

died

now

ago

song

first stropheran

whose

out, but

stubble.

the

on

Wold, W6ld, W6ld!

havenhiine

jiimm
1

Mussaus

meklenb.

weit wat

hei dal

van

volkssagenno.

schiit,

haven

siit.

5 ; in Liscli meklenb.

is

speltWavxl, and a note is made, that on the

froho,lord ; conf. infra,fru Gane and fru Gaiiden
*
34.
By Miinchhaiisen in Bragur VI. 1, 21
"

Elbe

jahrb.2, 133

Wod,
they say //it'i

in the

'

wutende

heer ',

it

i.e.

157

WODAN.

kruken

Vulle

nig barn

lieiis

and

hay

brought in
down

the

fourth

his horse.

(p.135) ;

Schaumburg
as

bringbad

crops of

hats and
Such

cry

has

the

fire

on

of

lake

full

'

strophe may have

wiiat happens,ever
the

almost

old

belief

off the

in

god that

it,and

to

us

too

to me

name

after
when

Waudcn,

as

Steinhude, the

autumn

go every

reveal

lads from

harvest,to

it blazes

and

the

hill named

high,wave

their

the

time.

(seeSuppl.).

the

generosityof

olden

keep all his increase to himself ; he gratefully

a
portionto the gods,who will in future also protecthis
Avarice
increased when
ceased.
Ears of corn
sacrificing

leaves
crops.
set

no

wish

second

with

'

old

standingfor the

to understand

giant knows

grows

Waiiden, Waudcn

customs

the

left

theosophically.
of Wod,
a corruption
by the rhyme, seems
contraction from waldand
(v.supra, p. 21).

On

corn

gives us

jDronouncedthe

of Steinhude
village
lighta
Heidenhligel,

are

will

sixth line touches

the

ne'er

man

follows

; and

was

sees,'accords

chair

and

'

line

Heaven's

heaven

is born

related

he
'

Wold, though excused

Wode^ rather than a

Man

year

there
libation,

from

Wuotan's

next

the

shocks hath

and

ne'er

un

corn.

crocks

'

:
(grows)manigerlei
wert
nig old.

omitted,the

Probably,beside
venerated being,as

he

liei,

ivdld,
Wdld!

Wdld,
be

hat

sangen

holte wiisst

upen

If the ceremony

un

to

apart and

offered here

to

AVuotan,

as

elsewhere

kind

to

and elves, e.g.,to the brownies of Scotland

(seeSuppl.to
spirits
Elves,pixy-hoarding).
the
not Wuotan
It was
that bestowed
on
fertility
exclusively
fields ; Donar, and

his mother

the

Earth, stood in stillcloser

nexion
con-

agriculture.We shall see that goddessput in the place

in exactlysimilar harvest-ceremonies.
of Wuotan
In what countries the worship of the god endured
the longest,
of places which
are
compounded
may be learnt from the names
with

his

with

name,

because

the

site

was

sacred

to

It is very

him.

unlikelythat they should be due to men

bearingthe same
the god,instead of to the god himself ; Wuotan, OSinn,

name
as

as

man's

Conf. Dutch
Olid,goud for old, gold ; so Woade, which
approximates
the form Wode.
Have
the latter in * Thcodericud
de IVodestede ' Scheldt's
we
mantissa p. 433, anno
1205.
1

'^

] 58

WODAN.

does

name,

occur,

but

not

often ; and

tlie meaning of the

second

compounds, and their reappearance in various regions,

are
altogetherin favour of their being attributable to the god.
From
Lower
151)Wodenesv.ieg,
Germany and Hesse, I have cited (j).
WodeneshoU, WodeneshAsun,and on the Jutish border
Wodencsberg,
Wonsild ; from the Netherlands
Woensdrecht ; in Upper Germany
such names
hardly show themselves at all.^ In England we find :
Sandwich
Woodneshoro' in Kent, near
:
Wcdnesbury and Wednesin Cheshire, called Wodncs/leld
fieldin Staffordsliire ; IVcdncsham
half of the

p. 848.^

in Ethelwerd

and

the

their number

heathenism

Scandinavia, where
Denmark

But

Gothland

is

more

considerable

preservedlonger: and
portionof Sweden
they occur
was

in

if in
more

than in Norway and Sweden

frequently
proper, I infer from this a
The chief
preponderanceof Odin-worship in South Scandinavia.
in the I. of Funen
town
(Fion)was named Odinsve (Fornm. sog. 11,
230.
also O"insey(ib.
266. 281) from ve, a sanctuary ; sometimes
later again Odcnsc, and in
352) from cy, island,meadow
; and
Waldemar's

Liber censualis^ 530. 5-42 Othdnso,

In Lower

Norway,

ed. Havn. 4, 348.

OSinsey(Ileimskr,
In Jutland, Othdnshylld(-huld,grace,
398), aft. called Onso.
Wald.
lib. cens.
519), aft. Onsild. Othdnslef (Othini reliquiae,
In Halland, Othd7isdle (-saal,
ib. 526),now
Onslev.
hall,
leavings,
close to

Frederikstad,a second

in
(Tuneld's
geogr. 2, 492. 504) ; as well as
in Brabant, Woenssele
Woensel
Old Norway an Odhinssalr (conf.
?).
In Schonen, Othdnslidrd
(Wald. lib. cens. 528) ; OthensMlrat (Bring
2, 62. 138. 142),*now
Onsjo (Tuneld 2, 397) ; Onslunda (-grove,
Tuneld
39) ;
2, 449) ; Othensvara
(Bring 2, 46-7, Othenvara

ib.

533), now

Onsala

(Bring 2, 48),from vara, foedus, and tro, fides ? In

Smaland, OdensvalakuU
(Tuneld 2, 146) and Odcnsjo(2,109. 147.
Odenfors (Tuneld2, 72).
Sjoborgforsok p. 61). In Ostergotland,
Odenshulla (2,284) and Odcnskdlla (2,264), a
In Vestergotland,
Onsdker (-acre,
medicinal spring; Odensaker,
2, 204. 253). In
field,
Othenstrdo

(now Biebeslieim below GernsOdenshergin tlie Mark of Bibelnheim

Climels reg. Ruperti p. 204 ;
of
1403.
is
named
in
doc.
a
Darmstadt)
the form Wodensberg would look more
trustworthybe an
If numbers
object,I fancy the English contribution might be
swelled by lookingup in a gazetteer the names
beginning with Wans-, Wens-,
Wadden-, Weddin-, Wad-, Wed-, Wood-, Wam-, Wem-, Worn-." Trans.
^
torn. 7.
Langebek script,
*
Sven Bring,monuinenta
Scanensia,vol 2, Lond. goth.1748.
1

An

in

heim

"

159

WODAN.

Odensvi

Westmanland,

of Fliuen

Odinsve

(1,

; and

conf. Gran, p.

266.

Saxon

Lower

our

Wodeneswege may have

be explainedby the old

(notwith weg, via),and

ivih,templuni (seep. 67). This becomes
iviff,
to do with

as

there

tins

vc

in the Cod.

occurs

worhte

Woden
rume

I.e.,Woden

341,

exon.

roderas

christian

resolved into

had

writer

weohas

weoh, and

Wodenesweoh

daneswih, and the ON.

alwealda

with

contrasts

is

the

heathen

the

them

greater
wih

as
easilyjustified,

contracted
the

into

OS.

Also in

OSinsve.

omnipotensamplos

his recollection

in

exactlyfit

would

sentence

assignedto Woden, and

of God.
The
plur.weos

creations

credible,

more

the remarkable

28

tucos, wuldor

sanctuaries

AS.

the

Deus
creavit fana (idola),
construxit,

coelos ; the

427)/ like tlie

weos

so

Wodanesweg

Westmanland,

is

that

an

W6-

Odensjo

an

(Grau p. 502). In Upland, Odensala (Tuneld 1, 56) ; Odensfors

(1, 144) ; Onsike (1,144). In Nerike, OdcnshacTce (1, 240), (see
Suppl.).
It seemed

needful

here

to

group
there

the

most

these

importantof

and no
doubt
others wdiicli have
are
together,
many
or
escapedme f in their very multitude,as well as the similarity
identityof their structure,lies the full proof of their significance.
and explained
Few, or isolated,they might have been suspected,
otherwise ; taken together,
they are incontestable evidence of the
wide diffusion of Odin's worship.
names

and

Herbs

god. In
plant,but

plantsdo

not

to

seem

have

Brun's

54, icodcsterne
beitr.j).
ought first to see it in a

we

and

Danes

inquieta,lacustris

however

call

been

is

named

given as

the

distincter form.

small waterfowl

after this
of

name

The

landers
Ice-

minima,
(tringa

natans) Offmshani, Odenshane, Odcns fugl^

which fitsin with the belief,brought out on p. 147, in birds consecrated
An
OHG.
to him.
gloss(Haupts altd. bl. 2, 212) supplies
fulica (seeSuppl.).
a doubtful-looking
vtinsivaluwe,
Even a part of the human
body was named after the god : the
^
rima
2

Olof Grau,
I. 3, 41.
There are

et

ofver
beskrifning
in Finn

Wastiuanland.

Wasteras

1754. conf.

Dybeck

Magnusen's lex. niytli.648 ; Imt I do not agree

the
Germ,
H.
Odeuwald.
whicli lack
nanu'8
Odenheim,
including
the HG. form Wuotan
and the -s of the genitive; nor the Finn. Odenpii,
which
rather bear's head.
means
with

him

in

some

160

WODAN.

the
space between
the Greeks
which

thumb

and

the

Xt^a?,

name

when
forefinger
called

was

Wocnslet.
Wocdcnsspanne,Woede7ispanne,
and
and even
worshipped as thumbkin
the god of play,and
were
was
lucky men

running

Netherlands

thumb

Pollux

sacred,

was

AVodan

pollex;

said to

have

the game

superstition
lyingat

the bottom

of

(seeSuppl.).
I started with

that

Teutonic

races,

recognisehim

must

we

assuming

to all the

common

Wuotan
of

The

the

out,

await further disclosures about

must

the

its purport,and

the name,
it

We

their thumb.

on

in

stretched

intellectual

gods ;

tlierefore the

and

universal

succeeded

and

the

"

out

most

all the other

above

they speak

of the

mention

first of

make

to

one.

the relics

gleaningfrom
is
being Wuotan

writers, when

Latin

the supreme

in

always prompted

cultus, are

German

and

the most

have

we

as

worship of this divinitywas

foreignto none, justbecause

religionan idea of his

he shines
god of our antiquity,

old

the

far

so

"

as

the

Mercury.
We

only the Norsemen, but the Saxons, ThurinLangobardsworshippedthis deity; why should

that not

know

and

gians,Alamanns

Franks, Goths, and the

At
was

of

the

time

same

there

his service ?

from

plain indications

are

that his

of

names

nor
places,

there.

him

of

Thor,

Danes.
one

never

The

Wodan

names

the

him, and
to have

seems

An

among

the

first to

in
predominated

addition

kristnaSi

to

to the St. Olaf

return

to

images

Sweden.
saga,

though

intending

Got-

about
the
strikingstatement
overthrew.
introduction of Christianity

furnishes

the

preserved
and

only Saxo Gram, does so in an

of Bremen, though he
(p.113) ; Adam
but the second place
Upsala gods,assigns
the worship of Freyr
Later
Thor.
still,

of OSinn

altogethermythical way

times mention

several

sagas

Swedes
than

to him

its

; neither

of the week, have

less devoted

been

ON.

day

Scandinavians, the

the

Among

maintahied

than in the North

sooner

that of the fourth

to have

Norwegians seem
landers and

extinct

became

worship

In the South

always and everywhere the dominant one.

of Wish
Germany, although the personification
not

ground, Wuotan

to

be excluded

rest

it from

riki allt,oil
J^etta

time

blot braut

made

at

to

hann

will

time:

later time,

gods whom

heathen
I

'

the

quote

it here,

Olafr

konungr

niSr ok

oil

goS,sem

161

WODAN.

Od'in Saxa

ok
EngilsmannagO(5,

Thor
ok

GoSorm

goS,ok

Svla

Frey
all this kingdom,broke down
Englishmen'sgod,()5in the
This need

be

not

taken

Dana

go5,ok
goS ;
'

SkioM

Skanimgagoc5,

i.e.king 0. christened

all sacrifices and

all gods,as Thor

Saxons'

god,"c.,Fornm.
but it seems
to
strictly,

too

the still abiding recollections of

the old

national

the

sog. 5, 239.

"

to express

nie

gods : as the
Woden, to all

preferredFreyr,so probably did the Saxons

doubtless a Norweother deities. Why, I wonder, did the writer,
gian,
omit the favourite god of his own
countrymen ? To them he
who, like other
ought to have given Thor, instead of to the English,
Swedes

votaries of Woden.

Saxons, were

it must

Meanwhile
8th

be

not

century document,

overlooked,that in the Abrenuntiatio,

purely Saxon, yet Low German, 0.

Frankish and perhaps Ripuarian,Thunar
is named
before Vuodan,
and Saxnot
occupiesthe third place. From this it follows at all
an

worshipof

events, that the

that
supposing
their statues
of

them, stood

Thor

did at

the three

godsare

placedside by

were

the middle

in

in those regions;
prevailed
claims to the highestplaceby

Thunar

also

Wuodan's

still vindicate

we

may

not

side? that

? as,

Wodan

Upsala,with

in the order in which

here named

Wuodan,

accordingto

and Fricco

as

Adam

the
of

greatest
Bremen,

each side of him.

on

named
tivo of these gods are
together,
sagas, when
The Laxdailasaga,
usuallyprecedesOSinn.
p. 174, says of

In the ON.
Thorr
Kiartan

eiga meira traust

]?ykist
in his strengthand
trust

hann

At

(putmore
Thorr
er
enn
J?arsem
repeatedin Fornm.
sog. 2, 34.

vapnum
7) heldr

parents made

before

vow

dauGadags ];ionaTJior
serve,

Fornm.
"c.),

that Thorr
dedicated

Thorr, and

was

O"inn.

Odlii

The

At

(thisman

sa

same

relates how

maSr

shall

ok

conf. pp. 6,
passage is

weapons,

Again,Eyvindr

his birth:

afli sinu

skal

until

his

alt til

death-day

But it does not follow from this,

sog. 2, 161.^
thouglitthe greatest,for Eyvindr was
actually

to OSinn.

Eirekr

ok

ok

undir

to

In

Fornm.

sog.

5, 249, Styrbiornsacrifices to

Oc5inn,but the former

is beaten.

Thorr

tok

^
in Wheloc's Bedap. 495,
So in an AS. homily De temporibusAnticliristi,
swiSe' ; and before
li,'vSeue
hciiai^
eiimnerated ' Tlior and EotStven,
men
\c
'
Erculus
ent
and
se
that,
J^ehi mterne
god
(Hercules^igas)
ApoUinis (Apollo),
leton'.
of
and
the
Norse
not of
The preacherwas
the
Greek
deities,
thinking
the Saxon, or he vould
And in other cases,
have said Thunor
and Woden.
where distinctly
Norse gods are meant, AS. writers use the Norse form of name.
F. ]\lagnusen3
lex. p. 919.

are

11

162

WODAN.

fra Haraldi, cnn

jolaveizlu

10, 178.

In

Offinn, the

to

fra

popular assembly

the

cvip is drunk

tok

Offinn

second

Halfdani, Fornm.

Thrandheim,
Thorr, ibid. 1, 35.

at

to

sog.

the

first

In

the

acts
of Bruno
as
fight,Othin under the name
charioteer to the Danish king Harald,and to the latter's destruction;
side there fightdescendants
of Frcyr,Saxo Gram.
the Swedish
on
to placeOSinn above Thorr.
144-7. Yet tlieEddie HarbarzlioS seems
in the
A contrast between
OSinn and Thorr is brought out strongly
But, since Thorr is repreGautrekssagaquotedbelow, ch. XXVIII.
sented

famous

Bravalla

OSin's

as

as

son,

often resolve into

rejuvenescenceof him,

the

two

must

another.^

one

If the three

mightiestgods are
O"inn, Tlior,Frcyr,Sn. edda 131.

named,

foremost

I find OSinn

Accordingto Fornm. sog. 1, 16,

casks of ale to Freyr,if a fair wind
to Thorr or O"inn, if it bringthem

and three
money
voyagers vow
shall carry them to Sweden, but
to Iceland

home

It is

(seeSuppl.).
different thing,when

the third f
Thricli,

OSinn

in ON.

is

documents

styled

he appears not by the side of Thorr

the side of Hdr
and lafnhdr (thehigh and the
in that

case

Freyr,but by
OHG.
even-high or co-equal,
epan hoh) as the Third High^ (see
As we
Sn. 7. Yngl. saga 52. Stem. 46*.
might imagine,
Suppl.),
the grade varies : at other times he is Tvcggi(duplexor secundus).
Again, in a different relation he appears with his brothers Vili and

and

Ve, Sn. 7 ;

with

Sffim. 180.

Sn.

and

Hoenir

135;

all this rests

peculiarto the North, we leave

the trilogyOffinn,Vili, Vc, we
the

that

OHG.
and

impetus

with

When

on

must

%oillo expresses

is called Thundr

side.

one

not

in the

myths, which,

older

upon

and the Gothic

spiritus,^
valjan,eligere;whence

OSinn

not

Yet, with

omit

to

to

it is easy

songs of the

her birth from

his head

votum,

to

conceive

Edda,

S"Tm.

and

281^ 47^

so be equivalent
l^undlorica. But
him hml the
saw

AS. l)unian,
tonare, and

by

but

here,

nected
convelle,is closely
viljan,

Donar

than

as

respectto

mention

only voluntas,

be derived from a lost l^ynja

from
; it is true, they explainJmndr as loricatus,
and
we
Wuotan, as Voma, is the noise of the rushingair,
cudgel,as Thorr does the hammer.
from which
As Zeus also is rplros,
Tpiroyivetais more
this may

and Loki

with Hmnir
or
Lo"r, Seem. 3^^,

easilyexplained

(seeSuppl.).

Altanus : Woden.
Altanus, like Summanus, an
of a wind, might
epithetof Jove, the Altissimus ; else Altanus, as the name
'
'.
wiitende heer
also have to do with the storm of the
* The
Greek fiivoswould be well adaptedto unite the meaningsof courage,
*

iElfric's

glosses56%

fury (mut, wut),wish,will,thought.

1G3

WODAN.

liow Wuotau, Wish

believe,
the

Suppl.). With

and

largitor
opum

wela, OS. welo, OHG.

should

Will

wolo, welo

may

touch

one

another

also be connected

the

(see
AS.

opes, felicitas

[weal,wealth],
and Wela conies
(conf.
up several times almost as a personification
infra Seelde,
Gramm.
4, 752),like the Lat. goddessOps (conf.
note);
the Norse gods. In the case of Ve, gen.
there is also a Vali among
the

vea,

sense

may

waver

veiha.Holy Ghost),and
the teeth

of

story in

the

identityof
wife of any

between

wiho,

wih, idolum.

Friggher intrigueswith
Yngl. saga cap. 3, from

tlie three

In

Ve
which

(Goth.Alima

sanctus

Seem. 63, Loki

casts

sa

in

and

Vili ; this refers to

we

clearlygather the

that Frigg could be considered

so
brothers,

the

of them.^

one

Lastly,a principalproof of the deeply-rootedworship of this

being interwoven with the old
divinityis furnished by Wodan's
which I shall examine
Saxon genealogies,
minutelyin the Appendix.^
him
To
Wodan
Here
see
are
we
invariablyin the centre.
his sons
and
of heroes and kings; among
traced up all the races
In partihis ancestors, several have divine honours
paid them.
alroad a long time,duringwhich his
this story, OSinn
was
Othin travel
of
it
is
note, that Saxo also makes
worthy
;
fill his place,p. 13 ; this Mithothin's
to foreign lands,and Milhothin
position
But Saxo,p. 45, representsOthin as once
throws lighton that of Vili and Ve.
1

Accordingto

brothers

act

for him

and puts
exile,
god are implied

Oiler in his
in the Norse

The

distant

journeys
by-names GdngratSr,Gungleri,Vegtamr,
and Vitf/uridl,
and in Saxo 45 viator indefcssus.It is not to be overlooked,
residence in Greece (qui non
of Wodan's
Diac. 1, 9 knows
that even
Paulus
sed longe
between
of the war
circa haec tempora
Langobards and Vandals
while
Saxo
sed
fuisse
Graecia
in
in
removes
anterius,nee
perhibetur;
Germania,
him to Byzantium, and Snorri to Tyrkland). In the passage in Paul. Diac. :
'Wodan
dixerunt,ipseest qui apud Romanos
sane, quern adjectalitera G wodan
Mercurius
dicitur,et ab universis Germaniae
gentibus ut deus adoratur,qui
in Germania, sed in Graecia
circa haec tempora, sed longe anterius,nee
non
fuisse perhibetur it has been proposed to refer the second
qui to Mercurius
then
and
the harmony of
zeitschr. 1, 2G4),
instead of Wodan
(Ad. Schmidt
this account
with Snorri and Saxo would
disappear.But Paul is dealingwith
the absurdityof the Langobardic legend related in 1, 8, whose unhistoric basis
between
he lays bare, by pointingout that Wodan
at the time of the occurrence
the Wandali
and Winili,had not ruled in Germany, biit in Greece ; which
is the main point here.
The notion that Mercury should be confined to Greece,
has wider bearings,
and would
shock the heathen faith not only of the Germans
but of the Romans.
The heathen
as
gods were
supposed to be omnij^resent,
admitted
to exist in
fact that Woden-hills
be seen
were
by the mere
may
the country ; so that the community of this god to
various spots all over
raised no difficulty.
Germans, Greeks and Romans
In the meanwhile,
This Appendix forms
part of the third volume.
the substance of these pedigrees,
readers may
be glad to see for themselves
the Appendix, and placed at the end of this
which
I have extracted from
more

an

of the

place(see Suppl.).

"

"

'

'

"

chapter. TiiANa.
"

'

164

WODAN.

there appear
ciilar,

century
his

of

himself

yet rooted

not

was

Balder

sons,

as

Hercmod
progenitors,
of
the son
a god,or
is regarded more
as

Wodan

into

merge

the

these

who

in the 8th
in the line

; and

Germany

Gedt, the latter expresslypronounced

god,in

these

legends,wliile

of all noble

head

higherpoint of
in fact OSinn

being,as

one

Ssem. 93^ 95*^ ; conf. infra

In

and

to see, that from

easilycome

of N.W.

out

Saxnot

that

and

But

races.

view

Wodan

both

we

Geat

and

is called 'alda Gautr'

Goz, Koz.

which
genealogies,

in

than

more

direction

one

are

visiblyinterwoven with the oldest epic poetry of our nation, the

gods,heroes and kings are mixed
up together. As heroes become
deified,so can gods also come
pearances,
up again as heroes ; amid such reapthe order of succession of the individual links varies [in
different tables].
Each
pedigreeends with real historical kings: but to reckon
back from these,and by the number
of human
generationsto get
at the date of mythical heroes
and
gods, is preposterous. The
earliest Anglo-Saxon kings that are historically
certain fall into the
fifth,sixth or seventh century ; count four,eightor twelve generations
third

Woden,

to

up

fourth century.

or

assumption of

our

Woden

the firstnotices

far

his

reach

must

Such

given us

calculations

do

can

by

the

shake

adoration

of

beyond
Mercury'sworship in

times, a long
of

Eomans

the

nothingto

The

earlier existence.

immemorial

to

up

farther than

back

him

push

cannot

you

way

Germania.
is

There

one

the Germans

by

reflection to

more

to their Wuotan

which

the

high place assigned

lead
fairly

may

us.

Monotheism

thing so necessary, so natural, that almost all heathens, amidst

their motley throng of deities,have consciouslyor unconsciously
ended
by acknowledging a supreme
god,who has alreadyin him
the attributes of all the rest,so that these are only to be regarded
is

as

emanations

This
to

explainshow

this,now

supreme

he

Donar
added

the

power.

him, renovations, rejuvenescencesof

characteristics

certain

to that

accordingto
but

from

particular
god,and why

difference of nation,
Thus

Wuotan

our

stands

higher than
(Thunor,Thorr) is
to the one,

had

to

be

these
a

to

comes

weaker

now
assigned,

of them,

another
be

Hermes

invested
and

with

Mercury,

contrariwise,the German

Zeus

subtracted

or

one

resembles
two

to be

come

him.

from

or

Jupiter", what
the other ;

as

was

for Ziu

165

WODAN.

(Tiw,Tyr),he hardly does

administer

than

more

of Wuotan's

one

highestgod of the
ing
Greeks and Eomans
god-phenomena keep meetso all these
: and
The Hellenic Hermes
is picturedas
another.
and crossing
one
Teutonic
Wuotan
hinn gamli
a
a youth,the
: OSinn
as
patriarch
(theold).Yngl. saga cap. 15, like the old god' on p. 21. Ziu and
Froho are mere
emanations
of Wuotan
(seeSuppl.).
offices,
yet

is identical in

the first and

with

name

'

Genealogies

Anglo-Saxon

of

Kings.

DescendingSeries.
Kent.

Eastanglia.

Essex.

Mercia.

Woden

Woden

Woden

Woden

Wecta
Witta

Casere

Saxneat

Wihtlaeg

Titmon

Gesecg

Wsermimd

Trigel

Andsecg

Offa

Hrothniund

Sweppa

Angeltheow
Eomser

Wihtgils
Hengest (d.489)
Eoric

(Oesc)

Hrippa

Sigelugel

Octa

Quichelm

Bedeca

Icel

Eormenric

Uffa

Offa

Cnebba

iEthelbeorlit

(567) Tidel

iEscwine

Riedwald

(527)

Cynewald

(d. 617) Sledda

Eorpwald (632)

Creoda

Sa3l)eorht

Wibba

(604)

Penda

Deira.

Bernicia.

Wessex.

(d.656)

Lindesfaran.

Woden

Woden

Woden

Woden

Wffigdseg

Bseldseg

Baeldieg

Winta

Sigegar

Brand

Brand

Cretta

Swiei'diieg

Beonoc

Fridhogar

Queldgils

Sigegeat

Aloe

Freawiue

Ceadbed

Sa;bald

Angenwit

Wig

Bubba

Gewis
Esla

Bedeca

Elesa

Eanferth

Sajfugel

Ingwi

Westerl'alcna

Esa

Wilgisl

Eoppa
Ida (d.560)

Uscfrea.

Cerdic

Yffe

Biscop
(d. 534)

Eatta

Cynrio

^Ue

(d.588)

Ceawlin

Accordingto
royal

this,Woden
elsewhere
he
lines);

Weldegms, Withlegius
^lercian

kings,and

Ealdfritli

et

the West

had
has

seven

sons

(Bfeldfeg
being common

only three,
e.g. Wil.

Beklegius,from
Saxon

and

whom

Northumbrian

descended.

Malm.
the

p.

Kentish

17

to two
:

tres

filii,

kings, the

were
kingsrespectively

AscendingSeries.
Woden

Finn

tndhuwald
Freawine

Godwulf

Fndliuwulf

Geat
(Frealaf)
Tietwa

Beaw

(Folcwald)Sceldwa

Hathra
Hwala

(Itermod)
(Hathra)

Heremod
Itermon

(Sceaf) Bedwig (Hwala)

(Herem6d)Sceaf (Bedwig)
otliers eight,
others sixteen,
links,
stopping

Some accounts
contain only four
either at Fridhuwulf,
at Geat, or at Sceaf.
Sceaf is the oldest heathen name
but alter the conversion the line was
connected
with Noah, and so with Adam

"

'

CHAPTEE

DONAE,
The

god

known

who

rules

VIII.

THUNAE,

over

clouds

(THOEE).
and

rain,who

makes

himself

in the

flash and
the rolling
lightning's
thunder, whose
sky and alightson the earth with deadly aim,

cleaves the

designatedin

ancient

our

Thunoi\

Tliiinar,AS.

speech by

OiST. Tlwrr}

called in OX.
which

]?ruma,or duna, both

perhaps adopted from a

was

the Goths

the

word

Donar

The

natural

fem,

like the

Finnic

bolt
was

OS.
itself,
is

phenomenon
Gothic

language.

To

J?eihv6,
the

god

Thunrs.
The
Swed,
give the name
in Harpestreng stillkeeps the
which
tordon,Dan. torden (tonitru),
and
form
that
thordyn,thordun, is compounded of the god's name
Thorduna
? (see Suppl.). In exactlythe same
duna, ON.
same
usM
the Swed. term
(tonitru,
fulmenj,in the Westgothl. Laws
way
from
or driving,
asikkia,^has arisen out of asaka, the god'swaggon
In Gothland
they
as, deus, divus, and aka, vehere, vehi, Swed. aka.
for

say

would, I suppose,

thunder

Thorsakan, Thor's

driving;

and

OJST. reid'

the

reiSaronly vehiculum, but tonitru, and reiSarslag,

rumbling
]?ruma,are thunderclap and lightning. For, a waggon
and
as
as
near
possibleto the rattling
a vaulted
over
space comes
not
signifies

crashingof thunder.
it spread among
many
elvai,Hesychius sub.
thunder

is to this

The

comparison

nations
v.

BoKel

eXaai^povra.

is

natural, that

so

o^vi^^
In

"^ov

Zito?

Carniola

day gotta fahren. [To the Eussian

the

we

find

/Spovrr)
rollingof
rj

peasant it

is

driving his chariot, or else grinduig his corn.]

is more
his appellationof AsaJ"6rr,
in the Edda, beside
Thorr
minutely described by Oku];6rr,i.e. Waggon-thorr (Sn. 25) ; his
is drawn
by two he-goats(Sn.26). Other gods have their
waggon

the

prophet

Ilia

dialects,durstag for donrstag,Engl. Thursday,

for donnern
(Schm. 1, 390). In Thorr it is not ER, but
and Bav. doren, daren
abbrev. of NR.
that
is an
; i.e.
only the first R (the second being flectional),
1

So

even

in

High

German

before R, much
suffers syncope
Conf. Onsike
(Odin'sdrive
-

as

in the M.

?)supra,

Dut.

p. 159.

ere,

mire, for

enre

minre.

1G7

THUNAR.

OSinn
too, especially

and

Freyr (seepp. 107, 151),but Thorr

is distinctively
thought of as the god who drives ; he never
appears
is he supposed to own
horse : either he
like OSinn, nor
a
riding,
are
drives,or he walks on foot. We
expresslytold : Thorr gengr
til domsius, ok veSr ar,'walks
wades
the rivers
to judgment, and
still say, when
it thunders :
(Sn. 18).^ The people in Sweden
godguhhenaker, the good old (fellow)is takinga drive,Ihre 096.
740. 926.
good father,drives (see
gofarakar,goffarkor, the gaffer,
Suppl.). They no longerliked to utter the god'sreal name, or they
wished
to extol his fatherlygoodness(v.supra, p. 21, the old god,
TkorsDan. vor gamlefader). The Norwegian calls the lightning
-warmth, Faye p. 6.
varmc,
Thunder, lightningand rain,above all other natural phenomena,
proceed directlyfrom God, are looked upon as his doing, his
^
racket is kept up,
When
business (seeSuppl.).
a great noise and
a common
expressionis : you could not hear the Lord thunder for
the uproar ; in France : le bruit est si fort,qu'on n'entend pas Dieu
de Eenart 11898
As earlyas the Roman
tonncr.
:
waggons

'

29143

Ogier 10915

noise si grant

Font

une

quen

ni oist pas

And

2, 38

in the

tonant.

duel si grant,
Et commeuQa
un
que len ui oist Dieu tonant.

poins deterdent,lor

Lor

ni oissiez nis

Garin

Dieu

Eoman

Nes

Dieu

de

ame

tonnant

Dieu
ni

batant,

toiumt.

possiezoir.

Maugis (Lyon 1599,

p.

64) :

De

la noyse

Ion pas

ouy Dieu tonner.

ascribed to an
is especially

neust
quilsfaisoyent

vont

paumes

and

avenging
god ; and in this attribute of anger and punishment again Donar
resembles Wuotan
(pp.18, 142). In a thunderstorm the peoplesay
God is angry ; in Westphalia: tise
to their children : the gracioiis
Strodtm. osnabr. 104) ; in Franconia : God is out
Itergot kift (chides,
But

to

thunder

Scarcelycontrailicted by

rei3,a

wa^^gon

H16riit)i

his

seems

surname

to

me

angry

HldrritFi ; this I'iSiprobablypoints

to come
by assimilation from hloSriSi,

goddess HloSyn.
of the Host, said : I
A peasant, being reqnestedto kneel at a procession
I
be there,'twas only yesterday heard him thunder
don't believe the Lord can
apophthegmata, Amst. 1643, p. 277.
; Weidners
up in heaven
ch.

conf.

XIll,

the

1G8

THUNAE.

in Bavaria

scolding;

there

1, 462). In Eckstrom's

(-daddy)greint(Schm.

der Ummdtatl

of the

in honour

poem

of Honstein

county

1592, cii^it is said:

Gott der herr
dass
The

nicht mit

er

sentiment

same

warlich

muss

(must be reallykind),

sein

from

schlegtdrein.^

donner

the

among

appears

nations.

Finn

and

Letton

wezzajskahjas,wezzajs tehws barrahs (the old father has

150.
With
Stender lett. gramm.
started to his feet,he chides),
dievaitis (godkin,dear god) the Lithuanians
dievas (god) and
associate chieflythe idea of the thunderer : dievaitis grauja!

Lettic

dievaitis

ji

Esthonian

numusse.

this Donar

with

Now

Gallic Taranis

which

war,' Joh. Christ. Petris

wages

whose

the

of

is handed

name

one

down

to

taran

for

the

connect
directly

may

fits in

Germani

all the Celtic tongues retain the word

with

essa

(seeSuppl.).

2, 108

Ehstland

scolds,''heaven

Lord

'The

116.

hliab,wanna

beitr. 8,
growls),Eosenpliinters

father

waljan,miirrisep (the old

issa

wanna

the
significantly
in Lucan

us

1, 440

thunder, Irish toran,

ON.

Thorr, if

form

one

likely But an old

sub v.)=. Taranis.
(Forcellini
gives us also Tanarus
inscription
for Thursday, dia Tonlain
The Irish name
(dia ordain,diardaoin)
was
perhapsborrowed from a Teutonic one (seeSuppl.).
there
God
So in the Latin Jupiter (literally,
father,Diespiter)

thinks

assimilation from

an

the

rn

more

is
predominatesthe idea of the thunderer ; in the poets Tonans
Martial vi. 10, 9. 13, 7. Ovid Heroid.
to Jupiter{e.g.,
equivalent
Fasti

9, 7.

Latin

and

2,

Claudian's

1, 170.

Metam.

69.

poets of the Mid. Ages

are

not

at all

Stilicho 2, 439) ;

unwillingto apply

de deo 1, 1. satisfact.
(c.r7.,Dracontius
Fortunat.
Yen.
149.
expressionsin the
258). And
p. 212-9.
lingua vulgariscoincide with this : celui qui fait toner, qui fait
Jovi tonanti,in Gruter 21,
la nue
courre
(p.23-4). An inscription,
is
6. The Greek Zeus who sends thunder and lightning{Kepavv6";)
the

to the christian

name

Zeu?

styledKepavveco";.

And

II. 15, 379.2

"Tu7ro9,

God

I\. 8, 75. 170.

eKTvire,

because

he

sends them

17, 595.
down

from

Jio^
the

and songs : Ach gott vop

made
up of the firstlines of hymns
poem
der zeit,
ist gewislieh
an
einen
^s
himmel
sieh darein,iind werfe
donnerstein,
!
schrein
mansetodt
sonst
werden
zerschmettert
dass schwelgereiund iippigkeit
1

In

wir bald
2
One
Tonans

aus

and

tiefer noth.

might
Donar

be

tempted

; it

to

belongsmore

connect

the

Jupiterwith
Zrjv (v.inira,Zio).

Etruscan

immediately to

Tina

169

TIIUNAE.

the

also bears

heightof heaven, he

name

aKpw;,

is

and

pictured

on
dwelling on the mountain-top (aKpi";).Zeus is enthroned
of Greece
Olympus, on Atlios,Lycaeus,Casius,and other mountains

Asia Minor.

and

And

here

god is conceived
far
as
Diespiter,

as

and

the

thundering
Jupiter and

as

it is in close connexion

For

Tliorr himself

Atli,i.e.grandfather.
high mountain, along which, from

with

the

this,

parts such

in many

also received

Etzcl,Altvatcr,Grossvatcr}

as

called

tatl.

sacred to him

that the mountains

names

lay stress on the fact,that

emphaticallya fatherlyone,

must

was

earliest

likewise

times, the

Italyhas lain, in the chain between the Graian and

in the early
Pennine
Alps,what we now call the St. Bernard, was
Jovis. This name
Mid. Ages named
occurs
mons
frequentlyin the
Prankish annals (Pertz1, 150. 295. 453. 498. 512. 570. 606. 2, 82),
1, 25, who designates
in Otto fris.de gest.Frid. 2, 24, in Eadevicus
Jovis ; in AS. writers 7nunt Jofes
modo
it via Julii Caesaris,
mons
road to

main

muntgiow ; in our Kaiserchroand the worship carry us back to

inhabitants of the Alps worshipped

(Lye sub. v.),in ^Ifr. Boet. p.

nik 88^^ nionte job. The name
"

; the

the time of the Komans

a

deus, or

Fenimis

Pcnina

dea

150

i^eque montibus
jugi ejus norunt
:

his ab transitu

nomen
inditum,
Veragri,incolae
in summo
vertice -peninum
sacratum
sed al3 eo
(al.deo) quem
montani
Quamvis legatura poenina dea
adpellant
; Livy 31, 38.
quae ibi colitur Alpes ipsasvocari ; Servius on Virg.Aen. 10, 13.
the St Bernard
An
found on
(Jac.Spon miscellanea
inscription
antiq.Lugd. 1685, p. 85) says expressly: Lucius Lucilius deo

ullo

Poenorum

Pcnino

dedit ; from

donum

opt.max.

which

it follows,that this

god

Jupiter. Conf. Jupiterapenniin Hesych. [Kapa

Micali storia 131-5.
occurs
Zev^; Kapaco^
head, and so does the Celtic ^^f?i.,hen]. The classic writers
names
mons
Jovis,and the tabula Antonini
use
only the

understood

was

nus,
means
never
sumnms

to be no

and

Penninus

7th centuries Jovis

mons

other than

the Penni
seems

lucus ; but
to

have

between

taken

the

the 4th

and

placeof these,

blatt. 1, 288.
Haupta
the lather thnnders.
isainen panee
zeitschr. 1,26. Finnish:
(Kenval.118-'),
of the gods
and is a surname
To the Finns nl-ko signifies
proavus, senex,
thunderitself
denotes
the
Ukko
of
also
But
Wainasnoinen
and Ilniarinen.
and
touitrus
both
is
aviis
Swedish
(see
Lapps aija
god (v. iui'ra).Among the
1

Zeitschr.

Suppl.).

des

hess.

vereins

2, 139-142.

Altd.

170

THUNAB.

perhaps with

reference
German

Gallic

or

to the

god'sname.

even

mountains

had

which

sense

then

that German

Eemember

far off

not

to the old

much

[not so

as] to

Eoman,

to be

come

isarnodori

the

attached
the Jura

on

(p.80).^

Germany itself we may with

perfectsafetyascribe to the worship of the native deity. Every
knows
the Donnersberg(mont Tonnerre)in the Ehine palatinate
one
Such

on

of the old

the borders

and

Kaiserslautern

in

mountains

of

names

Worms,

county of Falkenstein, between

Kreuznach

; it stands

as

in
Thoneresberg

doc.

probat.p. 9. Another Thuneresberg

situate on the Diemel, in Westphalia,not far from Warburg, and
and Welda, is
surrounded
by the villagesof Wormeln, Germete
first mentioned
in a doc. of 1100, Schaten
mon.
paderb. 1, 649 ;
in the Mid. Ages it was
still the seat of a great popularassize,
hist, wormat.

of 869, Schannat

ad
due, no doubt, to the sacredness of the spot : comes
originally
Thunercsberhc
(anno 1123),Wigands feme 222. comitia de Dionrisberg(1105),Wigands arch. I. 1, 56. a judicionostro Thonresberch
stands the
in the vicinity
of this mountain
(1239),ib. 58. Precisely
'

'

holyoak
in Hesse

mentioned
is

birge in

72-4,just as the roh/r

Joris

by Geismar

Wuotansberg,p. 152. To all appearance the tAvo

worshipped close to one another. The Kniillge-

be

includes

Hesse

Donnei'buhcl

p.

near

deities could

on

Donnerkaute.

(doc.of 1303,

Joh.

In

the Bernerland

is

Miiller 1, 619),called Tonrbiil in

Donnersbergs are
One in the Eegensburg
in other parts of
to be found
of Tuniesberg,
country is given in a doc. of 882 under the name
de Donnersperch
A Sifridus marschalcus
60.
Eied, cod. dipl.num.
JustingersBerner

is named

This

mons

more

33, pars 1, p.

289

4, 94 (in1194),but Duonesberc, 4, 528

Tunniesberg11, 432.

and

Probably
Germany.

doc. of 1300, MB.

Donersperg,MB.

Mid.

chron. p. 50.

Jovis must

be

In

the

Thiiringerwald,

from
distinguished
Rome

Otto

de

(in1153),

between

gaudii,by

mons

frising1.

Otto

an

Steui-

which

the

2, 22 ; the Kaiserchr.
of the 12- 13th
poems

:
height near
In Romance
verbally mendelberc.
is
the
French
battle-cry,
generallywith the addition of St
centuries,monjoie
365.
S.
Denis
!
Ferabras
monjoieerrseigne
Denis, e.g. monjoya, monjoya sant
Joinville
declares
in
his
11th
dissertation
108.
on
Denis ! Garin
Ducange
diminutive
of mont, since in other passages
monjoie inadmissible as a mere
that we
so
(Roquefort2, 207)it denotes any placeof joy and bliss,a paradise,
have
been
mountains
of
there must
can
fairlykeep to the literal sense
; and
that
than one
in more
this name
monjoie itself
region. It is quitepossible
from
earlier monjove (mons Jovis),that with the god'shill there
an
came
associated itself the idea of a mansion
of bliss (see Sup pi.).

88^

Ages

meant

translates

it

c.

171

THUNAR.

bach
"

is
Oberhof,at the 'rennsteig'

and

eih,a rohur Jovis,was

Donarcs

endless

an

the

to

in

abundance

forests.

the German

of Thorr

Thors

Jdint

in

East

bearingthe
Wildegren's
(conf.
rocks

and

lack mountains

does Scandinavia

Neither
name

(seeSuppl.).

sacred
specially

tree

of these there grew

and
lightning,

of

god

Donershauk

Gothland

tidskr. 4, 189.
in Gothland, Molbech
Ostergotland1, 17); Tliorsborg
From
Norway, where this god was pre-eminentlyhonoured, I have
nevertheless
south-west

of

heard
corner

rise,Thorshala

The

none.

the summer
tempests mostly
sky,whence
Svearikes hafder 1, 268).
(-hole,
cave, Geijer's

Milleschau

Near

calls the

Vermland

in

of the

in

Slavs

of the

the Thunder-mountains

And

peasant

are

stands

Bohemia

not

to

be

Hromolan,

looked.
over-

from

tains
One of the steepestmounhrom, thunder,in other dialects grom.
SI. germnik,
in the StyrianAlps (seeSuppl.)is Grwiming, i.e.,

gr"mnik,thunder-hill (Sloven,gr'mi,it thunders, Serv. gi'mi,

far from it is a
not
Ptuss. grom gremit,
^pe/jiet)
quasi^pojxo^
; and
OSl.

Donnershach}

rivulet named
words

the

to express

The

phenomenon

Penln, Pol. Piorun, Boh. Pcraun

to have

seems

died out

at an

then

Slavs
and

the

have

god: the
the

f- among

two

different

latter is in OSl.

Southern

Slavs

earlier time, though it is stillfound

it
in

289) traces the

places. Dobrowsky (inst.
word to the verb peru, ferio,
meaning rather pello,
quatio [general
have contributed
and this tolerably
to push],
apt signification
may
I think it has dropt a
out of its genuine form.^
to twist the word
k : the Lithuanian,Lettish and OPrussian
thundergodis Perkunas,
of places are
pounded
comnames
Pehrhons, Pcrhunos, and a great many
with it. Lith.,Perkunas
grauja (P. thunders),Perkunas
musza
(P. strikes, ferit)
sperr (the lightning
; Lett.,Pehrkons
seldom
is now
applied
strikes, see
Suppl.). The Slav, perun
flash. Procopius(de
of the lightning's
it is used chiefly
personally,
derivatives and

Bello Goth.
eva

Tov

of

names

3, 14)

ri]^aa

says

of the Sclaveni

and

airdvTWV
airi]"; Sr]ixLovp"yov

abriss

Antes:
Kvpiov

deov fj,ev "yaf}

/xovov

avTov

Steiermark
von
pp. 66, 67, 70, 81.
strela (P.'s
bolt) for perunova ;
say Parom, and ixiromova
259, 260.
phrasesabout Parom, from Kollar,in Hanusuh
3
to
1 Still nearer
be connected
with
Mif,'ht
Kepawus
perun
irfpawos
borne
Indra
as
to be the Sansk.
would
Perun
seem
by
Farjanyas,a name
A hymn to
fertilizing
rain,thunder-cloud, thunder.
Jupiterpluvius,literally,
in Eosen's Vedae
this rain-s^od
specimen p. 23. Coui'. Hitzig PhiUst. 296, and
^

Kindermann,

'

The

Slovaks

Holtzmauul, 112,

118.

172

THUNAR.

vo/xi^oucTiv
eivaty

Again, the

oak

boundaries

by

Ovovaiv

Kat

consecrated

was

^6a";

avrut

to

re

lepecacnrdvra.

kol

Perun, and old documents

define

duha, as far as P.'s oak); and the

(do perunova
Eomans
called the the SLCovnjuglans,
Jovis glans,
the
".e.j"oviglans,
fi'uitof the fatherly
god. Lightning is supposed to strike oaks by
preference(seeSuppL).
PcrJcun suggeststhat thundergod
Now
of the Morduins, Porguini
worthy of note, a Gotliic word also,
(p.27), and, what is more
used
which (Igrant),
as
was
by Ulphilas,
alreadystriptof all personificati
The
neut.
noun
fairguni (Gramm. 2, 175. 453)
mountain.^
What
if it were
means
once
especiallythe
opos,
of the god (see
Thunder-mountain, and a lost Fairguns the name
Suppl.)? Or, startingwith fairguniwith its simple meaning of
unaltered,may we not put into that masc.
mons
Fairgunsor Fai'rof the abovegimeis,and consequentlyinto Perkunas, the sense
mentioned

it

uKpio^,

he of the mountain

top

surname
fitting

for

thundergod. Fergunna, ending like Patunna, p. 71, signifies

805 (Pettz1, 308) not
ill the Chron. moissiac. anno
any particular
(erzgebirge)
Virgunnia (Virspot, but the metal-mountains
; and
of
wooded
mountains
gundia,Virgunda,conf. Zeuss p. 10) the tract
and Ellwangen. Wolfram, Wh.
Ansbach
between
390, 2, says of
his walt-swenden
und
(wood-wasting?): der Swarzwalt
Virgunt
cede ligen.Black
da von
Forest and V. must
lie waste
miiesen
thereby. In the compounds, without which it would have perished
AS. firgenmay
the OHG.
either bear the simple
altogether,
mrgnn,
of mountainous, woody, or conceal the name
of a god. Be that
sense
find fairguni,
as it may,
we
virgun,firgenconnected with divinelyhonoured
beings,as appears plainlyfrom the ON". Fiorgyn,gen.
Thor's mother, the goddess
which in the Edda
means
Fiorgynjar,
the

"

Earth

Thorr

Jar"ar

burr, Seem. 70^ 68^ Offioisson,

Ssem.

73^ 74^

Fiorgynn,gen. Fiorgyns,Fiorgvins,
appears
In all
Sn.
118.
Seem.
of
63^
the
OSin's
wife
father
10,
as
Frigg,
not divide
these words we
take fairg,
must
as the root,and
firg,
fiorg
them as fair-guni,
fir-gun,
fior-gyn.Now itis true that allthe Anzeis,
all the Aesir are enthroned
mountains
on
(p.25),and Firgun might
than one
of them; but that we have a right
have been used of more
and Ms mother, is shewn
for Donar
to claim it specially
by Perun,
And

beside her, a male

1 Cor.

Matt.

13, 2.

8, 1. Mk

5, 5. 11. 9, 2. 11, 1.

in
Bairgahei(17opeivrj)

Lu.

3, 5. 4, 29. 9, 37. 19, 29. 37.

Lu. 1, 39, 65 ;

never

the

simple bairgs.

THUNAE.

173

by the meaning of mount

presently

and

be confirmed
Perkun, and v"-ill
lies in the word

which

rock

Zeus is called

so is
ivdKpLo";,
Td, fxdrepavrov

As

hamar.

daughterPallas aKpia,and his mother opearepa

to his
Philoct. 389) ; the myth transfers from him
Ai6"; (Sophocl.
have
mother and daughter. Of Donar's another our
very miirchen
thingsto tell (Pentam. 5, 4) ; and beyond a doubt, the stories of
the devil and his bath and his grandmotherare but a vulgarization
of heathen
notions about the thundergod. Lasicz 47 tells us : Perhis

ac

deinde
pulverolentumbalneo excipit,

just matertera, and

It is

die emittit.

solem

atque tonitrui quae

fulminis

est

mater

tete

cuna

lotum

nitidum

et

mater, tliat is

not

fessum

postera

by

meant

elsewhere.

teta

Christian
has handed

tempest,whom

ioi the

drives to heaven

who

business

thunderer's

the

over

certain Asiatic nations

the Slav and

mythology among

the

to

chariot

prophetElijah,
and
horses of

songs 2, 1. 2, 2 he is
and thunder (munya and
called gromovnik
Iliya}lightning
expressly
In

Jivereceive,2 Kings 2, 11.

hand, and

grom) are given into

his

clouds of heaven,

that

so

This last agrees with

conf. Lu.

4, 25, Jam.

poem,

5, 17

0. iii.12, 13

Quedent

rain fall

no

the

ther thiz lant

so

we

have

appearance
current

to note
a

sis ther

Udri

gromom,

liutin,

filu suilro.'^

the end

in

of the

christ's
the story of Anti-

world, which

was

pointsof
Ages (and whose striking
mythus of Surtr and Muspellsheim I shall
again occupiesthe place of the northern

Helias
speak of later),
overcomes
thundergod. Thorr
nine paces
scarcelymoved

hisparta,

Mid.

throughout the

breath, and

the

in

is.taken

mdro,

so

then

is,that
especially

little before

agreement with the ON.

venomous

Kings 17, 1. 18, 41-5,

tharta,then himil

thuanffta si ciwaro harto

what

he shuts up the
the earth (see

ther iu ni liaz in notin rcgonon

But

on

view

same

giwaro,Helias

sum

men

the O.T. too, 1

and

sinful

to

they let

SuppL).
OHG.

the Servian

great serpent, but

the

it,when

from

sinks to

gromovitIliyaI

the

he

is touched

ground dead, Sn.

smite

with

has

he

73.

thunder, tlnmderer

by
In

its
the

Elias,

1,77.
2

Grccj. tur., pref.to bk

et cum
pluviasciim voluit abstulit,

Meminerit

(lector)sub Ilehac tempore, qui

"c.
terris infudit,

libuit areutibus

174

THUNAE.

OHG.

poem

54, Antichrist and the devil

Muspilli48
in the fight:
wounded
also is grievously

of

fall,but Elias

"

Doh

wanit

daz Elias
so

sar

daz

des vilu
in demo
Eliascs

do indeed

gotmanno^

wige arwartit

pluot

in erda kitriufit,
so

inprinnantdie

perga ;

his blood

and the
drippingon the earth sets the mountains on fire,
^Yithout
Judgment-day is heralded by other signs as well.
knowing in their completenessthe notions of the devil,Antichrist,
Elias

and

Enoch, which

century,2 we

current

were

about

the

7th

or

8th

fullyappreciatethis analogybetween Elias

of the heathens.
and the Donar
There
was
nothing in christian
tradition to warrant
the suppositionof Elias receivinga wound,
and

that

cannot

deadly one.

by the
worship Elias

fact that

The
even

comparison becomes
half-christian

races

still

more

suggestive
in the Caucasus

The Ossetes think a man

lucky
god of thunder.
him
to
who
is struck hy lightning,
they believe Ilia has taken
dance around
himself ; survivors raise a cry of joy,and sing and
form
the body, the people flock together,
a
ring for dancing,and
sing: 0 Ellai,Ellai,eldaer tchoppei! (0 Elias, Elias,lord of the
rocky summits). By the cairn over the grave they set up a longpole
which is their usual manner
supportingthe skin of a black he-goat,
of sacrificing
to Elias (seeSuppl.). They implore Elias to make
them.^
Olearius
their fields fruitful,
and keep the liail away from
alreadyhad put it upon record,that the Circassians on the Caspian
sacrificed a goat on Ellas s clay,and stretched the skin on
a
pole
storm
thunderthat
in
with prayers.* Even the Muhammadans,
a
praying
of Ilya.^
the name
be averted,name
may
Now, the Servian songs put by the side of Elias the Virgin
invoked
that in the Mid. Ages was
Mary ; and it was she especially
in the Liege
for rain. The chroniclers mention
a
rain-procession
as

Gotman, a divine, a priest] Conf. supra, pp. 88-9.

that Elias
The Eabbinical
legend likewise assumes
851.
malignant Sammael
; Eisenmenger 2, 696.
1

the

travels
Klaproth's

Erman's

Ad.

in the Caucasus

archiv flirRussland

Olearius

2, 606.

1841, 429.

reiseschr. 1647, pp. 522-3.

601.

will retiu-n and

sluy

175

THUNAR.

country about the year 1240

and
;^ three times did priests
(nudis pedibus et in laneis),but all in vain,

peoplemarch round
because in calling
upon

or

1244

all the saints

the Mother
they had forgotten
of God ; so, when
the saintly
choir laid the petitionbefore God,
salve regina was
Mary apposed. In a new
processiona solemn
tanta inundatio pluviae
serenum
tempus ante fuisset,
sung : Et cum
facta est,ut fere onines
qui in processioneaderant, hac illacque
dispergerentur.With the Lithuanians, the holy goddess (dievaite
sventa) is a rain-goddess.Heathendom
probablyaddressed the
for rain to the thundergod,instead of to Elias and Mary.^
petition
in ON. legend,
Yet I cannot call to mind
a
singlepassage, even
ashed for ;
rain when
it was
where Thorr is said to have bestowed
are
we
only told that he sends stormy weather when he is angry,
take
Olafs Tryggv.saga 1, 302-6 (seeSuppL). But we
fairly
may
and Jupiter (who are
into account
resemblance
to Zeus
his general
and the preII. 12, 25 : ve Zev"; crwe^e?),
veTto";,p)luvius,
expressly
valence
'

'

of votis imbrem

vocare

nations
neighbouring

all the

among

(seeSuppL).
for
description
procession
by Petronius cap. 44, of a Eoman
with that given above
from the Mid. Ages :
rain, agrees closely
mentistolatae ibant nudis pedibusin clivum, passiscapillis,
Antea
bus puris,
et Joveiii aquam
exorabant ; itaque statini urceatim (in
aut tunc
aut nunquam,
et omnes
ridebant,uvidi
bucketfuls)
pluebat,
the
M. Antoninus
5, 7) has preserved
tanquam mures.
(et?eavrov
for rain :
beautifullysimple prayer of the Athenians
evxv
Si
Zei),Kara
Ad-qvaCwv,vcrov, vaov.
tt}?apovpa^ tt}?AOrjvaiwv
^I'Xe
A

'

Kal

TOiv

irehlwv
thus

(seeSuppl.). Accordingto Lasicz,the Lithuanian

Pcrcune

prayer

ran

emend

dievu),melsu

in

meum

agrum

tibi banc
ego vero
said to have been

apsaugokmus

devaite niemuski

succidiam
:

To

all this I will add

Aegidius

an

vallis cap. 135

aureae
1244
ad
ann.
(Pistorius3, 263).
magu.
Other
saints also grant rain in
Pertz 6, 512'". blS^ ; the body of St
-

old

te, Percune,

Prussian

Old

The

dabo.

(so I

dirvu

mana

neve

(more simply,strike not),

immittas

Dievas Ferkunos, absolo

Esthonian,as Gutslaff^ heard

1

Cohibe

tavi,paltimiessu.

calamitatem

und

! spare us,

mus

extended

more

formula

peasant say

it

as

2, 267-8).
(Chapeauville

is

Lith.

in
petition

late

as

Chron.

the

belg.
.

answer

Lupus

m
prayer, as St Slansuetus
carried about at Sens m
lOJi,

to

Conl'. infra,Kain-making.
Pert/, 1, 106-7.
3 Joh.
unterricht
kurzer beiicht und
Gutslatf,

von

der

ialsch heilig ge-

176

THUNAR.

17th century

'

Dear

that hatli two

ox

Thunder

horns

and

(woda Picker),we

four

cloven

offer to

hoofs,we

would

thee

pray

an

thee

ploughing and sowing,that our straw be copper-red,our

grain be golden-yellow.Push elsewhither^ all the thicJchlack clouds,
But
unto
over
us
great fens, high forests,and wildernesses.
and svjeet rain.
ploughersand sowers
give a fruitful season
Holy
Thunder
(pohaPicken),guard ovir seedfield,that it bear good straw
below, good ears above, and good grainwithin.' Picker or Picken
for

our

would
the

Esthonian

in modern

Finnic

be

called

Pitkne, which

conies

near

piilcdinen thunder,perhaps even Thunder ; Hiipel's

Esth. Diet, however
gives both pikkcnne and pikne simply as
The Einns
thunder
usuallygive their thundergod
(impersonal).
that
Ukko
the name
of Turris as
well,
only, the Esthonians
evidentlyfrom the Norse Thorr (seeSuppl.).^
of the land
and
As the fertility
depends on thunderstorms
of agriand Zeus appear
the oldest divinity
as
rains, Pitkdinen
cultural
to
whose
look
for
the
nations,
bounty they
thrivingof
their cornfields and fruits (seeSuppl.). Adam
butes
of Bremen
too attrithunder and lightningto Tlior expresslyin connexion
with
dominion
weather and fruits : Thor, inquiunt,
in aere,
over
praesidet
et frugcsguhernat.
qui tonitrua et fulmina,ventos imbresque,serena
Here
then the worship of Thor coincides with that of Wuotan, to
whom
likewise the reapers paidhomage (pp.154
7),as on the other
hand Thor as well as OSinn
guidesthe events of war, and receives
his share of the spoils
(p.133). To the Norse mind indeed,Thor's
his peaceful
victories and his battles wdth the giantshave thrown
to Wuotan's
Nevertheless
office quite into the shade.
mightiest
=

"

son,

kunos,
to

we

is Earth

mother

whose

must, if

only for

his

clears up

Agriculture.^ He

nandten

and
herself,

baclie in Liefland

Wohhanda.

is also named

who

lineagesake, allow
the atmosphere,he

Dorpt. 1644,

pp.

Per-

direct relation

sends

362-4.

fertilizing

Even

in his

; it is

given,corrected,
language of the prayer was hard to understand
heft 5, p. 157.
beitr.,
mythol. p. 17, and Rosenpliinter's
^
with Wuotan), the highest
Ukko is,next to Yumala
(whom I connect
the
Finnish god. Pitkainen literally
means
long,tall,higlione.
2 Uhland
to the heart of the ON.
in his essay on
Thorr, has penetrated
worked
out the thought,that the very conflict of the
myths, and ingeniously
the business of bringingland
itself signifies
summer-god with the winter-giants,
force of the thiuiderbolt
under
that the crushing rock-splitting
cultivation,
of the Hrungnir
soil.
the
This
is
most
hard
expounded
stony
happily
prepares
time

the

in Peterson's Finn,

and

Orvandill

saj/as

in

some

of the others it

seems

not

to

answer

so

well.

177

THUNAR.

the nutritious acorn.

Thor's
supj^lies
of cornfields.
drunk
to the prosperity
niinni was
doubt represented,
like Zeus
The German
no
thundergod was
A Danish
and Jupiter,
with a long heard.
rhyme still calls him
Thor med sit langeskidg'(F.Magnusen's lex. 957). But the ON.
more
narrowly as red-learded,of
sagas everywhere define him
the
in allusion to the fiery
: when
course
phenomenon of lightning
god is angry, he blows in his red beard,and thunder pealsthrough

showers,and his sacred

tree

'

the clouds.

In the Fornm.

sog.

2,

182

10, 329

and

he is

tall,

youth : Mikill vexti (ingrowth),ok ungligr,

ra%i"maSr
to see),ok rau"skcggja"r
(fair
; in 5, 249

handsome, red-bearded
friSr synum

his red beard : Landsmenn

in distress invoked
skeggja3r.Men
hit rmicfa skegg,
raS (adoptedthe plan) at heita J^etta
toko ]?at
2,
ReiSr
his beard:
in wrath, he shakes
183.
When
var
}7a,
sccgg
he then,beard he took
at dyja (wroth was
at hrista,
scur
nam
nam
More
hair to tossing),
Sam.
70^
to bristling,
general is the
: let sigabrynnar ofan
fyriraugun (letsink the brows over
]3lirase
His divine rage (asmoSr) is often mentioned
his eyes),Sn. 50.
:
is the story of
Thorr varS reiGr, Sn. 52.
Especiallyinteresting
half broken
Tlior's meeting with King Olaf 1, 303 ; his power seems
the christians
doctrine ; when
by this time, givingway to the new
a follower
ap]jroach,

of Thorr

him

exhorts

to

brave resistance

them thy
thou against
pvijt];u i mot ];eimskeggroddJ?ina(raise
beard's voice). J;a gengu J^eir
ut, ok hies Thorr fast i kampana, ok
(then went they out, and Th. blew hard into
Jjajtti
skcggraiistlna
andviSri moti
his beard,and raised his beard's voice),kom ]3a]?egar
there came
at ekki matti vi5 halda (inmiediately
konungi sva styrkt,
ill-weather againstthe king so strong,that he might not hold out,
in
ie.,atsea). This red beard of the thunderer is stillremembered
"

and

curses,

with

thunder

that among

And

to

that)is to

this

day an

Der

ancient

any

of the North

ians.'^
Frisof the

(seeSuppL).

languagesdistinguishthree
123

ion
connex-

Thorr
holtaporr,

fox

to his red fur

geizhalzauf Silt,Flensburg1809, p.

visible

(letred-haired
regiir!'

exclamation

the Icelanders call

when

it is probablyin allusion
holt,2

The

folk,without

ideas: 'diis niadhiirct donner

Norse
see

the Frisian

acts

2nd

ed.

in the

natural

Sonderburg 1833,

]). ii;3.
-

Nucleus

lat. in

usuin

scholae scliallioltinae.Hafniae

12

1738,p.

2088.

178

THUNAR.

/Spovri],
i\asli,fulgu7%
aaTpairrj, the sound, tonitnts,
and the stroke,fulmen, Kepavv6"i
(seeSuppL).
which
was
we
name
blitz,
The lightning's
expressedin onr
flash,
hlic,Iw.
older speech both by the simpleplih,Graff 3, 244, MHG.
derived from
049. Wirral. 7284, and by plechazunffa
(coruscatio),
Diut. 1, 222-4;
of j;/ccAe7i
(fulgere),
plechazan/a frequentative
the

phenomenon:

Diut. 1, 222.
Pleccatcshem,Pertz 2, 383,
plcchunga,
has Uil'ze (fulgur)
Blexen
:
of a place,
now
; the MHG.
MS.
sint mit gewaltein siner pflege,
und die donerslege
supposes
Again lohazan (micare,coruscare),Goth, lauhatjan,pre-

used

they also
the

name

die Uihzni

2^ 166^

"

the

while
{aaTpa-m')),

his Idnhmuni

forms

the

From

lohen, Goth, lauhan.

from

Saxon

Goth

the

root

same

blic made

(jubar,fulgur),ON. liomi, Swed.

(fulgur).AS. Icoma
Dan.
hjn. A Prussian folk-tale has an expressivephrase
Ijungeld,
i.e.the
for the lightning He with the Uue whip chases the devil,'
held speciallysacred, and
people
giants;for a hhie flame was
swear
by it, North Pris. donners hlosJcen (bluesheen) help ! in
hlau feuer!
was
Hansens
geizhalsp 123; and Schiirtlin's curse
llicsmo

"

'

'

'

(seeSuppL).
(fragor)from
often

MHG.

krache

I connect

teuhaus

kr.

jen..57;

the

While

reht als der

5 ; and

with

crash),

378, 11. Wh.

wilde

as

dunrslac

389,
von

der

105.

notion

of

fulmen

the

we

call thunder
grom,
possess

grummel,Strodtm.

(seeSuppl.).
only compounds, except

hrom

nudari ;
I reinemlier pleckan,plahta (patere,
writing plechazan,
the sky,
of
used
when
4890
which,
;
blecken, blacte,Wigal.

open, heaven
125
li'ditning
; conf. Lohengr. p.
akin
If
is
this plechan
erblecket.
:

capreh

chlafondodoner, K Cap. 114 ;

stet gcspanncn, Apollon.879.
; der doner
(strepo),
the Gothic peiJvvdfem. with the Finnic teuhaan
the noisy,
mean
tumultus),so that it would
(strepitus,

MHG.
l.leak),
means

104,

to burst
(strictly

rizen

uproarious.Some L. Germ, dialects

Osnabr. 77, agreeingwith the Slav,
For

Parz.

fern, for thunder, Parz.

Ecke
gcrizzen,
heizet toner
chlaflcih

der

duz,

find wolkenriz

kam

himel

doner

der

with

Wartb.
gegenH;:;,

18 ;

gap

is synonymous

krachen
also

its command

at

the
Gl. hrab. 963'',for which
prelihan (frangere),
krachen,
has Mac, Troj.12231. 14693, and krach from

mit
:
(crepare)

we

have

would

OHG.

dona)% the

Beside

clouds

still say of forked

opens, as we
relit alsani des himniels bliz von
to

plih (fulgur),
we

must

suppose

and
doner
two

sheet
sicli

verbs

and plehhan plah,the second derived from the first. Ulav. bksic,
plihhanpleih,
Euss. molniya,
god's messenger, lightning-flash.
blisk,but Boh. bozhi posel,
fem. (seeSuppL).
iServ. munya,

179

THUNAR.

when

is used

simpledonner

the

sense

sluoc alse ein doner,

der scliiir (shower,storm)erslagen,

MS.

liiure hat

]ioth. 1747.

in that

3,

Uitzschlag. OHG.
Uig-scuz(-shot,
commonly donnerschlag,
Barl. 2, 26. 253, 27,
N. cap. 13; MHG.
Uickcschoz,
fulgurumjactiis),
228*

and

Uicschoz,Martina

Iw. G51; ter

rcslac,

scuz

N. Bth.
donerstrdlon,

tien

mit

erscozen

Parz. 104, 1; do7i205=^;fiurin doncrstrdlc,

tero fiurentun donerstrdlo (ardentis
fulminis),

MHG.

donnerstrahl.
hlitzstrahl,
is called
lightning
GO

Sn.
vUli-cldr,

.thathe shoots.
shot

der

the

from

der liz dem

sky :

schure,'there
it

high),unless

'

gewahsen

as

in ON.

so

(a heart

snellet,
Troj.7073.

stone

throws

Donar

of the Hint in

made

ein doncrstein ! Ms.

H. 3, 202^

Swed.

ksk-vigg(-wedge);

and

in

"We

the

203.

ein

vlins

thunder),Wh.
33, 83.
call it

there
popular belief,

von

castle

(flint)

vlinse ime

von

now

Krjka

enkieme

er

(intothe

sehmverstein,Suchenw.

mich

doners

there

ein lierze daz

being
pfUe,

wedge-shaped

geworfen dar

thrown

him,

weapon

arrows

from

imitated

storm, Ecke

the

of

notion

the

merely

nie stein

9, 32.

Bit. 10332.
schilrestein,

some

donre

wart

from

has

smites

judge

never

was

came

wsere

751,

red hair ascribed to

that

Teutonic

true
ez

he who

150) was

35.

Wolfram
donrestrtden.

von

1, 553, and

412, Schm.

waggon,

here I

; the

Aiof, tela Jovis

stones

Nantlieiz

von

donerslac,Geo.

lightenshas

who

god

But

{loildcr
ffU

Turnei

u-etterstrahl

(seeSup pi.).

thunders

lie who

wilder

Eab.
icild fire,

the
So tlien,
as
and

175; MHG.

18.

donrc

12, 16.
so

slahe

donnevkeil,

darts out

of

which buries itself

togetherwith the flash a black iccdgc,
is high.'^But every
church-tower
in the earth as deep as the liighest
to the surface,and
time it thunders again,it begins to rise nearer
in
find it above ground. Any house
after seven
may
years you
is proof againstdamage by lightning
which it is preserved,
; when
Such stones are
is coming on, it beginsto sweat.^
a thunder-storm
also called donnerdxie (-axes)
donnerhammer, alhschossc
donnersteine,
Swed. Thors
strahlsteine,
Engl,thunder -holts,
teufelsfinger
(elfshots),
ch. XXXVII),^ and stone
Dan. tordcnhile,
tordenstraale (v.infra,
viggc,
the cloud

hammers
Saxo

Gram.

Tliis

knives

and

p. 236

in

Inusitati

ancient

tombs

bear the

ponderismalleos,quos

Weddigens

instead of seven.
^ The
Grk

far as a liare can

westfiiL mag. 3, 713.

name

as

for the stone

same

Jovialcs

name.
voca-

curses, "c. e.g. May tlie thunder strike

in a hundred
years !
Wigands arcliiv 2, 320, has nine vears

depthis variously
expressedin

into the earth

you

found

run

is /SfXe/xvtVT;?
a missile.

180

THUNAR.

cupiens
priscavirorum religionecultos ;
usitata reruin similitudine comtonitruorum
causas
enim antiquitas
cieri credebat,
malleos,quibus coeli fragores
ingentiaere
prehendere,
was
complexa fuerat (seeSuppL). To Jupitertoo the silex (flins)
From the mention
held by those takingan oath.
sacred,and it was
infer a connexion
of the elf-sprites
of
elf-shots above, I would
service they seem
in whose
to be employed.
with the thundergod,
hammer
The Norse mythology providesTliorr with a wonderful
which
he hurls at the
Miolnir
named
(mauler,tudes, contundens),
bant,

'

'

67^ 68^

Sam.

hammer,

67^

57^

giants,Seem.

68^ ; it is also called pru"hamar, strong

and has the property of returninginto the

after being thrown, Sn. 132,

As this hammer
god'shand of itself,
kemr a lopt,Sn. 16),the giantsknow
the air (erhann
tlirough
files
it,lightningand thunder precede the throwing of it : J?vinaest sa
hann
(next saw he, giant Hrungnir; cldingaroc heyrSiprumur
reiddi liamarin
oc
storar,sa hann J^aThor i asmoSi, for hann akaflega,
This is obviouslythe crushingthunderbolt,
Sn. 109.
oc
Jcastaffi,

lightningand thunder,which was nevertheless

perhaps that
; hence
god's permanent weapon

after

descends

which

regarded as the
risingof the bolt out of the earth. Saxo, p. 41, represents it as a
in a battle
that Bother
without a handle, but informs
club (clava)
us
had

with

Thor

the

Eddie

Icnoched

clavae ; tliis agrees with

it
of the hammer, when

off the manubium

narrative of the

manufacture

handle

short

(at
It was
heldr skamt), Sn. 131.
forged by cunning
var
forskeptit
their masterpiece. In
dwarfs,^and in spiteof that defect,it was
Saxo p. 163, Thor is armed with a torrida chabjhs.^It is noticeable,
was

accounted

how

Frauenlob

der smit
as

uz
a

Oberlande

blessed with

the

of the cross, and

As

Zeus's

it,Ssem.

signof the hammer,^

stroke of

lightningwas

by

about

too

God

schoz.

The

mer,
ham-

the bodies

Sn. 49. 66 ;

christians did with

as

lightningwas

the Curetes

74^

Father:

the

sacred,brides and

considered

consecrated with

was

in mine

sinen hamer

warf

divine tool,was
were

himself

2,214^ expresses

MS.

of the dead

the

fault in it that

the

long regardedin

men

sign
the

Cyclopes.

or

gotten,
had not been forhammer
of
the
statue
a
dorper
evidence, e.g.
seems
proved by pretty
with the giants (ch.XVIII, quotationfrom Fergut).
in connexion
mentioned
wields ajieryaxe (ch.XXV, Musand Saturn,Thunor
And
in the AS. Solomon
^

That

in ancient
to be

In the Old

of property.

statues

Germ,

of the

thundergod

the

late

law, the throwingof a

hammer

ratifies the

acquisition

181

THUNAR.

Mid.

Ages as

with

his hammer

hallows

dead

But

most

(see Supph).

Sn. 49

"

extension

the wide

undertaking. Thorv
bones, and makes them alive again,
important of all,as vouching for
to any

happy initiatoryomen

of

and

one

the

heathen

same

faith,appears

to

heimt

Edda, the Hamars

(hammer's
whose
action is motived
by Thor's
homing, mallei recuperatio),^
and buried eightmiles underground:
hammer
beingstolen by a giant,
for iorS nedan,'
ek hefi HlorriSa hamar
umtolginn Citta rostom
the popular
This unmistakably hangs togetherwith
Stem. 71^
me

in the

that beautiful poem

'

belief I have

quoted,that

the thunderbolt

dives into the earth and

again,mounting
At bottom
it were
Thrymr, ]?ursadrottinn,
a mile
as
every
year.
hammer
who
has only got his own
lord of the durses
or
giants,
older nature-god,
identical with Thorr, being an
back again,seems
in whose
keeping the thunder had been before the coming of the
takes

or

seven

nine

years

get

The
}7ruma,tonitru.
is in the same
case
as aes
tinniens)
(seeSuppl.).
Another
proof that this myth of
of

the

and

Scandinavia

rest

itself. Hamar

hammer

the word

the

to

up

surface

which
bo derived from
must
by his name,
(which Biorn explains
compound Jjrumketill

this is shown

ases;

to

J?6rketiIL

the better-known

as

thundergod is a jointpossession
Teutondom, is suppliedby
in the first placea hard

the
of

means

secondly the tool fasliioned out of it ; the ON.

hamarr stillkeeps both mennings,rupes and malleus (and sahs,seax
is particularly
againis a stone knife,the Lat. saxum). Such a name
with which the mountain-godDonar,
well-suited for an instrument
the god'shammer
Now
as
achieves all his deeds.
our
'Fairguneis,'
strike
tlmnder sXrikQ you' and 'hammer
strikes dead, and the curses
thing,there sprang up in some parts,especially
you' meant the same
stone

rock,^and

or

'

of Lower

Gemany,

of the

word

Hamer

No

after the fall of the

Hamar
vor

den

other lav of the

poetry of the Noiih

in

the

Hamer
Edila

of Death

sense

!
shows

god Donar,

de

Hamcr

or

sla !

personification

Devil
'

are

'

dat die de

phrases still

intergrown with the people's

Swedish, Danish and Norwegian songs,

itself

so

its plotsurvives in
folk-songof Hildeas
our
relation to that in the Edda
Thor no longer appears as a
ancient poesy.
does to our
brand
god, but as Thorkar (Thorkarl)or Thord af Hafsgaard,who is robbed of hi.s
Arvidsson
1. 3.
golden hammer, conf. Iduna 8, 122. Nyerups udvalg 2, 18S.
remarkable
the
Also
Schade's beskrivelse over
oen
Mors, Aalborg 1811, p. 93.
legendof Thor me(^ tuvgum hamri in Faye'snorske sagn. Arendal 1833, p. 5,
where
also he loses and seeks his hammer.
/lam.
2 Slav, kamen
Lith. ahnu
; /cam
gen. akmens
gen. kamnia, stone ;
which

Lear the same

and Alebrand

182

THUNAR.

current

Duvcl,
that

the

among
but

which,

strikes

with

hanuner.

the

stood for the ancient

of which

peoplein Denmark
protestedby Thore gud. The
common

have

It must

been

titles of the

and

two

same

back

way

to the
'

at

55^

god

is

en

de Hamcr
Hem-

und

teujd!

also
both

(seeSuppL).

earlier stage that

an

Saviour, and

certain attributes

Judeo-christian

legends,were
the myth of Leviathan
particularly

some

god,and

transferred to the heathen

dat

evil spirit.Consider
; donner

names

for

god. By gammel Tlwr, old Thor, the

the devil; in Sweden
mean
they long
Lithuanians
worshipped an enormous

weltbuch

Seb. Frankes

hammer,

traced

all,Schiitze 2, 96.

them

the
signified

couple the

which

curses

tlie

In

know

merlein,meister Hdmmerkin,
the

be

a rascally
kerl,'
impudent cheats

all ! the devil may

se

only

Ilamer

exchange

can

you

all,can

and

one

Ha7ner, en hamerskcn
kennt

which

in
people,

lornmngandr. As Christ by his death overmastered the monster

the miGgarSsserpent (Barl.78, 39 to 79, 14),so Thorr overcomes
orni
(-worm,snake that encircles the world),and similar epithets
between
the resemblance
are
given to both.'^ Taking into account
to

signof the
surprisingthat

the

and

the

newly

present to their

minds

that

of the

converted

hammer,

; and

so

connexion

it need

should

Germans

the lord of thunder

Christ stillhave

of

name

cross

and
with

the

not

under

giverof

seem

the
rain

the Mother

Mary

(p.174) could be the more

easilyestablished. The earliest
troubadour
Christ
(Diez p. 15. Raynouard 4, 83) actuallynames
still as the lord of thunder, Jliesus del tro.
A
in the Pentamerone
5, 4 personifies
Neapolitan fairy-tale
thunder and lightning
{truonee lampe) as a beautiful youth,brother
who
and
of seven
of a wicked
old mother
son
spinningvirgins,
knows
ing
assertno
higher oath than pe truone e lampe '. Without
of

God

'

external connexion

any
1

the

wtb. 2, 575.

Brem.

hammer,

or

between

this tradition and

the

German

dat di de hamer

great hammer

richtsh. 1, 673. 2, 79. 299. 382.

bksted, cursed, "c.
verteufelt,

sla ! Strodtm. p. 80, conf. Schm. 2, 192.

strike you ! Abeles kihistl. imordn. 4, 3.
Geverhamert diir,
kolt, Schiitze 2,96
verdonnert,
=

How

deeply the worship of the god had taken

ineradicable
is proved by these abnost
the people,
root among
curses, once
! donnerwetter
! heiligesgewitter(holy thunderstorm)
solemn
: donner
protestations
christian
! And, adding the
symbol : kreuz donnerwetter ! Then,
bim
! dummer
:
disguised
(by the) dummer, potz dummer
euphemistically
hammer
auch ! Slutz 1,123. 2, 161-2.
3, 56. bim dummer
3, 51. bim dumstig,
dunnstig! as in Hesse : donnerstag! bim /tamer .' In Flanders : bi Vids morkel
hamer!
2

Willem's
Finn

vloeken, p.

Magnusen

12.

lex. 48 4-5.

183

THUNAR.

discover in it the

one,^we
a

hostile and

fiendish

idea of

same

god of

kind

and

beneficent,not

thunder.

lucanus
or
fire-beetle,
which we call stag-beetle
largebeetle,
many
districts of South Geris in some
taurus
(ch.XXI, beetles),
named
donncrgu(/c,donnerpuiype(gueg,guegi,
don7ier"jue(j,

The
cervus,

For he also bears the

to thunder.

the
oak-trees,

he likes to live in

perhapsbecause
beetle),

sacred

tree

eichochs,Swed. ekoxe (oak-

name

thunder

-z'.e.
kindler),^
againfeuerschroter,iurbuter (fire-beeter,
whicli indicates his relation to
haus-brenner
(-burner),
or
and
lightning.It is a saying,that on his horns he carries

redhot

coals into

ox);but
borner

then

in

belief mentioned

it

sets

definite is the

alight;more

Aberglaube,p. xcvi,that lightningwill

In Swed.

this beetle is carried.

which

into

house

roof,and

strike

beetle is still

horntroll

(seeSuppl.).
noted :
to be specially
the following
are
plants,
Among
the donnerbart, stonecrop or
houseleek, sempervivum tectoruni,
stroke^ :
which, planted on the roof,protectsfrom the lightning's
vocatur
harba Jovis vulgarimore
(Macer Floridus 741),Fr. Joubarbc
a shaggy tangled
(conf.
Append, p. Iviii);the donnerbescn (-besom),
named

herbs and

"

ascribes the generation

growth on boughs,of which superstition
the
called
donnerJcraut,
to lightning
alpruthe;
; otherwise
fumaria bulbosa; the donncrdistd, eryngsedum; the donncrjhifj,
The South Slavs
burdock.
ium campestre; the Dan. tordcnskreppe,
call our
caU the iris perunik,Perun's flower, while the Lettons

nest-like

"

"

"

"

"

How

the

comes

side of tuono

l and

Ital. to have

the Provenral

a
a

(Neap,truono, Span, trueno)by

trono
Irons

with

the

meaning %

same

Has

the

the R

10,
from our
donar, or stillbetter from the Goth, drunjus,sonus, Rom.
.sliptin
18 (conf.
dronen, 'cymbal'sdroning sound' of Dryden) ] or did the Lat. thronva
forclist nicht, wanns
tonnert, eiu
thunder?
of sky and
pass into the sense
del tro
Jhesus
troubadour's
181'^.
The
himmel
fallen ? Garg.
tron werd vom
'

'

'

'

lord of the tirmament.

Chaucer.
and lyresbeete,'
sacritice,

might then simplymean

*

I wol dou

bytel.
"

Hence

beetle itself ] AS.

Trans.

Provencaltroubadour,quoted by Raynouard sub

quel erba tenon pro li vilan sobra lur maiso.

is a
Superst.60), the hatdhorn,albaspina,

v.

barbajol,
says

: e

da-

(hauswurzcl,

Beside this hauswurz

safeguardagainst lightning(Mem.

del' acad. celt. 2, 212), as the laurel was

among
tohite vine planted round a house; conf. brennessel
laid upon
on
coals,
lightedcandles,a tire made

the

ancient

Romans,

or

the

hranchc^
; ^palni
(Superst.3;3())
the

hearth,are

good

ibr

crossbilltoo is a protector
Braunschw.
anz.
thunderstorm,'
17G0, p. 1392.
] but
hammer
of
the
or
the
cross
sign
(Superst.
335) ; because his beak forms
XXI,
the nest-making redbreast or redstart appears to attract
lightning(ch.
redbreast
629. 704) was
he, because of his red plumage, sacred to
The

Superst.

the redbearded

god 1 (seeSuppl.).

184

THUNAR.

hedericli

Perunika
(ground-ivy?hedge-mustard?)
pehrJcones;

like Iris,a woman's

to

the Thunderer
Jovis

magna

robore

Dodona

stood

Troy the

lieechoften named
A

5, 693. 7, 60.

oak above

(pp.67, 72): quercics

antiquo
the

The

name.

all trees

is also,

dedicated

was

Jovi

Phaedr. 3, 17 ;
placuit,
At
Virg. Georg. 3, 332.

quercus,

Spv^ v^lkoixo^J/.o?,Od. 14, 327. 19, 297, but

in the Iliad:

kind
particular

grmik is quercetum,

(tonitrus),
grmiti or

no

doubt

of
in

at

zJto? alyio-x^oco
^7770?v-\lr7]\7]

oak

close

is in

Servian

connexion

grmlieti(tonare).The

grm,
wdth

is

acorn

and
groin

spoken

of

above, p. 177.

Apparently some

of the

have
snipe (scolopaxgallinago)
with
this subject: donncrziegc(-goat),donnerstagspfcrd
to do
(Thursdayhorse),
himmelsziege
(capella
coelestis)
; because he seems
But
he is also the ivcathcrhird,
to bleat or whinny in the sky ?
betokens
storm.
an
stormbird,rainbird,and his flight
approachingthunderDan.
Icel. hrossagaukr,
Swed. horsgjok,
horsegowk
myreliest,
or
cuckoo, from his neighing;the first time he is heard in the year,
their fate (Biorn sub v.); evidently
he prognosticates
to
men
fancies clingto the bird. His Lettish name
pehrhona
superstitious
kasa,pehrhona ahsis (thunder's
she-goatand he-goat)agrees exactly
with

the

names

German.

In

Lithuanian

too, Mielcke

1, 294. 2, 271

is
another name
ozhys as heaven's goat, for which
tagspfcrd
donnerstikkutis.
Kannes, pantheum p. 439, thinks the name
be
not to the bird ; this would
belongsto the goat itself,
welcome, if it can be made good. Some confirmation is found in
the AS. firgengcct
(capri(ibex,
chamois),and firginhucca
rupicapra,
virguncornus),to which would correspondan OHG. virgungeiz,
pocch ; so that in these the analogy of fairgunito Donar holds

givesPerhuno
"

good. The wild creature that leapsover rocks would better become
the god of rocks than the tame
goat. In the Edda, Thorr has
these,and the weather: between
he-goatsyoked to his thunder-car
fowl described by turns
as
goat and horse (always a car-drawing
half-obscured link of connexion
(see
beast),there might exist some
Suppl.). It
of

both he and

sentative
reprealso,that the devil, the modern
significant
created
goats,
the thunder god,has the credit of having
is

she ; and

as

Thorr

puts

away

the bones

they have been picked,that he may bring them

(Sn. 49. 50),iso the Swiss shepherds believe that
after

The

myth

of the

of his

goats

to life

again

the

againby
goatsbroughtto life
slaughtered

goat has

hammer-coiise-

185

THUNAT?.

Did

her, she

devil in

somethingof the
smack
especially

was

made

by him,

and

her feet

origin,and are not eaten, Tobler 214^

arid shetlmndergod in particularhave hc-goats
of their

the German

Etruscan
or
f/oatssacrificed to him (supra,p. 52) ? The Old Roman
the placewhere lightning
hidental (from bidens, lamb) signifies
had
killed

struck and
and
Jupiter,
54). If the

the

man

man's

there

body

was

lamb

not

had

burned,

to

but

be

sacrificed to

buried

(Plin.2,

offer
exactlythe same
way
and elevate the hide on
the body killed by lightning,
a goat over
a
the more
likelyby a great deal that
pole(supra,
p. 174),it becomes
of the Langobards was
intended for no other than
the goat-offering
Donar.
For hanging tip hides was
a
Langobardishrite,and was
be shown.
In
other occasions also,as will presently
on
practised
considered sacred to God ;
are
Carinthia,cattle struck by lightning
the poorest,dares to eat of them
reise 2,
no
(Sartoris
one, not even
158).
Other names
of placescompounded with that of the thundergod,
besides the numerous
Donnersbergsalreadycited,are forthcoming
in Germany.
Near Oldenburglies a villagenamed
Donnerschwee,
Ossetes and

Circassians in

and of tlie hoar Ssehrimnir

(Sn. 42) beingboiled and eaten every day
oration,
in more
than one
to re-appear
coming whole again every evening,seems
shape. In Wolf's Wodana, p. xxviii,the following passage on witches in
is quoted from
Ferrara
Barthol. de Spina (t 1546), quaestiode strigibus
:
Dicunt etiam, quod postquam comederunt
aliquem pinguem bovem vel aliquam
et consunipserunt
seu
cophinuin panibus evacuarunt
vegetem, vino vel arcani
ea
aurea
vorantes, doniina \\\v\iiercutit
virgaquam manugestat ea vasavel locu,
et statim ut priusplena sunt
vini vel panis ac si nihil iude fuisset assumptum.
Similiter congeri
jubetossa morttii bovis su-percorixmi ejusextensnm, ipsumque per
revolvens virgaquepercutierts,
vivuni bovem reddit ut
quatuor partes super ossa
The
diabolical witches' meal
jubet ad locum suum.
prius,ac reducendum
also told in legends,
we
are
very well matches that of the thundergod. But
that the saint,
after eatingup a cock,
reanimated
it out of the bones ; and so
a deception
earlyas parson Amis, we find the belief made use of in playing-off
had been eaten,threw
(1.969 seq.). Folk-tales relate how a magician,after a Jisli
the bones into water, and
the fish came
alive again. As with these eatable
and

creatures, so in other tales there

been

of

myth

Demeter

and remaining lame

marrow,
and St Adalljert (Temme p.
the

eighthFinnish

dismembered
have
to

occurs

pieces: in the marchen

Zeus and Tantalus,where
(Ovid 6, 406) reminds us

cut to

body, and
chopped off

been

imply

Morske

rune,

belief in

the reanimation
Machandelbom

of persons

who

have

(juniper-tree)
; in the
of Pelops being devoured
tlie shoulder
by
of the he-goat's
leg-bonebeing splitfor the
he came
to life again ; in the myth of Osiris
vom

after
conf. 1)S.

3;J);

Lemminkaimen's

no.

62, and

mother

Ezekiel

all
gathei-s

.37.

Then

the limbs

in
of his

makes
them
live again. "The fasteningof heads that
their trunks,in Waltharius
11 f)? (conf.
p. 93) seems
in
their reanimation,and agrees with a circumstance
to

eventyr pp. 199, 201.

18G

THUNAR.

(Kohlihandb. von
formerlyDonerswe,^ Donnerswehe, Donnerswede
reminds us of OSinsve,Wodeneswege (p.151),
Oldenb. 2, 55),which
leaves us
and
equally in doubt whether to understand wih a
The Norwegian folk-tale tells us
of an
temple,or weg a way.
Donnersrcut
is to be
actual Thors vej(way, Faye p. 5). A village
towards
Bohemia, a Donnersted in Thedingfound in Franconia
in AS.
hausen
bailiwick, Brunswick, a Thunresfeld[Tliurfield]
dinavia,
2, 115. 195, 272, "c. "c." Many in Scandocuments, Kemble
Torslunde
(Thorslundr,grove),Tosingo
e.g.,in Denmark,
(gurges)in a
(Thors engi,ing)f several in Sweden, Tors mase
Broocman
in Gothland,
1, 15, TJiorshorg
boundary-deedof Ostergotland,
Thorsbiorg(mountain)and Thorshofn
Gutalag p. 107. 260.
(wood,a
(haven)in Norway, Fornm. sog. 4, 12. 843 ; Thorsmork
holy one ? ),Nialss. cap. 149. 150.^ Thors ncs (nose,cape),Sreni.
155^ and Eyrb. saga cap. 4 (see Suppl.). Thors bra (Thorsbrii,
leads us
to
bridge)in Schonen, like the Norwegian Thor's-way,
which
that prevalentbelief in devil's bridges and other buildings,
of accounting for peculiarlyshaped rocks,
is the popular way
and steep mountain
paths: only God or the devil could
precipices
have

As
noble

man's

family on

mach.

5, 144.
Germ,

High

any
no.

them

burst

464

has

Trad. fuld.

so.

name,

in its

Donar

the Ehine

and

I take

which

AlUhonar,

name-formations

Bonner

compounds
Carolingiandoc. in

Donarad, which
2, 23

named

was

Its derivatives

dialect ;

simple form

is rarelyfound

is the

ON.

Lorheim, Sieb-

von

not

are

to be the ON.

; one

the

common

Cod.

Thorffr

in

lauresh.
; and

the

Thordlfr inverted.

frequentin the North, where

the
service of the
(OHG.
god prevailed so long : Thorarr
in
Donarari ? ),Thorir,Thord'r,Thorhallr, Thordlfr(OS. Thunerulf
Calend. merseb. Septemb.),Thoroddr, and the feminines
Thorn,
2, 336), Thorhxtla,
Thorun, Thorarna
(formedlike diorna, Gramm.
Thordis,"c. I cannot see why the editors of the FornIVidi'hildr,
manna
names
as
Thorgeirr,Thorhiorn,
sogur deprivesuch proper
Such

'

to

of
register

are

far

more

Donersice,dar heft cle herscup den

Landtithe),'
tegeiiden(teind,

1428.

in Suhm, krit. hist. 2, 651.

specified
Iceland,when they consecrated a district to Thorr,named
Donnersmark
it Thorsmork,Landn.
From
5, 2. ed. nova
(Zschotcir
p. 343.
Silesian
in
the
of
the
family of Henkel
tokely)
Hungarian county
Zips,comes
von

Others

The

settlers in

Donnersmark.

Walacli.

manura

die Donnersmarkf.

187

THUNAR.

"c. of tlieir
Thorvaldr, Thorfinnr,Thorgcrff)',
Thorsieinn,Tlioihdill,
the abstract

; it is not

vowel
l()ii"^

audacia, that they are compounded

J^or,
witli,and the Nialssaga,e.g. cap. 65, spellsIVw/'geiiT,
The frequent name
^/idrkatla.
Thorketill,abbrev. Thorkell,Dan,
Torkild,AS. Turketulus, Thurkytel (Kemble 2, 286, 349. v. suprn,
a kettle,a vessel,of the
thundergod,resembles
\". 63),if it signifies
sacrificial cauldron
Wuotan's
(p.56). The HymisqviSa singsof
to brew
ale with, and
Thorr fetchinga huge cauldron for the ases
"

wearing
Hans

man

it

his

on

(ans,as

is very like the strong

? ) in the nursery-tale
clapping the church bell

head, Saem. 57

; which

in
with Donar
couplingof Alp (elf)
and Thoralfr is worthy of notice,for alpgcschoss
Albthonar
(elf-shot)
for the
for the thunderbolt,and Alpruthe (elf-rod)
is a synonym
? see p. 183]. An intimate relation must
donnerkraut
[donnerbesen
the gods and the elves (p.180),though on the part
subsist between
of the latter a subordinate one
(seeSuppl.).^

his head

on

for

It is observable

by

different

cap.

that in different
In

names.

but in
Asa]?6rr,'

The

"

lays of

Lokaglepsaand

Hamarsheimt

the

Edda

HarbardslioS

Thorr
he is

'

goes

Thorr,

Vingjwrr,HlorriSi' (yetThorr as well),

in Alvismtll always Ving};6rr,'
in HymisqviSa 'Veorr,HlorriSi,'
not
the periphrases
to mention
(curruum dominus),
Sifjar
verr,
vagna verr
Illorriffl was
touched upon in p. 167, note.
OSins sonr.
Vingthurr
if
derive
from
ala
the
they
Wing-thunder,
winged one.
; as
Vfengr,
?
This appears to be far from certain,
aiira quatiens
where
as he is elsecalled fostri Vingnis,Sn. 101, and in the genealogies
this
Especiallyimportant is
Vingnir appears by the side of him.
Veorr, which outside of HymisqviSa is only found
once, Sa3m. 9^,
and never
except in the nom.
sing.; it belongs doubtless to ve,
a
wih, and so betokens
holy consecrated being,distinct from the
'

'

gen. Vea

Ve,

Wihar

on

p. 163

; the

OHG.

form

must

have

been

Wihor,

(seeSuppl.).
As OSinn was
represented
journeyingabroad,to the Eastern land
i
(p. 163), so is Thorr engaged in eastward travels : Thorr var
Saem. 59, a austrvega 68* ; for or austrvegi,
75 ; ec var
austrvegi,
austr, 78*'^; anstrforomJjinomscaltu aldregi
segjaseggjom fra,68*.
slew the giants
In these journeyshe fought with and
haim
: var
1

the

To

sons

the Bori;\t Mongols

beyond

have
of tlieIvjldninfj

danced."

L. Baikal,
Trans.
"

in
fairy-rings

f^rass

are

"where

THUNAR.

188

f((rinni anstcrvcgat berjatroll,Sn.

ancient

the

and

at

nations

Teutonic

other heroes

that

with

too, Sn.

Asia ; this

190.

363

faringeast-ways

'

; e.g.,the

expresslyplaced in that eastern

gum), Sn. 193 ; and lotunheim, the

tliis againpointsto

unforgotten connexion

still

time

And

46.

'

of the

is told

of

Skilfingaris
region (siikynsloS er i austrverace

world

of

of the

the

giants,was

there

situated.
Tlwrr

was

of all the

considered,next

gods ;

the

Edda

to

OSinn, the mightiestand strongest

him

makes

OSin's

son,

therein

differing

from the Eoman

view, which takes Jupiterto be Mercury's
entirely
it is true, Thorr
does appear
of
ancestor
as
an
father; in pedigrees,
is usuallynamed
Thorr
OSinn.
immediatelyafter OSinn, sometimes
feared more
than
before him, possiblyhe was
OSinn (see
SuppL). In ^axo Gramm., Eegner confesses : Se, Thor deo excepto,
nullam
monstrigenaevirtutis potentiam expavere, cujus (sc.Thor)
virium
magnitudini nihil humanarum
divinarumque rerum
digna
He
conferri.
national
the
is
true
the
of
possitaequalitate
god
Norwegians, landds (patrium numen), Egilss.
p. 365-6, and when
stands alone, it means
indeed
ass
him, e.g.,Saem. 70=^,
as
especially
the very meaning of ans (jugum mentis) agrees with that of Fairin
the most
numerous
guneis. His temples and statues were
Norway and Sweden, and dsmcgin, divine strength,is understood
the
heathen
Hence
religionin generalis so
chieflyof him.
frequentlyexpressedby the simple Thor biota, Srem. 113^, het
d Thor, Landn. 2, 12.
d Thor, Landn. 1,12, truffi (believed)
(called)
He assignsto emigrants their new
place of abode : Thorr visaffb
honum
(shewed him),Landn. 3, 7 3, 12. From the Landnamabok
could quote many
we
things about the worship of Thorr: ]?ar

stendr

enn

Thors

steinn, 2,

12.

til fretta

ganga

viS

Thor, 3, 12.

worshipped most, and Freyr next, which

agrees with the
Thorvi"r
and Freyvi"roccurringin one
names
familyline 2, 6 ;
function?
viSr is wood, does it here mean
tree, and imply a priestly
of a plant,ch.
but Tyvi"r is the name
OSinviSr does not
occur,
that hallows a mark, a marriage,
It is Thor's hammer
XXXVII.
I show
in
find plainlystated on the stones.
and the runes, as we
Thorr

is

ch. XXXIII
devil
some

of the
of the

how

under

Thorr

christians,and

clumsy boorish

the giants likewise

were

it is
nature

turned

aspects passed into

various
not

of

surprisingif

the

giant in

into fiends.

The

he

the

acquired

the process, for

foe

and

pursuer

ISO

THUNAR.

of all giantsin the time of the Ases, he himself

to the christians ; he throws

for

stones

lubber

appeareda
with

wager

giants(conf.

ThrymsqviSa, he eats and

a
giant,and the Norwegian folk-tale
him
take up cask after cask of ale at the wedding,Fay e p. 4;
makes
afdrecka
conf. the proverb: mundi
(outdrink).
enginn Asathor
the good-naturedold giantThrymr is by his very name
Conversely,
ch. XVIII). The
delightfulstory of the hobergsa Donar
(conf.
far and wide in
known
of the mountain, giant)was
gubbe (oldman
invites him to stand godfatherto his child,
the North : a poor man
but he refuses to come
on
hearingthat TJwr or Tordenveir is also a
handsome
a
ch. XVIII) ; he sends however
bidden
guest (conf.
JMolbech's eventyr no. 62, F. Magn.
Afzelius 2, 1 58.
present (conf.
there appears in the structure
p. 935). In spiteof all divergences,
of this fable a certain similarity
to that of GossipDeath, ch. XXVII,
for death also is a devil,and
consequentlya giant; conf. Miillenof the old tales which
That is why some
hoff,schl. hoist, p. 289.
stillstood their ground in the christian times try to saddle him
him
with all that is odious, and to make
out a diabolic being of a
Finnr
kind than OGinn; conf, Gautrekssagap. 13.
M'orse
drags
it
the
burns
statue
to King Olafr, splitsand
of Thorr
up, then
mixes
the ashes in furmety and gives it to dogs to devour ; 'tis
in
XVIII). But even
drinks immoderately like

eh.

the

Eddie

meet

that hounds

2, 163.
relates

This is
on

eat
a

Thorr,

calumny, the

the contrary that

(seeSuppl.), Several
wolves

and

his

who

goats,transform

Edda

M65i

revived

own

and

sagas,

Wuotan

did

sons

eat,'Fornm.
sucli

thing,it

knows

of

Magni

outlived their

like that
into the

no

the

of

good God,

sog.

father

creation of
and

Donar

into the devil

From

the

time

they became
acquainted with the Homan
theogony, the writers identifythe German
thundergod with
but
Jupiter. Not only is dies Jovis called in AS. Thunresd?eg,
Latona Jovis mater
is Thunrcs
modur
and
is translated
capitoliuni
Thorshoi by the Icelanders.
Gram. p. 23()
Saxo
Conversely,
means
by his 'Jupiter the Teutonic Thor,the Jupiterardens above
Donar
As for that Thorr devouringhis
(p.110) ; did that mean
children,it seems
[a mere
importation,aggravated
by] a downconfusion
of Jupiterwith his fatlier Saturn, just as the Norse
riglit
Tlie
genealogymade Thorr an ancestor of OSinn.
presbyterJovi
,

'

"^

'

190

THUNAR.

mactans/
have

and

been

the

'

'

sacra

dealt with

and

above, p.

feriae Jovis

'

'

(inIndicul. pagan,)

121.

Letzner

Caroli magni, Hildesh. 1G03,

(hist.
cap.
Saturday after Laetare, year by year, cometh

The

cathedral-close

of

Hildesheim

farmer

18

end) relates:
the

to

thereunto

little

speciallyappointed,

and

bringethhco logsof a fathom long,and therewith two

lesser logspointedin the manner
of skittles. The
two
greater he
in
the
planteth
ground one againstthe other,and a-top of them
the skittles. Soon there come
of lads
hastilytogetheraU manner
and youth of the meaner
sort,and with stones or staves do peltthe
skittles down
from
the logs; other do set the same
and
up again,
the peltingbeginnetha-new,
stood
By these skittles are to be underthe devilish gods of the heathen, that were
thrown down
by
the Saxon-folk when
they became christian.
Here

the

have been

must

the

farmer's

times

of the

names

gods

Jupiterthen, as

dues

at

are

we

Hildesheim

Under
Jupitergeld.

but
suppressed,^

find it

there

this

one

afterwards.^

was

down

occurs

to

of them

Among
our

own

the

villageof GrossenAlgermissenhad to pay 12 g. grosch.4 pfen.yearlyto the sexton

of the cathedral ", an Algermissenfarmer had every year to bringto
the cathedral close an
eight-cornered
log,a foot thick and four
feet long,hidden in a sack.
The schoolboysdressed it in a cloak
and crown,
and attacked
the Japitcr as they then called it,by
a

first from

throwingstones
last

it.

they burnt

and
disorder,

was

This

more

name

side,then

one

from

was
popularfestivity

than

the other,and

often

attended

interdicted,
picketswere

once

at

with
set

to

prohibitioninto effect; at length the royal treasury

remitted the Jupiter's
geld. Possiblythe villageof Algermissen
anity,
the penaltyof the due at the introduction of Christihad incurred
the peltingof
Was
to the old religion.^
by its attachment
the

carry

chron.,Hamb.
1590, cap. 18, Letzner thinks it was the god
refers to MS.
accounts
He
by Con. Foutanus, a Helmersof the 13th century.
^
Hiklesheim
A
registerdi-awn up at the end of the 14th century or
'
laetare
sunnabends
vor
so
beginn.of the 15th cent, says : De abgotter(idols),
1

In the Corbel

of the Irmensul.
haus Benedictine

'

(Letzn.

sonnab.

imch

von
laet.')

(forwhich) ihm eine hofe

(chantry?),iind wie solches von

davor

hausniann
von
Algermissengesetzet,
sankmeisterie
landes gehort zur
nicht gesetzt worden, gehort
hausmann

einem

(hufe,hide)

dem
landesblatter 1833, p. 30.
Hannoversche
Cantori de liove landes.'
3 Liintzel
Hannov.
farmers' burdens in Hildesheim
1830, p. 205.
on
mag.
'
article
On
the
in an
Protocols of 1742-3
Stoning of Jupiter,'
1833, p. 693.
Hannov.

ubi
landesbl.,

supra.

191

THUNAR,

logs to express contempt ? In Swit;^erland the well-known

throwingof stones on the water is called Heidcn werfen,heathenpelting; otherwise : den Herrgott losen,vater nnd mutter losen,'
ransoming ? Tobler 174*^ (seeSuppl.).
releasing,
that this Jupiter
I do not pretendto think it at all established,
the

'

be traced back to the TImnar

can

of the Old

is

The custom

Saxons.

of the last century, and clear evidence

by protocols
but even
Letzner's account,
of it before that time is not forthcoming;
of the people,
it does, suggests a very primitive
as
practice
differing
if Jupiter has nothing to do with it.
which is worth noting,
even

only vouched

The

for

definite date

Germany
in

and

of

'

laetare

'

reminds

Death,' of which

'drivingout

which

Death

is likewise

set

skittle represent the sacred hammer

unmistakable

universal in

of the custom

one

up

I shall treat
to

hereafter,

pelted. Did

be

the

worship paid to the thunder-god

is the specialobservance
of Thursday, which
extinct
not
was
It is spoken of in quite
the people till quite recent
times.
among
diem
of the Mid. Ages :
Jovis in otio
nuUus
early documents
faciunt
Jovi vel
'de feriisquae
observet,'Aberglaube p. xxx.
Jovis honorasti,
Mercurio,' p. xxxii. quintam feriam in honorem
On Thursday evening one
neither spin nor hew ;
must
p. xxxvii.
An

relic of the

'

Superst.,Swed.
think

55.

110.

Thursday holier

and

517.

Germ.

703.

The

Esthonians

Sunday.^ What
punishment overtook
the transgressor,
which,
may be gatheredfrom another superstition,
it is true, substituted the hallowed day of Christ for that of Donar :
He that shall work
on
TrinitySunday (thenext after Pentecost),
shall wear
or
anything sewed or knitted (on that day), shall be
stricken by thunder ; Scheffer's Haltaus,p. 225 (seeSuppl.).
in the 8tli century,if
If Jupiterhad these lionours paid him
of 743 thought it needful expresslyto enjoin an
the Capitulare
ec
than

'

forsacho

Thunarc,' and

uneradicated
a

long time

stillearlier time

and

of their

one

much

he

was

that

related to his service remained

after ; it cannot

held

by

our

well be

doubted,

forefathers to be

that

real

at

god,

greatest.

him with Wuotan, though the latter is more

compare
intellectual and elevated,Donar
has the advantage of a sturdy
If

we

material

which
strength,

Etwas

was

the very

iibcr die

thing to

Elisten,
pp.

recommend

13-4.

him

to

192

the

THUNAR.

his

retained

god.

veneration

peculiar

But

oftener

memory

only

of

part

of

the

certain
and
Greek

races

than

longer
Zeus

is

oaths,

prayers,

that

included

of
in

any

him.

curses

other

IX.

CHAPTER

The

ON",

Martis, Tysdagr,has the

for dies

name

TYR).

(TIW,

ZIO,

of tlie

name

for it. The AS.

god Tyr (gen. Tys, ace. Tj) to account
of the
Tiwesdsegand OHG. Ziestac scarcelyhave the simplename
god left to keep them company, but it may be safelyinferred from
Eddie

have

it must

been

in

AS.

Tiio} in OHG.

them

letter

Tl,ZiiL,will be discussed further

Gothic

The

on.

Zio.

The

runic
for the

name

accordingto all analogy

and then the god himself can
it would
be Tivisdags,
only have been
Zio make
called Tilts. These forms, Tiu-s, Tiw, Trj-r,
a series like
of the week

day

the similar
If the
of Zio

is nowhere

to be found

dio
J?iu-s,
J?eow(]?iw),
]?y-r,
puer,
idea of our thundergodhad somewhat

lands

us

in

measureless

expanse.
with
us

cognate [Aryan] languagesconfront

belongingto the root div, which, while

servus.
narrow

The
a

limits,that
non-Teutonic

multitude

of terms

enablingus to make up
a fuller formula
div, tiv,zio,yield the meanings brightness,
sky,
'.
Of Sanskrit words, dyaus (coelum) stands the closest
day, god
and German
to the Greek
Zeu?, Tins.
gods'names
'

To the
there

digammated and
correspondsalso the

older
Latin

Greek.

Gothic.

Zev"i

Tius

Zev

Tiu

Alfa, Ala

Tiu

Aif6";,Aio";

Tivis

AlFi.,All

Tiva

form

of the Greek

obliquecases

Jovcm, Jovis,Jovi, for which

we

It might have been TeoAV,from the analogyof l^eowto ]j"!t.Lye quotes,

without references : ?'""/,
The Epinal
dies Martis.
Mars, Tiiges-vel Tiis-daeg,
^

glosseslironghtto lightl)y]\Ione actuallyfurnish,no.

Mars ; also Oeliler p. 351
145),Tiirj,
jnsculuni,for briw ; and we may at

520
(Anzeiger18.38, p.
The change of letters is like that of briig,
least infer from it,that the vowel is long,

13

194

zio.

must

assume

Ju, Jus, though it has survived

nom.

the

in

only

Jupiter Jus pater,Zeu9 irarrip. For, the initial in

of the
to be a mere
Jus, Jovis [pronouncej as y] seems
softening
fuller dj in Djus,Djovis,wliich has preserveditself in Dijovis,
just
older Jey? which was
an
as Zeu9 presupposes
actuallypreservedin
compound

the ^olic
idea

the

dialect.
the

of

Latin

and

likewise contain

words

the

a
personificationof
heavenly god, i.e.,

is the vault of

Dium, divum

Ovpavov

Greek

These

heaven, and Zeus is the

heaven,

of

son

sky.

Zev"; aWepi vaiwv

ovpduio";,
(seeSuppl.).
But apart from 'dyaus,
Zeus and Jupiter,'
the three common
nouns
devas (Sansk.),
6e6"iand deus express the general notion of a
divinity
; they are related to the firstthree,yet distinct from them.
The Lat, deus might seem
to our
to come
nearest
Tins,Zio ; but
vio^,

its u, like the

therefore

not
6e6";,
belongsto the flexion,

in

to

answers

the

to the

Nevertheless

in devas.^

deus

because
from
devus, and 6e6"i from 6eF6"i,
sprung
is accounted for by the
instead of S in the Greek word

digamma

devas,whose

differ from
Lith. dievas

deus

for

Sifo?)and

devatas

But

divus

(deus). This

to confirm

serves

of their

the shortness

(=ai) grew by
to it.^

nearer

comes

but rather
S/io?,
divitis (p.20) to
and

the initial. In

on

out

guna

too

must

the very

have

the

root, and

reaction
e

of

they both

of i,so

that the

8409 (notfrom
adjectives
correspondto devas as dives
approximationbetween divus
the

the origin of deus

out

of devus

or

divus

helpfulto us is the fact that

has a plur.tivar meaning gods or heroes.Stem. 30^ 41^ ;
the Edda
rikir tivar (conf.rich god, p. 20), Sam.
72^ Qo'^; valtivar,52=^ ;
This tivar,though not
189* 248=^ ; the sing,is not in use.
sigtivar,
related to it as Sto?,6e6"i,
immediatelyrelated to Tyr, yet seems
Oelo'iare to Zeu? ; its i is established by the fact that the ON.
obtain by the side of
dialect contracts a short iv into y ; thus we
tiv a tiv,in Sanskrit by the side of div a dev, and in Latin by the
with

short i (see Suppl.)^,Still more

side of deus

divus,these beingstrengthenedor

guna

forms

of the

in Zeitschr. f.cl.alt. 2, 231, has rightly

pointedout, that Zio can
Kiilin,
deus and deos ; but he
to
not
and
to
related
Zevs,
dyaus
only
immediately
related
to these last also.
be
must
it
have
that
admitted
to
mediately
ought
the root of Zeus, had aheady been shown
That div was
by 0. Miiiler in Gott.
1

be

1834, pp. 79o-6.

anz.
^

Conf.

iroifiriv,and

kiemas

ku/xtj

hinted on p. 26, 8'iosdeus were

have arisen hrst out of the divine

If,as

must

piemu

haims.
conn,

with

the notion
Se'co,

band, which

ing
of bind-

is hardlyconceivable.

195

zio.

If the earthborn
div, tiv (splendcre).'^

root

of

nation, stands

Tuisco, the ancestral

p. 72 has

(asZeuss

for
acutelysuggested)
Tivisco,Tiusco,it shews on its very face the meaning of a divine
heavenlybeing,leavingit an open questionwhether we will choose
it of Wuotan
to understand
or
any other god, barringalways Tius
it is derived (seeSuppl.).
himself,from whom
The lightof day is a notion that borders on that of heaven, and
with personification
it was
likewise honoured
as
a god : Lucetiuni
lucis esse causam
Jovem
credebant ; Festus
appellabant,
quod eum
To begin with, dies (conf.
sub V.
interdiu,dio) is itself connected
with deus and divus ; Jupiter was
called Diespiter,
ic.,dieipater,
the word
in the sing,fluctuates
dies. Then
for the old gen. was
the masc.
and fem. genders;and as the masc.
between
Ju, Dju with
the suffix n, is shaped into the fem. forms Juno for Jovino,Djovino,
for day, diena, is fem.,while the
and Diana, justso the Lith. name

god

our

den,dzien,dan, is

Slav,

sky

for

Crreek

or

day

taken
Aia

Creteuses

The

masc.

Teutonic

this root, but

from
ttjv

tongues have

word

no

point to one in
(callthe day Zeus),ipsi

we

rj^iepav vocant

can

Diespitrem appellant,ut diei patreni ; Macrob.

Sat. 1, 15.
The poeticand Doric forms Zrjva,Zrjvoq,Zrjvi,and
Zava, Zav6";,Zavl, for Aia, Ato^, Au, correspondto the above
formations f and the Etruscans
called Jupiter Tina, i.e.Dina ; 0.
Miiller 2, 43 (seeSuppl.).
Eomani

quoque

derivative

from

the

with

root

same

another

present itselfin the ON. tivor (deus? ),^Ssem.

Cod.
(tiir.
with

I connect

the

OHG.

the Lat. dccus,decor, decorus.

to

other
intensify

Ciedm.

143, 7

tir,127,

10 ;

seems

tir,gen.

to

tires

and OS. tir,

331, 18 gloria,
tireas;
splendor),
gen. tiras,

exon.

which

6^,AS.

suffix

words

; aisctir wera

and
zieri (splendiilus),
ziori,ziari,
The

AS.

poets use

the wcfrd tir

tirmetod

summus
(deus gloriae,
virorum),124, 27
(hastagloriosa

tirwine, Boiith.

metr.

25, 41

tirfruma, Cod.

only
deus),

; jcsca

exon.

13,

72, 1 ; tireadig(felicissimus)
tirmeahtig(potentissimus),
Ccedm.
64, 2. 189, 19;
189, 13. 192, 16; tirfa^st (firmissimus),
21

Somelimcp!,thoiighrarely,we

find another

ON.

dlar,S;eni.

91'". Sn.

17G.

Yngl. saga

than with 5Ior.

cap. 2 ; it agrees with 6e6i more
^ We
know
to what
shifts Socrates is driven in tryingto explainthe forms
Z^i/a and At'a (Plato'sCratylus p. 29, Bekker) ; 6e6s he derives from dtlv,

(p.32).

currere
*

Or

7X'par ]

must

wc

read it

and
tivor,

connect

it with

the AS.

tifer,
tiber,OHG.

196

zio.

much

in the

Now

when

OIIG. irman is prefixed.

way as the AS. eormen,
in the OaST. writings,
meets
similar prefixt'"
us
e.g.

same
a

Sn. 29, it
tyspakr(sapientissimus),
tyhraustr(fortissimus),
between
the afiinity
tir and Ty-r.

These
entitle

intricate
to

us

claim

placeshim on
Eepresentedin the
which

etymologieswere
a
sphere for the
a

Edda

level with
as

to

may

and

inferior to

seem

reallyfall

two

war

Teutonic

the

the

avoided

be

they
god Zio, Tiw, Tyr,
loftiest deities of antiquity.
not

Oc5in's son, he

in power and moment

; but
both are
directors of
as

him

confirms

into one,

battle,and

the

much
inas-

fame

of

victoryproceedsfrom each of them alike. For the olden time

and not content
with Wuotan
resolved all gloryinto military
glory,
and Zio,it felt the need of a third war-god Hadu
tions
; the finer distincin their cultus

OSinn

are

hidden

from

us

now.

"

It is not

to be

looked,
over-

is often named

Sigtyr,Hroptatyr,Gautatyr,
quasi
haugatyr,farmatyr (Seem.30. 47. 248^ Sn. 94-6),bodvartyr,
and
that even
Thorr,
pugnae deus, geirtyr(Fornm. sog. 9, 515-8);
has been handed
to whom
as
Jupiter'slightning
over,
appears
EeiGartyr,
Eeidityr(Sn.94),i.e.god of the waggon.^ In all these
generalsense which
terms, we see that iyr bears that more
poetical
the higherones.
it suitable for all divinities,
makes
Tyr
especially
Zeus.
Add moreover,
identical with
has a perfect
rightto a name
in a specialdegree accorded, not
that the epithetof father was
but to victory's
Diespiter,
patron MarspitcrPonly to Jupiter,
Further, this loftypositionis claimed for Zio by the oldest
3Iars is singledout as a chief god
that have reached us.
accounts
that

this set of words.

It occurs
I do not reckon Angant^r among
frequently,
the Hervararsaga and in Sajm. 114* 119'' 9^; this last passage calls
as
Priggjarangantfr '. The true form is douLtless Anganjrtjr,
appears
from the OHG.
Angandeo (Trad. fuld. 1, 67),and the AS. Ongenpeow,OngenJ^io
(Beow. 4770. 4945-67. 5843-97. 5917-67) ; -tyr would have been in AS. -teow, in
^

both

in
0'5'inn

'

OHG.

-zio.

Graff

though
.spelling,

gives an

Agandeo

the Trad, wizenb. no.

which
add the ace.

1, 132. 5, 87, which

woman's
20 have
a

seems

to

be

mis-

Agathiu (for
Agathien, Agacien (Walthar.629). The
name

Anganthiu), to
meaning of angan, ongen, is doubtful; angan illrarbrudhar' is said to be
but Biurn interprets
it pedisequa,and O'Sinn might
deliciae malae mulieris,'
in the Edda
are
fitlybe called Friggaepedisequus. That some
proper names
corrupt,is plainfrom Hamdir, wliich ought everywhere to be Hamjiyr, OHG.
Hamdie
(Schaunat no. 576. Cod. huiresh. 2529), MHG.
llamadio, Hamideo
I am
nor
sure
Hamjnr
(MsH 3, 213'').This much
of,that neither Anganj^^^r
is almost always compounded with genitivesin a
contain a tCr,which
can
sense.
figurative
'

'

Gellius 5, 12.

107

zio.

nations,and mentioned

of all tlie Germanic

by

side with

cury.
Mer-

Tacitus,in Hist. 4, 64,

p. 44.^
deis, et pracright out : Communibus

The

evidence

is collected

the

Tencteri

say

makes

side

on

have

occasion to

apply
the highestplace usuallybelongs,
the passage to Wuotan, to whom
The stillclearer
races
as
particular
may have assignedthat to Zio.
the
testimonyof Procopius 12, 15 to the worship of Ares among
eVct 6eov avrov
:
dwellers in the North,^ wliich says expressly
elvai,ought to be compared with the statements
vofil^ovan
fieyiaTov
sacrifices
the Gothic Mars ; in both placeshuman
of Jornandes
on
and therefore Zeuss, p. 22, is for understandingit
the subject,
are
of

again,because

Wuotan

sacrificed ; but
the

anent

35

he does

not

the Mars

'

him

to

before
'

no

says

alone,
"

that
on

Llercury. And

were

men

the

V6, 57, where

'

contrary,
viri

'

were

Jornandes,

in

Virg.Aen. 3,
thinkingof the
generalone, intimately

pater of the Getae

have been
the Goths, must

Gradivus

of

Tacitus

him

say

stands mentioned

identifies the
with

to

we

Ann,
offering,

Hermundurian

also slain,Mars
who

gratesagimus ;

Marti

cipuo deorum

specialgod of war, not of a higherand more

All in
and nature.
another in name
one
as
they interpenetrate
the Scythian and Alanic legendsof the
favour of this view are
will be examined
war-sword, which
by and by : if the Getic,
Scythian and Gothic traditions meet anywhere, it is on this of
il/ars-worship. Neither
we
tion
representacan
disregardWidukind's
at a later time
(Pertz5, 423) of the Saxon Mars set up on
high. Donar and Wuotan, with whom at other times he is combined
to retire
in a significant
trilogy,
appear, like Jupiterand Mercury,
the glossist
But it is quiteconceivable how
before him.
quoted on
Wuotan
glideeasily
by Mars, and Widukind
p. 133 could render
if he had in his
particularly
irmanmind the analogyof those prefixes
(ofwliich he is speaking)
while they recogniseOSin's influence
and tir-. The OlST. writers,
who
is emof Ttjr,
and victory,
war
on
speak no less distinctly

Mars

from

to

Hermes,

Wodan,
i.e.,

milide nostronuu
passaj,'ein Floras 2, 4: 'nlox Ariovisto duce vovere
dc torquilius
tum
Jupiter votuiii,nam
pnieda Marti suo toniuem : intercepit
eoruni
uureum
speaks of the hisubiian Gaids,
tiopaeum Jovi Flaminius erexit,'
But these CJalli
B.C. 225.
who
beaten in the consulship
of Flaminius
were
of their leader is
both in other respects very like Germani, and the name
are
that of the kSuevic (Swabian) king in Caesar.
includes
eovAtrat
(men of Thule) is their generic name, but he expressly
the
from
he rightly
them the Tavrol,whom
regardsas a dilierent people
among
TotSoi,conf. Gott. auz. 1828, p. 553.
1

198

zio.

Sn. 105, and again:

phaticallytheir Vigagucf(deus proeliorum),
hann
ok lianu rcecfr niioc sigri
diarfastr ok best liugaSr,
er
i orostom,
Sn. 29 (seeSuppl.).

No

doubt

Wuotan

and

Wuotan
to

there
Donar

Zio, was

or

his credit the

Ehine, which
to

was

hallowed

to

Zio,as well

as

to

; the

which
only difficulty
is,to know
god,
meant
by a particular
name.
May we place
of the abbey of Siegburg in the Lower
name
founded

was

assize of the

ancient

mountains

were

have

1064
held?

peoplewas
been
but

christian conqueror,

in

called

Mons

on

From

mountain

that

time

Michaelis

sancti

the

where

the

tain
moun-

after the

the

could not be dislodged,

\\"Bi\i"i\Sigebcrg
it was
only distorted into Siegburg or are we to explainthe name
by the river Sieg,which flows through the district ? The ON.
(OS. Sigu-tiwis-berag
?),Saem. 348^ might belongto OSinn
Sigtysberg
Weimar
has in section 38 a Tisdorf,and in
to Tyr. The
or
map
both in Lower
districts on
the Elbe.
section 48 a Zieshcrg,
Saxon
there are
is Tyhierg
A place in Zealand, about which
folk-tales,
(Thiele2, 20) ; also in Zealand are Tisvdde (Ti'swell),Tysting ; in
In
Tiislunde.
Sweden
Jutland, Tystathe,
:
Tistad, Tishy, Tisjo,
Tyved. Zierbergin Bavaria (Cirberg,Zirberc,MB. 11, 71-3-5-6)
"}

and
form

which
with

Hesse

Zierenbergin Lower
(see Suppl.). The
Abbo

even

de

mons

be
may
Martis

bell. Par. 2, 196

the Gallic Mars, whom

some

derived
at

from

Paris

collateral

(Montmartre),of

mention, has

makes

take to be

the

do

to

Belus, others Hesus.

Martis (yetconf. Waitz's

rightthan the Parisian mons
Salic law, p. 52), we
assignto Zio the fanum Martis, now
may
in Hainault
Famars
(p. 84),accordingto Herm. Mliller the Old
Frankish
Dishargum (or Disbargus)in termino Toringorum of
Greg.tur. 2,9, Chlodio's castellum. Dis- would be a Latinized form
of Tis
Tives,perhaps recalling
Diespiter
Dispiter,
; there is no
Gallic word like it looking towards
Mars, and the district is thorouglilyPrankish,with Liphtinaeclose by, where we have Saxnot
and Wodan.
As
for Eresberg and
named
by the side of Thunar
in
Mersberg (3 or 4 pp. on),I have compared the oldest documents
Seibertz: no. 11 (anno962) givesus Eresburg;no. 25 (1030)already
berg;
EresEresburg; no. 51 (1150)mons
Mersburg ; 1, 98 (1043) mons
70 (1176) mons
Eresberch ; no. 85 (1184)Heresburg ;
no.
With

far better

'

'

Dociim.

in

Lacomblet,no.

203-4.

199

zio.

(1219

153

no.

Mersberch

; no.

167

Martis; no. 186 (1229)

(1228) mons
and
Martis
189
Mersberg.
no.
(1230) mons
the learned name,
Mersberg the popular,and
was
used by turns,
and castellum
are
oldest. As mons

(1222) Eresberch;
mons
Heresberg;
Martis

Mons

Martis;

(1201) mons

115

no.

179

no.

Eresberg the
2, 11 and Dietmar 2, 1
berg and burg are equallyright. Widukind
spellHercshurg and Eresburch, when they describe the taking of
the place in 938.
According to the Ann. Corb. (Pertz5, 8),they
and Mercury).
sacred to both Ares and Hermes
(]\Iars
are
I daresay
of plantsalso confess the god : ON. Tyfifiola,
The names
after the Lat. viola Martis, march-violet;Tyrhialm (aconitum),
otherwise Thorhialm, Thorhat
(helmet,hat),conf. Germ, sturmhut,
with magic power, whose
eisenhut,Dan. troldhat,a herb endowed
helmet-like shape might suggesteither of those warlike godsTyr and
(daphne mezereum),
Thorr; Tyvi"r,Tf"wood, Dan. Tyvcd,Tysvccl
beautiful poisonthe mezereon,
a
in the Helsing.dial, tis,tisthast,

(seeSuppl.).

flower

vouch for
placesand plantssufficiently
stress
the wide-spreadworship of the god,we must
lay particular
for the third day of the week, which
on
one
thing,that the name
is what we started with,bears livingwitness to him at this moment,
and England (ON".Tysdagr,Swed. Tisdag,
not only in Scandinavia
the common
but among
Dan. Tirsdag,AS. Tiwesdseg),
people in
versal
unibeside our
diestik,
and Switzerland
Swabia
Tiestag,
(Ziestag,
Dienstag);Schm. 4, 214 bringsall the forms together. And
of Zio- worship
there is yet one more
testimonyto the high antiquity
in Swabia, which
gloss
we
gather from an old "Wessobrunn
may
these

While

'

Cyuvari

7, 375 and

Suapa,'MB.

like
expressing,

colentes,warian

that
so
depairevetv,
But

is not

that

and

the Suevi
all

of the

nature

Zioivari

habitare

colore, both

Lat.

]\Iartem
and

"Apr]o"i.
OepdirovTe'i

are

further

I take to

Diut. 2, 370 ; which

does,pp. 146-9, but

Teutonoari,as Zeuss

be not

name

of

names

and

war-godawait

weighty

disclosures

the

of the Pauiic

at the hands

us

on

alphabet.
that each

It is known
these
but
to

names

vary

more

or

less

they are mostly very

bestow

Z
aspirate

the

which

name

has

separaterune

accordingto

ancient

dorn

closes the

on

The

tac

alphabetthe

name

on

that

OHG.

T,

and
itself,

to

name

the nations

words.

D, and

runes

them,

use

having

requirefor

of Zio.

their

In the ON.

200

zio.

AS.

and

dag
alphabets,

Tito for T,

]7ornfor ]",
places; occasionally

T/jrand

stood for D,

three
words, only in different
being the same
list of runes
Whenever
Tir or Tis.
a
the Anglo-Saxons wrote
keeps thorn for Th, and dag for D, it is sure to have Ti for T (as
in the St Gall cod.
and
the Cod. Isidori paris.
bruxell.)
; so it is
260 and the Brussels 9565, except that dorn is improperlyput for
thorn,and tag for dag, but Ti stands correctlyoppositeT. The
Paris cod. 5239 has dhron (dhorn),
tac, Ziu, that of Salzburgdhorn,
Ti, daeg : everywhere the form Ziu shows the High Germ, acceptaand the form Ti (once,in Cod. vatic. Christinae 338, speltTu,
'tion,

perh,Tii)the
archaic

more

than

still more

in

between

Vienna

Goth.
conjectural

we

Tins.

be taken
How

comes

as

proofsof the
it that

OSinn, the inventor

of

no

Ziu

follows
may
what

But

the

in

kept

on.

go

cod. 140

alterations of this divine

may

has

and

the Gothic

uses

and
dialect,

OHG.

as

the

The

of Zio, which

light,

in its true

alphabetwhich

to our

; this relation

is that
an

the

of the

regularprogress
dio,servus

Germ., the Saxon.

Low

name

for
letters,

in the

rune

has taken

writingitself ?

extent

its
K

'

name

the

analogy of
perhaps be seen
the

is very

able,
remark-

as

of
from

T in
near

able
the unavoid-

of the various

runes

antiquityand

with

pace

Tyz is given to
Tyz comes
very

As well the retention

name

to be

seems

races,

Zio-worship.
Wuotan

or

reiS,rad,'i.e.,
waggon,

at least be referred to the god of the Thunder-car

indirectly
;
to
and F according
one
signifies
Freyr. Anyhow,
interpretation
'T=Tyr' appears to have been a supremely honoured symbol,and
of this god to have
been specially
sacred : in scratching
the name
of Tyr had to be twice
of victoryon the sword, the name
the runes
The shape of the rune
^ has an obvious
inserted, Ssem. 194^
when
to the old-established symbol of the planetMars
resemblance
AS. poem
the runes
an
on
set upright'^,and
expresslysays : tir
biS idcna sum
(tiris one of the tokens, is a certain sign); where
againthe derivative form tir is employed to explainthe the simple
Tiw
Ti.
or
Occasionallythe poets speak of tire tacnian,'to mark

may

'

(El,753. Jud. 137, 18),and 'tires to tacne,'as mark of tir

decore insignire,
in
gloria,
(Beow. 3306) ; we may expound it as
gloriaesignum,'and still think of the heathen symbol of the god,
pretty much as we saw it done at the solemn blessingof the alewith

tir

'

cups

(seeSuppl.).^
1

Conf. note

to Elene

155-6.

201

EOR.

Thus

far

here the

otlier. But

no

between
in
lists,

two

addition

barbs added

dealt with tlie runic

have

we

to

and

And

Aer.

of

some

the two

there

Tir

names

It is evident
for

names

of the selfsame

names

^ Tir,we
the

come

attached

for tac, find

similar
to it.^

with

arrow

Then

two

the OHG.

for that very

symbol ^^
them
Zio,others again Uo, Uor,
give the name
AS. alphabetsthat actuallyset down by ^
are
and Ear, though Tir had alreadybeen given to ^
a

use

then, that Tir and

god,and

one

upon

Ear

name

after using ^
alphabets,
to which

alphabetscome

same

Tyr,Tiw, Zio,and
out with
tinction
a sharp disgod. First,in the AS.

name

several races, both

both

must

German

Low

Ear

and

"

Zio and

have

been

Eo, Ear
current

"

were

among

two

the

High.

regardsLow Germany is found both in the rune

of
Ear
name
occurringin Anglo-Saxon, and in the remarkable
Ereshurg,Aereshurgbeing given to a notable seat of pagan worship
in a district of Westphalia,in the immediate
neighbourhoodof the
Irmansul
EresScr^(asSieg(v.supra, p. 116). That it was strictly
burg was originally
Sigberg,
p. 198),follows both from the Latin
Martis, and from its later name
Mersberg^whose
renderingvions
in
initial M
could be explainedby the contraction of the words
it may
be an imitation of the Latin
dem
or
Aresberge,'^
Eresberge,
phalia.*
district of WestThere was
a downrightMarshergin another
name.
and yet
This Eresberc then is a Ziesherc,
a Sig-tiwes-berg,
t'
more
closelyan Areopagus,Mars' hill,Apeioira'yo^,
irerpa irdyo'i
Evidence

as

'

(Aeschyl.Eum.
'Apeco"i

690).
the
Still more
plainly are High German
especially
races,
for the
Bavarian
(jMarcomannic)pointed to by that singularname
third day of the week, Ertag,lertag,
Eritag,Ercldag,Erichtag,
Irtag,

which

answers

to the rune

Eor, and

up

to this moment

lives to part

Tyrolesefrom the Swabians and

Swiss (who,as former Ziowari, stick to Ziestag);
alongthe boundaryalso have run
must
line of these races
formerlythe frontier between
Eor-worshipand Zio-worship. True, the compound Ertac lacks
off the Bavarians, Austrians

sound

In

one

Cod.

poem,

exon.

and

481, 18, the

rune

contains

simply the

vowel

ea.

Mersberg stands in the pagus Hessi saxonicus (registr.

II. 143. 268.
p. 42, 735) ; conf. Wigands archiv I. 1, 36-7.
3 So
then once, "c.].
the
in dem
nonce
: Motgers
Otgers hove [and,
* In
to
the pagus
Marstem,
(close the Wcser, near
J^Iarshem,Marsem
Marklu),reg. Sarachonis 42, 727.

This
Sarachonis
2

Eresburg
=

or

202

zio.

been

so

fortunate

is

for the

names

must

as

to hunt

up

in Ziestac,
and
preserved
an

centuries ; nevertheless

the 13-14th

we

which

ending -s
genitive

the

OHG.

an

suppose

for the

and

day

rune

I have

not

Erestac^ in the older records of

the coincidence
should

of the double

be conclusive

Erestac, to match

the

here,and

Eresberg. One
(Erde according

imagine that in Ertag the Earth

But
meant.
to the forms given at the beginningof ch. XIII) was
the ancient way of thinkingplaced the earth in the centre of the
therefore have
the planets; she cannot
given
world, not among
there is no such day found in any
to a day of the week, and
name
To bear
and Freyjainto the earth.
nation, unless we turn Venus
of a place Eersel,quoted
there is that name
this Ertag company,
its personifiin which
neither era honor, nor
cation
p. 154 from Gramaye,
Era
(ch.XVI, XXIX) is to be thoughtof,but solelya god
that Ertac and Erdag occur
It is worth noticing,
as
of the week.
led to

might be

"

men's

names

also,that the Taxandrian

off the

Tisbergor
something far more
director of wars,

the
"'Apr)"i

of

son

Have

of this obscure

sense

The

root

the

of
description

hint,it runs

thus

was

but

littleway

(seeSuppl.). Xow
"

comes

important. As Zio is identical with Zeus as

with
at a glance that Eor, Er, Ear, is one
see
we
had given the rank of
Zeus ; and as the Germans

highestgod.

of the

in Hainault

Fanmars

Wuotan, Tyr and

to their

Zeus

Eersel

we

Eor
rune

Eor
consequently
any

means

now

appears

left of

as

the

gettingat

son

the

?
in the AS.

poem

givesonly a slight

Ear

biS

egleeorla gehwilcum,

]?onnefeestliceflsesc onginneS
hrsew

colian,hrusan

ceosan

gebeddan. blseda gedreosaS,

gewitaS,wera geswicaS;
wynna
caro
fit importunus hominum
incipit
Ear
cuicumque, quum
i.e.,
eligereconjugem. tunc
pallidumquecorpus terram
refrigescere,
The
enim gloriaedilabuntur, gaudia evanescunt, foedera cessant.
is of death coming on, and earthlyjoys droppingoff;
description
ail-some)
(egle,
but who can that be,that at such a time is burdensome
blac to

to men

The

be of no use
can
arista,
spica,
death
approachingdissolution,a personified

ordinarymeaning of

here ; I suppose

that

car,

Schm.
1,
passage from Keisersbergquoted by
*
dies
aeris.'
from
derivation
apparentlyto favour tlie
^

In

97,

it is

speltEristag,

EOR,

is to be
of

understood,from whicli

203

CHERU.

SAXNOT,

transition to the

is
^poTo\ot'y6";,
fiLai(})6vo";
"Apr]";

battles,the

itself is used abstractly

by the Greeks
"Apr]'i
is for furor
justas our Wuotan
pestilence,

for

destructive

conceive.^

to

easy

god

destruction,
murder,

and

belli

impetus,^and

conf. ']\Iars
bellum,exitus pugnae, furor bellicus,
in Gl. Hrab. 969'^;as converselythe OHG.
=cafeht,'gcfecht,
fight,

the Latin

for

Mars

wij pugna, bellum (Graff1, 740) seems

personalgod of war.
Wicgch quoque
Nigellus(Pertz2, 468),and he is said

to
occasionally

Mars

carry

off,as Hild

does
(Bellona)

Hildebr. lied ; in AS.

Cod.
them
p.

all away

literal whirlwind,on
so

the storm

mean

it is either Zio

'

ziu

(we

of war,
which

Ziu, bearing tlie

still say,

or

have

Zio

wig fornom.

the old Cod.

913,
sangall.
which
write zui),
or
possiblythe

sometimes

are

female

synonymous
to

fornam,

wic

battle snatched

the IMars trux, saevus,

relation

same

war

business to

no

mythicalnames

himself,or

dat inan

2155

glossin

Ermoldus

says

fornam, Beow.

not

we

remarkable

193, has 'turbines

may

Do

291, 11.

exon.

est

the

farneman, AS. forniman,

to

elsewhere

ealle

wig

denote

'

diu

as

bestowed;

personification
to dio
(ancilla)

(servus).
in another

overbold as some
stringof explanations,
of them
As Eresburg is justas often speltHcrcsburg
may seem.
we
fairly
bringin the Goth, hairus,
by the Frankish annalists,
may
AS. heor, OS. heru, ON. Morr, ensis,cardo, although the names
of
the rune
and the day of the week
always appear without the
words
aspirate.For in Greek we alreadyhave the two unaspirated
Here

comes

and
''ApT]"i
these

pointto

nuntiatio

ensifer
Greek

The

aop,

been

Then

but

Sahsnot

another,and

one

again the

famous

Abre-

Woden, Saxnot, of

gods, Thunar,

littleinferior to the other two

is word

the need

of any transition,
Ear
in old age'. Transl.

for word
Zio
the

might at

gladiiconsors,
or

name

once

Uor
of

the

and

Saxnedt

be Ares

war

"

notions

of

of

war.

god

insensate, 6y

were

have

with

compare

else but
[Germ, genoss, sharer]
; who
Ai'tsP
The AS. genealogies
preserve

Or, without

stormful

heathen

three
can

to

of the sword.

holiness.

and

is burdensome
-

god

names

in power

too,

the third

whom

sword, weapon,

aop,

nvriva

and
raving (wiitcn)
Homer

insanire

calls Ares
oi'Sfdepia-ra,
II. 5, 761.

are

suitable to the
and

0ovpns the wild,

But

naiverai

is said of

blustering
the
("tcj)p(cv
other gods

Zeus (8, .300)and Dionysos or Bacchus

particularly
(6, l;-i2).
^
One
swords
might think of Fro, Freyr (ch.X), but of course
glittering
attributed to more
than one
god ; thus Poseidon (Ke])tune)wields a Sfivov
II. 14, 38 j, and Apollo is called xpvo-"iopos,
5, 5(J9. Id, 250.

204

as

zio.

the

Tyr

of

O'Sinn,and

of

son

the

further,as

wielded

it is in

Woden, and

the

was

But

of

son

the sword

their race,

of
I

so

nay

identical

Hcru

from

whom

Eor,

old national

also

and

them,

were

at

the

tires

all

'

eru,

this

After

of the

meaning
heru

'

'

was

er,'I think

we

Esiis

(Lucan 1, 440),
planetarysignof

or

by the
consequentlythat

tacen,' and

after Chcru,

teaches that

time

same

the

us

iron is indicated

state,that the metal

'

it,that

Zeus

named

to

opens

'

Mars, the AS.

of

be derived.^

can

name

pronounced cheru,'and last of

bringin the Gallic war-god Hesus

firstof all
may

with

their

and

name,

son

facts,which

of

weighty consonance

the

Ares

with

(seeSuppL).
Saxons
so
were
called,either because they
stone
(saxum),or placed this god at the head
of Tacitus, a people
the Chcruscans
think

synonymous,
=

perfectaccordance

the

rune

of Zio

pictureof a sword with its handle, or of a

cally
emphatispear.2 The Scythianand Alanic legendsdwell stillmore
their agreement with Teutonic ways
the god'ssword, and
on
of thinkingmay
safelybe assumed, as Mars was equallyprominent
in the faith of the Scythiansand that of the Goths.
well with
matches
of the sword
The impressive
personification
and
to my
that of the hammer,
thinkingeach confirms the other.
into the
Both
of two
of the greatestgods pass over
idea and name
instrument
by which they displaytheir might.
Herodotus
4, 62 informs us, that the Scythians worshipped
and

Eor

be

may

semblance

the

under

Ares

the

elevated
which was
{aKLvuKT)^),
['three furlongsin length and
Orj

TOVTOV

eKciaTOLao-

ojKOV

Tov

tovt''

Kol

31,

Marcellinus

2 says

earc

t V

of

symbol

or

d
tov

on

breadth,
K

(J

r] "}

of the Alani

less in

but

ihr)fjeo"i

"A prjos
Nee

sword

stack of brushwood

enormous

an

iron

ancient

an

height']:

I'Bpvrac
dp-)(abo"i

ajakixa.

to

eVl

Ammianus

templum apud

eos

visitur

cerni usquam
tugurium quidem culmo tectum
ut
ritu huvii figiturnudus, eumque
potest,sed glacUusbarharico
circumcircant
praesulem,verecundius
Martem, regionum quas
he had
And
colunt.
previouslyasserted of the Quadi also, a
people,17, 12 (a.d.358):Eductis mucroniUts,quos
decidedlyGerman
aut

delubrura,

ne

fro

numiwibus

co/^w^i{,
juravere se permansuros

with

a
2

AS.

The

suffix -Rk would

hardly fit with

in fide.

the material

sense

Perhaps all

of heru, far better

personalHeru.

Does

arwi^

is to arwe,

the ON. or, Ren. orrar,

author overlook, or deliberately
reject,
% Among the forms for Tuesday occur
Erigtag,Ergetag; erge
Trans.
"c.
to niorwen,
serge to sorwe, morgen

the
arrow
as

"

205

zio.

tlie Teutonic

nations

weapon/ just as

the

prisciscoluisse

acinacem

hastam,

Iiomanos

the

13, 79.

Juvenal

frameam,

with a touching
of
by their weapons,
did per Martis
Scythians and Eomans
So Arnobius
6, 11 : Ridetis temporibus
Marte
Scythiae nationes,
pro

swore

ut

Varronis

indicant

; this

Musae

franaea and

Scythian sword.^
Jornandes, followingPriscus 201, 17, tells of the Scythiansword,
liow it came
into the hands
of Attila, cap. 35 : Qui (Attila),
hasta

of

is

Eomans

the

the

altogetherlike

quamvis hujus esset naturae ut semper confideret,addebat ei tamen

confidentiam gladiusMartis inventus, apud Scytharum reges semper
habitus.

Quern Priscus

historicus

occasione

tali refert

buculam

pastor,inquiens,quidam gregisunam

quum

claudicantem

detectum,

conspiceret

heifer

(noticedone

tanti
walking lame),nee causam
vulneris iuveniret,
sollicitus vestigia
cruoris insequitur,
tandemque
venit ad gladiura,
quern depascensherbas bucula incaute calcaverat,
elfossumqueprotinusad Attilam defert. Quo ille munere
gratuut
erat
latus,
magnanimus, arbitratur se totius mundi
principem

constitutum, et
liellorum.

But

"

far-famed

some

Solomon
of

of

per

Martis

the

gladiuvi potestatem sibi concessam

sword

northern

degeneratedinto
swords.

Lambert

Hungary's mother, made

Bavaria,that from

the younger

it

unlucky one,

that
relates,

present

this Otto's hands

Dedi, margrave

an

esse

of it to

queen,

Otto, duke

by way of loan to
to Henry IV.,and lastly
by his horse, and by

came

Dedi's son, then

Lupoid of Mersburg,who, being thrown

the same
sword
buried at Mertenefeld.
It
w^as
transpierced,
questionwhether these local names
Mersburg and Mertenefeld
to

liave any

reference to the sword

of Alba

duke

of Mars.

like

great while

is

can

after,the

is said to have

dug it out of the earth againafter the

battle of Mtihlberg
(Deutscheheldensage
see
p. 311). We
through
what
lengthenedperiodspopular tradition could go on nourishing
itself on this world-old worship (seeSuppl.).
With the word "ApT)"i
the Lat. Mars
to have nothingto
appears
contraction
of
do, being a
Mavors, and the indispensable
initial
being even
reduplicatedin Mamers ; so the fancied connexion
between
In

Eresburgand Marsbergwill
the Old

Eomau

worship of

not

]\Iars a

1 Conf.
RA. 896 ; and so late as Wigal. G517
des swer,'Sword, on thy
it.
poiiuuelI swear
Juro per Dianam
et Martem, Plaut. Mil.
-

hold.

prominent placeis given

'

Swert, uf

glor.5, 21.

dinem

knopfeich

206

zio.

to the
to

legendof Pious,a
the babes

nurse

him,

identified with

Mars.

of the

That

shown

later.

helped
in

our

Eomulus

Mars, his progenitor

;

to

year

is to

deity who may perhaps be

say, the Anglo-Saxons called
hesitation

without

Beda

Hreffcmonad', which

March

; certain features

will be

as

it after

also named

ancestors

who
Saturn, a wood-spirit

Romulus

and

the third month

consecrated
our

Eemus

to recall

seem
antiquities

of

son

traces

to

might explain it by a god

from
hroS gloria,
would
These
Hre"uJ.
fama, OX.
come
names
hruod, OFrank. chrod, which helped to form many
hroSr,OHG.
ancient words, e.g. OHG.
Hruodgang, Hruodhilt, OFrank. Chrodogoddess HreSe; possiblyother

gang,

Chrodhild

shininggod
as

HroSr

or

; did

of fame

HroeSi

races

Hruodo, Chrodo

express

Edda

of

V-

The

knows

no

to certain

the

races

epithetfor Tyr

such

(seeSuppl.).

To these discoveries

have

been

guided simply
of the greatestgods of our
of one
by the several survivingnames
have scarcely
olden time,to whose
attributes and surroundings
we
now
we
apply to him in tlie
fairly
may
any other clue left. But
main, wliat the poetry of other nations supplies.Zio is sure to
but
have been valiant and fond of war, like Ares, lavish of glory,
stern

and

267); he

and

raves
'

and

II. 5, 289. 20, 78. 22,

^'Aprja,

of

the

Servian
follow
be

againmust

phrase makes

and

like Zeus

rages

wolves, who

these creatures
Greek

we
conjectures

aaai
{aiixaroQ
bloodthirsty

blood-shedder
ravens

or

them

song,
him

Wuotan,

he

oIwvol

and

Kvves,

is that

gladdens the

to fields of

assignedmore

he

'old

hearts

of

battle,although

to Wuotan

(p.147); the

(birdsand dogs),and

the suspiciousand discredited

to rescue
for it in the 15th century,
tliere
is
authority
;
whatever
in the earlier Mid. Ages. Bothe's Sassenchronik
none
(Leibn.3, 286)
relates under the year 780, that King Charles,
during his conquest of the East
Saxons, overthrew on the Hartesburgan idol similarto Saturn, which the
most
If such an
had reallyhappened, it would
event
people called Krodo.
of the
likely have been mentioned
by the annalists, like the overthrow
^

In this connexion

legend of

b^axon

one

mitjht try

divinityKrodo

if other things
For all that,the tradition need not be groundless,
only correspond. Unfortunatelythe form Crodo for Chrodo, Hrodo,
[likeCatti,alterw. Chatti,Hatti,Hessen] is rather too ancient,and I can
find no support for it in the Saxon speech. A doc. of 1284 (Langs reg. 4, 247)
dictus Krode,and a song in Nithart's MsH.
3, 208'' a Krotolf,
a Walt herus
has_
which however
has no business to remind
of Hruodolf, Ruodolf,being not
us
from krote,a toad, to
but a nickname, and so to be derived
a
proper name,
which
be referred many
of places,
must
names
Krotenpful,"c., which have
been
mistakenly ascribed to the idol. The true form for Upper Germany
would not tolerate a Kr, but only Hr or R (seeSuppl.).

Irniansul.
would
Rodo

207

zio.

the fields of the

where
slain,

17,

II. 13, 233.

fieXir-ndpa,

255.

hold

18, 179.

revel,are called

kvvwv

were
Battle-songs

also

the

praisesof Zio, and perhaps war-dances

II. 7, 241), from which
executed
I derive the
(fieXirea-daL
"Aprj'i,
and widely prevalentcustom
of the solemn sword-dance,
persistent
The Edda
nowhere
exactlythe thingfor the god of the sword.
lays particularstress on the sword of war, it knows nothingof
but it sets
Sahsnot,indeed its sverSas is another god, HeiniSallr
Tyr before us as onc-handcd, because the wolf,within whose jaws
he laid his right hand
whence
as
a
pledge,bit it off at the joint,
be

to

sure

tuned

the hounds

to

-^

the

wrist

called

was

incident must

have

iiltliSr,
wolf-lith,Sa^m.

been

of
the OlSr. exposition

einhendr
of

trace

well-known

The

; conf. Sn. 105.

Asa

unless
it,^

we

letter T

says, under

him, for

Tyr
legend has

of Teutonic

rest

This

er
no

for it in AValther's onehandcdness,

to look

are

characteristic of

and

likewise

runes

Sn. 35-6.

65^

mighty wielder of hosts '. I preferto

that the reason
adopt the happy explanation,^
why Tyr appears
onc-handcd
is,because he can only givevictoryto one
part of the
combatants, as Iladu, another god who dispensesthe fortune of
and

find

in

war,

and

Plutos

his

the

name

and

'

Eortuna

the

among

and

Greeks

Eomans,

are

(see
painted blind, because they deal out their giftsat random
Suppl.). Now, as victorywas esteemed the highestof all fortune,
the god of victoryshares to the full the prominent characteristics
and fickleness.
of luck in general,
And
a remoter
period
partiality
of

nation may

our

Amongst

the

have

used

train of

bore upon this.^

certain
there appear
Mars

which

names

and

Ares

mythic beingswho personifythe notions

and ^6l3o^ (II.
4, 440. 11, 317. 15, 119)
^

Conf.

Cod.

Apolloxp^t^aopos
pal. 361,

horror.

of fear and

to the Latin

answer

above,p. 203, note.

Julian,that he

65'* tells of

was

forced

to

Ae2/jL0";
Fallor

piit his hand

niuiit
den
Mercury's
und
die
im
clemniete
hant,
valant
darinne
uobte
sich
der
e
r
(devil),
dar,
not
mohte
loose).
irlosen
sich
niht
im
daz
(could
sie
get
er
so
vaste,
gehabete
limb, Woens-let,p. 160.
Besides,the wolfs limb has a likeness to the Wuotan's

into

the

mouth

of

Wackernagel's,in

statue

the Schweiz.

mus.

Die

hant

stiez

er

im

in

1, 107.

II.
of victory{v'lkt]
eTepaXKrjs,
changei'ulness
of
Arcs,
an
339)
epithet
by
16,
6,
; vUrj eVajueijSfrai
ai/S/KK,
all-transionning
A certain many-shaped and
5, 831. 88!).
"AX\o7rp6aa\\os
Vilandcrs
(Ls.
1,
almost
the
369-92),Baldwith
name
a
exactly
being,
same,
visil)le
indeed
no
has
bk
Sachs
Jlaldander
537.
c.
andcrst,
1,
Simpliciss. 6, 9),
(H.
of a god. The
have been the name
with the god of war, but it may
connexion
of a place in the Tyrol,Villandera
of this Vilandcrs to the name
similarity
lirixen
near
(Velunutris,Vuluuuturusa, ucc. to Steub. p. 79. 178) Ls merely
*

The

8, 171.

accidental.

Greek

362

epos expresses

the

208

zio.

Favor

and

with
in

the

burst

hs.

of

Om.i

Voma,

witness

Zio.

Thorr

and

they

called

was

is

fear

fear

Be2/io";,
pallor,
(f)6/3o";,

of

the

anafiel

him,

the

with

Lat.

Tyr

is

is

not

OSinn

war-god.

as

found,

all-golden,
to

the

described

HymisqviSa

but
Ssera.

this

in

whose

immortal

ein

Gr.

105

Sn.

with

of

the

beauty
have

must
son

is indicated

by

been

(see Suppl.).

sense,'
ceo'i

10

before

paura,

peur

invasit),

eum

im

was

fled

forhta

;
so

verre

far

from

(see Suppl.).

But

was

so

Ililta, comparable

of

His

our

like

54,

Eris, who

giants.

of

")(\wpov

fem.

ps.

female

son

in

vividly

(terror

fear

and

Enyo

as

the

N.

280,

and

When

more

sorge

sper,

it, Wh.

the

kinsman

53%

niht

it

into

diu

again

embodiments

ana,

MHG.

conf.

the

Wuotan

17, 67

ongeat

mih

get acquainted
and

and

war

Bellona

bring

broga

cham

also

upon

they

yet

deprives

masculine

strakh,

se

reach

not

shall

we

on,

Ipn,hine

2, 4

but

by passing

erreichen

could

spear

further

T.

mohte

sie

tras,

forhta

inan,

ubar

entriten,

to

OHG.

2583.

seizes

(Kouiginh.

designate

gigantum.

Iliad

press

borders

between

terror

the

in

off;

pavor,

AS.

Eomance.

Beow.

iotna,

weakened

was

pavor

This

'surprises, seizes, shakes,

far

not

(neut.) aipel, pale

and

6tti

(terror)

them,

cry

servants,

was

leaps.

Strakh

which

or

provided

suddenly

loud

Ares,

of

is

chase

bands,

terms

there

community

he

and

spectral.

sons

steeds

he

throats

120),

companions,

the

which

(tremor)

their

119,

the

Aeschylus

of

out

and

ghostly
(pp.

in

enemy's

of

out

are

his

to

the

on

harness

Tras

songs,

Yggr

not

personification

us,

and

squeeze

phraseology

modern

(13, 299),

shades

and

.god himself,
bear

son

forest

104)

that

Bohemian

necks

84.

former

two

(/xeXadpov tectum),

old

out

their

on

his

dwelling

So

called

is

'^o^os

the

it is

OSinn,
mother,

the

is

really

but

one

the

in

whose

name

epithet all-gullin,

giant's daughter,

who

bore

X.

CHAPTEE

(FEEYR).

FRO,

god that stands next in power and glory,is in the Norse

to
even
mythology Frcijr(Landn.4, 7) ; with the Swedes he seems
of itself proclaimshow
have occupied the third place. His name
the other Teutonic
races, a
widely his worship prevailedamong
in christian
sacred enough to he given to the Supreme Being even
name
have been a broad pregnant sense
times.
There must
underlying
The

the

god,and
or

to

the

While

equally fit for

the

of
individuality

comprehensivenotion of dominion, whether

the particular
nations it signified
god,to
some

pretty
deity in general,

soverain

with

it

for the

secular

the

the

made

word, which

proper

the

Zio, Zeus, the

names

of other heathen

names

and
christians,

Gothic

the ear; this

harshlyon

one

much

as

gods became

Vodans

Thunrs

or

sacred
others

found, connected

we

deus, 6eo"i.

generalterm

more

one

an

abomination

would

have

to

grated

primitiveguj?itself,
offence,and signifyby turns

like
expression,

the

long time without

the heavenly lord and an earthlyone.
It is true, the names
do not correspondquiteexactly. The ON.
Freyr gen. Freys,which Saxo gives quite correctlyin its Danish
wise
the Swed. likeform as Fro gen. Fros
(whence Froso, Fro's island),
could

remain

yet

Fro, ought

to be

in Gothic

Fraus

Fravis,^instead of which,

or

translating
Ulphilasshows /raiya gen. fniujins,
KvpLo^;
form
the other hand, the ON. dialect lacks both the weak
on
(Freyi,
Freyja),and the meaning of lord. The remaining languages all
huld with the Gothic.
frouwo
In OHG.
the full form
was
already
every

of

page

lost,the writers preferring

truhtin;it is only in the
'fro min ! (0.i. 5, o5. ii. 14, 27. v. 7, 35. Ludw.
'

Frey

Fravi,as

liey

"

luivi

(hay),mey

"c.

14

inavi

form

of address

bed)

(maid),ey

that

avi

the

(isle),

210

FRO.

word

for

divine

earthlylord was preserved,

justas that antique
sihora and sire (p.27) lasted longestin addresses.
In the Heliand
the word is used in addressing,
it is always in the shortened
too, when
form fro min ! 123, 13. 140, 23. fr6 min
the godo ! 131, 6.
134, 15. 138, 1. 7. waldand
fro min ! 153, 8. drohtin fro min !
15, 3 ; but in other cases we do find the complete/"'d/io
gen. frohon
3, 24 ; frdho 119, 14, gen. frahon 122, 9, fraon 3, 24. 5, 23 ; froio
a

Still the OS.

poet uses the word seldomer than the

with
drohtin and herro,and he always puts a possessive

21.

93, 1, 107,
synonyms

it,never

or

mari drohtin, riki drohtin,craftagdrohtin,

adjective(lilce

an

liob

still less does he make

herro),
compounds with it (likesigiThe AS.
drohtin): all symptoms that the word was
freezing
up.
fredjgen. frean (forfreaan,freawan)has a wider sweep, it not only
admits adjectives
Csedm. 1, 9. 10, 1),but also forms
(frea?elmihtig,
Csedm. 135, 4.
aldorfreii 218, 29.
folcfrea
compounds: agendfrea,
combines
with dryhten : freadryhten,
Crodm. 54,
111, 7 ; and even
But
29, gen. freahdrihtnes,Beow.
1585, dat. freodryhtne5150.
now
by the side of our OHG. fro there is found a rigid(indecl.)
frono,which, placedbefore or after substantives,
impartsthe notion
of lordly,
high and holy; out of this was
graduallydeveloped a
and
flexible adj.of like meaning /ro?i,
more
again an adj.fronisc
(pulcher,mundus, inclytus,arcanus),OS. fronish,frdnish. In
and even
MHG.
modern
German
have a good many
we
compounds
in the above sense, while/ro7t7zc?i,/rd'A?ie
is
witli vron, as also the adj.
"

to do

service to one's lord,to dedicate.

The

Frisian

butes
dialect contri-

difrdn,dominions, and/rawa, minister publicus. The added

in all these derivatives can
be explainedby the Gothio, frdujlnon
-n
as
dorninari,though there was
probably no Gothic fraujinisks,
fronisc
and

not

seems

frono

had

set

to have

been

formed

till after the contraction

fro

in.

frduja does not present to us the simple

Eom.
7, 2),
stem, I look for it in a lost adj.fravis (likenavis v"Kp6"i,
MHG.
the same
the OHG.
as
/ro gen. frouwes, OS. /ra gen. fralies,
mitis, laetus,
frolic,
"c.],and signifying
froh [frohlich,
vro, and our
the same
dialects derive frouwi, gaudium,frouwan,
blandus ; whence
"c. (seeSuppl.).
laetum reddere, frouwida, laetitia,
that a god Frauja,Frouwo, Fraho was
I do not mean
to assert
and
as
distinctlyworshipped by the Goths, Alamanns, Franks
Saxons in the first centuries of our
long after in
era, as Freyr was
But

even

the Gothic

211

FRO.

possiblethat the form frauja already

Travis
of the more
vividlyconcrete
generalization

Scandinavia,
harboured

it is

even

therefore

Freyr,and

less offensive

seemed

the christians.

to

But

higherbeing is unmistakable, and

the compounds
to hang about
in the Mid. ages there still seems
of old sacredness;this
with won
a sense
somethingweird, unearthly,
and the earlydisappearance
for the rare
account
occurrence
may
for the grammaticalimmobility of
of the OHCt.
fro,and even
words, the reference

in both

frono

; it is

echo

though an

as

to

be stilldetected

could

of heathenism

in them.
A

worship of

proper names
The Goths
we

and

Fro

of later times

even

the

use

Frduja

as

of lord

sense

the

from

even

by
especially
poeticepithets,

hardly attribute

can

be inferred

may

the

man's

of certain

use

Anglo-Saxons.
name,

simply :

an

to which

envoy

from

king Hadafus to Charles the Great is called Froia (Pertz1, 184.

in a
Frcvnlo occurs
OHG.
2, 223),perhaps Froila (Fraujila)
; an
AS.
The
in
document
genealogiescontain
Neugart no. 162.
elsewhere
is often found
(Beda 138, 19. 153,
WlXscfred;the name
the god or lord of wishing (p.144).
suitable to Woden
5),and seems
Equally to the point is the poeticfredivine(fredwinefolca)in
it is a mere
Beow. 4708. 4853. 4871, where
epithetof divine or godloved

heroes

and

Fred2cine, whom
OHG.

Saxo

documents

juvav.p. 302,

kings.

the

But

Gram,

likewise

calls Frowinus

have

the

Cod. lauresh. 712, but

Frioivini

the distinguished
families,e.rj.,
one

been

kej)tup

times.

Froivin

722),and

of the Von

What

is

produce its

(better Frowinus)
name

proper

noble

till modern

pedigreecan

Wessex

(Trad.

in several

Huttens,

it has

remarkable, the Edda

Freys vinr (Saera.

219^),like the AS. fredwine, only
uncompounded : SigurSris Frey's friend and protege, or perhaps
Here againfred,
his votary and servant, in the way shown
on
p. 93.
have merely the generalmeaning of lord,any lord.
fro,freyr,cannot
who boast their descent
The Swedish
heroes in the Bravalla fight,
uses

from

of

hero

Fro,

are

in Saxo, p. 144, called Fro

which
dei necessarii,

is

the AS. and ON. poetries,

exactlyour Freysvinar. In the same
way
the expression
and
consequently the myths, have in common
freyr,
fred Ingwina (gen.pi.),Beow. 2638, Ingvinar (gen. sing.)
Ssem, 65^ Ingifreyr
obs. bor. spec. 6,p. 43),
Ingunnar /?'cyr,
(Thorlac.
dominus,'
by which is to be understood a hero or god,not juiiior
is called OSin's son, Sn.
as Thorlacius,
Yngvi/rt-y?p. 68, supposes.
'

FRO.

212
I

211=*.

shall

back

come

mysteriouscombination
speak of the hero Ingo.

of two

this

to

to
The
mythicalnames, when I come
skalds append this freyrto other names
and to common
nouns,
fiornis
in Kormakssaga,pp. 104
122,
freyr,myv^\freyr'mean
in the heightenedgeneralsense
which
than hero or man
more

ON.
e.g.,

'

All

made

that I have

o-od,will receive

out

thus

there

does not

Eoman

appear

it

in

the

for him

room

no

was

on

each

the

series of

there

; if

way

when
and

the

fern.

idea

to

come

we

sister

of the

are

amine
ex-

made

for the other.

gods of

the week, because

translate

must

we

and

name

stand

can

same

we

p. 317.

lightand confirmation
sister Freyja. The brother

alike in all their attributes,and

Fro

far

the

new

divine

his

In

lady, Kormakss.

frau,woman,

freyjameans

t^r.

irmin, tir and

in the words

noticed

no

him

by

scarcelybe any other than that of Liher,whose

Libera
is extremely like that of Fro with Frowa
association with
(Freyr with Freyja). As Liber and Libera are devoted to the
name,

service of Ceres
with Nerthus,

can

or

Demeter, Fro

Fro's

fruitfulness.

and

deeds

performs no

of

has

; horse

war

in

close

union

middle

placebetween
that of a being who
bringsabout
but
Wuotan's
creative quality,
he givesaway, when
and sword

lord and

He

stand

Frowa
to hold

godhead seems

the notion of the supreme

love

and

longingfor the fair GerSr, as is sung in one of the

Snorri says, rain and sunsliine are
most
glorious
lays of the Edda.
and
of AVuotan
in the giftof Freyr (aselsewhere
Donar, pp. 157.
drs oc
of the soil and iov peace {til
175) ; he is invoked for fertility
revered
Swedes
Sn. 28 ; conf. Yngl. saga cap. 12). The
fricfar,
of their chief gods,and Adam
of Bremen
him
one
as
says that at
(seeSuppL).
Upsal his statue stood by those of Thor and Wodan
and
Thorr
is
he
OSinn
named
next
to
Also in Stem. 85^
(asabragr)
calls him Fricco^ which is precisely
parallel
as the third god. Adam
of the two
Freyja and Frigg,
goddessesto the frequent confusion
But he paintshim
as
a
which I shall deal with at a future time.
consumed

with

o^od of peace

and

love:

Tertius

est

largiens mortalibus, cujus etiam

Which

fiUd. 386.

occurs

elsewhere

as

man's

Fricco, pacem
simulaclnaim

name,

voluptatemque
fingunt inycnti

e.g.,Friccheo in

Schannat,Trad.

213

FRO.

offcrunt)Fricconi.
celebrandae sunt, (sacrificia
;^ si niiptiae
priajjo
there is the story,harmonizingwith this,though related from
Then
god'sdetriment, of
the christian pointof view and to the heathen
Freys statue being carried round the country in a waf/r/on, and of
This progress
Fornm.
his beautiful young
priestess,
sog. 2, 73-8.
he shall
drbot' when
skal gera monnum
takes place, ]?aer hann
for men
make
year'sboot ; the people flock to meet the car, and
look
clears up and men
the weather
then
bring their offerings,
those which Saxo,p.15, names
The offerings
are
for a fruitful year.
oxen
(Vigagl.
Frohlut ; live animals
w^ere
particularly
presented,
to
seems
Islend. sog. 2, 348),which
explain why
saga, p. 56.
for an ox, Sn. 221^; in
the poeticnames
Freyr is reckoned among
'

like

manner,

called

horses

Frcyfaxi and

victims

fell to

him

w^ere

consecrated

accounted
in

to

him, such

holy,Vatnsd.
Gram.

Saxo

Sweden,

p. 140
42.

; and

one

was

human

Freyr possessed
lightedup

bristles

'

golden
with the speed of a horse and drew the
the nightlike day,who ran
It is therefore in Frey'sworship that the
66. 132.
deity's
car, Sn
cakes in the shape
atonevient-boar is sacrificed (p.51) f in Sweden
And here we
come
of a hoar are baked on Yule-eve.
upon a good
outside of
done to the god,even
relics of the service once
many
whence
dimin.
We
hear of the clean gold-liog
Scandinavia.
{-ferch,
and Thuringia
of the Wetterau
farrow)in the popular customs
a

hoar

named

whose
Gulliribursti,

'

"

(p. 51).

In

the

Mid.

Dutch

poem

of Lantslot

ende

Sandrin,

v.

knightsays to his maiden : ic heb u liever dan en everswtn,

I hold you dearer than a boaral waert
van
Jlnengoudeglicwraclitl
it of fine gold y- wrought ; were
swine, all were
they still in the
habit of making gold jewels in the shape of boars ? at least the
not
of such a thingwas
remembrance
yet lost. Fro and his boar
in a superstition
of Gelderland,which
also have had a hand
may
however
puts a famous hero in the placeof the god : Derh met den
374,

'

friofr
I would
identifythe ON. friof semen,
priapns TTpiairos
hmks
The
Bremensis
conf.
seed.
stutement
of
Aduimis
(Jotli.
fraiv,
;
the
festivals
xxii.
xxiii
to
since
Wolf
in
Ids
Wodana
xxi.
better,
brought
light
This ters
and images of Priapns or Ters at a late period in the Netherlands.
the
Herbort
is
of
4054
is the AS. tmrs, OHG.
and
name
uttering
shy
zers,
of
tlie
nations
Xerses.
so
anti([uity,
Phallus-worship, widely spread among
1

With

foecimdus

of the generative
have arisen out of an
innocent
veneration
i)rinciph',
After
all is said,
later age, conscious of its sins,prudishly avoided.
a
there is an
in Phol too and the avoidance of his name
inklingof the same
(ch.XI), though I do not venture
exactlyto identifyhim with (fxiWos.
^
II, 19, 197. '2ol.
Not only Demeter, but Zeus received loar-ojj'erings,

must

which

214
leer

FRO.

Derrick
(Theoderic,

with

doors, else the

within

unfit for use.^

them

boar

In the

sallied out, and

Berhta

his round

boar)goes

on

Christmas-

careful to get all implements of Imsbandry

night,and peopleare

eve

the

will
same

looked

them

trample
Christmas

dame

season,

the

after

about, and

and
ploiiffhs

make

Holda

or

spindles,

instead
of Fro.
motherly goddesses instead of the god, Frouwa
charms
With
this again are connected the formae aprorum
worn
as
ritus habitusque
Aestyans, who
yet have the
by the remote
45 says, these
Tacitus Germ.
Suevorum'.
figuresrepresent the
deum,' of a female Fro, i.e.,oi
Freyja; and,
worship of the 'mater
Edda
the
what is conclusive on this point,
(Sajm.114=^)assignsthe
Gullinlursti to Freyja,though elsewhere he belongsto Freyr (see
mention
of these
Suppl.). Anglo-Saxon poetry, above all,makes
When
Constantine
these gold swine.
in
a vision
sees
hoar-hadges,
his sleep,
he is said to be eoforcumUebejjeaht(aprisigno tectus),
El. 76 ; it must
the
have been fastened as an auspiciousomen
over
of Elenc's
head of the bed.
Afterwards
again,in the description
statelyprogress to the east : "a3rwa?s on eorle eSgesyne grimhelm
manig, cenlic eoforcumbul
(tuncin duce apparuithorrida cassis,exThe poet is describing
of
cellens apriforma).El. 260.
a decoration
the king's
is the helmet's crest, and
the old heathen time, cumbul
'

"

adorned

helmet

appears to be
passages in Beowulf

with

image

of

boar.

Several

beyond a doubt: eoforlic

gehrodengolde,fah and fyrheardferhwearde

place the

scionon ofer hleor beran

the

matter

videbantur
comptam,
(apriformam
supra genas gerere auro
605
het
vitam tuebatur),
])"inberan
;
quae varia igneque durata
heaSosteapne helm (jussitafferri aprum, capitis
eofor hedfodsegn,
4300 ; swin ofer helme
signum, galeam in pugna prominentem),
2574; swin ealgylden,
eoforirenheard (sus aureus,
(sussupra galea),
a helmet
placed on the funeral
aper instar ferri durus),2216, i.e.,
(= OHG. Fropileas a costlyjewel; helm befongen Fredwrdsomm
hine fyrndagum worhte
smiS, besette s%oi7iswa
wsepna
reisanum),
bitan ne meahtan
brond ne beadomecas
hine siSJ^an
no
licum, Jjffit
sicut earn olim fabricaverat armorum
(galeaornata Frohonis signis,
laedere
"faber,circumdederat earn apri formis, ne gladiusensesve
heold

2905
possent),

eam

in

Staring,in

the

as

sacred divine

symbol,it was

journalMnemosyne, Leyden
Dordrecht
mythulogie,

Westendorp'sNoordsche

1, 323 ;
1830. p. 495.

1829.

to

protect in

quotedthence

215

FRO.

The OHG.
the foe.^
affright
eofor,aper),placed by
Eimrhelm (eber,
battle and

Such

meaning.
appro2)riate

and

ornaments

to

even

christian

and long continue

obliterated,

side of Frohelm

28^,18)acquiresthus

patav.no. 20; MB.

in the Trad,

occur

the

Epurhelm,

name

proper

boar-crests

might

still

heroes, after the memory

to be

(both
special

serve

of Fro

as
was

wrought simply as jewels(see

Suppl.). Some other traces of boar consecration have lasted still

of the boar-voiv I have
in England. The custom
later,especially
As even
festive
at the present day on
explainedin RA. 900-1.
"

occasions

boar's head

wild

is

in the

show-dish,they used

seen

Mid.

among

Ages

the

other
it up

serve

'

times, even

virtuous

live boar makes

hero

chops its head

Christmas
day, carry
laudes

Reddens
a

link of

that

man

Domino

at

Arthur's
over

it,it is

the firstslice.

carve

in the

its appearance

Table

At

hall,and

only

other
a

bold

they exhibit a hoars head on

solemnly round, singing:Caput apridefero,
(seeSuppl.). Those Aestyans may prove

off.
it

can

as

banquets,
it about and play all
hoars
head
garnished

to

garnishedwith laurel and rosemary, to carry

of pranks with it : Where
stood a
manner
ballad about
With
bayes and rosemarye,'
says one
when
three strokes have been given with a rod
the knife of

dishes

At

between
fellowship

Oxford

the Germanic

nations

and

the Finnish

that the Tcherkass

noticing,
sians)
(Circasworship a god of woods and hunting,Mesitch by name, who
of the other gods
bristles} To most
rides a wild hoar ivith (/olden
animals are sacred,to Fro the daring dauntless boar, as well
tame
befits a god of the chase.
Perhaps also a huge hoar with white
tusks,^who in Slavic legend rises foaming out of a lake,is that of
a kindred
deity.

and

Asiatic

; it is

well worth

virtue,which
Freyr a sivord of surpassing
Stem. 82.
could put itself into motion
againstthe brood of giants,
in straits,
His givingit away when
proved his ruin afterwards ; it
of his death, when
at the Ragnarokr he
held to be the cause
was
and
had
with
missed
to stand
Surtr (swart),
his
singlecombat
The

"

so

On

Edda

this

attributes to

of Tacitus about the Aestyans agrees

(juotingin full : Aestyorum gentes.
]\Iatreni deum
Suevorum.
venerantur
:

point again,the

exactly,that it

seems

quibus ritus habitusque

formas
insignesuperstitionis,
*

gestant ; id pro armis omniumque tutela

aprorum
inter hostes praestut. Trans.
Kusshxnds
Erman's
archiv fur wissenschaltl. kunde
1842, heft 1, p. 118.
Od.
19.
XtvKco
405,
41G.
11.
AfvKov
avs
uSupti,
II,
odovra,
deae cultorem

securum

statement

wortli

etiam

"

216

FRO.

trustyblade. Sn. 73.

this sword

also afloat about

on

the

Wodan,
Fricco
took

it

strengthof
Saxnot
'

or

'

the Eddie

Add

to

'

to

appear

Adam

have

it would

f- and

placedthe

we

beside

Freyr, Fricco

possessor.

There

been
not

seem

well-known

of

other

traditions

if
far-fetched,

of
trilogy

Bremen's

'

Wodan,

the

be

to

this,tliat the Edda

same
never

as

Sahsnot

mentions

Thunar,

Thor

OSinn, Asabragr,Freyr/^that is to
Fro

'

and

say, if we

the

sword-

the sword

of

in favour of Sahsnoz
Tyr. Nevertheless there are stronger reasons
of Wuotan, whereas
a
son
being Zio : this for one, that he was
of NiorSr, though some
genealogiesto be presently
Freyr comes
mentioned
bringhim into connexion with Woden.
of NiorSr, the
For
the brilliant Freyr, the beneficent
son
dwarfs
had constructed
wonderful
a
shipSkiSblaSnir,which could
fold up like a cloth,Sam.
45^ Sn. 48.
Yngl. saga cap. 7 (see
Suppl.).3
Besides the Swedes, the Thrtendir in Norway were
devoted to
Freyr above all other gods, Fornm.
Occasionally
sog. 10, 312.
of his are named, as ThorSr
Freysgoffi(ofthe lOtli century),
priests

Landn.

4, 10

and

Nialss. cap. 96

Flosi appears

to have

succeeded

cited in Landn.
are
FreysgycFlingar
The Vigaglumssagacap. 19 mentions
4, 13.
Freys liofat Upsala,
and cap. 26 his statue at Thvera in Iceland,though only in a nightvision : he is picturedsitting
a
on
chair,giving short and surly
that Glumr, who
to his supplicants,
ok reiSuliga)
so
answers
(stutt
in cap. 9 had sacrificed an old ox to him, now
on
awaking from his
his service. In the Landn. 3, 2 and Vatnsd. pp.
dream neglected
which
told of a Freyr giorr af silfri
44. 50 we
are
(made of silver),
In the
Verlauffs
used in drawing lots ; conf
note, p. 362.
was
Landn.
4, 7 is preservedthe usual formula for an oath : Hialpimer
sva
Freyr ok JVidrcFr ok hinn almdttki as (sohelp me F. and N". and
Thorr rather
that almightyas)I by which last is to be understood
his father in the

office; other

wrought by Galant himself

Floberge (Garin ], 263. 2, 30-8) ;
(Wielant,Wayland),
has
L^itter
the
no
though onr hiter Fhxmberge seems
reading
it.
have
from
fro-bergende
to
Frobergeniiglit
very well be either a mere
sprung
of the god Fro's sword ; conf. the
reminiscence
a
or
(lord-protecting)
weapon,
There are townships called in
word-formations
2, 486.
quoted in my Gramm.
OHG.
Helidberga,Marahaberga (horse-stable). The ON. has no Freybiorg
know
I
that
of,though it has Thorbibrg fem.,and Thorbergr niasc.
2 Also
in Sn. 131, OiSinn,Thorr, Freyr are speakersof doom.
translatas.'
3
humeris
plicatiles
Pliny N. H. 5, 9 mentions Ethiopian' naves
^

In old French

poetry I find
and

famous

named
Frobergeor
discoverable sense,

sword

217

KIKDU.

Egilssagap. 3G5, Frcijr,Niorffr and the

likewise mentioned
laiidds (Thorr) are
together. In tlie same
The
ok Niordr are againplaced side by side.
Egilss.
p. G72, Fi'cyr
story of the Brisinga-men(-monile; append,to Sn. 354) says, OSinn
to be sacrificialgods. Hallhad appointedboth Freyr and Morcfr
frec5rsang (Fornm. sog. 2, 53, conf. 12, 49) :
the

tlian OSinn, for in

'

Frcyja,fiarcSloet ek

]\Ier skyliFreyr oc

vi5 Grimni

liknist grom

aSul

ok Thorr

gramr

XiarSar,
rammi

enn

That

Freyr in these passages should be brought forward with

Freyja and NiorCr,is easy to understand (seeSuppL).
Of Niur"r
German
our
mythology would have nothingto tell,
mentions
than Saxo Gram, ever
him by that name,
had
any more
that happy touch of a goddess jS'eiihns,
not Tacitus put in for us
whose
identitywith the god is as obvious as that of Fro with
Frouwa.

The

for

both

Gothic

form

would

Nairpus

do

for

either

or

considered
the son
possiblyFravijawas
of the goddess NairJ)us,
as
Freyr is of the god NiorSr, and in
in her car, publishing
the circuit which
the goddess makes
peace
that
and fertility
to mortals,we
of Freyr or of his
can
recognise
father XiorSr.
ings
According to Yngl. saga cap. 11, these very blessbelieved to proceed from
also :
NiorSr
were
auSigT seni
NiorSr
a
(richas N.) was
proverbialsaying for a wealtliyman,

even

sexes

'

'

Vatnsd.
for

he

would

Snorri,in Formali

p. 202.

instructed
be

nearer

mankind

the mark

with

Dionysus or Liber, or

laid

on

Saturn,

vine-dressingand

to think
even

with

of him

with

and

Noah,

husbandry ; it
Freyr in connexion

if any

stress

is to be

'

As
being in Noatun.
freyr was affixed
of heroes (p.211-2),I find geirniorffr
to other names
used for a hero
in general,Siem. 266^ ; conf. geirmimir,geirniflungr,
"c.
The
itselfis hard to explain; is it akin to north,AS. norS,ON".
name
In Sa3m.
109^ there is niarSlas for sera
?
norSr, Goth. naur])s
I have met with no Nirdu, Nerd, Nird among
?
firma,or pensilis
OHG.
with
in the
AS.
NeorS
a
nor
names,
writings.
proper
Irminon's polyptych22 2** has Narthildis (seeSuppl.).
Niorffr appears
have
to
been
oc
greatlyhonoured : hofum
no
horgum hann raiSr hundmorgum, Siem. 30=^ ; esj)ecially,
doubt,
that
lived
the sea
The Edda
coast.
makes
him
on
people
among
rule

over

NiorS's

in

10, identifies him

abode

'

he loves
wind, sea and fire,

in Tacitus bathes in the lake

waters

(Sn.27) ;

from

and

lakes,as Nertlius

the

mountains

of the

218

FRO.

midland

he

too, from

their

the view

of the elder

longs to be away where the swans

sing on the cool
shore ; a water-plant,
of Niar"ar
the spongiamarina, bears the name
to
elsewhere was
vdttr,NiorS's glove,which
very likelypassed on
his daughter Freyja,and
of orchis
kinds
to Mary, for some
so
hand-shaped root, are called Mary's hand, lady-hand,
god'shand (Dan.gudshaand).
As Dionysus stands
outside the ring of the twelve
Olympian
gods,so MorSr, Freyr and Freyja seem
by rightsnot to have been
the
reckoned
marshalled
Ases, though they are
among
among
them in Sn. 27-8.
Vanir, and therefore,accordingto
They were
did

AsgarS, so
in

the

Ases

Edda, different from

Vanir

in

; as

these dwelt

the Alfar in

Vanaheim,

Alfheim, the

Freyr is called Vaningi, Sa;m.

Vanir
and wise, Saim. 36*
were
regarded as intelligent
into
intimate
entered
the
Asen,
fellowship with
Alfs and lotuns always remained
opposed to them.
lotnar

fancied
Vanir

lotunheim.

that
for

Alfs

the

Slav;

and

and

stand

lotuns

building chieflyon

1 to find the

of

attempt

an

the Tanais

86^.
; and

while
Some

Celtic races,

for

in

in

The

they
the
have

and

the

the

Yngl.

in

Tanaqvisl (or Vanaby inference an actual boundary-line

qvisl!),they have drawn
Aesir and Vanir
Germani
and
Slavi in the regions
between
sure
formerly occupied by them
(see Suppl.). And
enough a
is to this day called in Finnish
Eussian
Wenailainen, in Esth.
the name
of the Wends
Wennelane
might be dragged in,
; even
though the Vandili of Tacitus point the other way.
Granting that
saga

cap.

name

there may

be

for

foundation

some

these

views, still

to

mind

my

conceptionsof Aesir, Vanir, Alfar in the Edda are sketched on

too mythical for any historical meaning to be
a ground altogether
Ases and
Vanir,
got out of them ; as regardsthe contrast between
the

am

aware

of

essential difference

no

gods ; and, whatever

Froiiwa, Freyja answers

stress

all follow

that

Frouwa

Germanic

deities than

Liber,

he

as

universal
better
clues

is

Fro,

on

veneration

representedin
we

to

our

of

the

it may
a

Donar,

we

are

though

even
or

is silent

Tacitus

Jupiter,yet

scanty

of

the

several

be

Perun

have, Frauja, Fro, Freyr

that, consideringthe

cultus

rightto lay on the fact that

Slavic goddess Priye,it does not at
and
Nerthus
in a less degree
were

rest.

Perkunas

the

in

appears

information

so

on

the German

entitled to
the

Gothic

we

have

assume

is
fai'rguni
also,to judge by what
so
firmly established,
about

our

219

FRO.

German
no
antiquities,
nations

some

have

may

that is not

even

race

be

can

denied

worshipped

liim

sliare in

than

more

liini,
tliougli

others;and

easy to ascertain,except in Scandinavia.^

worthy of notice,that the AS. and ON. genealogiesbrino'

Fred into kinshipwitli Wuden, making Finn the father of a Frealaf
of them
insert two more
and him again of Woden
(P'riGleifr),
; some
and
links, FriSuwulf
FriSuwald, so that the complete pedigree
in
stands thus : Finn, Fri"uwulf, Frcdldf,Fri"awald, Wdclen (or,
old
the place of Frealaf, our
acquaintance Freawine). Here
all the same
are
thing,a
evidentlyFriSuwulf,Frealaf,FriSuwald
mere
expansion of the simple Fred. This follows even from a quite
different OX.
Burr
genealogy,Fornald. sog. 2, 12, which makes
(= Finn; conf. Eask, afh. 1, 107-8) the immediate progenitorof
OSinn, and him of Freyr,NiorSr and a second
Freyr. The double
and
FriSuwald, as the
Freyr correspondsto the AS. FriSuwulf
here expressingglad, free and fair are
words
of kin to one
near
the same
AS.
another.
Lastly,when
genealogiesby turns call
is supportedby
Finn's father Godwulf and Folcimld,this last name
tlie 'Fin
Folcwalding'(-ing son) of Cod. exon. 320, 10 and of
be to Frea and his
Beow.
2172, where again the reference must
(Siem.87% conf. 10=^)designatesFreyr folcvcddi
race, for the Edda
It is

'

this

(al.folcvaldr)
goSa'. Now
i.e.the
dominator, princeps,
pass into

OSinn, there

On

name.

proper

will

same

be

more

comparison of NiorSr
Poseidon
justification,
evidently
Snorri's

as

the
to

folkvaldi

means

frea,fr6,and

seems,

linkingof Freyr and

say
with

in

ch.

(Neptune)the

than

like it,to

NiorSr

with

(see Suppl.). If

XV

Kronos

other

no

(Saturn)have
son

of Kronos

any

would

sea-god; and IloaeiScov might be

Gotli. faj^s),
Lith. pats, Sansk. patis,
which
referred to iroacs
(lord,
Fro.
the same
as
means
Only then both Fro and Nirdu would
againbelong to the eldest race of gods.
nearer

come

"

Wh.

to

our

Teutonic

Miiller,Nibehingensagepp. 136"148,

wishes

to extend

the Siieves and

the Vanir

Germans, and to draw a

Goths, not to the western
the worshipof Freyr and
distinction between
tliat of "Wiiotan,wliicli to me
I give up the point,that Nior^r and Nerthus
looks very dou\)tful.
As little can
brother and sister,
and jointparents of Freyr and Freyja ; this is grounded
were
not only on
of Snorri in the Yngl. saga cap. 4, where
a later re])resentuti(jn
yet
the female NidrS is nowhere
named, as Tacitus converselyknows only a female
thiuni
vi(5 svstor
Nerthus
and no god of that name
tSu'm. 65" :
; but also on
with thy sister begattest
thcu such brood, though here again
gaztu slikan niog,'

gods only to

'

the sister is left muiamed.

CHAPTEE

XI.

PALTAR

The

form
a

happily for

witli variations

and

The

god-myth.

us

been

there is

Edda

sets

also

handed

better

no

beautiful in

ingeniousand

of the most

Balder, one

of

Edda, has

the

in

myth

(BALDER).

down

later

fluctuations

example of

the pure

forth,how

in

blameless

deity

to
by the blind HoSr, and must
go down
the nether world, bewailed
by all ; nothing can fetch him back, and
In Saxo, all is pitched
the true wife follows him in death.
Nanna
both wooing
and
rival suitors,
Hother
in a lower key : Balder
are
to procure
the favoured
a
one
Nanna, and Hother
magic
manages

is struck

with

Mistiltein

of

has wavered

war

enemy

is vulnerable

Ions;between

them, Hother

alone his

sword, by which

; when

the

fortune

is at last victorious

Hel, glad at the near

prospect of
slaysthe demigod, to whom
But
here the grand
possessing him, shews herself beforehand.
funeral pileis prepared for Gelder, a companion of Balder, of whom
The worship of
in the Edda
knows
the account
nothing whatever.
the god is attested chiefly
v, Eornald.
by the Fri5']?iofssaga,
sog. 2,
63 seq. (seeSuppl.).
and

Baldr, gen.

Baldrs, reajDpears in the OHG.

proper

Paltar

name

611) ;^ and in the AS. Icaldor,haldor,

a lord, prince,
signifying
king,and seemingly used only with a gen.
baldor, Caidm. 163, 4.
pi.before it : gumena
wigeua baldor, Jud.
(inMeichelbeck

no.

132, 47.

bealdor, Beow.

sinca

princeps)is
the

used

5, 307.
1

aro

said

of

even

4852.

exon.

maiden.

bealdor

winia

5130.

276,18 mtegSa bealdor

I know

of

only a

few

It

is

(virginum
examples

brynju, Ssem. 272^ and herbaldr 218'' are

in general; atgeirsbaldr (lanceaevir),Fornm.
a hero
sog.
This conversion
from
to a noun
name
a proper
appellative

ON.

for

460.

that in the Cod.

remarkable

in

450.

Graff 1, 432

baldur

stands for Paltaro,and is a compoiuul of

name
nnsujiportedby analogy ; in tlie ninth and tenth
not
always find Epiu-aro
yet curtailed,and we
Epurar.

tliinks this

(aar,aquila),bnt

centuries, weak

this is

forms

are

never
(.eberaar,
boar-eagle),

221

PALTAR.

exactlyreminds us
is already extinct
likewise

have

to

knuwn

with

by

the Goth,

out

in

the ON.
OHG.

that

so

ballr. As
It: the

forms

Gothic

in both

appear

close connexion

have

to

1" by

have

assumed.^
no

ON.

paid,
is represented

11 and
in

even

connexion

the OHG.

rule,the Gothic Id

seems

Baldrs,gen.

as

Paltar with

Id in both cases, and

after all.
Paltar,is possible

forms

OHG.

ld.2

Gothic, ON. and

in the

same

guage;^
lan-

between

On

Balder's wife Nanna

probable:

Gothic

strictness appear

will sometimes

root

Paltar
proper name
early; heathen songs in OHG. may
our

prose,

bal|7s
(bold,audax),nor

the OS. and AS. have

OHG.

the OTsT.ty*r. As bealdor

(princeps),
fairlybe
may

would

Id and

ON.

But

with

AS.

princeps. Such

baldrs

Baldrs

Baldr

nor

died
=

Ualdris,and

iVu,fred,and
fniuja,

in

paltar

This

of

and Baldrs,*
bal]9s
paid and
mythologicalgrounds it is even

is also the bold

one,

from

nenna

to

she would
dare ; in Gothic
have been Nanjjo from
in
nan];jan,
Naiuld from gi-nendan. The
OHG.
Baldr of the Edda
not
may
himself by bold deeds, but in Saxo
he lightsmost
distinguish
neither of these naiTatives pretends to give a
valiantly
; and
of his life. Perhaps the Gothic
Bedtime
complete account
(Jornandes 5, 29) traced their originto a divine Bal];sor Baldrs (see
Suppl.).
Yet even
this meaning of the
bold
god or hero migiitbe a
later one : the Lith. laltas and Lett, halts signify
the white, the
baltas exactly
good ; and by the doctrine of consonant-change,
and OHG.
to the Goth. bal];s
answers
paid. Add to this,that the
AS. genealogies
call Woden's
not
son
Bealdor,Baldor,but Bceldceg,
Beldcg,which would lead us to expect an OHG.
Paltac,a form that
'

'

I confess

I have

other proper

nowhere

compounded

names

Paltar,
Balilr.^,
420. 448
no.
(Scliannat
1

Paldheri

is the
^

same

read.

as

be

must

j, Faldheri
Paldachar

kept

But

both

with

and
da,'g

distinct

no.

tac

the

kalds

kaldr

}-but -Jvillr

OHG.

chalt

OHG,

compound

plentyof

Adaltac,
Baldhcri

35), AS. Baldhere.

18).

(Trad,patav. no.
hull:)S
( vilJKds

Goth.

Conf. Gothic

from

(Trad, patav.

ON.

dialects have

This

gi-d}?.

hollr

guU.

( wikli

h.dd
aklis,also aldrs ; Goth,

kokk

and a^rs
al]-"an
faljmnand OHG.
into d, and d into t, any d put for
faklan,afterwards faltan. As k def,'ent'rates
k, or t for d, mai'ks a kiter form : the Goth, fadr stands for fakr,as we see byof 1000 years, must
fieder,modor,' after a usur2)ation
have
pater [the AS.
the
truer
given jdaceto
father,mother' again]. In the ON. vakki pret.oUi,
must
we
regardtlie 11 as older than tlie Id, in spiteof tke Goth, valdan and
OHG.
waltan [soTnewould preferto call valda an archaism].
3

'

'

"*

Ualdr

may

be related to

as
bal]?,

tir to

ty, ajid zior

to

no.

222

PALTAR.

;
Alptac,Ingatac,Kertac, Helmtac, Hruodtac, Eegintac,Sigitac
OS. Alacdag,Alfdag (Albdag, Pertz
1, 286),Hildidag,Liuddag,
the ON", has the
Osdag, Wulfdag ; AS. Wegdieg, Swefdieg; even
name
Svipdagr. Now, either Bteldsegsimply stands for Bealdor,
with it (ase.^r.,
and is synonymous
Sigitac
Eegintac with Eeginari,
else we
must
with Sigar,
recognisein the word dcc(j,
Sigheri)^
; or

found
another root
such as we
dag, tac itself a personification,
undergoing(p.1 94-5) in the words div, divan,dina, dies ; and both
to
alike would express a shiningone, a white one, a god. Prefixing
this the Slavic Uel, hel,we have no need to take Bsldeegas standing
light-god,
for Bealdor or anythingelse,Bcd-dmg itself is white-god,
he that shines as sky and lightand day, the kindlyBiUhogh,Belhogh of the Slav system (seeSuppL). It is in perfectaccord with
that the AS. tale of ancestry assigns
of Bsel-dseg,
this explanation
to him

Brond, of whom

son

is

the Edda

silent,brond, brand, ON.

therefore,as regards
brandr, signifying
jubar,fax, titio. Bcneldteg
would agree with Berhta,the brightgoddess.
his name,
to consider

have

We

few

circumstances

more

this

bearingon

point.Baldr's beauty is thus described in Sn. 26: Hann ersva /a-^rr

er
sva
hvitt,at
",litum ok hiartr svd at lysiraf homwi, oc eittgras
er allra grasa hvitast oc
eptirmattu
iafnat er tilBaldrs hrdr,]7at
];ar
marka bans fegurSba38i a hari ok liki ; he is so fair of countenance
'

'

he shines of

brightthat

and

thou

mayest

plant,named

Baldrsbrd

after the

cotula,stillcalled Barhro

anthemis

grass

so

white that it

Baldr's brows, it is of all grasses whitest, and thereby

in hair and
mark
his fairness both
body. This

with

is evened

himself,there is

god'swhite
in

eyebrow,^is either

the

Sweden, Balsenshro,Ballensbm

Barhrograsin Denmark, or the matricaria maritima

in Iceland (seeSuppl.).^
name
inodora, whi^h retains the original
the Ottingen country a
In
there is a Baldursbcrg,in
Skane
;
Balder7i,and in the Vorarlberg,east of Bregenz,Baldcrschivang
be
taken
from
of placesdemand
caution, as they may
such names
in

Schonen, and

Baldar

men,

several

or

nom.

withhold

the

heavenly abode of the god

pi. (Sa^m.41'',Sn. 21-7), i.e. broad

But

more.

Brei"ablih,

Baldheri, I therefore
the

mention
was

of

called

splendors,

and Regin-frtc.Trans.
hardly analogous: Bseld-opr/
and Hera, ocfipusKvavia.
dark
Zeus
brows
ot
the
emphasizes
white-browed
Diana.
Conf. XevKocppvtand Artemis
XevKo(f)pvvT],
'
the
camomile
of
Germ,
ochsenauge (ox-eye).
:
rindsauge,
names
kuhauge,
Dalecarl. hvitet-oja(white eye), in Buhuslan
(white
girl).
hvita-piga
1

The

Homer

cases

are

"

223

HADU.

which

reference to tlie streaks

have

may

Eoeskild, is said to

far from

Letlira,not

near

of the

milky
have

way

borne

the

place
name

expressionre-appears in a poem of the

but to
twelfth century, though not in reference to a dwelling-place,
steeds and heroes advancing over
the battlefield
a host of snow-white
This

of Brcdehlick}

brahte

Do

very

Pietheriches

lant, Eoth.

hreither Uiclcin uber

liber die

bluot

blood flow
If

had

over

BaMa-g

Uiclce

and

Brond

definite form
from

its

own

even

381, 16

in
'

daz

did the
rotgevar,'
the shiningsilks ?
the worship of Balder

almeistic

or
field,

reveal to

Wh.

lossam

us

over

that

outside

of

Scandinavia,we

the

generaldiffusion of all the most essential

enteringinto the main plotof the myth there,that
proper names
known
this myth as a whole was
to all Teutons.
The goddesslid,
to the Gothic impersonal
as will be more
fullyshown in ch. XIII, answers
noun
halja,OHG. hella. Hoffr (ace.Ho(5,gen. HaSar, dat.
strength(Sn. 31),
HeSi),picturedas a blind god of tremendous
malice dischargesthe fatal arrow
without
who
at Baldr,is called
in Saxo, and impliesa Goth. Hapus, AS. Hcaffo,OHG.
Hotherus
may

conclude

of

the

In

2635.

floz, si \vurdn

paths of

the

dusint

zvencik

vane

Hadu, OFrank.

Chado, of which

have

we

stillundoubted

traces

in

and

poeticcompounds. OHG. Hadupraht,Hadufuns,

Hadupald, Hadufrid, Hadumar, Hadupurc, Hadulint, Haduwic
in Tacitus
(Hedwig),"c.,forms which abut close on the Catumerus
(Hadumar, Hadamar). In AS. poetry are still found the terms
heaSorinc
Credm. 103, 4
Beow. 737. 4927 ;
(viregregius,
nobilis),
heaSowelm
Coedm. 21, 14. 147, 8. Beow. 164.
(belliimpetus,fervor),
Beow. 2919. 3211. 3334; heaSowa^d
5633; heaSoswat (sudorbellicus),
Beow. 78 ; heaSubyrne (lorica
Cod. exon.
bellica),
(vestisbellica),
297, 7 ; heaSosigeland heaSogleam (egregiumjubar).Cod. exon.
1862.
438, 6; heaSolac
486, 17 and
(pugnae Indus), Beow.
Beow.
1090.
3943 ; heaSogrim (atrocissimus),
5378 ; heaSosioc
Beow. 5504 ; heaSosteap
Beow. 2490.
(pugna vulneratus),
(celsus),
In these words, except where
4301.
the meaning is merely intensified,
idea is plainlythat of battle and strife,
the prevailing
and tlie
god or hero must have been thought of and honoured as a warrior.

proper

names

Therefore

Ilapus, Hoffr, as

phenomena
out

at

of

random

war

; and

he

good hap
"

well
was

and

Suhm.

as

Wuotan

and

Zio, expressed

imagined blind, because he dealt

ill (p.207). Then, beside Ho5r, we
"

crit. lii.st.
2, 63,

224

PALTAR.

history; he is

interweavinghimself
dispatchedto Hel, to

back

underworld.

Hcrmodr

have

names

his

as

whereas
in the

he and

in the North
same

the

of XiorSr.

son

Balder

alike

hero, named

kinship with the

by the side of Sigmundr

lends

and

3417, but

still in

helm

Kemb.

(Graff 2,

often
170.

214.

the

discovery;
it

there

When,

the

says

renowned

the

in

of
offspring

in

appears

7, 373.

809-22-30-34.

Eied.

are

tale to

1795.

perhaps that

to whom
113=^,

MB.

well

as

Beow.

is

; he

races

in Ssem.

from

06inn

for the father

taken

story,

OSinn

the

name;

occurs

very

Neugart
21

no.

tell of

the revelations of the

no.

anno

him

(see

ilerseburg

we

unknown

name

new

ancestors, and

of a divine Balder in
fullyassured now
mythus, and
again a long-forgotten
emerges

only are

not

but

Germany,

valuable

more

Sceaf
are

old

story has

nor

song

brother

Hcrimuot, Hcrimaot,

782,

annis

260.

neither

much

So

in OHG.

anno

his beloved

title-deeds also contain

AS.

; and

699

244.

821), but
Suppl.).

with

hauberk.

1, 232. 141

the

later Heremod

Balder's

Woden's

among
or

of

alreadyforgotten
; the

he is

(p.219) Freyr

saw

we

way

demand

Saxo

Sceldwa

either

son

In

Hereinod'

genealogyplacesits

AS.

as

the

from

thread

the

in

even

lay,Phol

ridino- in the forest,one

to the North.

Wodan

(Balder)and

foot of Balder's

foal, demo
'

were

one

Balderes

day

volon,'

joint,whereupon the heavenly habitants

bestowed
their best pains on
settingit right again,but neither
Sinngund and Sunna, nor yet Frua and Folia could do any good,
could conjure and heal the limb
the wizard himself
only Wodan
wrenched

was

out

of

(seeSuppl.).
The

whole

incident

legends.

Norse

before

the

tenth

Yet

is

what

as
was

little known
told in

to

the

Edda

as

to other

spellin Thuringia
found
substance
lurking

heathen

century is still in its

the country folk of Scotland

to
conjuringformulas known
Denmark
and
Dislocation),
except that they
(conf.ch. XXXIII,
apply to Jesus what the heathen believed of Balder and Wodan.
It is somewhat
odd, that Cato (Dere rust. 160) should give,likewise
Old Eoman
for a dislocated limb, an
or
perhaps Sabine form of
in which
to us, but
a god is evidently
spellwhich is unintelligible
fiet. Harundinem
si quod est,hac cantione sanum
invoked: Luxum
diffinde,et
prende tibi viridem pedes IV aut V longam, mediam
in

duo

homines

teneant

ad

coxendices.

Incipe

cantare

in

alio

S.F.

IIERIMUOT.

motas

"What

coeant.

follows is

meaning the

full

earth.

the

informed

moment

of this ;

us

our

! usque
Dissunapiter

must

his

on

think of him

detention

duiii

purpose.

checked

and

we

stoppage and

day,whose
on

nothingto

of Balder,lamed

horse

The

astataries

claries dardaries

vaeta

225

PHOL.

as

journey,
acquires
the god of lightor

give rise to

serious mischief

Probablythe story in its context could have

it was
foreignto the jjurpose of the conjuring-

spell.
The
proj)er

of

names

place;

second

and

four

the

what

be

discussed

here is,that Balder

us

concerns

hitherto

goddesseswill

unheard-of

name,

Phol.

in their

is called

by

eye for our

of the unnoticed
noticing
The

often merely wants

opening:a
antiquities
of such a god being brought to
has resulted in clear footprints
of places.
hand, in several names
In

Bavaria

document

was

Passau, which

miles from
in

there

drawn

up

ten
PJiolesamva,Fholesouioa,

or

oar

twelve

the Traditiones

pataviensesfirst mention
774 and 788 (MB. vol. 28, pars

between

and afterwards many

of the same
later ones
district:
2.3),
it is the present village
of Pfalsau.
Its composition
with anc
quite
fitsin with the supposition
of an old heathen worship.The gods were
not only on mountains, but on
eas' inclosed by brooks
W'orsliipped
and rivers,
where fertilemeadows
yieldedpasture,and forests shade.

2, p. 21, no.

'

Such

the

was

castum

of Nerthus

nemus

in

an

Oceani, such

msitZa

Fosetesland

.with its willows

and

of which
well-springs,

more

presently.Baldrshagi(Balderipascuum),mentioned in the FriSwhich none

enclosed sanctuary (griSastaSr),
an
was
might
J?iofssaga,
able
damage. I find also that convents, for which time-hallowed venersites were
often situated in eas
were
preferred,
; and of one
the very word is used : in der megde ouioe^in the maids'
nunnery
with several eas
us
ea (Diut.
1, 357).^ The ON. mythology supplies
named
after the loftiest gods: OSinsey(Odensee)in Fiineu,another
(Onsoe)in Norway, Fornm. sog. 12, 33, and Thorse?/,7,234.
O'Sinsc//
in the Kattegat,
"c.,"c. We do not know
9, 17 ; Hlessc?/(Lassoe)
is equally
but Pholesouwa
any OIIG. AVuotanesouwa, Donaresouwa,
"

'

'

to the

point.
Very similar

must

have

been

PJiolcsjnant
(MB. 9, 404

circ.1138.

called ounu
of Chienisee was
So tlie Old Bavarian convent
(]MB. 28% lO.'J
a
nd
the nunnery
herren
there
'der
afterwards
the
and
wcrd,'
monastery
890),
a
loerd'. Stat ' zo gottes ouwe' in Lisch. mekl. jb.7, 227, from
'der nunnen
242.
Demantin
Bertholds
Crane.
to
fragment belonging
1

an.

15

226

PALTAR.

Pfalzpointon the Altmiihl,

1290), now
in a considerable forest. Piunt
Eichstadt and Kipfenberg,
between
crated
enclosed field or garden;^ and if an ea could be consean
means
to a god,so could a field. Graff 3, 342 has
a place called
which, to judge by the circumstances, may with like
Yra-wimpiunt,
be assignedto the goddessFrouwa; no doubt it also belongs
reason
5,
Pfalspiunt,

to Bavaria
In

399

anno

(seeSuppl.).
Traditions

Fulda

the

remarkable

passage

(Schannatp. 291, no. 85)

Widerolt

tradidit

comes

occurs

this

Bonifacio

sancto

Thurin provincia
habuit in Pholesbrunnen
quicquid proprietatis
ingiae. To this Pholesbrunno, the villageof Plmlsborn has the first
claun, lymg not far from the Saale, equidistantfrom the towns
Apolda, Dornburg and Suiza, and speltin Mid. Age documents
Falsanother village,
Phulsborn
and Pfolczborn ; there is however
hrunn

Falsbronn,

or

on

Eberach

Ptauhe

the

Steigerwald. Now
Ffoleshrunnoall
divinity(and that, Balder),as there
Baldebrunno
has been produced from
PJiine

and
Palatinate,^

it has been

corrected into Baldershrunno

Baldershain

f. d.
(Zeitschr.

Norse

the

dioec. Fuld.

mythus
heat

also Baldersbrunnen

are

Eifel mts, and

the

shown

well

as

of

p.

that the form

the

ought to

Baldenhain

modern

244,

anno

977

fountain

the
be
to

Klingen

formerly Baldersteti,

(seeSuppl.). From
we

learn that Balder

the
in

for his

languishingarmy :
beneficio
liquoris
opportuni
laticcs terram
humi
altius rimatus
recrearet,novos
aperuit,
quorum
sitibundum
hianti
passim ore captabat.
erumpentes scatebras
agmen
Eorundem
vestigia
sempiternafirmata vocabulo, quamquam
pristina
admodum
n
ondum
exolevisse
creduntur.
desierit,
scaturigo
prorsus
This spot is the present Baldershrdnd
Eoeskild (noteto JMiiller's
near
old German
be the same
Saxo, p. 120). But the legend may
as
legends,which at a later time placed to king Charles's account
(p.
had told of
117, and infra,Furious host) that which heathendom
of

opened

from

alt. 2, 256) ; and Bellstadt in the

Balder,as givenby Saxo,

battle

Franconian

plainlysuggests a

more

was
Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

district of
Schannat

as

the

the

in

Victor Balderus, ut afflictum siti militem

locum

Salzburg doc.

A
cum

duobus

of the

tenth

cent., in Kleinniayrn p.

Alsat. dipl.no. 748, anno

1285
Schopflin's
trad.
1203
of
corb.
doc.
(Falke
Westphal.
p. 566) names
Balderi.
which might mean
palus,campus
2

Conf.

196

Curtilem

quod piimti dicimus.

pratis,
:

in villa Baldeburne.
a

placeBalderbroc,

227

PHOL.

Balder

; in that

fountain,whence
But

the

Heinricus

the still survivingname

case

the

myth

of

name

Phol

MB.

12, 56.

itself

proved a

Balder

emerges anew.^
is established more
firmly still. A

Fliolingfrequentlyappears in the Altacli records

de

GO ; this

of

part 11, a Eapoto de PhoUngcn,Fhaling,in

13th century, MB.

the

of

has

placeis

the left bank

on

of the Danube

below

of Altacli.
the two
I doubt if the
convents
between
Straubingen,
Pollingin other records (and there are several Pollingsin the
Ammer
is wanting
word, as the aspirate
country)can be the same
Gotha
is
and the liquiddoubled.
Pfullendorf or Follendorf near

in docs, of the 14th

century Phulsdorf. A Pholcnheim in Schannat,

Not
the
lit. coll. 1, 48. 53.
far from
Scharzfeld,between

Vind.
Harz

and

mts

Thuringia, is

Folde, called in

old village named

an

Pholidi (Gramm.
earlyrecords and writingsPolldi,Palidi, PalitJii,
2, 248),the seat of a well-known
convent, which
again may have
been

founded

with

the

on

god

gatherfrom

can

the

site of

heathen

be established

it the true value

sanctuary. If

in this case,

we

at the

connexion
same

time

of the

in his name.
varyingconsonant
Of Phol so many
crowd upon us, that we
should
interpretations
be puzzledif they could all be made good. The Chaldaic hd or hcd
to have
been a mere
title pertainingto several gods : bel:=
seems
The Finnish palo means
the
Uranus, bel=Jupiter,bel=rMars.
fire,
ON. hdl,AS. hael rogus, and the Slav, ydlitito burn, with which
Lat. Pales and the Palilia.
connect
Of 2J^iaUus
have already
we
first make
of the sounds
in our
native
sure
spoken. We must
for a divinityof whom
names
as
nothing but the
yet we know
bare name
(seeSuppl.). On the questionas to the sense of the word
I set aside the notion one might stumble on, that it is merely
itself,
form of Paltar,Balder,for sucli forms invariably
a fondling
preserve
the initial of the complete name
should
expect Palzo,Balzo,
; we
but not

Phol.2

Greek

Nor

does the OHG.

Ph

seem

here to be

equivalent

tradition tells of Herakles

and Zeus : (jyaa-l

rhv 'UpaKXea8i\l/(i
nore
irarpX67rtSel|at
aiir^fiiKpav \ifiaba. 6 be fii] 6e\av
avibu"K" fiiKpav \i[3uba,fjv6ea(Tdp(vos
6
avTuv
KnTaTpv^eadaL,pl'^asKepavvov
els to ifkovaiuiTepov
HpaKXfjs KOL o"Ka\//'as
iivoirjcTe
(Scholiain 11.20, 74).
(fiepeadai
This sprin,^'
be si-t ]"ythe side of
was
Scamander, and the Xt/Sa? 'HpaKXijos
may
Pf(jlesljruniio as well as Pt'olesouwa,
both mead
and ea ; and
Xi[:in8tou
bcinj,'
1

Karaxivra

ev^aadai

to

Au

does not the Grecian deniirjod's

pyre kindled on Oeta snjrgcstthat of Balder ?
So I explain the proper name
Folz from Folbreht, Folrat, Folmar, and
the like ; it therefore stands apart from Phol.
the sweep[The Suppl. ([tialities
-

injTassertion in the text ;

ApoUu, PuUux, foal,"c.]

it also takes

notice

of

several

other

as
solutions,

228

PALTAR.

to the

he

ordinaryF

which

correspondsto the Saxon

F, but rather

to

which, answering to the Saxon tenuis P, represents

aspirate
Old-Aryan media B. But we know that a Saxon initial P=:OHG.
an

an

Ph

is found

almost

exclusivelyin foreignwords^ (porta,

phorta;
it
that
for
follows
putti,
phuzi ; peda,pheit);
Phol, in case tlie Sax.
form Pol is reallymade
either look for such a foreign
must
out, we
in which
the law of consonant-change
P, or as a rare
exception,
does assert itself,
I incline to this last hypothesis,
Old- Aryan B.
an
and connect
Phol
and
Pol (wdiose
well have sprung
o
may
very
from a) with the Celtic Bcal, Beul, Bel, Bdcnus, a divinity
of light
or
the adj.biel,bel
fire,the Slav. BiUhogh,Belhogh (white-god),
Lith. baltas,
which
(albus),

last with

its extension

T makes

it probable

that

Baeldsegand Baldr are of the same

root, but have not
undergone consonant-change.Phol and Paltar therefore are in their
beginningone, but reveal to us two divergenthistorical developments
of the

mythology
So

far

same.

as

we

can

chiefly
by

ancient

nomenclature

to have

races.^

the

god was
worshipped under the name
Thuringiansand Bavarians, i.e.accordingto
and
the Hermunduri
Marcoriianni,
yet they

also known

his other

is,reallyhorrowed words,
no
change (likethat
stands only one
stage instead
makes

Germ,

as

in

Pultar

name

Balder, while

or

in which
palace,
port,paternal,
anil therefore
tirth,father),

of two

in advance

Latin

oi

Such

"c.

in the

see, the

That

Germ,

unimportant difference

not

of the several Teutonic

of Phol

seem

word, and

the Low
the

High

I'forte,
Pfalz,

words stand outside the rule of consonant-change. Trans.

I have thus far gone on
the assumption that Phol and Balder in the
is strongly
divine being,which
Merseberg spelldesignateone and the same
and
Baldishagi,
supportedby the anak\gyI have pointedout between Pholesouwa
Pholesbrunno
and Baldrsbrunnr
have been very familiar
; and his cultiis must
"

to

the

people,for

the ])oem to be able to name

fear of being misunderstood.

without

him

different

by

in

names

cession,
suc-

might suppose by the

that
Phol
there would
be
and
Balder were
different gods, and
two
names,
of
who
be
Phol
meant
left for the question,
? If
room
can
by
plenty
possibly
could
here
all
and
is
almost
PH
which is contrary to
analogy,
VV^,
represent V
of places; then
PH, PF in all those names
put out of court by the persistent
the
in
which
ON.
we
Saxo, p. 45,
Ullr,Ollerus
might try
(likenil,OHG. wolla,
Else

one

wool) would
made
93*

in OHG.
endi Wodan
that ' Wol
so
J-FoZ,
alliteration.
connected
with
Ullr was
And
perfect
be

is called

would

have

'

Ullar

sib
seti,'

to

be

Baldr,who

the

Ooinnj'
in Stem.

the gen.
invariablysingleL

U., Ulli cognatus (see SuppL).

that is contradicted

ok

(UUr

But

by
Wolles,and
The same
in Pholes.
is conclusive againstWackernagel'sproposalto
reason
take Fol for the god of fulness and plenty,by the side of the goddess Folia ; I
Pilnitis ; v.
think the weak form Folio would
be demanded
for it by an OHG.
internal
does the
Haupts zeitschr. 2, 190. Still more
consistencyof the song
itself
named

to

requirethe identityof
at the

and
beginning,

Phol
no

and

Balder

it would

further notice to be taken

be odd

for Phol

of liim.

to be

229

rosiTE.

the Saxons
and "Westphalian.s,
among
Baldaj, Bccldwg prevailed
Now
tlie
noun.
as
and the AS. bealdor had passed into a common
Zio, we ouglitto find
Bavarian p]or stood opposed to the Alamannic
whether

out

the

and

Phol

races

to

Nanna,

and

Edda

The

the Edda.

Forscti,who

who

silver,and

(as Baldr himself

mildest god, whose

eloquentand
passedamong gods and men
(Stem.42^
disputedmatters
about him (seeSuppl.).
most

This Forseti is well entitled

god Fosite,concerningwhom
century gives us

ninth

to
some

valuable

Ases

like his father dwelt

had

kliz)built

been

verdicts

for tlie wisest of

Sn. 31.

the

cites among

OHG.
nitor,splendor,
shining hall Glitnir (glit,
and

the Alamanns

west
Germany we are transportedto the northto the Balder cultus,and again
closely
appertaining

name

of Baldr

unknown

manner

eastern

linkingitselfwith
son

like

akin to them.^

most

Lastly,from
by

in

was

we

of

gold

called the wisest,

final,Sn. 27)

are

judges;he

103), and

in

settled all

told

are

no

more

compared with the Frisian

biographiescomposed in the

be

information.

The

vita

sancti

(f 739),written by the famous Alcuin (f 804), relates

iter agebat,
follows,cap. 10 : Cum
as
ergo plus verbi Dei praedicator
ad quamdam insulam,
et Danorum
pervenitin confinio Fresonum
Fosite ab accolis terrae Fositesland appellaquae a quodam deo suo
qui locus a
tur, quia in ea ejusdem dei fana fuere constructa.

Wilibrordi

paganisin tanta veneratione habebatur, ut nil in ea, vel animalium

ibi pascentium,vel aliarum quarumlibetrerum,
gentiliumquiscpunu
hauriic
tangcre audebat, nee etiam el f ante qui ibi ebulliebat aquam
vir Dei tempestate jactatus
est,
nisi taccns praesumebat. Quo cum
ibidem
mansit
sepositistempestatibus
aliquot dies, quousque
stultam
sed parvipendens
opportunum naviganditempus adveniret.
1

The

inquiry,how

far these

names

reach

back

into

antiquity,is far

from

the P/((/liecke
(-ditch),
exhausted
yet. 1 have called attention to the P/'oZgraben
of
then
the raising
used
elsewhere
;
(-hedge,-fence),for which devil's dyke is
Ilerodias
in
others
to
the
is ascribed in some
devil,
the whirlwind
parts to
Eastern Hesse
in others again to Pfol.
[meaning H.'s daughter the dancer],
on

the

"\Verra has

for the whirlwind,

very queer'name
Pulhineke
Eichsleld
the neighbouring
'

in
Boil- ; and
shyness and reluctance
or

beginning with
is

BuU-

pronounced with

Kidduwitz
(Miinchner gel. anz.
1842, p. 7Gli). A
the
name
contains
district (."3,
L'o///,sperg
family
ortlinance of the same
327)
jecture
(Polesberc0, Pfoylsperg. The spellingPull,Boil,would agree witli the conhazarded

leads back

I do

not

connect

with

this the idol Bid in the

Scliniid's westerw.
id.

i.e.beilstein.
to bilstein,

Bielstein
holkcker for spectre,bugbear (seeSuppl.).
hixa 'polkcktr,

Harz, for
145

but
"above,

230

PALTAR.

regisanimiim, qui violatores

vel fcrocissimurn
loci illius religionem,
illius atrocissima

sacrorum

in

fonte

eo

animalia

invocatione

cum

in

cibaria suis

Quod pagani intuentes, arbitrabantur

veloci

perire; quos
regi tamen
stupore perterriti,

ctiam

retulerunt.

morte

furore

nimio

Qui

tribus

vicihus

sors, Deo

suis cadere

vero

sortcs

defendente

potuit;

nee

Eadbodo

suos,

nisi

tantum

unus

ex

vivi

Dei

dies

tres

per

semper

damnatorum

nunquam

Dei

servum

pati,
factum

viderant

sacerdotem

in

et
cogitabat,

super

verti,vel

cernebant

mali

quod

mittehat, et

more

suo

nil

succensus

ulcisci

injuriasclcorum

siiorum

baptizavit.sed et
mactare
praecepit.

vel in furorem

eos

cum

homines

solebat ; tres

Trinitatis

sanctae

pascentiain

terra

ea

damnare

morte

aut

aliquem

ex

sociis sorte monstratus

feared king Pippin the Frank,

est." Eadbod
martyrio coronatus
had
left
Wilibrord
unhurt.^
What
let the evangelistgo
and
time after by another priest,
unfinished, was
accomplishedsome
the vita sancti Liudgeri,composed by Altfrid (-f849), tells of
as
destruere,
the year 785 : Ipse vero
studuit/a?ia
(Liudgerus)
....

et

omnes

erroris

doctrinae derivare flumina, et consilio ab

fretavit in confinio Fresonum

curavit

sordes.

abluere
pristini

atque

quoque

ulterius

imperatoreaccepto,trans-

Danorum

ad

quandam insulam,

dei sui falsi Fosde Fosctcslant est appellata

quae a nomine
ad eandem
autem
Pervenientes
insulam, destruxerunt omnia

....

dem

Fosetis

fabricaverunt

fana,

quae

illic fuere

habitatores

ecclesias,cumque

eos
imbueret, baptizavit

cum

constructa,

invocatione

terrae

sanctae

et

pro

ejus-

eis Christi

illius fide Christi

Trinitatis in fonte,

in quo
Willibrordus
sanctus
prius homines tres
qui ibi ebulliebat,
nisi
a
prius haurire aquam
baptizaverat,
quo etiam fonte nemo
had the work
tacens praesumebat (Pertz2, 410). Altfrid evidently
of
Prom
that time the island took the name
of Alcuin
by him.
helegland,Helgoland,which it bears to this day; here also the
in the interest of Christianity,
careful to conserve,
were
evangelists
"

ol
alreadyattachingto the fiite. Adam
(Pertz 9, 3G9),describe,
Bremen, in his treatise De situ Daniae
the island thus : Ordinavit
episcopum) in Pinni
(archiepiscopus
(1.captum) a piratis
(Fiihnen)Eilbertum, quem tradunt conversum
latet
Farriam
insulam, quae in ostio fluminis Albiae longo secessu
in ea fecisse
in oceano,
constructoque monasterio
primum reperisse
Hadeloam
sita est.
habitabilem.
haec insula contra
cujus longithe

sense

of

sacredness

Acta

sanctor.

Bene

J.,sec.

3. pars 1, p. 609.

231

FOSITE.

latitiido quatuor; liomincs stramine

panditur,
est
Sermo
piratas,si
fragmentisquenavium
pro igne utuntur.
nautulcrint,aut mox
inch vd minimam
pcrissc
quando 2^'"'acdam
redisse indcmpnem ; quapropter
nullum
fragio,aut occisos ah aliquo,
ciivi
Solent hercmitis ibi vivcntihus decimas praedarum offerre
magna
vix

tudo

milliaria

VIII

devotione.

et

nullain,scopulis

unicuin, arborem

habet

nutrix, coUem

pecudum

volucrum

ditissima
frug-iim,

feracissima

enim

est

nullo aditu nisi uno, ubi et aqua dulcis (the

asperrimis,
locus vcnerahilis omnibus
springwhence they drew water in silence),
unde
nomen
accepitut Heiligeland
piratis,
nautis,praecipuevero
includitur

Fresiam

aliae insulae contra

The

"

the passage, and

emend

time
In

(seeSuppl.).
island lying between
an

might expect to
be

It would

find

different

stranger still

god.

he omits

have

natural

is

who

Fusite

and

if the

Eddie

Saxony,we
to all three.

common

unknown

were

may

in the heathen

accounted

was

we

Forscti

to
a

were

the

totally

would

have

amongst the Frisians.

died out
There

many

the customs

expecteda mention of this

Saxo
Gram., who is quitesilent about it ;
others,and in his day Fosite's name
may

It is true, one

from
deityin particular

but then

god

heathen

must

we

times,

christian

memo-

time, either

or
Helgoland,

Denmark, Friesland

strange if the Frisian

; and

Norsemen

first

et

sunt
tarn

earum

Farrianis.' By
piratis

of
vikings even
holy the placewas

how

ourselves

assure

'

and

mariners

of these

Daniam, sed nulla

isle of Folir with

read

appellari

et Fresonum.

Farria,appearinghere for the

name

confoundingthe

from

arose

et

Fosetisland

Willebrordi

sita est in confinio Danorum

dicimus, quae
rabilis.

sancti

vita

in

hanc

dicatur.

some

in the

case

the

discrepancybetween
of two

nations

ON.

two

names,

Forscti gen.

as

was

Forscta,Fris.

is,that from Forsite

Fosite gen. Fosites. The simplestsupposition
arose
by assimilation Fossite,Fosite,or that the II dropt out, as in
OHG.

mosar

for

morsar,

Germ,

Low

mosar;

in

so

the

Frisian

forste,primus.
Angeln, accordingto Hagerup p. 20, fost,foste
In
Besides, there is hardly any other way of explainingFosite.
translatable into OHG.
ON. forsctiis praeses, princeps,
apparently
for the god who
presidesover judgment,and
name
a fitting
forasizo,
the
Gothic fauragaggjabears almost
arranges all disputes. The
attached
later writings,
in much
I also find,even
same
sense, which
More
completeAS.
word
to our
predecessor).
vorgdnger (now
=

232

PALTAE.

would

genealogies

perhaps

name

Forscta

Forsete

or

Baeldseg's

as

son.^

Forseti,
we

infer

may

isles

Fosite

and

grazed

son

which,

marked
Vestae'

of

programm

easily

find

Helgoland,

their

into

instead

of

men's

in

side

by

god-giants

as

of

-at,

The

on

Fora-sizo

becomes

fors

[a whirling

the

whirlpool,

sacred
father

spring

the

with

connexion

OS.

Eider

'

stream,
a

would

Nentiger

force

Fossegrimm
tally.
(for

so

and

we

in

must

'

ch.

Lassoe,
be

I
in

feel

inclined

Cmnbld],
ch.

(conf.

Again,

the

must

read

Dan.
XVII.

of

l)ut
to

be

it
to

assume

with
those
OHG.

QHG.

hold

as

their
known

were

Ecke-Oegir

As

meaning

to

Fasat

form

can

light.

explain

gives

appendix

Ecke

Fosite

Nichus),

Mentiger)

could

several

are

Fasolt

its

fos, and

Heldenbuch
for

the

and

might

go,

Wiebel's

The

there

Storm)

so

let

In

and

da;mon

templuin

'

Fosteland

brothers.
;

conf.

7.

cap.

Fasat

to

found

are

and

and

Fosete.

XX.

as

not

and

dubious,

so

Abentrot

water,

that

Fosta,

which

1692),

Foste

mistake

(conf.

god

styled

are

-id,

-ad,

(Plon,

it.^

near

Phoseta,
in

768,

year

about

be

Foseta,

Suiberti

mind

not

tlie

The

Abentrot

in

of

his

of

island

Helgoland,

Cimbrien

Vita

my

Fasolt

i'^orse^i

'

flocks

other

goddess

loved

god

Hercules-pillars,

the

some

of

maps

spurious

on

1842.

need

and

into

Major's

struck

Now

wind

in

Vasat,

and

side.

worshipped

was

the

Fasolt

fix

the
the

of

If

worship.

that

where

point,

worship

Phosetae

up

has

usual

the

Hanib.

Ecke,

the

names

ground

way

thought

Heldenbuch,

vel

made

were

iiber

Another

the

692,

iu

Vesta

Fostae

templum

'

Baldrshagi

case

Fosete

Roman

Balder's

of

extent

might

we

turned

the

to

perhaps

Tacitus,

have

her

is

is

so

writers

the
and

Helgoland

following

approximate

of

proof

Pholesouwa

and

Later

from

eas,'

'

are

Helgoland.

in

as

For-seti,
from

For.'-eti
a

Fosite'

which
three

of

daemon

brotliers

Nandgerj

and

CHAPTER

XIL

OTHEEGODS.

the

gods treated
perfectdistinctness be pointed out m
Norse
mythology enumerates
races, the
addition

In

to

track will be harder

a

they

great extent

are

those

all

others,whose

altogether.To

die out

itself has

the North

wliom

of

series of

not

with

could

of the Teutonic

most

or

if it does

to pursue,

far,who

of thus

little or

to tell in later times.

nothin"

1.

(Heimdall.)

in the later

spellingHeimdallr, though no longer

in Saxo, is, like Baldr, a
mentioned
bright and gracious god :
hvitastr asa
(whitestof ases, Siem. 72^),^sverSas hvita, Sa?m. 90^
hviti as, Sn. 104 ; he guards the heavenly bridge(therainbow), and
heim in the first
dwells in Himinhiorj (the heavenly hills).The
akin to
seems
part of his name
; ]iallr
agrees in sound with himinn
Swed.
tall,Swiss dale, Engl, deal (Staid.1,
J^oll,
(pinus),
gen. ])allar
also means
a river,
259, conf. Sclim. 2, G03-4 on mantala),but ]?oll
Heim"allr,

Sn.

or

43, and Ereyja bears

All this remains

Sn. 37. 154.

Teutonic

other

the

tongues

dark

; Himclhcrc

2, 10

in the
h'shcrr/

Fulda

to us.

MardoU, gen. Mardallar,

No

proper

HeimSallr;

to

answers

41^ 92*')
the common
or
hiorg (Sffim.
connect
Yngl. saga cap. 39), we can
Himiliiibcrg(mons coelius)havmted
Pertz

of

by-name

the

country, Schannat

frauend.

Buchon.

(Soem.148*

of other

names

in the
by sj)irits,

in Lichtenstein's

Himiii-

with

but

himinfioll

noun

in the

name

vita

199, 10

vet.

hills :

Galli,

S.
;

Iluni-

33 G ; several in

Vanir aiyrir,'
vol fram, sem
this passaf^e says further,' vissi hann
liter. ' he Ibreknew
well, like other Vanir,' his wisdoni is merely likened to
of
that he was
that of the Vanir (Graium. 4, 456 on ander), it is not meant
one
'
and
otiieiasserted
Greeks
in
Homer,
T
rojans'
n
ever
anywhere [so
them, a thin",'
1

When

'

means

why,
what

'

and

Trojans as weU'].

heimskastr

the MHG.

The

Fornald.

allra asa,'heimskr

poets mean

by tump.

so^.

1, 373

calls him, I know

usuallysignifyingignorant,

not

greenhorn,

234

OTHER

GODS.

(Kuclienb.anal. 11, 137) near Ibaand Waldkappel (Niederh.

and
1834 pp. 106, 2183); a Himmelsherg in Vestgotlaud,
wochenbl.
At the same
time,
allegedto be Heimdall's,in Halland.
one,
Himinvdnrjar,Stem. 150% tlie OS. hebanwang, hebeneswang, a
paradise(v.ch. XXV), tlie AS. Heofcnfcldcoelestis campus, Beda
deserve
some
some
individual,
general,
p. 158, and tbe like names,
about the god.
to be studied,but yieldas yet no safe conclusion
almost of the fairy-tale
: he is
Other
points about him savour
Seem. 118^"^
of nine mothers, giantesses,
out
to be the son
made
less sleep than a bird, sees
a
Sn. 106. Laxd. p. 392 ; he wants
miles off by nightor day, and hears the grass grow on the
hundred
ground and the wool on the sheep'sback (Sn.30).^ His horse is
hence
the
and he himself has golden teeth,^
Gulltoppr,gold-tuft,
Ilesse

Heimdali

are

sacred

be of

and

HallinskiSa,'

tennur

of remark, that

HallinskiSi

for the ram,

names

and

Sn. 221.

small

of the

warder

high antiquity(seeSuppl.).

at the very

Now
and

the

gods (vorSr goSa,Ssem. 41),

w4nds a powerful horn, Giallarlwrn,which is kept under
the Voluspa imparts,
tree, Ssem. 5^ 8^ Sn. 72-3. What

Heimdali

must

worthy

quoted among

watchman

As

It is

sog. 1, 52.

Fornm.

Hallinski"i,

and

Gullintanni

by-names

called

are

of that

outset

all created

poem,

mcgir Heim"allar,

sons

beings great
children of the god ;

or

in the creation of the

hand
appears therefore to have had a
exalted part than is
world, and of men, and to have played a more
afterwards.
to him
sided
As, in addition to Wuotan, Zio pre-

he

assigned
over

to have

seems

arrangement
who
ffallr,

been
of

song

Fro

divided

of mankind

much

in

to

seems

from

an

connect
1

me

have

to

have

older form, which

with

Conf.

KM.

under

the world

its origin
beingdifficultto
it

classes

the MHG.

ventured

to this heathen

to trace

As for the

name

idis,by

one,

Bigr,

aphseresis

determine, but would

precisely
in ON.

an

before

or

k often

3, 125.

Li diente cV oro, Pentam.

3, 1.
ok gullslitr a, Fornald. sog. 1, 366.
3
Zeitscliriftf. d. alt. 2, 257"267.
2

Heim-

Mgr (seeSuppl.).
prevalentin the last

like dis from

I cannot

Irinc,as

same

first

of

name

explainotherwise,^
sprung,

the

proceedfrom
the

the

makes

Edda

the

tradition,very

later German

few centuries,which

in

faculty

HeimSallr.

and

OSinn

between

creative

the

so
fruitfulness,

over

suggestivedesign

traverses

is

There

and

war,

Of

certain Haraldr

Conf. ch. XIX.

tennr

voru

miklor

HKIMDATL,

235

BKAGI.

and, as will be shown

stiiigastack,]?ackaJjanki),
drops out (conf.
to a Swedish
answers
Eriksgata.^
later,Iringesstraza, Iringeswee
The shininggalaxywould suit extremelywell the god who descends
from

heaven

earth,and whose

to

Norwegian

of

names

hill
a
Heimdallslmirj,

in the ON.

mentioned

placesbear

witness

Guldbrandsdalen

in

lake

dallarvattn, a

habitation

in

Nummedalen

borders
to

on

Bifrost.

his cultus

Hcim-

and
(GuSbrandsdalr),
(Naumudalr); neither is

sagas.

2.

(Bragi,Bkego.)

general
god, one would like to see a more
vested the gift
veneration of the ON. Bragi revived,in whom
was
of poetry and eloquence. He is called the best of all skalds,Soem.
and poetry itself is
46^ Sn. 45, frumsmiSr
bragar (auctorpoeseos),
or
was
hragarivll
given
hragrp' In honour of him the i"Va^afull
between
bragi gen. braga,and
(p.60) ; the form appears to waver
bragr gen. bragar,at all events the latter stands in the phrase
vir facundus, praestans,in
asa
hragr deorum
hragr karla
princeps Thorr (Stem.85^ Sn. 21 1% but Bragi 211^),and even
femina praestantissima
(Soem.218^).^
hragrqvenna
Then
distinct from the god,
a
poet and king of old renown,
Above

other

any

'

'

'

'

'

'

himself

bore

the

name

of

Bragi

hiim

gamli, and

his descendants

styledBragningar. A minstrel was

picturedto the mind as
old and
long-bearded,
siSskeggiand skeggbragi,Sn. 105, which
recalls OSinn
with
his long beard, the inventor
of poetry (p.
146) and Bragi is even said to be OSin's son, Sn. 105 (seeSuppl.).
In the AS. poems
there occurs, always in the nom.
the
sing.,
in the sense
term
of rex or princeps: bregostolin
hrcgoor hrcogo,
Beow. 4u87 and Andr. 209 is thronus regius;bregoweardin Cajdm.
140, 26. 166, 13 is princeps.*Now, as gen. pluralsare attached to

were

1 Der
in Swedish

old Nick
to mean
come
ganimel Erih,gamiiielErlce (oldE.),has now
conf.
;
supra p. 124, on Erchtag.
^
Sa'm. 113'',
of Otiiun : gel'r
hann brag skaldom
(dat carmen
poetis).
^ Does
the Engl, hrag,Cierm. 'prahlen (gloriari)
not
explain everything?
Showy high-llown speech would apply equally to boasting and to poetry.
Then, for the other meaning, the boast,glory,master-piece(of men, gods,
cither go back to the more
we
can
angels,bears),'
women,
primitivesense
i
n
(gloria) prangen, priink,pi-add,bright,or still keep to brag.
Beauty is
nature's bmg, and must
be shewn,'.says Comus."
Trans.
"" In
Beda 4, 23 (Stevens, p. 304) a woman's
name
Bregosiiid,
BregoswiS ;
in Kemble
and 1, 133-4 (anno 762),5, 46 (anno
5,48 (anno 749) Bregesici"estdn,
'

'

747), 5,

59

clarissimus.

(anno 798)

man's

name

Bregowine.

In

Beow.

3847

bregorofis

236

OTHER

GODS.

brcgo engla,Cifdm. 12, 7. 60, 4. 62, 3 ; brego Dena, Beow.

3905 ; gimiena
8i8 ; ho"leSa brego,Beow.
brego,Aiidr. 61 ; beorna
Cod. exon.
457, 3) ; there
brego moncynnes,
brego,Andr. 305 (conf.
instructive analogy to the above-mentioned
bragr
up an
grows
karla,'and to the genitivessimilarlyconnected with the divine
names
Tyr, Fred and Bealdor (pp.196, 211, 220). The AS. hrego
to pointto a veiled divinity,
though the forms and
equallyseems
vowel-relations do not exactlyharmonize.^
to hunt
Their disagi-eementrather provokes one
up the root
under
which
they could be reconciled : a verb brigabrag would
but not the
Saxon
and Frisian languages,
The
suit the purpose.
Scandinavian
or
High German, possess an unexplained term for
cerebrum
: AS.
bregen (likeregen pluvia,therefore better written
than bra^gen),
so
Engl,brain,Fris. brein. Low Sax. bregen; I think
cleverness,eloquence,
it answers
the notions
to
understanding,
it :

'

and is connected
imitation,'

with

Now
-(ppovo";.
(pp"v6"i,
(l"pr']v,
-^pcop,

also mos, gestus, and

braga
bragr,beside poesis,means
has
OIIG.
referre aliquem gestu, imitari.
nothinglike
eftir einum
as Prako, Brago,Briigo.
it,nor any such proper name
faint trace of the god
the Saxons
a
But, as we detected among
the

'

ON.

'

god's son,

or

we

of

document

lay some

may

stress

Buniackcr

1006

his wife

and

dwelt

ISunn

in

fact that in
of

an

OS.

place,v.
Bragi
pref.v. (see Suppl.).Now

occurs

Llinzel's Hildesheim, p. 124, conf.

the

on

the

as

name

Brunnakr, Sn. 121% and

she is called

Sk.
sedis ornatrix, as
Brunnakerinae
beckjargei'Sr,'
it (Spec. 6, pp. 65-6). A well or spring,
Thorlacius interprets
time a
suits a god of poetry ; at the same
than one
for more
reason,
is so natural that it might arise without any
like springfield
name

'

Brunnakrs

'

'

reference

to

Bragi
Ocgir,and

gods.

appears

to

have

stood

in

pretty close relation

some

to

analogybetween them could be established,which

then
other grounds,
is unsupported hitherto on
however
by the
and
side of brigabrag the root
bragabrog would presentitself,
OHG.
the AS. broga (terror),
pruoko,bruogo,be akin to it. The
be seen
of Bragi with Oegir may
connexion
by Bragi appearing
and
Oegisdrecka,
by his sittingnext to
prominentlyin the poem
he brings
him
with
Oegir in Sn. 80, so that in intimate converse
called Bragarwd'ur,
thence
stories of the gods, which
out
are
'

as

an

'

'

'

Iri8h breitlieam,brethemb
(judex)is said to be
Trans, of Irish acad. 14, 1(57.
brelion,'
1

'

if

The

pronouncedalmost

It is with

of Bragi.
speeclies

237

OIT.IR.

UOKI,

AKI,

no
dcniht,that tliese
great propriety,

him
Oegiroften interrupts
Gangleridoes Har when holding forth

witli

narratives,duringwhich

(8n.93), as
of the

Edda,

of the

put in the mouth

were

in

questions

the

first part

patron of poetry.

(Oegir,Hler). Fifel, Geofon.

3. Aki, Uoki

Oegir,an older god of the giantkind, not ranked among

the Ases, but holding peaceableintercourse with them, bears the
The root
of the terrible,
the awful.
name
aga 6g had given birth
ancient speech:Goth, agis06/3o9,
to plentyof derivatives in our
6g
This

'

'

AS. egesa horror,OHG.

OHG,
aki,eki,AS.
akiso,egiso,
"f)o^eo/j,at,
can
only be
ege (ege? awe) terror,ON", oegjaterror! esse, which
To the proper name
with oe, not te.
Oegirwould correspond
spelt
OHG.
Goth. ()geis,
AS. I^ge,
a
Uogi,instead of which I can only
Oago. But oegiralso signifies
lay my hand on the weak form Uorjo,
the sun
the sea itself: sol gengr i ceginn,
goes into the sea, sets ;
pelagus is like the Goth, mari-siiivs ; the AS. eagor and
cegi-sior
I attach weight to
egor (mare) is related to ege, as sigorto sige.

agreement

the

Lat. oceanus,

dum)

seems

Goth,

ahva

The

whence
'f2Keav6"iand 'fljijv,
co/ceai/o'?,

Greek

Oceanus

borrowed, but

was

cognate, being related

not

to

(mare placi-

aequor

aequus,

not

to

and

sense

and

aqua

(seeSupi)l.).i
As

presence.

OSinn

Orni

awakened

element

boisterous

immediate
and

the

of

tlie

and

"Woden

Yggr, so

awe,
was

the AS.

the

of

also called "VVoma

poets

use

the

god's
(p.144),
a

terms

woma,

bruga and egesa almost synonymously for ghostlyand divine

therefore a
xxxii). Oegirwas
plienomena(Andr.and El. pp. xxx
and is in keeping with the notions of fear
highlyappropriate
name,
and horror developedon p. 207-8.
confirmed
is strikingly
This interpretation
by other mythical
helmet, whose
conceptions.The Edda tells us of a fear-inspiring
at sia, Sn. 137 ;
oil qvikvendi brwSast
is Oegishialmr
:
er
name
he lay on the
and then Faihir when
did HreiCmar
such a one
wear,
sweg,

"

gold
Seem.

and

seemed

the

(tobe)

188=^;vera

Oe"/\vis also
i but I know
epiilator
1

thouL^h the

gyniingboth

OHG.
cura

terrible to

more

undir

all that looked

GUmir, Sn.
Gymir, Spem. 59.
ON.
other meaning of the
.yaunir

goiinia,

and

OS.

nuptiae.

goma

him,

bera OegishialmyUr
Oegishialmi,

125.

called
no

upon

means

both

ciua

than

and

183
ciira,

possilily
attentio,

cpulae,the

AS.

238

OTHER

einum,

GODS.

inspirewith fear or reverence, Laxd. saga, p. 130.

Islend. scig.
2, 155 ; ek bar Oegisliialni
yfiralia folki,Fornald. sog.
i augum,
ibid. 1,406, denotes that terrible
1, 162 ; hafa Oegisliialm
piercinglook of the eyes, which others cannot stand, and the
i anga, was
famous basilisk-glance,
ormr
somethingsimilar.^ Now
I find

to

means

clear trace

of

this Norse

; in Schannat

Egihelm (Trad.fuld. 1, 97
i.e.Ar/ihelni,
identical with
which

unable

am

to

helmet

in the
no.

man's

OHG.

126, p. 286

the

name

Eggihelm),
Uogihelm,

form
strengthened-vowel
produce. But in the Eckenlied itself Ecke's

Ortnit's and Dietrich's,

costlymagic helmet, and elsewhere even
called Hildcgrim,Hildcgrin; and
the ON. grima mask
are
or
helmet (in fc'o3m.51^ a name
for night)has now
turned up in a
Fulda gloss,
Dronke
scenici
crimiln
a sing.
p. 15 :
presupposes
krimd
understand
KHmJiilt
larva,persona, galea; so we
can
now
of a Walkurie
armed with the helmet of
(Gramra.1, 188) the name
in another gloss is rendered
daemon
terror,and ailso why
by
The AS. egcsgrimeis equallya mask, and in El. 260
cgisgrimolt.
the helmet that frightens
by its figureof a boar is called a grim1 venture
helm.
to guess, that
the wolf in our
ancient apologue
was
imaginedwearing such a helmet of dread,and hence his name
of Isangrim,iron-mask,Eeinh. ccxlii (seeSuppl.). Nor
have we
to the end of fancies variously
yet come
playinginto one another :
the god'sor hero's helmet awakened
his shield
as
terror,so must
and sword ; and it looks significant,
that a terrific sword fashioned
in the two
by dwarfs should likewise be named
forms,viz. in the
in Veldek's Eneit Uokcsahs
(not a letter may
VilkinasagaEclcisax,
in the EckenUed
Eckcn
Ecken
we
sahs, as Hildegrinwas
alter),
helm, Eckes helm. In the Greek atVtVI do not look for any verbal
but this shield of Zev^
affinity,
alymxo^ (H. 15, 310. 17, 593),
wielded
at times by Athena
(2,447. 5, 738) and Apollo (15,229.
361.
318.
24, 20), spreads dismay around, like Oegishialmr,
rendered
Hildegrim and Eckisahs ; Pluto's helmet too, which
be called to mind,
That ancient god of sea, Oceanus
invisible,
may
and Oegir (see Suppl.),
whose
hall glittered
with gold,Saem. 59,^
'

'

'

'

"

Fornm.

sog. 9, 513 :
our
cc, and

to confirm

goes

ibr the latter

conf.

mor

gekk

alvaldr

unci

with y
Ygishiahni. The spelling
only stand for the former,not

refute fe, as an y can

and the deriv. myri

In the greatfeast which

he gave

moeri, Gramm.

1, 473.

(sialft
gods,the ale came
up ofitself
barsc J^arol, f^iem. 59),as Hephaistus's
tripodsran avrondroiin and out of the
6eiou dycbva,
II. 18, 376.
Even so Freyr had a sword cr siaJft
vegiz(tliat
swings
Saan. 82*, and Thor's Miolnir comes
back of itself everytimeit is thrown.
itself),
-

to the

AKI,

would

of

name

have

UOKI,

all others

from

him.

been

Aki

supi:)Ose that in the

the

wear

From
or

OEGIR,

all

Uohi ;
Ecke

As

hereafter.

more

and

and

can

find,his

239

HLER.

helmet
glittering

which
in

name

takes
OHG.

its

must

it

brothers

the Greek

Fasolt

Okeanos

and
has

to
we

is

Abentrot, of whom
rivers

given him

for

expect to

Oegir has by Ean nine daughters,

the Edda
to waters
and waves.
We
apj)lies
might
find that similar relations to the seagod were
of old

ascribed

our

sons

whose

female
And

the
daughters,

GEOFON,

requiresno great boldness

of our
heroic legend,a giantall over,
heathen
god. Ecke's mythical nature

of the
precipitate
confirmed
by that of iiis
see

we

FIFEL,

names

to

own

rivers

[and stillbear
there is

one

Norse

also,most

feminine
such

local

of which

were

conceived

of

as

names].
name

in which

he may
be clearly
the Saxons from the

recognised. The Eider, a river which divides

annalists in the eighth and
Northmen, is called by the Frankish
ninth centuries Egidora,Agadora, Acgidora (Pertz 1, 355-70-86.
2, 620-31); -Helmold
1, 12. 50 spellsEgdora. The ON. writers
more
plainlywrite Ocgisdyr(Fornm. sog. 11, 28. 31, conf. Geogr.of
ocean's door, sea-outlet,
a
Northman, ed. by Werlauff p. 15), i.e.,
of the awful.
collateral sense
here with
a
ostium, perhaps even
in Iceland,Landn.
5,
Again, a place called Oegisdyris mentioned
latus oceani.
also find 3, 1 an
Further,it
2, where we
Oegissid'a,
out that by the AS. name
321, 8 and
Fl/cldorin Cod. exon.
comes

of Merseb.
ad.ann.
975, p. 760 is
Wieglesdorin Dietmar
the Eider again,stillthe aforesaid Oegisdyr
meant
; while a various
reading in Dietmar agrees with the annalist Saxo ad ann. 975 in
Egidor. Now, seeing that elsewhere
giving Heggedor=z'E^^gQ"OT,
the AS. poems
Fifelstredm,Fifelwreg(Boeth.26, 51. El. 237)
use
for the ocean, and Fifelcynnescard (Beow. 208) for the land of the
Flfcland its corruptionWicgclto be
we
ocean-sprites,
may
suppose
of Oegir.
another and an obsolete name
OS. Gelan, a being
hold good of the AS. Geofon,
The same
may
who is
manifest from the ON. Gefjun,
whose godhead is sufficiently
the Asynior,though she bore sons
to
reckoned
a
giant.
among
Gehan however
The Saxon
a
was
god ; the Heliand shows only the
90, 7. 131, 22, but the AS. poets, in
compound Gebenesstrom
addition to Geofenes
begang,Beow. 721, Geofenes staS, Ca^dm. 215,
Csedm. 79, 34,geofonflod.
8, and the less personal
geofonhus(navis),
in
Cod. exon.
193, 21, have also a Geofon standing independently

by

the

240

OTHER

the

Cfficlm. 206, 6, and

nom.,

OHG.

is

Kepan

Stiihlin 1, 598
for the
and

and

to look

of

read

and

ice

been

older

the

fitti 3
we

I have

Forniotr. has

would

in

come

hib-ernus ?]
Ij^lFoov,

some

which

names

are

synonymous
Fornald. sog.

Noregr (Sn.369.
syni,hett einn Hler, er vcr kollum
call Oegir),
annarr
Logi,JnidjiKari

his

Liissoe in the

named

Cattegat.

(Forniotr).

nothingmore

left

was
dwelling-place

notable

tell

to
trace

of

but his
(see Suppl.),
himself

behind

; he

Oegir to the circle of Ases, being one of the

these demigods or
giants,and proving that even

less than

demonic

of nature

personified
powers
Teutonic

(p.137)

Kari). Hler, gen. Hies, appears from this to have

in use
the giants,
by which Oegir is
name,
among

this Hler

belongseven
older

Gibika

take

4.

father

to

giants.

spoken of in Sn. 79, and after which

now
Hles-cy(Sicm.78'^ 159^ 243'^),

Of

An

though

whether

not

%iaji^ fem.

3378.

names,

Fundinn

the

In

Ocgi (onehightHler, whom

afh. 1, 95
(liask,

Greek

itself furnishes

Forniotr

the

to

snow

Oegir.

2, 17) we

proper

I know

Gebencsvnlare.

away

the North

with

in

even

giban to give,in which case

relation to Neptune (pp.122, 148)

the notion
And

found,

nowhere

givesa

Wuotan's
or

gifen geotende,Beow.

the verb

root

here ;

GODS.

races

must

borne

also have

outside of Scandinavia.

Forniotr

among

sway

is to be

the

explained,

the ancient
primus occupans, but rather as forn-iotr,
lotr (Rask,afhand. 1, 78), a particularly
apt expressionfor those
witli iotunn
AS. eoton, as will
and
itself,
closelyconnected
giants,
not

be

as

for-niutr

shown

further

Now

on.

in

AS.

the

Liber

medicinalis, from

80
gives insufficient extracts, there is
Wanley, pp. 176
a
plant of healingvirtue spoken of
according to Lye's dictionary
of
(twice apparently,from the various spelling)by the name
of
Forneoti manus). As none
Foriictcs folme {i.e.
Forneotcs folnic,
be a remnant
must
the ON. writingsallude to this herb,its name
the giantmay
of the Saxon
own
mythology. In OHG.
people's
which

have

"

been

remember

called

how,

Firnez,

in Beow.

and

the

plant

1662, Grendel

has

Firnezes
torn

folma.

off the

hand

We
of

and presents it as tacen of his victory,

justas Tristan
water-sprite,
chops off the giantUrgan'shand, and takes it with him to certify
The
the deed, 16055-65-85.
amputation of the huge giant-hand
been fitly
ancient myth, and to have
therefore part of an
seems

retained in the

of

name

led

If these last allusions have

as

and
us

Evil

one

walls.
the beneficent

from

away

have here
we
malignantspirits,
of the Edda reprethe teaching
transit to the onlygod whom
sents
wicked and malevolent,though it stillreckons him among

deities rather to hurtful demons

easy

is also

vegetable
; there
than one legendthe

broad-leaved

and in more
plantcalled deviVs-liancl,
leaves the printof his hand on rocks

an

241

SATURN'.

GRENDEL,

LOKI,

and

the Ases.
5.
as
Lofji,

three

have

we

(LoKi,Grendel), Saturn.
was

seen,

Hler, Logi,Kari

brothers

second

son

of

the whole

on

Forniotr,and
to

seem

the

represent

(Sn.54.
GO) placesLogi by the side of Lohi, a beingfrom the giantprovince
beside a kinsman and companion of the gods. This is no mere
play
from
different
t
he
same
words, the two reallysignify
tiling
upon
Logi the natural force of fire,and Loki, with a
pointsof view
of the sense
of the sound, a shifting
: of the
burly giant
shifting
be compared
The two
has been made
a sly seducingvillain.
may
and the Hephajstus (Vulcan) of the Greeks ;
to the Prometheus
water, fire and

air

as

N"ow

elements.

strikingnarrative

Okeanos
mixed
most

was

up.
of

In

we
ill,

friend and kinsman

Loki, sa
see

of the former.

But

the two

get

flestu iUu raeSr

er

also the

giant demon

(Sn.4G),who devises the

sets
who, like Hephaestus,
of Hephsestusand the
us

reminds
gods a-laughing
; his limping
of Prometheus's,for Loki is put
lame fire (N".
Cap. 76),his chaining
in chains like his son
Fenrir.
As Hephaestusforgesthe net for
Ares and Aphrodite,
Loki too prepares a net (Sn.69),in which
he
salient of all is the analogybetw^een
is caught himself. Most
Hephaestusbeinghurled down from Olympus by Zeus (II.1,591-3)
and the devil beingcast out of heaven into hell by God (ch.XXXIII,
though the Edda neither relates such a fall of Loki, nor sets
Devil),
him forth as a cunning smith and master
of dwarfs
probably the
stories of Loki and Logi were
fuller once.
Loki's former
much
fellowshipwith OSinn is clearlyseen, both from Srem. 61^ and
from
the juxtaposition
of three creative deities on their travels,
the

Ocfinn,Hcenir,Locfr,Ssem. 3% instead of which w^e have also Offhm,

Hmnir, Lohi,Sasm. 180, or in a different order O"inn, Loki,Hcenir,
Sn. 80. 135

I do not venture
to
162). Tliis trilogy
of Hler, Logi,Kari above, strikingly
OSinn
as
OSinn
U avi/ioio
; and though from the creating

(conf.supra,

with
identify
to
corresponds

that
the

p.

16

242

GODS.

OTHER

blood and

colour

with
(6S),

sense

from
as
spirit(ond),
the connexion
(laok litr),

and

proceedbreath

is not

water

in

in Goth.

either to be

Locho,

OHG.

with

seems

and

Lauha

the

of the

one

mythology,and with
But
the
without leavinga trace.
that gradation of sounds
ought

OHG.

Loho,

loss of his

or

Luka

in Goth.
to

name

of the later devil.

againpurely in the character

is

of the Norse

Germany he has vanished

fire-godtoo, who accordingto

lis

of

(blaze,
glow) come
Hoenir,who imparts

clear: this Hcenir

so

unmanageablephenomena

most

Lod'r

have

He

and

come

lasted

up

longer

myths everywhere show how nearlyLoki the

7, 43) has proved
^s approachesLogi the giant. Thorlacius (spec.
and
that in the phrase Loki fer yfirakra
(passesover the fields),
Locke dricker vand
in the Danish
(drinkswater),fire and the
burning sun are meant, just as we say the sun is drawing water,
two
clouds.
he shines through in bright streaks between
when
Loka daun
(Lokii odor) is Icelandic for the ignisfatuus exhaling
brimstone
(Lokii incendium) for Sirius ;
44) ; Lokah^enna
(ibid.
Loka spcenir
are
chips for firing.In the north of Jutland,a weed
very noxious to cattle (polytrichumcomm.) is called Lokkens havre,
in

Scandinavia,and

'

'

'

'

and
sows

there

is

proverb

'

Nu

Lokken

saaer

sin

havre,'now

his oats, i.e.,

the devil his tares ; the Danish

fatua,others make

it the

Locke

lexicon translates

rhinanthus

crista

galli.
When
the fire crackles,
they say Lokje smacks his children,'
Faye
Molbech's
Dial. lex. p. 330 says, the Jutland phrase Lokke
p. 6.
what is equivalent Lokke driver idag
havre idag (to-day),'
or
saaer
is spoken of vapours
that
med sine geder (drivesout his goats),'
When
birds drop
hang about the ground in the heat of the sun.
their feathers in moulting time, people say they gaae i Lokkis arri
L.'s harrow
?) ; 'at hore paa Lockens
eventyr
(pass under
to listen to lies or idle tales (P.Syv's gamle
(adventures)means
danske ordsprog2, 72), According to Sjoborg's
Nomenklatur, there
Lokchall.
All of them
is in Yestergotlanda giant's
grave named
conceptionswell deservingnotice,which lingerto this day among
ficent
the common
people,and in which Loki is by turns taken for a beneand for a hurtful being,for sun, fire,
giantor devil. Exactly
is in Germany ascribed to the devil,and the
sort of harm
the same
flame (seeSuppl.).
kindlygod of lightis thoughtof as a devastating

Lokeshavre

avena

'

'

'

'

'

'

On

this

identitybetween

Logi

and

Lold

rests another

vestige

of

is found

da?mon, which

tlie Xorse

243

SxVTUKN.

GKEXDEL,

LOKI,

the

among

other

Teutonic

liuhan

Loki
will apparently
^hicere),
conf. claudus
fall to the root lukan
lame); the ON", lok
(claudere,
consummatio, and loka repagulum,because a bolt or
finis,
means
odious devilish spirit,
an
bar closes. In Beowulf
we
come
a
upon
thyrs(Beow. 846) named Grcndel,and his mother, Grendeles modor
An
AS.
and giant's
mother.
devil's mother
a veritable
(4232-74),
of 931
in Kemble
a
document
place called
2, 172 mentions
the AS. grindel,OHG.
Grcndlcs mere
(Grendelipalus). Now
MHG.
repagulum,pessulus; so the name
h'intil,
grintclis precisely
races.

If

Grendel

seems

Logi

related to

Gervase

demon

named

stillin

use

Grant.

same

remarkable,that

It is very

doubt

meaning heightenedno

vectis infernalis,
a
hell-bar,

as

way

Loki

to

in like bolt and

Englishfire-

an

Germans

we

have

expressionfor a diabolic being,its

by compositionwith' hell';hdllric(jel

third synonymous

the

(obex)in
grindel

which shuts one

grindis a grating,
of Tilbury(inLeibn. 1, 980) tells of

loka ; the ON.

bar.

from

comes

devil
hell-brand,

the devil's

or

own

; a

the devil's grandmother;

or
hag is styledhollriegel
and Hugo von
alreadyused this hcUcrigd
Langenstein(Martina4^^)
bolted
Now
of abuse.
hell was
as a term
imagined as beingtightly
and barred ; when
Christ,says Fundgr. 1, 178, went down to Hades
in the strengthof a lion,he made
die grintclbrechen'.
Lastly,
drcmil (pessulus,
Graff 5,531) with
the OHG.
connect
even
we
may
shrewish

old

'

the ON.

trami

tremill,which

or

clathri,cancelli

seems,

in tlie Swedish

and

song

of

As

Thus

'

85"' ;

Stem.

of the
epitliet
this is the Thrymr of the Edda,
dremil
with which our
for jn-ami,
is

Torkar, troUtram

exactlyaccord.

more

J?ikskulo

gneypa

that trami stands

might guess

would

tramar

stole the hanmier.

devil who
one

'

and also,it

both cacodaemon

mean

from

several

an

sides

we

see

the

mythicalnotions that prevailedon this subjectjoininghands, and

be of high antiquity.Foersom
the merging of Logi into Loki must
that the devil is conceived of in
(on Jutl. superstit.
p. 32) alleges,
is tied down.
the polewith which
a load
the form of a liissetra,
i.e.,
Beside

the as, Snorri

Loki

as
a king whose
UtfjarffaloJci,

Thorr

rests

one

was

himself,Sn.

Loki
1

it

'

Tliorlacius's

mainly

probablyof

on

54

of

an

Oegir,each

another
and

who

before

power
that

household

seq.^ Saxo,

theory,of

to

arts

his

the antithesis of

Hler

sets

in

the

ns

deceive
outdid
whole

in the
even

the

Edda,

godlike
other

of his work

supplantedby the Aso:=i,

nature-worsliip
of Lo^'ito Loki, and
an
Okul^urr to Asaf^orr,
standing for thunder,tire,
pair respectively

older

244

OTHEE

once

never
'

the

names

monster, who

in

dwells

he

:
a

brooks

the adventurous

him
.paints

as

thingsof this
giganticsemi-divine

distant land, is invoked

gods,and grants his

other

Lold, tells wonderful

Eddie

163-6

Ugarthilocus,'
pp.

GODS.

aid.

valiant

in

like

storm

Thorkill,

hero,named

all this is but

:
journey to Ugarthilocus

legendaryvariation of the visit which, in Snorri,Thorr pays to

that Thorkill plucksout one
UtgarSaloki. Still it is worth noticing,
of Ugarthilocus's
hairs,and takes it home with him
huge spear-like
the uttermost
borders of the
were
(Saxo 165-6). The titgarcPar
habitable world, where
antiquityfixed the abode of giantsand
hell
monsters, i.e.,
the

of

notion

and

here

bar,closingup

also

it

as

have

may

been

the

were

present that
that

to

entrance

ghostsand demons.
also a Saxon Loico and
Whether
in very earlytimes there was
Alamannic
Lohlio,or only a Grcndil and Krentil ; what is of
an
To
capital
importance is the agreement in tlie myths themselves.
Our
what
cited above, I will here add
something more.
was

inaccessiljle regionof

nursery

made

-tales have

us

the incident of the haii

familiar with

plucked off the devil as he lay asleepin his grandmother'slap

(Kinderm. 29). The correspondingNorwegian tale makes three
but
while he sleeps,
not
feathers be pulledout of the dragon'stail,
after he is dead.

punishment of his misdeeds, is put in chains, like

but he is to be released
who
brought fire to men;

in

Loki,
Prometheus

the

again at

himself in

end

of the

One

birth,pursues the

second

world.

of his children,Fcnrir} i.e.,

in the

moon

shapeof

ivolf,

According to Sn, 12. 13, an old

in the forest gave birth to these giantsin wolfskin girdles,
giantess
the miglitiest
of them
being Mdnagarmr (lunaecanis)who is to
devour the moon
place,while Skoll chases the sun,
; but in another
Hati, Ilru"vitnis sonr
Probably tliere
(Stem.45^^)
dogs the moon.
fuller legends about
written
them
were
never
were
all, which
down ; an
old Scotch story is stillremembered
about
the tayl of
threatens

and

to

swallow

her.

'

To

water.

the

elder series must be added

what
natiire-godcan

(world-snake). But
None?

And

his

was

being not

one

of the

earth,and

Sif=

have

OiSiin

primeval ones

the

taken
1

'

"c.

mi'(5garL"sormr
phxce of?
[Quoted from

the

Suppl.,vol. iii.]
^

Goth.

pannifer'?
the

Cloth,

Fanareis
But

OHG.

standard, in the unrighteous

"

this?]

Fanari, Feniri ?

early Norse does not seem

fano (flag).[Has the
fana, OHG.
the

war

can

to

it be

have

fox

our

the word

holding

up

fahnentrager,
answering
his tail

of beasts against birds,anything to do

.
o
o
.

as

to
a

with

245

SA-TURN.

GRENDEL,

LOKI,

(seeSuppl.). But the popular

and that from the earliest
belief seems
to have extended
generally,
still say, when
Germany, and beyond it. We
times, all over
disturbances arise,the devil is broke loose/as
baneful and perilous
in the North they used to say Lohi er or bondum
(ch.XXIII). In
the Life of Goz von
Berlichingen,
where
everyp. 201 : the devil was

the

and

wolfe

the

warldis

end'

'

'

'

'

'

large ;

at

disorder
i.e.,
geworden,'
from

threatened
ironical

phrase:

threats would

of the

future

safe
Dieu

'

and

'

do

was

prevailed.Of

violence

de duvcl los
any

who

one

distance,the folk in Burgundy used

garde la

popularsong
as

1, 298

des

lune

the time

the

loups! '^ meaning, such

be fulfilledtillthe end of the world ; in the

not

the French

way

chronik

in Detmar's

same

IV. expresses the far end

the wolf's teeth shall get at the

Henry

on

when

la lune avec
les dcnts.^ Fischart
jusqu'a ce que Ton j:"?"c?i?ic
dcs mons,' and most
in several placesspeaks of this ivoJ/
fullyin
his Aller practikgrossmutter : derhalben
dorft ihr nicht mehr fiir
ihn betten,dass ihn Gott vor
den vMfcn wolle hchutcn,denn
sie
werden
ihn diss jahr nicht erhaschen
(need not pray for the moon,
^
In several placesthere circulate
they won't get her this year).
the people rhymes about the twelve hours, the last two
among
zwolfe
die ^volfc,
elfe kommen
um
um
:
being thus distinguished
bricht das gcivolhe'
the wolves, at 12 bursts the vault,
at 11 come
moon

'

'

'

'

death
i.e.,
behef

in

out

too
too

Can

the

there be

appearingof the wolf or

and the burstingof heaven's

the world
if a

of the vault.

echo in this of the old

an

wolves
vault ?

pieceof the wick gets half detached and

is
fast,they say a wolf (aswell as thief)
is like the wolf devouringthe sun
or
moon.
*

have

moon

been

at the destruction

In

makes

of

lightedcandle,
it burn

away
'

in the candle ; this

Eclipsesof sun or
nations ; the incipient

heathen
many
orb marks
of the luminous

terror to

for them
the
obscuration
increasing
when
the gaping jaws of the wolf threaten to devour it,
moment
and they think by loud cries to bring it succour
(ch.XXII, Eclipses).
The breaking loose of the wolf and the ultimate enlargemento(
Loki from his chains,who
at the time of the Ragnarokr will war
accord with the release
the gods,is in striking
againstand overcome
Zeus is then to be overthrown.
of the chained Prometheus, by whom
and

to the
Lanionnaye, glossaire

noei

bourguignon,Dijon 1776, p.

Ps. 72, 7 : donee auferetur luna.

think of the fable of the
in this connexion
the well to eat up the moon, which he takes fur a cheese I
2

242.

Conf.

May

we

wo^f who

goes

down

246

OTHER

The

formula,

'

GODS.

Loki ver"'r lauss

'

riufaz

tillthe gods
regin,
be destroyed),
answers
exactlyto the Greek irplvav eV heafiwv
XaX-ciadr]
(Aesch.Prom. 176. 770. 991) ; the writhingsof
UpofiT^devq
the earth to quake (Siem. 69. Sn. 70),just
the fettered Loki make
in the case
of Prometheus
a-ea-aXevrai
as
')(9(siv
(Aesch. 1081).
noblest sympathy, while the
Only the Greek Titan excites our
Edda

iinz

presents Loki

Loki

was

named

as

fair in

(=imz

hateful monster.

form, evil in disposition

a
giant,
; his father,

and
(boatman ?),his mother Lcmfey (]eaf-ea)
Ndl (needle
mio ok auSJjreiflig,
; thin and insinuating,
355),all of
them
words
translate into
OHG.
to
as
Farpozo (remex),
easy
found.
such
nowhere
He
is
names
are
Loupouwa, Nadala, though
but
called Farbauta
never
always after his mother, Loki
sonr,
Laufeyjar sonr
(Sffim.07'' 72^ 73^),which had its originin
but held its ground even
in prose (Sn.64) and in the
alliteration,
Locke Loje,Loke Lovmand, Loke Lejemand of the later folk-songs.
This Laufey (Swed. Lofo)is firstof all the name
of a place,
which
and here again there is doubtless reference to an
was
personified,
element.
By his wife Slgyn Loki had a son Nari or Narvi, and by
the aforesaid Fcnrir,the serpent
a giantess
Angrloda three children,
and a daughterHd.
It is worthy of notice,
that he
Idrm.unrjandr
himself is also called Loirir(aiirius),
of his brothers Heland one
was

Farhauti

hlindi,which

is likewise

name

of 05inn.

justthrow out these

mythology,in the hope of

mostly foreign to our German

for them future inquiry.
enlisting

names,

Once

again

brought forward

we

turn

must

among

the

our

gods of

of isolated

facts

attention
the week

to

name

already

(pp.125-6),for

almost

which

place
The High German
native antiquities.
week leaves two days,
our
in the middle and
at the end, not named
after gods. But
one
one
sambaztag for Saturday,as well as mittwoch for Wuotanstag,was a
wdiich the church had achieved or gladlyaccepted
sheer innovation,
called after
The first six days were
for those two
days at all events.
the sun, the moon,
and Fria : what god was
Zio, Wuotan, Donar
entitled to have the naming of the seventh
day ? Four German
deities were
available for Mars, Mercury,Jupiter,
Venus, but how
?
Saturn
be put into German
The
Mid. Ages wxnt
to
on
was
explainingthe seventh day by the Poman
god : our Kaiserchronik,
a

in

rare

concurrence

seems

to

secure

which

247

SATUEN.

LOKI, GRENDEL,

sixth

for the third, fourth,fifth and

even

days

names

gods,but only Mars, Mercury,Jupiter,Venus,

itselfthus clumsily:
German

An

Tlien

dem

sameztage sa
eiuez heizet rotunda,
ein herez betehus,
daz was

Is

got hiez Saturmls,

The

der

darnach

That

iz aller tiuvel "re.

was

the

on

no

expresses

Saturday

thingnamed rotunda
a lofty
was
temple,
god was named Saturnus,

Thereafter

all devils'

it to

was

honour.
Here

worship of

the

pantheonbuilt

gods or devils,which Boniface converted into

Frisians,Dutch
of St. Mary. The Anglo-Saxons,
English,
the god'svery
have
left to the 'dies Saturni
Saxons

church

'

Low

and

the

of all the

in honour
a

with

is connected

Saturn

or
Saturday,Saterdei,Saterdnch,
Saiernesdieg,
Scvtcresday
the Irish have adopted dia Satuirn or Satarn ;
and even
Satersdag,
whereas
the French
samedi. Span, sabado,Ital. sabato,agrees with
not only of idea,as in
our
High Germ, samstag. Here is identity,

name:

the

ant-change
gods,but of name, and the absence of consonto
betray downright borrowing: or may the

of the other

case

seems

have

resemblance
have

been

neither
sadere
a

been

in imitation

modified

Satarnes-

nor

of

the

Sazarnestac

genuine German

foreignone

can

be found

(OHG. sazari,conf. saza, MHG.

laga,lage is lying in wait); and

insidiator

means

in wait, as
sitting

remarkable, a

more

and
accidental,

document

of

Edward

the

name

In

OHG
in AS.

; but

insidiae,

saze

M'hat is still

Confessor

(chart,

of
antiq.rot. M. no. 1. Kemble 4, 157) suppliesus with the name
a placeScctercsbijrig,
quiteon a par with Woduesbyrig ; further,the
hahnenfuss, Engl,crowfoot,was in AS. sdtorld(Te
our
plantgallicrus,
OHG.
ON. leiSi,
it were
Saturni taedium
leidi).^I
as
(-loathing,
call to mind, that even
the ancient Franks spoke of Saturnus (p.88)
as
a heathen
god,and of Saturni dolium, though that may have
referred to the
The

last

planetarygod (seeSuppl.).
for the
sabbath
brings us to

mere

'

name

'

the

ON",

laugar-

Saturn and Solomon,

In the AS. are preservedvarious dialoguesbetween
continental
Solomon
Marculf
in
and
Germany, but
similar to those between
cliristian
and, apart from their
more
settingor dressingup, not unlike
anticiue
Edda
between Oi^'inn and Vafl'ruSthe
the questionsand discourses carried on in
and
between
Har
and
Gangleri. Here also the
Alviss,
nir,between Vingj'orr
1

name

Saturn

paganism.

seems

to

make

for my

point,and

to

designatea god

of Teutonic

248

OTHER

GODS.

by wliicli in later times no

dagr,Swed. logerdag,Dan. loverdag,
doubt
washing or bathing day was
meant, as the equivalent
have
Jjvottdagrshows; but originally
Zo^adagr,LoJcadagvmay
been in use/ and Logi,Loki might answer
to the Latin Saturnus,^
as
the idea of devil which lay in Loki was
popularlytransferred to the
Jewish Satan and [what seemed
to be the same
thing]the heathen
Saturn, and
We

might

Locki

ON", is likewise

in

take

seducer,tempter, trapper.

into consideration

by-name of OSinn in
Sa3m. 46% Sa"r or perhaps SaSr, though I preferto take the first
form as equivalent
to Sannr
(true)and Sanngetall,
But that AS. Scetcrcshjrig
from the middle
of the 11th century
recalls the burg on the Harz mts, built (according
to
irresistibly
hitherto despised accounts
of the 15th
our
century in Bothe's
even

'

'

to the
Sachsenchronik)

people

common

touched

upon

Saturn,which

Krodo
206

p.

Hruodo, Chrodo

older

idol

called

in

this

to

Saturn,it is added, the

we

add

may

the

(HreSe,HreSemonaS),for

name

which

an

conjectured.^We are told of an image

of this Saturn
or
Krodo, which representedthe idol as a man
standingon a great fish,holding a pot of flowers in his righthand,
and

wheel

with

the

erect

not
sickle,

Here

of the

Bohemian

tenth

Conf. Finn

I suppose

brazen

Hanka

is called

Kirt),in

the

furnished

was

(seeSuppl.).*
conceptionsappear to overlap.

'

among
it ; but
at all describing

14*^ and

Eadihost

second,Picus

Widukind

Saturni

simidacrum

century, without

glossesin

Saturn

left;the Eoman

wheel

mentions

Mercurius
first,
of

in his

Slav

some

(Pertz5, 463)
Slavs

was

17^ .carry
vnuk

Saturni

Kirtov

In

farther.

us

the
Old
the

'

(Eadigastgrandson
filius is glossed ztracec
'

lex.
Magniisen,

pp. 1041-2, dagens tider p. 7.

Homer's
in his mind
constant
ejDithet,
Kpovos
Kronos.
TBAJfs.
wily,crooked-counselled
dyKv\ofj.T]Tr]s
3
To Hrudo
be referred those names
might now
Boysel (laterspelling
the author

had

"

Reusel) and
documents
is

There

Koydach

an

Hroddag
Hruodo,

Gramaye,

who

understands

them

of Mars

day of the week is

(Graff5, 362),and

ancient
meant.

OS.
corb. " 424, ed. Wigand ; these may be related to
as
Baldag to Balder,and the contraction Roydag, Rodag would
for Hrodsuith. If Roydag should turn out to be the seventli

is found

Hrodo
be like Roswith

day

in

first place it beyond doubt,which

actual Hruodtac,a man's name
in OHG.

must

an

in Trad.

of the week, it would be a strong testimonyto the worship of Chrodo

; i^'
the third,we
have to add, that the third month
also was
sacred to
called Hre S'emona^ by the Anglo-Saxons.
was

it remain
Mars, and

The Kaiserchr. 3750 says, to Saturn we

offer quicksilver
now
; whereas
Saturn's symbol signifies
lead.
In J\Iegenberi:j,
Saturn is called Satjdr. The
Saxon
Saturn
reference to that god '. (Extracted
is supportedby Hengest's
*

from

'

Suppl.,vol. iii.)

GEENDEL,

LOKI,

is

for

name

and

in

give

kingdom

the

up

Saturn

namely

Saturn,
Hruodo.

Sitivrat

know

the

whether

krt,

Pol.

into

the

other

and

wheel-turner,
both
rested

the

Vishnu
is

the

represented

still

are

from

more

who
he
=

Hardly
Edw.

hath

Varuuas,

of

than

with

veracious
Ouranos.'

wheel

that

flowers

but

Slavo-Teutonic

the

his

All

to

suffice

ancient

myth,

which

spell

saved

neck,

by

Vishnu

and

Sitivrat

is

to

put

hand

Krodo's

these

they

Boh.

kolo-vrat,

as

fish

not

sito-vrat,

of

deluge

about

and

prefer

an

for

do

identified

on

hand.^

with

in

of

son

same

great

stands

fourth

Krodo

have

him

Krodo

our

and

round,

Krodo

insecure

and

ing
hold-

coincidences
establish

starts

up

the
thus

quarter.

where

Crete,

to

of

in

of

his

the

move

who

fish,

in

almost

name

meaning

mythologists

wreaths

one

Moore's

corresponds
that

Slav

and

meagre

antiquity

of

(chakra)

high

form

wearing

wheel

(sito)

Sati/dvrata,

Hindu
in

sieve

sieve-turning.

on

with

and

solution

be

should

subordinate

sit

to

Jupiter,

connected
I

the

making

another

and

be

to

be

is

to

mole.^

the

would

afford

(kolo)

wheel

it

that

so

is

i.e., the

Sitivrat

name

sieve-turner,

word

krot,

Picus

Saturn

glance

Zeus,

learnt

is

Stracec=ricus

of

as

Saturn

20^

Sitivrat

first

son

seems

confirm

third

that

the

is the

have

certainly

Slavic

in

(ZTt/fo?)

we

Kirt

at

us

Hermes.

son

which

Euss.

kret,

his

and

see

Picus

Sitivrat

Kirt,

not

(p. loOn.)

treat

to

beside

but

myths

and

leads

249

son);

does

which

Mercury

Greek

fact

Who

Saturn,

Eadigast=

satur

Sitivrat's

Sitivrat.

called

again

Slavic

(woodi^ecker,

zin'

Sitivratov

SATUKX.

ruled

Kronos

Hindu

Pantheon,

Saturn,

is

the

(fulfilled)

(Quoted

Lend.

Indian
vows;

from

and

1810,

Zeus

Satyavrata,
so

was

tab.

I'd

vol.

23."

i.e.,accordintj

Dhritavrata,

Suppl.,

born.
and

ill.)

he

that

hath

to

Sitivrat,
Kulin,

kept-vows

CHAPTEE

XIII.

GODDESSES.

of our
inquiry could aim at
treatingof gods, the course
goddesses^ it seems
separating the several i^ersonalities
; the
there
and all at one view, because
advisable to take by themselves
will come
out
is a common
idea underlying them, which
more
clearlyby that method.
They are thought of chieflyas divine
In

who

mothers

travel

round

and

visit

the

houses,from whom

human

occupationsand arts of housekeepingand husbandry:

spinning,weaving,tending the hearth,sowing and reaping. These
labours bring with
them
and quiet in the land, and the
peace
of them
abides in charming traditions even
more
lastingly
memory
learns the

race

that of

than
as

from
battles,

hold themselves

women

But

and

wars

as

other hand
of

some

most

names

peace
or

well

goddessesas

aloof.

goddesses also take kindlyto

favour

1.

which

agriculture
; and

and

offices between

the

war,

so

do

gods on

there arises

an

the

change
inter-

sexes.

Gaue, Firgunia, Hluodana.

Erda, iSTiRDU,

languages the Earth is regarded as female,and

ing
(incontrast to the father sky encirlingher) as the breeding,teemmother:
Goth, airpa, OHG.
erada, erda,AS. eor"e,
fruit-bearing
hitmus
ON.
from epa^e); Lat. terra, tcllus,
iord",Gr. epa (inferred
Slav, zeme,
ziemia, zemlia, Lith. zieme, Gr. %a/A^ (?whence
mother
Zema
ala, "yala,jP]: the
subjoinedin Arjfnjrrjp,
'XCLfxa^e),
form
erda (alsoherda)is
mate, indicates tlie goddess. The
air]?a,
itself a derivative ; the simplerOHG.
eov
(inthe Wessobr. jjrayer :
noli ufhimil, earth nor
for solum,
ero
heaven) and hero (in a gloss,
In

almost

all

'

'

MHG.
gutin gen. giitinno,
65'^
MS.
15812.
246-7.
2,
giitinne,
; AS.
but
Mones
also weak
gl.4185 Proser])i(jydenpi.gydena,
gydene pi. gydenan,
to gidenan (1.togydenan,additional
iiani
goddess); ON. gy(^ja(which might
be dea or sacerdos fern.),
better tisynja
(seeSuppl.).
OHG.

in

Notker

Trist. 4807.
(jotinne,
=

lias

only

the

Earl.

strong form

seklomer

4, 999) might be

Graff

solum, Graff 4, 102G)

molta, AS. molde, ON.

mukla, OHG.

Goth,

fern, still.^ The

(likeherd

masc.

251

IILUODAXA.

FIKGUNIA,

GAUE,

NIRDU,

EKDA,

or

mold,

of soil,dust ; equallyimpersonalis
only the material sense
tlie OS. folda,AS. folde,ON. fold,conf. feld,field,i^inn. peldo
Hung, fold (terra).But the ON. lOrd' appears in the
(campus),
wife and daughter of OSinn, and motlier of Thorr
ilesh,at once
contain

39.

her

liindr,another

was

97^),called

91=^ 95^

OHG.

is the

name

terrae,and

to

rind

the AS.

hruse

is not

neither in lorS

But

in the

found

of Vali

(Siem.

coarselypainted;

more

cortex, hence

Distinct from

crusta

her

soli vel

is closely
related. As
(terra)
North, neither is the mythical

Germany (seeSuppL).

in

meaning

Saxo, and

rinta, AS.

crusta

this literal sense

in

mother

OSinn, and

M'ife of

Rinda

burr.

called larSar

is often

123),who

(8n. 11.

nor

in

Piindr has

the Edda

brought out

in

is this more
maternal
character ; nowhere
specially
purely and simply expressedthan in the very oldest account we
that Tacitus
possess of the goddess. It is not to all the Germani
Reudigni,
imputesthe worshipof Nerthus, only to the Langobardi(?),
Aviones, Angli,Varini, Eudoses, Suardones and A^uithones (Germ.
nisi quod in commune
40): Nee quicquam notabile in singulis,
clear relief her

est Terrain

Nerthum^ id

intervenire

colunt,eamque

matrem

rebus

Est in insula oceani castum

arbitrantur.
hominum, invehi populis,
uni
dicatumque in eo vehiculum, veste contectum, attingere
nemus,
dcam
intelligit,
penetrali
vectamque
veneratione prosequitui\Laeti tunc
hdus
multa cum
dies,
feniinis
adventu
festa loca, quaecunque
hospitioquedignatur. Non bella
ferrum : pax
et quies
sumunt
omne
arma
ineunt, non
; clausum

sacerdoti

tunc

tantuni

tunc

tantum

mortalium

vestes, et, si credere

ministrant,quos

Servi
1

The

velis,numcn
statim

and

hero

idem

remind

idem

donee

sacerdos

satia-

templo reddat. Mox TcMculum

ijisumsccrcto lacii ahluiinr.
lacus

one

haurit.^

of the

name

Arcanus

hinc

buted
Eor, Cheru, attri-

(supra,i)p. 203-4).
has nehcrtum
have this reading,one
(Massmann in
anzeiger,18.34,p. 216); I sliouUl preferNertus to Nerthus,

no

other

German

MSS.

A'uithones.
seem

not
air]ia,
^

dcam

Mones

liecause

might

ero

amata

and

The

Aufsess

forms

two

Mars

to

More

nota,

conversatione

tam
et

Is adesse

concessum.

The
than
in

As

coUated

words

in Tacitus

have

TH,

except Gothini

and

in herda
tlie asj)irate

for the conjecturalHerthus, though

plead for it,tlie termination -us is againstit,the Gotliic having
Nerth.
S])eIIs
air]nis.Besides, Aventiu ahcady (Frankf.1.580,p. 19'')
assisted at the secret bathing.
lake swall""\vs the slaves wlio had
this incident turns
ployed
emonce
up, of jmtting to death the servants
dug the river out of its bed fur
any secret Avork ; as those who
to

252

GODDESSES.

quid sit illuJ,quod

sanctaque ignorantia,

terror

tanturn

perituri

videut

(seeSuppl.).^
This
beautiful description
agrees
notices of the worship of a godhead to
it

with

what

whom

find in other

we

and

peace

fruitfuhiess

Freyr,son of Niorffr,whose
round
tire country in spring,
with the people
curtained car went
all praying and
holding feasts (p.213); but Freyr is altogether
the goddessNerthus.
like his father,and he againlike his namesake
fixed for certain
The
harvest-truces,plough-truces,
spring-truces,
and
seasons
implements of husbandry, have struck deep roots in
and Donar
law and land-usages.Wuotan
also make
German
our
In

attributed.

were

in their

their appearance

kindly rain

and

crops

whose

Sweden

wains, and
on

p.

invoked

are

the

107, anent

for increase to the

of

car

withholds,I have hinted

Sozomen

name

was

Gothic

god

at Nerthus.

interchangeof male and female deities is,luckilyfor us

as god
by the prayers and rhymes to Wuotan
here,set in a clear light,
have quotedabove (p.155 seq.),
of harvest,which
we
beingin other
Low
to a goddess. When
districts handed
German
over
straight
of the
the cottagers,we
told,are mowing rye, they let some
are
stalks stand, tie flowers among
them, and when they have finished
take hold of the ears
work, assemble round the clump left standing,
The

of rye, and

shout three times

over

Lady Gaue, keep you

Gaue, haltet ju fauer,

Fni

This year

den wagen.
dat ander jarup der kare ! ^
diit

jarup

Next

the waggon,

on

year

fodder,

some

on

the wheelbarrow.

promised him for the next year,

to receive notice of a falling
off in the quantity
Dame
Gaue seems
I see
of the giftpresented. In both
the shyness of the
cases
heathen
christians at retaining
sacrifice : as far as words go, the
a
old gods are to think no great thingsof themselves in future.
Wliereas

had

better fodder

Hameln, it was

the district about

In

in

Wode

bindingsheaves

Alaric's funeral

passedone

over,

(Jornand.
cap. 29),or

or

the custom, when

left

those who

reaper

anythingstandingin

have

hidden

the

treasure,Landn.

Suppl.).
(.see
Speaking of Nerthus, we ought to notice Ptolemy'sNertereans,though he
places them in a very different localityfrom that occupiedby the races who
5,

12

Nerthus

revere
2
'

Braunschw.

they

anz.

1751, p.

mistake for ' hal

call this harvest-custom

haltet

'

in Tacitus.

'

and

900.

Hannov.

something

a barn.
building

gel.anz.

else

'/] In

Arch,

the

1751, p. 662 [isnot

Altenburg country

des henneb.

vereins 2, 91.

ERDA,

253

IILUODANA.

FIRGUNIxV,

GAUE,

NIKDU,

sclioll diit del gaucfnie{pT,

to jeerat him
by callingout:
field,
'^
defnt Gaucn) hebben (is that for dame G.) ?
'

Prignitzthey say fru Godc, and call the buncli of ears

dame
Code's
i.e.,
left standing in each field vergodendcelsstrxiss,
contraction for frau [as in
Vcr
is a common
portion biinch,^
jungfer]; but a dialect which says fauer instead of foer,foder,will
be no
other
This Guode
can
equallyliave Gaue for Gode, Guodc.
fru by the older fro,/ro Woden
than Gwode, AVode ; and,explaining
or
Gaunsdag for Wonsdag, p, 125) will denote a lord
fro Gaue (conf.
of prayer
and god, not a goddess,so that the form
completely
In the

those addressed

coincides with

to

"Wuotan,

the

and

fruh Wod

joined
sub-

preferthe notion
of a female
which, later at all events, was
undoubtedly
divinity,
Got
attached to the term
fru,we
miglitperhaps bringin the OK
(Sn, 358. Fornald. sog. 2, 17), a mythic maiden, after whom
of
The Greek Fala or Fi]is,I consider,
out
February was named.
tiie questionhere.
to fields that have
In an
AS. formulary for restoring
fertility
in the note

been

bewitched,there

'

ercc, erce, ercc,

her

mother

(seeSuppl.). If

p. 156

on

corpan modor
be

to

seems

'

by

meant;

which

not

the earth

firstis

but
herself,

however, the expressionis still

in
there lie disguised

enigmatical.Can

addresses ; the

remarkable

two

occur

one

erce

proper

name

Ercc gen.

adj.erchau, simplex,genuinus,
? it would
to write Uorce ? ought
correct
surelybe more
germanus
it to suggest the lady Urchc, Hcrkja,Herche,Helche renowned
in
heroic legend? The distinct traces in Low
Saxon districts of a
our
Harkc
In Jessen,
divine dame, Hcrkc
or
by name, are significant.
the Elster,not far from Wittenberg,
a little town
on
they relate of
will be shown, holds good of
as
frau Herke what in other places,
In the Mark
she is called frau Harkc,
Freke, Berhta and Holda.
is said to fly through the country between
and
Christmas
and
dispensingeartlily
Twelfth-day,
goods in abundance ; by Epiphany
the maids have to finish spinningtheir flax,else frau Harke
gives
Ercan, connected

prayer

ITannov.
of the

anz.
;to1.

"-.

XXII

the

OHC.

1751, p.

heatlieu

72G.

j\rore

their
Litluiaiiiaiis,
of the ale on
the ground :

llieyspiltsome
riinku darbus

with

to

blooming Earth, bless

Knhns
markische
'/^[^'^^^'the cry of the dwarfs

'

plensingto

the

par

is the

short

when
in
eartli-gocUIes^s,

drinking?
pukylek niusu
Zcmenyle ziedekle,

the work

sagen, pp. 337.

de gaue fru is uu

of

our

hands.

372, prof.p. vii.

dot

(dead)'.

Conf. in ch.

254

GODDESSES.

good scratchingor soils their distaff (see Suppl.).iIn

find in
current ; we
of the name
was
earlier times a simplerform
Persona
Gobelinus
(Meibom 1, 235) the followingaccount, which
Hera
colebatur a
therefore reaches back beyond 1418 : Quodautem
Saxonibus, videtur ex eo quod quidam vulgaresrecitant se audivisse
ab antiquis,
prout et ego audivi,quod inter festum nativitatis Christ i
ad festum
epiphaniaeDomini doniina Hera volat per aera, quoniam
Junoni
aer
deputabatur. Et quod Juno quandoque
apud gentiles

tliem

et
tintinnabulis
alis,
appellabaturet depingebaturcum
Hera
sen
corrupto
dicebant
vulgares praedictotempore : vrowe
illam sibi conferre rerum
et credebant
Here de vlughet,
nomine
vro

Hera

Have

temporalium abundantiam.
"Epa,Hero meaning earth
also contains

Urce

AS.
Herke

be of

must

second

The

we

? and

the

does

here stillextant

the old Ero,

"Hpa belong to

it ?

then

same,

the

even

If the

form

diminutive

high antiquity.

address

in the

AS. ritual is

same

call to the earth

(whole)be thou earth,mother

in Tacitus.
terra mater
of men
; which
agrees with the expression
The widely extended
worship of the teeming nourishingearth
fathers,
foreour
doubt
would
no
among
give rise to a varietyof names
just as the service of Gaia and her daughter Eliea mixed
the
itself up with that of Ops mater, Ceres and Cybele.^ To me
between the cultus of Nerthus and that of the Phrygian
resemblance

'

hal

thu

wes

/oleic,
firamoJor

'

hale

gods appears well worthy of notice.

of the magna
641 describes the peregrination
lion-drawn
ear
through the lands of the earth :
of

mother

Quo

insigniper

magnas
horrifice fertur divinae matris
nunc

Ergo

primum

quom

tacita mortaleis

munificat
aere

magnas

atque

deum

mater

"

in her

praeditaterras
imago

invecta per urbeis

muta

argento sternunt

2, 597

Lucretius

iter

salute,
omne

viarum,

stipeditantes,ninguntquerosarum
largifica
umbrantes
floribus,

The
it

liomans
a

as

pp. 371-2
"

called the A^I. kal.

feast,Ovid. fast. 4, 337

Adalb.

Kulm

; conf.
mater
=

Ops
quod nunc

in the

comitumque

matrem

Apr. lavatio

catervam.

matris

deum, and kept

forscluuigen1, 123-4, and

Markisclie

Mark,

sagen

Singulariamagdeburg.1740. 12, 768.

terra

mater

Ceres

fruges,antiqnisenim
Geres,quod gerit

ed. 0. Miiller p. 25.

G ; Varro de ling,lat.,
also to lead to yrjixtjttjp(seeSuppl.
seems
).
ATjurjTTjp

Her

Greek

tion
appella-

ERDA,

NIRDU,

FIRGUNIA,

GAUE,

lubricus influit Alnio,

Est locus,illTiberin qua

et

nomen

perdital) amue

magno

illicpurpurea canus
Almonis
dominam

Ammian.

Marcell. 23, 3

diem

ante

minor

lavit

sacraque

p. 355) : Ad Callinicum, ubi

matri deorum pompae
celebrantur
undis ablui
simulacrum
Almonis

Eomae

"

IS-t

scio

plantasante carpentum

togatosmatris Idacac sacris.

proceres

essedo

Lapisnigellusevehendus
muliebris

oris clausus argento

dum

quem

aquis.

(Paris1681,

annales, et carpentum qvo vchitur

perhibetur. Conf. Prudentius, liymn.10,
Nudare

sacerdos

veste

cum

kal. quo

sextum

255

ULUODAN.V.

Almonis

praeeundo ducitis

ad lavacrum

pedes remotis

calceis

atterentes

usque

sedefc,

rivulum.
pervenitis

way Nerthus, after she has travelled round the

country, is bathed in the sacred lake in her waggon ; and I find it
noted, that the Indian Bhavani, wife of Shiva, is likewise driven

Exactly in

round

the

same

her

and
feast-day,
Csee Suppl.).^
on

Nerthus's

Eiigen,in
Schwarze

'

island

the middle

and that when

service,

Gregor. Turon.
some
PlirygianCtjhele
'

Ferunt

sancti

was

etiam

has

adored,that
he

by

was

weary

maiden

glor.conf. cap. 77 compares

Gallic goddess,whose
worship he

or

suarum,

was

misero

adfuit supradictusSimplicius episcopus,hand

dt'ferrent,
ante hoc dmulachrum, gemitumque
ccmtantes atque psallentes

droivncd
with

confounds

describes

(Augustoduno)simulachruvi fuisse
Symphoriani passionisdeclarat historia.
et vinearum

maintained

was

of her, she

de

salvatione agrorum

the Brahmans

been

in hac iirbe

martyris

carpento,pro

What

secret lahe

supposed to mean
there is actually
a
lake, called the
is told as a legend,that there in

ocean

of which

devil

'

the

Burgsee.

see, or

ancient times the

in his

in

bathed in

as

follows

the
:

"

sicnt
Berecynthiae,
Hanc

cum

in

more
gentilitatis

procul adspiciens
pro stultitia plebis

emittens ait : illumina

Domine, oculos hiijuspopuli,ut
quaeso,
nihil
est ! et facto signocrucis contra
Bereeynthiae
cognoscat, c^uiasimulachrum
in terram
ruit. Ac detixa solo animalia,quae plaustrum
protinussimulachrum
hoc ([uo vehebatur trahebant,moveri
non
poterant. Stupet vulgus innumerum,
conclamat
et dcam
hwsdm
onniis caterva
vidimne, animalia
; immolantur
ad

Deum

sed
verl)i'rantur,

moveri

non

possunt.

Tunc

de
([uadringenti

ilia stulta

est ulla

viri conjuncti simul ajunt

:
deitatis,
si
pi'ocedere
; certe
eiigaturspontc,jubeatque boves,qui telluri sunt stabiliti,
immolantes
et
unum
Tunc accedentes,
moveri necpiit,
nihil est deitatis in ea.
nullatenus
de pecorihus,
viderent
deam
moveri, relicto
suam
cum
posse
ad
unitatem
conversi
ecclesiae,
gentilitatis
errore, inquisitoqueantistite loci,
sunt
baptismate consecrati.'
magnitudinem. sancto
cognoscentes veri Dei
Compare the Legenda aurea cap. 117, v"-here a festuni Veneris is mentioned.

multitudine

ad invicem

si virtus

256

GODDESSES.

in

out

have

lake/ must

the black

satiated with

in

account

of the

the
But

in its favour

f and the Danish

claim

good a
goddess.
as

are

no

the

lake with

the Baltic

in

erewhile

have

sacred

the

her

the scale

local features to turn

islands

been

have

to

perversionmaybe,
when
the goddess,

disappearin

other

attendants.

the

as

makes

Tacitus, who
of men,

converse

there

arisen,gross

at least

of the

seat

that demand
earth-goddess,
the
Old Norse, partlyto be gathered from
:
pai-tly
investigation
both
the
In
Eomans.
Skaldskaparmal,p. 178, she is named
Fiorgyn and Hlod'yn.
treated already,p. 172 ; if by the side
Of Fiorgyn I have
neuter
a
of this goddess there could stand a god Fiorgynn and
have

We

passes

confirms

side of the

for the

names

more

fairguni,if

noun

common

time

yet

idea of Thor's

the

mother

the

at

same

and
thundergod,it exactlyparallels
female Nertlius (Goth. Nair]?us,
by the
gen. Nair]?aus)
Nior"r
masculine
(Nerthus),
just as Treyja goes with
into that

of the

Freyr. If it was not wrong

god Fairguneis,Lithuanian

to

Perkunas

infer from

mythology

has

mountain-

equally

goddess

Ferkunatele.

Hlo"yn
safelyinfer
56

Thorr

is derived
a

lanuuase

same

way

as

Fiorgyn,so

Hluodunia.
Hlopunja and OHO.
Hlo"ynjar^ which is son of
mogr
1, 469 says : i Hloc^ynjarshaut.

Gotli,

is called

Fornald.

and

in the

sog.

Mod'

is

'

hearth,^ the goddess's

name

that
In

we

may

Voluspa
again;

earth
In

the

therefore

ON".

means

herd (p.251),beside solum

and our OHG.
fireplace;
focus, arula,fornacula, the hearth
terra, also denotes precisely
or
a paternal
Lar, so
habitation,
beingto us the very basis of a human

of
protectress

the

also
speak,correspondingto the mother earth. The Eomans
name
worshipped a goddessof earth and of fire under the common
is still more
But what
of Fornax, dea fornacalis.'^
importantto us,
Low
lihenish ground a stone, first kept at
discovered on
there was
the remarkable
:
Cleve and afterwards at Xanten, with
inscription
to

132.
Deutf^^c'Iie
sngen, num.
*
cle Hertha gift
in Pomerania
Of Hertlia a proverb is said to be current
:
und
fass
and
Hall.
lit.
fiillt
schiin
imd
z.
1823, p. 375).
allg.
(barn
vessel),'
gras,
the un-Saxon
betraysthe
But
rhyme of gras with fass (forfat) sufficiently
rule of the farmer :
workmanship. It is clumsilymade up after the well-known
^

'

und fass ' (seeSuppl.).

fiilltscheunen
hlaSan hluS, struere,Gramm.
later, strues, ara, from
2, 10, num.
Ovid. fast. 2, 513.
kiihl und

Mai
3
*

nass

83.

257

ISIS.

VERVS.

C. TIBEEIVS

SACRVM

HLUDANAE

DEAE

Hliodana

answers
goddess,but her name
and Sk. Thorlacius has the
to that of the Xorse
divinity,
perfectly
and learnedly
of the
merit of havingrecognised
proved the identity
of
I see striking
evidence of the oneness
In this inscription
two.^
Norse and German
mythology. Thorlacius,not without reason,
with
tlie name
Might not Hldrri"i,
Arjra)and Latona.
compares
Hlod'riffi/
be explained
as
an
epithetof Thorr the son of II16c5yn,

is neither

lioman

nor

Celtic

Neiialennia.

2, Tanfana.

goddess stands wrapt in tliicker darkness, whom

calls Tanfana, and a stone
Tamfana (TAMinscription
and
of her name,
the
sure
are
SACEUM,
p. 80). We

Another
Tacitus
FAXAE

termination

is tlie

-ana

as

same

in Illudana

Bertana, Eapana, IMadana.

names,

it any

with

locked up

insightinto

sure

from

the

other

and

fern, proper

of

the

word,

of
significance

her

being,are

The

sense

and

us.

Belgian or Frisian dea

of like import*^
several inscriptions
Nehalennia,about whose name
all doubt ; but the word has also given rise to forced and
remove
In other inscriptions
found
the
on
interpretations.
unsatisfying
lower part of the Ehine there occur
compounds, whose termination
the same
word
to contain
-nchahus,dat. pluralsfem.)seems
(-nehis,
forms
that
the first half of Nehalennia
; their plural number
to indicate nymphs rather than
a
goddess,yet there also
appears
hangs about them the notion of a mother
[see ch. Xyi, the
We

also allude

must

brieflyto

the

Walacliuriun).
3.
The

account

because
farther,

in

Tacitus

it can

of

(Isis).
the

be linked with

goddess Isis

carries

livingtraditions

of

us
a

much
cultus

in the Mid.
that stilllingered

tlie

worship of

I'ars Suevorum

Ages. Immediatelyafter mentioning

Hercules, and Mars, he adds (cap.9) :
j\Iercurius,
et Isidi sacrificat. Unde
et origoperegrine
causa

Coiif. Fiedler,
Iior. sjjec.3, Ilafn. 1782.
gesch.nndalt. des nnteru
Anti"[.
in his
Gotfr. .'^'chiitze,
8teiner's
cod.
l^heiii
632.
inscr.
'J2(3.
no.
1
,
Germanieiis,
of
but
could
De
the
dea
value
the
Hludana,
stone,
Lips.
1748, perceived
essay
1

not

discern the
-

Montfaucon

of
bearings
ant.

I'acad. celt. 1, 199"245.

the matter.

Vrcdii hist.
expl. 2, 443.
Mone, heidenth. 2, 346.

17

Flandr.

1, xliv. Mem.

de

258

GODDESSES.

in modnm
lihurnae
comperi,nisi quod signuinipsuni,
figuratum, docet advectam
religionem. The importationfrom
abroad can
Ids, seeingthat Mercury,
hardly consist in the name
that
have
sounded
must
Mars, Hercules, names
equally unlooked
foreignwas the symbol,
German, raised no difficulty
; what
the figure
of a skip,reminding the writer of the Eoman
navigium

parum

sacro,

Isidis.

springhad set in, and the sea, untraversed duringwinter,

used
the Greeks and Eomans
to hold
a
was
once
more
navigable,
done
and present a shipto Isis. Tliis was
solemn procession,
on
the fifth of March
(III non. Mart.),and the day is marked in the
evidence
kalendarium
rusticum as Isidis navigium} The principal
who
writers
later
is found
in Apuleius and Lactantius,^two
are
When

than

Tacitus,but the

older date.
of

back

to

walking by

coins Isis appears

Alexandrian

On

reached

have

must

custom

much

the

side

Pharus, unfurlinga sail.

that

Say

from
how

Greece, to Eome,

worship of Isis had penetratedto

tliat in the first century, or
to imagine,
we
race
inhabiting
conveyed to one particular

Egypt
are

before,it had got itself

the heart

of

the same,

and

have

It must

Germany

the

perhaps long established

been

similar

cultus,not

amongst other Germans

as

well.
I will here draw

time, which
1133,

year

in

added, and
with

it halted,there

ever

strange custom
with

connected

be

of

about

to

river to

Maestricht, where
and

Tongres,Looz

mast
so

and
on,

sail

where
every-

it. Wherepeopleassemblingand escorting

shouts,songs of triumph and dancing
-were
joj/ful

of

Gesner, script,rei rust., ed. Lips. 1773.

1, 8SG

so

also in tlie Culend.

lenitis maris

the

About

this.

and in the C'al.lanibec. (Graeviithes. 8, 98).

vallense,
Apiileiimet. \\h. 11 (Ruhnken p. 764-5): Diem, qui dies
sedatis liibernis
nascetur, aeterna mihi nuncupavit religio
; quo
et

later

much

a
shipwas built,set
(inEipuaria),
who
the countryby men
were
yoked

(Aix),then
the

Inda

near

up

crowds

to

me

drawn

it,first to Aachen

were

to

forest

wheels,and

upon
to

appears

attention to

ista nocte

ex

tempestatibus
dedicantcs
lluctibus, navigabilijam pelagorudem
procellosis

libant
primitiascommeatus
debeljis operiri
profana mente
; nam
carinam

mei
meo

Id sacrum
sacerdotes.
sacerdos
in
mouitu

sollicita

nee

ipso procinctu

de.xtra sistro (Egyptian timbrel) coliaerentem

gestabit
continuare pompam
Incontauter
meam,
coronam.
ergo dimotis turl)ulis alacer
sacerdotis deosculabunvelut manum
volentia fretus ; et de proximo dementer
belluae istius corio te
dus rosis decerptis,
pessimae mihique detestabilis dudum
in lastis,quo
habetur
dies
Lactantius, instit. 1, 27 : Certus
protinusexue.

pompae

Iddis

roseam

manu

naviyium celebratur,
quae

res

docet illam

non

tranasse, sed

navigasse.

250

ISIS.

round

notified to

ship was
out

shipkept

the

have

chronicon

the towns, which

detailed,yet

abbatiae

importanceI
Est

till far into the

night. The approachof the

opened their gates and went

it.

to meet

We

up

genus

not

complete,reportof

S. Trudonis, lib. xi.,which

will here

insert,from

Pertz

mercenariorum, quorum

12, 309

officium

on

it in

account

Eodulfi
of

its

seq.:
est

ex

lino et lana

superbum super alios mercenarios vulgo

et
procacitatemet superbiam humiliandam
reputatur,ad quorum
quidam rusticus ex
propriam injuriam de eis ulciscendam
pauper
technam.
Inda^ banc diabolicam
villa nomine
Accepta
excogitavit
fiducia et a levibus hominibus
auxilio,qui gaudentjocis
a judicibus
in proxima silva navem
et novitatibus,
composuit,et earn rotis
obtinuit quoque
vehihilem super terram
a
effecit,
supposiiis
affi.gens
humeris
Inda Aquisut injectis
ex
funihus fextorum
potestatibus,
traheretur.^
sexiis
utriiisque
grandi
Aquis suscepta cum
granum
textoribus
hominum
nihilominus
a
Trajectum [Maesprocessione:
tricht]est provecta,ibi emendata, malo veloqueinsignitaTungris
abbas
[Tongres]est inducta, de Tungris Los [Looz]. Audiens
(sancti
Trudonis)^ Rodulfus navim illam infaustooviine covipadam
studio
nostro
hvjusmodi gcniilitatis
malaque solutam alite cum
ut ejus
oppido adventare,praesago spirituhominibus
praedicabat,
sub hac luditicatione
susceptioneabstinerent,quia malignispiritiis
in ea traherentur,
in proximoque seditio per earn
nioveretur, undo
caedes, incendia rapinaeque fierent,et humanus
sanguis multus
funderetur.
ista declamantem
onmibus
diebus, quibus
Quem
loci morabatur, oppidani
mcdignorum spirituum illud sinndacrum
nostri audire noluerunt,sed eo studio et gaudio excipientes,
quo
fori sui dedicaverunt,
in medio
perituriTrojani fatalem equum
scvtentinm
"iTithm[\\Q
proscriptionis
accipiuntvillae textores, qui ad
profanashujus simulacri excuhias venirent tardiorcs. Pape ! Quia
vidit unquam
in rationalibus
tantam
(ut ita liceat latinisare)
animalibus brutitatem ? quis tantam
in renatis in Christo gentditexere

telas,hoc

procax

et

Indon

in the Jiilich country, afterwards

Cornehniunster, not far from
conf.
Pertz
394.
4SS.
514.
299.
489.
592.
2,
;
1,
This of shipsl)eing
built in a wood and carried on men's shoulders reminds
'
of Saxo Gram.
one
humeris
traveeta Alpes'(PlinyN.H.
p. 93, and of the Ari^^o
3, 18 ; their beintf set on ^v]leels,
of Nestor's story about Olen'; conf. the ship
of Fro above.
[An inadvertence on the author's part : the ship is not ' carried,'
'
but
drawn
by rojjes thrown over the weavers' shoulders '.]
Aix

St. Tron

between

Liei/e and

Louvain.

260

GODDESSES.

tatcm

Cogebant
stipareomni

navim

sententia

textores,
proscriptionis

iiocte

et

die

ei excubias nocte
solicitasque
continuare.
et die
fuit,quod non
Mirumque
cogebant eos ante
navim
solent regione,
esse
Ncptuno hostias immolare, de cujusnaves
sed Neptunus eas
Marti reservabat,quod postea niultipliciter
tum
facarmaturae

gcncre,

est.

Textores

judicem

super

eos

detrudebant, cum

eos

et

interim

occulto sed

praecordiali
gemitu Deum
justum
vindicem
invocabant, qui ad banc ignominiam
juxta rectam \'itam antiquorum Christianorum

virorum
apostolicorum
die

et

manuum

operantes, unde

laboribus

suarum

alerentur

et

viverent,nocte

vestirentur,liberisquesuis

idipsum providerent. Quaerebant et conquerebanturad invicem

illis magis quam
unde
aliis mercenariis
haec
lacrymabiliter,
inter Cbristianos
alia plura
ignominia et vis contumeliosa, cum
niultum
officia suo
essent
nullum
tamen
cum
aspernabiliora,
de
dicerent aspernabilo,
Christianus
posset se sine peccato
quo
conducere, illudque solum

vitabile et

ignobilequod immunditiam
peccaticontraberet animae, meliorque sit rusticus textor et
exactor
urbanus
orphanorum et spoliatorA'iduarum
jjauper, quam
et nobilis judex. Cumque
liaec et eorum
similia secum,
ut dixi,
lacrymabiliter
conquererentur, concrepabantante illud,nescio cujus
potiusdicam, Bacchi an Veneris,Neptuni sive Martis, sed ut verius
omnium
dicam ante
malvjnorum spirituum execrabile domicilium
Christianae
musicorum, turpiacantica et religion!
genera diversorum
Sancitum
ut j^radcjindignaconcineniium.
qiioqiie erat ajiidicibus,
navi appropinquarent,
tcxtores,quicumque ad tactum
pignus de collo
nisi se ad libitum redimerent.
eorum
ercptunitcxtoribus relinquerent,
Sed

quid faciam

stillaret de

esset

loquarne an

labiis meis

sileam ?

utinam

mendacii
spiritus

fugitivaadhuc luce diei imminente

luna matronariim
ccdervae
abjectofemineo pudore audientes strepialiae
de stratis suis exiliehcmt,
tum
hvjus vanitatis,passis capillis
clamide circumdatae, clwrosquedutrntum
seminudae, aliae simplice
Videres
cerdibus circa navim
se admiscebant.
impudentcrirruinpcndo
animas
ibi aliquandomille bominum
sexus
utriusque p)rodigiosum
ft

infaustum celcusma

sub

usque

vero

execrabilis ilia cborea

cum

inconditarum

quae

tunc

sexus

ad

rumpebatur,emisso

uterque

bac

videres agere, nostrum

contingit graviterluere.

celebrare.

noctis medium

Istis tam

ingenticlaviore

illacquebaccbando

est tacere

nefandis

et

Quando
vo-

ferebatur ;

dellere,quibns modo

factis

plus quam

duo-

20 1

ISIS.

decim

supradictoritu celebratis,confercbaut

diclus

dc deducmda

quid agerent amodo

Qui sanioris

Deuni

sibi pro

et

stulta

nitebatur.

videiunt

facta

isto vcl illo modo

coecitas

quorundam

susccptam fuisse

earn

hortahantur
conjiciebant,

liis futura

aut
(combureretur)

qui

his quae

pro

huic

oppidiiiii

navi.

se

consilii,et

evant

lebant, timentes

simul

de

salubri

do-

audierant,

et

comhuratitr

ut

medio

tolleretur ;
consilio contumeliose

sed
re-

ISIam

malijui sjnritus,
qui in ilia fcrcbanfur,disseniinaverant
in populo,quod locus ille et inhabitantes
prohroso
nomine ampliusnotarcntur, apud quos rcmansisse inveniretur.
Deducendam
igiturearn ad villain,quae juxta nos est, Leugues decreLovaniensis

Interea

verunt.

dominus

illius ridicido,instructusque a

audiens

viris terrae
religiosis
monstro, gratiam suam

vitando

et terrae

mandat

commonefaciens
oppidanisnostris,

illam

inter

quae

mata

illos et

viciniae

cum

quo

in

luderent.

inde

committerent, pacem
diciam

reformata

erat

se

et

de

suae

illo

et amicitiam

Immiliter,ut pacem
sacranientis

confir-

Quod

praedictamin

si ultra

hoc

mandatura

et ipsevininfringerent
ferro et igne exsequeretur. Id ipsum mandaverat
dominis, qui et homines ejus fuerant manuatim, et

eos

Durachiensibus

sacramentis
interpositis

et

obsidibus

jam tertio fecisset,

spretus est

cum

eos

navis

et inde praecipue illud diaholi ludihrium

iufringerent,
inferrent ; quod si ludum
suae
dicerent,quaererent
esse

non

aliuni

arcendo

suae

de dacmoiiioso

Durachiensibus

dominis.

lebat

mittere

eum

datis sibi confoederati.

tam

ab

oppidanisnostris

propter peccata inhal)itantium

Xam

Hoc
quam
vo-

Loignem et anna
Ad lianc igitmjdchciamfatmtatem
vaniensium.
adjunxitse dominus
Gislebertus
(advocatusabbatiae S. Trudonis) contra
generis sui
illam
nobilitatem, trahendamque decrevit navcm
tcrream
usque
nostro
villam, quod et fecit malo
Leugues ultra Durachiensem
omni
omine
multitudine
et ingeuti
cum
oppidanorum nostrorum
dehacchantium
vociferatione.
Leuguenses,oppidanis nostris pruDominus

dentiores

Lovaniensis

et

clauserunt

suas

super

locum

domini

mandatis

infaustiominis

et

nostrum

monstnim

obsequentes, portas
inirare

non

'pcr-

miserunt.
Lovaniensis

contemptum
suis
nee

autem

nolens

esse

mandatorum
et
suarum
prccum
inultum, diem constituit comitibus tanquam

dominus

hominibus, qui neque

ad tertium

ad

venire voluerunt.

primum,
Eduxit

neque

ad

ergo

contra

secundum,
eos

sed

et contra

262

GODDESSES.

multorum

nos

multitudinis

exercitum

armatorum

tain

peditum

militum.
Nostro
firmius
igituroppido seposito,
tanquam
quam
munito
et bellicosorum
hominum
pleiio,
primum impetum in Duraclnenses

fecit,
quibus viriliter resistentibus castellum, nescio
obsedit,sed inter Leugues et

possetnon

cum

vit.

sequentidie

Durachium

quare,

pernocta-

exercitum

Cumque
applicaredisponeretet ex
enim
habebat
quatuor partibusassultum faceret,
ingentem multitudinem, supervenitAdelbero Lletensium
primiceriusfiliorum Lovaniensis doniini avunculus, cujus interventu,quia comitissa Duracastellum
erat
chiensis
erat soror
sancti
ejus,et Duracliiense
ab
dominus
Lamberti, Lovaniensis
impugnatione cessavit et ab
obsidione se amovit, promissoei quod Durachienses
paulo post ei
Et cum
educerentur.
ista et alia de dominis
ad justitiamsuam
et inter dominos
nostra
tractarentur, pediteset milites per omnia
molendina
se
diffuderunt,villas nostras, ecclesias,
circumjacentia
occurrebant
combustioni
et quaecumque
et perditioni
tradentes,
recedentes vero
quae longe a nobis fuerant prout cuiqueadjacebaut
inter

se

diviserunt.

is put in an
Obviously,throughout the narrative everything
odious light; but the proceedingderives its full significance
from
this very fact,that it was
and
so
utterlyrepugnant to the clergy,
sinful and
that they tried in every
it as
to
a
way
suppress
heathenish
On the other hand, the secular power
pieceof work.
it ; it rested with
had authorized the procession,
and was
protecting
to grant admission
to the approachtlie several townships,whether
ing
have
to
ruled that it would
ship,and the popularfeelingseems
be shabby not to forward it on its way.
Mere dancing and singing,
common
as
they must have been on
with the peopleof that time, could
all sorts of occasions
not have
so
exasperatedthe clergy. They call the ship ' malignorum
and
diaboli ludibrium,'take for granted it
spirituumsimulacrum
knocked
and
was
together infausto omine
gentilitatis
studio,'
that
it may
that maligni spiritus travel inside it,nay,
well be
'

'

'

'

'

'

'

called

of Neptune
shi]3

or

Mars,

of Bacchus

or

Venus

"

burn

it,or

make

Probably
survived

some

the

circumscribed
I

peopleof

common

recollections of

though checked and

entirelyuprooted.

they must

with it somehow.

away

among

consider

an

ancient
for
this

that

heathen

region there still

worship,which,

had
centuries,

never

yet

ship, travellingabout

been

the

2G3

ISIS.

country, welcomed
festive song and

goddesswhom
broughtpeace

by streaming multitudes,and
dance, to be the

of the

car

Tacitus identifies with

god,or

Isis,and

who

honoured

with

ratlier of that

(like Nerthus)

and

As the car was

to mortals.
covered uj),
fertility
of
the ship seems
to the interior
to have been
so entrance
denied
to men
an
image of the divinityinside.
; there need not have been
Her
it was
the people had
name
long ago forgotten,
only the
learned monks
that stillfancied somethingabout Neptune or Mars,
Bacchus
Venus : but to the externals of the old festivity
the
or
l")eople's
apjDctite
kept returningfrom time to time. How should
in the wood
that pauper
rusticus
at Inden
have lightedon
the
in his mind
thoughtof buildinga ship,had there not been floating
recollections of former processions,
in neighbourperhaps of some
ing
'

'

districts ?
It is

worthy

of note, that the weavers,

craft in the

Netherlands,but

hateful

compelledto

draw

ropes tied to their

guard

it ; in

coming

too

shipby

return, they could

it,and fine

near

Piodulf does
after it had

the

or

the

to

and

arrogant
herd,were

numerous
common

shoulders,and

to

keep the rest of the people from

take pledgesfrom those who did so.^

at last of the
terrea navis,'
say what became
that circuit ; it is enough for him to relate,
how,

not

made

'

for it and refused,

heats and quarrels
reception
beingdemanded
could only be cooled in open
This proves
arose, which
the
war.
interest
taken by contemporaries,
warm
fanned as it was
to a flame
for or againstthe festival by the secular and the clerical
party.

on

There

traces

are

to be

beginningof springin
which

had

other

found

of similar

at the
ship-proccssiom
in Swabia,
partsofGermany, especially

then become

Suppl.).A

minute

the seat of those very Suevi of Tacitus (see

of the town-council
of Ulm, dated St. Nicholas'

1530, contains this prohibition:Item, there shall none, by day

night,trick or disguise
him, nor put on any carnival raiment,
'

eve,
nor

shall

moreover

with

on
shi2)s
plough ahont

to

seems

have

been

the

more

the

plough and
of draivingthe
widely spread,having

Doe.^ the antlior

imply that the favour of the peasantry,as oiiposedto

relic of the worship of Earth i
likely that this was
a
that the processionwas
that of the German
Isis ; Tacitus

makes
iutizaiis,

Supposing
nowhere
]"eace and
Carl
"

Iccephim from the going about of

pain of 1 gulden ',2 The custom

it

even

tells

us

what

the

functions

Trans.
fertility'.
trchwiib.
stadtewesen
Jager,

of this Isis were,

or

that

she

"

des MA.

(]\Iid.
Ages),1, 525.

'brought

264;

GODDESSES.

performedin honour of the divinityfrom

fruitful year and the thrivingof crops was
looked for.
it was
fires.
ship-procession,
accompanied by dances and bondoubt

no
originally

W-hom

Like

the

Sebast.

been

Frank,

ol'^ of

p.

his Weltbuch

On

'

the

Ehine,

the young men

do gatherall the
places,
and 'put them in a plough,and draw
dance-maidens
their piper,
who
sitteth on the plough piping,
into the water
; in other parts they
draw
2^.fiery
plough kindled with a fire very artificialmade thereon,
and

Franconia

divers other

until it fall to wrack.'

how

'

Enoch

Wiedemann's

evil-minded
Shrove-Tuesday

On

it such

yoking

to

behind

them

damsels

lads drove

did not

as

chronik

pay

Hof

von

tells

'ploughabout,

; others

ransom

went

and
sawdust.'
sprinklingchopped straw
(Siichs.
provinz.bl. 8, 347.) Pfeiffer,chron. lips,lib, 2, " 53 : Mos erat
antiquitusLipsiae,ut liberalibus (feastof Liber or Bacchus, i.e.,
circum
carnival)personatijuvenes per vicos oppidi aratriim
ducerent,puellasobvias per lasciviam ad illius jugum accedere
'

etiam

repugnantes cogerent,hoc veluti ludicro

ab iis quae

similar

and
wish

at

the

innuptae ad eum
more
processions,

present

shij)over

heathen

to shew

the

idea,which

details will be

that the

country
after

mansissent

diem

usque

seem

drivingof
both

to

expetentes

poenam

'}

On

these

given hereafter;I only

and
that of
the j^lough
rest

on

the

old-

same

the

tianity
dislodgementof the gods by Chriscould only maintain
itself in unintelligible
of the
customs
festation
people,and so by degreesevaporate : namely, on the visible maniwho
of a beneficent
benign divinityamong
men,
where
everyit
of
in
with
demonstrations
when
approached
springtime
joy,
and
loose
the rivers released from ice,so that
the soil was
again
In this w^ay tl:e
and navigationcould begin anew.^
agriculture
1

maids

Scheffer's
who

Haltaus, 202.

Hans

had not taken onen, were

this day, in the churches

Sachs

also relates I. 5, 508%

how

the

forced into the

j)lough(see Sujipl.).
bited
villagesof Holstein, largelyinhawhich in springtime,
when
by seamen, there hang littleshi'ps,
navigation
in
custom
re-opens, are decorated with ribbons and flowers : qnite the Roman
of Isis (p.258). We also find at times silver shipshung up in churches,
the case
-

To

of

some

in case
of a safe arrival home
;
voyagers in stress of weather have vowed
old instance of this I will borrow from the Vita Godehardi
Hildesiensis :
an
Fuit tunc temporisin Trajectensi
episcopatuvir quidam arti mercatoriae dedi-

which

transiret ; hie
tus, qui frequentermare
medio mari deprehenditur,
ab omnibus

quodam tempore maxima

tempestate in
conclamatur,et nil nisi ultimus vitae
timetur.
tinito aliquantotempore auxilium
Tandem
terminus
beati Godehardi
si evaderent,devoverunt.
Hos
in
implorabant,et argenteam navim delaturos,
ecclesia nostra
navim
argenteam deferentes postea vidimus
(in King Lothair's
chi dice,una
e
: E
nave
vo farfare,
time). In a storm at sea, sailors take vows
'poiportarlain Vienna
al gran barone ; Buovo
d'Antona
The
5, 32.
Lapps at

HOLDA,

Sueves

of Tacitus's time

her ship
by carryingto take

women

the

in

weavers

mother

part

in her

stand
fairly

have
The

about.

in the

honour

forcingof
to

seems

looked

once

punished the

for Dame

done

to tlicir

A^enus, Holda

indicate

and

; in

that
the

kindly on

backward

goddess

unmarried

festival is like the constraint

Eipuaria,and

progi-ess at

and
ivedloclc,

and

must

265

HOLLE.

this

sense

young

put
the

bond
she

upon

divine
of love

might

Frecke.

ship not only to Isis,but to Athene.

her sacred peploswas
At the Panathenoea
conveyed by ship to the
it was
mast
to whose
suspended as a sail,was
Acropolis: the sliip,
ground
moved
the Kerameikos, and
on
built on
dry land by an underand all round it,
mechanism, first to the temple of Demeter
to the citadel.
The
past the Pelasgianto the Pythian,and lastly
peoplefollowed in solemnlyordered procession.^
Greeks

The

We

must

not

dedicated

omit

to

mention, that Aventin, after

transforming

frau Eiscii,and making iron (eisen)take

of her worship,and
in
from
its name
her, expands the account
addition to the little ship,states further,that on the death of her
to the
father (Hercules)she travelled through all countries,came
German
king Schwab, and staid for a time with him ; that she
grinding,
taughthim the forgingof iron,the sowing of seed,reaping,
kneadingand baking,the cultivation of flax and hemp, spinning,
weaving and needle work, and that the people esteemed her a holy
woman.2
We
shall in due time investigate
her
a goddessZisa, and
the Tacitean

claims

to

Isis into

connexion

with

4.
Can

the

name

under

Isis.

Holda, Holle.

which

the

Suevi

worshipped that goddess

oflFerto their jauloherra

small shijis
smeared with reindeer's blood,and
yiile-tide
han;? them on trees ; Hogstrom, elterretninger
om
Lapland,p. 511. These
votive giftsto saints fill the placeof older ones
of the heathen
time to gods,
tlie voyagers
as
to Helgohuid continued
long to respect Fosete's sanctuary
too were
(p. 231). Now, as silver ylovrjhs
placedin churches,and later in the
Mid. Ages were
demanded
even
as
dues, these shipsand idoughstogether lend
a welcome
support to the ancient worshipof a maternal deity (see Suppl.).
1

Philostr. de vitis sophist,

lib. 2 cap. 1, ed. Paris. 1608, p. 549.
le Maire de Beiges in his Illustrations de Gaulle,Paris,1548,bk.
3 p. .xxviii : ' Au
temps du([uel(Hercules Allemannus) la deesse Isis,ri)yne
veint en Alh-maigne et montra
rude peuple I'usaige
de mouldre
la
au
*|
farine et faire du pain.' J. le Maire
finished his work in 151'J,Aventin
not
till 1522 ; did they lioth boirow iiom the
out in
spuriousBerosus that came
the 15th century ? Hunibald
makes
a queen
Camhra, who may be compared
Mith
the Langobardic Gambara, introduce
the arts of
and
-

So Jean

%'.ypt",

building,
sowing

weaving (seeSuppl.).

263

GODDESSES.

wliom

identified with

the Eomans

Isis

at least

not

may

"

of her

one

Holda ?
have
been
The
has a purely
name
secondary names
Teutonic
meaning,and is firmlygrounded in the livingtraditions
of our
peopleto this day.
Holda
is the kind, benignant,merciful goddess or lady,from
Goth. hul]?s(Luke 18, 13 ; root, liil}?an
hold
(propitius),
hal]?
"

hollr ;
to bend, bow), ON.
hul];un,
Hulpo. For the oppositenotion

Ulphilasemploys
which

from

I infer

both
a

the
of

Gothic

of it would

form

be

malignant diabolic being,

the fem. unhtdpo

and

the

hulpa by the side of hulpd :

masc.

one

unlmdjja,
mation
confir-

more

running through the idea of these

divinities. It is true, such a by-name could be shared by several
genius by
gods or spirits.Notker in the Capella81 renders verus
in
lioldo '. And
holde (fem.and masc.)
MHG.
min ware
parlance,
and commonly used for ghostlybeings.
been
known
have
must
Ovid's Metamorphoses,
Albrecht
of Halberstadt, in translating
ivazzcrholde
uses
(gen.-en) for nympli ; rhyme has protectedthe
from
words
exact
corruptionin Wikram's
poeticparaphrase.^In
the largelyexpanded Low
version of the Ship of Fools
German
find the followingpassage
1519 ; 96^) we
(Narragonia,Eostock
Mannich
which
lovet (beis wanting in the HG,
text :
narre
und der gudcn kollcn (bonorum geniorum)
an
lieveth)
vogelgeschrei,
is the MHG.
iinholde (fem.),
frequentoccurrence
gunst '. Of more
unhold
of a dark, malign, yet
modern
our
(masc), in the sense
of

the

double

sex

'

'

mighty being.
The
Holda

restricted
example of the more
furnished by Burchard, bp.of Worms, p.

earliest
is

of the

use

name

194=" : ^ Credidisti

1 Frankf.
rh. solden ; 176* wazzereiner wazzerliolclen,
1631 ; 4, ITl'' von
holde,rh. solde.
quoted p. 257, we might by a
If,in the inscription deae Hludanae
welcome
be even
this would
more
substitute Huldanae,
slight transposition
ancient evidence
for
be the most
than the analogy to ON. HloSyn, it would
female
she alreadyis by the Goth. unJmlpo and the OHG.
as
Hulda, supported
name
Holda, a rare one, yet forthcomingin Schannat, trad. fuld. no. 445 ; also
hrst appeared
Schutze's treatise De dea Hludana
Holdasind
in Graif 4, 915.
Lips. 1741 ; and when Wolf (inWodana, p. 50) mentions a Dutch one De dea
this can be no other than a very
Hiddea, Trajecti1746, if that be reallythe title,
Hulda
which occurs
in
tempting conjectureby Cannegieterfounded on our
weak
OHG.
woidd
mean
our
form,
Holdun,
A Latin dative Hiddanae
Eccard.
in Latin docs, inflected Bertanae,
AS. Holdan, justas Berta, Hildegarda are
Bertana,
Hildegardanae ; though there may also have sprung up a nom.
'

'

'

lead us
too would
So the dat. Tanfanae
Tanfa, and cut short all the attempts to make
ON. man's
an
the Latin fanum.
Tan/a su;7Pests

Huldana.
nom.
or

to at
out
name

'

all events
of -fana a
or
Dan])r,

German

Celtic word
the

OHG,

267

IIOLLE.

UOLDA,

quod quaedam adiabolo

aliquafemina sit,quae hoc facere possit,
deceptaese affirmant necessario et ex praecepto facere debere,id
ut

est

stultitia

vulgaris

quara

equitaredebere

noctibus
consortio
'

turba in siniilitudinem

daemonum

cum

super

annumeratam

nnholda'

dea,'who

paganorum

The

univ. 633.

placeof

in the

the

usual

in

se

Burchard

more

is named

in other passages

certis

lectio

varia

remarkable

the Cod. vindob.

word

here put the German

transformata,

(al. vnholdain)vocat,
quasdam bestias,et in eorum

esse.

from

is taken

Holdam

mulierum

like

'

has

Diana
and

sense

[A still earlier notice of Holda is found

in Walafrid
Strabo,see Suppl.]
In popular legends and
(Hulda,
fraa Holda
nursery-tales,
frau Holl)appears as a superior
being,who manifests a
Holle/ Ilulle,
kind
cross
and
helpful dispositiontowards men, and is never
in the

connexion.

same

she

except when
the German

appear to
the Hessians

far

as

native of
the

the

crosses

up to the
frontier of

Austria,North
IJavaria,
that

have
and
the

these oral traditions

Thuringians(thatWorms

Saxony

from

of
so

bishop

is found

as

Franconia,^in

in northern

mts

Thuringia she

Swabia, Switzerland,

Saxony.
and

Holle

time, dame

same

Westerwald,* and
Lower

affairs. None

household

cherished

Ehon

Voigtland,^
past the

Wetterau

the

At

Hesse).

in

disorder

races

as
extensively
was

notices

Friesland

do not

know

her

by

name.

From

what

tradition has

still preservedfor us,^we

followingcharacteristics. Frau
the shy,begirdling
the earth :

Holle is
when

it

gather the

a beingof
as
represented
she is making her
snows,

TH
or
[/has become ch in sachte,
arise yet further possithere
would
bilities,
nichte, achter, rnehtliar or ruchbar, ""c.],
to the OHG.
would
masc.
Tancha
female
correspond
name
a
(grata)
e.(j.
Dancho
Gibicho, Haupt'szeitschr. 1,
(gratus)Gratf 5, IGi) ; conf. Dank rat
of Iluldaaa, and confess that Hludana
I am
not
convinced
573
may also
the
weight of
maintain
and
be explained as Hli'tda (clara,
;
praeclara)
itself,
the
of gute
use
these however,
the scale. Among
turn
other argmiients
must
holl
of
and
regin (Sa^m. GO^)
holden and hollar Vivttir (Siem. 240'')for spirits,
for gods,is es])ecially
worthy of notice. In ON. the adj.hollr had undergone
Hiddr retained
OHG.
assimilation (Goth. hul])s,
hold), while the proper name
looks very
huldr
occultus,celatus,
the explanation
the old form ; for to me
dubious.
'
Holle from Hulda, as FoUe from FuhUi,

danipli
; granted a change of

root

F into CH

"

=:

"

Ueichenfels p. 152.
id. 1, C8.
2, 62.
idiot. 73. 341.
Westerwald.

Jul. Schmidt's

'

Keinwald, Henneb.

""

Schmidt's

Kinderm.

chronica

no.

24.

Deutsrche

1, IGJ-C (seeSuppl.),

sagen,

2, 174.

Schmeller

uos.

"

8.

Falkenstein's

Thur.

2GS

GODDESSES,

rain
Zeus

ascribed

the Greeks

Jio?

357 ;

so

fly.^ Slie stirs up snow, as

the productionof snow
and

the feathers of it

bed, and

II. 5, 91. 11, 493

o/x/3po9,

that Holda

before

conies

us

well

as
as

as

does

Donar

rain to their

II.19,
Ato'i,
vi."^dhe"i

goddessof

no

rank."^

mean

comparisonof snowflakes to feathers is very old ; the Scythians

pronounced the regionsnorth of them inaccessible,because they
filled witli feathers (Herod.4, 7. conf. 31). Holda then must
were
be able to move
througlithe air,like dame Herke.
the lake and fountain; at the hour of noon
She loves to haunt
she may
be seen, a fair white lady,hathing in the flood and
Mortals,
disappearing;a trait in wiiich she resembles Nerthus.
her dwelling,pass through the well ; conf. the name
to reach
The

wazzerholde?

; when

met

resemblance

is, that she drives

linchpinput in it by
picked up the chips,
they were

had

She

waggon.

of

point

Another

he

progress,

wdiich,like

between

Christmas

of Herke

those

and

peasant whom

gold.* Her

Berhta, is made

and

Twelfth-day,when

in

about

she

annual
to

fall

the

supernaturalhas
mentioned
by their

sway,^and wild beasts like the wolf are not

Not otherwise does
Derk with
to the land.
bringsfertility
names,
the boar,'that Freyrof the Netherlands
(p.214),appear to go his
time Holda, like
rounds
and look after the ploughs. At the same
'

Wuotau,

can

also ride

on

the winds, clothed in terror,and

god, belongs to the

fancy,that witches ride in
the

'

Dame

Holle

Scotland, when

shakes

the

her

wiitende

heer'.

Holla's

company

From

The

men

o' the

p. 283.
East are

the

arose

XXXIV,
(cli.

bed, Modejoiirn.1816,

first flakes fall :

this

she, like

snow-

They say in
pyking their

sending their feathers here awa' there awa'. In Prussian Samland,

when
it snows
: The
angels shake their little bed ; the flakes are the downbut
feathers,
drop past,and get down to our earth.
many
^
here also
As other attriljutes of Holda
have passed to Mary, we
may
whose
dame
feast was
into
the
ad
notre
Maria
aux
nives,
bring
neiges,
comparison
held on Aug. 6 ; on that day the lace-makers
of Brussels pray to her,that their
In a folk-songof Bretagne : Notre dame
work may
keep as white as snow.
de
!
Marie, sur votre trone
neige (Barzasbreiz 1, 27). May not the otherwise
Hildesheim
legend of Hillesnee (DS. no. 436) have arisen out of
unintelligible
and

geese,

Holde
^

sne

If the

?
name

in the

brunnenhold

Marchenbuch

of Allj. Ludw.

Grimm

1,

a
signifies
fountain-sprite.[Newborn
genuine piece
HolWs j^ond; Siippl.]
babes are fetched by the nurse
out oH dame
* A
Reichenfels p. 152.
similar legend in Jul. Schmidt's
s This
I suppose
the christian sentiment
must
be a purely heathen view.
that expressedby Marcellus
i. 1 :
in Hamlet
was
no
spiritdares stir abroad,

221

is

of tradition,it

'

the

nightsare wholesome,

"c. '.
"

Trans.

HOLD

Wives)
; it
Hesse

and

already known

was

the

2C9

A, HOLLE.
to

BurcharJ, and

Westerwald, HoUc-ridinfj,to

ride

now

with

in

Upper

Holle, is

furious host,'
equivalentto a witches' ride.^ Into the same
adopted the souls
accordingto a wide-spreadpopular belief,were
of infantsdi/ingunhcq^tizcd
having been cliristian'd,
they
; not
remained
to
or
heathen, and fell to heathen
gods, to Wuotan
'

llulda.
The

Ilulda, instead

step is,that

of her

divine

shape,
of an
the appearance
assumes
vglijold ^voman,
long-nosed,bigand thick-matted
hair.
He's had a jaunt
toothed,with bristling
with
whose
hair sticks up in tangled
Holle,'they say of a man
disorder ; so cliildrcn are frightened
with her or her equallyhideous
train :2 'hush, there's Hidle-hdz
(-bruin),
Hidlc-popd (-bogie)
well as Hersche, Harsche, Hescheklas,
as
coming.' IIolle-2xicr,
is among
the names
Euprecht,Eupper (ch.XVII, house-sprites';,
given to the muffled servitor who goes about in Holle's train at the
next

'

of the

time

she is

solstice.

depictedas

difference of
dark

winter

and

In

old witch

an

story,her kind and

dreadful

nurs3ry-tale
(Marchen no. 24)
with long teeth ; accordingto the
graciousaspect is exchanged for a
a

one.

Again,Holla is set before us as a spinning-wife

; the cultivation
of flax is assignedto her. Industrious
maids
she presents with
and spins their reels full for them over
spindles,
night; a slothful
distaff she sets on fire,
soils it.^ The girlwhose
or
spinner's
spindle
she
dropt into her fountain,she rewarded
bountifully.When
Estor's oljerh.

siib v.
idiot.,
Eiasm. Alberus,fable 16 :
(liesich forehten selir (were sore
1

Ea

kamen

ancli

zu

diesem

lieer Yiel weiber

Und
afraid),
trugen sicheliiin der hand, Frcm
Hulda
hat sie ansgesandt.' Lnther's Expos, of the Epistles,
Basel 1 J22 fol.
'
Here
()9''cometh
dame
Hulde
:
with
the
snout
to
botch-nose),
np
(potznase,
wit, nature, and goeth about to gainsay her God and give him the lie,hangeth
her old ragfairabout her, the straw-harness (stroharnss)then falls to work,
;

and

nature
rebellingagainstGod
scrapes it featlyon ]wv fiddle.' He compares
to the heathenish
Hulda
with the frightful
nose
(Oberlin,sub v. potzniiinnchen),as she enters, mulUed up in straw and frippery,
to the tiddle's playing.
3

Bruckner, Contril).

to the
Franconia

a popular
Henneberg idioticon,
p. 9, mentions
'On
the
the HolLJnai
:
part
high day comes
and tlirows in reels; whoever
(Hollefra, Hullefra),
does not spin them full,
she
breaks their necks,'
hA'ra
Berlda
and
'On
Berhtolt
and
the
the
(conf.
Devil).
is
she
which
Death
reminds
out'
of 'Carrying
in
high day
burnt,'
one
'I'eutonic and Slav countries,and
in Italy and
Sawing the old woman
Spain. By the addition of -frau after the name
(conf.gaue fru, p. 253)
v.e
Cod.
perceiveits originallyadjectivecharacter.
pal. ^.35'': ich wen,
kain schnsel in haiin ncken wart
nie a Is hesslich als du bist,'
I ween
no
crow
scare-

belief in

that

of

'

'

'

on

distair

was

ever

as

U"lv

as

tiiou.

270

GODDESSES.

the land

enters

at

well

all the distaffs

are
Cliristmas,

stocked,and

standingfor her ; by Carnival, when she turns homeward, all

and
the staffsare now
be finished off,
kept out of
spinningmust
her sight(Superst.
683) ; if she finds everythingas it should be,
her curse
contrariwise
and
her blessing,
she pronounces
; the
so
formulas
good years ! and
hairs, so many
so
many
many
oldworld sound.
bad years ! have an
Apparently
hairs,so many
left

'

'

'

'

been

thinsis have

two

during the

'

'

shows

at the same
a

Tlie

w^ill come.^

Holla

In

the Khon

left in the diesse,

or

be

the

implements
holiday,which ought
of

of her

mts,

also told,that

are

we

concealment

the sacredness

time

time of rest.^

when

one,

flax must

twelve-nights no

dame

to be

into

run

they

do

no

farm-work

on

drive the team

anor
Saturday,neither hoe, nor manure,
field '. In the North too, from Yule-day to New-year'sday,neither
Danish, 134; SuppL).
wheel nor windlass must go round (seeSuperst.,
and of strict order in the
of agriculture
This superintendence
such as we
marks exactlythe office of a motherly deity,
household
of
and Isis. Then her special
care
with in Nerthus
got acquainted
'

Hidlas

housewives, who
Jiax and spinning (themain business of German
after sword and
are
after spindleand distaff,^
men
named
as
are
to the ON.
leads us directly
Frigg,OSin's wife,whose being
spear),
and
after whom
of an
a
melts
into the notion
earth-goddess,
constellation in the sky, Orion's belt, is called Friggja.r
rockr,
Friggae coins. Though Icelandic writingsdo not contain this
the Swedish
in use
it has remained
country-folk
among
name,
called
Friggerock).The constellation is however
Mariroch
Maridrocli,Dan.
(Magnusen, gloss. 361. 376), the
to
old idea on
christians having passed the same
Mary the
The Greeks put spindleand distaff in the hands
heavenly mother.
II. 20, 70)
Aitemis (')(^pua7j\dKaTo"i,
of several goddesses,
especially
and her mother
Leto, but also Athene, Amphitriteand the Nereids.

(Ihre,sub

v.

All this fits in with

host),and
1

of

Holda, who

is

goddessof

the chase

(thewild

water-springs.

Braunsclnv.

aiiz.

86

1760, no.

the

dicsse is the bundle

of flax

on

the

dis-staff.
-

This

makes

one

think

Gertrude.

of

good
gel.Eussland).
holds

same

'^

RA.

163-8.

of the
470.

Russian
Women

The

almanacks
peasants'

in

nibbling at the thread on a

ought to be no sjnnningon her dav. The
Strahls
Friday (Kopitarsrec. von
piatnitsa,

represent that saint by two

as
a signthat there
spindle(vreteno),
Carniola

are

little mice

c^alledin AS.

friSowebban,peace-weavers.

derive dame

might be tempted to

One

In

in the Old Testament.

271

HOLLE.

HOLUA,

Holda

Kings 22, U

and

from

character

2 Chron.

34,

22

we

prophetessrT^Sn Iluleddali,Huldah, for which Luther

puts Hulda ; tlie Septuaginthas 'OxBd, the Vulgate Olda, but the
Lat. Bible Viteb. 1529
(and probably others since) Hulda,
read of

with

followingLuther, who,
in

Several times
had

prophetess among
liis writings
he bringsup the

instance

an

had

him

before

Holda

German

in his mind, thus

Jewish

the

domesticated

the

Ijack.^

two

or

page

put the

two

his

countrymen.

old heathen

I do not

know

life ;

if any

we
one

together;but certainlythe

names

conceptionof a dame Holda was not first drawn from the

stands
of the Vulgate,which
Olda
there without
special
any
of the name
significance
; this is proved by the deep-rootedness
in our
language,by its general application[as adj.and com.
and by the very ancient negative
noun] to several kinds of spirits,
whole

'

'

unholda.
it

Were
own,

should

we

Eddie

for

only

bid

Snorri

(Yngl.saga

seiSkona)named
the 14th

Hidda,

c.

not

of

wife

mountain

and

notion

that.

as

later Icelandic

circumstantial

and

traditions with

answering to
17) speaks of a wise

OSinn, and

goddessesThorgerSr
some
are
Norwegian

Norse

Holla

Hiddr, and

century gives

the

sucli

to
a

16.

beloved

kinshipof

adieu

has

mythology

the

Irpa.^
Danish

Of

(volva,
composed in

well-known

half-

weight perhaps

more

folk-tales

but

woman

saga

of the
still

of the enchantress

account

mother

True, the

Holda

our

our

about

wood

or

Hulla, Huldra, Huldre, whom

they set forth,now

and lovely,
then againas old and gloomy. In a blue garment
as young
and white veil she visits the pasture-groundsof herdsmen, and
minglesin the dances of men ; but her shape is disfigured
by a tail,
which she takes great pains to conceal.
Some
make
her
accounts
beautiful in front and ugly behind.
She loves music and song, lier
lay has a doleful melody and is called Inddrcslaat. In the forests
see

you
head

Huldra

of

her

as

an

as

mistress

infants from
or

queen

I believe Luther
followed the
he does in Jehova, Judn, tS:c. Trans.
"

clothed

woman

in gray,

flock,milkpail in hand.

people'sunchristened
alone, but

old

Muller's sa-abibl. 1, 3G3"

6.

She

tliem.

of the

marching at

is said

Often

she

to

carry

the
off

appears,

not

who
mountain-sprites,

are

the
Hebrew, merely clroiiping

final

h, as

272

GODDESSES.

Iceland

liuldrefolh}In

called

of tins

they know

too

of
IluldufdIJc,

point of agreement
with the popularfaith of Germany, namely, that by the side of our
silent
also holden,i.e.,
a
Holde
there are
dame
friendlyspirits,
dame
subterranean
Holde, so to speak, is the
people,of whom
princess(seeSuppl.). For this reason, if no other,it must be more
from
the ON.
to explain the Norse
correct
name
Hidla, Hiddra
which
is huld in Dan. and Swed., and
hollr (lidus,
fidelis,
pi-opitius)
the OiST.hulda (obscuritas)
to the subterranean
not from
as referring
of the
abode
mountain-sprites. In Swedish
folk-songsI find
Huldumemi

the

'

and

huldmoder, hulda

here

'

moder

another

find

we

one's real mother

said of

in the

same

(Sv. vis. 1, 2, 9); so that huld must

(dear)moder
word.
It is likely
that the
German
have quitethe meaning of our
hulduiulk
was
term
imported into the Icelandic tongue from the
Danish or Norwegian. It is harder to explain the li inserted in
the forms
Haldra, Hiddrc ; did it spring out of the pluralform
? or result from composition?
hollar Victtir)
hulder (bouigenii,
the
The German
Holda presidesover
spinningand agriculture,
and milking.
Norse Hulle over
cattle-grazing
sense

kara

as

5.

being
her

makes

similar to

leaves

or

the

off,in Swabia,

Austria.^

and

J"avaria

Holda,

Berchte.

preciselyin

appearance

Holda

where

Pkrahta,

those
in

is called

She

under

same

Upper

Alsace,

in

another
German

name,

regions

Switzerland,in

in OHG.
frau Berchte,i.e.,

luminous, glorious(as Holda

Feralita,the bright,^

produces the
snow) : by the very meaning of the word a benign and
glittering
such ; as
as
rarelyrepresented
gladdeningintluence,yet she is now
she
side is brought into prominence,and
a rule, the awe-inspiring
Hallager p. 48. Faye
for
Strom's
and 10. 15. 25. 26. 36.
1813, p. 85.
Frigge,nytaarsgave
Villes
Vilses
Sillejord.
Spydeberg 2, 419.
p. 230.
1, 538-59.

Details to be found

pp. 39-43
8ondni6r

in Miiller's

passim.
portion of Franconia

sagab.1, 367-8.

Asbiornsen,
2

there

all events
the

at

Exposition of
Berchte side by
=*

side.
celebrated

the

Among

is called

Mengl63

herself

betrothed

Svipdagr

appears

to

marvellous

Thnringia knows both Berchta and Holda,

the two.
is the boundary between
Matthesius,in his
dame
Hulda
and old
gospelsfor feastdays,
p. 22, names
and

some

one

'su

in

in

of

is a Biort (Seem.Ill*),
(111^),and the father of her

MengloS

sulbiarta

'

A MengloS in a later story

(sun-bright,
112''').
a
(Fornm.
dream
sog. 3, 222-3),and leaves him

Solbiartr

pairof gloves.

maidens

appears as a
stories of dame

Berclda

in those

does

one

grim bugbear

christian view

had

to

the bad

of dame

273

iJERCHTE.

PERAIITA,

frightenchildren with.
as
meaning predominates,

Holda;

degraded Berchta

that

lower

In

the

the

good
pojjular

is to

say, the
than Holda.
But

she

and some
others (see
with Herke, Freke
evidentlyone
Suppl.).
out most
their identity
Where
comes
plainlyis in the fact that
time,in the so-called twelfths'
they all go their rounds at the same
however
has
and
Christmas
a
between
New-year. Berchta
which I never
day assignedher at the end of that period,
particular
is

too

'

find named

after Holda.

And

less similar

no

are

their functions.

oversightof spinners;whatever
spinningshe finds unfinished the last day of the year, she spoOs
tional
512). Her festival has to be kept with a certain tradi(Superst.
and fish. Thorr
food,gi'uel
says he has had sildr ok hafra
has preand oats)for supper, Saem. 1b^ ; our. white ladij
scribed
(herrings
for evermore,
the country folk a dish of fish and oat-grits
it is omitted
whenever
and is angry
(Deutsche sagen, no. 267).
The Thuringiansin the Saalfeld country wind
up the last day of
Berchta, like Holda, has

the year

the

with

dumplings and herrings.Fish and farinaceous food

considered by christians the proper thingfor a fast.^
were
The revenge taken by the wrathful Berclda,
when
she misses the
sound : whoever
has
fish and dumplings,has a quaintand primitive
partakenof other food on her day,she cuts his bellyopen, fills it
for
with chopped straw, and sews
a ploughshare
up the gash with
iron chain
needle and
a
an
525).^
by way of thread (Superst.
Tlie Braunschw.
anz.
17G0, p. 1302, says no leguminousplantsare to lie
'. Either a
when
dame
Holla is going ronnd
in the ' twelve-nights
to be understood
of particular
kinds of pulse.
or
niistake,
^
Holle.
the same
Almost
is told iu the Voigtlandof the JVerre or dame
Tlie W'erre,
the holy eve
of the high New-year, holds a strict inquiry
on
whether all the distaffs
are
spun off
; if they are not, she defiles the flax. And
that evening you must
of Hour and water
on
aat jwlse,
a thick pap
preparedin
^

eaten

omits
peculiarway ; if any one
it,she rips his body open, Jul. Schmidt,
IVerra (from her 'gewirrt,'tiinglcd
shaggy
Reichenfels,
p. i.;2. The name
is found
in Thoni. Reinesius,
Lect. var., Altenbg 1640, p. 57:) (in the
hair'/)
critical notes
Bachmann's
Liber Kiranii.e.Audr. Kivinus
on
or
IJhyakinus's,
dum
et refractariis
Nostrates
Kirini,Lips. 1G38) :
hodie([uei)etulantioribus
furibundam
manducum
aut
hiante
frendcntem
ore
dentibus,
alii[uemcum
silvescente coma,
comitatu niaenafacie lurida,
et cetero habitu terriljilem cum
from
duni
IVerram
iriterminantur.
Reinesius (1587-16(37)
came
Gotha, but
lived at Hof in the Voigtland. A werre
is also a noisome
chirpinginsect of
IVcrre (i)iscordia
the cricket kind (Popowitsch 620). In MHG.
: 'siBJetdiu
in
ir samen
her seed, Ms. 2, 251*^,
conf. Troj.o85 (seeSuppl.)
sows
dai-,'
; and

18

274

GODDESSES.

the

And

threat

same

is lield out

in

other

districts also

(see

Suppl.).
Borner's Folk-tales of the

Orlagau (betweenthe

Saale

and

the

details.
At p, 153 : The
Orle) furnish abundant
night before
Twelfthday,Perchtha always examines the spinning-roomsof the
whole
neighbourhood,slie brings the spinnersempty reels,with
full within
brief time, and if all she
directions to spin them
a very
be delivered,she punishes them
cannot
demands
by tanglingand
occasion she cuts open
befoulingthe flax. On the same
any one's
body,that has not eaten zemmcdc ^ that day,takes out any other
food he has had, and fillsthe empty space with hay or straw
wisps
and bricks,and at last sews
his body up again,
usinga ploughshare
for a needle,and for thread a rohm
P. 159 : At Oppurg, the
chain.
same
nightof the year, Perchtha found the spinning-roomfull of
merrymaking guests,and in a toweringrage she handed in throughthe
"

which
twelve cm-ptyreels,

window
an

she would

hour,when

passedafter

in fearful

another

empty reels,then
the tow,

over

handed

back

come

garret,reached down

up to the
the

were

so

full to the rim within

quarter

; one

when
expectation,
a

they spun

roll of tow, and

two

of

full.

saucy

wrapped

Perchtha

had

girlran
it round

of thread

they

came,

off with

she walked

their finished work, and

hour

an

thicknesses

three

or

that the reels looked

to her

over

to be spun

it,

in
shakingher head, (Conf.the similar story of the white manikin
Bader, p. 3G9). P. 167: At Langendembachlived an old spinningwife,who swiftlywound the thread all the winter through,and did
and
Twelfth day-eve,though son
much
leave off on
not
as
so
"

warned
daugliter-in-law
with

'.

you

shirts,I

must

pushedopen,

'

her

'

If Perchtha

'

her answer,
Heyday ! was
After
spin them myself

Perchtha

looks into

lb.
re^el (Wackernarrel's
Selpliartes

it will go

comes,
'

Perchtha

bringsme

while

the window

the room,

and

903), there

is

throws

some

hard
no

is

empty

exhibited,together with

a
Wirra, ' der sin herze mit weltZornli and bruoder Ergerli,
lichen dingen also heworren hat (has so entangledhis lieartwith worldlythings),
in mag '. And that notion of tangledthread and hair, which
daz da nilit me
after all be akin to this. On L. Zurich
abont Bertha and Holda, may
prevails
she
because
she is called de Chlungere,
puts chlungel(knots,Inmps) in the nn-

bruoder

bruoder

colonien in Piedmont,
finished yarn of slothful maidens, Alb. Schott, Deutsche
is
often
Berhta
by St.
represented
Bohemia,
In Bavaria and German
p. 282.
the
Lufz
cuts
Frau
Dec.
13.
belly
on
open,
Lucia, though her day comes
Schmeller
2, 532. Jos. Bank, Bohmerwald, p. 137. Conf. the Lusse in Sweden,

Wieselgren. 386-7.
1

Made

evidently.

of flour and

milk

or

water, and

baked

in

pan

fastingfare,

275

BERCniE.

PERAHTA,

spoolsto her,wliich she must have back, spun full,in an hour's

The spinnertook heart of grace, spun a few rounds on
time.
each
spoolfor dear life,and threiv them, one and all,into the brook that
to have
been
ran
seems
past the house (and by that, Perchtha
to
appeased). P. 173 : As a miner was
returningfrom Bucha
Konitz on
Perchtha's night,she came
up to him at the cross-roads,
"

and

demanded

with

He

waggon.

threats,that he should

his

took

knife,cut the wedge

fitted it into Perchtha's

waggon, who
picked them up, and

fallenchips. He
every pocket in which

he

had

as

made

put

well

as

him

at home

icedgein
he

could,and

present of the

he drew

put Perchtha's

182

gifts.P.
"

in Kostriz

late

when

Perchtha's

drivingin

came

had

eve,

One
pole of her waggon.
suppliedhim with wood,
carried
P. 113
the
at

home

several

Between

while

she

on

Perchtha's

be

ready late

of the heimchen

heimchen

had

underground

to

with

had

the

her

as

in the

peg

Perchtha

handy
a

man

reward.

"

fruitful vale of

dwellingof

the

water

till

Perchtha

knife,and

let in, and

was

peg

put

Two

old ;

fields of men,

plough. At last the

with her, and she determined
to quitthe country ;
the ferryman at Altar village
received notice to
eve
in the night,
and when
he came
to the Saale bank,

peoplefell out

his eyes

the

worked

had

men

to

in his shoe
money
in the
Wilhelmsdorf

and

queen

command

called to them

of the
the

little way,

piecesof

Bucha

Saale,Perchtha
her

and

waggon,

but

gone

of

gold out

peasants of Jiidewein, after stoppingat the alehouse

on

her

beheld

tall

dame
stately

her

surrounded

children,
by Vy^eeping

and

She stept into the craft,the

demanding to be ferried over.
littleones
draggeda plough and a number of other tools in,loudly
lamentingthat they had to leave that lovelyregion. Arrived at
the

other

side,Perchtha

fetch the heimchen

bade

that had

the

been

boatman

left

cross

behind,which

once

and

more

under

compulsion
been mending the plovgh,
she pointed to the chii^s,
and said to the ferryman, There, take
that to reward thy trouble '. Grumbling,he pocketed three of the
chips,and at home flung them on the window-shelf,and himself,
ill at ease, into bed.
In the morning,three gold-pieces
lay where
he had thrown
the chips. The memory
of Perchtha's passage is also
he did.

She

in the

meantime

had

'

at
preserved
not

far

from
at

Kaulsdorf
Gera.

Colba

"

was

on

the

P. 126

coming

Saale,and
Late
home

one

from

at Kostriz

night,the
Oppurg,

on

the

master

where

Elstcr,
wright
wheelhe

had

276

GODDESSES.

been
on

the

; it was

to work

of the rivulet Orla

the bank

He

help me
what help

mend

thee, so
gave

wages

he would

When

he

he

and
Three-kings(Twelfthday),

came

'

thou

Hast

'

cried to

she

Perchtha,her broken

upon

by weeping heimclien.

plough surrounded
with

of the

eve

the

hatchet

terrified traveller.

could,but the fallenchips offered hita for

touch : I have plentyof them at home,' says he.
he

'

not

what

happened to him, and

he pulledoff one
incredulously,

got home, he told

had

while

of
people shook their heads
shoes, which something had got into,that hurt his foot,and
rolled a brightnew
passed,and one
gold-piece.A twelvemonth

his

his men,

who

waited

night,and

; in

Perchtha
'

seekest

What

stammered

he

when

out

same

she

is called the water

and

Kaulsdorf

between

Below

Eeichenbach.

when

fell in with

she

makeshift

only carried
girlwalked over
every

bit

at

'

anger,

due !

better

am
'

and

and

with

fellow's shoulder.

The

near

the

Saal-house,

the forester's

and

there

had

countryman, who

Perchtha

lodgeof

rock

curiouslyshaped

and

met

infant train

cried in

thy

at Presswitz

waggon,

had

part of the brook which

far,that

of

near

along with

justbroken the axle,

helped her out with a

paid in chips,which however he disdained,

in his shoe.
P. 133 : A spinninga
piece home
the Neidenberg during that night,she had
from
when
in high spirits,
of her spinning,and
M^as

axle, and

and

done

drivinga

ivas

her

out

Perchtha's

on

master

continued
thou

Possneck

-so

his

she

the

Gleitsch, a

the

Tischdorf,the story varies in

the helmchen

she

into

hatchet

'

take

so

the way,

over

sandhill

the

on

this hour

out

with

came

answer,

an

dug her
story is repeatednear

those words

at

tools this time,

provided with

she

while, on

here

thou

tale,set

Orla, just where

by the

little

tell the

him

heard

had

his

was

"

marching up the hill towards her, with a great troop

sort and
all children of one
size,one set of
of the heimchen-folk,
another party loaded with
them
toilingto push a heavy j^lovgh,
that they had no
longer a
farming-tools
; they loudlycomplained
the spinnerbegan to laugh out
At this singular
home.
procession
loud, Perchtha
enraged stept up to the giddy thing,Ueio tipon her,
the spot. The
and struck her blind on
poor girlhad a trouble to
Perchtha

find her

came

way

longerwork,
year

was

knowing

into
but

from

she
village,

sat mournful

past and
one

the

Perchtha

led

wretched

life,could

by the wayside begging.

visited Altar

another, asked

an

alms

again,the
of the

the

When

blind

high dame

no

one,
as

not

she

swept by

Perclitha

277

BERGHTE.

PERAHTA,

Here
:
spoke graciously

I blew

last year

'

again'. With these

immediatelybegan to
words she blew into the maid's eyes, which
legendis found in the so-called Sorge,near
see
again. The same
the Orla.
Neustadt
Touching stories of the weeping children,
on
who
tramp along in Perchtha's greattroop,will be given when we
wiitende heer '. (SeeSuppl.).
to treat minutely of the
come
others can be added
traditions of Thuringia,
To these significant
tliem in

1 will blow

pairof lightsout, tliisyear

'

Bavaria

from

Trauen-

district about

In the mountain

Austria.

and

(Up. Bavaria, oppositeSalzburg)they tell tlie children on

and
of Epiphany,that if they are naughty,Berchc will come
eve
their bellies open.
Greasy calces are baked that day, and
stein

workmen

say

that dame

Berchc

your

grease

stomach

with

well

Bertha

cut

the

them,

glanceoff (Schm. 1, 19-4).Is

knifemay

she is called icild Bertha, iron

why

reason

must

you

the

so

that the

Crusius, Ann.

Suev. p. 2, lib. 8, cap. 7, p. 266, relates,as his explanationof the

the city
on
originof the name, that Henry IV. bestowed privileges
of Padua

armato
Inde, in signalibertatis,

bello,Bertha

nominato.

Hinc

dictum

carrocio uti

puto,

ortum

coeperunt in

quo

terrentur
'

In
! ^
inquietipueri, Schweig, oder die eiserne Bertha kommt
Hildaherta
and
other places,Franconian
Swabian, she is named
and
Holda and Berta),
of the two names
a combination
(apparently
the houses at
Bildaherta ; with hair all shaggy she walks round
night,and tears the bad boys to pieces(seeSuppl.).'^
Dame
Preeht with the longnose
is what Vintler calls her : and
'

even

MIIG.

which

poem,

in

one

MS.

is entitled

daz

msere

von

Berchten mit der

Stempen,'has in another the heading von
nas' (Haupt'sAltd. bl. 1, 105). It is only from the former
laiigen
has a
that I am
able to extract what
(with corrected spelling)
bearingon our subject:
der

nu

'

merket

rehfe-waz

nachwihennaht
nacli dem

man

ezzen

er

sage

amzwelften

ebenwihe
lieilgen

daz
(gotgeb,

do

(ich)iu

uns

solt

Now

mark

arightwhat

nahte,

I you tell:

day,
after the holy New-year'sday
(God grant we prosper in it),

tage, after Christmas

gedihe),
ze

when

the twelfth

they should

supper

of
Cnisius p. 1, lib. 12,
the mother
Bertha
cap. 6, p. 329, where
JJcrteciola
is meant.
and
The
Lombards
called a carrociuni Jlcrta
(Ducangesub v.), perhaps the carriageof the travelling
goddessor queen ?
^ Joacli.
129.
Camerarius, chronol.
p.
3
Even-holy,
day, Schetfer's llaltaus,
equally-holy
p. 68.
1

Conf.

eat

Charles

Ni'cephori,

278

GODDESSES.

und

man

allez daz

do

spracher

iind
'

whatso

geben wolde
zeni
gesinde

sin selbes kinde

zuo

then

fastdurch min bete,

die Stempc niht entrctc!

daz kintlin do

sprach:'veterlin,waz ist daz,

?
daz du die Slempen nennest
er

the master

would

spake he to his
fast

eat

that the

child

own

he said

give,

men
:

(hard)to night,I pray,

Stempe tread you not.'

child then

The

forhten az,

von

'

brought

they should eat,

to his

and

ezzet Mnte

daz iucli

to table

all that

solde,

ezzen

man

der wirt

swaz

and had

tische brahte

ze

ate

from

father,what

'

that thou

the

fear,
is this

callest ?

Stempe

tell me, if thou it knowest.'

sag mir, ob dus erkennest.'
der vater sprach: 'daz sag ich dir. The father said : this tell I
'

ez

wol

ez

ist so

daz ich dirz niht gesagen

daz

er

4/

den

that

Icumt

ez

und

trit in.'
and

thingso

servants

done,

this,
forgets

so

that he eats not

on

him

are

me,

gruesome
tell it thee :

I cannot

for whoso

vergizzet,
nicht fast izzct,

also children

Here

kan

raayestwell believe

there is

des

swer

wan

thou

geloubenmir,
griuwelichgetan,

du solt

thee,

and treads him.'

it comes,

warned

by

fast,

of the

the master

brought on the table, and are

of
with
threatened
a
trampling from Stcmj)e. This cognomen
from stamping (step,
have come
Berchte must
tap, thump, "c.),and
perhaps it ought to be speltStempfe (German stampfen,to stamp) ;
but in Bavaria there is a proper
name
Stcmpo (jMB.2, 280, anno
to be
1130),not Stempho, and both stampen and stampfen seem
correct for trampling and
squeezing,Ital. stampare : she is the
nighthag, similar to alp and schrat [old scratch ?]. Add to this,
Holda
is called the Trempc
that in the Nordgau of Franconia,dame
(Doderlein,Antiq. nordg. 41), i.e.,the trampling racketingone ;
Stalder defines
steps
triimpelnas walking with short, measured
fall
and the Drut
approacheswith soft foot(night-goblin)
(tripping),
is a heavy clumsy
time, trampel,trampelthier,
; at the same

house

eat

to

Now,

woman.

all that

clean

up

as

is

added
occasionally

S is

before

surelynot going too far,to connect Stempe

Tamfana, Tanfana,p. 257 (seeSuppl.).
Martin

His

of

Amberg

with

calls her FercJit mit

(mid.
Ge-\vissensspiegel

of 14th

(Hoffni.pp. 335-6) ; conf. Schni. 4, 188.

65.
lur deutsclie spr. 2, fi3
gesellsch.
"

cent.)is
21U, and

an

the

initial

in

two

MSS.

it is

ancient

more

der eisncn

T,

nasen

at

tlie Jalirb. der

(with
Vienna
Berliner

PERAHTA,

279

BERCHTE.

for
people leave meat and drink standing
a downright sacrifice.
her;which means
of Salzburg there is kept up to this day,in
In the mountains
honour of the terrible Percktel,a so called Perchta-running,
Perchta?]^ In the
leapingat the time of the rauchniichte [incense-nights
Pinzgau,from 100 to 300 young fellows (styledthe Berchtcn)will
about in broad daylightin the oddest disguises,
roam
carryingcows'
bells,and crackingwhips.^ In the Gastein valleythe procession,
to 300
stout fellows,
headed by from 50 or 100
goes hopping and
from
house to house, all tlirougii
skipping from villageto village,
land,
the valley(Muchar, Gastein
pp. 145-7). In the north of Switzeriron

nose),and

where

says that

in addition

Berchtli

to

Bechteli is in use, Bechtclis

the

softened

form

Bechtli

or

day is the 2nd (or,if New-year'sday

Saturday,the 3rd) of January,and is honoured by the

young people in generalwith social merrymakings ; they call the
hechteln.
In the 16th century it was
still the
practicehcrclUeln,
and press one
another to
to intercept
custom
at Zurich, for men
called conductingto Berclitold (Staid.
take wine ; this was
1, 150falls

on

'

'

6). There

was

thus

Bercht

masculine

Berchtolt,related

or

to

againthere arose
in Swabia
a
new
feminine, BrechtoUerin,Prcchtdlterin (Schniid,
Schwab,
wtb. 93). In Alsace the bechten was
performed by prentices
and journeymen running from one
to another,
house or room
and keeping up a racket (seepassages in Oberlin,sub. v. Bechten).
Cunrat of Dankrozheim
says in his Namenbuch, composed 1435 :^

"Wuotan,

as

Berhta

darnauch
die noch
He

describes her

Berchtolt however

was

so

to Freke

komet

; and

die milde

hat ein gar gross

as

the

from

this

Behte,

(great
kindred).
geslehte

mild, "racious

to

men,

not

as

the terrible.

legend the wliite mannikin, who

brings spools to be filled with spinning (Mone's anz. 8, 179),
exactlylike Berchta,p. 274 (seeSuppl.).
other
And
kind benevolent
as
a
being she appears in many
which undoubtedlyreach far back into the Mid, Ages.
descriptions,
has altogether
the same
The wliitc lady,by her very name,
meaning,
is in

Swabian

is like the hexentusch in the Bohnierwald,which,

rerchtcnspringen
and
men
young
p. 76-7 says, is performed at Whitsnntide, when
and
chase
all
the
witches
boys provide themselves with loud crackingwhips,
out of houses,stables and barns.
2
Schm.
Journev
1, 195.
through Uiiper(iermany,p. 243.
3 Ad.
Walt. Strobel's beitr.,
Strasb. 1827, p. 123.
1

This

Jos. Hank

280

GODDESSES.

This
bright,light,white.
peraht,berlit or brecht, signifies
white lady usuallyattaches herself to particular
families,but even
of Berta,e.g., Eerta
of Eosenberg. In
then she keeps the name
snow-white
garments she shows herself by nightin princelyhouses,
she rocks or dandles the babies,while their nurses
sleep: she acts
the old grandmotheror ayicestrcss of the family{seeSuppL).
of that
is a good deal in the fact,that several women
There
for

who

name,

in

famed

are

ghostlyBcrhta

our

national

stand
traditions,

connected

they have been adopted out of the divine

legendinto the heroic legend. In Italyand France, a far distant
when
past is expressedby the phrase: nel tempo ove BerHa Jilava,'
B. span
(Pentamerone. Liebrecht 2, 259), au tems que la reine
of the spinningmatron.^
Bertlie filait
the same
idea still,
Berta,
:
of
the daughter
king Flower and of Whiteflower, afterwards the
mother
wife of king Pippin and
of the great hero
Charles,
and
she who
in the MLG.
of Flos is called both Vredelitig
poem
Brehte
(1555. 7825),does not belie her mythic origin.^ She is
called Berlite viit demfuoze (foot),
Flore 309; in French, Berthe au
grand pied; and ace. to the Eeali di Frauza 6, 1 : Berta del gran
un
pie,perche ella aveva
pie un poco maggior dell altro,e quello
il pie destro,'
had the rightfoot larger.The French poet Adenez
era
tries apparentlyto extenuate
the deformityby making both
her
he calls her 'Berte as grans pies'(Parised. LII. 78. 104) ;
feet large,
with

the

'

'

'

'

so

the

Mid.

Dutch,

one

big foot

the

But
^

'

Baerte

is

more

met

breden

ten

genuine,as

may

Floris 39G6.
voetc7i,'
be

seen

by

the far

The
Vita S. Berthae Avennaproihiceanother spinnrng Bertha.
(conf.Flodoardus 4, 47) says (Acta Sanctor.,Maii p.
histraret situs loci illiiLS,
114'^): Quae dum
pervenit ad quendani hortum, in
quo erat fons inirae pulcritudinis.Quern ut vidit Deo devota femina,minime
concupivit,sed possessoribus
ipsius praedii sic locuta est : 0 fratres,hunc
fonteni praediivestri vendite
mihi, et accepta digna jjecuniacedite usibus
nostris.
Cui sic aiunt : En
praesto sunius, si tanien detur pretium a nobis
taxatum.
Sancta
denariorum
autem, videntibus
qui aderant, librani unam
doniini vero
vendiac
posuitsuper lapidem qui erat super os ejusdem fontis,
Tunc sancta
tores receperuut aes.
tenebat
manu
mater, Deo plena,colo quani
tnram
sulci rigam facere,ora.ns
dicens : Ostende
ac
fodere,et in moduni
coeY"it
da nobis ! Eevertens
nobis, Domine, misericord iam tuam, et salutare tuum
can

censis in dioecesi Remeusi

monasterium,

namque

colum
ad

eadem

post

se

trahebat, tantaque abundantia

hominibus

sicut
pertinentessufficeret,
liuviolo ipsicomposuit,
sancta
mater
quoque
libra pro emptione tua data est.
una
2 How
firmlyshe is rooted,may be seen
by her being the link that joins
Carolingian legend to the Laiigobardic: she is mother of Carl, wife of

aquae

eam

sequebatur,ut

usus

omnes

hodie apparet. Nomen

usque
dicens : Libra vocaberis,
quia
the

Pippin the
name

son

of Kother

(4789),and daughter of

again contains the notion of whiteness.

Flore and

BlancheHor,whose

hoof);

that

worked

at the

and

If

Berhta

'

in

in them

mentioned

as

than

mark

had

of her

Huldra
the

time

same

we

old churches.^

on

treadle,and

the

"Stem]3eor Trempe.
frau

in stone

lay aside (any more

cannot

Pedauque,regina peclcmicae,'

reine

foot,which

siuan-maidcns

his horse

'

'

carved

figurestands

whose

she

tradition of

ancient

more

281

BEKCHTE.

PERAHTA,

that

older and

higher nature
the devil

her tail,or

foot
spinning-woman'ssplayof the t.Mmpling dame
of
minuter descriptions

this

Germany, perhaps
(seeSuppl.).

It is apparently

foot

would

also

be

explain her preciseconnexion with a

or
day of the year. It is either on Dec. 25 (diesnatalis),
particular
the star appeared to
twelve days after Christmas, on Jan, 6, when
It stillremains

for

to

us

Kings (magi),that

the Three

feast of the

of Christ under

manifestation

church

the christian

the

the

celebrates
of

name

epiphania
tiephaine,

(v.Ducange, sub v.),hdhphania or iheopkania(0. Fr.

tiphagne). In an OHG. gloss(Emm. 394),theophaniais rendered
giperahta naht, the bright night of the heavenly vision that
of the Mid.
appeared to the shepherds in the field.^ Documents
perhtennaht
Ages give dates in the dative case : perchtentag,
zi demo
perahtintaga, zi deru Perahtim naht); again,
(forOHG.
der berechtnaht,'
M. Beham
an
(Mone, anz, 4, 451) ; ze perhden ahtodin tac nah der
an
nahten,'MB. 8, 540 (an.1302); imze
till the eighthday after the Perht's (fern.)
day,Fundgr.
Perhtage,'
MB.
dem
nehsten
110, 22 ; von
9, 138 (an.1317) ; an
Berhtag,'
dem Prehentag,'
MB. 7,256 (an.1349); these and other contracted
'

'

'

'

'

'

"

forms

are

cited with

references

in

Scheffer's Ilaltaus

p.

75, and

grow up a
very easily
FcrchtentdiC,
Perchtomalit,the brightday becoming
personification,
Schm.

1, 194.^

Now

from

this there

might

Bright's,
day. (Conradof Dankrotsheim, p. 123,
Dec. 30.)*
on
puts his milde Belite down a week earlier,
Either the entire fabulous
Two
hypothesespresentthemselves.
ing,
and by misunderstandexistence of a Perhta first
arose
accidentally
out of such personification
bright day
; or the analogyof the
is true we
it
Now
tacked on to a previously
Perhta.
was
existing
dame
i.e.,
Bright's,

'

198

;
-

AllJ.

w.

3, 47-8

Paris

too

connects

this

Pedauque

rci)ie re'hiuque,
Michelet

1, 49G-8.

Luke 2, 0.
The
OIIG.

Maria

hist, de France
0. i. 12, 3. 4.
Hel. 12, 8.

with

Berte, ill. iv.

2, 152.

182.

'ji/if7-m"rtc
(Graff 5, 360) is Good
parasceve
distinct i'roin Prehentafj,
Percht(;ntag.
"* Dec.
28 is Innocents',
29 St. Thomas's, 31 St. Silvester's.
3

'

Friday,and

282

GODDESSES.

point out

cannot

earliest

at

or

down,

13th ; but

we

did

older authorities
nalit

'

might

to

9th
'

neither

decide

to

me

the

Perahta

can

therefore

the

Christmas
I will

the

christian

and

here

above

all,her

the

matter

purely a product of

be

lead up

to

other

it ;

was
on

heathen

yule,and

of

the

deity,
whom

sacredness

the

which

features

togetherthe

group

Still the characteristics

calendar,there

at that very season

peregrination
with
christians readilyconnected
New-year.

her

century,

suppositionneed not break

liunt up her personalname
in
century the expression'peraht^n

names
contrary, both of these adjective

made

15tli or 14th

tlie first

in the

to
identitywith Holda, seem
If, independentlyof
way.

who

the

developedinto Perahtdn naht '.

of a mythical Berta, and
specified

have

Holda, then

before

manage

even

have

we

Perhta

the

if

even

dame

of

unmistakably

light. They drive about in

and navigation
Earth, and promote agriculture
^uaggons, like mother
from which
there fall chipsof gold,is their
men
; a plough,
among
sacred implement. This too is like the gods, that they appear
and

Holda

make

Bertha

appear

in this

her giftsin at the vjindow.

hands
suddenly,and Berhta especially
diligence
Both have spinning and weaving at heart, they insist on
and the keeping of festivals holy,on the transgressorgrim penalties
found in their host,
children are
The souls of infaiit
executed.
are
but night-hagsand
as
they likewise rule over elves and dAvarfs,
also

enchantresses

in

follow

train

their

this

all

"

of

savours

heathenism.

remarkable, that the Italians

It is very

fairyBefana,a

that

: on
(befania)

children,who

to

terror

day

the

and

women

too

have

has sprung
children

out
set

mis-shapen
of epiphania
of

doll made

and ugly,and brings presents.

old rags in the window
; she is black
Some
daughter; Eanke's hist, zeitschr. 1,717.
say, she is,Herod's
di Befania
Befania {Pulei'sMorg. 5, 42). Berni says : il di
d' una
vo
porla per Befana alia fenestra,perche qualcun le dia
different
if twice over, in two
be astonishing,
It would
ballestra '}

'

'

'

La

nations, a

the

in

name

with

the christian
1

name

Franc.

had

the

caused

invention

of

likelythat,both in Italy,and among

the peoplehave
sought to blend themselves
of the day.

being;it is
supernatural
us, older traditions of

calendar
more

Berni,rime

105.

Crxisca sub

v.

befana.

Abundia).

Diana.

(Herodias.

G.

283

ABUNDIA.

DIANA,

HERODIAS,

by Befana, will
whose
The
better.
illustrate this even
story of Herod's daugliter,
(lancingbrought about the beheading of John the Baptist,must
have produced a peculiarly
deep impressionin the earlypart of the
Hcrodias,of whom

Ages, and
poets
lleligious

in

Mid.

Otfried

seems

of

account

came
proposal

one

way

got mixed

to

the

in

about

roam

company

spirits.She is placed at the head of the furious

witches' nightlyexpeditions,
togetherwith Diana, with
in

etiam

Illud

their stead.

omittendum,

non

post Satanam

retro

In

conversae,

seductae,credunt

matibus

se

Burcard

of Worms

et

host

10,

illusionibus

nocturnis
profitentur

'

of

or

Holda

and
read

we

mulieres

sceleratae

quod quaedam
daemonum

devilish

evil and

with
'

Perahta, or

fables,

with

up

and with relish (Hel.83-5);

in full,
subject
to leave it out designedly. It was
imagined,that on
act
malicious
her thoughtlessrather than
(for the
from her revengeful
mother),Hcrodias (thedaughter)
treat

condemned

was

than

more

reminded

justbeen

have

we

phantas-

et

horis

cum

multitudine
Herodiade
et innumera
dea vel cum
paganorum
mulierum
spatia
equitaresuper quasdam bestias,et multa terrarum

Diana

intempestae noctis silentio pertransire,

ejusquejussionibusvdut
dominae

ad

obedire, et certis noctibus

ejus

servitium

evocari.

"

Job. Salisberiensis

(f 1182) in Polycr.2, 17 : Quale est, quod nocvel praesidem noctis dominam,

quandam, vel Herodiadem

tilucam

concilia et conventus

convivia, "c.
mulier

Herodiade

as

"

asserunt

sen

Bensozia

Similar

to the

ceded, and

most

have

Amberg,

passedinto

and

this Herodias,

celebrari

(an. 1280) : Nulla

vel cum
paganorum
mulierum
multitudine
pro-

et innumera

statements

worship of
so

varia

convocare,

"

those of ]\Iartin von

that

nocte

Angerius,episcopusConseranus
nocturnis
dea
Diana
equitarecum

de

fitcatur.

de

Vintler.
one

third

respectablediffusion

such
writings,
worth noticing,

later
It is

of the

whole

allowed.

ivorld is

Eatherius

(bishopof Verona, but a Frank, b. at Lobi near Cambray, d. 974) in

his Praeloquia(Martene and
Durand
9, 798. opp. edit. Ballerini
pp. 20. 21) : Quis enim
qui hodie in talibus usque ad pereorum,
animae
in tantum
ditionem
ut etiam
eis,quas (Ball.
decipiuntur,
^

Ducanp;e srib v. Diana spells

Benzoria, but has the true meaning under
r.ensozia itself ; it seems
to mean
bona socia,friendlypropitious
being. Bona
dea, Dio Cass. 37, 35. 45.
Conf. ch. XXVIII, dobra sretia,bona Fortuna
; ch.
XVI, good wife,under Wood-women.

284

GODDESSES.

quibus) ait Gen.^, Ilcrocliam illam baptistaeChristi interfectrideam

proponant ; asserentes, tertiam tot ins
cera, quasireginam imo
fuerit propLetae
mundi
partem illi traditam : quasi haec merces
infelices muliercum
occisi,
potiussint daemones, talibus praestigiis
viros, quia perditissimos,
culas, bisque niultum
vituperabiliores
de

"

tradition,that
nardus

remarkable

and

full

decipientes.A

tacked

was

medieval

the

in the

Herodias,is contained

to

on

of

account

Ptei-

1, 11:39"1164:
ubi
Traecipue sidus celebrant,
ope cujus,

testes,est data Eoma

defuerant

omnes

Petro,

traditaque
injustoFharaildis virgolabor! ;
sed sanctifaciunt qualiacunquevolunt.
Ilac famosus
fuisset Herodes
erat felixque
prole,sed infelix banc quoque laesit amor:
thalamos
liaec virgo,
Baptistaesolius ardens,
hoc demto

voverat

nuUius

esse

viri.

genitor,
comperto prolisamore,
insontem
sanctum
atrox,
decapitavit
Postulat afferri virgosibi tristis,
et affert
regiusin disco tempera trunca cliens.
Mollibus allatum
stringens
caput ilia lacertis
perfunditlacrimis,osculaqueaddere avet ;
oscula captantenicaput anfugit atque resnjfflat,
ilia per impluvium turbine flantis abit.
Offensus

Ex

illo nimium
per

non

eandem

coeli flabilisurget iter

vacuum

infestat

mortuus

ira Johannis

memor

miseram,

Lenit honor

vivus amarat,

nee

luctura,minuit

inirs hominum

penitusfata perissesinunt.

banc

tamen

''"

reverentia

poenam,

tertia servit herac.

moestae

Quercuhuset corylisa noctis parte secunda

prima sedet.
usque nigriad gallicarmina
Nunc

ea

liabet Fharaildis,Herodias

nomen

nee
saltria,

subiens

Conf. Aelfrici homiliae

1, 486.

as

mocsta

homage
1

hcra

she

Eallerini

cui

receives
cannot

writer at the end

pars

Here

tertia

assuages

understand

subeunda

nee

hominum

her

pari.

have

Herodias

servit,the

bitter lot ;

this Gen.

of the hfth century ?

we

ante

only from

; is it Gennadius

described
reverential

midnight

a
(Massiliensis),

IIERODIAS,
tillfirstcockcrow
time

she floats

for
a

she sits on

John, which

she
charger,

it draws

he did not

would

does

nor

llerodias

of the

contents

tlie
hazel-trees,
She

; when

covered

leads
Vercldr,'
of

1213

dictus

century

Still more

his head

it with

kisses,but

haplessmaid is
ever,^ Why she

hangs for
century) called Fharaildis,is
in Flanders

name

2-i

sanct.

Jun.) at

story : Herodias
Pharaildis

the

on

:=frau Hilde
(Bodmanns Eheing. alterth.
and
Verhildeburrj,'

in

or

the

all resemble

the

wife, and

f rem

there

doc. of

the

Dutch

in

Iliddc,as

94)

Fiisian

(Acta

contrary,M.

p.

not

tells of John

is Herod's

Elde

to ver

us

and

tears

anythingthat the church

Salome.

by love
brought in on

is

at her ; the

saint of that

rest of her

inflamed

was

there she

(Acta

above

daughteris named

miles

air.

twelfth

(in the

Jan.);

Baptist and

'

empty

space, and

the life of

explainedby

doc.

and

fain have

into empty

afterwards

sanct.

oaks

return

235

ABUNDLV.

back, and beginsto blow hard

whirled
was

the

through

DIANA,

occurs

the

14th

to the mythic Hildburg.

FerhUdcma, evidentlyreferring

remarkable

M.

Dutch

for the

milky way,
strasse
or
(street,
highway).
So that the poet of the Reinardus
is entirelyin the right,when
Herodias sets him
thinking of Fharaildis,and she again of the
milky way, the sidns in his first line.
There is no doubt whatever, that quiteearlyin the Mid. Ages
the christian mythus of Herodias
got mixed up with our native
Vroneklcnstract

heathen
'

host

fables

and

frauen

seems

those

Hilde

notions

name

Ilulde

about

dame

Holda

and

the

furious

the

were
nightlyjauntsof sorceresses
graftedon it,the
Jewish king'sdaughter had the part of a heathen goddess assigned
her (Eatheriussays expressly
imo dea),and her worship found
:

adherents.

numerous

deity of night,the
^

and

This

of

reference

In

wild

to the

the

huntress

iurho

circle

same

moves

Diana, the lunar

Diana, Herodias

(the whirlwind

of his

and

Holda

looks mythical
blast),

high antic^uity.Not only

did Ziu or Zio, once

beci^nie with the
a deity,
christians a name
for the wliirlwind.
Pulloineken
203
have to
too
(and
p.
may
do with I'hol,J).2:29) ; l)ut to tliisday such a wind
for in Lower
is accounted
where
Saxony (about Celle)by the dancing Hcroduis whirlingabout in the air. Elsethe raisingof it is ascribed to the de.vil,
and offensive
epithetsare
hurled
at him, as
in the Saalfeld country : ' Schweinezahl
there goes
fahret,'
'
swine-tail (Praetorius,
Riibezahl 3, 120), and on
the Khcin
mts.
:
Siiuzagel,'
tail (Schni. 4, 110), to shew contempt for tlie demon, and abate his fury
sow-

(see Suppl.). I shall

bring in

scjme

other stories,
when

treatingof

the "wind-

sprites.
*

Gaude.

Canneart, strafrecht

153-5.

B^lg.raus.

6, 319.

Conf.

Vergodc for

fi-au

28G

GODDESSES.

stand

for

Eligius(Superst.A) ;
C) has found
(Superst.
D, G)

that

statue

cultus

Diana's

'

decrees

later

in

be

to

life of

quod

rustici

the

I have

common

spoken

of
of

diffusion

wide

in the life of St.

passage

The

hcra.

familiar to

Greg. Tur. 8, 15
strongesttestimony to the

seems

councils

of

daemonium,

was

by

writings(Superst.

and

domina

as

name

of Diana

the

But

the

the

many

mentions

that

vocant,' so

p. 110.

on

into

is denounced

Diana

in

passage

its way

Arelatensis

St. Caesarius

people;

the

Herodias,she appears

like

Dianavi

by side.

side

another,or

one

Kilian, the

Franciae
(t 689) : Gozbertusdux
utrum
volens
crebra apud se tractare
Ejus quem
inquisitione,
vel Dianae
potiuscultus praeferendusesset.
praedicabat,
(Kilianus)
.habebatur
veneratione
Diana
apud ilium in summa
namque
(Surius4, 133 ; Acta sanct. Bolland. 8 Jul. (p. 616). As it is
Hesse
and
that frau Holda
principallyin Thuringia,Franconia
in the neighbourhood
survives,it is not incredible that by Diana

apostleof

of

7th century,was

the

as

meant

no

other

she.

connexion
of this Herodias
Lastly,the retrospective
of
in the native
with
paganism,whether
personages

nations,receives

Teutonic
of

far back

Wiirzburg,so

than

Franks

the East

Ahundia

domina

dame

or

Celtic
the

from

confirmation

welcome

or

legend
French

supplied by

Hahonde,

Diana

or

Ages. A bishop of Paris, Guilielmus

Alvernus
(Guillaume d' Auvergne),who died 1248, speaksthus of
Sic et daemon,
Par. 1 674, fol. 1. 1036) :
n}Tnphs and lamiae (opera.
IMid.

the

of

authorities

'

qui praetextu mulieris,cum

frequentare,et vocant
Abundiam

abundantia,^ quam

pro

vetulae, penes

vocant

aut

potibus,
quos
imminutionem
sint

escarum

eis in

obstructa, inde

seu

infaustas
^

The

et

on

nee

infortunatas

Romans

only appears

facere

escarum

discooperta et
relinquantur.Si

nocte

daemones,

remansit,et

vasa
vero

comedunt

et

tamen

domibus,
dominas

quas
a

quibus

solis

consumptionem
si

potuum, maxime

poculorum

non

vasa

obstructa

operta vel clausa inveniunt

bibunt, propter quod

nee

satietatem

relinquunt,nee

Ahundantia
personified
neither
templesnor
coins,she had
also

dominam

edere et bibere de escis

dominas

inveniunt, nee

in domibus
eas

has

Dicunt

creditur et somniatur.

cellaria dicitur

praestaredicunt

etiam
iste

et

satietate,et

eam

error

quas

domos

nocte

Satiam

eam

:
hujusmodi
frequentaverit

quas

et

aliis de

as

nee

abun-

superiorbeing,but

altars.

she

HERODIAS,

eis

dantiam
on

p.

1066

The
praestantes.'
read

we

faciunt

spirituum,quas
et frondosis
matronaruni

et

aliae luditicationes

interdum

in

nemoribus

ornatu

locis anioenis

quibus apparent distillationes in

et
ipsorum diligenter
tricatae,

cereis,ex

et comae
collis equorum,
vidisse fatentur,dicentes
eos, qui talia se

hujusmodi

luminaribus

quae

et

malignoruni

ajiparcnt in similitudinc pucllarum aut

muliebri et candido, interdum
etiani in stabulis,

et

de

p. 1068, but

repeated on

arboribus,ubi

luminaribus

cum

like is

Sunt

'

287

ABUNDIA.

DIANA,

stillaverat.^

apparent in domibus, quas

dominam

veram

De

dominas

Ahimdiam,

ceram

audies

esse, quae

illis vero

nocturnas,

comis

substantiis,
et

principe7)i

quod domibus, quas

bonorum
abundantiam
temporalium praestare putanfrequentant,
aliter tibi sentiendum
est, neque aliter quam
quemadmotur, non
dum
de illis audivisti.
Quapropter eo usque invaluit stultitia hovini et receptaculaciborum
et insania
minum
vetularum, ut vasa
obstruant neque
et omnino
claudant eis
discoc perta relinquant,
nee
credunt
suas
eas
adventuras, ea de
noctibus,quibus ad domos
cibos et potus quasi paratos inveniant
ut
et eos
videlicet,
causa
sumant.
absque difficultate apparitionis
pro beneplacito
de la rose (Meon 18622
The Eoman
seq.)informs us:
earum

vocant

qui les

cine

eo

pro

ainsinc deceit

sens

par les fantosmes, quilregoit,

dont maintes gens par lor folie
cuident
errans

et

par nuit estries

auecques dame Hahonde,
estre

dient,que

par

le monde

tout

li tiers enfantde nacion

de ceste condicion.

sunt

trois fois

qu'ilvont
si

tons

cles

ains

semaine,

destinee les maine,

cum

et par
ne

la

en

sen

ne

ces

ostex

barres
entrent

ne

par

boutent,

se

redoutent,
les

fendaces,

par chatieres et par crevaces,

et so

partent des

et vont

avec

les

cors

les bonnes

ames

dames

par leus forains et par maisons,

et le pruevent par tiex raisons :
^

Conf.

Deutsche

sagen,

no.

122.

288

GODDESSES.

les diversitcs

que

sunt

ne

ains

et par

ainsinc

dame

avcc

monde

Hahonde,

voles vielles le

cum

corent,"c.

sen

li tiers du

part,que

aille ainsinc
si

qui laborent

ames

le monde

Dautre

18686.

lor

sunt

lor liz venues,

en

pas

veiies

pruevent

par les visions que truevent,

dont convient il sans
nule faille

As

the Reinardus

Eatlierius and

given up
applied to
A

one.

Habonde

dame

either

multitude

to

Herodias

made

unchristencd

the

pf heathen,

who

and

Ahundia

The

apparent.
babes

remained

native

our

out

or

of

therefore

are

Folia,Ftdla
enfans may

term

above,
shut

is here

statement

same

and

Abundia

between

connexion

will presentlybe
(fulness)

refer

represent a third part of the "World

the service of Herodias, the

to

as

i aille.

li mondes

trestous

que

to

the

great

christian

the

to divide the known

long been the custom
one
clothed in white reminds
world into three parts.^ The domina
the
bona socia'^of Holda
the bona domina
of Perahta the bright,
or
gracious,and Herodias haunting the oaks by night of the Old
German
benignant beings all,
tree-worship.They are originally
to
and plentyto mankind
whose
; hence
presence bringsprosperity
and
set for a
drink are
or
them, as to friendlyspirits
gods,meat
to
sacrifice in the night season.
seem
Holda, Berhta and Werra
kind of food,and look for it on their feast-day.
love a particular

It

community.

had

7. Hruoda
Thus

far

we

have

(Hrede).

(Eastre).

Ostara

got acquaintedwith

the

names

and

worship
names
by

different
under
honoured
who
were
goddesses,
tribes of Teutondom
(N"erdu,Hludana, Tanfana, Holda,
particular
known
to
Berhta),and others resemblingthem have only become
Diana, Herodias, Abundia) : of
under foreignappellations
(Isis,
us

of several

all these

(so long

as

consider

Agitiirpars tertia nmncli. Ovid.

Coripp. 1, 47 :
peritAlrica ilaiuiuis,
1

still doubtful

met.

5, 372

tertia pars

the

of

connexion

fiimans
tertia pars mundi
Walvocatur,
Europa

orbis

thar. 1.
2

Is tlie name

socia connected

with

tlie Satia in Guiliehnns

Alvernus

'

Erce

'

with

Herke) not

our

289

OSTARA.

HRUODA,

be found

is to

one

the

among

Anglo-

Saxons.

hand, the Anglo-Saxon historian tells

the other

On

but of whose
liispeople,

existence not
here

proof,that

clear

Germans.

expresslycalls

he

whom
beings,

of two

names

as

the

us

goddessesof

ancient

is left amongst other

trace

well

as

there, heathenism

shape and varying name,

in their characteristics and cultus correspondedto one
but who
in the
of form should prevail
another.
more
Why this multiplicity
of the female deities than of the male, can be fairly
explained,
case
crowded

with

think, by

the

was

divinities:
their

they

divinities of various

greater respect paid

too

were

names
principal

chief

masculine

highly thought of,for

penetratedall branches of the

and

famous
to

not

the

to

have

too

nation.
The

two

whom
goddesses,
without
briefly,

cites very
months
named
Saxon

luifh

name
a

dca

after them,

(De temporum ratione cap. 1 3)

merely to explainthe
description,

Beda
any
are

from

and
the first,

illorum

Rheda, cui

and

Hrede

taking its

Edstre, March
the second

Aprilfrom

Rlicdmo-

'

nomiuatur.'
illo sacrificabant,

in

"

apud eos Aprilis

'AntiquiAnglorum populi,gens mea
mensis interpretatur,
quondam a
Esturmoiiath, qui nunc
paschalis
dca

illorum,quae

habuit ;

nomen
(?),

minant,

Eostra

consueto

cujus nomine

he

nunc

-be uncritical to saddle

knows, with

at

in

OHG.

in the vocabularies

the

distance,and

tells

of days]f
[lengthening

the

after

but it may

Oberlin

quotes, from Chorion's

Strassb. 1044, p. 91, Rdmonat

less of it

us

goddesses. There is
first of them is justified
by

of these

of other

lenzinmanot, named

church, who

this father of

the invention

nothingimprobablein them, nay

clear traces

paschaletempus cognovocabulo
gaudia novae

everywhere keeps heathenism

than

et cui in illo festa celebrantur

aniiquae ohscrvationis

solennitatis vocantes.'
It would

vocabatur

have

tribes.

German
the

Ehrenkranz
for March

other
der

and

is

lenzo, lengizo

season

borne

March

names

teutschen
a

as

well.

sprach,

doc. of 1404

One MS. (Kolmesen opusc. p. 287 ; this ref. given in Rathlefs Hoya and
Diepholz 3, IG) reads : Veteres Anglicanipopulivocant Estormonath
paschalem
sacrilii'ia
idque a dea quadam cui Teutonici populi in pagani.snio
monseni,
fecerunt tempore mensis
Aprilis,
quae Eostra est appellata.
'

Gramm.

2, 510.

Langez.Diut.

3, 88.

19

290

GODDESSES.

has

(Weisth. 1, 175)
When

we

find in the
In

Rcdtmonet, it is

Appeuzellerreimchronik

dem

kamen

do

der merzenmonat

an

ainem

morgen

do zundentz
Rcdhnonct
of

names

Retmonat

by

seems,
to be

months,

p. 174

month.

Redimonet

die puren

here

clear for what

not

donet,

giengherzu
fru

Eorschach
the

an

displacementso

the month

before

March,

as

the

in

common

Chorion

uses

for

February as well. Von Arx explainsthe word

and
I think
untenably,by a mountain.
(p;itedifferently,
Apart
from
I believe the AS.
the Swiss
term
name
was
altogether,
Hruod
OHG.
or
Hruodd, and derived,
reallyHred' or Hreffc
fama ; so
I said on p. 20G, from hruod
that we
as
gloria,
get the
meaning of a shining and renownful goddess. The Trad. fuld. 2,

his

196, furnish

female

26, another

nom.

name

Hruada,

Hruadun, this

gen.

last

in

Hruadun, and

apparentlyformed

1, 42. 2,
like

ON.

crudelis
Fiorgyn and Hlodyn. The AS. adj.hreS or hreSe means
in doubt
(Ceedm. 136, 21. 198, 2),perhaps victoriosus ? I am
about hreS, sigehreS,
guShreS,Beow. 5146. 974. 1631 ; they waver
between
an
adj. and a subst. sense, and in the last passage,
wearS
victoria is evidently meant.
Beowulfe
guShreS gifeSe,'
the AS. Menologue, line 70, translates Martius
When
by reSe, this
'

stand for hre"'e.

may

We

to this

Germans

is found

as

early as

which
christian festival,
bears in the oldest

of

day call Aprilostermonat, and ostarmdnoth

Eginhart (temp. Car. Mag.). The great
usuallyfalls in April or the end of March,

OHG.

remains

the

name

ostard gen.

-un

"}

it

plural,because two days (ostartagil,

This
Diut.
Ostard,like
1, 266^) were
kept at Easter.
aostortaga,
in the heathen
have denoted
the AS. Edstre, must
a higher
religion
so
firmly rooted, that the christian
being,whose worship was
and
teachers
tolerated the name,
appliedit to one of their own
have
All the nations bordering on
us
grandest anniversaries."
retained the Biblical 'pascha'; even
Ulphilas writes paska, not
is

mostly

in

found

T. 157, 1. 3. 5.

the

0. i. 22, 8.

iii. 6, 16.

tlieol.xiv. 17.
-

Conf.

Ideler's

1, 516.
chronologie

iv. 9, 8.

Hymn.

21, 4. Fragiii.

291

ziSA.

austro,though he

have

must

known

the word

the

Norse

tongue

importedits paskir,Svved. pask,Dan. paaske. The OIIG^.

toward
the rising
adv. 6sta7' expresses movement
sun
(Gramm. 3,
and
AS.
the
ON",
likewise
eastor and Gotli.
mistr,
probablyan
205),
has been pushed round
In Latin the identical austcr
to the
austr.
of
In the Edda a male being,a spirit
noonday quarter,the South.
of Atistri,
female one
bears the name
so
a
light,
might have been
called Aiistra ; the High German
and Saxon
tribes seem
the
on
not Ostaro,
contrary to have formed only an Ostard,Edstre (fem.),
Eiistra (masc).- And
that may
be the reason
why the Norsemen
said paskirand not austrur : they had never
worshippeda goddess
Austra, or her cultus was alreadyextinct.
of the
therefore to have been the divinity
Ostara,Eddre seems
radiant dawn, of upspringinglight,
that bringsjoy and
a
spectacle
whose
tion-day
blessing,^
meaning could be easilyadapted to the resurrecof the christian's God.
Bonfireswere
lightedat Easter,
the
and accordingto a popularbelief of long standing,
the moment
rises on Easter
he
sun
Sunday morning,he givesthree joyfulleaps,
for joy (Superst.813). Water
drawn
Easter
dances
the
on
775.
morning is,like that at Christmas, holy and healing(Superst.
to have
804) ; here also heathen notions seems
graftedthemselves
also has

on

great christian festivals.

Easter, at

tlie

of the rock

of

season

and

on

Maidens

clothed

returningspring,show

in

white, who

themselves

at

in clefts

of the ancient goddess

mountains, are suggestive

(seeSuppL).
8. ZiSA.
Beda's account

of Hrede

reaching back
attention if only for its
worshipped at Augsburg in
a

statement

shall be

followed

by
to the
11th century, and
deserving
great age, concerning a goddess Zisa
and

Eastre*

the heathen

^ For
oriens he chooses iirruns,
the sun, not tliat he did not know

now

time.

risingand sinkingof
sagqs, i.e.,
vistr (versus occidentem), root vis (repose,

for occiJens

stillness,
evening).
^

Composite

proper

names

OstroOstroberht, Austroberta, Austregisil,

gotha (likeVisigotha,Vistrimund,Westeralap,Sundarolt, Nordberulit,

"c. "c.)
Busijuelanguage ostnra means
May, tlie budding leafingtime,
from ostoa, leaf,foliage
accidental ies?,niblanee.
: a mere
*
I might introduce into the te,\t an AS. R'ccn, if I knew
about
any more
her than what Lye'sglossaryquotes from Cod. Cot. 65, 87 : Iticcnne Diana.
It
is formed like ] inen (aucilla),
"c.
wylpen (bellouu),
*

In

tlie

292

GODDESSES.

Tlie Cod.

Monach.

Lat. 2

(of 1135),and
cent.)contain identic

IX. fol. 4:''(of 12-13th

the Cod. Emmeran.

'

F.

Gallica

Excerpta ex

liistoria'.^
'

Dum

liec circa

bawariorum,

Vind.

Cod.

geruntur, in

rcnum

noricorum

(interlined

CII.

finibus grave vulnus

pauwarioriini)
romanus
populus accepit.quippe germanorum
gentes (interlined
retias occupaverant, non
suevi),
longe ab alpibustractu pari
que
licus et
amnes
patentibuscampis,ubi duo rapidissimi
[interlined
wcrtlialia (CII vuerdalia)]
in ipsis
inter se conlluunt,
noricis finibus
terminis
bawariorum
et sicevorum)
civitatem non
(interlined
quidem
sed vallo fossaquecinxerant,quam
muro
appellabantzizarim (CII.
colebant.
cizarim)ex nomine dee cize,^
religiosissime
quara
cujus
templum quoque ex lignisharharico ritu constrictum, postquam eo^
colonia

deducta

romanti

colli servavit.

collapsumnomen*
ad

arcendas

jam

exacta

partem,

que

barbarorum

sola

vero,

cum

equitatuomni

qua

permansit, ac
urbem

titus annius

pretor

(interlined
meridianam
oppidi
(interlined
erat,pretor ipse
littoribus)
ad

operosissimecommunivit.

castra

vetustate

kal. sextilibus

circumvenit.

continenti

barbarorum

tem

banc

excursiones

estate)exercitu

martia
legione

cum

est, inviolatum

adventus

ad

occiden-

erat, dvar, hogudis regisfilius,

et auxiliaribus macedonum

copiisinter

fiumen

ct

amplo infelici temeritate extra fiumen

minus
romanis
consedit.
non
pulchraindoles,
(interlined
loerihaha)
instructa.
die,
igiturquinquagesimo nono
disciplinis
greets
quam
is dies dec cize (CII.de^ ciz^)
apud larharos
est,cum
qua eo ventum
formidinem
ostentaret,
celeberrimus,ludum et lasciviam magis quam
barbarorum
CII. svivorum)multitude,
immanis
suevorum,
(interlined
ex
ex
improvisocastra irrupit,
proximis silvis repente erumpens
loco

vallum

castris parum

oquitatum omnem,
avarj' cum

in

et

quod

hostium

miserius

erat, auxilia

sociorum

vivus

potestatem regiobabitu

delevit.

venisset,[sed

The same
their cominiuiication
to Sclimeller's kindness.
piece is
in two
Lat. CII (olim hist. prof.WrA) sec.
forms
Vienna
: in the Cod.
xi. ineuntis fol. 79. 80 ; and in the Cod. CCXXVI
(olim univ. '237) sec. xii.
CII has
Jorn. De reb. get. and De regn. succ.
In hoth it stands between
interlinear glossesand marginalnotes
MSS.) by a
(exactlylike the Munich
1

found

owe

at

scarcely later hand, which

historia '.

CCXXVI

also writes

adopts the

the

heading

'

Excerptum

ex

interlinears into the text,but otherwise

pollueratcultura nefaria dudum

Gallica
agrees.

margin: 'Quern male

hunc tibi cv:a tulit '.
gallnsmonticulum
' On
margin ; 'postconditani urljem avrjnstnnia romanis'.
*
Marg. note : 'ut usque hodie ab incolis cizunbcrc nominetur'.
^
ct tumulatus
'ex
cujus vocabulo, quia ibi inactatus
Marg. note:
chrikesaveron (CII chrekasaver)
nomen
accepit.
grecus enim erat '.
^

On

est

29:5

ziSA.

apud larharos
oppidani vero uoii
que

reverentia

il)idem
peciulis

?J more

iniuori fortuiia

baud

romaiii

sociis properaiiteinadoriuntur.

auxiliuni

pretorem in

luaiori virtute

sed

mactatur.^

segniter
primis

caccus^ in

oppidanorurahahino^ et
principes
et incliiiata jam res
oppidauoruui esset, ni
pugnautes cadunt.
auxiliuni ierre socii in altera ripajam victoria potiti.
maturasseiit
denique coadunatis viribus castra irrumpunt,pretorem, qui paulo
duo

resistunt.

ut

Verres

delent.

cladis superesset,funditus

nuncius

ne

martiam),
(interlined

divinam
legionem-*

obtruncant.

resistentem

vi

pcrleih)frustra ceperat,romana
(interlined

tumuluni

altiorem

solus

proximis paludibus sc
mortem
occultans^ honestam
subterfugit.nee multo post sicilie
cum
se
avaricia turpem mortem
immani
promeruit. nam
proconsul
militum

tribunus

in

transmisso

arnne

magistratuabdicaret,judiciocivium damnatus est.'

and
the interlined words
The
same
fragment,only without
suev.
scrij^t.
without marginaladditions,stands in Goldast's Eerum
aliquotveteres, Ulm 1727 tbl. p. 3 under the rubric : Vellcii GalU
Eomanos
contra
(conf.
Haupts
fragmentum de victoria Suevorum
*

'

and

for Caccus

for loco
'

the

It has

10,291).

zeitschr.

readings

Cams,' but agrees

'

dea

'

other

in the

and

Cisa'

'

Cisara,'

Further,

names.

I find the better reading apto. The parenthesis

amjjlo,
parum
is wanting,so is the concludingsentence
reverentia
sed
'

"

'

nam

damnatus

"

it all from

est

Wolfg.

Velleii excerpta

'

'

Lazius's

had

52, if this copy

ex

I should

'.

not

variations

some

Gallica historia

On

Hoc

too

heading

p.

runs

margin

with

promeruit.Lazius

bogudisdat regiaproles
(CII grecus auar),pecudisde suevis

more

litatus.'

'

Prefectus haheno
perpetuo montis

se

victum

nomine

liicquesepultuni
notiticat.

habenonhcrch
dedit,quera
monti
sepultusnomen
dicunt.'
rustici havenenbercli
(CII havenonpercli)
^
nominari.'
CII : 'a cujus nomine
putamus ickingen.
*
ibi
de hac
On margin :
perditalegione adhuc paicich nominatur.'
Then
in smaller but contemporaneous writing:
oceisus

qui juxta montem

et

'

'

Indicat hie collis romanam

usque

On

nomine

cladeni

simnl periit.
martia
sulididit liunc rume
jirepcs victoria ^^firo,
sibimet
hoc
templum qui modo constituit.'
'
latuit,lacui ueriase hue
in
hie
quia
paludibusadjacentibus
margin :
([uo legiotota

nomen

dedit '.

also
Cisara, but Cizi^,

; it has

concludes

; the

1501

terris

nomen

grecavar
On

borrowed

margin.:
'

'

had

libri xii. Franco!.

Eeip.Eom.

Habbino, Caccus, amplo,'and

^

believe that Goldast

294

GODDESSES.

says

'

historiam

nos

quam

in pervetusto codice
'

autiquissimis
scriptamreperimus ;
known

hitherto,and

11-1 2th

probablyhave
Either

one

the author
had

been

The

that

one

other of

(orcontinuator)of

before

The

them.

been

be

pretty

Goldast

had

the sixth MS.

in the

numerous

before

him

may

the oldest.
the

or

have

copiesmust

centuries.

that would

Uteris

menibran.

them,

the

former

both

Otto

von

Freisincjen and

Auersberg chronicle
tries to

connect

to have

seem

the

story with

Quintilius Varus

and
after relating
his overthrow,
(insteadof Verres),
adds (chron.3, 4) : Tradunt
ibi
Augustensesbanc caedem
collem ex ossibus mortuorum
factam, ostenduntquein argumentum
in vulgariperUich (Mone, anz.
1, 256),eo quod
compactum, quem
hodie vocant, vicumque ex nomine Yari aplegioibi perierit,
usque
'. The Auersberg chronicler's account, though
pellatum monstrant
he almost verballyadopts the older fragment,I hold it needful
to
insert here, because
the marginal glossesare curiously
interwoven
with the text, and referred to discovered inscriptions
stone '}
on
vel Ehetiae.
De Augusta Vindelicorum
sicut ex scriptis
veterum
coUigiturhaec civitas tria nomina
accepit. Germanorum
quippe
est pars
geutes primum considentes in partibusEhetiae, quae nunc
munito
locotamen
Sueviae, non
longe ab alpibusin planitie,
propter
duorum
concursum
rapidorumfluminum, banc urbem construxerunt,
'

'

et

muris

non

sed

fossatis

firmaverunt,et

eam

ex

deae

Zizae,

nominabant.
colebant, Zlzerim eam
religiosissime
liujus
deae
ritu
barbarico
ex
templum
lignis
constructum, etiam

quam

quoque

postquam

Eomani

incolere

eam

coeperunt, inviolatum

colli servavit,in
collapsum nomen
hi versus
sunt
:
lapideexsculpti
reperti
at vetustate

male

quem

cultura
polluerat

gallusmonticulum
unde

nomine

in

praesens

ab

apud

banc

urbem

usque

minatur.
Titus

cum

exercitu

in

incolis

praetor ad

Annius

nam

kal.

hunc

August!

idem

in

tulit.

monticulus
deleti sunt

arcendas
eam

j)ostmodum

nefaria dudum

tibi Ziza

Eomani

quo

permansit.

barbarorum

noZizcnherg

caede.

magna

excursiones

circundedit,ipseque

ad

dianam

meri-

oppidi partem, quae sola patebat,castra sua cum

legione
ad
occidentem
Martia
communivit.
ultra
vero
operosissime
Avar
Huvium, ubi Suevis aut barbaris aditus patebat,
Bogudis regis
1

Chron.

Conradi

ursperg.

Argent. 1532, p.

308.

ed. 1609, p. 225.

295

ziSA.

filius

cum

omni

auxilio maccdonlco

et
equitatii

nono
die,quani eo ventum
({uiuquagesimo
apud barbaros celeberrimus esset,ludum

cives

formidinem

ostentarunt.

igitur

is dies deae

est,cum

et lasciviam

etiam

tunc

conseJit.

Ziz^

magis

quam
barbarorum

immanis

partibusSueviae illuc convenerat, de proximis

silvis repente erumpens
ex
improviso castra irrupitet Avaris
Avar
exercitum
delevit. ipsum quoque
regio habitu iiidutum
vivum
pecoris mactaverunt.
comprehendeutescrudeliter in modum
in loco,ubi mactatus
a quo
est, vicus usque liodie appellatusest
in quo hi versus
sunt :
Crieclicsavcron,
reperti
his nomen
terris Bogudis dat regiaproles
Graemes Avar, pecudisde Suevis more
litatus.
minori fortuna sed majori virtute praetorem
non
oppidani vero
in auxilium
sociis properantem invadunt, quibus Eomani
hand
segniterresistunt, in quo conflictu duo principesoppidanorum
Habino
et Caccus in primis pugnantes cadunt, et inclinata jam res
esset
auxilium
ferre Suevi in altera
oppidanorum, ni maturassent
illorura principum
autem
ripa victoria jam potiti.de uominibus
de

multitude, quae

interfectorum
hinonc
sunt

adhuc

exstant

loca denominata,

monticulum

vocant

Habinoberg,in
se

perpetuo mentis
Cacco

lii

versus

reperti

tiorem

nomine

frustra

legionemquedivinam,
de hac

nominatur, ubi

vi resistentem

ceperat,romana
ut

nuncius

nee

perditalegioneadhuc
postniodum hi versus

martia

quo

solus Vcrres tribunus

se

occultans

hucusque nomen
tamen

non

caedem

est.

fuisse

honestam
versus

simul

cum

cladem,

periit.

transmisso

mortem

in

proximispalulacui Vernse
subterfugit,

lacui Vcrres quo

nomen

nam

cladis superesset,funditus

nomine

amne

niulto post Siciliae

promeruit.
damnatus

militum

dedit.
das

legiotota

obtruncant,

perlaich,
quasi perditalegio,
sunt
:
reperti

indicat hie collis romanam

dibus

atque sepultum
notificat.

Gcgyincn denoniinari.
denique coadunatis
oppidaniscastra irrumpunt,et praetorem, qui paulo al-

tumulum

delent.

victum

dicunt

vero

Suevis et

hie

quo

Habino
praefectus

rustici de Ha-

nam

se

propter hunc

eandem, quam

tu

latuisti.

tem
proconsuleff'ectusturpem morabdicaret
judiciocivium
magistratu
Verrcm
tradunt Augustenses banc
sub Augusto lactam
quidam descri-

296

GODDESSES.

ilium

bunt, sed Varum

superbe et

more,

romano

nominant
avare

his verbis
erga

ea

subditos

ae

tempestate Varus,
gereus

Germanis

deletus est.
later writers

Some

91,

also mention

the tradition.

Augsburg

for the

his house

to

have

99

says

of the Swabians

Sie bawten
zu

einen

(inhonour

eren

tempel gross darein

of)Zise der abgottin,

heidnischen

anbetten

denselben

Die
nach
Der

zeiten

(afterheatlien ways)

(adoredin

those

days).

genennt (citygot named) auch Zisaris

the goddess),
das was
der pris.
abgottin(after
tempel als lang stund unversert
(stooduninjured),
alter

von

da

er

was

alter

von

der

von
berg namen
daruf gestandenwas

und

sitten

der

bis im
und

ward

stat

in

die sie nach

zu

"

rhyme a history of
burgomasterPeter Egen the Young, who wished
painted with illustrations from it. Cap. 2, foL

ecclesiastic,Klichlin,composed

an

1373

About

haist noch

hlit

der val beschert

(itsfall decreed),
abgieng(asfrom age it passedaway),
im empfieng(thehill took name),
(whereon had stood)das werck,
(hightstillto-day)der Zisciibcrclc.

Conf. Keller's Fastn. sp., p. 1361.

Sigism.Meisterlin,in his Augsburg
chronicle ^ (which is in print from the 8th chap, of bk 1),
treats of this Cisa in

chaps.5-6 of bk 2. In the unprintedchap.4

of bk 1, he unmistakablyrefers to Klichlin,
and againat the end of
der gottin Cisa,die auch
von
chap.7 : das er auch melt (tells)
genent wird Cizais,das sy geert habend
(they honoured her) die
doch aus
Asia warend ; dawider
seind die andern, die von
Cysa
nach
schreibent, die sprechent,das sy die Vindelici habend
schwebischen
sitten angebettet.von
der gottinwirst du hernach
mer
haben, ob got wil (buch 3. cap. 5. 6).' (SeeSuppl.)
Hopeless contradictions lie on the face of that fragment.
who
lived in the year 494 of Eonie,
Bogud, a Punic ship's-captain,
260
or
B.C.,^is here turned into a Macedonian
king ; and his son
'

Avar

is made

years

after,or

Varus

do

contemporary
of

even

occur

as

the

with

the

Ciceronian

still later Varus.

of Pompey
contemporaries

Yet
in Dio

Verres

of

Bogudes
Cassius

Lat. 61 ; likewise sent me

by Schmeller.
IVIeisterlinwrote
it in 1456, and died about
Eom.
Hist. 3, 677.

Niebuhr's

fol.

and

41, 42.

Cod. Monach.

Aitgsb.15'22

200

1-184.

297

zisA.

Titus Annius

"What

there is

consul of that

Velleius Paterculus
But

all the

can

name

A.U.C.

never

have

I cannot
praetor,'

'

601

and

written

it contains

rubbish

remarkable

the

by

meant

was

does

guess

626, or B.C. 153,

this sort of

thing.^

destroythe value

not

128.

of

The

comparativelypure Latinityis
late as the twelfth
not composed so
enough to show that it was
^
inclined to place it in the Caroare
century ; Lazius and Velser
to whom
of a foreigner,
and it looks like the work
lingianperiod,
The glosses
the Germans
heathens and barbarians.
confirm the
are
of the whole
tradition with Augsburg and
its
local connexion
neighbourhood; and not only the Latin verses, but the German
forms werthaha
(R.Wertach), cizunberc, habino,habinonberc,look
too old for the 12th
(Hepino),Habinolf, is an
century. Habino
the

authentic

story

OHG.

to

man's

us.

name

seem
more
Cagau would
Geginen leads up to it.
to this day: the eminence

founded

were

is unknown

vernacular, and
of

Some

the

in

the

of the
the

which

derived

Cacan,

me,

local

monastery

the

106-1; so

to

cpiotedare
next
city,

names

in the middle

house,is still called Peiiach,on

of St. Pdcr

Cacus

preserved
the senateand

churcli

'subdidit

verse

name

hunc

'

composed after that ?

The name
which the legend derives from periensor perdita
pcrlcih,
Gl. ker. 124.
eikileihi,
(phalanx),
aigilaihi
legio,
suggests the OHG.
find leih in a varietyof
Diut. 1, 223 ; and in other compounds we
(collem)Eomae

senses.^

praepes

victoria Pdro

was

Zisenberg and Havenenberg

names

are

no

longer heard,

1343, and

Kricgshaher
are
explanationof the
may
older and correcter
form Criechesaveron,it is very plain that the
of the place Criahhes (graeci)
avani (imago,conf. pp. 86, 95,
name
proles)first suggested Graecus Avar,' as well as
yet also avaro
Habino '. The Auersberg chronicler's statement,
Ildbmonberc
the hero
that the Latin verses
carved in all those places,
found
were
MB.
33^
Pfersen(Veris-se)
well known
villages.Whatever

108

wliile

an.

be the

'

'

be

must

We

rejected.
find

then,tliat tradition,true

G. Jo. Vossius, De
Marci Velseri rer.

to

her

wont, has

mixed

up

liist.Lat. 1, 24.

Augustuuar. lilni 8. 1594 fol. p. 45.

* Henisch
293
berlach
ab ursis in publica
at Augsburg
explains
p.
On
the
ibi altis,'
done in other towns, e.fj.Bern.
cavea
a
thing wliich was
into view
Perlach tower
there was
fi.ved a figureof St. Michael,which
came
Michaelmas-day ; in earlier times a wooden
every time the clock struck on
is said to have stood on
the spot ; Fischart's
templeof lais (p.294, ex lignis)
30'' : der ama/.onischeu
fraw Eysen '.
Augspurgcr japetisch
geschichtkl.
-

'

'

'

'

298

GODDESSES.

fact and

fiction ; the

greatpointis,that she bringsus tidingsof

and Ciza
spelling,
of the goddess
from this name
would
be harder to explain. Now
can
we
hardlyderive that of the town Cisara,supposingit to be a
formed with
of placesare
derivative ; names
never
purely German

Suevic

goddess.

such

termination

Cisa

likelythat
tlie goddess: and

more

the older and

seems

from

Cisara

male

better

female

or

proper names.
Cisae ara, from the altar and

It

seems

temple

of

might corrupt Cisaram into Zizarim,

most
read that she was
We
Zizerim.
devoutly (religiosissime)
honoured
by the Suevi, her anniversaryis a grand festival devoted
defined as the
and merrymaking, the day is precisely
to games
after Aug. 1, it fell therefore on
Sept.28. At such a
fifty-ninth
season
might be held a feast of the divinitywho had prosperedthe
of
harvest
justgatheredin. On Sept.29 the christians kept one
their grandestdays,that of St. Michael, who often had to rejDlace
a
heathen
worthy of notice,that
god of war and victory. It seems
had their great feast of victoryabout the same
the Saxons
time,
the
With
viz.,the beginningof October ; Widukind
pp. 423-4.
considered
common-week
the holi/
was
first Sunday after Michaelmas
der
na
in the Mid. Ages to begin; Scheffer's Haltaus,pp. 141-2.
of a
In the handing down
hilligenmeinweken, Weisth. 3, 240.
of the story
preciseand doubtless genuine date,I feel the credibility
later writers

confirmed.
Now
Isis

who

(p.257)

is Cisa ?
in

One

Tacitus,whose

naturallythinks
even

name

first of that

is not

unlike

Suevic

Cisa,Zisa,

an
dropping of the initial,
the Eoman
omission which
might be prompted to make by the
if Zisa be totally
But even
of the Isis that he knew.
similarity
dififerentfrom
Isis,she can with all the better rightbe placedby
also was
the side of our
displayeda thoroughly
Zio, in whom
Swabian
deity(p.199) ; nay, togetherwith our supposed feminine

make

if we

allowance

(p.203) there

Ziu

may

for the

have

been

mere

collateralform Zisa, so tliather

exactlycorrespondto the god'sZiewesberg,Zisberg

for this guess, which
(seeSuppl.). Shall I bring forward a reason
for the
]\Iid.Dutch name
shall be anything but far-fetched ? The
(p.125),which
third day of the week had the curious form Disendach
to Tise
at once
of Tiscndach bringsus
a
corruption
being of course
Zisunhergwould

It is

Zisa.
1

DoAvn

Siieves^ at

matter

for further researches

to

demonstrate,^ but

the rivers Lefh and Wertach, in the niiilstof

in the Riess between
settled in the region,
the Romans
to be before even
time suimosed

miKKA.

that three

299

FROUWA.

to the Suevi,is
are
Zio, Zisa and Isis,
divinities,
assigned

ah'eadyabundantlyclear,
8. Frikka

(Frigg).

(Freyja).

Frouwa

inquiry turns at length to the goddessesof the Norse

religious
unequivocaltraces are forthcomingin
system, of whom
Our

the rest of Teutondom.

of these

Foremost
sister of
because

Friggtlie wife

are

Freyr, a pair easy

of their similar

to

names.

of OSinn, and

confound
I

to

mean

try

confounded

often

and

if

Freyja the

stricter etymology

and

keep them asunder.

doubt
the easier : it is motived no
of Freyjaseems
The
name
by the masculine Freyr (Gramm. 3, 335). Now as we recognised
Freyr in the Gothic frauja(p.209), Freyja leads us to expect a
of domina
both in the generalsense
Gothic fraujo,
gen. fraujons,
of a proper name
FrcUijo.The
mistress,and in the specialone
in Ulphilas. To make
notion of mistress,
occurs
lady,never
up
for it,our
it very frequently,
OHG.
remains
by fruwd,
express
and our modern
froicd;the 'MUG. frouive,frou
/ra?6have preserved
the masc.
while
themselves
fro has
purely as common
nouns,
frau
and
vanished
correspond
altogether. In meaning, frouwe
exactlyto herre,herr,and are used like it both in addressingand
to the respective
divided
.otherwise.^ Our minnesiingersare
as
of frouwe
(domina)and wip (femina),^
wip expressing
superiority
feel frau to
the dignity; to this day we
the sex, and frouwe
more
includes a good deal
be nobler than weib, though the French femme
It seems
frau.
of what is in our
worthy of notice,that the poets
part them

can

be looked
for ; neither does the Slav mythology know
thing,'
anyall
certain
aliout
(Boh. cic,cec,
at
a
Ziza,allcfjedto he Ceres nianimosa
be
Cisa must
forsooth our
Pol. eye, Russ. titi,
niannna), in sujtportof whom
for
the
MHG.
better
to
think
of
name
Hanusch
278.
It
were
wronged ; see
the zeisig(zeis-chen,
siskin)diu 'Jse. ein kleiniu ztse, Ms. 1, 191''. AVh. 275,
30 ; which
can
scarcelyhave arisen from cicindela (glow-worm, Graff 5, 711) ;
the goddessand the form of
has come
connexion
to lightbetween
however, no

no

Slav

f^odsneed

bird,though

little

some

birds,the woodj^ecker,the titmouse,

held

were

sacred.
Like our
remains,like
1

fr6, the 0 Fr. dame (dominus)

/raw.. The Span, keejisboth

our

The Romance
donna.
s
icur
sire,
(p.27) and

tongues express

Walth.

'^".'^-9. frouwe

senora

48-9.

unde

masc.

now

doji and

lost ; dame
doua, the

notion

by

senior,out
sehor,i.e.,
seigneur,
signore,
have sprouted,but no Fr. feminine.

signora, !"pan.
a

the

is

57.

Amgb.

IMs. 2, 182*'
(seeSupjil.).

45'' 4^''.

\\\p, Parz. 302. 7

210^

two

(domina)
Ital. only

other

of which

Docen

an

M'ords,
Ital.

misc.

2,

300

GODDESSES.

harp on the connexion of fmu

joy ; conf. Fridank 106, 5"8.
The
their

AS.

and

OS.

frouwo, tlieyhave

and freude
froh glad (fro-lic)

Tit. 15, o5.

hinguages have

frea, fraho

masc.

with

is used

done

far

the very

freelythan

more

dialect has vrauive,

developed no fem. by its

in addressing
and
vrouwe

1, 52.

297.

Eein.

356.

731. 803.

32-57-64,"c.),seldomer
has

vrotL'W

1365.

side.

The

as

title

1655.

2129.

in other

its

extended

reverse

Eein
positions,
meaning even
beyond

2291

the

while

the

OHG.

M.

Dutch
St.

(Huyd. op
2288.

2510-

; the modern

limits of

our

frau.
All

the above

in contrast

languagesappear

to the

OIST. wdiich

to

lack the fem.

proper

name,

Frcyjaalmost solelyas the

and no freyja hera.
Yet we
find husfreyja
wife,
housegoddess's
name,
ScCm. 212^, and Snorri is still able to say that freyja is a
that grand
tignarnafn(name of honour) derived from the goddess,^
The
ladies,rikiskonur, are frcyjar,Sn. 29.
Yngl. saga c. 13.
readingsfrur, fruvor here are corrupt,for the Icel. form frit has
evidentlyslippedin from the Dan. frue,Swed. /rw, and these from
( ermany.
The goddessshould be in Swed. Froa, Dan. Froe,which
I have
with ; the Swed.
met
never
folk-songof Tlior's hammer
has
calls FreyjaFroijenborg
Danish
a
one
(the Dan. Fridlefsborg),
alreadythe foreignFru. Saxo is silent about this goddess and
her father altogether
her Froa.
doubt have named
no
; he would
Our
Fruci
has now
at last presentedus with
Merseburg poem
of the goddess.^
Frowa, as the proper name
Friyg gen. Friggjar,
daughterof Fiorgynn and wife of OSinn, is
kept strictly
apart from Freyja,gen. Freyju: in the Vaf]?rudnismal
and the beginningof the Grimnismal, O"lnn
and Frigg are plainly
and
wife ; and
as
presented as husband
Hroptr and Svafnir are
of OSinn,
also names
Hroptr ok Frigg,Svafnir ok Frigg in Saem.
possesses

'

'

Fraujo,and freyjafrom Freyja,a song of Frauenlob's,

from a Frankish
king JFijypeo.Is this an echo
icq? come
of a mythical Wippo, Wibba
nation
(geneal.of Mercia, end of ch. VII) l The explais as false as when
the Edda
derives vif i'rom vela, for all a woman's
should have to assume
two
and a peace-weaver
a weaver
being practically
; we
^

Ettm.

As

from
fiaiijo

p. 112

makes

roots, viban and veiban,side by side. The ON. proper

3, 250. 594.
worthy of note, Fornald. sog. 2, 459.
"

The

reasons

why

we

may

not

take

fnld

here for

Vefreyjais

name

mere

title

(and

also

so

for the u in the

5IS.,it looks to me
quite plain,else Wackernagel's proposalto read Friia
in T. 93, 3). Frua
Frija,Friga,Fria,would be acceptable(friiu does occur

novm

com.)

are

set

forth in tlie Zeitschi-.f. d.

a.

2, 189.

As

and

Fria

are

alike welcome

and

suitable for my

explanation.

relation.

tlie same

01^ 9?^^ express

001

FKOUWA,

FRIKKA.

Gram., p. 13, has correcLly

Saxo

Frigga Othini conjux'. In prayers the two goddesseseven stand

ok
Frigrjok Frcyja,
side by side : sva
hialpither hollar va^ttir,
!
far af hondom
Sffim.
fleirigO(5(more gods),sem
Jju feldir mer
So they do at the burning of Baldr's body, Sn. 66, conf. 37.
240^
has likewise
And
that Danish
Friggc,Fru og Thor '.
folk-song
'

'

'

'

usuallyhas

ON.

The

kk, namely, where

gg where

suffix

i had

the AS.
stood

has

OHG.

eg and

after g

or

cc

or

thus, ON.

ekki ; ON.
AS. ecg, OHG.
bryggja (ponsj,AS. brycge,
(acies),
OHG.
hrukki.
OHG.
prukka ; ON. hryggr (dorsum),AS. lirycg,
Frikka, Frikkia,even
In the same
we
get an AS. Fricg,OHG.
way
from Frouivd than Friggfrom Freyja.
farther away
It is the confoundingof these two beingsthat will explainhow
to put Fricco instead of Fro for Freyr(supra,
of Bremen
Adam
came
equally have said Fricca for Freyja. Fricco,
p. 212) ; he would
egg

Friccho, Friccolf
And

it

now

in

were
seems

unaccountable,why the
called in

be

both

ON.

Frouwuntac,

never

but

use

as

proper

in OHG.

names

possibleto explain,what is otherwise

sixth day of the week, dies Veneris, should
in OHG.
and also FriadnQr,
Firj/Judagr
i^rmtac, Frigciac,now
Frcitag,in AS.

?), v. supra, pp. 123-6, and in Faroese

Frigedxg (forFricgedteg
Fngggjaded (Lyngbye532).
: in the OHG.
Among these forms the AS, presents no difficulty
and ON. names
we
are
puzzledby the absence of the guttural. I
believe a solution is offered by that most
important passage in
Paulus

Diac. 1, 8 where

Wodan's

only mean
Frigg,not Freyja,as
grounding on Paulus, makes use
auctore

is named

consort

Saxo

Gram,

of the

form

i^rea,which

too, while

Frig :

'

can

expressly

Paulo

teste

Frig dea '}

This

Langob. Frca accords with the OHG. Fria, I take it to be

form of the name
not only identical with
Frigg,but the original
;
it has less to do with Freyja and the AS. masc.
frea. As an ON.
bru (pons) stands related to bryggia,so will fri to frigg. The
Its root is suggestedby
Frea.
Frea,Fria, Frija,
Langob. Frea is
=

The
above

must

tins

means

Frea

to

AS.

chroniclers (p. 128) borrow

With Frea we
Frea from
Paulus.
the frea of the Laws
of Liutpraiid(5,40 and 67, an.l

all connect

in assigning
iuL^enua. Paulus therefore,
uxor, doniina,not libera,
Wodan
his wife, has put lier in tlie pi
as
place of the Noi-se Friir"i. The
'
substitution is ol'ten made
heita a
Forna
Fornald.
:
thus,
lus, when
sog. 2, 25-6 has
ok
Hott
it
is
a
that should
have been associated wbh
shov
Freuju
(Ofiinn),'
t^i'i.^'S
Frigg
.

..

as
Ociinii,

is done

,,

in the Grimnisnial

(^seeiSuppI.).

302

GODDESSES.

sucli words

as

Goth,

OHG.
freis,frijis
(liber),

fri ; Goth,

frijon

take into account

the OS.
we
(amare),OH(t. frion ; especially
may
Hel. 9, 21. 13, 16.
neut. M
171, 21. 172, 1, the AS.
(mulier),
freolic cwen
Ca3dra. 29, 28.
freo (mulier),
(pulcrafemina),Beow.

1275.

freolicu meowle. Cod.

freolic fcemne, Ctedm.

frech,ON.

12, 12.

479, 2, freolic wif,Beow.

exou.

54, 28.^

Now,

fri

and our
(liber)
(mulierformosa) and
as

(protervus,
impudens), fri
friSr (pax)seem
to be all related,
ON. fric5r (formosus),
the
even
forms betraythe shifting
of the substantival.^
sense
adjectival
We
gatherfrom all this,that the forms and even the meanings
of the two names
border closely
another.
the
one
on
Frcyjameans
gladsome, gladdening,sweet, gracious goddess,Frigg the free,
beautiful,loveable ; to the former attaches the generalnotion of
to the latter that of fri (woman). Holda, from hold
frau (mistress),
resemble
(sweet,kind),and Berhta from berht (bright,
beautiful)
both.
The Swedish
calls
them
in naming Froijenborg,
folk-song,
her

'

den

frekr

1222.

vana

the beautiful
solen,'

sun.

ceivable.
conmytlis becomes the more
for
her
Saxo, p. 13, relates how Frigga,to obtain gold
more
minutely told, and
ornaments, violated conjugal fidelity;
in the details,
the tale about
much
Freyja in Sn. 356
differing
On
adventure.
to be the same
quite another ground
appears
63. Yngl.
however
the like offence is imputed to Frigg too (Sffim.
of Frcyjais spoken of,but in
saga cap. 3). In Sn. 81 the valshamr
113-9
that of Frigg; the former is supportedby Sa3m. 70.
The
for the day of the week.
Hence
the variations in the name
OHG.
i^r^Ifftacought clearlyto be Friggjardagr
in ON., and the
in OHG.
too the
Hence
ON. Freyjudagr should be Frouwuntac
uncertaintyin the naming of a constellation and of several plants.
Orion's belt,elsewhere
named
Jacob's staff and also spindle(coins
is called by the Swedish peopleFriggerock
(coinsFriggae,
rfkaKarrj),
noticed
Hire, p. 6G3) or Frejcrock(Finn Magnusen 361*),as we
before,or Frojas rock (Wieselgren.
383). The orchis odoratissima,
are
brewed, Icel.
satyriumalbidum, a plantfrom which love-potions
later
otlierwise hionagras (herba conjugalis)
Friggjargras,
; the

Hence

Conf.

182'' 258^
386.

434.
"

We

the

the

mingling of

MS.
1, SO"' 202*. 2, 42^
wiplich wip, Parz. 10, 17.
Otl. 11,
ywa'iKfs,
drjXvrepai
1, ^59'' ; similarly
wip, MsH.

MHG.

wibin

15, 422.

might

their

Hesiod

connect

scut.

Venus

4.

with

qiman ; the Wei. given would answer

beine,Friday,from becm, ben (lady)
=

the
to

Venus

Goth,

qino, qens,

Gvenus
=

AS.

for Venus
cwen.

as

venire
; the

with
Ir. dia

FRIKKA.

303

FROUWA.

thinking has substituted Mary for the heathen

in ZeaLand
speaks of the above
goddess. And the labouringman
of Maridrok, Marirolc.
Several
constellation also by the name
kinds of fern, adiantum, polypodium,asplenium,are
named
lady's
hair,maidenhair,Mariewjms,capillusVeneris,Icel. Freyjuhdr,Dan.
Fruehaar, Venusstraa, Venusgrds,Norweg. Marigras,"c. Even if
the Norse
here have sprung
out
of Latin ones, they shownames
how
Venus
translated both by Frigg and Freyja and Mary.
was
As for Mary, not only was
the highestconceptionof beauty carried
to her, (frio
idiso sconiost,Hel. 61, 13. 62, 1),but
over
sconiosta,
she was
Conf. infra
pre-eminentlyour lady,frau, domina, donna.
In the nursery-tales
Marienktilblem.
she sots
ladycovr,
frauachxmli,
the girls
sewing and spinninglike Holda and Berhta, and Ilolda's
the same
as
snow
Mary's snow
(p.268).
appears to mean
I pause, doubtingwith
Before so close a contact of the two names
which of them to connect
the strong and incontestable similarity
of
in
certain divine names
the non-Teutonic
[Aryan] languages.
First of all,an
OBoh. glossgivesPriye for Aphrodite; takinginto
the OHG.
account
the Goth, frijon,
friudil (lover),
MHG.
vriedel,
and the Slav, priyatel(friend).
Boh. pijtel,
Pol. przyiaciel,
it must
have meant
either Freyja the goddess of love and fruitfulness,
or
Friggthe divine mother and patroness of marriage. In Sanskrit
also pri is to love,priyas a friend,Eamapriya dear-to-Lakshmi
lotus,Yamapriya pleasing-to-Yama ficus indica,priyain names
of gods
husband
or
wife. Pott's forsch. 2, 424-7. Then |jnY/m'fc
christian way

of

word, though next

the

named

Terra mater, from

broad

of kin to
and

whom

fruit

comes

223^); and the

gloss.
the earth being
latus),
prithus{TrXarin:

Wei. pridd
(conf.

increase

and

Prithvi

earth,and matd

is the

wide,

terra, Bopp's

nevertheless

seems

with

connected

Fria,Friggand fridu.

Friggthe daughterof Fiorgynn(p.172),as consort

god,^takes rank above all other goddesses: she knows
men
(Sa^m. 63^ Sn. 23. 64), is consulted by OSinn
administers

Some

oaths, handmaids

of the AS.

fulfil her

genealogieshave

'

Wuden

best, she
et

of the
the

highest
fates of

(Sasm. 3P),
presidesover

so
Frcdlaf ejusuxor,'

that

in the
fits in with that Fridlcfsborg
(OIIG.
Frigg
him
of
lien
in
But
father.
others
Woden's
Freahif
make
300
Danish
;
song, p.
connexion
the
of
confirmation
i'VirVulaf
and
also
fresh
have
i'^j-ifVuwulf,
a
we
friS and the troddcss's name.
between
=

Frealaf

Froleip?)which

30 i

GODDESSES.

the

marriages,and her aid is imploredby

childless

(Fornald.
sog. 1,

Friggjargras.We may remember

those maidens yet unmarried
(p.264) beingyoked to the plough of
commands
the goddesswhose
they had too long defied. In some
Hallamshire,
parts of northern England, in Yorkshire,especially
of the worship of Fricg. In the
show
remnants
popular customs
of the year, especially
of Dent, at certain seasons
neiglibourhood
and perform old dances,
autumn, the country folk hold a procession
dance : the leadinggiantthey name
Woden,
called the giant's
one
in
of
the play consisting
and his wife Frigga,the principalaction
and clashed togetherabout the neck of a
swords being swung
two
Still more
remarkable
is the clear
boy without hurting him.^
Saxony, where to the common
vestigeof the goddess in Lower
peopleshe is fru Frehe^ and plays the very parts which we saw
assignedto frau Holle (pp.267-8):a strongargument,by the way, for
in Westphalia,
of this latter. Then
the divine nature
legend may
117) ;

derive the

also

hionagrasis

hence

of the old convent

name

from
Friclcenhorst,
FrecJcenhorst,

shepherdFrickio,to whom a lightappearedin the night(likethe

fall of snow
by nightat Hildesheim, p. 268) on the spot where the
church was
to be built ; the name
reallypointsto a sacred hurst or
was
whose site Christianity
of FricJco masc,
grove of Frecica fem., or
a

perhaps eager
2, 265.

There

Kemble
1, 248.
appropriate
; conf. Frmcinghyrst,
far from Magdeburg
not
is a Vrckckvc, Frickslchen,

to

(seeSuppL).
along with Frigg;
the more
been even
prevalentand
her worship seems
to have
important of the two, she is styled agatuz af Asynjum,'Sn. 28,
and
Yngl. saga cap. 4, to whom frequentsacrificeswere
blotgySja,'
sacrificed a boar to her, as elsewhere to Freyr,
offered. HeiSrekr
Freya

is the

goddessmost

honoured

after

or

'

'

honoured

and

her

above

all other

gods.^

She

was

wedded

to

of an ' old Yorkshirethe mouth

at weddings ;
of that weapon
use
for the sword
'. I account
man
Heimreich's
conf.
167-8,
conf. RA. 426-7. 431 ; esp. tlie old Frisian custom
pp.
men
In Swabia, as Lite as the 18th century, the bridesNordfries. cliron. 1, 53-4.
ribbons before tlie bride ; and there
carried hxrge swords with fluttering
1

is

Communicated

by

strikingsimihiritv
^Eccard

de

J. M.

Kemble, from
by the ancient

in the Esthonian

o^g.^Germ.
p.

398:

custom

Celebratur

M. 1 3).
(Superst.
in plebe Sa.xonica /rw Freke,

adscribunt.
Holdae
suae
Sax ones
munia
tril^uuntur,
([uae superiores
has justbeen unearthed
againby Ad. Kuhn, namely in the Ukerin the Mittelmark
to fru Harke
mark, where she is called Fruike,and answers
and fru Gode in the Prignitz.
3
By the editors of the
Hervararsaga, ed. Verel. p. 138, ed. 1785 p. 124.
into the notes as an
unsupported
Fornald. sog. 1, 493 the passage is banished
cui eadem
Fru

Freke

reading.

mrKKA.

305

FROUWA.

bnt he forsook her,

(nota god,at least not an As),named OiJi-,
the world, among
all over
and she sought him
strange fjeoples,
Sz/r(Sn.37) would perhapsbe Saurs in
sheddingtears. Her name
in the Syrithaof
Gothic : Wilh. IMlillerhas detected the very same
Saxo Gram. p. 125, who like^dse goes in search of Othar.
Freyja's
after them, and she herself is
tears were
golden,gold is named
Sn. 37. 119. 133; in our
fair in greeting
(weeping),
'gratfagr,'
pearlsand flowers are wept or laughedout, and dame
nursery-tales
But the oldest
Holla bestows the giftof weeping such tears.
drawn
authorities make her warlike also ; in a waggon
by two cats
(as Thorr drives two goats)^she rides to the battlefield,riSr til
and goes shares with OSinn in the slain (suprap. 133, conf.
vigs,'
Sn. 28. 57). She
is called
Sasm. 42^
eigandivalfalls (quae
mistvess, of the chosen,
in pugna),Sn. 119 ; valfre2/ja,
sortitur caesos
to be
Nialss. p. 118, and of the valkyrsin general;this seems
Berhta
in strikingaccord with Holda
or
(as well as Wuotan)
man

'

'

'

adoptingthe babes that die unchristened into their host,heathen

FoUcgoddessesthe heathen souls. Freyja'sdwellingis named
vdngr or FullTdngar,the plainson which the (dead?)folk troop
the connexion of St.
to
credibility
together
; this imparts new
Gertrude,whose

minne

is

drunk, with

Frowa, for the souls of the

night(p.61).
departedwere supposedto lodgewith Gertrude the first
of much
the seat-roomy,capacious
hall is Sessrymnir,
folk;
Freyja's
after death.
dying women
expect to find themselves in her company
ThorgerSrin the Egilss.,
p. 103, refuses earthlynourishment, she
thinks to feast with Freyja soon :
ok engan
ek
mun
(nattverS)
fyrrenn at Freyju'. Yet love-songspleaseher too,and lovers do
*

well to call upon her : henni likaSi vel mansongr,

That the cat was
Sn. 29.
at heita til iista,'
sacred
'

wolf to Wuotan,

will

perhapsexplainwhy

and witches,and
night-hags

is called

hana

er

gott

to

her,as the

this creature

is givento

donneraas,wetter

(-carrion).
she
When
a bride
goes to the wedding in fine weather,they say
has fed the cat well,'
not offended the favourite of the love-goddess.
The meaning of a phrasein Walther
82, 17 is dark to me : weder
Gerhart
ritest gerner cine giddin'hatze,aid einen wunderlichen
In Westphalia,however, the weasel was
named
Atzen ?
froie,
aas

'

'

'

Freyja has a waggon like Nertlms (mother of Freyr?),like Holda and

Wuotan
and Donar (pp.105-7,251-2-4,275) ; the kinglywaggon
Freyr hinisili',
is proper only to great exalted deities.
20
^

306

GODDESSES.

I suppose
means
elsewhere
was
ghostly creature

Reinli. clxxii,which
that

donna, donnola,
fraulein,
would

and these

titles

to

sure

called
be

muhmlcin

connected

the first placeto

pointin

doubtless

frau, fraulein (froiken),

as
with
our

(aunty),
myths,
goddess

turned
into a
worship. The Greeks said Galinthias was
Ovid, metam.
weasel or cat (yaXeTf),
9, 306 (seeSuppL).
In so far as such comparisonsare allowable,
Friffjwould stand
line with Here
the pronuba, Jupiter's
or
Juno, especially
a
on
Isis who
seeks
spouse ; and Freyja with Venus,^ but also with
Osiris. Frcyr and his sister Freyja are
suggestiveof Liber and
her mother Demeter
Libera (Dionysusand Proserpina,
or
even
; of
and the
and moon). Mary could replacethe divine mother
sun
goddess of beauty; verballyFrigg agrees better with Libera, and
in name
to
Adam
of Bremen's
Fricco,if he was god of love,answers
Liber, in character to Freyr.

her

and

quoted from Paul Diac. is one of the clearest and

the German
most convincingtestimonies to the harmony between
and Norse
mythologies. An author of Charles the Great's time
Wodan's
wife Frca, and she is
tells us that the Langobards named
have drawn
this from Norse
He
cannot
called Frigy in the Edda,
tradition,much less can his narrative through Saxo's intermediacy
The

have

passage

become
But

in

external

the

of the northern

source

favour

evidence.

of

Freyja too

The

Edda

we

makes

faith.
possess
her

the

weighty piece of
of a costly
owner

(Brisingorummonile) ; she is called

Brisingamen
How
she acquired this
eigandi Brisingamens,'Sn. 37. 119.
cunninglystolen from her by
jewel from the dwarfs, how it was
In the
357.
Sn. 354
Loki, is fullynarrated in a tale by itself,
obs. 6, 41. 63) ; a lost
(Thorl.
poets therefore Loki is BrisingsJ?iofr
foughtwith Loki for this
lay of the Edda related how Heimdallr
When
Freyja pants with rage, the necklace
ornament, Sn. 105.
Ssem. 71^
starts from her breast (staukJ^atit micla men
Brisinga),
When
back, dres:ics up in Freyja's
garments,
Thorr, to get his hammer
named

necklace
'

"

does

he

not

forgetto put

her

famous

necklace

on:

'hafi

in Switzerland
(Aufsess.anz. 1832, 240-2 ;
find precisely
Venus we
dame
usnal
the
Uhland's
volksl. p.
iree.
form
collateral
there
offrei
a
frau Frene,and ace. to Staid. 1, 395 freinis
the
Verena
be
Vrene
Hebel.
from
Vreneli is known
A woman's
name
may
1

In

the

Tanhauser, as

snng

771), insteadof

martyr,

or

Veronica, v. Vrene,

Ben.

328.

:'"07

'

FRIKKA.

he) it mikla vicn

(liave
trinket is evidentlyknown

FltOUWA.

Brtsimja!

hann

the AS.

to

without

'

Ssem. 72.

Now

this very

poet of Beowulf

2399, he

"

allusion to

goddess; I
would read
Brisingamene,' and derive the word in generalfrom a
verb
nodis constringere,
which
is in MHG.
brisen, breis (nodare,
Gr. KevTelv to pierce),
namely, it was a chain strung togetherof
bored links. Yet conf. ch. XX, hrisingSt. John's fire : perhaps
'!" The
the dwarfs that forged it were
called Brisinrjar
jewel is so
interwoven
with the myth of Freyja,
that from its mention
closely
in AS. poetry we may
of the Saxon
race
safelyinfer the familiarity
with
the story itself; and
if the Goths
worshipped a goddess
of a Breis igge mani.^
Fraujo,they too would doubtless know
it

names

Brodnga

mene,

any

the

Conf. ch.

lar"ar

XX,

men,

Earth's

turf
necklace,i.e.,

in

the

ON",

legallanguage.
We

but feel it significant,

that where

cannot

speaks of

ro

ayiov

helaghalsmeni
came

(Matt. 7, 6), the

sacrum

Hel. 52, 7
(holynecklace),

him,

over

as

once

before

the

OS.

an

about

gospelsimply
it

poet makes

old heathen

iscence
remin-

doves

perching on
only the swine,

shoulders

time,as he names
(p.148). At the same
not the dogs,it is possible
that he meant
halsmeni
to be a mere
of merigrioton,'
amplification
pearls.
But this legend of the goddess's
necklace gainsyet more
in importance,
when
we
placeit by the side of Greek myths. Brisinga
is no
other than Aphrodite's
men
6piJio"i
(Hymn to Venus 88),and
the chain is her girdle,
the Kearo"i
which
she wears
ifia"i 7rot/c/Xo"f
her bosom, and whose
on
witcherysubdues all gods and mortals.
and
How
she loosens it off her neck {diroar7]6ea(piv)
lends it to
Hero
her Zeus
to charm
with
with, is told in a lay that teems
As the ifxd"i
is worn
in turn
world-old myths, II. 14, 214-8.
by
Here and by Aphrodite,the Norse fable gives the jewel now
to
for that
to Freyja,
Frigg and now
gold of Frigg in Saxo is the
Then there is another similarity
same
as Brisinga
men.
: the same
narrative makes
Freyjapossess a beautiful chamber, so strong that,
'

'

'

when

the door is

Just

as

from

locked,no

one

can

enter

againsther will

Freyja proceededthe gonoral notion

serves
necklace-wearing

to

describe

bcantii'ul wife

or

of

'

hun

freyjafrouwa,so

maiden.

In

Sanu.

1)7''

in a necklace)means
menfjlotS
(monili laeta,rejoicing
simply femina, but in
108* 111" Menfjby^ is a proper name
is
(see p. 272 note); in 222* menslcdrjul
used of Brynhildr. Women
from their ornaments
of
are
commonly named
gold or preciousstones, Sn. 128 (seeSuppl.).

308

GODDESSES.

utti

eina skemmu,

ser

ef hurSin

menn,

var

er

at eingimatti
Isest,

Su.
(without)viljaFreyju,'
Loki

bffiSi fogr ok

var

We

354.

nothingabout that,but (II.14,

TOP

tokl the trick

are

by

an

which

Homer

of Here's

165-8) he knows

ol

]?atsegja

at

i skemmuna

komast

her of the necklace

after all got in,and robbed

"

sterk,sva

says

^aXa/io?,

eTeu^ev
vio"i
"^t'Xo9
crraO/jLolaiP
6upa"i
eTTrjpcre

Se
TrvKLva-i
HcjjacaTO'i,
kXtjISi
KpviTTfi,
TT)v S' ov ^"09

aX\.o"i avtpyev.

exactlyin accordance with that inaccessible

the t/u.a9 is spoken of directly
as
apartment of Freyja,especially
the curiously
after ? Hephaistos(Vulcan),who
built his mother
lace
contrived bedchamber, answers
to the dwarfs who
forgedthe neckfor Freyja. The
identityof Frigg and Freyjawith Here and
Aphroditemust after this mythus be as plainas day.

"What

can

be

more

10. FOLLA..

SiNDGUND.

Another

thing that betraysthe confusion of Friggwith Freyja

to
is,that the goddess Folld,now
proved by the Merseburg poem
mythology,is accordingto it a sister of Frua,
belongto our German
while the OjST.Falla again is handmaid
to Frigg,
though she takes
rank and order among
the Asynjor themselves
(Sn. 36-7).^ Her
office and duties are
expressedin her name
sufficiently
fies
; she justiAhundia
da7ne
of the above-mentioned
Hahonde
or
our
reception
into German
mythology,and correspondsto the masculine god of
the Lettons and Prussians adored.
Pilnihcs,whom
plentyPilnitis,
and abundance
Like dame
Herke
on
prosperity
p. 253, she bestowed
on

her

mortals, to

out
(eski),

It may

of which

be,

that

keepingwas
giftswere
FuUa

or

mother's

intrusted the divine

showered
Folia

upon
at

was

chest

them.

the

time

same

thought

Lith. Pilnatis,masc), as another

(Goth.fulli]?s,
seburg
heavenlybody, Orion, was referred to Frigg or Freyja: in the Mersister
MS. she is immediately followed by Sannct with
a
Bindgund,whose name
again suggests the path of a constellation.
The Eddie Sol ranks with the Asynjor,but Sindgund (ON. Sinnof

as

the full-moon

He

bored

hole and

crept through

as

then
fly,

as

flea he

incident

stung the

stillretained

: an
sleepinggoddesstillshe shook off the ornament
nursery-tales.Conf. the stingingflyat the forging,Sn. 131.
2 If
read Fria for Frua, then Folia would stand nearer
to her as
we
Norse, whether as attendant goddessor as sister. Yet, consideringthe
of those goddesses'
she may keep her placeby Frouwa
too.
names,

in

in the
bility
insta-

?)is unknown

gunnr

I shall

11.

SUXIA.

SllTIA.

GAUT.

to the

back

come

goddesses of the North

were

Wag

Sunia.

survivingproper names
myths, we
rarely from extant
From

NANDA.

In cli.XXII.

Edda.

to these divinities

Sippia.

Gakt.

SAGA.

WARA.

on

'

the

may

tions
constella-

(seeSuppl.).
Saga.

a.

Nanda.

impersonalterms,
gather that several

even

or

309

in earlier times

common

to

more
more

the rest of

Teutoudom.
named
Gcr"r, she
Frey's beloved, afterwards his wife, was
the
of the giantbreed,yet in Sn. 79 she is reckoned
came
among
Asynjor. The Edda paintsher beautyby a charming trait : when
Freyr looked from heaven, he saw her go into a house and close the
of her arms
door,and then air and water shone with the brightness
much
thwarted, and was
(Ssem.81. Sn. 39). His wooing was
of his faithful
only brought to a happy issue by the dexterity
servant

Slcirnir. The

form

of her

name

Oerffr,gen. GerSar, ace.

(Sicm.117''),
pointsto a Goth. Gardi or Gardja,gen. Gardjos,
in the
ace.
Gardja,and an OHG. Gart or Garta, which often occurs
Liutkart,"c.,but no longer alone.
compounds Hildigart,Irmiugart,
The Latin forms llildegardis,
Liudgardishave l^etter preservedthe
the vowel-change in GerSr,
terminal i,which
have worked
must
to be cingens,
ThorgcrSr,
ValgerSr,
HrimgerSr. The meaning seems
municiis [Gurth?],
Lat. Cinxia as a name
of Juno (seeSuppl.).
GerSi

OHG.
sippa,AS. sib gen. sibbe, denote
sihja,
sippia,
kindred; from these I infer a divinity
Sihja,
Sippia,
peace, friendship,
the wife of Thorr, for
to the ON". Sif gen. Sifjar,
Sib,corresponding
sifi amicus (OHG.
the ON", too has a pi.sifjar
meaning cognatio,
of the word, Sif
sift genus, cognatio. By this sense
sippio,
sippo),
would
appear to be, like Frigg and Freyja,a goddess of loveliness
and love ; as attributes of OSinn and Thor agree, their wives Frigg
and Sif have also a common
Sif in the Edda is called
signification.
the fair-haired,it harfagragoS,'and gold is Sifjarhaddr
(Sifae
peplum),because,when Loki cut off her hair,a new and finer crop
afterwards forged of gold (Sn.119. 130). Also a herb,polywas
trichum
bears the name
haddr Sifjar. Expositorssee in
aureum,
this the golden fruits of the Earth burnt up by fire and growing up
(II.5, 500) ; and
again,they liken Sif to Ceres,the ^avOt]Ai]fn]r't]p
The

Goth,

'

with it agrees

the fact that the 0 Slav. Siva is

glosson

'Ceres dp.i

310

GODDESSES.

'

frumenti
to be

Slav, zliivete

the

of

our

was

Zh, and V does

not

Thor's

not

mother,

simple Sifstandingfor

mythology.

seed-corn

Nowhere

Demeter,

to

threatens to

Sif,and

fuller details about

have

ought to
in

find the

do

we

earth

The

r, B, P.
220

(Hanka'sglosses5* 6^^); only the S

bringfamme

amongst

whose

to

answer

his

earth.

these

are

is the

us

To

(Hynm

seems

the

wife,yet

Teut.
in

Sn.

decide,we

ing
wholly wantmystic relation

her

poignantgrieffor

mankind

on

in the word

to Cer. 305

"

daughter
315),nor

anythinglike it,recorded.
language draws a subtle distinction between sunja
and
law,
probatioveritatis)
(Veritas)
simjS (defensio,
; in OHG.
sunnis means
excusatio and impedimentum. The ON. law
sunna,
for excusatio,
likewise has this si/n gen. synjar,
defensio,negatio,
time exhibits a personified
impedimentum, but the Edda at the same
and
heathen
who
the
of
truth
to
a goddess
was
Si/7i,
justice,
class belongs Vor
the accused (Sn.38). To the same
and protected
gen. Varar, goddessof plightedfaith and covenants, a dea foederis
deified Tutela.
The phrase vigja
(Sn.37-8),justas the Eomans
Gothic

The

'

Varar

saman

Tutelae

hcndi,'consecrare

(Saem.74^),is

manu

As in addition
passages about Wish's hands, p. 140.
with life,
endowed
abstract wish we
a Wish
so
saw
by the

the

the OHG.

wara

beside sunia

In the

same

foedus
Sunid

way

there

invented.

I have

112),that

the

have

been

the

side of

goddess Wara,

and

(seeSujipL).

or

(saw,tale)is intensified into a heathen

Wuotan
; like Zeus's daughterthe Muse,

sage

goddessSaga,daughterof
she instructs mankind

may

to

like

in

that divine

argued in

frou Avcntiure

which

art

Wuotan

himself

separatetreatise (Kleineschr. 1, 83
of the Mid.

Ages

is

"

relic of the

same.

Nanna

the wife

of Baldr

would

be

in

Goth.

Nanjjo, OHG.

(p.221),but, except in ON,

the simplefemale name
is lost ; Procopius1,8 has Gotliic Qevhevdvda, ON. ThioSnanna
(seeSuppl.).
like
Inferences
these, from
dying words to dead divinities,
for they
could be multiplied
is not unprofitable,
; to attempt them
the eye to look in fresh quarters [forconfirmation
or
coniiliarpen
Nandd, AS. Aodc, the bold, courageous

EAIIANA.

The discoveryfrom
futation].
betweeu

myths

My

survey

of

12. PtAHANA

(Ran).

of the

closed

correspondto

the

liarmony

guesses into demonstrations.^

our

gods

elsewhere

legend or

Hellia

with

(Hel).

Oegir and

Loki

to these sliallbe the last mentioned

iXoddessesakin
To

raise

may

3 11

HELLIA.

Gcfjonthe

ON.

Old

; and

the

here.

Saxons

had, as

far

as

being,Gchan, Gcofon(sea,p. 239).

With four giant oxen, accordingto Sn. 1, Gefjon ploughs Zealand
and a lake arises,
whose inward
bend exactly
out of the Swedish
soil,
coast of Zealand.
fitsthe projecting
She is described as a virgin,
and all maidens
who die virgins
wait upon
Her name
her, Sn. 36.
is called upon
when
F. Magn.
oaths are taken : sver
ek viS Gcfjon,
of Freyja (Sn. 37 and Vigalex. 386 (seeSuppl.). Gefn,a name
glumss.cap. 27) reminds one of Gefjon.
Ran
the wife of the seagodOegir,they liad nine daughters
was
in the Edda, and called Rdnar
who are cited by name
(orOegis)
we

know,

dcctr}

not

female

Men

who

but

male

fall to

drowned

are

the share

: fara til Rdnar

divinity
to
at Rdnar
2, 78 ; and sifja

itself attests her

Fornald.

sog.
Those

6, 376.
^

It

Fuoge
7534-40

almost

seems

or

who

drowned

were

if the

as

MHG.

she

is to get drowned
be

drew

her

to

poets recogniseda female

similar
plasticpower
Gefiwge(fitness),
directs me
or
apfiovia.Lachmann
compages
(conf.Iwein, p. 400) :
in

to

the

So had

the master's
out

und
sin

da hi dem

(Couf.Er.

gesteine

1246

ein
Gefuorjc

wundcr

miraculous

biilh

ther 64, 38 :
Fr6 Unfuoge,ir habt
And

65, 25

ware

landen
im

an

of

thought

riding-gear

great wisdom

schulde

bat)." Parz. 121, 11

wirt,

Whoso

in the two

biit ;

Fitness

wonder

lands
in him

thrives,
bears ;

Fitness,her child,her darling."Conversely,Wal-

gesiget.

thou
Unfitness,

Dame

hast

triumphed.

Swer
Ungcfiioge
swigen hieze
mid sie abe den biirgenstieze !

Whoso
and

bade

hurled

Indecorum

Sn. 124-9.
Sit^m. 79^ 144'"- 153^' 180.
sub v. Ran.
Egilssagap. 616.

185.

hush,

lier strongholds.
allegory. And tlie

her from

later and colder

It is true, the prefixesge-, un-, argue
a
OIIG.
be preferable,
fem. form (ace.in -en) would
in N. cap. 135 hifuogun,sotigenam (see Suppl.).
as
weak

personified
in point.Er.

as

als in min

zwein

this

fru

each its proper place,

him dame
Fitness bade.

bat.
Geviioge

in den

Wer

Wish,

he gave the ivory

and withal the jewelry

stat,
gevellige

als in diu

he is a

with

grozer wisheite ;
gap dem helfenbeine

personage

to instances

turned

sog.

net, and

niasc.

So hete des meisters sin

er

in

of

at sea,

drowned, Fornm.

gepriievetditz gereite
mit

Ran, which

of

Fuoga, gen. FuogCin,

Eyrbygg. saga

p.

274, and

dex
in-

312

GODDESSES.

off,whence

carried them

the

neut. is
explanationof her name
: ran
rapina,rsena rapere, spoliare(seeSuppl.).
rahancn
On
the discoveryof the rare
word
in the
(spoliare)
Hildebr. lied 57, I build the supposition
that other Teutonic lands
had also a subst. rahan
(rapina,
spolium) and a goddess Baliana
Tanfana, Hluodana),as well as an Uogi
Oegir.i
(conf.
=

As
so

we

from

may

like him

and

Oegir (through Forniot

passed from

we

by water,

Ean

dreadful

those

Hel

on

is

Hel, who

to

no

other

and

than

Logi)to Loki,
Loki's daughter,

divinity.Ean receives the souls that die

land, and Freyjathose that fall in battle.

Heljar shows itself in the other Teutonic

less doubtfullythan Frigg and
Freyja or any of the
tongues even
above-mentioned
goddesses: Goth. Halja gen. Haljos,OHG. Hellia,
Hdla
gen. Helle ; only, the personal
gen. Hellia, Hella, AS. Hdl
of halja,
notion has dropt away, and reduced itself to the local one
hellia,hell,the nether world and placeof punishment. Originally
evil being, she neither kills nor
Hellia is not
death
nor
any
with
torments
; she takes the souls of the departedand holds them
inexorable grip. The idea of a placeevolved itself,
as that of oegir
The

lid

ON.

out

oceanus

of

gen.

Oegir,and
without

heathen

converted

underworld, the abode

this,from

done

because

any

of the

of

geban mare
ado applied it

damned

perhaps also because

with a heathen
spirits
explainedfrom Hellia

baptized Goths down

notion
already existed
church

the

was

from

Geban
the

to

not

under

sorry

to

christian

Northmen,

the

to

; the

nations have

; all Teutonic

first

the
local

that

that

heathenism,
lost

associate

hellia can
be
.^ Thus
divinity
more
readilythan ostara from Ostara.
even
she is sister
In the Edda, Hel is Loki's daughterby a giantess,
She is halfblack and
snake.
to the wolf Fenrir and to a monstrous
Sn. 33,
colour
half of human
{bidhalf,en half meS horundar lit),
after the

The

of the

manner

Trad,

(Rahan ?). An
Hel has

and

patav. pp.
OHG.

"

no

Rahana

at
attinity

fiendish

pied people of
60-2
rests

assure

iis

of

Mid.

man's

Ages
name

; in

other

Raan, Rhaan

slender foundation.

very
all Avith ON. hella
on

the

petra, hellir antrum,

as

the

petra shows (from hillan sonare, because a rock resounds) : a

hole antrum, OHG.
holi,more
is that with our
frequentin
likelier connexion
hulundi
fem.
in
fact
Goll.ic
as
a
should
hul,
a
which
for
Ave
neut.
expect
hoi,
therefore
from
the
nether
Avorld
does
and
(both
so
for a cave
is caverna,
covers,
not
do
and
holle
hole
in
vowels
the
(=
halja)
(= hull)
hilan celare). Only,
Goth,

hallus

blackness alone is made

her

passages

complexion of
Fornald.

sog.

Fornm.

117.

Hel, Nialss.

sem

313

HELLIA.

RAII.VNA.

subjectof comparison: hldr

3, 188; conf. Hdjarshinn for

sog.

hue, Landnamab.
deatlily

2, 59. 60 ;^ death is black

Nialss. cap. 96.

2, 19.

gloomy.
ground,under
and

dwelling

Her

root of the
of the
a
deep down in the darkness
fore
in Niflheim, the innermost
tree Yggdrasill,
part of which is therethere her halls,Ssem.
there is her court
called Nifihel,
(rann),
(jb 44a 9j.a_ gjj_4_ |-{erplatteris named
hungr, her knife sultr,

is

down

her,fara

to

sickness

those
Hdjar, strictly

til

old age, not

or

those

hcl

vera,

be in

greed. The

who
fight,
disappearedin
into

Hades, be dead, Fornald.

dead

only that have

fallen in

personalityhas pretty well

sla,drepa,berjai hel,to smite

Her

insatiable

her

denote

to

terms

synonymous

hell,send

died

go
of

people Valhalla,
such phrases as i
to Hades
; i hclju

sog. 1, 233.

Out

of this has

impersonaland distorted
altogether
term, Swed.
ihjdl,Dan. ihiel,to death.^ These languages now
express the notion of the nether world only by a compound, Swed.
hclviti (suppliciuminfernale),
the ON.
Dan. Jiclvede,
i.e.,
helvcte,
hellewize.
One
who
is drawing his last
OIIG.
MHG.
hellmvizi,
breath is said in ON.
liggjamilli heims oc heljar(to lie betwixt
from
this world to the other.'
home
and hell),
his way
to be on
Hcl is expresslyemphasized;
of the Eddie
The unpitying nature
Sn.
what she once
has,she never
givesback : haldi Hel }?vier hejir,
68 ; heJir
nu
Hel, Sa3m. 257% like the wolf in the apologue(Reinhart xxxvi),for she is of wolfish nature
and extraction ; to the
wolf on the other hand a hellish throat is attributed (seeSuppL).
describe the way to the lower world, the
Two laysin the Edda
arisen in the modern

The

ancients

(Pans. 8,
Demeter
maid
De

42.

at

also

an

painted Demeter, as

Miiller's P]umenides

the

wrathful

Mark
earth-goddess,

168, conf. Archteol.

p. 509 the black

her daughter Persephone,
the fair
sometimes
even
^
Hor. Od. 2, 13 (Censorin.
to the underworld
:
furva Proserpina,'

and
Phigalia),

doomed

die nat.

O.

dialects

c.

8, G. 9, 27 and

17). Blade Aphrodite (Melanis)is spoken of by Pausanias

by

Athenanis

bk.

13 ;

we

know

the

black Diana

of

2, 2.

Ephesus,

and

that in the I\lid.Ages black Madonnas

both painted and carved, the
were
Holy Virgin appearingtlien as a sorrowinggoddess of earth or niglit; such at
Loretto,Naples,Einsiedeln,Wurzburg (Altd.W. 2, 209. 28G), 'atOettingen
with a child 2, 184),at Puy (Biisching's
Nachr. 2, 312-333),
(Goethe'sCorresp.
Marseilles and elsewhere.
I think it specially
that the Erinnys or
signilicant,
Furia dwellingin Tartarus is also representedbotli as black and as half ivhite
halfblack.
0 Swed.
has more, correctly
ihal (Fred, af Normandie
1299.
iha"l,i.e.,
13-56. 1400.
In
1414).
Ostgotalagen
readinghas already ihiaill for
p. 8, one
ihad ; they no longergraspedthe meaning of the term.
-

314

GODDESSES.

HelreiS

Lrynhildarand

ride

Sleipuirfor

on

tlie

sake

Baldr's

undertakes

.HermoSr afterwards

steed

same

in

wliich

says of herself

Sn.

the

and
thrilling,

more

are

vala,who

the

Vegtamr^ and

between

the

latter,OSin's

the

prefigurethat

to

seems
on

the incidents in the poem

But

in

VegtamsqviSa ;

65-7.

dialogue

(by snow),ok sleginregni,

ek leingi,
ok drifin doggo (by dew), dauS (dead)var
This vala
the sublimest
is among
things the Edda has to shew.
to Hel herself.
stand in close relationship
nmst
for Hel the Latin Proserpina,
Saxo Gram.
p. 43 very aptlyuses
In the Danish popular
her give notice of Balder's death.
he makes
ek snifin sniofi

var

is

Ijelief Hel

harbingerof

it was
Originally

on.

postedover

the steed

other than

no

that

the dead

land, picking up

the

round

horse, that goes

three-legged
; of this
plague and pestilence

shall treat further

the

which

on

country,

goddess

her due ; there

were

is

her

she made

journeys.
the Anglo-Saxons retained
sliow^s h)w
A passage in Beowulf
It says of the expiring
the old meaning of the word.
perfectly
feorh
l(i98 :
Grendel
alegde,lueSene sawle (vitam deposuit,
hine Hel onfeng^the old-heathen goddess
animam
}7"er
gentilem),

also

ivaggon

her,in

ascribed to

which

'

of
possession

took

In
a

Germany

him.
the Mid.

too

Ages

the
Orcus esuriens,
i.e.,

voracious,hungry,insatiable Hell,an

devouring ogre

diu

diu daz

den himel

unde

ir doch

was

from

der erden.
ne

she
when
personal,
in
the wolf ; pictures
wide

mouth.

open

like the Hell

the chasm

(steepdescent)
mouth

her

down^

heaven

werden,And yet to her

mac

ivirdet

ne

werdent

wan

arge

be-yawnethwith

zuo

niht

lebet,si

man-

ragingtyrant

who

ir munde

unde

her, like

to

he

gelich,

abgrunde

mit
hegenit

der

still more

The

wuoterich

der Hellcn

was

ter

representher simply by

of Ctedmon

tobende

Der

und

Helle

gaping yaioningjaws ascribed

the MS.

der

'

gast. It sounds

sat,'Welsch.

niemer

al daz
ferslinclet

diu Helle

sat,'N. Cap. 72.

niomer

has

'

conceptionof

the

stillcherished

to earth,

it cannot

hap

Vegtamr (way-tame, broken-in to the road,gnariis

in other placesgangtamr (itineri
as
viae),son of Valtamr (assuetus caedibus),
himself is GangraSr or
OSinn
but
Sa^m.
265'',
assuetus)is used of the horse,
in
minstrel Wechtam
and
the
of
reminds
one
holy priest
Gangleri. Vegtamr
1

OSinn

calls himself

Hunibald.
"

I have

supposedthat

'

unde

den

'

is a

slipfor

'

abe dem

'.
"

Trans.

UAH

daz si iiner werde

si ist daz
daz weder
'

that slie

vol ;

hoi,
ungcsatliche
noeh uie ne sprah :
uu

diz ist des ih niht

mac'

ne

315

HELLIA.

ANA.

become

ever

full ;

she is the insatiable cavern,

that neither
'

now

this is what

nor

said

ever

I cannot

(manage).'

Old poems
have
frequentallusions to the
Lampr. Alex. G671-80.
hellaabgrund (chasm, abyss) and the doors of hell : helligruoba,
"c. Gramm.
2, 458 ; der abgrunde tunc, der tiefen
grunt, helliporta,
Mart. 88^ 99".
helle tunc (thedeep hell's dinge,darkness).
Of

there

course

suggest much

of

Bible

are

that

texts

in the first instance

would

hell,Prov. 27,

of

the insatiableness

this,e.g.,about

(conf.Freidank Ixxiv),her being uncovered, Job 26,

in
to bear
are
6, her opening her mouth, Isaiah 5, 14. But we
aS?;?or infernus, with which
mind, that all these have the masc.
20.

30, 16

the idea
German
of

the

of

Latin

language,true
feminine

word.

throat,strength and

62),appear so
world, that they
different nations
essential

The

to

the

how

observe

was
obligedto make use
idiosyncrasy,
The
images of a door, abyss, wide gaping
invincibility
(fortistanquam orcus, Petron.

to its

natural

cap.

and

also agrees,

Orcus

and

to the notion

necessary

keep recurringin

will

(seeSuppL).
thingis,the image

of

similar

of

nether
among

way

female
greedy,unrestoring,

deity.^
the

But

higherwe

the less hellish and

have

we

the

allowed

penetrate into

to

travels

(p.268),but
goddess. In

and

about

is likewise

antiquities,

and

like Nerthus

bathes

called Kali

our

Of this
Halja appear.
her affinity
to the Indian

godlikemay

more

particularly
strong guarantee in
who

Bhavani,

are

Holda

Mahahdli, the great

or

llach

sit in

judgment on
and the black hue (kalaniger,
souls.
This office,
the similar name
her exceedinglylike Halja. And
make
conf. caligoand KekaLv6";)
of the oldest and
commonest
conceptionsof our
Halja is one
she is

the underworld

supposed to

heathenism.

In the south

named
idea
a

of

where
ITollanfl,

Hdvoeisluis.

I do not
in the name,

contained

Helium

here

Inter Helium

know
of

the
it'any

ita

inter haec

Tac. also says 2, G

ore
:

modicum
immense

nonnne
ore,

Conf.

suo

supra

sea, is

of Hell.

The

in

amnem

custodiens
\). 198

on

place

confirm
Romans

ostia,in
appellantur

Rhenus, ah septentrionein lacus, ab occidente

medio

the

in old documents

Hell-foot,foot

acFlevum,

falls into

Mouse
forms

Mosam

alveiim,

quae
se

Plin.

tlie
have

effusus

spar^it,
4, 29.

Unjjisdijr
(seeSuppl.).

CHAPTER

XIV.

CONDITION"

Now

that

divinities of

the several
their

nature

allowed

of

way

appearances

to

i.e.,their

men,

follows

moreover,

that

to survey

foreign and

in other

be

must

we

especially
this

of

sections

connectingpointsfor

find

human

gods in

animals

of

men,

many

this fact

on

shape,and only
are

founded

incarnation, their twofold

or

and

mankind,

adoption into
gods

however,

of

done

their

those

certain

concerning

loose.

clothed

intermarrying with

their

have

exceptionin

their

which

doing

can

be found

past,I will endeavour

frequent notice

more

have

All nations

both

in

mythology, than we
it is the only way
we
that otherwise hangs

thread

by

distant

our

whole

take

to

Greek
work

as

GODS.

collected all that could

have

we

OF

also

the

circle of

the

sex,

deification

of

the

It

gods.

begotten and born, experiencepain

are

death, that like

subjectto sleep,sickness and even
transact
affairs,are
men
they speak a language, feel passions,
The
and
clothed
only
armed, possess
dwellings and utensils.
and

are

sorrow,

difference

is,that

and

these attributes

to

states

there is attached

higher scale than the human, that all the advantages of the gods
more
slightor transient.
are
perfectand abiding,all their ills more
This

appears

to

me

fundamental

allowed

heathen, that

they

unconditional

duration, but

of

All

men.

gods is

that is born

checked

eternal dominion
itself not

by

fate

their

to

only

must

feature

gods

term

as

standing higher than

is liable at last to

only by singleincidents

general notion of a coming and

and
quite distinctly,
expresses
in the background: the day will

the

in

inevitable
which
come

when

Greek

Zeus's

their

this reveals

gods,but

ruin, which

tlie

and

they,so

And

the lives of

of the

exceedingthat
omnipotence of

even

termination.

faith

unlimited

an

of life far

die,and

also

not

in the

in

the

the

Edda

system

reignshall

has
end.

CONDITION

But

this

firmlylield
opinion,
and

only now
1 have

In

the Norse
of

way

common

and

immortal

by

even

eternal.

They

are

therefore /Lta/cape? 1, 339. 599

have
are

the

finds
fStoics,^

ragnarokr,
p. 245-6.
the gods are
thinking,

utterance

be

2, 814, n6dvaTo"i Zev^

in contrast

to mortal

14, 434

man.

They

immortales, while men

cifi^poTot
is explainedby the Sansk. amrita
dix^poTo";

specialrightto

^poToimortales

supposed to

called Oeol alev iovre^,II. 1, 290.

2, 400, dddvaroi
494, aleijeverai
and

317

GODS.

in the story of Prometheus, which

then,particularly

compared to
the

OF

the

name

immortalis,the negativeof mrita

mortalis

(conf Pers. merd, homo

next
and d/u,/3p6aco";,
mortalis)
neighbour to
; in fact both amrita
contain a reference to the food,by partakingof which
dp,^poro^,
the gods keep up their immortality. They taste not the fruits of
the earth,whereby the ^poroilive,ot dpovpr)"i
Kapirov eSovaiv,II. 6,
142.
thick mortal blood,
With
ySpoTo?again is connected ^p6To";
whereas in the veins of the gods flows Ixd^p
(H. 5, 340. 416), a light
thin liquid,
in virtue of which
to be called d^poToi
they seem
=

dfl^pOTOt.
Indian

legendgives a full account of the way amrita,the elixir

of immortality,
brewed out of water clear of milk, the juiceof
was
f no Greek poem
herbs,liquidgold and dissolved precious-stones
tells us the ingredients
of ambrosia, but it was
an
rpocj)/]
dix^pocrcy-j
and
there
divine
drink
a
besides,fyXvKv veKrap, II. 1,
was
(food),
598, of a red colour 19, 38, its name
being derived either from vtj
KTaaOac, or

and

take

bread

and

195, and hence

better from

wine, the gods take ambrosia

comes

Where

avertens.

necem

veK-rap

and

men

nectar, Od.

5,

the

at/xaOeolo,
dfi^poTov
oco^;
tx^cop,
00

irep

re

peet jxaKapeacn

'^ap alrov eSovcr ,

ov

elai
dvalfiove^

TOVveK

deoicnv

'rrivova aWoira
Koi

dddvaroc

"

olvov

"

KaXiovrai.
"II.

Theirs is

no

thick

according to
(bloodless)
agrees

nor

omncs
Atfjiie

5, 330.

our
seim,ON", seimr, slime),
glutinousalfia(conf.
the Indians
do they sweat ; and this dvaifirov
with the above
explanationof d^poTo"i.The

cleos perdetmors
pariter

et
aliqiia

chaos.

Seneca

in Here,

1014.
'^

Cleopatrahad costly
pearlsmelted in her wine, and
witli
Indian
cii.stoni
princes; conf. Si;eton. Calig.^7.

it is said to be stilla

318

CONDITION

OF

GODS.

are
passedon
a/x^pocrto';,
adjectives
a/jb^poTOf,
veKrdpeo'i
a^poTo";,
from the food to other divine things^(seeSuppl.). Plainlythen
the gods were
not immortal
by their nature, they only acquiredand
from
the food and drink of men,
secured this qualityby abstaining
and feasting
on
heavenly fare. And hence the idea of death is not
kept at a distance from them ;
always nor as a matter of course

Kronos

born

to kill his new

used

children,no

doubt

before nectar

given them,^ and Zeus alone could be saved

in which
from him by being brought up secretly.Another
way
of certain gods is expressedis,that they fall a prey
the mortality
phone.
to Hades, whose
meaning borders on that of death, e.g., Perseand

had

ambrosia

If

belief in

the

the Greeks, and

among

final overthrow
the

been

; with

eternityof the gods is

only scattered hints are
ancestors

our

immortal

gods being

dominant

introduced

retire into

the

one

of their

thought of

the contrary,the

on

to

seems

the

background.
their death

is
or
eylifir
: ]?aer
regindq/ja,Spem. 37^,or more
spoken of without disguise
36^ 40*^ 108^
of the
One
:
regin riufaz (solvuntur),
frequently
finest and oldest myths describes the death of Balder,the burning
into the lower world, like that of
of his body, and his entrance
in the Voluspa Q'',
Proserpine; OSin's destined fall is mentioned

The

Edda

never

and
odauSligir,

calls them

(bane),Sn. 73, where also Tliorr falls dead on the

ground ; Hrungnir, a giant,threatens to slayall the gods (drepa
time we
Sn. 107.
Yet at the same
can
point to clear
guS oil),
kinds of food and
of life by particular
traces
of that prolongation
the
into Yalholl feast on
admitted
drink.
While
the einherjar
nowdiere told of the Ases sharingin
boiled flesh of a boar,we
are
that
said expressly,
such diet (Srom.36. 42. Sn. 42) ; it is even
needs no food (onga vist ]?arf
OSinn
hann), and only drinks wine
and drink);
bseSi dryckr ok
(vin er honum
matr, both meat
lani

OSins

with

the viands
ViS

Freki.

eitt

Ssem.
vivit),

semper
1

vin

set before

Both

miraculous

nectar

powers

and
:

him

he

feeds his two

vapngofugrOSinn
42^ ;

aj

lifir can

ambrosia,like

poured

into the

the

nose

se

lifir(vinosolo

be rendered

Geri and

wolves

armipotens

'

semper

vescitur,

holy grailof the Mid. Ages, have

a corpse, they prevent decay,II.

of

ott"hunger, II. 19, 347. 353.

^
infants
As
hiunan
only be exposed before milk and honey have
may
Zeus first receives in the
When
EA.
their
conf.
moistened
lips,
pp. 458-9.
hands
him
he
nectar in a
Leto
bore
the
whom
him,
son
assembly of the gods
child.
his
him
for
bowl
he
: by this act
recognised
goklen

19, 38

they ward

319

IMMORTALITY'.

or
nutritur,'

'

immortalitatem
be

would
iimnortality

and
nanciscitur,'

found

his

in

tlien the

partakingof

the

of his

cause

dently
Evi-

wine.

of the Norse

gods is to the beer and ale (olr)of

what
to the wine of mortals.
the nectar of the Greek gods was
men,
Other
not
so
particularabout their language; ^ in
passages are
hall hav^e ale set before them, conf. ol
Seem. 59 the gods at Oegir's
giora,68^ ; Heimdall gladly drinks the good mead, 41^ ; verSar
sumbl
oc
nema
(cibum capere et symposium) 52, leaves the exact
of the food undefined,but earthlyfare is often ascrijjed
nature
to
words.'^ But may
the gods in so many
the costlyO"hroeris
not
drcckr, compounded of the divine Qvasir'sblood and honey, be
this

wine

likened

to amrita

and

ambrosia

account

the creation of the wise

potus) ;

that

Dwarfs

and

giantsget hold of
it first,
amrita fell into the hands
of the giants; at last the
as
gods take possessionof both. OShroeris dreckr confers the giftof
and Saga,goddess
: OSinn
poesy, and by that very fact immortality
of poeticart, have surelydrunk
it out of goldengoblets,
gladlyand
must
also take into
evermore
(um alia daga. Stem. 41^). We

Vanir, he
his

making

formed

was

blood

the

at

into

drink

out

of

Qvasir (conf.Slav, kvas, convivium,

of their

for

between

covenant

gods

the Aesir

and

of
spittle(hraki)
; the refining

seems

very

ancient

and

far-

reachingmyth. But beside this drink, we have also notices of a

specialfood for gods : ISunn has in her keeping certain apjyles,
by
eatingof which the aging gods make themselves young again (er
skulo abita,J^aer |?aueldaz,oc verSa ]?aallir ungir,Sn. 30'').
go'Sin
This reminds one of the applesof Paradise and the Hesperides,
of the
guarded goldenapplesin the Kindcrmiirchen
57, of the apples
no.
in the stories of Fortunatus

and

of

Merlin, on the eatingor

biting

of which

depend life,death and metamorphosis,as elsewhere on a

draught of holy water.
According to the Eddie view,the gods have
it is true, of preservingperpetualfreshness and
a
means,
youth,
1

even

As

Homer

too

makes

II. 20, 234, and

Ganymede olvoxoeveiv,

of Hebe

it is

said,viKzap it^voxod
4, .3.
'^ Zeus
",'0L'sto bancjuet{Kara ^aiTa) with

the Ethiopians,
II. 1, 423 ; orav
eVl dolvr)v
Plato's Pha;dr. 247, as Tliurr does with tlie Norwegians
'Icoai,
when
; even
disguisedas a bride, he does not refuse the giants'
dishes,
Saeni. 73'' ; and the Ases boiled an ox on their journey,Sn. 80.
' In
from rnjin'toambrosia.
Sanskrit,siulha nectar is distinguished
where
Everythere is an eitgli
in the l)Usiness : Garuda
is called sudhahara, or amrita-

Trpos haira

Kai

harana,nectar-thief
eaglethat Obinn

an

(see ch. XXXV

and

or

ambrosia-thief

(Pott,forsch. 2,4.'')1)
; it is in the shape of
and
Zeus his cupbearer Ganymede
OShrajrir,
and Poetry).
Path-crossing

carries off

XXX,

320

CONDITION

GODS.

OF

ments
regarded as subject to the encroachold
of age, so that there are
some
always some
yoinifi and
is picturedeverywhere as an
Odinn
Wuotan
or
gods ; in particular,
in the full
old greybeard (conf.the old god, p. 21), Thorr
as
strengthof manhood. Balder as a blooming youth. The gods grow
hdrir ok gamlir (lioar
and old),Sn. 81,
Freyr has at tannfe
he is therefore imagined
(tooth-fee)
presentedhim at his teething,

but,

all that, tlieyare

for

'

'

as

growing

Zeus

Donar)

(likeour
and

Ares
and

increase

like

In

up.

as

decline

Poseidon

and

bloom

the

in

Uranos

manner

of

as

of

power,

being;
gods with

long delayed,of
(seeSuppL),

Kronos

and

Growth

youth.

old,

as

appear

mes
aged,Apollo,Her-

middle

exclude

eternal,immutable, immortal
however

and

the notion

of

age,
a

the

strictly

and

the termination,
mortality,
such attributes,
is a necessity

Epithetsexpressingthe power, the omnipotence,of the reigning

A term
peculiarto ON. poetry
gods have been specified,
pp. 21-2.
Saem. 28^ 50^ ol'^ 52^ ^i?iheilog
is ^t?iregin,
goS 1^ ; it is of
the

root

same

as

kinan, hiare,and

gina, OHG.

numina

denotes

ampla, late dominantia, conf. AS. ginne grund,Beow. 3101. Jud.

firmissimus
176, 29.
131, 2. ginne rice, Ctedm. 15, 8. ginfgest,
211, 10.
gin, oceani
ginf?estengod, terrae dominus
garsecges
amplitudo 205, 3.
Goth,
The
Homeric
presses
rajnzo)beautifullyexpela (= paSi(o";,
of the gods ; whatever
the power
they do or undertake
toil,while
comes
easy to them, their life glidesalong free from
II. 6,
mortal men
labour and are
heavy laden : deol pela ^coovre'i,
her
138.
Od. 4, 805. 5, 122.
When
Aphrodite wishes to remove
S' i^ijpira^'
the perilsof battle,tov
favourite Alexander
from

'AcfipoBlTr)
pelafidX\

appliedto Apollo,when
The

443.

wall

so

cr

^eo'?,II. 3, 381

he snatches

Hector

; the

away

laboriouslybuilt by the Greeks

same

from

words

Achilles 20,

he overturns

a
sand-heap15, 362. With
fidXa,as a boy at play would
Athene
breath {Trvoifj),
p,d\a^Irv^aaa),
blowing a little (?}/ca

away

Achilles the

from

Berhta

SuppL).
XVII),
The

on
sons

spear

also blows

that

Hector

(p.276), and

had

the

thrown

are

20, 440

elves breathe

pela
mere

turns

(see

(eh.

people.
of

men

their full size and

gods
slowly and gradually,
strengthdirectlyafterhirth. No sooner
grow

up

attain
had

PRECOCITY.

STRENGTH.

321

SIZE.

to
tpareivi'iv)
presented nectar and ambrosia (a/j,/3poaiT)v
out of his
the newborn
Kare/Spco^
cl/x^poTov,
Apollo,than he leapt,
the goddesses,
sat down
began to speak,and.
swathiiigs,
among
he was, to roam
unshorn
as
through the country (Hymn, in Ap.
Eindr
bore to OSinii ;
Del. 123
133). Not unlike Vali, whom
and unkempt, he
unwashen
when
only one night old (einn?e.ttr),

Themis

"

Baldr's death
sallies forth to avenge
the coincidence of aKepaeKo/xr]^ with

HoSr, Sajui. 6^ 95^.

on

the Edda's

'

ne

hofuS

Here
'

kembr

disregarded.Hermes, born at earlymorn, plays the

mid-day,and at eve drives oxen
away (Hymn, in Merc. 17

is not

be

to

lute at

Zeus, who

seq.).And

Kuretes, grew

exhibited

is often

as

child among

the

f^vla
rapidly {Kap7ra\.Lix(o"i
(^aloLfxa
fievo"; Kai
and in his first years had strengthenough to
toIo avaKTo^;),
rjv^ero
enter the lists with Kronos
(Hes.theog.
492). Tlie Norse mythology
offers another example in Magni, Thor's son
by the giantess
he flung the giant
three nightsold (]?rina2ttr),
larnsaxa : when
foot,under whose weight Thorr lay on the
enormous
Hriingni's
ground,off his father,and said he would have beaten the said giant
dead with his fist,
Sn. 110 (seeSuppl.).
The shapeof the gods is like the human
(p.105),only vaster,
often exceedingeven
the gigantic. When
Ares is felled to the
his body covers
seven
ground by the stone which Athene flings,
of
1\. 21, 407),a size
land (eTrraS' eVecr^^e
roods
irekeOpa
ireaoiv,
the titan
tliat wiih a slightaddition the Od. 11, 577 puts upon
up

Here

I'ityos. When
with

hand

one

that breaks
ten

he

we

roars

put

some

drinks three

through a horn, the end

good portionof this,he
world

off

one

of its

many

the

devours

Edda, which

wedding one

of mead, Siem.

casks

of which

reaches

lifts the

snake

with

heads,arms

even

73^

the side

have
ox

and

; another

to

do

eiglit
time,
a

encircles the whole

he strikes three

deep

Again, Teutonic
never
imputing to its gods the
legs;they are onlybestowed

Sn,

or

21

cry

the sea, he drinks

to

that

his hammer

in

is said of

same

(5,786). By

men
fifty

at

or

earth

herself with the voice of

contents

of

valleysin the rocky mountain,

mythology agrees with the Greek

deformityof

like that of nine

features in the

feet,and

(II.14, 272).

(14,147),and

(5,859); Here

: he
especially

salmon, and

the other

with

only equalsthose

may

with Thorr

sea

oath, she grasps the

solemn

warriors in battle

Stentor,which
of this

the

Poseidon's breast sounds

from

thousand

Ares when

and

takes

59,

60.

322

CONDITION

on

heroes

few

Such

eKaroyyetpe^.

Slav systems
four

and

faces.

headed, as

the

Apollo

four-armed.^

hideous

figurewith

of

some

is

the

while

same,

Yet

Hecate

four

Porevit
is said

too

has
to

Khuvera, the

Indian

giantsare
with

five heads

and

have
a

been

three-

Laceda3monian
of

god

and

Hindu
Brahma

arms,

two-faced,and

was

Greek

in the

are

Janus

Eoman

GODS.

quite common
with
represented

the

heads, Svantovit

Rugevit seven

animals, as
forms

Vishnu

OF

wealth, is

legsand eightteeth. Some of the Norse

of
but a deficiency
gods,on the contrary,have not a superfluity,
members
OSinn
is one-eyed,Tyr one-handed, HoGr
:
blind,and
Logi or Loki was
perhaps portrayed as lame or limping,like
Hepha3stusand the devil. Hel alone has a dreadful shape,black
and white ; the rest of the gods and goddesses,
not
exceptingLoki,
to be imagined as of beautiful and noble figure
are
(seeSuppl.).
In the Homeric
perfecthuman
shape,to which
epos this ideally
for gods
Greek art also keeps true, is described in standingepithets
ruder poetry has only a
with w^hich our
and especially
goddesses,
of these is signiand yet the similarity
few to set in comparison,
ficant.
three divinities by
two
Some
or
epithetshave to serve
turns, but

Thus

them.
of

most

three

confined

are

Here

is XevKcoXevo^

Helen, II. 3, 121,^ the latter of

characteristic

individuals,as

to

or
a

^ocotti,^;
(theformer

Nereid

18, 40),Athene

of

used also

rf^avKw-

Thetis

for

Here),
i^vKOfio'i
(which again
dpyvpoTre^a,
Eos
Demeter
Iris aeXXo7ro9, iroh/jvefMO'i,
poSoSdKTv\o";,
ypvaoTTTepo';,
14, 326, just as Sif is
(Ceres)^avd?]5, 500, and Ka\\nr\6/ca/jLo";
harfogr(p.309),in allusion to the yellow colour of the waving
does

or

TTi?

the

As

corn.

KvavoxaiTi":,

called the

sea

rolls its dark

II. 14, 390.

same,

or

15, 174.

Kvavocppv;(a

waves,

Poseidon

20, 144.
contrast

to

bears

the

name

Zeus

could either be

Baldr

brahvitr,brow-

'^alTai II. 1, 528, the

belongdfji^pocnat,
hair and locks of Wish
(p.142),and because with his dark brows
he makes
or
signs. This confirmatorylowering of the brows
Karaveiecv Kvaverjacv
eir
nodding with the head (veveiv,
cx^puaiII.
of Zeus's will: Ke^aXfj
1, 527.
17, 209) is the regularexpression
In refusing,
ddavdroicri fieyicrrov reK/jLcop,II. 1, 524.
Karavevaofxai,
he draws the head back (dvavevei).
Thor's indignantrage is shown
the eyes (sigabryunar ofan fyrir
by sinkingthe eyebrows over
white

p.

222),because

to him

0. Mi'iller'sarchseol. p. 515.
XevKcl) round
Aphrodite throws her iri'jx^f

And

iEneas.

"

Tran3.

323

ANGER.

SUAPE.

50), displayinggloomy brows and shaking the beard.

Obviously the two gods,Zeus and Donar, have identical gestures
Sn.

angun,

ascribed

for

them

to

who
gloweringdeities,
tliis was

expressingfavour or anger.
have the avengingthunder at

of Donar, p. 177, and

shown

their

is

Zeus

to

They

11. 15, 13),he

S' virohpaIScov,
louringlook {Beiva
(1, 517. 4, 30),and next to him
fj,ey oxdi]aa"i

the

are

command;
the

given

above

grim

all is the

Poseidon

of the

by
dingy locks (8, 208. 15, 184). Zeus again is distinguished
13, 3. 7. 14, 236.
IG, 645),
oaae
beaming eyes {rpeirev
"jiaet,voi
his own
which belongto none
else save
great-hearted
daughter21,
415 ; Aphrodite has
3, 397, twinkling,
ofijxaTa
fiapfiaipovra,
shimmeringeyes (seeSuppl.).
Figuresof Greek divinities show a circle of rays and a nimbus
has commonly a
coins Mithras
Indo-Grecian
round the head ;^ on
the
with pointedrays,^in other representations
circular nimbus
wanting. Mao (deusLunus) has a halfmoon behind his
rays are
In what century
shoulders ; Aesculapius
too had rays about his head.
saints ?

And

diadems

of

kings.

the honorati

also to take

have

we

cujus vertici

Marc.

Ammian.

flammeus

I suppose

sancti,which

goes off into the

sucli

gods

to radiant

nimbus,

with
and

deorum

all events,

to

more

the

and

with

surrounded

be the OHG.

for

ro"a

riiota

is

flames

caput radiatum

rod,since virgaalso

radius,ON. geisli.A likening

flagellum,
of heaven

locks

do shine

would

at once

like rays.

suggest

It is in

nexion
con-

settingsun that Tac. Germ. 45 brings in formas

Around
radios capitis.
Thor's head was
at
put, latterly
not. ad Saxon. Gram.
p. 139).
ringof stars (Stephanii
a

story told

in the

Great's mouth

the purpose,

among

and

G alien restore,a beam

illumined
the

idols,especially
Perun, Podaga and

0. Miiller's archoeol. p. 481.

anz.
Oottiiif,'.
1838, 229.

Tliis beam

beloved's mouth

Chnodomarius,
Cap. 63 translates
by houhctskhno (head-

I find the term

luminaries

blond

and

crowns

the

Accordingto
Charles

of

sense

christian

of

16, 12 mentions

sun's head

to

the

into account

of the Sol auratus

radios
capitis

heads

aptabatur. N.

torulus

sheen),and to portray the

extremelynatural. In ON.

of the

the

halo,the aureole,first put round

the

was

What

Nemis, have

rays

of

seems

Slavic

certain
figures,
about

that shines
is like the one
Charles's mouth
lightsup the gold inside (seech. XVI., Menni).

from
and

Prilwitz

his head.^

out

came

their

into

Im

324

CONDITION

heads

; and

head

OF

GODS.

in

6, 12 is encircled with rays, so

Hagenow, fig.
is even
the rune
it stands for Eadegast. Did rays originally
E when
the highest conceptionof divine and
lustrous beauty ?
express
There is nothingin the Homeric
epos at all pointingthat way
(see
Suppl.).
It is

of that insouciance

and

lightblood of the gods,that

they are merry, and lavgh. Hence
they are called bliS regin
(p.26), as we find froh in the sense of graciousappliedto gods
and kings,^and the spark of joy is conveyed from
gods to men.
Frauja,lord,is next of kin to froh glad (p.210). It is said of the
Ases, tcitir varo, Saem. 2^ ; and of Heimdall, dreckr glaffrhinn go5a
in svdso guS
33^ contains a similar notion.
And
In
mioS 41^.
this lightthe passages quoted (pp.17-8)on the blithe and cheer/til
God
importance: it is the old heathen notion still
gather a new
Zeus in divine repose sits on
Olympus
lurkingin poetry. When
he is moved
to mirth
and looks down
on
(opucov
men,
cf)peva
Tep-yjroII.
then
the
blessed
heart
of
him
20, 23),
laughs
{iyeXaa-aeSe
/u,aL,
hlo honum
01
"^l\ov rjTop, 21, 389) ; which is exactlythe Eddie
laughed the mind in his
hugr i briosti,hlo HlorriGa liugri briosti,'
a

part

'

'

'

'

'

breast
Thorr.

Seem. 238^
OS.

Andr.

454.

'

hlo

'

'

hugi

mnnde

Often

in

'

hlo

the

of Zeus

oneness

and

]?aAtla hugr i briosti,'

hug,'with all her heart

109, 7.

2, 174. 203.

si liber ahsel

of the Cid:

in the song

fromod,' Hel.

ward

said subridcre ;

smielinden

mit

'

ollum

Brynhildr af
];a,

Later, in the EudHeb

speech is

his

of the essential

it is also said of heroes

But

22 0^

confirmation

fresh

Nibel.

AS.

'

mod

3, 17 the

423, 2 of

sah,'looked

sonrisose de la boca,'and

'

king

in

Brunhild:

her

over

ahloh,'

shoulder.

alegreera'.^

OvfiovXatvov,Hymn, in Cer. 435.

Plalf in displeasureHere
laughs with her lips,not her brows :
11.
ovSe fiercoTrov evr' ocjipvai
lavOrj,
Kvaverjaiv
ijeXaacre'y^etXeaiv,
he is
15, 102 ; but Zeus feels joy in sending out his lightnings,
; conf.

IL 23,
Idvdrj,
0v/j,o";

600

called T"p7TLKepavvo";

2, 781.

8,

2. 773.

20, 144.

So

Artemis

in arrows,
Od. 11,
6, 428.
21, 480.
(Diana)is lo-x^eaipa,
rejoicing
At the limping of Hephaestus,
the assembly of gods bursts
198,
into acr/Seo-To^
II. 1, 599 ; but a gentle
yeXco^,uncontrolled laughter,
is peculiarto Zeus, Here
and
smile (/MeiSai')
Aj^hrodite, As
^

Andreas

Helbl.

mid

7, 518

Elene
:

p. xxxvii.
diu warheit des

truth lauglis
at
crlachet,

that.

beauty
Aphrodite's

(II.4,
smile-loving
by ^iX.o/x/zetS/j's',
expressed
'

contrary by

the

Freyja'son

is

5, 375),so

10.

is

62^

PACE,

GAIT.

Ml Kill.

gnltfogT/fair

in

weeping (seeSuppl.).
We

to consider

have

find

and

swifter.

in which

manner

visible to

become

the

the

gods put

of mortals.

eyes

gaitand step like the human, only far mightier

II.
usual expressionsare
^"} i/jLev,^Pi levui,
/3f;,

theyhave

We

and

motion

in

themselves

the

next

The

1, 221, e^r) 14, 224, ^drr^v

1, 44. 2, 14. 14, 188. 24, 347, /S6^/?"ei
2, 48.
13, 18, 7rpoa"l3/]a6To
o, 778, ^y^Tqv 14, 281, TToo-fc irpo^i^d'i
gcnfjr, Sa^m.

SP

5%

1^

70'' 71^ gengengo

9% gek 100% gengo

Edda

in the

; and

13, 17, aire^i^aero2, 35

14, 292, KarelS/jaeTo

or

else /or

and
than
ire,proficisci,
meaning no more
the walker,
S^em. 32.
Sn. 24, i.e.,
called Gangleri,
AS. poets use geiocit(evasit,
abiit)or sidode of God

31^^ 53^ 75% this fara

OSinn

was

even

traveller ; the

returningto heaven,
enormously the walk
steps,II. 13, 20, or

of the

gods differs

the

sudden

225.

an

goes

sky.

ajjpcarance

But

94-5.

the common,

how

we

see

distance in three

immense

such

From

and

from

El.

Vishnu,

that of the Indian

earth, air and

traverses

next

118.

of Poseidon, who

in the instance

977.

Andr.

who

in

there

swiftness

disappearanceof

three paces

the

follows

gods;

for

Goth, hvairban, OHG.

to have used
speech seems
Imerban, AS. hweorfan
:
(verti,ferri,rotari)
hivcarf him to
heofenum
OGinn livarf];a,'
lullig
dryhten says Credm. IG, 8 ; and
vanished. Stem. 47. Homer
employs, to express the same
thing,
either the verb ataaw
the adverbs
or
(impetu feror),
KapiraXifxco'i
Athene
(as if ap7ra\ifxo)";
raptim) and Kpanrvco'i raptim. Thus
Here
or
H. 2, 167.
comes
4, 74. 19, 114.
al^aGa, Od. 1, 102.
22, 187 ; Thetis,the dream, Atliene, Here, all a[)pear KapTrdXi'p.co'
wliich

our

older

'

'

H. 1, 359.
and
he

Here

2, 17. 1G8.

in the

5, 8G8.

KpatTrvd,
KpaLirvo)"^,

rises from

So Holda

'

his throne

and Berhta

to

19, 115.

II. 13, 18.

look

on

suddcnUjstand

the

Od.

2, 40G

14. 292 ;

even

; Fuseidon

Zeus, when

15, 6.
earth,arrrj dvai^a"i

at the window

(p.274).

IMuch

expressionused in Sa3m. 53''^ of

Thorr and Tyr : foro driugom (ibanttractim,raptim,eXfcrjSov),
for
also Goth,
driugris from driuga,Goth, driugan trahere,whence
truht turba, agmen,
ON.
drauhts, OHG.
drangr larva,phantasma,
OHG.
and
vanishes
because
a
gitroc fallacia,
spectre appears
time it means
the rush and din
quicklyin the air. At the same
same

way

I understand

the

326

CONDITION

OF

GODS.

and omi above, from

god'sapproach,the woma
of
which
took a name
OSinn
(p. 144-5). The rapid movement
the
to a shootingstar, or
likened
descendinggods is sometimes
of birds,II. 4, 75.
15, 93. 237 ; hence they often take even
flight
the form of some
bird,as Tharapilathe Osilian god flew (p.77).
in the shape of a apirr] (falcon
Athene
flies away
?),II. 19, 350, an
she
bird,Od. 1, 320, or a ^/pr]osprey, 3, 372 ; as a swallow
6pvi";
The
perches (e^er'avat^acra)on the house's fiekaOpov22, 239.
the gods are
form for that of a bird,when
exchange of the human
being,
departingand no longer need to conceal their wondrous
OSin's taking his flightas a falcon,after he
tallies exactlywith
with Hei'Sreckr:
had in the shape of Gestr conversed and quarrelled
the

that betoken

i vols

viSbrast
many

liki,Fornald.

sog. 1, 487 ; but

stories of the devil,who

at

assumes

in

it is also retained

departurethe body

of

in muscae
est
fly (exit tanquam corvus,
egressus
touch of the
At other times, and this is the prettier
similitudine).
to whom
they have appearedas his
two, the gods allow the man
of their divine
equals,suddenly as they are going,to become aware
neck or shoulder betraysthe god. When
: heel, calf,
proportions
of them
Poseidon leaves the two Ajaxes,one
says, II. 13, 71 :
ttoBwv i]Be
Kvrjfiawv
i-Xyca yap fieroTriade
Se deoi irep.
peV ejvcov air i6 vt o"; dpiyvcoToi,
leaves Aeneas,Virg.1, 402 :
So, when Venus

raven

or

"

Dixit, et

avcrtens

cervice refulsit

rosea

patuitdea. Ille ubi matrem

agnovit,ta\ifugientemest voce secutus.
the
So, II. 3, 396, Alexander
recognises
et vera

incessu

6ed";irepiKaWea ceipi]v,

arrjOed6^
And

in

ON.

his dream

Fornald.

sog.

199.

koI

legend,Hallbiurn

figurein
cap.

ifiepoevTa

3, 103

before
;

as

Holm., while

ed.

on

ofi/xaTa

awaking

it vanishes

is likewise
the

/xap/xaipovra.

Fornm.

sees

sia
}?ykist

said in
sog.

Olaf

5, 38

shoulder

the
a

herSar
the

has

of

honum,

saint's sagr
it: sia

svi,

Aen.
1
gekk ; conf. os humerosque deo similis,
devil-stories: at the Evil one's
This
also lingersin our
589.
of
the 'L-xyia
visible,
departurehis cloven hoof suddenly becomes
the ancient god.
the motion
As the incessus of Venus declared the goddess,
(Jd/jLo)

mannsins

of Here

er

and

brutt

Athene

is likened

to that of timorous

doves,II. 5, 778,

VEHICLES.

FLIGHT.

of
gliding

the

But

the

327

HORSES.

such immense

gods over

distances must

have

their departure
as
especially
flying,
was
expresslypreparedfor by the assumptionof a bird's form. It
several deities,Hermes
is therefore easy to comprehend why two
wliose
and Athene, are provided witli peculiarsandals
{jreZiXa),
them
and land with the speed of
motive
sea
over
power conveys
Od. 1, 97.
5, 45 ; we are expresslytold that
wind, II. 24, 341.
them
Hermes
{irerero,II. 24, 345. Od. 5, 49) ;
flew with
at a later time adds
art represents them
as winged shoes, and
plastic
These winged sandals
a
pair of wings to the head of Hermes.^
then have a perfectrightto be placedside by side with the featherFreyja possessed,and which at Thor's
shift(fiaSrhamr)which
;
request she lent to Loki for his flightto lotunheim, Sa^m. 70=^'^
than
confounded
with Frigg (p.302),
but as Freyja is more
once
other legends tell us that Loki flew off in the valsham
Friggjar,'
seemed

last like

first to

from

'

Sn.

113.

shall

back

come

their

connexion, but

another

unmistakable;as Loki
gods to the giants,he is
is

hann
",ttishijba,
er

through air
actual

Loki

as

she is

fire.

veritable

swallow

horses,and
a

with
the

sent

far

so

as

Greek

in

pedila

tlie
from
messenger
Hermes, and Freyja's
Sn.

Athene,

of

loptoh log' had

shoes

'Loki

132-7:

in which

he

ran

easy matter, in a myth, for the

into
sandals to glideinsensibly

an

hamr

coats

swan

the

to

with

one

or

or

bird's form

catches

GeirroSr

bird,Sn. 113, and

Athene

when

the

starts

flying
to fly,

(seeSuppl.).

mighty gods
pleasedthem, without
content

is here

was

with

The

not

It

winged
assumption of

investiture
an

and

rann

resemblance

sandals

feather-shift suG;"reststhe

falcon

these

to

would

doubtless

wings
these

even

gods cannot

or
:

have

moved

whithersoever

it

sandals,but simple antiquitywas

the

human

do without

sensible difference is to be found

race

either.

them

between

used

the Greek

carriagesand
On

this

and

point

German

mythologies.
All the higherdivinities of the Greeks have a chariot and pair
ascribed to them, as their kings and heroes in battle also fightin
for the god of thunder
chariots. An
would
at once
be
6xni^(^
suggestedby the natural phenomenon itself; and the conceptionof
also be very ancient.
Tlie
the sun-chariot driven by Helios must
'

0. Miiller's archaeol. 559.

328

car

CONDITION

of Here, and

5, 720-76

steeds to

it in

it,mounts

II.

guides it,is gorgeouslydepictedin

and

Demeter

likewise

so

GODS.

her

harnesses

Athene, and

with

company

she

how

OF

Kora

seated

appear

in

is drawn
by rams,^as the Norse Thorr [by hecarriage.Hermes
goats]. The Okeanides too have their vehicle,Aesch, Prom. 135.
ancient
of the most
or
But
are
Zeus, Apollo,Hermes
never
any
gods imagined ridingon horseback ; it is Dionysos,belongingto a
that first rides a panther,as Silenus does
different order of deities,
the ass, and godlikeheroes such as Perseus, Theseus, and above all,
Okeanos
bestrides a winged
mounted
horses.
the Dioscuri are
on
worth
Greek
It seems
remarking,that modern
steed,Prom. 395.

legendrepresentseven Charon as mounted.

In Teutonic
mythology the riding of gods is a far commoner
both Wuotan
and Phol ride in
thing. In the Merseburg poem
forest,which

is not

for it is neither
nor

that

Balder

at all inconsistent

conceivable
drove

with

drove

Wuotan

that

the word

'

faran

Balder

while

carriage.Even

one-horse

used,

Hartmann

the
'

rode,
von

ridinga horse, and contented with Euit for

his groom
(p.18). Among those that ride in the Edda are OSinn
and
Baldr
(who saddles his Sleipnir for himself, Sa^m. 93''),
of ten other
18 are given the names
HermoSr
; in Sfem. 44=^ and Sn.
the Ases dailyride to council,one of them
horses as well,on which
of the rest are
being Heimdall's Gulltoppr,Sn. 30. 66 ; the owners
twelve Ases and only eleven horses
not specified,
but, as there were
are
named, it follows that each of those gods had his mount, except
either drivingor walking (p.
is invariablyintroduced
Thorr, who
167),and when he gets Gullfaxi as spoilfrom Hrungnir,giveshim
to his son
Magni, Sn. 110. OSin's horse leapsa hedge seven
away
of the gods
Even
tlie women
ells high,Eornm.
sog. 10, 56. 175.
Aue

still imaginesGod

the

valkyrs,like O'Sinn,ride through air and water,

are

mounted

Sn.

107, Ereyja and Hyndla

and

witches

are

on

boar

and

wolf, as enchantresses

imagined ridinga wolf, a he-goator

steed Hrimfaxi, rimy-mane, as
Day

(fem.) had a
Skinfaxi,shiny-mane.
At

the

same

time

carriagesare

mentioned

0. MuUer's

archosol. 563.

Night
(masc.)had
cat.

for
especially
drawn
by cows,
commonly found

too,

goddesses(p.107). The sacred car of Nerthus was

Berhta
and
are
of Ereyja by cats, Holda
that
drivingwaggons which they get mended, the fairies in
1

our

nursery-

VEHICLES.

world, Sicm.

nether

the

to

"wa"T"on

227.

in

The

Gothic

of

imafre

the gods,
p. 107 ; among
Thorr
his car, while
on

alluded
to on
was
deity in a waggon
Freyr is expresslydescribed as mounted
drawn
has a waggon
by he-goats: on

Woden's

conf.

waggon,

p.

(seeSuppL).

151

When

consider, that waggons

we

is nowhere

horseback
similar

heroes

From

considerable
horse

antiquityto

Svantovit

with

Some

few

was

as

to

we

the story of
also

of
representations

coarser

transferred

Slavs

The

foal.

or

it

the

pretty early too,

done

been

have

oldest

the

to

proper

Frankish

equipage was
ridingcrept in only graduallyin
times.

were

kings,and that their riding on

mentioned
probable that originally
; it seems
alone deemed
suitable to the gods,and their

the
kings also,especially

her

drives
Brynliiklr

air in coaclies,and

the
tlirougli

tales travel

329

iionsES.

later

gods,though

this must

venture

allow

may

Sleipnirand

generally

to

that of

furnished

l)alder's

god

their

to ride on.

horse

divinities made

use

of

ship,as

be

may

seen

by

the

ship and that of Isis,and Frey's SkiSblaSnir,

the best of all ships.Stem. 45^
But whichever
on
earth,through air
way the gods might move,
and
in water, their walk
tread, their riding and driving is
or
representedas so vehement, that it produces a loud noise,and the
is explained by it. The
din of the elements
driving of Zeus or
stories of Athene's

Thorr

thunder

awakens

Poseidon's

beneath

tremble

the

in

clouds

tread, II. 13,

and

mountains

18 ;

forests

lets

Apollo

when

and bow clatter

heightsof Olympus, arrows
Se KXajyr] yiver''
dpyupeoio
(eKXay^av)on his shoulder 1, 44, Betvr)
In the lays
the twang of his silver bow 1, 49.
^Lolo,dreadful was
in exactly the
is described
this stirringup of nature
of the Edda
himself

same

while

way,

of

extinction
'

from

down

reiS

framm

"c,

Skirnir
bound

and

'

OHG.

notions, have

94^ ;

'

biorg brotnoSo,

flo Loki, fiaSrhamr

iorS bifaz

(quaked),enn

rode

brann

iorS

to

the earlier
of

traces

0., earth's

it

\vay

OSins

loga,ok

rode,
blazed,when
dundi,' the wing-coat whirred, 70=*

crumbled, earth

garSar Gymis
writhingof gods who

aUir for scialfa

The rage
riding83\
produced equallytremendous
came

owing
writings,
preserved no

OSinn, foldvegr dundi,' forth

lotunheima,' mountains

73=";

71=";

the AS.

heathen

thundered, Sa^m.
sonr

the

and

effects

(p.24G).

'

when
were

330

CONDITION

the

On

other

OF

GODS.

and
hand, delightful

salutaryproductsof nature
also traced to the mimediate
influence of the gods. Flowers
are
springup where their feet have strayed; on the spot where Zeus
claspedHere in his arms, shot up a thick growth of sweet herbs
flowers,and glittering
dewdrops trickled down, II. 14, 346

and

So, when

fruitful

shook

Of

thingthere

one
so

occurs

205.

21,

the

the mist.

We

might

same

valkyrs who,

like the

the air ;

effect

whose

the

gods do take part

Greek gods before
with

with

the

II.

3, 381.

who

5, 776.

able

that

and

vily,favour
to produce

18,

tarnkappes and helidhelms,

of

the

assumed

Fornald.

hail in

and

the

mist.

the

And

much

battle of Bravik, OSinn

the

In

the

shield their

clouds

againstcertain heroes, as

or

Ilion.

Gram., p. 146.

GeirroSr

Servian

as

same

the combatants, and

Saxo

their favourites

to scatter,chase
a-Kehd^etv

reckoningour

into the

was

themselves

screen

take this into account, that

indeed

in battle,were

throw

or

mythology,thougli

our

or

enemy's eye,

it falls

(seeSuppL).

gods,to

themselves

contrary a^Xw

away,

heroes

the

manes

It is called rjept,KaXxrmeiv, rjepa xeti',a-)(\.vv

or

and
(T-ecpecv,
ve(^o"i

beloved

in

trace

that

the

from

597.

549.

scarcelya

round

mist

to be withdrawn

are

is

in the Greek

often

shed
sight,

from

bridle 32^

bit of Hrimfaxi's

the

nightlyfrom

it

valkyrs rode through the air,their horses'

the deep vales below, Seem. 145'' ; or
dew
on

the

51.

"

figureof

sog. 1, 380.

of OSinn, Agnarr
protege (fostri)

as

the

mingled

charioteer Bruni

Grimnismal

The

Norse

that

of

makes

Frigg,and

togetherconcerningthem, Saem. 39 ; in
the Vols, saga cap. 42, OSinn suggeststhe plan for slayingthe sons
of lonakr.
The Greek
gods also,when they drew nigh to counsel
deities take counsel

the two

or

defend, appeared in

old man,
but

not

behind

or

to

him

they

made

others.

In

the

form

of

themselves
such

case

warrior,a herald,an

human

known

they

to

their hero

stand

himself,

before,heside

or

II. 2, 279. eyyvdi,Od. 1, 120. dyxoO,II. 2, 172.

{Trapd,

irpoaeev4, 129. oindev 1, 197) ; Athene leads

off 4, 52 ;
by the hand through the battle,and wards the arrows
Achilles 18, 204 ; Aphrodite
the dreadful "egisround
she throws
shields Aeneas
by holding her veil before him 5, 315; and other
of the fray by protecting
the midst
removed
from
heroes
are
makes herself visible to Hippomenes alone,
deities (p.320). Venus
Now
Ovid Met. 10, 650.
they appear in friendlyguise,Od. 7, 201
3, 129. 4, 92. 5, 123.

seq. ;
II.

clothed

now

20,

131

in terror

331

LAUGHTER.

SICKNESS.

SLEEP.

Be deol ^aiveadat
ivapyeK,
")(a\e7rol

(seeSuppL).

in the
sitting
Iliad,14, 28G seq., relates ho\v"T7r^o"? (sleep),

The

powers
song-birdon the boughs of a fir-tree on Mt. Ida, overthat the
the highestof all the gods ; other passages show
of the
gods went to their beds every night,and partooklike men
it be
Still less can
benefit of sleep,II. 1, 609. 2, 2. 24, G77.
on
doubted of the Norse gods,that they too sleptat night: Thorr

shape of

alone
Sn. 50 ; of Heimdall
night-lodging,
And
from
is it said,that he needs less sleep than a bird, Sn. 30.
maintained
the gods follows again,what was
of sleep
this sway
over
above, that of death : Death is the brother of Sleep. Besides, the
sick with love, and his
gods fell a prey to diseases. Freyr was
the pity of all the gods.
awakened
great hugsott (mind-sickness)
OSinn, NiorSr and Freyr,accordingto the Yngl. saga 10. 11. 12, all
sicknesses (sottdauSir).
sink under
Aphrodite and Ares receive
wounds, II. 5, 330. 858 ; these are quicklyhealed [yetnot without
medical
aid]. A curious story tells how the Lord God, having

his

journeyslooks

for

out

fallen sick,descends

heaven

from

to earth

to

get cured,and

comes

to
merryandrews receive commands
that the Lord bursts out
amuse
so
him, and one manages
cleverly,
laughingand finds himself rid of his distemper.^ Tliis may be very
ancient ; for in the same
way, sick daughtersof kings in nurseryis the
made
talcs are
and so
to laugh by beggars and
fiddlers,
goddessSkaSi in the Edda by Loki's jugglingtricks,when mourning
lambe
cheered
the sorrowing
the death of her father, Sn. 82.
Demeter, and caused her, ttoWcL irapaaKOiTnovaa,
fieiSfjaac
jeXdaai
dvfMov,
Hymn, in Cer. 203 (seeSuppl.).
re, Koi XXaov (ryelv
to Arras

; there

minstrels

Important above
antiquityand by our
in

passages
divine and

the

all

Iliad

liuman

and

are

own,

and

the
of

the

for the

names

given by Greek
the gods. Thus,

similar accounts,
the

language of
between
Odyssey distinguish
same
object:

the

Se re Traz^re?
BpLupeoivKokeovcTL deol,dvSpe";
Acyalcou. II. 1, 403.
Bariecav KLK\rj(jKovaLv,
rrjp ^Tot avSpe"i
ov

377-8.

De

la veiine

de Dieu

Arras,in

Jubinal's

Nouveaii

recueil de

contcs

2,

332

CONDITION

Si

aOdvajot

re

OF

GODS.

Mupu'7]";.2,
arjfjia 7ro\v(7Kup9/jLOio

813.

he ku/jllvSlv.
14, 291.
6eoi,civhpe^
KiK\y](TKOvai,
^aX/ci'Sa
Se ^Kci/jiavSpov.
20, 74.^
deoi, ciphpe"i
aavOov KoXeovai
OP

Se
fjLoiKv
whole

A
not

only

of

gods and

but

in

outset

very

not

stringof

whole
it

comparingthe languages,
Vanir, elves,dwarfs,giantsand

up with

of

but

men,

subterraneans, and that

Ocl. 10, 305.

is taken

in the Edda

song

OeoL

/.itv Kokiovcrc

in

proper

and

names

that

while

goS

and

words,

rare

objects.At

for the commonest

names

surprises
us,

few

treated

ffisirare

the
as

goS and giuregin. In

in all: on examining these,it soon
13 strophesare given 78 terms
(six)for each thingsimplycomes
appears that the varietyof names
of the richness of the Teutonic
possiblybe
tongue, and cannot
later borrowings from
Finnic,
ascribed to old remnants
or
any
or
Celtic or Slavic languages. They are synonyms
poeticnames,
six or eightorders of beingsendowed
which are distributed among

synonymous,

between

distinction is drawn

from
not
speech,accordingto the exigenciesof alliteration,
I will
or
their belongingto the same
class,such as poetical
prose.
for a cloud :
illustrate this by quotingthe stropheon the names
with

scy heitir meS

en

monnom,

scl),rvdnmeS

goSom,

Vanir,
vindfiot
llrvdn iotnar,alfar ve"rmcgin,
kalla i heljoliidhn huliz.
kalla

Everythinghere
are

not

is

exhausted

Teutonic, and still the

by

long

way,

to

resources

say

of

our

language

nothing of what

it may

sky, still
and connected with skuggiumbra,
used in the Scandinavian
dialects,
and
all appropriate
The
rest are
AS. scuwa,
scuwo.
scua, OHG.
pluviaeexpecintelligible
periphrases.Scurvan [shower-weening]
schauer ; urvan
from skur imber, Germ,
just the same, from
tatio,
literal meaning of Sanskr.
the
ur
pluvia,with which compare
abhra nubes, viz. aquam
gerens.^ Vindfiot is apparentlynavigium
venti,because the winds sail through the air on clouds. VeSrmegin
borrowed

have

from

The

others.

only simple word

transposedis exactlythe OIlGr. maganwetar

1

Perhaps

we

ouglitalso

in
as
eV/KXr/o-is:

mere

't,

138.

"

turbo ; and

hifdmr

which is no
jrepKvos 24, 316,
'Aarvdva^
29.
though
506,
22,
(Od. 5, 273).
have 2Kafidv8pios
(6, 402) answering to it,as

to reckon

18, 487

this last passage happens to

3dv6os has ^Kanaudpos.
Bopp, gloss,sanskr. 16=^209*.

in

is

aleros and

333

LANGUAGE.

elsewhere

Iiuliz appears

OS. lielith-lielm,
tavnluilizhialmr,
a

as

lielmet,grima, mask, which

the Teutonic

course

for

Gr.

tongue could

cloud, beside those

ve(f)e\r]
; Goth,

one

\\Taps

taage; M.Dut.

Dan.

hoSma

nubes,

objectswhose

swerk

moln, Dan.

words, like sol and

nubes, OS.

4911.
are

And

so

discussed
mani

sunna,

mist

Of

cloud.

or

Lat. nebula.Or.
nelial,
mulm

; Sansk.

; OX.

]?okanebula,
nimbus
gisuerc,
caligo,
; AS.

it is with

the

in the Alvisnial.
and

megha,

wolchan, AS. wolcen,wliich

miluk, milk, to Slav, mleko

Beow.
names

offer several other Avords to stand

Slav, mogla ; OHG.

6^i-)(\.r},
6/jli)(\.7],
as

like

six ; e.g.,nifl,
OHG.

niilhrna,Swed.

is to Slav, oblako

in

other twelve
Where

skin, or iord and

simple
fold,are

named

together,one
might attempt to refer them to different
in themselves
dialects : the periphrases
show
no
reason
(unless
mythology found one for them),why they should be assignedin
The
whole
particularto gods or men, giantsor dwarfs.
poem
before
list
of
throws
but
us
an
acceptable
brings
pretty synonyms,
the
affinitiesof
our
no
lighton
primitive
language.
I'lato in the Cratylustries hard to understand
that division of
A dualityof
Greek words into divine and human.
proper names,
like Briareos and Aigaion,reminds
of the double forms Hler and
us
which last Sn. 6 attributes to the
Oegir (p.240),Ymir and Oergelmir,
would
seem
by Saam. 89'*' to be an Elvish
Hrinijnirses
; ISunn
do not hear of any other name
for the goddess. In
word, but we
and
the same
Skamander, Batieia and IMyrinamight
way Xanthus
be
of a thing in different dialects. More
the different names
for two
birds,the 'xjaXid'^
or
interestingare the doulile names
KVfiLvBi";
(conf.Plin. 10, 10),and the alero^ and irepKvo^. Xa\Ki"i
bird of prey, a hawk
is supposed to signify
some
or
owl, which does
to the description
not answer
and the myth
6pvi,";
\iyvpd (piping),
requiresa bird that in sweet and silverytones singsone to sleep,
like the nightingale.ITep/ci'o?
suits
means
dark-coloured,which
the eagle; to imagine it the bird of the thundergod Perkun, would
be too daring. Poetic periphrasesthere are
these
none
among
Greek
The
Greeks

words.

principalpoint seems
and

Teutons

departingfrom common
human
speech. The
with
holdingconverse

in

agree
usage

Greek
the

be, that

to

the

popular beliefs

tracingobscure
to

and

distinction between

scholiasts

Muses,

words

suppose

that

is initiated into the

of

those

divine

and

the

poet,

language of

334

CONDITION

gods,^and

wliere he finds

older,nobler, more

yeularepov)

But

to men.

less instructive

even

twofold

tlie four

than

the

lay. Evidently the opinionwas

of

and

one

in age

the

same

died
latterly

out

ancestors

traced

was

would

I maintained

Yanir

Teutonic

(to ekarTov,

five instances
numerous

/xera-

in Homer

are

of the Norse

ones

firmlyheld,that the gods,though

mortals, so far surpassedlivingmen
still made

change.

of words

use

As

the line

which
of

had

king's
a
stock, so the languageof gods
kind as that of men,
but riglit
feeling
such words
had
as
graduallydisappeared
a

as

have

we

seen,

goes

farther,and

beings beside the gods ;

of denying the
on
p. 218 about the impossibility
is confirmed by our
origin,
present inquiry. That
for

other

yet

"

other nation, beside Greeks

any

or

ev"f"cDvov,
Trpoyevia--

divine

Alvismal,

words
particular

reserves

what

The

men.

among

to

up

the former

assignto

nomenclature,he ascribes the

more

suffered

or

to be of the same

held

was

with

race

that they
dignity,

and

GODS.

euphonious (to Kpeirrov,

gods,the later and meaner

the

ouofia)to

repov

OF

languageof gods,is

unknown

and
to

Teutons, believed in

me,

and

the

agreement

separate
of these

in Met. 11, 640

When
Ovid
significant.
says :
Phobetora
mortale
Hunc
Icelon supcri,
vulgus nominat, this is
show
imitated from
the Greeks, as the very names"
(see Suppl.).
devaThe
Indians trace nothing but their alphabet(devanagari,
forefathers did the mystery of runes
our
as
(p.149),to a
writing),
be connected
of the symbol may
with
and the use
divine origin,
that of the sound
itself;with the earliest signs,
why should not
be attributed to gods ?
oldest expressionstoo
the purest and

is the

two

more

(wingedwords)belong to heroes and other

of the
them
well as to gods,else we
strictly
might interpret
as
with which the gods wield the giftof speeck
and nimbleness

Homer's
men

ease

"mepoevra

e-nea

language,the gods have customs in common

They love song and play,take delightin hunting,war
and the goddessesin ploughing,
weaving,spinning;

with

Beside

and

keep servants
summoned

cos

to the

messengers.

ra

tcop

causes

all the

banquets,

both

other

Bewv

irapa

6eois

"i"s
{ovofxara),

fTri(TTaTai

Toav

be

the Ases

otSf rfjvrcov
Xf'^fiy,

inro (xovcraiv KaraTrvfofifvos.

oii fiovov ra
on
fiei^ai
^ovcrdXT/TTToy
tariv,
iroirjTfjs
ol
dXX*
6eoi
koi
tlSivai,
Xtyovai,
yiXkeTai
wcrTrep

of them

gods to

II. 8, 2. 20, 4),justas

assembly [dyopi],

Koi ras
fiov(TOTpa(f)ris

btaXeKTOv, olSf

Zeus

and

men.

oeStv

vtktov 6

dvOpuTrwvovofiara

iTray-

GRADES.

attend at

335

OFFICES.

93^),on the rokstola,and by the YggdraJ?ing(Soera.

sill (Sxm.
and
1^ 2^ 44"*),
to counsel
to judge. Hehe, youth,is
to Here
cupbearerof the gods and handmaid
(II.5, 722),as FuUa
is to Frigg(Sn.36) ; the youth Ganymede
is cupbearertoo, and so
is Beyla at the feast of the Ases
(Stem.67^^);Skirnir is Frey's
shoemaker
(81)and messenger, Beyggvir and Beyla are also called
liis servants
(59). These services do no detriment to their own
divine

the

Beside

nature.

Hermes, the goddess Iris

errands

on

goes

for the Greek

gods (seeSuppl.).
Among the gods themselves there
Kronos

of

sons

Zeus, the

allotted to

they

three tower

thing as
brothers

Poseidon, hell

share

between

triad

spoken of

of

sons

is

sky

Hades, and the earth

to

them

(H. 15, 193).

Har, lafnhar
p. 162.

on

Three

them, the

among

and

These

ThriSi in tlie

This is not

Donar, Ziu,'if only because

Wuotan,
but

divided

all the rest,like

above

the
religion,
'

world

to

sea

supposed to

are

Norse

the

have

is a difference of rani:

the

the last two

same

are

not

"VVuotan, althoughthese pass for the three

mightiestgods. Then, togetherwith this triad,we become aware

of a circle of twelve (p.26),a close circle from
which some
of the
that into old and neiv gods,
gods are excluded. Another
division,
does not by any means
coincide with this : not only OSinn and his
Ases, but also Zeus and his colleagues,
as
upstarts^to have
appear
supplantedolder gods of nature (seeSuppl.).
All

the

Greek
divinities,

assignedthem, which
influence
offices

of

'

connect

dominion, and have had

or

Teutonic

themselves

over,

it is

the

words

'

skal heita til,er

for,it is good

to pray

paganism

with

of certain
protection

carried

with

are

Greek

and function
offices

tlieir pictorial
representation.In

on

shall i)ray

you

Norse, have

define their

each
specified,
hann
or
a
after),'

looks

and

evident

or

that

the
a

hann

for)'. Now,
the

27

careful

these

ra-Sr

as

]\Iid. Ages

certain

fyrir(he
til (tohim

any

remnants

were

sure

saints,to

healingof

marked
29

"

gott at heita

christian

some

classes

in

Sn.

whom

the

diseases

classification of

to

was

these

guardian saints accordingto the offices assigned them, on the

of which
strengtli
they are good to pray to,^would be of advantage
to
our
the
animals
antiquities.And
dedicated
to
each
Aesch.

Prom.

Bto'icrito'h veois, 955 vtov

vloi Kpare'trf,
9G0 rovs
viovs
ol vtwrepoi 6eoL
Conf. Otlr. Muller,n).
181.
'"'Conf.
Haupt's zeitschr. fiird. alt. 1, 143-4.

Giovs.

Eumen.

439

156. 748. 799

336

CONDITION

deified saint

(as once

OF

tlieywere

GODS.

gods)would

to

liave to be

sjDecified

too.

The

residence

favourite

of each

god is particularly
pointedout
in the Grtmuismal
consecrated
to the
were
especially
; mountains
Teutonic, as to the Greek deities : Sigt^sberg,
Himinbiorg, "c.
to which
Olympus was peculiarlythe house of Zeus (zJio?Sw/ia),
the other gods assembled
(II.1, 494) ; on the highestpeak of the
sit apart {ccrep
aXkwv
1, 498. 5, 753),lovingto take
range he would
alone (aTrdvevOe Oedv

counsel

(11,183. 336),whence
as

did

05inn

wooded

dwellingsof
size ; the

Samos

have

out

go

another
the

to survey
sat

Valholl

renowned

are

on

on

Ida

the
Bilskirnir,

and

their

for

Bilskirnir has

and

once,

seat

doingsof men,
height in the

doors,through any

540

at

had

Poseidon

Thorr,

is said to
can

down

(13, 12).

and

Oijinn

einheriar

800
'

of

one

he looked

HliSscialf.

from

range

8, 10). He

enormous

one

of which

likewise 540

'

(seeSuppl.).
floor]
golfe [ON. golfr,
If

now

take in

we

one

the

view

relations of

gods and

men,

we

points. As the created being is

of its dependence on
the creator,and
filled with a childlike sense
in its
implorehis favour, so deity too delights
prayers and offerings
creations,and takes in them a fatherlyinterest. Man's
longing
fix
their gaze on the earth,to
heaven ; the gods
goes forth towards
The blessed gods do
and direct the doings of mortals.
watch
with each other in their heavenly abodes,where feasts
commune
drawn to
and revels go on as in earthlyfashion ; but they are more
whose destinies enlist their liveliest sympathy. It is not true,
men,
Mart.
what
Cap. says 2, 9 : ipsi dicuntur dii,et caelites alias
find

perhibentur

touch

and

they meet

nee

at

all

admodum

mortalium

eos

sollicitant,
airaOehciweperhibentur. Not
their

will known

down

themselves

Hindu

and

this head

heraldingpeace
part

festivals ;

recur
on

fruitfulness

at stated

the

fall of

specialname

or

seasons,

with

they resolve

Such

men.

firstthe

come

and

by

content

messengers,

to

appear

marked

mythology

Under

most

by signs and

appearance
:

vota

curarum

making
to come

is in

the

scensus
avatdra, i.e.,de-

of deities
car-proecssions

solemn
war

and

and

are

mischief,which
associated

with

for the

popular

heathenism, only motherly wise-women

sansk.
Eopp'sgloss,

21^.

337

INCARNATION.

DWELLINGS.

through field or air. More

there take placejourneysof
and not at regularintervals,
rarely,
gods throughthe world,singlyor in twos or threes,to inspectthe
Thus
noticed.
and punish the crimes they have
of man,
race
Mercury and OSinn appeared on earth,or Heimdall to found the
and
three orders, and Thorr visited at weddings ; OSinn, Hoenir
Loki
the
travelled in company
God
legend makes
; medieval
the Saviour
and St. Peter, or merely
Father seek a lodging,
or
three angels (as the Servian song does, Vuk
4, no. 3). Most
frequenthowever are the solitary
a^ipearanccs of gods,who, invoked
in
to their favoured
or
uninvoked, suddenly bring succour
ones
every time of need ; the Greek epos is quitefull of this. Athene,
the warriors, warning,
Poseidon, Ares, Aphrodite mingle with
advising,
covering; and just as often do jNIaryand saints from
heaven appear in christian legends. The Lithuanian
also
Perkunos
walks on earth (seeSuppl.).
But when
they descend,they are not always visible; you may
hear the car of the god rush by, and not get sightof him bodily;
like ghosts the blessed gods flitpast the human
eye unnoticed,till
stillgo

their

the obstructive

by

the

make

mist

be removed

hair,only by him
the

and

succouringdeities
his eyes, that

mist from

a')(kvvS'

ride

heroes

rounds,and

was

from
no

it.

Athene

other is she

visible to Diomed,
on

them

before

'

seizes Achilles
II, 1, 197 ; to

seen,

she

5, 127

has

'

taken

the

eXov, fjirplv
oc^daXfioov
eTrijev,
koI avSpa.
ev
6(f"p''
'yi'yvoiaKrj'iijfxep 6eov rjhe

Just
a

so

white

formed

rot

cm

Biarco,in Saxo
steed and

by

elsewhere
In

av

the

makes

another

way
bodily,concealed

Gram., p. 37, is unable

aidingthe Swedes, tillhe

arm

of

spiritseeingwoman:

the elfin race

the

peeps

visible to
when

gods, even

their divine

Othin

riding
throughthe ring

to spy

the bleared

medium
eyes

they showed
nature, by assuming the

of

that
man.

themselves
form

of

human

of an animal.
or
Poseidon
acquaintance,
stept into the
host,disguised
as
escorted Priam
Kalchas, II. 13,45, Hermes
as
a
Myrmidon warrior 24, 397, and Athene the young Telemachus
as

Mentor,

In

the

appeared as the chariot-driver

Bruno
(p.330),or as a one-eyed old man.
Metamorphosesof gods
into animals in Teutonic mythologytake place only for a definite
momentary purpose, to which the character of the animal supplies
the key ; e.g.,O'iSinn takes the shape of a snake, to slipthrou",dia
same

way

Othin

22

338

CONDITION

OF

GODS.

(Sn.86),and of an eagle,to fly away in haste

(86),Loki that of a fly,in order to sting(131),or to creep through
compassed by such
a
keyhole (356); no largerdesigns are ever
bored

hole lie has

flies away

Athene

So, when

means.

as

the

bird, it expresses

departure. But
into which
Zeus transformed
himself,can only be
the swan
bvill,
or
explained on the suppositionthat Leda too, and lo and Europa,
he

whom

The
the

nature

and

woomg,

were

her

divinityof

was

of animal

form

then

Dioscuri

the

of
egg-birth

thought

would

of her

suddenness

the

of

as

swan-maidens

determined

be

best

be

can

by

the

kine.

or

mythus, and
this way

in

understood

(see Suppl.).
it
legends,

Asiatic

the

In

conceived

deityare

deeply

the

successive

incarnations,the earlier

later

that

and

ones

Teutonic

of them

the

invested
an

nearlyakin
gods.
I

think

extended

the

avatara
are

ones

salvation

mankind.

of

; and

of Vishnu's

animal, it

of

bodies

was

in

ten

the

'

'

to

seriousness

in such

incarnation

that of the heroes

that

on

all these

other

to many

the Greek.

the

with

belief

although a

series of undeniable
and

of

manifestations

(seeSuppl.). The Greek

truly became man
mythologies steer clear of all such notions ; in both
to have
too sensuouslyconceived
story of the gods was
he

their transformations

avatara,

the

the
metempsychosis prevailed,

for
eligible

were

even

for

season,

of

the doctrine

Wherever
animals

flesh for

the

in

abides

me,

purely in comparison,and nowhere

and
down
of India.
The god comes

and

in those

profoundlythan

more

to

seems

Here,

lines of

research,which

as

in the

between

have
the

of

duration

is in itself

being bodilydescended

pointsas well,I

resemblances

and

from

could

so

the

be

brought forward a
Teutonic mythology

relation between

the

Greek

and

questionof borrowing or choice,

ably)
(and that inevitallowing room
affinity,
nothing but unconscious
for considerable
divergences.But who can fail to recognise,
who
invalidate,the surprisingsimilarityof opinionson the
or
immortalityof gods,their divine food,their growing up overnight,
their anger
their journeyings and transformations, their epithets,
at
in appearingand recognition
and their mirth, their suddenness
and horses,their performanceof all
their use of carriages
parting,
their language,their servants and
natural functions,their illnesses,

Teutonic

languages,there

is

no

CONDITION

messengers,
further

offices and

analogy

in the

OF

dwellings?

339

GODS.

To

circumstance, that

conclude,I
out

of the

think
names

of living

gods,as Tyr, Freyr, Baldr, Bragi,Zeus, grew up the common

close
they bordered
tyr, frauja,baldor, bragi, deus, or
them

see

nouns

upon

(seeSuppL).

CHAPTEE

XT.

HEEOES.

and

God

Between

there

man

is

step

on

whicli

the

leads

one

to
Being brought nearer
strengthglorified.The older the epos,
thingsof earth, and human
the younger
does it requiregods visible in the flesh ; even
the more
divine
a
heroes, in whom
do without
spark still burns, or
cannot

into the other, where

who

Heroism
and

partakereof

be

to

come

is

hero

immortal

deeds,and

of ranks

the

anything

but battle

fighting
againstevil achieves
honours.
As in the gradation

divine

and

God

king and

the

between

stands

between

consist in

to

that in

man

attains

noble

hero

the

does

Divine

it.

made

be

not

must

victory:

the

see

we

From

man.

the

freeman,

nobles

so

forth

come

deov
gods, r^pw? earlv ef uvOpwirov rt kol
Koi
6eo"i,
earl, iii^re
avvaix^orepovearl
a-vvOerov,
o
fxr)Tid dvOpcoTro'i
predominates:
3),yet so that the human
(Lucian in Dial, mortuor.

kings,from

'

ita tamen

heroes

ut

plus ab

habeat,'says Servius

liomine

Aen.

on

1, 200.

the
pains,wounds, death,from which even
not
were
exempt (p.318).
gods,accordingto the view of antiquity,
attains the half of deity,becomes
a
In the hero, man
demigod,
delov
II. 12, 23 ; avhpwv i)pu)(Dv
semideus
v
avSpcov,
: rjfi t6 eo)
yeva
Jornandes
Hes. "py. 159.
dl KoXkoviai
applies
rjfjblOeoi,
7ew9,
succumbs

hero

The

semidei
Balder

to
a

the

semidcum,

141

(supra p. 25), as

anses

in OJSr. writingswe

Cap.

to

renders

superum

arcano

meet

Saxo

semine

Gram,

pronounces

procreatum.

Otherwise

halfgoSnor halfas ;^ but N.

heroesque by halhkota unde erdkota

with

hemithei

neither

'

'.
(earthgods)
Heroes
who
giants,
a

human

are

distinct from

fillindeed

the gap

origin. Under

daemonic
between

beings,such
God

and

paganism,messengers

as

man,

of

angels,elves,
but have

the

gods

not
were

halfrisi are
halpdurinc,halpwalah,
similar, and the OHG.
Hiklftroll,
altwalah.
to
halpteni(ON. halfdan)as opposed altdurinc,
1

341

HEROES.

Jiulco-christiaii

godsthemselves ;'"the

angel is a

Eather

docmon.

througli
strife and sorrow
a placein heaven
earns
(seeSuppL).
spiritual
in
of
heroes is implied
This human
nature
nearlyall the titles
For tlie definite notion of a divine glorified
hero,
given to them.
hcros from the Greek, though its
the Latin languagehas borrowed
vir (=Goth. vair ON", ver,^ AS. OHG.
own
wer, Lett, wihrs,Lith.
wyras) in the sense of vir fortis (Tac.Germ. 3) so nearlyconies up
heros.
to the Sanskr. vira
a
means
Heros, ""/p")?,which originally
has been identified with rather too many
mere
things:hcrus,
fighter,
the

may

compared

be

hero

to

the christian saint,who

and dpert) virtus,so

even
"Hpr],
'HpaKXrj"i,
"Apr]";
=

dims, OX.

ari"

ar,

nuntius, minister, might

come

that
in

the Goth,
too,

or

the

with the aforesaid vira look

supposed digamma make a connexion
of tlie
held is a prolongation^
plausible.More undeniably,our
Halidegastes(like
simple ON", hair,AS. hajle vir : the name
Leudogastes)is found so earlyas in Vopiscus; and a Goth, halips,
be safelyinferred from the proper names
OHG.
halid,helid may
Helidperaht,Helidcrim, Helidgund, Helidniu, Helidberga,'*
though
memorials
furnish an
it is only from the 12th century that our
often
actual hdit pi.helide ; the IMHG.
helet,belt,pi.helde,occurs
enough. Of the AS. hxled' I remark that it makes its pi. both
Beow.
hffileSas and heeleS {e.g.,
103), the latter archaic like the
Goth. men6}?s,
whence
we
may infer that the Gothic also had a pi.
and
]iaH];s,
by a MHG.

OHG.

pi.helid

pi. held,Wh.

helidos,helithos

; in

well

as

as

44, 20.

helida,and this is confirmed

OS.

In

I find

only

the

Heliand, helithcunni,helithocunni

the

pi.

mean

The ON.
i\LDut. has helet pi. helde.
simply genus humanum.
Sn. 171) implies an
older
lioldr pi. holdar
(Spem.114^ 115^
Goth. men6|?s)
manuSr
holuSr (like
nothing
; it appears to mean
in the firstpassage to be
but miles, vir,and holdborit (hold-born)
sometliinglower than hersborit,the holdar being free peasants,
Dan.
buendr.
The
Kelt, Swed.
hjclte(OSwed. halad) show an
anomalous
t instead of d, and
are
perhaps to be traced to the
=

At most, we
servant
; but he

might

With

187) in
3

so

seems

tliis we
far

as

earlv

MB.
Helidiberga,

doubt

some

about

brightangel than

have

identifyeven

to

and

SIcirnir,
Frey'smessenger
a

hero.
the

veorr

used

of Thorr

(p.

it stoxl for viorr.

Fortbildung
In

more

shoukl

of the
prolongations
*

feel

thus

staff,stack,stall,stem, stare, "c.

root sta."

docs, the
28^ 33.

town

may

be

called

Trans.
of

Heldburg

in

Tliuringiais already

called

342

HEROES.

German
hair

rather
in

and

the
halijjs

from

transition

avoided

this

far from

vir

definingof

the

several

are

others

generalthat

herti,heard

N. ps. 9, 1 means
line of heroes

hartungain
Gothic

Haddingjar,and
to one

as

the

be

to

which

to be

not

was

considered.

Notker,

in

Cap. 141 with : heroes,

hcrtingasuggests the AS.

it be

it ; and

by

meant

are

from

derivation

130, whether

25.

Elene
heardingas,

we

celo to conceal.

chit,hertingaaide chueniga'. This

taz

preferto see both in

haljan occulere,defendere,tueri,the
the
and miles is easilymade ; even

principalterm,

here, there

If

avoids heleda,supplies
us
singularly

who

in

form.

ON.
verb

to

tutor

Lat. celer is not

Beside

the

than

'

particularline,or heroes

might put

we

with

up

the

as
(hard),viri duri, fortes,exercitati,
exercitatio. But as we actually
find
Azdingi,Astingi,and also an ON. of

Goth,

another, there is

zd, ON.

rt correspond

said for the Gothic

to be

more

rd, OHG.

dd, AS.

word

of transmission,and the forms

having dropt an h in the course
haddingr,bearding,hartinc being all one word.^ Now, if
hazdiggs,
find in
the ON. haddr means
a lock of hair (conf.
may
p. 309),we
"c. a meaning suitable enough for a freeman
haddingr,hazdiggs,
cincinnatus
capillatus,
hero,that of crinitus,

and

meaning

that the

remarkable

tenth century.

No

to

is the other

us

it would

be

in the
be stillsurviving

heros should

less valuable

; and

chucnig,
always

term

chuning rex, as N.
rather to be
chuonig,derived either from
spellsit ; it seems
from its still
fizus callidus),
from
or
chuoni audax, fortis (asfizusig
with
terms
Other
a
meaning immediately
unexplained root.^
OHG.
degan (miles,minister);
bordering on that of hero are:
AS. cempa, ON.
kappi ;
chempho (pugil),
wigant (pugil)
; chamfio,
with hatr odium, helium ;
the ON.
perhaps conn,
hetja(bellator),
which

connected

hardly be

can

with
=

slmti,better

and

slia"i,AS.

sceaSa, scaSa, properlynocivus, then

ancient times,into that of heros ;

scather
heri

of the land,

was

even

polypt.Irminon

170^ has

in

borne

name

also
Goth, harjis,
(exercitus),

The

this

passing from

latro, and
prEedator,

meant

proper

in
meaning, honourable
the Mid. Ages,Landscado,
by noble families. That
miles,is shown by OHG.

Ardingus standing

name

Hardingvis.
Graff 4, 447 placeschuoni, as well as chunmc
devouring root chan ; but as kruoni, AS. grene
AS. growan, so may
chuoni,AS. cene, from a lost
vigere ?
2

and

chunni,

comes
viridis,
chuoan, AS.

under

from
cowan

,,

the

for
,,

all-

kruoan,
?
pollere

343

HEROES.

Grafif 4, 983,
glosses,

and

by

The

einheri.

heri; conf. ch. XXV,

with

of individual

names

OHG.

wrekio, into that of

of
what

meaning
have

we

words

for

to the

notion

OHG.

gotno

In Diut.

has the

is

rechr

ON.
reclce,

man

far
fighting

hero

simply
can

keep
(vir)and
as

even

for

our

inann

AS.

home,

is the

reason

er

fra goSom

far

of

in

and

is,that

does now,

the

the LIHG.

other

many

(homo)

man

as

OS.

wrecca,

general.^ Similar developments

race

can

of

is descended

see,

words

the

very simplest
adapted themselves
the ON.

so

of this exaltation

Always in the first instance,as

a
god and
kinship between
epigoniof the gods,their line

of exsul,

sense

served to express the

(homo),ON. gu7}ii
2, 314^, heros is glossedby gomo, and gumnar
force as skatnar (seeSuppl.).
same

Now, what

guma

the

from

shown

be
hold

firm

in

hero

doubtless

to

of hero ;

hrecchio,
?tTc'cc7ao,

of the

peculiarway grown out

profugus,advena, which predominates in
in

reecho, had also

compounded

men

idea of lieros.
in the Edda

of human
a

man.

from

hah; the

relation of
The
the

nature

bodily

heroes

gods :

are

settir

komo, Sa;m. 114^

of ];)roofs
mythology affords an abundance
; it is by
virtue of all heroes being directly
or
indirectly
produced by gods
and goddessesin conjunctionwith man,
that the oldest kingly
families connect
themselves
with heaven.
But evidentlymost
of
tliese mixed
births proceed from Zeus, who places himself at the
head of gods and men,
and to whom
all the glories
of ancestors
are
traced.
called
Thus, by Leda he had Castor and Pollux,who were
after him
Dios-curi,Hercules
by Alcmena, Perseus by Danae,
Epaphusby lo,Pelasgusby Niobe, Minos and Sarpedon by Europa;
other heroes touch him only through their forefathers : Agamemnon
the son of Atreus,he of Pelops,
he of Tantalus,and he of Zeus ;
was
Ajax was sprung from Telamon, he from Aeacus, he from Zeus and
to proceedfrom Ares,
Aegina. Next to Zeus, the most heroes seem
Hermes
and Poseidon : Meleager,Diomedes
and Cycnus were
sons
of Ares, Autolycus and
Cephalus of Hermes, while Theseus was
a
of Aegeus, and Nestor of Neleus, but both Aegeus and Neleus
son
Greek

Some

Slavic

expressionsfor hero are woi-tliyof notice : Kuss. vUiar.,

vitez; Russ. boghatyr,Pol. bohater,Boh. bohatyr,
not
either witli
conn,
the Pers. behddir,
bogh deus, or boghat dives,but the same
Turk,
as
bahadyr,
Mongol, baghdtor,
Hung, bdtor,Manju butura, and derivable from h\(dra lively,
zeitschr. 4, 531 [Mongol,bayhd is force,
aiid
merry ; Schott in Erman's
fiia,
-tor,-tur an adj.sullix].
Serv.

344

HEROES.

children

Poseidon's

were

of Peleus

son

and

Aethra

by

for the

Acliilles

Tyro.

of Anchises

Thetis,Aeneas

as
a standard
examples serve
legend(seeSuppl.).

and

and

conditions

Venus.^

of

our

Tacitus, followingancient lays,placesat the head

its prime
the

progenitorTuisco,who

author

Gaia
and

the word

from

meaning

of the fuller

out

either

may

mean

being Tiv, whom

Tiv

and

Tvisco
whom
but
of

Tivisco
then

the

lap

tiv,in which

be

to

the

is in

sense

myth

wdiile another

race

our

editum

Tuisco

god,as

'.

as

Now,

is to say,

as

sky

derivable

seems

found

of

station

makes

as

our

Donar

son

in

directly,

not

Zio is made

or

him

upon

son

the best part

Donar

Zeus.

Zeus,

name

Uranos

Tiv

takes

assignedto

Wuotan,

but

Uranos,

proceed from

much

of the office that the Greeks

well

of

Pontes, that

earth,so

w^e

and

through Kronos, pretty

of Earth

heroic

own

hero,but himself
terra

and

These

(pp. 193-4) tlie primary

sky ; and Tuisco, i.e.,
Tvisco, could easilyspring
form Tivisco [asTuesday from Tiwesda^g]. Tvisco
the actual offspring
of another divine
or
coelestis,
afterwards
find appearing among
the gods :
we
certain degree are
to a
and
signifyone thing.

Greek

Wuotan,

of

denm

'

birth to Uranos

from

sprang

sea

him

expresslynames

of herself gave

is not

the

was

too

was

son

brought forth the great

Hes. theog.129
Goth, fairgunja
mountain-ranges(ovpea/xaKpd,
and Donar
and fairguneis
himself was
called mountain
mikila),
(pp.
169. 172),so that ovpav6";
w^ith ovpo"i 6po"i
sky stands connected
mountain, the idea of deus with that of ans
(pp.25. 188). Gaia,
round
Tellus,Terra come
againin our goddessesFiorgyn,lorS and
Kindr
of gods and goddesseshere cross
one
(p.251) ; so the names
as

as

even

as

Gaia

another, but

in

similar direction.

This earth-born
sound

Tvisco's

son

was

3Tannus, and

no

could

name

Teutonic,thougliNorse

once

resided in the

mythology has as littleto say

(ON. Tyski ?). No doubt a deeper meaning
word ; by the addition of the suffix -isk,as in

Tiv

Tivisco, there

arose

more

of him

as

of Tvisco

In the Eoman
Silvia with Mars, and
^

out

of

legend,Eomulus
through Aniulius
later apotheosis
of

mann

and

Eemiis
witli Venus

mannisko

were

homo, the

connected

The

Eomulus

tlirongh

taken
the omperors
differs from the genuine
from
canonization
does
as
primitive sainthood ; yet even
the god in
Augustus, being deified,passedin legend for a son of Apollo,whom
the shapeof a dragon had by Atia ; Sueton. Octav. 91.

up to heaven.
heroic,almost

and

was

345

iNGuio.

and

be

may

(liketiv

derived,have

the

tivisko)the

and

Sanskr.

the

side of

the

by

set

in

filtered down

to have

seem

and

whole

to the latter end

even

father of all

god,and

the

of

this forefather

of

Traditions

Teutonic

race

of the Mid.

Ages

in
(Ettm.p. 112),the same
read :
we
mythicalking Wippo is spoken of (seep. ;^00),

Mcnnor
dem

der erste

diutische rede

the

not

Tacitus

same

(seeSuppl.).

(orby
or

by the
patriarchal
progenitors.

nations

furnished

Eomans

threefold division

Iscaevones

Ingo,Isco,Hermino,

all the

of

Herminones^

and

is based

of whom

each

From

be

the three

from

so

descended

are

race.

may

though

name,

the

three,

the

of

names

those of their

inferred

Iscio. Irmino.

1. Inguio.
The

the

of

branches

main

seven

Mannus,

of Mannus

sons
five)

accounts

some

and

of Tvisco

come

language God

direct,as the proper

from

all Teutons

As

five

taken

named

was

known.

made

This is not

man

Dutch

whom

to

got tet

bekant.

similar,is

the first

Mennor

genant,

was

which

Frauenlob

of meister

poem

the

into

Germani
on

the

admits

Ingaevones,

of three

names

being fixed

of

heroes,
yet

on

authority.

surer

or
Ingo,Tnrjuiohas kept his placelongestin
T7ifj,

of the Saxon

and

tribes.

Scandinavian

spellInc, in AS. Lig,and

in the Lay of Euncs :
Ing

arrest

mid

secgum,

ofer wfieg

legend seems

wan

firstdwelt
he went

then
1

Pro.ximi
Cajdm.
sigan.

the East

eastward

oceano

tur, Tac. Germ.

^

with

over

east

nemdon.

(conf.Beow.

Danes

the sca,^his wain

medii
Ingaevones,

ring

aefter ran.

J?usHeardingas];onehrole
Ing

still to

Eastdenum

oc5 he siSSan

gewat.

the

memory
in
alphabets OHG.

Eunic

echo of his

an

wyes

gesewen

wa'g

import,and
manushya.

same

Manus

of the

]\Iannus liowever is the first hero,son

men.

forms, tlie simple

both

self-conscious being (see p. 59) ;

tliinking

ran

779. 1225.
after.

Herniinones,ceteri

The

Istaevones

1650),
wain

vocan-

2.

88, 8 says of the

raven

let out

of Noah's

ark

gewat ol'erwonue

345
is

HEROES.

distinctive mark

of ancient

being speciallyput

its

appears

voyage,

to

forward

indicate

also of heroes and

gods,but
here

in connexion

feature

some

of

the

kings;

with

legend

sea-

that

is

(see Suppl.). Ing's residence in the east is

in harmony with a pedigreeof the Ynglingsgiven in the
strikingly
Islendingabok(Isl.sog. 1, 19). Here at the head of all stands
Yngvi Tyrkja konungr,'immediately succeeded by divine beings,
NiorSr, Freyr,Fiolnir (a byname of OSinn), Svegdir,"c. In the
called Tyrkja konungr (Sn. ^68) from his
OSinn
was
same
way
residingat Byzantium (p.163 note).^ The Ynglinga saga on the
other hand
come
Freyr,
begins the line with NiorSr, after whom
have
the wain would
Fiolnir and the rest; but of Freyr,whom
suited exactly,it is stated that he had another
name
Yngvi or
Yngvifreyr(p.211-2),and the whole race of Ynglingarwere named
be more
after him.^
exact, as is
Ingingar or Ingvingar would
and confirmed
and AS. spelling,
shown
by a host of
by the OHG.
compounded with Ing or Ingo : Inguiomerus
very ancient names
(Ingimarus,
Ingumar, or with asp. Hincmarus),Inguram,Ingimund,
"c.
Even
writes Ingo,Ingimarus.
Saxo Gram,
Ingiburc,Inginolt,
it may
be formed
from
As for Ynglingar,standingfor Inglingar,
the prolongationIngilin Ingelwin,Ingelram,Ingelbergaand the
with
confusion of the word
Norse
Ingellus,unless it is a mere
AS.
geongling,from the root
ynglingr juvenis,OHG. jungilinc,
has no business here at all (?). The main
ung, June,geong, which
pointis,that the first genealogy puts Ingvi before NiorSr, so that
him
while the other version makes
he would be Frey'sgrandfather,
with
in Freyr,and even
fuses his name
be born again as it were
frea
Frey's,of which there lurks a trace likewise in the AS.
Ingwina' (p. 211). This Ingwina ajjpears to be the gen. pi. of
dominus
Ingwinorum need not
Ingwine, OHG.
Inguwini,and
refer to the god,any hero might be so called. But with
necessarily
unknown

to

us

'

"

"

'

perfectrightmay

Ingvi,Inguio be

an

the

of
patriarch

race

that

Turkland, Saxo only as far as Byzantium. Trans.

the ON.
genealogieshave Yngvi, NiorSr, Freyr, the Old Swedish
have
tables in Geijer (hafder""118.
121. 475) give Inge,Neorch, Fro; some
it
of
was
Neorth.
for Neorch, both
Neoroch
by
Now,
being corruptions
(transposed
Ingvifrerjr
running Ingvi and Freyr into one, that the combination
additional
to make
an
he cut in two
into AS. frea Ingwina) arose, or was
OSin's
link 1 The Skaldskaparmal in Sn. 211=^ calls Yngvifreyr
son, and from
1

Snorri

sends him

to

"

^As

the enumeration
of the twelve or
that Yngvifreyrwas
regardedas

thirteen Ases
to
equivalent

in Sn.
the

21 !*"it cannot

simpleFreyr,

be doubted

INGUIO.

bears

the

of

name

347

HARTUNG.

Ingvingar

Ynglingar.

"="

And

then, what

the

genealogyis unable to carry farther up than to Ingvi,Tacitus

kindlycompletes for us, by informingus that Inguio is the son of
of two
Mannus, and he of Tvisco; and his Ingacvonesare one
either the OHG.
or
pi.Inguion (from sing.Inguio),
things,
Ingwini
after the AS. Ingwine.
Thus
pieced out, the line of gods and heroes would run :
Nerthus, Fravio
Tvisco,Mannus, Ingvio,
(or whatever shape the
of a Roman). The
Gothic Frauja would have taken in the mouth
Norse

earth-born
links

in Nerthus

before

NiorSr,now

the

god

hero, as

or

after ; and

east, and

to the

away

repeatsherself after three intermediate

Tvisco's mother

NiorSr

and

his

stands

Ingui

Vanir, who

those

to whom

Norse

have

been

and

Mannus

Tvisco

appears

moved
held

Freyr were

son

mainly to belong(pp.218-9),would have a claim to count

with the Ingaevones,although this
and
the same
race
with

now

to vindicate

as

one

tion
associa-

their Teutonic

character.
bonds

these

But

informed

us, that

received it from
and

men

themselves

draw

that

bore

lug

them.

This

as
generally,

on

the

among

Heardingas

saw

we

name

p.

either

must

342, or

AS.

lay
had
Hcardings,

yet tighter.The
mean

-heroes

particular
people.
as
king of the

Heldenbuch
in our
Hartiing is still remembered
Hartnit
Eeussen
or
probably as
(Rus, Russians),the same
is one
of the AYolfing
Eeussen
Hertnit von
; in the Alphart he
and his father Immune
Hartunc
heroes.^
(Rudlieb 17, 8) remain
situated east of
The Heardingas appear
to be a nation
dark to us.
whom
and Swedes, among
the Danes
Ing is said to have lived for
this his sojourn is helped out both
a time
by the Turkish
; and
'

'

'

'

kinfj YnG;ui and

the

Russian

Hartung.

Hartunc, Hearding, would

It has

correspond the

been

ON.

shown

that to

Haddingr.

form

beginning with OSinn

0'5inn being
than three generations,
arrives at FroSi in no
more
FroSi ; the series given in Saxo
followed
by Skioldr,FriSleifr,
Gram,
stands thus : Humbl, Dan, Lother, Skiold, Gram, Hading,
But
Frotho.
Hading stands for Hadding, as is clear from the
of
duo Haddingi in Saxo p. 93, who are the Haddingjar
spelling
whereas

Now,

the

Danish

mentioned

Hemit

284).

heroes

'

'

often

line of

in the

Haixling

Edda;
in the

it is said of

Swedish

him,

p. 12

tale of Dietrich

'

orientalium

(Iduna 10,

253-4.

348

HEROES.

debellato,Suetiam

robore

Eutheni
in

; but

the mouth

which

is most

remarkable

this Danish

king

what
of
Edda

orientals

reversus,'which

is,that Saxo

and

his wife

again

are

p. 17-8 puts

Eegnilda a song
(Sn.27-8).^ We

by Nior"r and Skaffi

a
accordinglytake Haddiug to be identical with NiorSr, i.e.,
may
is further confirmed
second birth of that god,which
by FriSleifr
have alreadyidentified with the simple Frea,
we
(= Frealaf,whom
of
line,exactlyas Freyr is a son
p. 219) appearing in the same
NiorSr, and Saxo
Hadding offered a
p. 16, that
says expressly,
of Freyr. Whether
in Fro"i (OHG.
Froblot, a sacrifice in honour
in the

Fruoto, MHG.

is sung

Fruote),the

hero

Danish

of the

story,who

makes

ful,
praisedas peacefuland blissto look for Freyr over
are
we
again,is another question.
In the god-hero of Tacitus then there lingers,
stillrecognisable,
Norse
a
god ; and the links I have produced must, if I mistake
will not
not, set the final seal on the reading Nerthus '. If we
which
admit
the goddess into the ranks of a race
alreadyhas a
Terra mater
standingat its very head, it is at all events no great

himself

three,and

into

whose

rule is

'

that

stretch to suppose

aod

or

hero who

There
do

are

olden

flicker.

Formali

The

ourselves

Nay,

with

could

almost
in

one

ffittmonnum'

him

her

name

succeeding links in

the

these Norse

of

myths

this

Yngvi, and puts

done

of the

one

subject,lightsthat
time, but cannot lightit up,

with

see

formed

more

transferred

certain nations

the

of
at

skim

Edda,

the head

deep

p.

of the

of

darkness

often die away

and

race.

probablyhave

which

tlie

to the

in

to
our

dubious
of

15, calls OGinn

father

Ynglingar:

again we

once

Tvisco.
or
identifyOSinn with Mannus
interlacingand interchangeof members, we

entitled to

all this
bear to

see

OSinn

manuscript.

But

in Fornald.

sog.

made
the

2,

12

the

as

same

narrative
carries

'

us

NiorSr, which

fra Fornioti

ok

is

bans

fartlier: at the top

Tyrkland,followed by Burr, Offinn,

Freyr, Niorffr,Freyr, Fiolnir ; here tlien is a double Freyr,the
had before ;
first one
the Yngvifreyrwe
taking Yngvi's place,i.e.,
of his names
but also a manifold
O"inn, Fiolnir being one
(Siiem.
and i/iwr,names
IQa 46^ 184*. Sn. 3). Burri
closelyrelated to
stands Burri, like

So Wh.

Muller

the

king

of

(Haupt's zeitschr. 3, 48-9) has justlypointedout,

that

visible (Sn.
feet alone were
of the muflied bridegroom,whose
curiosiore
attrectamariti
libertas
Saxo's
with
eligendi
corporum
82),agrees
SkaOi and
that the flesh has healed over.
here to find a\'ing
SkaSi's choice

'

tione,'''but

fall into
Eagnhild necessarily

one.

PORO.

INGUIO.

as

and

Burri

Sn. 7. 8

Folkvaldr,and

and

each other like Folkvaldi

forefathers of the three

as

of the rocks

licked out

first

is that

162). Now, Buri

by

or

man

and

Ikt

another

Borr

cited

OGinn, Vili,Ve

brothers

by
(seep.

human

hence

the cow,

given in

the Buri

be

clearlyto

Uors, seem

349

ISCIO.

the

being,who was
eristporo
(erst-born),

Parv, Goth.
might be OHG.
from
choose to adopt,anyhow it comes
form we
Barns or whatever
tale,to denote
bairan,a root evidentlywell chosen in a genealogical
think of Byr too,
Yet we
first-created men.^
tlie first-born,
may
not Buri, Borr, O"inn
the wish-wind
(seeOskaljyrr,
p. 144). Must
be parallel,
though under other names, to Tvisco,Mannus, Inguio ?
Inguio has two brothers at his side,Iscio and Hermino, as OSinn
should then see the reason
has A^ili and Ve ; we
wdiy the names
an

Poro, Goth. Baura

OHG.

Tyski and

MaSr^

and

is

Tvisco
intelligible.
stone

; when

of

demigods may
there

appear

emerges

from

other

Buri

and

become
things would
Buri is produced out of

heading the Ynglingar as

find

may

Bon-

in that

confirmation

well

as

of the

Cheruscans,preeminentlyworshippers

Ingaevones. These gods and

to be all running into one
another,but always
them
the real supreme
divinity,
among

the

Wodan, formed

Edda, because

editus,'and

terra

Inguio the Ingaevones,we

hypothesisthat Saxons and

the

several

OCinn

see

we

'

Borr

from

absent

are

their substitutes ;

are

flower

of the

AYuotan.

I go

expoundingTacitus.

on

conjecturethat Inguio'sor
Isco,and
Iscio,
laid

on

the

not

Ingo'sbrother

Istio,Isto.

fact that

Everythingconfirms

sundry

is not

There
]\ISS.

must

even

of

so

have
much

Tacitus

me

been

in the
named

weight to be
actuallyread

narrowly,whether the st
be everywhere a matter
of certainty
in Pliny'sIstaevones
; and
not
that need
even
compel us to give up our sc ; Iscaevo was
perhapsliable to be corruptedby the llomans themselves into Istaevo,
Vistula creptin by the side of the truer Viscula (Weichscl).r"ut
as
what
seem
irrefragable
proofs are the Bscio and Hisicion^ of
Iscaevones

we

ought

to

examine

more

1 So
Barn the second,and lotS
in the ra.^siiial
10o% Burr is called the first,
(conf.AS. eadcn) the tliird child of Fu5ir and Mouir.
'^ ON.
for man
: sing. niaSr, nuinnis,nianni, niann
; pi. mcnn,
nuunui,
mbnnum, nienn.
=" In
Nennius
and Sanniarte (]'p.
39. 40) have adopted the
" 17, Stevenson

very

worst

reading Huilio.

350

HEEOES.

Nennius, in
and

the

tradition of the Mid.

Isiocon^

in

If this will not

Mannisco

we

Gaelic poem

serve,

have

been

agree

with

givingthe

these two.

adoptedfrom Tacitus,

not

of the 11th

let internal

spellingwhich likewise occurs,

Isco,as the
explanation. Now
would

Ages

evidence

in Tuisco

speak :

suffix -isc its due, and

is

and

Tuisto,a

proof against all attempt

third

For

century (seeSuppl.).

in the

name

Tvisco

and

at

genealogy,

same

Mannus

the

Norse

preservedin
Ingvi; ought not his brother Iscio to be discoverable too ? I fancy
I am
his track in the Eddie Ashr, a name
that is given to the
on
first-created man
ash-tree.
an
again (Seem.3. Sn. 10),and means
It seems
this ash (let
across
strange enough,that we also come
it of the tree or not)
understand
the Eunic
interpretation
among
side by side with
inc,ziu, er,'all heroes and gods ; and
names,
for the earth is Bskja,Sn. 220^.
the ON. names
And
even
among
the vowel-changein the two forms of name,
Iscio and Askr, holds
equallygood of the suffix -isk,-ask.
Here let me
give vent to a daringfancy. In our languagethe
relation of lineal descent
is mainly expressed by two
suffixes,
and ISK.
the offspring
of man,
and
ING
a
son
Manning means

legendsubstitutes

two

other names,

but

Inguio it

has

'

mannisko
ancestors

almost

the

borrowed

were

same.

from

do

the

not

say

that

the

grammaticalform,

two

divine

stillless that

in the heroes' names.

I leave the
grammaticalform originated
vital connexion
of the two thingsunexplained,
I simply indicate it.
But if the Ingaevones living proximi oceano
Saxon
were
races,
which
to this day are
addicted to deriving
with -ing,
it may
be
remarked
that Asciburg,
of the Iscaevones who dwelt
a sacred seat
Of Askr, and the relation
proximi Eheno,' stood on the Ehine.^
the

'

'

'

of

the

to

name

it remains

the tree, I shall treat in ch. XIX

of

vones
the Iscae-

a
added, that the Anglo-Saxons also knew
hero Ocsc,and consequentlyOescingas.
Zeuss, p. 73, gives the preferenceto the reading Istaevones,

to

be

connectingthem with the Astingi,

Azdingi,whom I (p.342) took for
Hazdingi,and identified with the ON. Haddingjar,AS. Heardingas,
OHG.
Izdaevones would
Hertinga. The hypothesisof Istaevones
AS. rd, OHG.
rt, should in the time of
requirethat the Goth, zd
=

1
^

name

by Leo in the zeitschr. f. d. alt. 2, 534.

fort),
Conf. Askitun
(Ascha near
Amberg), Askiprunno (Esclibornnear FrankAskipah (Eschbach, Eschenbach) in various parts ; Ascarih,a man's
(seeSuppl.).

Pointed

out

351

IKMINO.

ISCIO.

the Ehine Germans

even
prevailed
among
; I have never
Artinga,Ertinga,nor of an ON. Addingar,
yet heard of an OHG.
ingeniousanyhow and
Eddingar, According to this conjecture,
worth
examining further,the ancestral hero would be called Istio=
Tacitus have

Erfo, ON.

Izdio,Izdvio, OHG.
edda

term

founder of
to both

The

race.

with

which

form
agree, its Gothic
would
in itself an
seem

proavia would

Izdo, Izdio proavus

erta.

Mdi,

fluctuation between

i and

Iscaevones
interpretations,

apt
'

for the

name

would
and

Askinga

celebrated

being izd6,OHG.

a
'

'

the

be

common

Istaevones

Artinga'.
The

third

son

will occupy

of Mannus

us

longerthan

even

his

completesthe cycleof the three main

posterity
Herminones.
The order
of Germany : Ingaevones,
Iscaevoncs,
races
in which they stand seems
immaterial,in Tacitus it merely follows
their geographical
them
to
common
position
; the initial vowel
leads us to suppose
of the ancestral
alliterativejuxtaposition
an
The
to
heroes in German
aspirategiven by the Eomans
songs.
no
Herminones, as to Hermunduri, is strictly
part of the German
word, but is also very commonly retained by Latin writers of the
Mid. Ages in proper names
compounded with Irmin. In the name
brothers.

Ermine's

of the historical Arminius

with

As
the

Inguio and

otherwise

leaves it out.

Tacitus

Iscio,we

demonstrable

weak

the

assignto

must

form

hero's

name

Ermino, Goth.

Irmino}

supportedby the derivative Herminones, and even

by the corruptions Hisicion,Armenon, Negno in Nennius (see
Suppl.). Possibly the strong-formedIrman, Irmin, Armin
may
t
But
what
far
be
root.
more
a separate
occurs
even
frequentlyhan
the simple word, is a host of compounds with irman-,irmin-,not
and
abstract :
only proper names, but other expressionsconcrete
OHG.
Goth. Ermanaricus
Irmanrih,AS. Eormenric,
(Airmanareiks),
Airmana

it is

'

ON.
name

lormunrekr, where
Hermundurus

the

OHG.

agrees

with

that

in

the national

Irmandegan,Irmandeo, Irmanperaht,

Irmanfrit, Irminolt,Irmandrut, Irmangart,Irmansuint,"c.

tion
Atten-

of certain animals
and plants: the
by the names
ON.
a
bull,the AS.
lormungandr is a snake, and lormunrekr
I also
is said to be a mallow, which
Eormenwyrt and Eormenleaf
is claimed

1 Pertz
1. 200. 300. 2, 290. 463.
Great's time is known
well enough
with in deeds.

481
now

the abbas

; and

Irmino

female

name

of

Charles

larmin

the

is met

Zo2

HEROES,

geormenwyrt, geormenleaf. Authorities for irmangot,

irmandiot, OS. irminthiod,irminman, irmansul,"c.,"c.,have been
find written

villa

given above, p. 118. A

is named
scaras
sexaginta)
silva

p. 32.

have

reference
like

some

which

we

Irminlo,Lacombl.

deed

of

855, Bondam's

silva

charterbook,

1, 31.

those last named, irman

seems
compounds, especially
but
without
distinct
a
general intensifying
power,
any
hero (conf.Woeste, mittheil. p. 44) ; it is
to a god or
other words, especially
got and diot, regin and megin,
If it did contain
find used in exactly the same
way.

reference,Eormenleaf

such

(in ilia

these

In
to

in

wood

Irmenlo, i.e.,
a

folme, Wuotanes

w^ould be

Gotadeo, Irmanrih

then

Irmandeo

wee.

Diotrih

Eormenes

and

leaf,like Torneotes

is much

the

same

as

the great
irmangot means
god, irmandiot the great people,iormungrund the great wide earth,
than the great pillar,
cannot
the very sense
mean
more
so irmansul
caught by Eudolf in his translation universalis columna (p.117).
This is all very true, but there is nothingto prevent Irmino
or
Irmin
having had a personalreference in previouscenturies : have
Zeus
and Tyr,the common
not
noun
we
seen, side by side with
If Siieteresdeeg
deus and the prefixty-,tir- (p.195-6)? conf. p. 339.
has got rubbed
down
to Saturday,
Saterdach
(p. 125),so may Eritac
to Eormenes
leaf,
point to a former Erestac (p. 202), Eormenleaf
Irmansul

Irmanessul

to

Donnersbiiliel
Frankfurt

as

we

as

also

with

met

(p. 170), Woenlet

Woenslet, and

for

for

Donnerbiihel
we

say

Erankenfurt

for

[Oxford for Oxenaford, "c.]. The more

of the name
the sense
faded out, the more
readilydid the genitive
form
the Goth.
literal,
drop away ; the OHG.
godes hiis is more
more
abstract,
gu];lius
yet both are used, as the OS. regano giscapu
and
metodo
regangiscapu,
giscapu and metodgiscapu held their
it suggests
ground simultaneously.As for geormen
eormen,
Germanus
(Gramm. 1, 11).
=

It is true, Tacitus

Herminones
war

yet his

famous

'

the

German

songs

expressedword
that

about
for word

worshipped it

that

lies latent

the

in

his

waged
canitur adhuc
barbaras
applied
apud gentes,'
Varus, might easily arise through simply

apart from

destroyerof
such
misinterpreting

to

keeps the Hermino

Arminius

accounts

the
no

it must

with

more

have

reached

as

mythical

whom

hero.

than

been

'

the
Granted

Homans

Eonian
that

ear

of

irmansul

huge pillar,'
yet to the people
divine
a
image,standingfor

particular
god.

one

of two

ways

either he

Thenar, Tin, or

Wodan,

here

But

quoted

p. Ill

on

this was,
of the

one

was

three great divinities,

Widukind, himself

from

only choose

can

we

beingdistinct from them.

all things,
ponder the passage partly

some

nuist, above

we

who

discover

To

-353

IRMIN.

IRMIKO,

Saxon; it says, a
suggestedMars, his
a

worshipped,whose name
god was
set up the sun
Hercules,and the place where he was
pillar-statue
or
Apollo. After that,he continues : Ex hoc apparet,aestimationem illorum utcumcpie probabilem,
qui Saxones originemduxisse
vel Hermes
dicitur,
putant de Graecis,quia Hirmin
graece Mars
vel ad vituperationem
quo vocabulo ad laudem
usque hodie etiam
that the god to whom
this it follows,
ignorantesutimur '. From
sacrificed after their victory
the Saxons
the Thuringianswas
over
lieatlien

'

called

Hirmin, Irmin, and

in the lOth

century the

praise or blame to very

characters.^ Apollo is brought in by
in

affixed

built ad

was

called

that

up

meant, tlian
of

this

The

orientalem

way

(Widuk. 1,
that Wodan

desperate

Hercules, because

his

have

must

had

set up

been

pillarto

in their

Hirmin, Hermes

case

pillar
been
form

was

own

and

Widukind

their Irmin

on

or

Hirmines

the banks

would

sill.

of the

home.
Mars
sees

put togetherseems

are

in

it

confirmation

of the

from
Alexander's
being sprung
army
to
We
remember, first,
Sachsensp.3, 45).
ought
translated Mars instead of Mercurius
occasionally

the
2.

Irmines,Irmctnes

Saxons

of the
(pp. 121. 133), and had all the appearance
how
easilyIrmin
given him (p.133); then further,

this

the altar

"

perfectmuddle, though
story about

very
the monk, because

or

the native

Unstrut, as they did

The

still

was

god ; no other idol can have

the irminsul (pp.115
precisely
118),and the true

name

Saxons

of

portam, and

eminent

name

lead to

Hermes, and Ares

to

Mars,

Eoman

Mars

Hirmin

or

in

for the Irminsul

the
Corvei
Eres-burg (p.IIG). What
annalist kept distinct (p. Ill),the two
images of Ares and of
has the
But
which
Hermes, are confounded
now,
by Widukind.
better claim to be Irmin, jl/a?'sor Mcreurijt On
p. 197 I have
pronounced rather in favour of Mars, as Mlillenholf too (Ilaupt7,
be inclined to see
384) identifies Irmin with Ziu ; one might even

itself is connected

with

Much
in Lower
is a regulardevil,
as
we
or
: he
say now
irmin- likewise intensifies in a good or
(p.182). The preti.x
irniinthiob
there may
have been an
inningod,inuinthiod,'
'.
regiutliiob
23

Saxony

'

bad
*
=

sense

hamer
;

like

meginthiob,

35'J:

HKROES.

in it the

and

of the

name

to dissect

by the

war-god brought
into

Irman, Erman

forms

on

p. 202,

'

Eru, Heru,'

Ir-man, Er-man, though,to judge

Ermun,

Irmin, Eormen,

out

lormun, this is far from

pound
being derivative indeed, yet simple,not comnever
find, in place of Ertag,dies Martis, any such
; we
form as Ermintac, Irminestac.
On behalf of Mercury there would
Irmansul
of the name
similarity
yet striking
speak the accidental,^
Hirmensul
and
to 'Epjxriq
or
prop, stake,pole,pillar(p.
ep/za =
and
that
it
Hermes's
was
precisely
image or head that used
118),
that the Mid. Ages
such
to be set
furtlier,
up on
ep/j^ara, and
the
to Mercury (p. 116). In Hirmin
referred tlie irmen-pillars
Saxons
imaged as a tvarrior.
appear to have worshippeda Wodan
have Wodan
If this view be well grounded,we
wedging himself
Irmin
into the ancient line of heroes ; but the questionis,whether
of the god,whether
is not to be regardedas a second birth or son
from
this
ancestral hero Irmino
is not to be distinguished
an
even
? So from thiod,
in Tacitus is from Arminius
god Irmin, as Hermino
Thiodo, Ilegino. It would be harder
regin,were formed the names
to show
Ing and Ingo,Isc and Isco ; but I
any such relation between
will decide this point:
which
think I can
suggestanother principle

the
probable,

wlien

word

themselves

name

races

after

famous

ancestor, this may

be

purelydivine being. There are

YnglinIngaevones, Iscaevones,Herminones, Oescingas,
Scilfingas,
there were
as
Niflungar,Volsungar,Skioldungar,
gar (forIngingar),
Heracleidae
and Pelopidae,but no
Wodeningas or Thunoringas,
The Anglo-Saxons,with
though a Wodening and a Kronides.
Woden
always appearingat their head, would surelyhave borne
of Wodeningas, had
it been
the name
customary to take name
from
the god, but
from
Nations
do descend
the god himself.
demigod,but

deified man,

through the

medium

of

never

demigod,and

after him

they

selves.
them-

name

highestgod would have

been impious arrogance, and alien to human
feeling.
chief seat of
a
As Lower
Westphalia,was
Saxony, especially
account
the Irmin-worship,
we
put by the side of Widukind's
may
A

of Hirmin

national

few

name

other

taken

traces

from

the

of his name,

which

is not

even

yet

1 To
the
he Greek
aspiratecorrespondsa Teutonic S, not H : o, 17 sa, so ;
fVra sibun ; aXs salt. [Thereare exceptions: q, t], ol he,her,hig ; oXoy whole,
hela ; e'Acohaul,holen].
A patronymic suffix is not necessary : the Gautos, Gevissi, Suapa take
from Gauts,Gevis,Snap, divine heroes.
name
-

355

IRMIN.

StroJtmann
extinct in that part of Germany,
entirely
he ment,
the tbllowingphrases in Osnabriick :
down
(he thinks our Lord is called H., i.e.is never
gott heet Herm
'

use

herre gott

heet nich

Hcria,

he heet

leve herre,un

has

herrc

use

weet

noted

angry);
wal

to-

unconcealed
te-gripen(knows how to fall on) '. Here there seems
a
slightlonging for the mild rule of the old heathen god, in
In
contrast
to the strictly
judging and punishing christian God.
in the districts of Paderborn, KavensSaxon Hesse (on the Dieniel),
and the duchy of
berg and Munster, in the bishopricof Minden
Westphalia/ the peoplehave kept alive the rhyme :

Hcrmen, sla dermen,

sla

sla trummen,
pijjen,

de kaiser wil kummen

met

hamer

wil Hcrmen

stangen,^
uphangen.

un

it were,
to strike up his war-music, to
as
challenged,
sound
the catgut, j)ipeand drum
nigh with
; but the foe draws
and staves, and will hang up Hermen
maces
(seeSuppl.). It is not
impossiblethat in these rude words, which have travelled down the
long tradition of centuries,are preservedthe fragments of a lay
that was
Charles destroyedthe Irmensul.
firstheard when
They
be
of
the
cannot
and the Eomans.^
elder Arminius
so well
interpreted
and
The striking
the staves suggest the ceremony
of carryingout

Hermen

is

the Summer.
In

part of Hesse

Ermschwerd, which

that

lies on

the

Werra, is

villagenamed

in

is called Ermeswerder,
early documents
Armeswerd,* Ermencsioerde
(Dronke'strad. fuld. p. 123),Ermcneswcrethe (Vita Meinwerci
1022.
Leibn. 1, 551), Irmineswerid,
an.
insula Irmini,as other gods have their isles or eas.
This interpretation
of places.
seems
placedbeyond a doubt by other such names
Leibn. scr. 1, 9 and Eccard, Fr. or. 1, 883, De
orig.Germ. 397
=

The

Roinniiil's Hessen
tunc

1. p. G6
is iriveu in Scluunann's

Variants

note.

Musical,

Westphalia(Minden 1830)
zeitun;^lor

i. 4, 52.

183G.

mit stangeu und

also means
:
staves); niit
(wliicli
prangeu
tani,'cn (tongs).
'^
This explanationhas of course
been tried : some
have put Hermann
for
Hermen, others aiUl a narrative verse, Avhich I do not suppose is found in the
people'smouth : ' un Hcrmen
shiug dermen, slaug pipen,slaug trummen, de
fiirsten sind kummen
met
all eren
liebt Varus uphangen '.
niannen,
*
The
is seen
same
in Ermensulen
vowel-ciiange
(deed of 1:298 in Baring's
Clavis dipl.
called Armcvseul.
a
now
Weslplialianvilkige,
p. -193 no. l.j),
-

hamer

im

356

HEROES.

giveIrmineswagenfor
I do

know

tlie constellation

arctus, plaustrum coeleste,

what

authority: this wain would

Wuotanswagen, Donnerswagen, and even
Ingswagen.
not

of

Some

on

the

later AS,

and

several

0.

stand

beside

Engl, authorities,in

specifyingfour great highways that traverse

England, name
running from south to north of the
amongst them Er^ningestrdc,
island.^ But
the pure AS. form
we
to have
safelyassume
may
Eormenstrtet

been

Eormenes-strat,

or

another

as

of the

four ways,

in the Saxon
Chron. (Ingr.190. Thorpe's
occurs
Wcetlingastrcct,
Guthrun
anal. p. 38),and in the Treaty of iElfred and
(Thorpe,p.
in Kemble
andlang Wactlinga straet
2, 250 (an.944).
G6), and
ences.
togetherwith Irmingsul,both without referLye has Irmingstrcct
would
lead to an
OHG.
The
conjecturalEormenstnet
'

'

Irmanstraza, and

Eormenesstra;t

to

Irmanesstraza,with

the

ings
mean-

publicaand via Irmani.

of our
it is not unimportant to the course
Now
inquiry,tliat
is at the same
time
of the four highways, Wcetlingastrffit,
one
translated to the sky, and gets to look quite mythical. A plain
enough road,extendingfrom Dover to Cardigan,is the milky way
it is travelled by the car of some
heathen god.
in the heavens, i.e.,
Chaucer
2, 427),describingthat part of the
(House of Fame
sky,says :
Lo there,quod he, cast up thine eye,
se
yondir,lo,the galaxie,
the whiche men
clepethe milky way
for it is wdiite,and some
parfay
ycallinit lian Watlingestrcte,
via

that
whan
which

onis
that

brente

with

the sunnis

hite

algatehis
In

was

the

hete,

sonne

the

Phaeton, wolde

lede

fathirs carte

the

and

rede,

gie.

Complaint of Scotland, p. 90, it is said of the comet : it

aperisoft in the quhyt circle callit circulus lacteus,the quhilk the
marynaliscallis Vatlanstrcit '. In Douglas'sVirgil,
p. 85 :
IIII

'

clieminii

Watlingestrcte,Fcsse, Hickenildestrete,Ermingestrete
Kob. of
laws,p. 192; ; conf. Henry of Hunt. (Erningestreet),
Oxf.
299
after
the
Glouc,
(also Erning.,
1742, p.
preceding). Eaniilph
ed. Oxon. p. 19G.
Leland's Itinerary,
Oxf. 1744. 6, 108"
Higliden'sPolyclir.,
in App. chron.
Gibson
b'ax. p. 47.
140.
Camden's
Eritannia, ed. Gibson,
Lond.
Ixxix.
In
the
Hist,
to
1753, p.
Lapj)enberg'.'s of Engl.,the direction
map
^

Anc.
(Thorjoe's

of the foui" roads is indicated.

357

iRuiN.

Of every
that

tlic twynklingnotis he

stcrne

in the still hevin

move

cours

we

sc,

Arthurys house, and Hyades betaikning

rane,
the
Home
and
the
Charlewane,
Watlingestretc,
the feirs Orion with his goldinglave.

Wittlingais plainlya
they came

to

gen.

give then-

pi.;

who

to an

name

the

Woetlingswere, and how

earthlyand a heavenlystreet,

perhaps could still have told us, but he

to harp at the Greek
mythus. Phaethon, also the son of a
prefers
burnt a
god,when he presumed to guide his father's sun-chariot,
call the milky
broad streak in the sky,and that is the track we
view was, that Here, indignantat the
The more
conmion
way.
Herakles
or
being put to her breast,spilther
bantlingHermes
we

do

not

Chaucer

know.

along the sky,and

milk

other

among

nations

hence

instance

remarkable

traditions ; and
almost

seem

that will

to have

brightphenomenon.

also,fancy and

earthlyand heavenly roads

A

the

lost

run

of

into

fable have
one

round

names

of

another.^

this is found

bringus
sightof.

let the

JSTo doubt,

to

in

one

Irmin

of

our

national

again,whom

we

for the milhj way.

other names
brieflyquoting some
tevno (via paleae);
schevil
(via stramiiiis)
; Syriac
keshan
rah
kah
Pers.
Mod.
(viastranieu
(semitapaleae);
hasare
ende
zamanegadc
pitoh (viastraminis); Ethiop.
trahentis)
; Copt,pimoit
;
viae); Arab, again derb ettubenin (path of the chopped-strawcarriers)
(stipida
hartacol or hartacoyh
Turk, samau
uyhrisi(paleam rapiens,paleaefur); Armen.
which a thief dropt in
scattered chaff,
run
(paleaetur) ; all these names
upon
nahr al majerra
is
the
Arabic
his flight. ]\Iore simple
majerra (tractus),
of
the
Roman
and the
gods or to the gods;
conception path of
((lumen tractus),
also Troq.2Mth of souls,Turk, hadjiler
path),hadji is a pilgrimto
juli(pilgrims'
is
the
christian term used in the ]\lid.Ages,
and Medina.
Mecca
Very similar
John
of Genoa's Catholicon (13thcent.)
;
galaxiasvia sancti Jacobi already in
Slov. zesta v' Rim
de saint Jaques,Jacobsstrasse,
di Santiago,chemin
camino
(roadto Rome), irom the pilgrimagesto Galicia or Rome, which led to heaven
[was there no thought of Jacob s ladder ?] This James's road too, or pilgrim's
185
and
earth and in heaven
on
road,was at once
; in Lacomblet, docs. 184
ON.
vetrarh,ant
Jacobsiccch together with the via regia.
a
(an. lOjl) name
(winterway). Welsh caer Gicydion(p. loO),and Arianrod (silverstreet? which
near
comes
(birdway), Lith. paukszczitt
Argentoratum). Finn, linnunrata
tlitin the shape of'birds
; Hung. Hadakid''s,
perhaps because souls and spirits
because the Hungarians in nngrating from Asia followed
kuttija(via belli),
lit
this constellation (see Suppl.). Vroneldenstraet
(p. 285) and Pharaildis
enough with fraa Holda and Herodias,whose airyvoyages easily
intelligibly
for their givinga name
to the milky way, the more
account
so, as Wuotan,
in the nightlyhunt, shows
himself here also in the Welsli
who joins Holda
appellationcaer Givgdion. Even the fact of Diana being mixed up with that
chase,and Juno with the milky way, is in keeping ; and gods or spirits
sweep
along the heavenlyroad as well as iu the heavenly hunt.
^

limit

myself

to

In Arabic

it is tarik al thihn
Hebrew
netibat thcben

'

'

358

HEROES.

Widukind

of Corvei

beautiful

first who

is the

trulyepicstory of

of old songs

out

the Saxons'

victoryover the
Thuringians/which Euodolf before him (Pertz2, 674) had barely
touched.
being oppressedby
Irmenfried,king of the Thuringians,
to his aid : they
Dieterich,king of the Franks, called the Saxons
in his
appeared,and fought valiantly. But he began to waver
negotiateda treaty with the Franks, and the two
inind,he secretly
host.
Saxon
about
to unite
nations were
againstthe formidable
beforehand ;
of the treachery,
But the Saxons, becoming aware
were
gians,
led by the aged Hathugat,they burst into the castle of the Thurinand applauded the
and slow them all ; the Franks stood still,
the

warlike

and

gives us

stratagem, returned

Dieterich's

to

fled,but, enticed by

Irmenfried

Saxons.

of the

renown

In

camp.

this

was

camp

staying Irmenfried's counsellor Iring, whose prudent plans had

knelt
Irmenfried
previouslyrendered him great services. When
before Dieterich,Iringstood by, and having been won
by Dieterich,
lord. After this deed of horror,the Fraukish
king
slew his own
him

banished
avenge
lord's

body
be

might
sword

'

his sword, stabbed

master,'drew

my

that

over

of the Frank,

'

possumus

and
faciens),

ferro

adds

Iringi nomine,

so

Widukind,

ita vocitant,lacteus

quem

for himself

waij

tantum

go, I will
dead, laid his
I

vanquishedin

the

escaped.

in

'

Dieterich

that

death,opened a

the victor iu

(viam

Before

but Iring said,

sight,

his

from

'

Mirari

with

tamen

give
their

via secta
'

coeli circulus usque

in

Auersberg chronicler : famam

coeli circulus Iringisnomine
in Pertz
sit vocatus
(sitnotatus
'

glossescollected by

Iringesuuec,'from

Iringesweg,

non

'

praesens

AS.
confirmation,

In
'

in

the

ut
praevaluisse,

famam

Or, with the

praesens sit notatus.'
in tantum
ut lacteus
praevaluisse,

Iringesstrdza
usque
8, 178).

life

via secta

'.

which

Junius
and

Somner

Conf. via sexta

(Symb. 372)
Lye

borrow

iringcsinicc,
Haupts

XJnpubl.glossesof the Amplonian libr. at Erfurt

have 'via secta:
(10-llth cent. bL 14^^)
luuaringesiiueg ; which
luwaring agrees very remarkably with the later form Euring in
Aventin
102^ 103^
Euringsstrass,

zeitschr. 5, 195.

'

in

Conf. the

Goldast's

but
differing

Script,rer.

Suev.

likewise

old

version,from

3, where Swabians
p^).
Saxons.
The
Auersberg chron. (ed. Argent. 1609, pp.
Eckehard,in Pertz 8, 176-8.
1

"

H. German

district,

ph\ceof the
kind.
146-8) copies Widu-

take

the

IRMIN.

259

IllING.

2009, these heroes appear

Nibelungeulied1285. 1965
akin
conceived,and more
again,they are the same, but differently
^
Irnvrit of Duringen and
version in Goldast :
to the n. German
Irinc of Tenemarke, one
a
landgraf,the other a markgraf,both
der klage (threnody)
vassals of Etzel (Attila).The Lied von
adds,
that tlieyhad fallen under the ban of the empire,and fled to
In the

Hunland

"

; here

pronounced on
Irins is

not

Irmenfried

two

all

to

that Dieterich

century, however,
murderer

of

fall before

the

traitor and

friends,and

sworn

are

both

Volker.

irresistible Hagene and

Add

of the 13th

In the poems

counsellor,still less

the

banishment

of the

trace

Iring.
a

see

we

this,that the Vilk.

cap. 360, though silent on

him
with Hogni, and
makes

saga

tells of h'ung'slast combat

Irnfried,
is still called Iriingsver/gr
sink againsta stone
wall, which
of the

memory
with

The

hero.

Norse

(niurus)
; his German

veggr

redactor

confounded
have

must

source

vegr

had

in

(via)

Iringcs
vec,

'

in Widukind.
cuttinghis way
desire to draw :
So now
the road is paved to the conclusions we
German
legendknew of an Iringesivcc on earth and in heaven, so
and so was
did AS. legend of a double Wictlinga-stnet,
the road

in allusion

to

Eome

to the

and

fancies about

'

St. James
tcays

and

in

set

the

firmament

know,

vjains,we

are

as

pagan,

well.
and

These
indicate

The

Thuringian Inivrit, originallyTrmanfrit,it is

reasonable to suppose, is the same
as
Irman, Irmi7i (conf.
Sigfrit,
and the Hcrmunduri
Irman-duri
are
nected
plainlyconSigmunt,Sigi),
that Irman
with
the Durings (Thuringians)
a
: so
assumes
If this would
in Thuringian tradition.
but
peculiarsignificance
tell us of an Irmines wee, all would come
riglit.
of an Iringcs
It does tell,
ivec.
however, in three or four places,
god-myths.

The

Irinc

names

doubtless
firsthas

As

Irmin, apart from

and

operatedin the
long i^ and of

roots

heldens.

heirat and

into luwarinc, as
(('Xl)anded
1(5-17th

the
lay,have nothingin common;
themselves
they cannot have represented

shift from

both

alliteration which

ancient

alreadyquoted,Deutsch.

Or iu, as some
liiratand hiurat,now
^

the

tiie OHG.

p. 117.
fourth to

heurat;

or

the

tir and

fifth vowel-series

(like

tyr,p. 19G),so lurinc

into iuwar) ; so in the

poss. pron. iur

A few MSS.

read Hiring for

seen
a
Iring,like Hirniin for Irmin, but 1 have never
Heuring for Euring, or
it miglithave suggesteda Haxon
the rainbow
is called the ring of
as
hcvenring,
lieaven.
old AS. name
for Orion, EhuriYrung,EhirtSring,
somehow
An
seems
with the luwsring above.
connected,es2)ecially
cent.

Eirimj alternates

the

with

Euring.

360

HEROES.

another.

one

Now, either the legend has

and
change places,
uncommon
a

well

as

transferred

man's

demigod grown
Irniin.

name

the

two

friends

Iring,or Iring (not

Fuld. 1, 79) is of himtoo, "?.^.,Trad.
self

dim, who

Only,

Irmin's way

made

had

way

to

and

wain

of his own,

as

Irmin's

to
have had the
worship seems
the
deeper foundations,as
image of the Irmansul
sufficiently
shows.
As the name
of a placeI find Iringcs
MB.
'pure
(burg),
7,
47. 157. 138. 231.
Iringisperc
(berg)29, 58.
this
I
Up to
Norse
point have refrained from mentioningsome
have a manifest reference to the eartlily
traditions,which
herofrom of old, for a new
path. It had been the custom
suming
king,on asthe government, to travel the great highway across
the
country, confirming the people in their privileges
(EA. 237-8).
This is called in the 0. Swed. laws
Eriksgaturidha,'ridingEric's
road.i
Sweden
numbers
Erik (ON. Eirikr),
a host of kings named
hut they are all quitehistorical,
of them
and to none
be traced
can
of the Eriksgata. With
this custom
the royal name
of Erik the
Swedes
from very earlytimes have associated the idea of a
must
god or deified king ; the vita Anskarii written by his pupil Eimit (Pertz 2, 711). When
bert,has a remarkable
the
passage on
was
adoption of Christianity
proposed to king Olef about 860, a
of heathen
sentiments
man
deorum, qui
alleged, Se in conventu
ipsam terram possiderecredebantur,et ab eis missum, ut haec regi
et populisnunciaret
diu habuisvobis propitios
: Vos, inquam,^nos
as

'

'

tis, et

terram

in
adjutorio

incolatus

vestri

cum

multa

abundantia

nostro

vos
prosperitate
longo tempore tenuistis,
quonobis
sacrificia
et
vota
debita
nobis
vestra
que
persolvistis,
grataque
fuerunt
At
et
sacrificia
solita
et vota
nunc
obsequia.
subtrahitis,
alienum
spontanea segniusoffertis,^
et, quod magis nobis displicet,
deum
intro ducitis. Si itaquenos vobis propitios
habere
super nos
alterius
vultis,sacrificia omissa augete et vota majora persolvite,
dei culturam,qui contraria nobis docet, ne
apud vos reciquoque
piatiset ejus servitio ne intendatis. Porro, si etiam plures decs

pace

et

1 The
venerable
custom
still prevcailed
in the 15-16th cent. : 'statuta provincialium generose
confirmavit et sigillavit
in equitatuqui dicitur Eriksgata,'
Diarium
Vazstenense
ad an.
1441
'Rex
(ed. Benzel, Ups. 1721) p. 86.
Christoferus Sueciae et Daciae equitatum fecit c[uidicitur Eriksgatasecundum
iliid.ad an. 1442.
Even Gustavus
Vasa rode his Eriksgata.
legespatriae,'
For inquimixs,
elsewliere
for
as
inquit
inquiunt.
^
Votum, what ah. individual offers,as opposedto the sacrificium presented
-

publiclyand jointly; coi^ supra,

p. 57.

et
dcsideratis,

habere

vestvum,

re"Tem

sit

de

unus

nos

nos

dcomm.'

nunicro

sulUcimus, Ericum, quondiuii

nostrum
asciscinms} ut
collcijium

vobis

non

in

unanirnes

I have

"

3G1

IRING.

IKMIX.

transcribed

the wliole passage,

aptlyexpresses the attitude of the pagan party, and the

the
their religion
:
liikewarmness
already prevailingtowards
heathen priests
thought of adding a fresh hero to their throng of
because

it

to exclude all later

gods.2 This seems
mixed
Eriksgata; probably there were

Himbert's

mind, traditions of

Erics
up

from
even

any

to the

claim

then,

at

least in

divine Erik.

god or divine liero

I had at one time thought of Er (Mars),
lies hidden in this Erik.
because the form Erctag is met with a few times for Ertag (p.124),
in Irinc,Eirikr,are
in Er, and the long one
but the short vowel
with
also meet
off. Instead
of Eriksgatawe
us
enough to warn
of
Riksgata,and this pointsdecidedlyto Hic/r,the earthlyname
the god Heimdallr, who in the Edda walks the green roads (groenar
It

can

doubtful

longerremain

no

now,

what

In the green
of men.
brautir)of earth,to beget the three races
earthlyroads are mirrored the white and shiningpaths of heaven.^
Then the problem started on p. 234, whether
the ON. form Bigr
and syncope, now
out of Iringr by aphoeresis
finds a solution
arose
approachingto certainty.Heimdallr dwells in Himinbiorg on the
the rainbow, which is the bridgeor path by
quaking roost (Bifrost),
which the gods descend from heaven to earth.
The
rainbow
is the
celestial ring,as the galaxy is the celestial road, and
Heimdallr
is Etgr =
keeper of that road, Heimdallr
Iring,walking the earth
and translated to the skies ; now
we
compreliend,
why there lived
the nations many
various tale of Eriksgcda,Iringesvjec,
a
among
and was
shifted now
and
to one
Iringesstrdza,
to the otlier
now
celestial phenomenon.
Iring,through Inwaring,borders on Ehurof Orion
ffrungthe old name
(see Suppl.). And if our heroic
Irmin with Iring,
legend associates Irmenfrit,i.e.,
and Irmiu-street

alternates with

have existed
Heimdallr:
was

way

IrminsCd
^

So

well,Heimdallr

was

actuallynamed
four

king

him
go to meet
'"^
Dahhnann
3

then in the god-myth also,there must

Iring-street,
and Iring
pointsof contact between Irmin z=OSinn

roads

Ilakon
'

after

branched

son

of

O'Sinn,and the Welsh

Gwydion,
out

across

Woden.
i.e.,
the

guesses it may
Aitd. blatter 1, 372-3.

into the societyof fjods,

ITennuSr
met) heiSin goS ' (Hakonarmal).
be the

milky
the

country, Eriksgata

is admitted

siti Hakon

From

Upsul Erik (d.804).

and

Bragi

3G2

HEROES.

directions,four

in four

extended

such

English tradition,though it givesthe name

titles on
only one, and bestows other nriythic
and of Iring,
and
both the di\'ine personality

of

to

nature

to be made

seem

likewise known

highwaysare

Ermingestretto
Irniin

the

rest.

the

lapseinto

Of

hero-

out.

2. Maeso.

Gambaro.

Suapo,

expounded the primeval triad of Germanic

to offer some
conjectureson the sevenfold division.
races, I have
not so true to fact,his Vindili
Pliny'squintuplearrangement seems
Now

that

Tacitus's Vandilii,his Peucini

are

But

race.

Tacitus

exists neither

The

Marsi

in
disappears,
a

gen.

alliteration

country

hero Maiso, whom

Martis,nor

we

must

Marsus

with

and
the

form

Weser,
Tanfana
mix

not

the

four other

as

of derivation.

mark

which

soon

sanctuary stood,lead
up

with

the Eoman

(who

there

names

earlyrace

an

of Circe

son

of

leadingraces,

Vandilii,in whose

the weak

nor

Rhine

between

whose

and

founder

referable to any

not

his firstthree adds

to

IMarsi,Gambrivii, Suevi

the

to

I have

up

Mars

in like

manner

Italian people, Gellius 16, 11.

to
an
gives name
Pliny 7, 2.
Augustine in Ps. 57). The Marsigni Marsingi,a Suevic people,
Marso
and origin. The proper
name
name
acknowledged the same
in Mabillon
no.
18, in a deed of 692, also in the polypt.
occurs
Irminonis
elsewhere.
163^ but seldom
Mersihwrg and
p. 158^
Pertz
to
8, 537. 510, seem
belong here, while some
Jfa?'seburg,
other names
given above, p. 201, are open to doubt; I do not
if a MHG.
know
is at all relevant : zuo
phrase,obscure in itself,
alien maoscn
to go to all the
varn,'MS. 1, 25% which may signify,
man,'
devils,expose oneself to every danger ; conf. einen marscn
The Gothic marzjan (impedire,
Crane 2865.
might seem
offendere)
=

'

'

the

allied to

root, but

tliat would

liave

been

merrian,

merran

in OHG.
The

of

name

the

strenuus, from

kambar

of

ancestress

hero Gambaro.

the

which

the

assign to

also is derived

Langobards.

And

Gambrivii

There

may

the
have

the

gambar,

root

name

been

of

Gamhara,
likewise

(insteadof Gabreta)

forest of Gambreta

is worth

Epur,
names

considering.Gambara's
AS.

two

sons

are

called Ibor

OHG.

Eofor,OJST. lofur,i.e.aper, boar, and Ajo : all the three

appear

to be

corrupt in

Saxo

Gram.

Ought we

to

for the

assume

363

SUAPO.

MARSO.

Suevi, OHG.

Suapa,an

hero Suevo, Suapo,and

eponymous

an
perhaps connect with
legend of
?
mountain
a
Pliny 4, 13 placesin the land of the gens Ingaeimmensus'
vonum,
quae est prima Germaniae,'a certain 'Scvo mons
Codanus
to the Sinus
Solinus,followinghim, says
I'eaching
; and
Scvo ipse ingens
initium Germaniae
22, 1 : Mons
facit,
hunc Inguaeonestenent ; but Isidor (Orig.10, 2) makes
out of it :
dicti autem
Suevi putantur a monte
Suero, qui ab ortu initium
Germaniae
facit ', From
this evidently
is taken the account
of the
in the Lay of Anno
284:
'si sluogen iri
immigrating Swaben
gecelte(pitchedtheir tents)ane dem berge Sncho (so several read
for Suedo), dannin
wurdin
si geheizin Suabo '}
In
the Low
(German
psalms 57, 17 mons
coagulatusis rendered
berg sueuot'
which
is perhaps to be explainedby the legend of the lebirmer
Tacitus's mare
[liver-sea,
pigrum ? Germ. 45. Agr. 10]. It seems
that in Sicm. 164-8
the Scfa fioll (fells,
to the point,
tains,
mounmore

him

old
'

'

'

'

'

Sevs) are mentioned

of the

in those very

one
Helga-songs,

of

which

A
singsof Svafalund,king Svafnirand the valkyr Scava.
after s is frequently
V
dropped,and the readingsSevo, Suevo can
thus be reconciled.
Suapo then would be a counterpartto Etzel
The AS. Swe2)pa,or rather Swtefand Fairguns (pp. 169, 172)?
can
hardly be brought in here.
(licg,
relation
Vindili stand in the same
Tacitus's Vandilii and Pliny's
and Irmin, Angrivariiand Inguiones;
to each other as Arminius
from winding and wending, out of which
both forms come
so many
is described under several names
mythic meanings flow. Wuotan
as the wender, wanderer
[Germ, wandeln ambulare, mutare].
the
of these national names,
On
IMarsi,
slightfoundation

Gambrivii, Suevi

these with

connects

name,

even

and

Clear and
of another

Mannus,

let alone

3.

\on

the other hand

on

hero

Fuisse

virorum

berge
(seeSuppl.).

Swero,
iiwevo

dem

285

the heroes

yet

as

to build.

themselves

of
givingany particulars

definite

I'amous

Kaiserchr.

but

is unsafe

Tacitus

he does not

them.

(Hercules), (Ulysses). Alcis.

j"rimumque omnium
'

Vandilii,it

sin

apud

fortium

liiez
j:;ecelt

cr

the historian's notices

are

eos

et Hcrculem

ituri in

slalien do

memorant,

proeliacanunt,
uf oiiiiiilifir dor

iSwcro sint t"ieallc gchcizeu Swabo.

Fur

Swlto

Germ.

heizit
read

364

HEROES.

^lercuring
cap. 9, after mentioning
concessis animaliHerculem
Martem
ac

sacrifices in

Speaking of

3.

he immediatelyadds
first,

before

placant,the demigod being purposelyput

the coast of
on
Chapter 34 tells us of the ocean

Lus

Et

says

quidquid ubique magnificum

Hercules,sen

adiit

sed obstitit

in

oceanus

defuit audentia

Nee

consensimus.

ejus referre

simul

se

credere

and

the Weser

sacra,'between

Druso

inquiri. Mox
actis

deorum

silva Hcrcjdl

'

in the land

Elbe

Germanico,

de

name

claritateni

est, in

visum

2, 12

Annals

The

scire.

quam

vulgavit,sive

Herculem

reverentius

tentavit,sanctiusqueac

nemo

in

atque

Frisians,then

the

fania

Ilerculis columnas

adhuc

superesse

Mars,

even

Cheruscans

of the

'

Novionear
PeutingerTable puts a castra Herctdis
something,it all points to
(Nimwegen). All this means
magus
with that of the
not unadvisedly,
some
demigod who is identified,
deeds were
Iiomans.
accomplishedin countries
Hercules, whose
widely remote, is thouglitto have visited Germany also, and the
'

the

while

pillarsat

Gaditanian
Frisian
the
to

columnarum
effigies
suli (p.115) more
Did tlie
?
pillars

in the

does

columnae

such

to

the

had

as

pillars,

Of

the

pluralirmanimage several
think

Herminones

and

Irman,

If

in

this

themselves,we
he is

'

agree with

hero

was

never

Hercules
must

to

mean

that

of

to

to

which

correct

seems

Cherusci

wa-ote

Herusci.

we

wish

to

apparentlyexclude
cap.

see

it

one

and

not

his

gave

but

to

name.

be
In

the

aspirateto
and
is indispensable,
for

of the

Mercury

Wuotan
9, i.e.,

and

Herminones,

of the

he

German,
silva

Herculis

spread far

sure

; in

'

in
distinguished

supposinghim

it

Irmin,

Arminius

in

wanting,as

positionof

The

and

heroes, Roman

the two

race
particular

the

German

therefore the Romans

whom

him

bore

name

of

names

indeed

not

worship of

confined

be

Was

in liisHermin

Roman

surely be presupposed.

may

the

is consecrated.

wood

irmansul, and

than

Hercules,whose

and

of sound

the

battle-song

slain to

are

the

in

plainlyon its face the

in Herminones
"Hpa, Hera ? was that why he retained the aspirate
An
?
and Hermunduri, and not in Arminius
tion
approxima-

Herakles
root

the German

In

columnae.

not
(pi.),
exact

counterpart

something, by his speakingof Hirmin's

still knows

Widukind

victims
first,

praiseof Hercules is sounded

the highestgods, to him
a

even

Europe have

of

side of it.

another

on

ocean

end

one

and

and

Donar, i.e.,
Jupiter (asZeuss

gi-eatgods
Mars,

Zio.

And

from
for

does, p. 25),I

HERCULES.

"see

other

no

than

ground

365

ULYSSES.

tliat the

Norse

Thorr, like Hercules,

performs iuuuniurable heroic deeds, hut these may

equally be
placedto the credit of Irmin, and Irniin and the thundergodhave
Yet, in favour of 'Hercules' being Donai',
nothing else in common.
we
ought perhaps to weigh the AS. sentences
quoted on p. 161,
note

also,that Herakles

had

thought

at

was

of

Thunar

of

son

time

one

Sahsnot,Seaxneat, whom
side

that

the formula

and

Wodan

now

think

Zeus, and

foe to

giants.

might

stand

Hercules

of renunciation

for

exalts

by the
the strength of
on
explainedby saxum

thought so
Saxanus,'whose surname
might be
sahs.
But
the
meet
with
this
inscriptionsIn which we
Hercules
Saxanus
extend
of Germany, and
beyond the bounds
belong rather to the Eoman
religion.Our Sahsnot has with more
been assignedto Zio (p.203),with whom
Hercules
cannot
justice
'

Hercules

be connected.
as

Hercules
he

and

Jupiter's
son,

was

have

must

the claims

been

the

Irmin

of Irrain

to have

seems

subjectof

are

the

better founded:
been

Wodan's

(ituriin
battle-songs

of those which
Tacitus understood
proeliacanunt),even
minius (canitur
adhuc); though they would have suited
p. 207 (seeSuppl).

It is
Ceterum

harder

et

in hunc

matter

Iflixcm

to form

opinion about

quidam opinanturlongo illo

delatum

oceanum

an

adisse

Germaniae

the

'

Ar-

of
Mars

too,

'

Ulysses

et fabuloso

errore

terras, Asciburgium-

ab illo consti(piodin ripa Rheni situm hodieque incolitur,

tutum
nominatumque ; arani quin etiam Ulixi consecratam, adjecto
Laertae patrisnomine, eodem
loco olim repertam ; Tac. Germ.
3.
In Odysseus people have seen
OSinn, in AsciburgAsburg ; but if
Woden
stood for the god Mercury, it cannot
here mean
the hero,
stillless can
Askiburg be traced to the ases, a purely Norse form,
which
in these regionswould
have
been
When
Tacitus
anscs.
makes
Ulixes the founder of Asciburg,
nothing is simplerthan to
suppose him to have been Tsco,Escio,Asko (p.350) ; and if it was
Isco tliat set the Eomans
blish
thinkingof Ul-ixes,how it helpsto estaque,

the

sc

in

Iscaevones

suggestedLaertes, inasmuch
mixed
stone

the

up
or

tree

in the creation

rock

as

of the

(see ch. XIX)

father of Isco may

have

\a6"i

people,and \ao"i stone, are

first man
(the origogentis)out of

; in the

and
(ash),and hpu"i

the

Maiinus

same

ireTpt) stand

way

Asco

grew

togetherin

the

up

out

of

mytlms,

366

HEROES.

without

not

the

from

take them
These

lint from

for the

Hadu

brothers

Gemini, however,
them

\a6"i
liotan,

to

come

of
analogies

sense

seems

Xao"f,\aa";}

as

Eomana
went
interpretatio
sound ; so, in dealingwith

of

than

root

same

The

As

meaning.

the

are

passage

about

to show

that alx referred to the

given

was

on

more

upon

Castor
and

Phol

66, and

an

will

not

Baldr

hardest

very
p.

Pollux,I

and

to

(seeSuppL).
interpret
; the

attempt

made

was

placewhere the godliketwins were

Our antiquityhas
not
satisfyme.

worshipped: I confess it does

like
plenty of hero brothers to show, but no twins with a name
It occurs
to me, that
Alci, if this pluralof Alcus is the true form.
of OSin's
is Idlkr
and jolk in tlie
one
names
(Srem. 46'' 47''),
dialect means
Vermland
home
to us than
a boy.^ This
more
comes
the SamogiticAUjir (angelusest summorum
deorum, Lasicz,p. 47),
which
towards
the dictionaries offer nothing but alga,reward.
Utterlyuntrustworthyis any comparison with the Slav deities
Lei and
as
Polel,themselves
yet unsupported by authority(see

Siippl.).^
4. Beowulf,
From

we

specimensin Tacitus we may conclude that

had a pretty fullydevelopedHeroology ; and

the above

the Teutonic
our

Sigfrit,Amalo, Ermenrich, Dietericii,"c.

races

ancient

stores

of native literature had

connexion

as

whole.

closer

much

might have gained a

As

it

is,we

thrown

its nature

of the later

kings

with

and

its

dry genealogies,
touching only certain races,
upon

datingfrom many centuries after,and

namely the Goths, Langobards,Burgundians,but
learn
We
may
Anglo-Saxons and Scandinavians.
connexion

if

been stillaccessible to us,

insightinto

are

all

the ancient

gods

above
from
and

all,the
them

the

heroes, but

myths. Yet we could be content, if

and
also been preservedof the Franks
even
other nations of continental Germany.
the most
The Anglo-Saxon genealogies
seem
important,and the
not

livingdetails of
such pedigreeshad

the

as

"

Ulixes

their

Pott 1, 222 explains

Loki, Sn. 78. For Laertes,whose name
Extr. from SuppL,
conf.
Ptolemy'sAaKi(3ovpyLov."
people,

protectorof the

vol. ill.
Stockh. 1840, p. 38.5\
spraklara,
Icilas butterfly.
akies lele pupilla,

Almqvist, Svcnsk

In Lith. lele h pupa,

Appendix gives
families branch
Zeus
all

; it

gods.

was

full

[but sec

Woden,

from

out

proud feelingto

Prominent

themselves

were

in

them

among
accounted

367

FROGER.

GOZ.

his

of

most

as

have
sons

above, p. IG;")].All the

the

one's root
are

Saxnedt

Greek

do

from

in the

highestof
who
Bccldceg,

and

divine; but several other

names

can

the earliest heroes, e.g.,Sifjerjcdt

and
Wodclplace among
Fredwine, Wiiscfred,
gcuV-(bothakin to the Gothic Gduts),
Scefvgd,
fallen dim to us.
are
Cdscre,which in
Westcrfalcna
; and
many
other AS. writings is used
for cyning,^seems
to
be a
mere
and to have acquired the character of a proper name
appellative,
after the analogy of the Roman
casar
(?). All these genealogies
of the god's sons
and grandsons,
give us barely the names
never
claim

those

of

their

ought like the

very thingwe
Some

mothers
Greek

or
ones

grandmothers;
to give life to

and
the

the

legend,which

is the
relationship,

miss.

of the Norse

traditions

gain in value,by being taken with

the genealogies.The Volsungasaga sets out with OGin's being the
father of Sigi,but all particulars
of the relationship
withheld ;
are
Hcrir the son
of Sigi is in the immediate
keepingof the highest
Another
gods,and so on.
time, on the contrary, we are informed,
Sn. 84
wurcho

86, how

"

OSinn

?)became

under

the

name

of Bolvcrkr

(OIIG.Palo-

to the

giantBaugi,in order to get at the

divine drink,which
the giant'sbrother Suttungr kept,guarded by
his daughter Gunnloo; l)L'tween her and the god took placesundry
also 12*^ 23^'^ 24=',
passages of love,dimly liintcd at by Saemund
but we
nowhere
told what
are
heroes were
begotten in the three
nights that OSiim
passed with the giant'sdaughter. Gunnloff
not
belongs to the race of giants,
of men,
which
is also the case
with Ger"r whom
Freyr wooed, and perhaps with others,who are
reckoned

not

servant

the

asynjor. The Greeks also held that from

of gods with titans' daughtersmight spring a hero,or
even
a
god (likeTyr, p. 208)." Only Saxo, p. m, and no other
tells us of a Norwegian king and hero
authority,
Frogcrus,ut
quidam ferunt,Otliino patre natus,'to whom
the gods gave
to be
invincible in fight,
unless his adversarycould
grasp the dust from
among

the union

'

OHG.

f. d. alt. 1, uTT),conf. wiietclii above,

WuotUfjoz (Zeitschr.
p. 132,
156
W'odel-beer,
(seeSiippl.).
p.
In Boetli. ;}8, 1 Aganieinnon is stj-lcd
ami Ulysses cyning [in the
casore,
Pref.,Ranlgot,Ealleric,Tlieodric are cyningas,the emperor always ca^ere]
; in
a doc. in Kenible
2, 304 Eadred is 'cyning and casere
'.
and

"368

HEROES.

king Frotho by fraufl contrived to

FreCegar in the Wessex
do. Can this Frogerbe the AS. FreofSegCir,
for father,Ba^klrcgfor grandfather,
Brond
had
genealogy,who
to
The ON. table of lineageseems
?
for great-grandfather
Woden
his adversary
.^ According to the
mix
up FrioSegar with FroSi,
liisfeet/wliicli the Danish

under

Yngl. saga c. 9, Norway traced

of OSinn
the son
by Ska8i,
her eldest line of kings to Scemingr,
write Semingr,which
means
tlie wife of NiorSr ; some
previously
and would lead to FriSgeir
again. SkaSi was daughter
pacificator,
calls
the
iotunn
to
Thiassi, and the SigurSardrapa (-killing)
the

of the Edda, p. 1 5, and

Formali

afspringrThiassa,'(Th. progenies).The HerHringr spring from Gavti,and him from

rauSssaga cap. 1 makes
OSinn : this Gcvutr or Gauti (conf.
Ing and Ingo,Irniin and Irmino),

SigurSr LaSaiarl

"

Gauts, OHG.

Goth.

belie his

too, confounded

Godwulf

Geat, whether

AS.

Koz,

of OCinn, cannot

ancestor
son

'

by

surname,

divinity(conf.
p. 367) ;

some

Folcwalda

with

son

or

and

his

(p.165, last

(Koza,Tavlooks mythical. It is from Gduts tliatthe Gautos

table),
roi)professedto be descended, these being other than the GuJ^ians
the
(Tac. Gothones, ForOot),but related to them nevertheless,for
the

witli

genealogystarts

Gothic

of it.

head

at the

Gauts

same

"

Again,Sigrlamiis called OSin's son, Fornald. sog. 1, 413. But who

Bous (gen.Boi),Othini ex Pdnda filius be in Saxo Gram. 46 ?
can
we
are
coming (see
PossiblyBiar, Biaf, Beav = Beowulf, to whom
Suppl.).^
'

'

Danes,

the Fornm.

161),and
does

Skioldungar(Sn. 146); he
been most
nearlyrelated to the peopleof Schonen, as in
sog. 5, 239 he is expresslycalled Skanunga go5 (see p.
was
probably worshipped as a god. In Saxo Gram, he

from

have

may

whom

lead,

toten

of

victory?

as

the

son

Humblus,

after

follows

but

has

Lother ; Skiold himself

all the

derived

are

the

take

not

of the

ancestral hero

OSinsson, Skioldr, is the famed

Another

whom

Gram,^ from

vanquished

had

come

Dan*

and

Hadding

to

present such dust (EA.

(Beda 2, 9 " 113).

Haldunus
Biarggrammus

111-2).
2

apud

The
Saxo

AS.
122

Sueones

Frodheri

name

mentions

magni

one

Thor

stands yet farther away

by Thurr

hero he^otten

existimatur.
filius

And

I know

of

no

other

but this

one.

of the Danes, is called in the

Don, in Saxo's view the true ancestor
with
and
Dmifr, Saan. 106''.
placedtogether
Rigsmal iJanr,
"*

Elsewhere

appellative
gramr

Gramr
denotes

is the

jimiier

king.

name

of

sword, while
particular

the

genealogyplacesits Scild

the AS.

; but

Frotho

then

and

369

BEOWULF.

SCILD,

GEAT.

after

of OSinn.
From
makes tlieni both ancestors
and singularly
^cectf,
Gcdt,
Beaio,Tcctiva,
Scedfdescends Sccldwa, from him consecutively
Wdden
last. The ON.
comes
and after several more
generations
in the
version of the lineageis in harmony with this ; and even
which only beginswith Gduts, we may
Gothic pedigree,
suppose a
the OHG.
to whom
names
Skildva,Taitva to have preceded,
Sktiufs,
is so
however
correspond.None
Scoup, Scilto,Zeizo would
Sceldwa's son, the Anglo-Saxon Bcaiv,called by the
as
interesting
Scandinavians Biar, Biaf,but in the livingAS. epos Beowulf. It
"

is true, the remarkable

Beowulf,

younger

of that

poem

in whom

is about

name

his forefather's name

second

and

repeatsitself; but

the openinglines allude to the elder Beov/ulf,and call

fortunately
with Skioldr)
his father Scild (Goth.Skildus,agreeing
i.e.,
a Scefing,
of
and
Beow
of Scedf. Beaw
is a corruption Beow,
tion
abbreviaan
son
that first opens to us a
of Bcoundf: it is the complete name
bee-wolf (OHG. PiawolfT),
and
wider horizon.
Beowulf signifies
for the woodpecker,
that is a name
a bird of gay
plumage that hunts
has many
tale to tell.^ Strangeto
after bees,of whom
a
antiquity
pp. 206, 249) makes this Picus a
say, the classical mythus (above,

Saturn,inasmuch

of

son

is succeeded

by

the

picusinto

that of

is into that of Gcdt and

of

trustworthyand
of Saturn

were

England,but

were

less known

taken
a

another
1

to Roman

nearer

What

by

and

Can

into

Ares, the old Bohemian

Kirt and Radigost,

as Beowulf
Sitivrat,

If the groups

Woden.

to

as

differ in the details

wholes

the Northmen,

and Beowulf

properlyto

never

have

(Picumnus) interwoven

sons

is the

more

less open to suspicion.And justas the footprints

traceable from the Slavs to the Saxons and to

divine bird in Stracec

stood

Picus

combination, their agreement

their

and

see

of Kronos, Zeus, Hermes

race

Stracec

We

nourisher of Marss

him

makes

Hermes, or

and father of Faunus.

with Zeus who

it either identifies him

as

reach

seem

to

Scandinavia.

althoughno
legend,

so

those of the

take

the

The

central Germans

actual

same

course,

need
borrowing

place.
deep hold this group of heroes had taken, is evidenced
legend. Scedf{i.e.,
manipulus frumenti)takes his name

tlie

name

bnither
Birolf,Pirolf,

in Upper Germany
Pirolf (Frisch 1,

for the

Tlie Serbs call it Urosh, and

Conf. the Finn, lu-os [withheros i],p. 341.

?
Biterolf)

24

timliis

or

oriolus

galbnla,

stand for Bmcolf (or

161),possibly
is a hero's name.
curiouslythis a^^'ain

370

HEROES.

the

from

circumstance,that when

country he
in the boat.

the Mid.

destined

was

to succour,

while

is full of

he

sheaf of

on
a
aslecjy^

and

similar story of the

the

conveyed to

was

Ehine

poetry of the Lower

The

Ages

boy

corn

Netherlands

in

sleeinng
youth whom

shipto the afflicted land ; and this swanfrom

the grave, as
is picturedapproachingout of paradise,
knight,
iTg^mSjWhose divine, originis beyond question. Helias,Gerhart or
Loherangrinof the thirteenth century is identical then with a Scof
or
Scoup of the seventh and eighth,different as the surroundings
a

swan

"

in his

conducts

Beowulf
appears to have transferred
may have, been, for the song of
to Scild what
belongedof rightto his father Scedf. The beautiful
the

story of

brothers,which
to be

seem

which

the

is founded

swan

on

with

I connect

in

Schiltunc

between
Sceldwa

the Tirol

hunc, Nib. 88, 3, pointsto

be

regardedas
fall into

a3tt

Scef

the

the father of

makes

must

of

ancestor.

This

Skioldr,so

that

Either

one.

altered to

be

race

and

the
or

Welfs

and

swan-

however

Swabians, to

Had

they been
heroes and the gods would
Skioldr belongs obviously
name

Schil-

to
corresponding
Scilpungd,

the

Skelfir,
Scilfe,
Scilpiis

to

Skelfirthe Fornald. sog. 2, 9

the Shilfingaand Shioldinga

Scelf is here

confounded

with

Scelf,but the frequentoccurrence

Scef, or
of the

alike to forbid

seem
Sceaf, and its interpretation
(from sheaf),

form

the

; both

Parzival,^as the

of whom
Scil/ingar,

ON.
Scilfingas,

AS.

of the

of the Franks
antique lineage-legends
are
names
mostly wanting.
proper

"

name

that

originof

another tie
preserved,
many
to light.2Further,to
come
the

the miraculous

this

(seeSuppl.).
As the Skioldungardescend from Skioldr,so do the Giukungar
from
the Burgundian line
Ghiki
Gihika, Kipicho,with whom
begins: if not a god himself (p.137),he is a divine hero that carries
The Gibichensteine (-stones)
to Wuotan.
back very near
over
moreus
=

bear witness
of this

race

that

Umborwesende

to

him, and it is to the

two

eminent

most

Grimhildensteine,Brunhildensteine

Beow.

are

women

allotted.*

92.

and the swan-knightcarries them

brought
ship
away
is
disclosed
the
b
ut
reason
only in later legend: it was forbidden
againat last,
1144-73.
Parz. 825, 19.
to inquireinto their origin,
Conr.,Schwanritter
Sceaf

The

Zeitschr. fiirdeut. alterth. 1,7.

Brunehildestein,lectulus Brunihilde, Kriemhiltenstein,

that

'

(Heldensagep. 155) ; Krimhilte

graben (Weisth.1, 48) ; in
MB.
7. 498.
noniinato (Juvaviap. 137) ; de Crinihilteperc,

loco

Cviemildespil
Grimhiltaperg

Vote however

Frau
been

noticed

much

so

precedes Gnndahari
(Xibelungen)makes
Edda

by

whole

Gemot

The

at all.

identical

(from

ger

in the

makes

Law

brother,and

no

has merely the

gais) and
the

2, 46). But

(conf.Gramm.

Lex

Gunthere's younger

brothers,and Gisolher the young

kinsman.

Burg. Gislahari
epic
generation,whilst our

ought,that

Giselhere

him

names

never

it

as

It has not

of the stock.^

ancestress

as

appears

371

SIGOFRID.

WELIS.

GIBIKA.

SCEAF.

of

mention

any

of his elder

name

Gisdher
Norse

the

to

seem

Guttormr

be
can

hardlybe a distortion of Godomar, for we meet with him outside of

the legend,e.r/.,in Landn.
1, 18. 20, where the spellingGuSormr
(Guntwurm) would lead us to identifyhim with Gunthere, and in
Saxo Gram, are found several Guthormi
(seeSuppl.). Then Hagano
Waltharius
from hagan (spinosus,
the one-eyed,named
1421),is
than heroic '}

'

more

deeperreachingroots must be allowed to the Welisungs ;

their name
bringsus to a divine Valis who has disappeared(conf,
OHG.
continuance
of an
the ON.
Vali, p. 163),but the mere
diffusion of the VolsungaWelisunc
is a proof of the immemorial
Wuotan, it goes on
saga itself (seeSuppl.). How, beginningwith
has been alluded to on
to 8igi,
Sigimunt,Sigifrit,
Sintarfizilo,
p.
"With
Sigfrit
367, and has alreadybeen treated of elsewhere.^
ON.
stands connected
Hialprekr. It is
Hclfrich,Chilpericus,
calls Sigfrit
worthy of note, that the AS. Beowulf
Sigemund,and
flood
Such
of
of OSinn
besides.*
a
Signumdr is a surname
Even

splendourfalls on
triiles; his

in
Siegfried

whole

has

the poems,
evident

that

we

need

not

stick at

of the

superliuman:
brought up by an elf Eegino,beloved by a valkyr Brunhild,
the
instructed
in his destinyby the wise man
Gripir,he wears
helmet of invisibility,
is vulnerable
oidy on one spot in his body,
as

Achilles

Nibelungs.

was

in the

heel,and

traces

he achieves

the rich hoard

His slavin*^of the dragon Eafnir reminds

zeitschr. 1, 21.
of the whole
examination
zeitschv. 1,2
6.
.s zeitschr.
Ilaupts

Haupts

Laulinuinn's

nature

us

Nibelunglegend,p.

of the

of TIvdcDu^

22.

"

in Finn
In the J Copenh.
Cc
ed. of the Edda, Sajm. 2, 889 Sigemon, and
Celtic
Mars ;
lex.
of
the
G43
Magn.
Scgemon, is said to have been a name
Marti
5
I suppose
the ground of the inscriptt.
in Gruter
Grutcr Iviii. :
on a
Segomoni
omnibus
in civitate Se([uanorum ; and ii. 2 : Diis deabus
sacrum
"

'

"

...

Veturius

L.L. Securius

(al.Segomunus) pro se quisque (see Suppl.).

the same,
4"'']p)
I of f'ur
grantinga change of tfi into /(as in tirjp,
standingfor Greek J there are more
examples: fnasu,blasu
nvfi/a, (pXvo).
5

Ahnost

372

HEROES.
.

whom
the

Apollo overcame, and as Python guarded the Delphic oracle,

dying Fafnir prophesies.^We must take into account LoSfdfnir

Saem.

Sinfiotli,
who, when

24, 30.

boy,kneads

snakes

into the

dough,is comparable to the infant Hercules tested by serpents.

the Prankish
Through Siegfried
Welisungs get linked to the
Burgundian Gibichungs,and then both are called Nibelungs.
attracted by the Ovida
are
and
Among Gothic heroes we
in Jornandes
Cnivida
as
Offa and
cap, 22, perhaps the same
in

Cnehha

the Mercian

hue.

But

of far

more

consequence

is the

great Gothic

familyof Amals or Amalungs, many of whose names

in the Jornandean
genealogy seem
corrupt. The head of them all
and so obtain an allusion
was
Gapt,which I emend to Gaiit (Gauts),
to the divine office of casting[giessen,
ein-guss,
in-got]and meting
of a god (p.164),and is even
a god,or
son
(pp.22. 142) ; he was
imported into the Saxon lines as Gedi,Wodelgeat,Sigegeat(p.367).
In this Gothic genealogy the weak
forms
Amala, Isarna, Ostrogotha,Ansila,confirm what we have observed in Tuisco, Inguio,
Iscio, Irmino
whom

the most

ricus and
and

the

but

those

best

powerful branch

Theodcricus.

Herminones,

worth

of the nation

Ermanaricus
there

noting

must

be

Amcda,

are

after

is named, Ei^manalinked

with

Irmino

is

altogethera closer tie between

Goths and Saxons
(Ingaevonesand Herminones) as opposed to the
Franks
and this shows itself even
in the later epics.
(Iscaevones),
names
Amongst the Amalungs occur
compounded with
many
vulf,which reminds us of their side-branch,the Wiiltings
; if it be
not
too bold,I would
Isarna
connect
even
(Goth.Eisarna)with
the four sons
of Achiulf
seem
Isangrim. To me
worthy of
Of
particularnotice : Ansila, Ediulf, Vuldulf, and Hermenrich.
the last we
Ansila
the divine ; our
have just spoken,and
means
is \yith.Ediulf and Viddidf. I find that Jornandes,
present concern
and
Vulf;
cap. 54, ascribes to the Scyriansalso two heroes Edica
the Eugian Odoacer has a father EiicJio and a brother Aonulf ; and
as

"

The

appears

epithetsveinn (Sw.

ah-eadyin

ch.'142-4

of

the

sven,

Fafnir's addiess
Vilk.

saga.

The

'

Dan.
sveinn
same

svend) given to

the

Norse

Sigurd'r

ok sveinn ! ' and in the headingsto

hei'o then is meant
by the Sivard

Grani,
folk-song,who, riding on
(foitispner) of the Danish
of
accompanies to Askereia (seech. XXXI), and by Svend Fcldivgor Fiillincj
He
drank
Muller's sagabibl.2, 417-9).
the Danish
folk-tale (Thiele2, 64-7.
to him
out of a horn handed
by elvish beings,and therebyacquiredthe strength
Swedish
of twelve men.
songs call him Hven Fdrlingor Foiling; Arvidsson
snaresvtnd

1, 129.

415.

ETICIIO.

IRMANRIH.

legend

the

origin of the

the

on

373

DIETRICH.

Welfs

has

the proper

names

Etico

constantlyrecurring.Now,
WeJf and
catulus (huelf,
welf is strictly
whelp, OX. hvelpr),anddistinct from
tells us of several strong courageous animals
wolf ; natiiral history
that are
brought into the world blind ; the Langobardic and
Swabian
play upon dogs and wolves beingexposed; and
genealogies
till now
been accounted
as
Odoacer, Otachcr (athingthat has never
versions called Sipicho,
ON.
Bicki,and this means
for)is in some
I suspect a similar meaning in Edica,Eticho,Ediulf,
dog (bitch),
Odacar, which probably affords a solution of the fable about the
and Hessen
blind Schwaben
: their lineage
goes back to the blind
In the genealogyEdiulf is described as brother to ErmenWelfs.
Iscnhart,Irmeninul,

'

'

is counsellor to

rich,in later sagas Bicki

has

brandslied

but

littleto say of Otacher.

too

; the

lormunrekr
Then

Hilde-

Vuldulf

also

(perhaps Vuldr-ulf)will signifya gloriousbeaming wolf (see

eclipsedall other Welisungs,so did Diefcrich
Suppl.). As Siegfried
all the Amalungs ; and where
the epos sets them
one
againstthe
other, each stands in his might, unconquered, unapproachable.
"

Dieterieh's divine herohood

his

fierybreath, and

213-4) at the head

his
the

of

comes

in

out

than

more

taking the place of

wild

host,as

feature,e.g.,

one

Wuotan

Dietriclibcrn

or
or

Ero

(p.

Bernhard.

he can be
to Donar, with whom
fierybreath bringshim nearer
in the
compared in another point also : Dietericli is wounded
forehead by an arrow, and a pieceof it is left inside him, for which
The

he

reason

is called the deathless

did the half of

otherwise

;^ not

Hrungnir's hein (stone wedge) remain

Groa's magic could not loosen it,it sticks

there still,
and

aim

with

piecein

stir

(Sn. 109

in

tlielike stones, for it makes

images,and
The

roots

in North
certain

enhanced

renowned

and

This

111).^

"

race

relations

are

the

horn-like

in

stone

Thor's

was

and

none

as

shall

the

god'sforehead
very likelyshown

their
of
no

godlikeappearance.
the Billingsor Billungs,
whose
mythic
stillflourishing
was
longerdiscoverable,

Germany in the 10-1 1th centuries. The

Billingdied in 967, and another, above a

older,is mentioned.^

head,

The

Cod. Exon.

320, 7

firsthistorically
liundred
'

says

years

Billingweold

1 Simon
Keza, chron. Hungaror. 1, 11. 12. Heinr. vou
Miiglein (in
Kwachic.li p. 8) ; conf. Deutsche
lieldeiisage
p. 164.
Hence
tlie proverb: seint losnar hein i hoftJi Thors.
3 Weilekin"rs
Hermann
duke
of Saxony, Luneb.
Conf. the
1817, p. 60.
iles IJillinc,
m
i
n
coinca
docs,
of 961-8 in Hiifei-szeitschr. 2, 239.
Billiiigus
"

344,

and
id the OHG.

form

in Zeuss,Trad,
Billuiigius

wizenb.

pp. 274.

287. 305.

374

HEROES.

of kin

near

belongs therefore to
to the Angles. There

he

Wernum/

has to this

the

stock of

was

Werina, who

were

BillingahseS (heath)near

In OHG.
we
Billingsgate.
Billxmc (Ried nos. 14. 21-3, a.d. 808. 821-2). If
find a man's
name
in the Edda, Ssem.
occurs
take into account, that a dwarf Billingr
we
2* 23% a hero Pillunc in Rol. 175, 1, and Billunc and Nidunc
coupled
14126-647, the name
acquiresa respectable
togetherin the Eenner
degreeof importance(seeSuppl.).The derivative Billinc implies
from
which
bili (lenitas,
directly[and
placiditas),
a simple bil or
formed the OHG.
from our
are
names
not
Pilidrut,
fair]
adj.billig,
Pilikart,Pilihelm ; to which add the almost personified
Pilihilt,
Billich (equity)in Trist. 9374. 10062. 17887. 18027, and the ON.
goddessBil, Sn. 39 ; the II in Billung could be explainedthrough
Biliung. Just as OSinn in Ssem. 46^ is called both Bileygr(mildeyed) and Baleygr(ofbaleful eye),so in Saxo Gram. 130 a BUvisus
stands opposed to Bcilvisus (iniquus).
(aequus)

London

Whalley, and

day

thus far,who

ascertained

In addition to the heroes

pedigreeof whole nations,and

there is another class of more
durability,
a

have

We
founded

on

few of them

Erentel,whom

isolated heroes

weight and
only
; I can

rude

poem,

epic material,about a
appendix to the Heldenbuch

king

somewhat

ancient

the

firstof all heroes that

part of

here.

still remaining
very

form

derive

thence

the main

put forward

Tell, "c.

Mimi.

Wielant.

5. Okentil.

were

ever

He

born.

certainly
Orcndcl

or

the

pronounces

suffers

shipwreckon

the
fisherman
Eisen^ earns
voyage, takes shelter with a master
seamless coat of his master, and afterwards wins frau Breide,the
fairest of

women

tissue of the fable

whole

man

before

liim ;

even

the

the

puts

one

Trier

his father's

was

in mind

of the

The

name.

Odyssey :

the

shipwrecked
bough

plank,digshimself a hole,holds a
be compared to Ino's veil,
seamless coat may
swineherd,dame Breide's templarswould be

clingsto

the fisher to

and

king Eigcl of
the

and angelsare sent often,like Zeus's messengers.

Penelope'ssuitors,
in German
Yet many
fashion,
thingstake a different turn, more
naked
sword
and incidents are
added, such as the laying of a
the newly married
between
couple,which the Greek story knows

nothingof.
1

Who

The

hero's

is also found

name

is found

in
apparently

version

even

of the

in OHG.

documents

of

king Oswald.

Lay

BILLUNG.

375

OEENTIL.

Meiclielb. Gl; OrcntU,Trad. fuld. 2, 24 2, 109 (Scliannat

Orcndil,
308) ; Orcndil a Bavarian count (an.843 in Eccard's Fr. or. 2,3G7)a

villageOrcndclsal,now

zeitsclir.7, 558.
alluded

But

"

Orendensall,in Holieulolie,
v.
the

Edda

lias another

Haupts

wliich

myth,

was

in

Groa is busyspeakingof the stone in Thor's head.

conning her magic spell,when
Thorr, to requite her for the
that in coming from
cure, imparts the welcome
approaching
news,
to

lotunheim

in

Orvandill
he adds
basket
made

in

by
and

he

has

carried

her

husband

the

bold

his

back, and he is sure to be home

of token,that as Orvandil'stoe had stuck out
on

got frozen,he broke

the

joy at

North

basket

way

of

star

the

it,which

it off and

flungit

at the

6rvandils-td.
But

is called

tidingsforgother spell,so

the

of the

sky,and

Groa

in the

stone

soon

in

her

god'shead

Groa, the growing,the grass-green, is

got loose,Sn. 110-1.
Berhta
it is only
equivalentto Breide,i.e.,
(p.272) the bright,
never

another
have

part of his historythat is related here

set

out

his travels

on

forfeited the toe

which

Thorr

again,and

Orvandill

this second

on

must

adventure

sky,though what he had

to do with
the god we are
not
clearlytold. Beyond a doubt, the
of the glittering
name
star-groupis referred to, when AS. glosses
render
and a hymn to the virgin
jubar by earendel,
Mary in Cod.
Kxon." 7, 20 presents the following
passage :
Eala Earendel,englabeorhtast,
ofer middangeard monnum
sended,
set

in the

'

'

and

s6i5fa?stasunnan

leoma

"

torlit ofer

tunglas,
]?utida gehwane
of sylfuni
l^esymle inlihtes !
orbem
jubar,angelorum spleudidissime,
super

i.e.,0

hominibus

tempore

misse, radie
te

ex

the heathen

ipsoluces

name

stellas

solis,supra

vere

Mary

or

terrarum

lucide,qui omni

Christ is here addressed

of the constellation.

am

only

in doubt

under
as

to

the

and interpretation
orentd
of the word ; an OHG.
rightspelling
OaST. aurvendill,
impliesAS. earendel,and the two would demand
start with
ON. orvendill,
then AS. earendel,
eyrvendill
; but if we
OHG.

erentil would

seem

contains
compound certainly

preferable.The
entil

wentil,^

latter
The

Whence
did Matthesius
(in Frisch 2,439*)get his
"
JVendel and head bagpiper
? Can the word refer to the
"

flute-playing
demigod
Mones

anz.

y, 124.

In

trials of

"Wendelis
witches,

"

part of

the

firstpart should
Pan

is the heathens'
'

metamorphoses of the
for the devil,
a name

376

HEROES.

either

be

Now,

there

as

in

occurs

filius Gervenclili,
and

with

of

reason
:

the

Eigilis

OHG.

in

Trad.

I think

name.

another

of

abbot

an

tale in Saxo

(sagitta).

orvar

or, gen.

Gram., p. 48,

Horveudilus

Kerwentil

(Schm. 2, 334)
Gerentil (Trad.fuld. 2, 106),and as geir(hasta)
agrees better
the second interpretation
than with eyra (auris),
or
mand
may comassent ;^ a sightof the completelegendwould
our
explainthe

and

too

ON",

else

or
(auris),

earo

ora,

Orentil's father

old and

Fulda

obscure

died

who

name

name,

in 822

deserves

borne

attention

for instance

(Pertz1, 95.

356.

2,

by
366.

fuld. 1, 77-8.

122). In the Ehine-Moselle

country are the
Weisth.
In AS. we
find
2, 744 (see Suppl.).^
singularEigelstcine,
the names
Aeyhs burg (Aylesbury),
Aeglcsford (Aylesford),
Aegles
I
but
shall
back
to Eigilpresently.PossiblyOrentil
come
Jjorp
;
the thundergod'scompanion in expeditionsagainstgiants.
was
Can the story of Orentil's wanderings possiblybe so old amongst
to look for that Ulysses
are
us, that in Orentil and Eigilof Trier we
and Laertes whom
Tacitus placeson
Ehine
our
(p.365) ? The
shew nothingin common.^
names
Far-famed

heroes

legendis second
of

whom

the

]\IHG.
Witicho,
from
silvicola,

leads
silva),

nature,
with

Wieland

were

in age

whom

Witticli^whose

rich

celebrity.Vidigoia(Vidugauja)
Goths
already sang, OHG.
Witugouivoas well as
Witcgouwe and Witege,AS. Wudga, in either form
to none

the

us

to

Goth,
suppose

he takes

or

vidus, OHG.
a

forest-god.Erau

and

being

wudu

passingtlie bounds

Wachilt,

refugein

witu, AS.

her lake.

(lignum,
of human

mermaid, is his ancestress,

At

the head

of the whole

is

after Vulcanus
the Latin
placed king Vilkinus,named
as
termination
have had another
shews, a god or demigod,who must
and German
and who begetswith the merwoman
a gigantic
name,
son
Vadi, AS. Wada (Cod.Exon. 323, 1),OHG.
Wato, so named I
he waded
with his child
because,like another Christopher,
suppose
his shoulder through the Grcenasund
it is nine yards
on
where

race

And

so

Uhland

(On Tlior,p.

i;;powthof the crop, in Orvandill

Saxo

he

47

the

seq.)expounds it : in
sproutingof the blade.

**

The

The

mentions

Even

lie sees

the

the tale in

bringsin.

false spellingEichelstein (acorn-stone)

has
Mones
legends,
anz.
7, 368.
3 1 have
make
hardly the face to mention,that some
father to Pan, our
Wendel
above.
2

Groa

stillimprinted M.Dutch

JVilant,
JVedegeand

poem,

Mimminc,

De

kinderen

given
the

van

rise to

spurions

Ulysses
rightshifty
Limburg,

likewise

Zealand, Falster and Moen)

deep (l)etween
iu Gudruu
is identical with him; the AS.
had

Ilelsingen.Old English poetry

Wades

377

WIELANT.

WATE.

WITICIIO.

EIGIL.

Wada

much

is

placedtoward
liim,that is

tell of

to

Wate

hero

; the Danish

place in
could only
is called Wade's gap ; Wffitlingestret
Northumberland
with
])e brought into connexion
him, if such a spelling as
Vadi carried
could be made good. Now, that son, whom
"\Va3dling
through the sea to apprenticehim to those cunning smiths the
lost

now

'

Chaucer

names

boot

and
Guingelot,'

"

Volundr,
Wielant,AS. Weland, Welond, ON.
of all smiths,and wedded
to a
the Vilk. saga Vclint,master

dwarfs, was

alvitr. The

Hervor

maiden

ascribes to

Englishtradition
tree,and

sailed

the air.
with

His

every

boat

in

the

praisedon
costlyjewel,Vilk.

his

his foot, he

of

his

took

of

through
flight
name
coupled
he

Witeche, the son

cap. 24.
and tongs in his scutcheon

saga

hammer

Wieland

of the trunk

out

all occasions,and

skill is

been

sinews

winged garment, and

by Baduhilt,bore

had

timbered

have

to

seems

Lamed

seas.

over

himself

forgedfor

he

tells how

the Vilk. saga

Wada,

swan-

boat, which

the

of

owner
-rightful

in

but

in

lasted
Ages his memory
smiths,whose
styledJVicland's houses,^and
among
set up
or
painted outside them ; the
perhaps his likeness was
host of
hus
Volundar
translates the Latin labyrinth
ON.
; a
have
in olden
times
been
similar associations must
generally
of places: Welantes
learn from the names
as we
diffused,
gruoba
.MB.
WiclanMB.
Wielantes
93
59
28^
13,
heim,
(an.889) ;
(pit),
;
MB.
iu dorf,MB.
29, 54 (an.1246); Wielantes tanna (firs),
28^
188. 471 (an. 128U) ; Wielandes
brunne, MB. 31, 41 (an.817).
of such names
The multiplication
during long centuries does not

during the
workshops were

of

honour

his father ;

'

'

of

admit

their

Vclandswrt
Staid.

being derived

healingart.

credit of
In

the

Stem. 270%
any

boat,and
'

Juxta

domiun

JVelandi

the

might be
OHG.
(lirregel,

artist

zeitsclir.2, 248.
Ilaupts

in

fabri,Ch.

in Boeth.
ad

I find also

and

Dan.

ann.

to

would

Wate, who

Gudrun-lay of

ofnar volundom

boekur

gorgeous coat of mail

Welandes
/Elfred
geweorc.

"

The

Tradition

daphne cneorum.
dexterityto Wittich

Wieland's

artificiose contexta, and

couf,

inhabitants.

WielandheQve. the

extend

also gets the

wielant,

human

from

is the valerian,and accordingto

Icel. Velantswxt,
(-wort),

2, 450

doubtless

904

IMid.

called

'

are
a

the

stragula

volundr

is in
hregil)

or

Beow.

2, 7 translates fidelis

1262

in

MB.
IFUigofaber,

Lang's reg. 3, 181

7, 122.

378

HEROES.

Fabricii

'

wisan goldsmiSesban
Welondes
]?aes
:
(metrically
Welandes ban) ; evidently
the idea of faber which
lay in Fabricius
brought to his mind the similar meaning of the Teutonic name,
Wdand
itself
being a cunning smith in general. For the name
viel (ars,rix^rj,
OHG.
list),
appears to contain the ON", v^l
ossa

'

Gramm.
is

and

1, 462,

smiSvelar

meant

wil,Engl,wile,Fr. guile;the OHG. wiol,wiel (with

vowel)is no longerto be found. But further,we must presuppose

broken

wielan,AS. welan

verb

lant,weland, exactlyforms

our

werdant, druoant, "c. ; Graff

Wielant

under

heilant

rather

the root

whose
(fabrefacere),

2,

the

led to

have

Volundr
Fr.

Guilans

Athene, when
and Volundr

she

(Heldens.42)

OHG.

and

and

his descendant

wings.

with

One

ON.

he fell from

on

Weland

As

offers

the

invented

various
Icarus

son

AaihaXo^i

But

as

same

of calliditas and fraus,and

deformed

from

the

are

vel

skill-endowed

deceitful devil

Wielant, Wittich

As

lost wielan.

our

from
has degenerated
cunning and craft]

that
surprising

Hephaestus
is

lame,

does

the

is

our

ringsoaring

arts, a
was

BaiSaXBal8a\o"i,
work

of art,and

the
list [like

Engl,

of scientia
sense
original
has both meanings,it is not
god and hero has proceeded
its

group of V^'^ate,
also ghostlybeingsand demigods

(p.241).

heroes, but

too

the later Erechtheus

are

wings his

whose

to

for

snare

Volundr

chariot,as

cunninglywrought,SatSaX/ia(likedyaXfia)a

SacMWeiv

seems

violence

; both

of him

Erichthonius

the clouds.

vala

development of an intrinsic
finds an
unexpected confirmation
the Greek
fables of Hephtestus,

Daedalus, who

"c.,and
dance, building,

to that

the

This

"

the four-horse

invents

therefore

would

Wieldrud

name

than

seems

Veland

punished with lameness,Erichthonius

are

citing

to do

more

[rootval] since
; possiblyeven

to order weapons

comes

boat

no

of

error

so
(Volundr to BoSvildr),
Hephoestuslays a

Beadohild

when

part,wiewith wlgant,

pres.

par

the

it has

Galans

An

Dsedalus.

and

commits

OFr.

(nympha) is a kindred word ?

the very thingfor a wise-woman.
in the hero's name
significance
of
in the strikingsimilarity
Erichthonius

234

lant,with which

ON", form

on

name,

proper

(healer,
saviour).The

to favour

eo?,

form

better

wll,or

and

fabriles ; the AS.

artes

The

whole

(see Suppl.).
The

qtiere ;

Vilkinasaga
bringsbefore

us

yet another smith, Mimir, by

reduplicationlike iraiTToKos,ttanrakoHs
conf. Xaika^,nalfjia^,
"c.

tortus,arduus,TratrrdXXet:/tor-

whom
up

"

only is Velint instructed in

He
another smith's-apprentice.
not

of
the later poem
Mimi
OHG.
an

as Mhnc
Biterolf,

have

must

379

MBri.

WELAND.

grown

his art,but

is brought
Sigfrit

is

in
mentioned
occasionally
the old (Heldensage,
pp. 146-8);
even
more
deeply into our

language as well as legend: it has formed a diminutive Mimilo

(MB. 28, 87-9,annis 983-5),and Mima, Mimidrilt,Miviihilt are
women's
names
(Trad.fuld. 489. Cod. lauresh. 211) ; the old name
in Westphalia was
of Miinster
J/imigardiford,
il/i;?iigernefo
in
Kichthofen
1.
335 ; the
conf.
il/i??iigerdeford
2),
(Indicesto Pertz
J/midun
Minden
was
(Pertz 1, 368),and
originally
AVestphalian
Memleben
proper

the

on

indicates

names

J/i7;iileba, The

Unstrut

111) may also be

just as often,and

mythic being,to

related.
in

several

Saxo, p. 40,^ interweaves

which

Memerolt

elder ZSTorse tradition

The

"

'

silvarum

(Morolt
him

names

In

different connexions.

Mimingus, a

of these

great number

one

satyrus

place,
'

and

jewels,into the myth of Balder and

Hother, and this, to my
thinking,throws fresh light on the
however
The Edda
gives a higher
vidugauja (wood-god)above.
possessor

of

positionto

and

sword

its Mhnir:

he

has

fountain,in which

lie hidden ; drinkingof

understanding
and
of men,
wisest,most
intelligent
'

brunne

Wielandes

drink,but did

pledge,and
accounts

not

hidden

for OSinn

'. To

wisdom

and

it every morning,he is the

this again reminds
of
us

il/imisbrunnr

came

OGinn

and

desired

given one of his eyes in

it in the fountain
(Ssem.4^ Sn. 17) ; this
being one-eyed (p.146). In the Yngl, sa-^a

receive

it till he had

cap. 4, the Ases send Mimir, their wisest man,

send it back to the Ases.
cut his head off and

to

the

But

Vanir, who

OGinn

spake

his

spellsover the head, that it decayed not, nor ceased to utter

with
it,whenever he needs
speech; and 05inn holds conversation
advice,conf. Yngl. saga cap. 7,and Siem. 8^ 195^. I do not exactly
whom
the Voluspa means
know
Siem. 8'';
by Mhnis synir(sons),
MimamQ\d,v
Mimi
109=^ impliesa nom.
be
gen. Mima, and
may
distinct from Mimir
(conf.Bragr and Bragi,p. 235). Mimir is no
the Ases hold converse, of
As, but an exalted being with whom
wdioni they make
older
use, the sura-total of wisdom, possiblyan
nature-god; later fables degradedhim into a wood-spriteor clever
smith.
His oneness
with heroes tends to throw a divine splendour
"

P. E. Muller's

ed.,p. 114, followingwliicli I have set aside the readiu""

in
of
Miiuringiis,spite the Danish song of Mimering tand.

380

HEllOES.

a
folk-songhas not yet forgottenMimes
(Arvidsson2, 316-7),and in Konga liiirad and Tingas socken in
Sniakand there lies a Mimes
sjo,inhabited accordingto the legend
of the forms quoted
ibid. p. 319.
Perhaps some
by neckar (nixies),
have by rightsa short i, as have
indisputablythe AS. mimor,
meomor,
gemimor (memoriternotus),mimerian
(memoria tenere),
mimeren
Low
German
Brem. wtb. 3, 161, and
our
(day-dreaming),
above ; so that we
the Memerolt, ]\iemleben
verb
a
might assume
Then
and
the analogyof the Latin memor
meima, maim, mimum.
CJr. fjLi/x"o/xaL allows us to bring in the giant and centaur
Mlfia^i,
the wood-sprite
i.e.,
again (seeSuppl.).
According to the Edda (Soem.133),Volundr had two brothers
and Egill,
all three
SlagfiSr
synirFinnakonungs,'sons of a Finnish
from Germany
the saga transplantedto the North
king,whereas

on

S^vedisll

tliem.

'

its Vilkinus

makes
as
on

king of

the gen. of Finni, and

219

p.

Vilkinaland.

identified with

explainedas

married

three

brothers

concerns

us

likewise

calls Velint's

here, took

Finna

can

that Finn

be taken

Folcwaldansunu

but
is better
Slagfinnr,
ch. XVI, Walachuriun). All
and
that chiefly
Egill,the one
valkyrs,
Olrun
(Aliorima). The Vilk. saga, cap. 27,
ok ]?ennakalla
brother Eigill
:
younger

SlagfiSrmight seem
wing, see
(flapSlagfioSr

Or

"'

but the bride is not otherwise alluded to ;

Eigil,'''this form Eigill
Eigilon p. 376, not with the
agrees with the OHG.
been Eigli.
would have
OK
dat. Agli,for the dat. of Eigill
Egill,
he
famous
archer ; at Mdung's command
a
Well, this Eigillwas
the king
littleson, and when
shot an apple off the head of his own
asked him what
the other two arrows
for,repliedthat they
were
menu

Olrunar

were

intended

for

him, in

case

the firsthad

hit the

child.

The

tale

daringsliot must have been extremelyrife in our remotest

and always with features
it turns
places,
antiquity,
up in so many
As the Vilkinasaga
of its own.
was
importedinto Scandinavia in
the
13th century, the story of Eigillwas
certainlydiffused in
of this

Lower

Harald

Saxo

But

centurv,

as

from

or

the

Grammaticus

told of Toko
in

and

that
Eigill,

in

king
Toko

and
Eafn
Egil den traf^
EgillnsSagittarius,'
of
is
from
the
incidents
the
story. Arrow
merely guessed
have
been
Orentil on
does
the contrary,Eigil's
to
seem
son,

translates
Peringskiold

61, but

named

12th

date.

Gormsson, with the addition,

wanting

fende,'but this
not

that

it in the

knew

Denmark

before

Germany

was

arrow.

'

'

TOKI.

EIGIL.

after the shot behaved

like

hero in the sea-storm.

rdlnatoki,but
in

Saxo

Harald

making

the bow,

the shot from

not

fall at last

The

relate the

the lonisvikingasaga,
particularly

too,

381

TELL.

IIEMIXG.

deeds

though they

of

Tiie

this
with

agree

shaft,

Toki's

by

Icelanders

king's

hand
is historical (a.d,992),the shot
by the marksman's
apple mythical,having gathered round the narrative out of

death
the

which
older tradition,
in

the

10- 11th

centuries.

convert

heathen

have

been

Norwegian

saga

to

presume
the

To

attached

it has
(-j-lOoO),

Saint

must

we

itself another

an

in existence

of

Olaf

the

Olaf

wishing to
skill againsthim in

way

EindriSi,essayedhis

man,

at

swimming, then shooting

; after a few successful
shots,the king requiredthat EindriSi's boy should be placedat the
be shot off his head without hurtingtlie
butts,and a writing-tablet
child. EindriSi declared himself willing,
but also ready to avenge
injury. Olaf sped the first shaft,and narrowly missed the
any
athletic arts,first

when
tablet,
the shot

(Fornm. sog. 2, 272). Just

himself
(HarSraSa,-f*
1066) measured
and

bade

sister's-prayer, declined
king Haraldr SigurSarson

EindriSi,at his mother's and

him

shoot

hazelnut

so

archer

againstan

off his Biorn's

head, and

Hemingr,
Hemingr

Thattr
af
accomplished the feat (Midler'ssagabibl.3,.359,
the legend
Hemingi cap, 6, ed. Eeykjavik p. 55), Long afterwards,
transferred to

was

Hemming Wolf,

in the Wilstermarsch
into

the

1472, and
the

sea.
was

Hemming
banished

king do the same

paintingof Wewelsflet
with

bow

of

the

Wolf

with

had

sided

Christian.

Harald, and

church

empties itself

Elbe

Gerhard

count

The

Hemming

in

folk-tale makesToko

as

represents the archer

unbent, in the distance

of WewelsHet

Wulfen,

von

Holstein,where

by king
as

or

on

;
a

an

old

meadow

apple on his head,

the arrow
through the middle of the apple,but the archer
passes
lias a second between
his teeth,and
betwixt
him and the boy
stands
a
wolf, perhaps to express that Hemming after his bold
did the
declared a wolf's head.^
Most
answer
was
appropriately
mythus rear its head on the emancipated soil of Switzerland : In
1307, it is said,Wilhelm
Tell,compelled by Gessler,achieved the
old master-shot, and made
the courageous
same
speech; but the
evidence

of chroniclers does not

Schleswigholst.
prov.

berichte

Sclilo8wij,'liolst
Raj,'enno. 66.
"^
I suspect the genuineness of

boy

with

the

begin till toward the 16th century ,2

1798, vol. 2, p.

tlie verses,

allegedto

39

be

seq.

by

Mallenhof,
lleinricli vou

382

HEROES.

the

shortlybefore
unhistorical

first

of the

character

of

printededition
there

event

Saxo, 1514.

Of

be the

cannot

the

sliglitest

mythic substratum of the Tell fable shews itselfin an

Upper Ehine legendof the 15th century (inMalleus malef. pars 2
maleficis)which immediately preceded the
cap. 16, de sagittariis
firstwritten record of that of Tell : Fertur de ipso(PimcheroJ,
quod
artis sue
cum
experientiamcapere voluisquidam de optimatibus,
et pro signo
posuit,
set, eidem prop7^iumfiliumparvuhtm ad metam
sine
super hir return pueri denarium, sibiquemandavit, ut denarmm
dovibt.

The

sed

interitum; verbis

sui

in

seduceretur

collari

sagittamunam

'

occidissem,cum

mori

me

in the

above-mentioned

Cloudesle

Adam

; this

reminds
first,

apple on
120

to

in the

Bell,Clym

last,whose

the head
The

vindicassem

about

1420, and

and

of

sped
Aegel'sskill
arrow

seven

from

have

we

like the

William

an

old,and

the bow, and

of

of the

surname

king'spresence

years

also

the

ballad of the three

Clough, and

christian name,

of his son,

the story have

"

German,

the

This shot

'.

century. Beside

Northumbrian

of Tell,offers in the

one

paces.

shew

sagittaaltera

cum

meam

part of the 15th

middle

narratives,Norse

English one
men,

immisit,et alteram balistae

fuisset,subito

necesse

ut vel sic mortem

tranfifixisscin,
must
have taken placesomewhere

merry

principisinductus,

tamen

hirreto

vos

got about

diabolum

per

'

viso,dum

?
imposuisset

circa coUum

suo

facturum

se

excmsit.
puerisine omni nocumento
ille maleficum
cur
sagittamcollari
interrogasset,
respondit,'si deceptus per diabolum
puerum

denarium

supponens

Old

maleficus id

autem

libentius abstinere,ne
difiicultate assereret,

cum

Quo

Cum

sagittamamoveret.

hirreto per

to

set

an

shoot it off at

cleft the

apple.

to the
archery would be known
Anglo-Saxons; and if we may push Wada, Weland and Wudga far
heathen
to have
an
equal claim.
time, Aegel seems
up into our
The whole myth shows signsof having deep and widely extended

suppose

HiJnenbere
Zurich

that

of

1315,which

1807, p.

Carl

in

Zay

has made

known

in his book

on

Goldau,

41 :

telum crudele coruscat

Dum
pater in puerum
Tellius ex jussu,saeve
tyranne, tuo,
fatalis arundo :
non
natmn,
figit
pomum,
ultrix te, periture,
altera mox
petet.
who, before the battle of Morgarten, shot a
Hlinenberg is the same
his arrow
to the Swiss
on
(Joh. Midler 2, 37), hewas
warning billet over
silent
himself.
are
therefore a bowman
Justingerand Johann von Winterthur
Etterlin (completed1507)
Russ
about Tell ; Melchior
(f 1499) and Petermann
the firstwho committed
the story to writing.
were
H.

von

TELL.

tells us,

with
partlyagrees even
that Sarpedon,a hero of

when

child

It

roots.

to

stand

up

and

383

EIGIL.

-what Eustathius
the blood

have

of

II. 12, 292

on

Zeus,

ring shot

off

made

was

his breast

of
injuryto him, an action which entailed the acquisition
the Lycian kingdom (seeSuppl.).^
from
heroes" crumbs
these specimens of particular
the
With
richlyfurnished table of our antiquitiesI will content myself,as
reflections of a more
there are stillsome
generalkind to be made.
without

"

that
saying,

I started with

refiningof human

and

in the heroic is contained

nature

into

an

exalting

however
divine, originally

Now
of some
race.
affinity
god with the human
and the son
is a copy of the father
as
procreationis a repetition,
our
languagewith a profoundmeaning has avara
(forwhich reason
for child); so in every hero we
for image and avaro
may assume
incarnation of the god,and a revival of at
to a certain extent
an
least some
of the qualities
that distinguish
the god. In this sense
the hero appears as a sublimate
in general,
of man
who, created
but be like him.
But since the
after the image of God, cannot
their
gods,even
amongst one another,reproduce themselves, i.e.,
has
radiated
of the primary force of a single
out
plurality
be very
One
(p.164),it follows,that the originof heroes must
and it must
be a difficult
similar to that of polytheismaltogether,
in any particular
between
the full-bred
to distinguish
matter
case
divinityand the half-blood. If heroes,viewed on one side,are
be also regarded as
the other hand
deified men,
on
they may
to the same
humanized
thing,whether we say
gods ; and it comes
that the son
or
grandsonbegottenby the god has attained a semidivine nature, or that the god born againin him retains but a part
We
entitled to see in individual heroes
of his pristine
are
power.
continued
a precipitate
extension,in a
offormer gods,and a mere
which had alreadybranched
divine essence
wider circle,
of the same
of gods (seeSuppl.).
out into a number
the more
This proposition
can
readilybe demonstrated from the
themselves
popular faiths of Greece and Germany, which commit
and avatara, as in these
to no
systematicdoctrine of emanation
founded

on

the

Similar legendsseem
In a JIS. of the
to live in the East.
the representation
of an
containinga journey in Turkey, I saw
1

aim

at

child with

an

appleon

its head.

Cassel
archer

library
taking

384

HEROES.

of herohood
the full-blooded animalism
religions
While
the
the more
richlyfor that very reason.
into the god,e.g.,Krishna
in the end reabsorbed
and

Greek

in

there remains

heroes

German

developed itself
Indian
becomes

heroes

Vishnu,

irreducible dross

an

are

of

into harmony with

the
brings them more
of their story. Our hero-legend
has this long
historical ingredients
tion,
while had no consciousness
remainingof such a thingas incarnaof human
but has very
largelythat of an apotheosis
though
which

humanism,

virtue.
god-descended
Herakles
us

never

can

become

with

one

of those of his divine sire.

Zeus, yet his deeds remind

traits in Theseus

Some

allow

of his

the
was
being compared to Herakles, others to Apollo. Hermes
of Zeus by Maia, Amphion by Antiope,and the two brothers,
son
the full and the half-bred,have something in common.
I think, echoes
of the divine nature
In Teutonic
hero-legend,
still more
be distinguished
gods stood
frequently
; the Greek
can
to the last,and heroes could be developedby the side of
unshaken
the Teutonic deities encountered
But when
Christianity,
them.
once
there remained
only one of two ways open to the fadingfigures
of the heathen
faith,either to pass into evil diabolic beings,or
heroesThe Greek
good ones conceived as human.
a
all belong to the floweringtime of paganism \ of the Teutonic
and
attenuation
a
poverty-stricken
part at least might well seem
could still dare to
of the former gods,such as
fainter reproduction
into

dwindle

its face after the downfall

shew

of the heathen

system.

Christian

Ages guided matters into this channel ; unable

the gods any
to credit
longer with godhood, where it did not
the
transform
them into devils,it did into demigods. In the Edda
he says, cap. 6 :
a3sir are still veritable gods ; Jornandes
too, when
populi svA
mortuum
(Taunasem regem) Gothi inter numina
the Mid.

opinionin

'

coluerunt

this

be

"

Taunasis

Gothic

gods,but the anses

exalted into demigods; and

Gothic

were

heroes
of

'

find that

thought,we

features,v.
sunk

into

supra

mere

p.

Balder

and
226-7),

heroes.^

This

he
in

or

Getic

"

that there

assumes

regards as only
the
Saxo, following

(who

exhibits

Hother, and

deminutio
capitis

some

Othin
of the

victorious
same

line

Heraklean

himself, have

gods brought

read : ' Hengest et Horsa, hi nepotes

p. 833 we
ut deum
honorantes,
fnere JFoddan regisbarbarorum, quem
post infanda dignitate
huinanitas
ut
sive
virtutis,
victoriae
saepe
causa
sacrificium obtulerunt pagani
words
were
simihir
"Wiu.
quoted
of
Maliuesbury's
credit hoc quod videt'.
1

In the

AS.

Etlielwerd

385

HEROES.

them

heroes, wliilc the heroes

to

nearer

deification ; how

much

mist of

Yet

legend!

gods is aliened of

reallyof heathen
Among the
which

himself in

in every

where

case

tliemselves

absolute

up

bodilydescent
is the

there

in the
the

from

ancient,and

more

to the

an

elder hero in

births,of

second

occur

given further on, and

incarnations of gods. As

which
a

shew

god

renews

younger.

giant brood, unitingthemselves

heroes, bring about various

to

got mixed

will be

hero, so does

Beings of the

have

must

hero, his herohood

heroes

fuller account

two

off from

origin.

certain resemblance

now

the

cut

were

now

gods

to

approximationsbetween

and

these

two.

in the

genealogyof Inguio,first OSinn, then

NiorGr and
Freyr interweave themselves : NiorSr and Hadding
and Rigr,but in NiorSr and Heimdo Heimdall
seem
as
identical,
dall the god is made
prominent,in Hadding and Rigr the hero.
and
connected with Wuotan
and Zio, justas Ares
Irmin appears
Herakles
approach each other,and Odysseus resembles Hermes.
In Siegfried
Baldr is conceived of as divine,Baildceg
is
as heroic.
We

have

seen

how

he

also says ^ denm

Albericus
tr. font. 1, 23
eiise delirantes'.
{utterA.D. 274) expresses himself thus : ' In hac generatione decima ab incarnatione Domini
regnasse invenitur quidam Mercurius in Gottlandia insula,
quae
inter Daciam
est
et Russiam
extra
Romanum
imperium, a quo Merciu-io, qui
Woden
dictus est,descendit genealogia
Anglorinn et multoruni aliorum '. Much

u])ove,
p.

in the

128

same

way

Snorri

tate

and
IwfiSincii

in the

Yngl. saga

hermaf^r
come
worshipof the nations ; and Saxo
as

ciun

Form.

13. 14

lepresentsOCinn

by policy secured the

:
a like o])iniou
ea
professes
tempes"c.
Jalsodin'nitatis titulo censeretur,'
'

p. 12
tota,
other idea

ditl'erent from falsified historylies at the bottom

exist a real man
there ever
and king OSinn

very
As

and

Asia, who

Otiiinus quidam, Europa

he says p. 45.
What
could orthodox christians at that
of tlie false god of their forefathers ? To idolatry
they could not but
wilful deceit or presumption,being unable to comprehend that something

conf. what
time form

impute

from

little did

three),as

of heathenism.

(letalone

two

or

real Jupiter or
of the hero nature
Mercury. But the attinity
with the divine is clearlydistinct from
a
deification
arisingout of human
a
nd
deceit.
trusted
Those
who
their
inner strength(p.
heathen,
]"ride
mainly
like
the
heroes
Homeric
irfrrmdoTfs
were
6),
(H- 12, 25(5),
j'et far from
^ijj4"''
a

"

settingthemselves

up for gods. Similar to the stories of K'ebucadnrzar (er wolte

selbe sin ein got, would himself be god, Parz. 102, 7.
Barl. 60, 35),ol'Kosroes
Eracl.
the
of
Greek
Salmonevs
on
(^lassmann
(conf.N. Cap. 146),and
p. 502),
the RyzantineErarlius,was
]\lid.Age story of Imiiotans
wiiester
our
Babilonie,
'

der wolde
selve wesen
Nibelut ze Barise ' der machet
got'(I\other 2568)
himele
imitated
gnldin,selber wolt ergot sin '(Bit.299),just as Salmoneus
the lightningand thunder
of Zeus.
Inielot and Nibelot here seem
to mean
the same
thing,as do elsewhere Imelunge and Nibelunge (Hehlens. 162) ; I
do not know
what allusion there might be in it to a Nibelunc
Amelunc
or
(see
=

Suppl.).
25

3SC)

nu

HEEOES.

of Caldr

echo

and

Charles

regarded

As

badge

in

the

of Wuotan

and

Donar,

be

to

Siegfried

and

it
legends,

of their

their heroic.

from

nature

hero.

the

features

of

or

for lack

Geat, Sceaf,Sceldwa,
divine

their

of

some

and

giant

Thorr

of distinction I find in this,that the

of

names

gods

i.e.,
descriptive,
indicatingfrom the first their
^
of half-godsand heroes this signito the names
nature
ficance
;
\n\\ often be wanting,even
when
the human
originalhas

themselves

in

are

for

between

are

separatetheir

is difficult to
One

Eoland

and

new-births

as

Dietrich.

oscillates

Ecke

Freyr.

Even

Freyr,perhaps of OSinn, in Dietrich of

and

inmost

carried

his

name

simple,those

gods are

is

therefore

Donar

with

over

him.

of heroes

often

from

god

Then,
the

his

appellationexpresses also
decisive againstthat notion

rule,the

as

compound
first,not

character.

visiblyderived.

or

deified

The

of

names

man

same

his

is

reason

having made his way out of

into those of the gods.
the ranks of men
Demigods have the advantage of a certain familiarness to the
it is
people: bred in the midst of us, admitted to our fellowship,
they to

whom

reverence,

they

standintT

As

it

and

prayers

oaths

preferto

facilitate intercourse

and

procure

jrod.

of Wuotan

natural

came

to

Eoman

address
the

with

'

to swear

selves
them-

higher-

mehercle

'

'

in the Mid. Ages

edepol! the christians even
saints than by God himself.
more
swore
habitually
by particular
We
are
badly off for information as to the pointsin which the
from divine
Hero-worship of our forefathers shaped itself differently
the Norse
authorities have
worship proper ; even
nothing on the
sacrifices to heroes
differed from
those
subject. The Grecian
offered to gods : a god had
only the viscera and fat of the beast
with
content
the mounting odour ; a
presentedto him, and was
! ecastor

mecastor

deified

the

Thus
of

hero

the

must

have

the

and
Siehrinniir,

Ases

supra, p. 317.
offered to

with

drink

shared

in

the

Are

to

infer from

we

gods and

to

food,

resemblances

Thus, their
^

to that

stature

Sometliinglike

the

is

feast
the

Srem.
this

consume.

the boiled

on

; it is never

Ases
36.

to

42.

Sn.

flesh
said

42 ; conf.

difference in the sacrifices

demigods ?
of the

enormous.

names

blood

and

into Valholl

Else, in the other conditions of

many

flesh

very

einherjaradmitted

the boar

that

their

existence,we

can

perceive

gods.
As

Ares

of tlie characters

covered

in the

seven

roods,

Beast-apologrie.

387

FIGUEK

the godlike
When
body of giganticmould.
^
SigurSrstrode through the full-grownfield of corn, the dew-shoe
with the uprightears (Vols,saga
sword was
of his-seven-span
even
Ilcraklcs has

cap. 22.

also

Vilk. saga

cap.

166) ;

hair out

of his horse's tail

was

yards long (Nornag.saga cap. 8). One thing hardly to bo

in an
ancient
found in Teutonic
gods,many -handedness,does occur
hero.
Wudga and llama, Witege and Heime, are always named
is said to have been by rightscalled Studas,
together. This Heimo
traditions however
like his father ("whom
name
sOme
Adelger,
Heima,^ did he adopt its
Madelger); not tillhe had slain the worm
seven

"

(Vilk.saga cap. 17). To him are expresslyattributed three

hands and four elhoivs,
else tvjo hands with three elbows (Heldens.
or
257.
Eoseng.p. xx, conf. Ixxiv); the extra limbs are no exaggeration
(Heldens.391),rather their omission is a toningdown, of the
out with four hands
original
(Eoseng.
story. And Asprian comes
godlikehero of the North, has thire
p. xii). StarkaSr, a famous
pairs of arms, and Thor cuts four of his hands off (Saxo Gram., p.
hands
on
103) ; the Hervararsaga(Eafn p. 412, 513) bestows eiijlit
to fightwith
four swords at once
: dtta handa,
him, and the ability
ginally
Fornald. sog. 1, 412. 3, 37.
In the Swedish
folk-songof Alf, oriheathen, there is a hero Torgnejer(roaringlike thunder ?),
of limbs
ban hade otta bander (Arvidss.1, 12).^ Such cumulation
is also a mark of the giantrace, and some
of the heroes mentioned
do overlapthese ; in the Servian songs I find a three headed
hero
Balatchko
(Vuk 2, no. 6, line 608) ; Pegam too in the Carniolan
is to be
of members
lay has three heads (tri glave). Deficiency
is one-eyed,Tfv onefound in heroes as well as gods : OSinn
handed, Loki (= Hephaestus?)lame, Hu'5r blind,and ViSar dumb;*
name

'

"

Doggskor,S\v. doppsko,tlic heel

brushes

tlie dew

so

tlie AUunaiins

called

which
slicatli,
usually
foot,that dragged through
has something in it
corn

sword'-s

of the

lame

toudregil. This ride through the

highlymythic and suggestiveof a god.
^ Heimo
worm
originally,
though used elsewhere of the
appears to mean
cricket or cicada (Reinh.cxxv),for which
(little
our
worm)
present heimchen
Heimo
A renowned
also named
is better suited.
(Reinh.
Karliiighero was
maid,
cciv). We lind again,that Madelger is in Morolt 3921 a dwarf,son of a merthe

dewy

grass,

and in Rol. 58, 17 a smith.

of the North
In the prophecies

Hertje (a.d.1400)the tradition of

Wehe
den minschen, de den
such monstrosities
is appliedto the future :
de liide 4 arme
leven,wen
kriegenund 2 par scho over de vote dragen und 2
It
1819 ; 2, 311.
hode
!
Heimreichs
chron.,Tondern
up den kop hebben
refer
however
to
costume.
merely
may
*
(Joth. haihs,hanfs,halts,
blinds,dumba.
3

Frisian

'

'

388

SO

HEROES.

One

thing

should
the

by

reserved

brightrevelation,the

break

Saxo

In

(p. 373).

blind

Vermund

Mercia, and

Gram.,

; to

Accordingto the
but
figure,

'

vita

all at

continued

in

once

63, Uffo

Offas

is

lame

are

the

blind

and

dumb,
and

aged Varmund
assembly Offa began
the

blind.

and

some
of hand-

was

year, and

till his seventh

dumb

with

threatened

was

of

the line

dumb

he
filii,'

father

his

Offain

double

Swabians

and

Hessians

about

suddenly

blind birth

placethe

even

may

should

it were,

as

this darkness

of

out

Ofae primi,Varmundi

till his thirtieth ; when

war,

we

p.

Wie-

are

that

correspondsthe

him

of these

both

force

vulgar belief

the

of the Welfs, and

head

this

Under

forth.

defect,and

some

and

j^lenty.
heroes, that their early years

peculiarto

seems

clouded

be

heroes there

dumb

of blind and

lame,

lant

one-handed, Gunthari

Hagaiio one-eyed,Walthari

is

speak. The
Vinered
(sowe

'

to

vita

must
the hero was
at firstcalled
Offaesecundi' says,^
he
emend
blind, lame and deaf, but when
Pineredus),and was
named
Offa secundus.
into possession
of all his senses, he was
came
some
Exactlyso, in Stem. 142% HiorvarSr and Sigurlinnhave a tall handecki nafn festiz viS hann '. Only
hann
var
]?ogull,
son, but
of Hclgi,does he
after a valkyrjahas greeted him
by the name
Starkaffr
to that name.
begin to speak,and is content to answer
in his youth (Fornald.sog. 3, 36),and
too was
Hcdfdan was
]?ogull
'

of
the heroism
stupid (Saxo,p. 134) ; just as slow was
Dietleib in unfoldingitself (Vilk.saga cap. 91),and that of Iliyain
take
as
Our nursery-tales
the Eussian
tales.
up the character
the hero-youth lives
:
aschenhrodcl,ashcfis(cinderel)
dscherling,
in the cattle-stall,
inactive and despisedby the kitchen-hearth
or
I
out of whose
squalorhe emerges when the righttime comes.
ingly
do riot recollect any instance in Greek
mythology of this exceed-

reckoned

favourite feature of
Unborn

in

liustem

Eilhart, or
Macduff.
while

vows

his mother
^

Matth.

children, namely

usuallygrow

womb,

These

folk-lore.

our

heroes.

up

Ferdusi,as well
the
But

Russian

as

hero

Volsungr

remarkable

Paris,i:)p.8, 9.

she

died

vitae Offae

that have
Such

Tristan
Dobrunii

concerns

yet unborn, who,

before

those

us

was

been
the

cut

the

Nikititch, and
who

after

secundi

are

old

story in
Scotch

the

spoke

being cut out, had

(Volsungas.cap. 2. 5).
primiet

Persian

famous

according to

more,

of the

out

and

made
kiss

time

to

An

obscure

printedafter

Watts's

AFFLICTED.

in Fafnismul

passage
an

ohorinn;
'

wesende

in

and

Ulfrun

one

in

4, 4 has

different

that Sceaf

intimate

to
2mJo7'-wesende,

Landnamabok

to designate
also
(Soem.187*) seems
SigiirSr
not the 'umboras difficult (Beow.92),may

I took

which

389

UNBORN.

Uni

an

sense

on

passed for

hinn

oborni

370, stand

p.
an

unborn

for
The

(m.),and

1,

10

an

also come
into
(f) ; for wise-women, prophetesses,
the world the same
way.^ Our Mid. Ages tell of an unborn hero
Hoyer (Benecke'sWigalois,p. 452) ; in Hesse, Eeinhart of Dalwig
known
the unborn, being,after the ca^sarian
as
was
operation,
broughtto maturity in the stomachs of newly slaughteredswine.^

As

in oborna

the

early as

Infans

excisus

tenth

arvinae

et

indolis

involutus, bonae
Purchardus

nominatur

ingcnitus,afterwards
functae

matris

Petershus.

Eckhart

of

porci recens
brevi

in

cum

St

of

p. 302, with

quod,

To

the

the

Gall.

si vita

remark

standard

ubi

us

incutesceret,

this

is the

One

Gebehardus,

mentioned

De

talibus

fuerit,felices

comes

informs

apparuisset,
baptizaturet

(Pertz 2, 120) ;
abbot

St. Gall

erutae,

Dietpurgaeutero excisus,is

testantur

such

century,

in

Burchardus
de-

ex

in the Chron.

excisis

mundo

literae

habeantur.

be

ordinary
applied,their extraof coming into the world givespresage
of a higher
manner
and mysteriousdestiny. Not unlike is the Greek
myth of Metis
and Tritogeneia
: the
virgingoddess springsout of the forehead of
Zeus.
The phrase about
HloSr being born %cUh helmet,sicord and
horse
(above,p. 76),is explainedby the Hervararsaga,
p. 490, to
common

cannot

'

'

the

that

mean,

arms

and

animals

which

the

accompany

hero

were

forgedand born at the time of his birth. Schroter's Finnish Eunes

born ar7ned : this reminds
of the
us
speak of a child that was
about lucky children being born with hood and helmet
superstition
(seech. XXVIII).
It was
noticed about the gods (p.321), that Balder's brother,
when
scarcelyborn, when but one nightold,rushed to vengeance,
unwashed
Kerstin
combs
silk.
whom

and

after
his

combs

1
^

for

This is like the

: the
long gestation

hair,the

Another

equipped

uncombed.

new

born

version

makes

newborn

children

son

daughterknows
her

his

give birth

born

of liten

and
gets up directly
at once
to

two

how
sons,

to
one

sew

of

yellow locks, the other draws his sword, both

swift revenge
(Svenska fornsanger2, 254-6). Here

ITeiniroich's Nordfries. chr. 2, 341.

Zeitscluilt I'iirHess, gesch.1, 97.

390

HEROES.

characteristic, A
to be the same
combing seem
born child speaks; Norske
new
eventyr 1, 139.
As the hirtli of beloved
to their people by
kings is announced
the same
holds good
joyfulphenomena, and their death by terrible,
Their
of heroes.
generosityfounds peace and prosperityin the
land.
FroSi's reignin Denmark
was
a periodof bliss ; in the year

combing

of

and

Ilakon's

about

election the

which

the

On

not

birds

beautiful songs

may

night that Ilelgiwas

streamed

bred

bore

trees

twice,

be

gleanedout of his saga, cap. 24.

born, eaglescried,and holy waters

the mountains, Sam.

from

twice, and

149^.

of appearingwas
Sigur"'swalk and manner
impetuous,like
that of a god ; when
he first approached the burg of Brynhildr,
and
iorS dusaSi ok opphimin,'earth shook
heaven, Ssem. 241^ ;
and of Brynhild's
laughing,as of that of the gods (p.324),we are
told : hlo,boer allr dundi,' she laughed and all the castle dinned,
Ssem. 208^
A divine strengthreveals itself in many
deeds and
Dietrich's fierybreath may
of heroes.
movements
be suggestiveof
ob sin atem
Donar, or perhaps only of a di^agon
:
goebe fiur als
*

'

eines wilden

trachen,'(Parz.13-7,18).

widely prevalentmark of the hero race is their being sticldcd

hy leasts,or fed hy birds. A hind offers her milk to SigurSrwhen
exposed, Vilk. saga 142 ; a she-wolfgives suck to the infant
and
Dieterich (likeEomulus
liemus)togetherwith her four blind
The same
of Wolfdieterich.
fellowship
whelps, hence his name
with whelps seems
imputed to the beginningsof the Gotlis and
A

8wabians,

as

to those

of the

llomans

also,that Bee-wolf, brought food

to

come

The

know

Servian

Vuk

2,

the
hero

101

lurked
the

in

Milosh

; does

merihunsun,
the

Swabians

that

zagiinsun

Latin

them

Kobilitch

that

assistance ; and

is how

of heroes
helmet-insignia
arise from
though they may

heroes to transform
1

the

lighton

wolves, stags,bears, lions

and

certain

suckled

was

; in

appear

are

of

sons

but

the

Mars,

specialdevotees
by

of
a

OHG.

woodpecker

and

Zio

we

have

(p. 199).

(kobila),

marc

of abuse

term

offensive

meaning
not
only to sucklingsthat
distress and
danger also,swans,
will join the heroes, to render
in the scutcheons
animal figures

(EA. 643) ?
lupa.^ But it is

god-sent animals

ravens,

to the

as

throw

(p.373) ;

in many

other

cases

causes

themselves

Fils de truie ; Garin

like

to be

accounted

abilityof

too, e.g.,the

at will into

2, 229.

wolf

for,

or

swan.

301

ANIMALS.

BY

NURSED

winy,tlie swan's coat, betokens another supernatural

qualitywhich heroes share with the gods (p.326),the power of
flying. As Wieland ties on his swan-wings,the Greek Perseus has
swan's

The

ivingcdshoes,talaria,Ov. met; 4, 6G7. 729, and the Servian Eelia is

okrilie
called krik'it (winged),being in possessionof krilo and
A piece of the wing
Vuk
2, 88. 90. 100.
(wing and wing-cover),
swan's
foot, will at times betray the
a
remaining,or in women
highernature.
The
superliuman quality of

In

234.

Kinderm.

the miirchen

Straparola4, 3

96.

their heads

helmets

and

the
encircling
sky. In some

head

; or

as
by
Siegfried's
peculiarities,

scaly;

the mtirchen

have

the

his queen

heat,there

sultrysummer

then bore

of

son

shining on
the

to

rays

the

set in

being
disfiguredby

down

to

Clodio

be

us, must

the

animal

of

son

founded

Faramund

shore,to cool themselves

came

up

from

(sea-hog?)out of
She
bathing queen.

monster

overpowered the
singularappearance, who

seized and

which

the waves,

the

to

head,
fore-

horny skin, and others by a

with hedgehogspikes. The legend

heroes

down

went

the

on

fkme

or

forehead,

his

handed
Merovings,imperfectly
something of the kind. AVhen

with

falls

reference

is

form

of the
on

star

the

on

constellations

to

heroic

the

been

star

have

this may

(p.323),or

cases

had

i
23) : ormr
spoken of,p.

Gram.

golden star

Dioscuri

The

3, 10.

Pentam.

with

born

are

sons

their eyes

of

out

heroes have

gods and

of

goldenteeth

The

cmga.

shines

micatus, Saxo

vibratus, oculorum

(luminum

heroes

therefore

was

named

the

peculiarity,
Merovings.^ Theophanes expresslydeclares,that the Merovings
all the kings of
because
called Kpicndraiand Tpi,-)(opa'xaTat,
were
his

Merovig, and

that house

among

vil
daz
an

derivation

have
^

p. 92i.

inherited

like
(pax^'i),

backbone
it is true

273, 29, where

they are

swine.

enumerated

iicathens,
di helde

The

the

bristles down

had

stillfind in Rol.

We

descendants, who

some

von

gewis sit

Meres
ir

des,

niht kuoners
dem

rucke

of the

name

connexion

with

mac

sin

tragentsi

horsten

sum

sictn.

Can
unknown.
altogether
the boar-worshipof Fro,

is

it possibly
which

may

Fredegar'sepitome (Rotiquct2, 396),and Conradusi Ursperg.,

Arg. ICOi),
Per contra,MullenhoU"
m
Haupt'.szeitschr. 6, 432.

392

HEROES.

been

5368

also has

hut

sin

was

ime

Franks

the

prevalent
especially
among

have

bevangen al

Lampr.

Alex.

mit swincs hiirstcn

(see

Suppl.).
know
heroes by, is their possessing
to
One
principalmark
A succeedingchapter
horses,and conversingwith them.
intelligent
how
heathendom
will shew
saw
more
something sacred and
fully,
often

divine in horses,and

endowed

with

them

and

consciousness

pensable
indisBut to heroes they were
destinyof men.
and a necessary
for ridingor driving,
intimacysprang up
fact of the horses having
the two, as appears
between
by tlie mere
The touchingconversation of Achilles
given them.
proper names
and Balios (II.
with his Xantlios
19, 400
421) finds a complete
also
in the beautiful Karling legend of Bayard ; compare
parallel
Wilhelm's
dialoguewith Puzzdt (58, 21"59, 8), in the French
with Bauccrd
(Garin 2, 230-1),and Begon'swith the same
original
Baucent
(p.230). In tlie Edda we have Skirnir talkingwith his
murder, with Grani
horse (Seem.82^); and GoSrun, after SigurS's
the

with

sympathy

"

:
(231'^)

drap i
ImipnaSiGrani ]?a,
mif^ht Grani

Well

mourn,

for the

hero

gras

hofc5i.

had

bestridden

him

ever

Hialprek'sstable (180),had ridden him

through the flames (202^),and carried off the great treasure.
Swedieli and Danish
folk-songsbring in a sagacioussteed Black,
conversation
is carried on
witli whom
(Sv.vis. 2, 194. Sv. forns.
he

since

led him

Danske

2, 257.

of

out

vis.

1, 323).

In

the

poems

the

Artus

on

horses

painted; but how naivelyin the Servian,

attractively
before his death
when
Mila shoes the steed (Vuk 1, 5),or Marko
talks with his faithful Sharats
(2,243 seq. Danitza 1, 109). In
with
his horse
Mod.
Greek
songs there is a dialogueof Liakos
(Fauriel1, 138),and similar ones in the Lithuanian dainos (lihesa
Persian
Eustem's
(see
fairysteed is well-known
p. 224). The
less

are

Suppl.).^
If many
or

heroes

are

others
Siegfried,

human.

Our

native

carried off in the bloom

attain

great

legendallows

age,

of

beyond

Hildebrand

the

limit

the years

Mongolian warrior's dying song lias :

My poor cream-coloured
trotter,you will get home
Then
tell my iiKjther,
full fiiteen wounds
pray :
And
tell my
father,pray : 'shot through the back
'

like Achilles
life,
of

the

of Nestor

alive.
had
was

he '.
he,'"c.

"

Trans.

HORSES,

and
strengtli,

undiminished

with

measured

out

life that

hundred
liave

come

tlie Scandinavian

is

generations; the

several

is said to have

StarkaSr

numbered

near

five

In the genealogies
that
years, Fornald. sog. 1, 411. 442.
to us, great length of life is given to the first
down

ancestors,
Kari

from

to

through

runs

GoSmuudr

divinelyhonoured

393

AGE.

as

Bil)le also.

it is in the

and

Hdlfdan gamli

Jokull, is
as

said

have

to

Fornald.

many,

Snacrr

sug.

hinoi

attained

300

years,

MHG.

The

2, 8.

gamli, sprung
poem

and
of

and Sigelicr
400
2506) givesDidwart
503, Hugdidcrich 450, and Didmar
years of life each, Wolfdielericli
340 ; Dietrich of Bern is the firstthat reaches only the ordinary
killed when
of Sigeher was
young.^ The
limit,Otnit the son
three hundred
Servian ]\larko was
years old,almost like the giants
of old.
On the other hand, the life of heroes is enfeebled by union
with goddessesand superhuman females.
Examples will be given,
is
discussed ; the belief of the Greeks
the valkyrs are
when
to Venus
190,
expressed in a remarkable
passage of the Hymn
where
Anchises, after he has embraced
Aphrodite,fears that he
shall lead a stricken life {afj,"V7]v6";)
men
:
among
Dietrich's ancestors

(18G9
"

eVel
oare

fyiyveTac,

goddessdoes

The

conceal,that

not

that Zeus's thunderbolt

story of

The

^io6u\fxio";
avi)p
Oeal'ievvd^erai
aOavuTgcn.
ov

age

him

will maim

and
Staufenberger

will

the

on

come

if he boast

is
sea-fairy

apace, and
of her favours.
him

founded

on

similar

notions.
Another

thingin

which

the

condition

of heroes

gods is,that particularlocal haunts and

Such abodes seem
them.
by preferenceto

dwellingsare

of

as

resembles

bear the

name

that

assigned
of stone,

Gibichenstein,Brunhildenstein,Kriemhildenstein, Eigelstein,

Waskenstein

; which

points to

sacred

rocks

uninhabited

by

men,

These
in the
are
undoubtedly genuine myths, that lose themselves
(OIIG.
deeps of time,however distorted and misplacedthey may be. Sicjeher
or
Siguhari)is plainly the ON. Sigarr,from wliom the Sij^dingar
Siklingar
take their name
(hiughteris called Sigclint,
Sigar'sdaughter Signy,
; Sigcher's
Hildebut the two are identical.
who in woman's
clothingwoos
Hugdieterich,
burg,is one with Haghariyr (Sw. Habor, Dan. Ilafbur),who likewise succeeds
in his suit for Sign;^
(Sw. Signil,Dan. Hignild),
though liere the story has a
disagree; but hug and hag, both from one root,
tragicend, and the names
who in the Ilelsupport each other. Sigcminne too, the wife ofWolfdieterich,
of Hugdieterich,comes
is the son
denbuch
to Signy. The
near
part about
I

Hugdieterich in the Heldeubuch

very

ancient.

is

throughoutuncommonly

sweet, and

tainly
cer-

391

HEROES.

or

primeval,firmlyrooted worship. More rarelywe find castle

hall connected
with a hero (Iringes
a few times
burc, Orendelsal),

ea

and

and

hum, oftener

lies close to that of

we

well connect

may

street ; now,

or

loay

conspicuouscolumn
the

Herculis

'

the

which
Eoland-joillars,
parts of Germany where
Charles occupiesWuotan's
of the

'

the notion

to which

place in

those

northern

prevailedlatest. As king
certain legends,
that
especially

furious host,'Eoland, the noblest hero

is to

Donar

highway

the roads led uj),

in

just

upon

heathenism

exactlywhat
vanquisher of

of

columnae,'the Irmansuli, with

come

we

almost

to him

as

of his court, who

Wuotan,

to

seems

is

replace

been
have
giants. yEthelstdn-pillars
It is worthy of note, that,while Scandinavia
mentioned, p. 119.
be likened to the Irmen-pillars,
offers nothingelse that can
yet at
there stood erected in the
of Ostergotland,
Skeningen,a town
do stand, the figure of a
marketplace,just where Eoland-pillars
giant or hero, which the people called Thore lang (Thuro longus),
This figure
in former
times.^
and at which
idolatrywas practised
likelyto belongto the heathen god than to any
appears far more
in the market
hero or king ; and probably the column
place of

the

divine

in

Bavais

Hainault, from

is said to have

which

been

which
reared

branched

roads

seven

in honour

of

off,and

king Bavo, had

meaning (seeSuppl.).
examined
more
According to a widely acceptedpopular belief,
on
Spiritingaway, certain heroes have
minutely in ch. XXXII
inhabited,into clefts
sunk from the rocks and fortresses they once
and are
of the mountains, or into subterranean
and caverns
springs,
in a seldom interrupted
slumber, from which they
there held \vi'apt
That
of need, and bring deliverance to the land.
issue in times
not
here again,
only Wuotan, Arminius, Dieterich and Siegfried,
similar

Tell
has

are

heroes

modern

but such

named,

settled

to the world

themselves

It

and
up

in

of the

was

Norse

dissatisfied with
a

hill: thus

the

in like
haugr (Egilss.
p. 7),and
accompanied by twelve nobles, retires

Scherenzerwald, where
1

mans

no

one

could

even

mystic lightof myth which

custom, for aged heroes, dead
to shut
order of things,
new
twelve

Herlaugr with

into the

and

Barbarossa

Charles, Frederick
us

assure

may

them.

on

as

Eticho

manner

into

find

others

him

the

mountain

goes

Welf,
in

the

again (Deutsche

De jure Sveon. vet.,p. 326.

Stjernhook,
Olaus Mac^nus 14, 15.
beskrifn. 5iVer Ostergotland,
Norrkoping17 GO. 1, 190.

Brooc-

305

ABODES.

sagen,

no.

Arthur

of

is

of

fond

number

ThriSi

three

heroic

that

happens,

So

Arpoxais

and

sword

having

second

tried

off.

into

The

Scythian

fallen
seize

same

the

heroic

Hence,

is

one

them,

there

thing

occurs

then

4,

5)

when

gold
in

the

the

Vili,

Ve,

mitrchen.

the

or

Har,

without

it

commonly
of

faculty
Leipoxais,

plough,

but

divine,

times

brothers

eldest

King

the

greatest

golden

burned,
many

like

also

three

like
liost.

appear

and

the

of

heaven,
the

05in,

ascribed

story

tlieir

legend,
as

together,

(Herod.
from

Frederick,
with

together,

third

Kolaxais

to

that

brothers

the

and

mountains

triads.

stand

the

to

in

success.

them

lastly,

running

and

lafnhar

in

abide

Britons,
remarked

be

it

Be

the

Charles

Siegfried,

518).

yoke

son

tliird

and

and
the

carried

CHAPTEE

XVI.

WISE

The
men,

relation of

because

men

dies

with

family

to the

women

alone

The

reason

same

daughters;
almost
to

be

always in
have

sword.

the

weaving
But

in

of

the

side

regarded as
and

woman

peace

sphere.

women

In

with

There

are

of the

claim

no

the bondman,

the

to

not

all,or

as

brides.

of

deified

immortals

in

of

names

in it at

therefore

heroes, whom

mixture

no

issues
women

preceding

the

heavenly and earthly

immortality,like

idle in

battle,busy

the

in the

assigned the occupation

expressively

heroic labours

that which

another

mortals

sons.

house, the Anglo-Saxons very

of

of

but

woman's

introduced

been

deified sons,

distaff establishes

the

To

marriage

have

named

not

of

the birth of
the

placed by

chapterwe
natures

the

nay,

hear

we

houses, while

either

that of

different from

tale of ancestry contains

only ; king'sdaughters are

as
they
disappearagain as soon
the

N.

very

famous

heroes

For

gods is

found

can

her.

0 M

suited

forfeit
lieu of that

men.

here, is amply made

up

to them

of parts
individuality
effect in the story, they

distinct

given to heroes, which often falls without

and lastinginfluence.
of momentous
have generalduties assignedthem
of charming or awful
A long range
half-goddessesmediates
and deity: their authorityis manifestlygreater,their
between
men
than any reverence
paid to heroes. There
impressive,
worship more
women
are
not, strictly
speaking,any heroines,but whatever
among
elevated and spiritual.Brunhild
to heroes
more
answers
appears
towers

she

and the swan-maid

Siegfried,
herself (see Suppl.).

above

unites

above

the hero

to whom

mythologies also it is observable,that in the second

rank of deities female beingspredominate,while the first is reserved
have
almost
exclusivelyfor the male, but the divine heroes we
I have
on
only in the third rank.
p. 250 partly
spoken of come
In

other

accounted

for the longer

duration

of the tradition of several

goddesses

1597

WOMEN.

WISE

because more
impressions
endearing,
abiding,
the mind of the people.
on
tinguish
than to disThere is no harder problem in these investigations,
between
goddessesand half-goddesses,Eveiy god'swife
must
ipsofacto pass for a real goddess; but then there are unmarried

by

its having left more

be shown
to be either wife
who
cannot
One
goddesses; e.g.,Hel.
a
god,and who stands in a dependent relation to
or daughter of
higher divinities,is a half-goddess.Yet such a test will not
always serve, where a mythology has been imperfectlypreserved ;
stand higherthan half-gods,
that half-goddesses
for the very reason
and the class of gi'eatgods is
them
the boundary-linebetween
be disturbed,by particularraces
line may
hit. The
harder
to
worship got the
promoting divine beings of lower rank, whose
thing
them, to a higher; it is true the same
among
upper hand
to

seems

The

but
hero-worship,

in

occur

thus:

roughly defined

the

to

upper

be
to

revealers.

men

It is

feature
significant

selected

men,

are

view

presents

heaven

for

contrast

and

announce

the

German

way

may

well

good as
be

even

virtues and

part

vices

both

as

bad

sense

of the

Jewish

same

and

christian

saints from
;

but

Greek
To

messengers.

a
destiny assume
of woman,
soothsayingand sorcery
and it
is peculiarly
women's
a
gift,
thing,that our languagepersonifies

nature

of

in

tendency to pay a higher respect and deference

this has always been specially
characteristic of
Men

not

women,

and

God

female

deciees

If human

females.

of

commands

male

the
thinking,

in the mouth
as

the

Here

the

execute

gods employ

greater sacredness

heathenism, that

our

angels or
prophets foretell,

Teutonic

of

in

this office.

and

in

often.

so

half-goddessesthen may
gods they are handmaids,

of

functions

and

mission

not

general shews

to the

female

Teutonic

se.\,

nations.

deification

by their deeds, women

by their wisdom :
dcae' p. 95 (seeSu])pl.).
Fatidicae,
aiigescente superstitione
This Germanic
reverence
for woman,
already emphasized by
is
in
old systems of law, especially
Tacitus, markedly expressed
our
the Alanianniau
and
Eavarian, by doubling the compositionfor
injury ;rtA.404) : the defenceless one therebyreceives protection
earn

'

and

consecration,nay,

she

takes

woman

up

shew

man's

she

is to

weapons.

itself in the

forfeit the
And

not

minne-songsof

privilegethe moment
of
only does a Avorsliip
our

Mid.

Ages, but

in

398

WISE

remarkable

formula
'

court-poems :
117.

!' Eab.

112

88, 27, to

Parz.

luillen (forthe
beite

'

nu

reiner

'

durch
(stay),

eret

an

an

'

her

to

ze

61 ; 'durch
dim

wip,'in
wip,'respect

elliu

wip

'

says

prayer ;

'

7132

minne

eren

frouwen vnlle si,'do

; *als

Laurin

woman

cdlc7i meiden

'

allez daz

(pure)

loillen aller

durch

mir

mir elliu

attention

liepiu

all that

q,]\.q
frouwen

stn,'
as

all

women

are

; .'tuon

will,Bit.

woman's

be

may

105.

sake)aller frouwcn)

Gudr. 1214, 3; 'ere und

(do it in honour of),'
! is the injunctionon givinga sword, Trist. 5032
ivi'p

ez

elliu

3, 200=^; 'durch

Ecke

wille7i sclioencrwibe,'Ecke

957 ;

ensure

1542.

Morolf

Parz. 13, 16 ; 'ere

Erec

all women,

me

tuot

; 'durch

922-4

2834.

MsH.

; 'durch

of all women,

name

in

888.

magci (othermaids')ere' Gudr. 4863

andcr

in

855.

cries to another

hero

one

meide

the

Morolt

ere,'Ecke

frouwen

and in
chivalryoccurringboth in folk-songs
allcr fromven ere,'by all women's
honour,

Eoseng. 2037.

174.

thus

durch

104

Wolfdiet.

of

WOMEN.

dear

to you,

Their

984.

worship was
placed on a par with that of
God : eret Got und
diu wip,'Iw. 6054 ; durch Got und durch der
ivihe Ion (guerdon)'
Wh.
381, 21 ; 'wart so mit riterschaft getan, des
Got sol danken
und diu ivip,'
God
and the ladies requiteit,
may
'

'

Got

370, 5; 'dienen

und

alle

frouwen erm,' Ms. 2,99^; of

Parzival it is even
said : er getruwete ivihcn haz (better)
dan
Gote,'
of speech,this faith,can
These modes
Parz. 370, 18.
be traced up
earlier age, as in 0. i. 5, 13 : do sprah er erlieho ubaral,
to a much
zi froiciinskal' ; and
ni sit irbolganv)ibe' ye
so
man
v. 8, 58:
shall not bully a woman,
Etzels hofhalt. 92-3 ; sprichwiben iibel

Wh.

'

'

'

'

mit

nihte

'

frau is the
frau

and
But

the po.-m

says
name

weib

of

of the Stete ampten

goddess,conf,
(see Suppl.).
a

p. 299

286.
on

The
the

very

word

meanings

of

than that,when

the hero in stress of battle looked upon

his love (OHG.trutin,trutinna,
MHG.
thouglit
o/her,named
triutinne),
her

more

he

increased

of the
and was
sure
thereby his strength,
victory. We might even
bring under this head the declaration of
Tacitus : memoriae
proditur,
quasdam acies inclinatas jam et labantes
et objectu
a feminis restitutas constantia
pectorum. From the
precum
poems of the 13th century I will quote the principal
passages only:
name,

und

als

er

dar

die schoenen
daz half
swenne

zuo

frowen

(holp)im
mich

saeh

an

(on-saw,looked at)

Eniten,
vaste

der muot

(fight
hard). Er. 933.
ermant
(thethoughtof you mans),

striten

iwcr

su

ist

liaut

min
(victorious)
sigesoelic

iiiiune

(for)iwer guote

wand

399

WOMEN.

WISE

(nervemy senses),
daz mir den vil langen tac (allthe long day)
nilit -wider gewesen
mac
(noughtcan vex). Er. 8SC7.
din da gcgcnicvrfic
snz
(who there present sat),
baz (sheholp her man
diu gehalf ir manne
better).
die steilcent mine

ob im

sinne

zwivel

dehein

(ifever

doubt) geschach,

(again)an sack,
ir schosne gap im niwe kraft (strength),
so daz er imzagehaft(undismayed)
sine sterke wider gewan
(hisstrengthregained)
Er. 0171.
als ein geruowet (rested)
und vaht (foug4it)
man.
sin sckane wip
der gedanc (thinking)
an
im den lip(life,
der kreftigete
body). Er. 9229.
im diu muoze
swenne
geschach
(opportunity)
daz er die maget (maid)reht ersach,
daz gap ir gesellen(toher fellow,lover)
manlich
ellen (elan). Parz. 409, 13.
410, 5.
Gawane
in sorgen (infear for him),
sack er daz si umb
in was
nu
alrest er niuwe kraft enpfant(felt).Lohengr.p. 54-5.
minne nie verdroz (neverwearied),
den Heiden
(whenever)er

swenn

wider

si danne

Parz. 740, 7.
herze in strite groz.
sin
was
(therefore)
doiken,
welle (ifhe do not)an minne
(cannotescape). Parz. 740, 15.
mag er niht entwenken
du dich,Parzival,
sumest
(whereforedelayest)
du an
die kiuschen liehtgemal
(pure-oneso bright)

des
ern
sone
wes

daz
niht

ich mein
dcniccst,

din

wip,

(save)hie den lip? Parz. 742, 27.

der getouftenam
(thechristian gained)an kreften zuo,
im nilit ze fruo (none too soon),
des was
(thought),
er ddht
an
Sin
wip die kiiniginnc
Parz. 743, 23.
ir werden
unt an
(worthy)minne.
wiltu behalten

swu
ze

kom
(after)
ich (themoment

ich sider
hant

so

helfe brahte.

ir minne

in not

I) an
Parz.

(difiiculty),
si

ddhtc,

768, 27.

both their bodies),

lip (weary were
daz sic (liad
niuwan
they not)ddhtcn an diu wip
fallen).AU.bl. 1,340.
bcdcsamt gelegen(bothtogether
sie wffiren

miiede

was

ir beder

400

^'"'ISE

In the

de

inter

issue

to

name,

heathen, for
their

et Flora it is said 31, 4 :

riiyllide
ipsas caedes/my beloved in the battle

Carmen

memoraf

WOMEN.

the

victorious.^

therefrom

gods too

were

at your

Snorri,in Yngl. saga

names.

um

hvar

Ille

breathes

sounds

side the moment

cap.

2, says

of

com-

me

my

altogether
uttered

you

OiSinn

'

sva

var

urSu i nauSum
staddir,a sia eSa
}?eir
iafnan fa af ]?vi
Icdllu"ii|?eir
a landi,];a
a
fro,'
nafn bans, oc ]?6ttiz
it also with his men,
wherever
so was
they were in trouble,on sea
and innnediately
or
were
on
land, then called they on his name,
intolerable to the Ases,
Hrungnir became
gladdenedby it. When
Sn. 108.
Kraka,
Tlior,}wi nsest kom Thorr i hollina,'
pa nefna j^eir
si suprema
Erich:
necessitatis
semi-divine
a
being,admonished
remedium
celerius
sui nuncvijationc
violentia postularet,
nominis
et
esse
quaerendum, affirmans se divina partim virtute subnixam
coelitus insitam numinis
quasi cousortem
gestarepotentiam,Saxo
to the rescue
of her chosen
Gram., p. 72. So the valkyrjaconies
his guardian,
hero, when he calls out her name
as if
; she is become
sent by the gods to bringhim
aid (seeSuppl.).
oc

bans

This

'

menu,

sem

'

The

mission

of such

then

women

is to

and

announce

death

prepare

that
to mortal men
seen
good or ill,victoryor
; and we
the popular faith retained longestits connexion
with fighting
and
like that of the heroes,rests on
victory. Their own
being itself,
for the most
human
nature, they seem
part to have sprung from

kingly and
ancestors

heroic

is to be

office,they

must

have

families,and

presumedin

their

wisdom

and

have

admixture

probably an
case

But

too.

to

of divine

perform their

supernatural
powers

at

their

plications
spiesout, nay, guides and arranges comAt
of danger,advises in difficulty.
in our destiny,
warns
and endowing,
the birth of man
they shew themselves predicting
in perils
of war
givinghelp and grantingvictory. Therefore they
ON.
called wise toomcn,
are
spahi,
spdkonor (conf.spakr,OHG.
Nib.
loisiu
1473.
3.
1483, 4
wip,
prudens),Scot, spae wife,MHG.

command

their wisdom

(seeSuppl).
1.

But

in

an

(Dis).

older word, which

appears to

me

to

yield

the practice
Philander of Sittewald 2,727,Soldatenl. p. 241, stillmentions
one's grace and
oneself to the loved
of dan"^er 'of commending

,ime
time

favour

I will firsttake

Itis, Ides

'.

401

iTis.

and in its generalness

exactlythe meaningwe have justunravelled,
to comprehend all the particular
beingsto be studied more
minutely
OS. ides,pi.idisi,
AS. ides,pi.
by and by. The OIIG. itis pi.itisi,
and can be used of maids or matrons,
idesa,denotes femina in general,
it seems
in the
rich or poor.^ Yet, like the Greek
even
vv/x^r},
earliest times to have been specially
appliedto superhuman beings,
who, beingconsidered lower than goddessesand higherthan earthly
preciselythat middle rank which is here in
women,
occupy
question. Tacitus informs us, that a famous battle-field on the
IdisiaYiso
called by the Cheruscans
Weser was
(soI emend Idismeadow
not
i.e.,
taviso),
nympharum pratum, women's
; it matters
whether the spot bore that name
before the fightwith the Eomans,
it afterwards (v.Haupt's zeitschr. 9, 248). There
or only acquired
at one
under the lead of these
time or another a victorywas
won
exalted dames.
The Merseburg poem
sets tlie idisi before us in
fall action

Some

sum^

hapt heptidun,suma

suma

clubodun

cuniowidi

victor.

Here

also demanded

then

(on the

lezidun,
;

20132 :
as we
fighting),
dez muoz
must) ich he/teneinen haft
(therefore
dirre materie an minen
danc (against
an
will),
my
ich
I
werde
fiirhte
sie
lane.
ze
wan
(for fear)
Others letted the host (hinder,
make
late,Goth, hari latidedun)
;
withs and
others again grasped (clawed)at chains or wreaths, i.e.,
twigs with which to twist shackles,or to twine garlands for the

put

check

umbi

heri

read in Renner

their business

by the

very

was

objectof

the

to

bind

and

check,which

is

conjuring-spell
; in striking
Norse valkyrs,
mentioned

of two
harmony with this are the names
OHG.
Hlancha, i.e.,
togetherin Stem. 45*, Hlock
catena, and
vinciens.
But
it must
Herifezzara,exercitum
Herfiotr OHG.
have been as much
in their power
to set free and help on, as to
shackle and hamper. Compounded with itis we
have the female
names
no.
(Meichelb.
Itispuruc
162),Itisburg(Trad.fuld. Schannat
181),Idisburg(Lacombl.no. 87),and Itislant (Graff1, 159); which,
like Ililtipurc,
Sigipurc,
Sigilant(MB. 14, 362),are proper to such
of our
olden time (seeSuppl.).^
women
=

Freolici; meowle
ides,Cofl. exon. 479,2.
and idesa' are contrasted,ibid. 176, 5. 432, 2.
*
the local meaning coincides with the
Here
1

26

'

Weras

and

idesa,'or 'eorlas

personal
; we

may

therefore

402

WOMEN.

WISE

But

obtain

we

the Norse

much

authorities.

fuller information
It has

itis,AS. ides,is the

OHG.

been

same

as

as

to tlieirnature

overlooked
the

hitherto,that the

dis

OK

from

pi.disir

similar

instances of

the Eigr for Iringon p. 234, and Sangrim,

are
aphseresis
Singrim for Isangrim,Isingrim (Eeinh.ccviii).Any remaining
Saem.
doubt disappearson
comparing the Eddie dis Skioldunga,'
The Norse
Beow. 2337.
ides Scildinga/
the AS.
169* 209* with
kind
disir likewise
sometimes
are
protectingbeings,sometimes
An
instance of
Ssem. 185* 195* 254'^ 273*.
hostile and hindering,
'

'

the latter sort

is

found

in

the

disir

story of ThiSrandi, whom

deas interfecisse
er
destroyed, thann
sagt at disir vaegi,'
quem
dicunt {Nialss.
cap. 97),though the full narrative (Fornm. sog. 2,
so
Spddisir,nymphae
195) calls them
simply konur, women;
Vols, saga cap. 19, means
as
vaticinantes,
spdkonur;
justthe same
in Alfs saga cap.
allar disir dauSar enn
and the phrase ecki eru
in the most
not dead
are
15, means
generalsense, all good spirits
all spirits
to you
disir allar,'
dauSar
are
dead,
yet ; ySr munu
But the Norse peoj)leworshipped them, and
Fornald. sog. 2, 47.
of disablot is very frequent,
sacrifice : the mention
offered them
Egilss.cap. 44 p. 205; Vigagl.saga cap. 6 p. 30 ; 'biota kumla
disir ^ deabus
tumulatis
sacrificare,
Egilss.p. 207. This passage
disir and ghosts,departed spirits,
between
implies a connexion
whose
portendssomething: 'honor hugSak daitffar
reappearance
254*.
at night,Saem.
koma
i nott,'dead w^omen,
i.e.,
disir,come
dwellingat
Herjans dis (Seem.213^) is nympha Odini,a maiden
Valholl in the service of OSinn; dis Skioldunga (Seem,169* 209*),
both of
divine maid
sprung from the Skioldungstock,is an epithet
ides Helminga,
Sigrun and of Brynhild,conf. AS. ides Scyldinga,
1234.
But
Beow.
Freyja herself is called Vanadis, nympha
Vanorum, Sn. 37; and another goddess,SkaSi ondurdis (walking
Several
to oxid.\vcgu".
is equivalent
Sn. 28, which
in wooden
shoes),
of women
names
are
compounded with dis: Thordis,
proper
might have
Hiordis, Asdis, Vigdis,Halldis, Ereydis (to which
correspondedan OHG. Donaritis,"c.): they prove the pretty high
'

'

'

'

in
antiquityof the monosyllabicform dis,which even
the orginalform
invariablyalliterates with D. With

Edda

idis

the

Magaclaburffwith Idisaburg,
Idisoburg,and Lslant with Itislant,
not to be Idisberg,
The Frank ish Dispargum on the contrary seems
S
aUc
fanum
Martis (Herm. Miiller,
law, p. 33-4).
Tiesberg,

compcare
Itisolant.
but

the

ITIS.

the

of

name

goddess

VELEUA.

Idunn

403

GANNA.

may

be
j)0ssibly

Ganna.

Alarun.

connected

(see

Suppl.).
2. Veleda.

If,as
the time

to

of

proper

mere

alreadycurrent in
genericterm idis was
as
Tacitus,he givesus other more
specific
appellations
though still a certain generalmeaning seems
names,

I suppose,

belongto

them

the

His

too.

statements

about

Veleda, Ganna, and

already quoted in ch. V, where the connexion

between
pointed out,
prophetessesand the priestlyoffice was
and akin to the Norse
Veleda appears to be almost an appellative,
Volundr
to the masc.
Vala, Volva (p.97-8),or even
(p.378),perhaps
also to the name
valkyrja.^She lives on a toioer,like Jetha
(p.96) and Brynhildr(Vols,saga cap. 24). Treaties were ratified in
but had to settle disputes
her presence ; she not only prophesied,
the people,and carry out plans. In Ssem. 4*^ 5* the Vala,
among
the famous
after whom
lay Voluspa is named, is also called Hei"r
female names
and Gidlveig
Adalheid, Alpheid,"c.,are
; and as our
formed
with -heid, Finn
Magnusen p. 416^ would derive Veleda
however
is nowhere
found
from a supposed Valaheid, which
(see
Suppl.). The description
given of her is an attractive one : whereshe worked
in the land
this vala velspa (fatidica)
ever
came,
visitations to
witchery,she was believed to travel about and make
of the
houses. This
til husa koma
reminds
us
drepa d vett sem
Stem. 63% as in other cases
also
vdhvr,'pulsareaedes sicut fatidicae,
were
prophesying,inspiringand boon-bestowing women
always
supposed to pass through the country,knocking at the houses of
tliose whom
they would bless.
A-iirinia

I have

'

'

'

Ganna

if the
(p.95-6) could be explainedwith more
certainty,
disclosed to us : a MHG.
real meaning of its root ginnan were
seducere; and in Siem. 21''
ginnen is secare, the ON", ginna allicere,
of valas,'volo
not
warned
the wheedling words
to trust
we
are
how the AS. poets
shall see presently,
vilmaili trui engi maSr
; we
about Wyrd.
similar expressions
use
and was
Drusus
had crossed the Weser
When
nearingthe Elbe,
'

is called
I fiufl lValader\c\v".in Trad. corb. p. 364, " 'J13 ; a wild woman
diu iibel walledein' ; but this
514 'die wildo n-aldin' nuA 735
of valaudiune, .she-devil.
a corruption

in Wolfdieteiich
seems

'

404

WISE

in the laud

him

there met

of the Cheruscaiis

who
(^vatv,
avOpoiTiov

fiei^cov
?)Kara

ryvvrj Ti'i

WOMEN.

superhuman female,
forbade

his farther

approachingend (Dio Cass. 55, 1). Species

larharae
humana
mulieris,
amplior,victorem tendere ultra,sermone
have been
Latino,prohibuit(Sueton.in Claudio 1).^ There may
advance, and foretold

his

this,which

folk-tales about

German

Wise-women

of the

country'sneed,

and

fatherland,as

by

known

became

well

to the Eomans.

heroes,rose

as

up

in their

terrified the foe.

their appearance

(p.95) to have been famous in Germany before

Veleda ; copyists
easilyhave corruptedali into au,'and runa
may
into 'rinia': we
should then have
be
Aliruna, though it would
But anyhow we
stillmore
handy if Tacitus had written Alioruna.
fail to recognisethe agreement (which many
have noted)
cannot
with
Jornandes
cap. 24, who, in accounting for the originof the
Huns, relates of the Gothic king Filimer : Eepperitin populo suo
aliornmnas
muliercs, quas
patrio sermone
(al.
quasdam magas
is
habens
alyrumnas,aliorunas,aliuruncas) ipsecognominat,easque
longeque ab exercitu suo fugatas
suspectas de medio sui proturbat,
in solitudine coegiterrare.
Quas silvestres homines, quos faunos
Aurinia

is said

'

'

ficarios vocant, per

vagantes

eremum

dum

vidissent,et

earum

se

complexibusin coitu miscuissent,genus hoc ferocissimum edidere.'

with -r-iin,
of women
formed
-runa
are
(Gramm. 2,
Many names
Alariutn
even
offer,though sparingly,
517),and OHG. documents
3,416 (an.1140); 'Gosprecht der Alraumjn sun,'
Aleruna, MB.
MB.

27,

80

(an. l.')09).I have

seen

never

Elirun, the

form

we

that the OX. name

significant,
to a icisc-iooman ; and alruncv
Olrun, Siem. 133-4, belongsprecisely
of a propheticand
alrauii,from its old sense
(Graff2, 523),now
has at lengthpassedinto that of the root (mandragora,
diabolic spirit,
should

expect

from

ali-.-

similar tale about

But

it is

Alexander

Severus

Midier

Druias

eunti exclamavit

credas ! ' Ael.

speres,
Attila at the passage of tlie Lech is
Lampridiiisin Alex. Sev. cap. 60. And
said to have been scared away by a rune-maiden
callingout three times ' back,
'
Of still more
Attila !
Paul of Stetten's Erl. aus der gesch.Augsburgs, p. 25.
15
ON.
is
the
of
tradition
in
Saxo
Gram.
:
an
'iladingum
weight
agreement
p.
Gallico sermone,

'

vadas, nee

victoriam

nee

te

niiliti tuo

(ourmythic Harding, Hartung) obvia femina hac voce compellat:

Seu pede rura
teras, seu ponto carbasa tendas,
infestos patieredeos,totum(]^ueper orbem
videbis.
inimica tuis elementa
propositis
'^ It
throws some
light on the meaning of -run, that in AS. also hirgrAna
or
burgrunan stands for parcae and fiu'iae(Lye sub v., and Ul. epinal.617).

alarOn.

mandrake)

Wo

is cut.

the fountain

which

about

names,

of wliich he

out

405

norni.

turn

now

of tradition flows

to

other

some

freely(see

more

SuppL).
3. ISToRNi
The

(Fatae).

subjectof an independentand profound

Collectively
they are called the nornir, and

three Fates

the

are

myth in the Edda.

singly,JJr"r,Verffandi,SJculd,Stem. 4=^. Sn. 18. The term noni
hitherto in any other dialect,^
has not been discovered
{parca^l
though undoubtedlyit belongs to a genuine Teutonic root, and is
formed

; but

pi.norni

uorn,

(seeSuppl.).In
the

horn, "c.,and would

like thorn, corn,

the three proper

of verbal

forms

which

auxiliaryby
what

the

future

is, and

what

was,

time the very

same

on, must

have

know

it

shall

names

been

known

OHG.

longer

no

impossibleto

mistake

from

the

the pres.

past part,of skula,shall,the

is formed.

tense

what

not
foreignto any
originally
Vai'rSandei,Skulds, an
Vaiirjjs,
so

it is

names

the

and
future,very aptlydesignated,
the

Danish

in

or

nouns

word, and Shdd

same

and

been

: Urffr is taken
adjectives
(varS,urSum), to become, Verffandi is

pret.pi. of verSa
part,of the

Swedish

even

have

be,
Fate

or

the

Hence

we

have

past, present and

each.^

presidingover

At

was
prove that the doctrine of norns
of the Teutonic
nations.
A Gothic

OHG.
once

Wurt,
as

Werdandi,

beings;
personal

Scult, and
in

the

OS.

Nurnherg (mons Noricus) has nothing to do with it,it is no very old

either (in Bohmers
town
regest.firstin 1050, no. 1607 ; conf. MB. 29, 102).
Nidda is a well called Nornborn, Nornhurn,
In the tiekls at Dauernheim
near
when
But I should like to see
there is war.
and its springis said to flow only
which
authenticated
The
AS. gen. pi.neorxena,
the name
by an old document.
but
breviatio
abthe
in
has
been
neorxena
proposed,
only occurs
paradisus,
wong
unheard
and
would
the
or
be something
nom.
even
of,
sing,neorxe
1

V;

'

'

at variance

neorxu

with

with

paradise.May

OHG.

noran,

(ch.XXXV)
older than
'

MHG.

"] But
any such

we

norn

trace

i besides,the
norn

to

Parcac

niosan

are

nowhere

whose
(sternutare),

found

connected

past part,is in

virtue there is in sneezing

of the prophetic
norn, because
with nose] seems
in
this verb [con;i.
the special
meaning

generalmeaning, and its ON.

dii effantur.
esse
quicciuid

form
Fatum

hniosa

stands

opposed.

a
faudo,
colo,in fuso, digitisquefila ex
:
praderiium,quod in fuso jam
nentis trahitur,/((i/(rnctum
at"|ue involutum
eM, praesens, quod inter digitos
lana
adhuc
in
v.m
quae colo implicataest,et quod
per digitosnentis ad i'usum
Isidori etym. 8, 11 " 92, a
est,'
tanquam
trajiciendum
praesens ad praeteritum
circulated
the
JNIid.
in
yet
Ages (v. Gl. Jun. ."^98),
pa.ssage pretty extensively
borrowed
of
the classical. In " 93
from
Teutonic
the
notion
)io proof
being
Isidore adds:
voluerunt, unam
quae vitam homiius
quas (parcas)tres esse
-

Fatinih dicunt

loquendo. Tria autem

i.e.,
fata finguutur
lana torquentibus,propter trina tempora

in

'

ordiatur,alteram

quae

contexat,tertiam quae rumpat '.

igiturdictum

406

WISE

and

AS.

the

first

poetry

2, just

that

near,
to

as

her ;

she

18.

lied

can

Again

163, 16.

'

Ill,

48,

'

is at

lay our

hendi,'92,

Fate,
the

'

146,

death,stands

or

who

man

Heliand

is fallen

so

due

say just as concretely is at hand, is at the

thiu Wurth
uilhida thuo,' drew
nigh then, Hel.
'

Wurth
4.

of
personality

the

says

the

with her hand

grasp

'

is at handun
2

the

fingeron

should

we

door '.

66,

dod

able to

are

thiu Wurdh

'

norn
'

we

WOMEN.

ina
Not

benam,' the death-goddesstook

so

livingis the term

as

or
skihit,'

used

him

in the

away

Hildebr.

perhaps separately we ! wurt skihit,'

because
of abstract inanimate
geschehen to happen is used more
glossalso has umrt for fatum (Graff1, 992).
things.An OHG.
Far
vivid are
the AS. phrases:
more
me
J^ajtWyrcl ^ gewaf/
355 ;
texuit,Cod. exon.
Wi/rd oft nereS unfoegne
parca hoc mihi
eorl,Jjonnehis ellen deah,'parca saepe servat virum, donee virtus
Beow.
1139 ; 'him
ejusviget(ellantaoc, Hildeb.),
wa^s
Wt/jxIungemete neah, se J?one gomelan gretan sceolde,sccean
sawlehord,
sundur gedffilan
lif wi(5 lice,'
4836 (so,'
deaS ungemete neah
5453);
him
ita ei fatum
swa
non
Wijrd ne gescraf,'
decrevit,
ordinavit,
weivurt

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Beow.

5145.

El. 1047.

Wi/rd forsweop,'^swept

conf. Boeth.
all away,

Beow.

beswiic,forleolc and

forlserde,'
eos

Andr.

Wyrd sceSeS,'nos

The

613;

'us

seo

instances in Csedmon

ed. Eawl.

parca

p.

151;

5624; 'hie

seo

'

ealle

Wj/rd

decepit,allexit,
seduxit,
fatum

Andr.
laedit,

1561.

less concrete, yet in 61, 12 the

Wyrd
:
'wiilgrim,'
bloodthirsty.Of the Wi/rd then are predicated
OHG.
scrifan (ordinare,
OHG.
gretan (excitare,
cruozan),
scripan),"*
wefan (texere,
OHG.
beswican
OHG.
wepan),
(decipere,
pisuichan),
forlsecan (fallere,
OHG.
forlseran (seducere,male
farleichan),
sceSan (nocere). She is paintedpowerful,but often
informare),
cruel and warlike (seeSuppL). We
cannot
in the same
point
way
out
a
personal applicationof the other two names,
though the
is called

are

"

MHG.
'er hat den
der hant,'Eeinh. 1480.
Nib. 1480, 4.
tot an
1806.
Morolt. 29b.
Dietp 29^
Pf. Chuonrat
3860.
Karl 52\
2 With
is wearS, pi.wiirdon,
D, not Th, because the pret. of weorSan
which
supports the derivation I'proposed ; so the OHG.
Wurt, because werdan
1

has pret.pi.wartum.
^
So I read for the 'forsweof of the editions,
conf. forswapen,Credm. 25, 9.
^
Conf. note to Elene
similar
of the MHG.
and
on
a
use
161,
schr'ihen,
p.
Klausen
in Zeitschr. fiir alterth. 1840
226
the
Roman
notion
of
the
on
p.
Parcae keepinga uwitten record. N. Cap. 50. 55 renders
the
by
hrievara,
parca
recorder.
TertuUian,De anima cap. 39, informs us that on the last day of the
first week of a child's life they used to pray to the fata Scribunda.
Fleming
479 calls the three Fates ' des verhangnis schreiberinnen '.

407

WYRD.

NORNI.

in

continued
Scult,AS. Scijld,
skuld, scult,scyld,in the sense

third, Skuld, OHG.

an

abstract fern,

had
Christianity

AVhen
alone

name

and
sufficient,

found

was

the

banished

constant

of

tum.^
debitum, delic-

heathen

notions,one

that

even

soon

as

use

died

out,

to new
fangledterms such as schicksal,verhangnis
giving])lace
and
cumbrous
unwieldy than the
(destiny)and the like,far more
the Scotch dialect
The English and especially
old simplewords.
harboured
the old word
to have
longest: we all know the
seems
weird-sisters in ]\Iacbeth,which
Shakspearetook from Hollinshed ;
they are also in Douglas'sVirgil80, 48, and the Complaynt of

other fabulous stories,

(written1548) mentions, among
stirs' (Leyden'sed. Edinb. 1801, p. 99) ;
that
of the Hire ivelrdsy
the
in Warner's
Albions
printed 1616) we have
England (first
More
vjeirdelves,'
probably meaning the Parcae of the ancients.
the ive'ird lady of the woods,' who, when
native apparentlyis
asked for advice,prophesiesout of her cave, Percy'sEeliques 3,
Scotland
'

'

220-2.2
Even

in the

must

two, for the

fountain

than

the

after

her, Ur"arhrunnr^

three

the

other

and

'

of

been

by

Urd'ar

consequence
is named

more

the sacred

ash

which

the hall from

it stands

beside

issue ; it is also

norns

have

North, Urd'r

word
orc5,'

(Ssem.112*)
'

grimmar ur"ir dira fata,is

These three virginsallot to every
used
aldr ; shop i ardaga (yearhis term
of life, sha'pamonnum
man
elsewhere
I have
(EA. 750) shown
days),'Sn. 18. Ssem. 181^
office of
of the term
the technical pertinence
shapa to the judicial
chieflyspoken of, and
Ssem. 216^.
impersonally,

that is

once

'

"

'

the

norns,* to

Fornald.

whom

sog.

for the

same

1, 32 Hkuld,daughterof

reason

an

are

ascribed

domr

alfkoiia ; also in Saxo

Gram.

and

p.

n. prop.
31, Sciilda,

(weerd,weard). Chaucer alreadysubstitutes

2619). In Engl,
3, 733. Leg. of gd worn.
fatalsustrin for weirdsysters
(Troil.
and
furiae
dictionaries we
find wayward sistersexplained
; wardsisters
by parcae
and
would
but tvaijivard
create
means
no
imycapricious, was once
diliicultv,
vorn
(Gramm. 2, 675).
in which the warden
ivarden,
suggests the Dan. vorren,
'^

Conf. Jamieson

sub

v.

weird

is the usual etym.]

of it? [wa
woe
there be at the bottom
and fays of the
wives
deserves attention,
for the wayfaring
and goddesses
the
Mid.
muses
at fountains, as
Ages also appear haliitnally
loved
wells and
of song haunted
the same, and particular
goddesses,
esp. Holda,
What

AS. form can

Tliis brunnr

dame
Hohla
springs (p. 268). Altogether it is hard often to tell which
resembles more, an ancient goddess or a wise-woman.
* Conf
AS.
wyrda gcsMift,C;edm. 224, 6. wyrda gesceajm, Cod. exon. 420,
term
25.
OS. wunUKiiscapii,
Hel. 113, 7 ; and the OHG.
(decreta foti),
scepalso
iu
MHG.
a vates,was
hetitd,
schqtfe(Ottoc.119^')and schcpfcr
; the poet,

408

WISE

WOMEN.

dirae parcae
gyi"r,SjBm. 273'' ; liotar nornir skopo oss langaJ?ra,'
nobis longiim moerorem
nornir
217'' ;
creaverunt
heita ]?8erer
nauS sJcajm,
nornir
Skaklskaparmal p. 212.'* In the same
sense
Ssem. SS'',
visa,'
theygiveus to ivit judgment,and are ivise. Hence to
stoli sat ek niu daga
them, as to judges,a seat is given : a noma
born
127^*. They approach every new
child,and utter his doom ;
'

'

'

'

'

at

birth,it is said
Helgi's
uott

in Saem. 149
i

var

boe,nornir

qvamo,

er
:
oSlingialdr um sJcopo
Jjoer
verSa,
J?annbaSo fylkifroegstan
ok BuSlunga beztan ]?yckja.
af aflidrlogpdito,
snero
]?cer
]7aer borgirbraut i Bralundi ;
um.
greiddogullinsimo,
])ceT
ok und manasal
miSjan/esto.
ok
austr
vestr enda falo,
]?oer
];aratti lofSungrland a milli :
bra niptNera a norSrvega
einni fcsti. ey baS hon halda.

enteringthe castle at
importantpassage tells us, that norns
night spun for the hero the threads of his fate,and stretched the
golden cord (pdttr daht,docht, s%mi)in the midst of heaven ;
This

one

norn

hid

an

thread

of the

end

third fastened it northward; this third

one

threefold
ends

western

All

action.
of the

line

to

was

to

fall to

gathered from

be
the

region between

the

is called 'sister of Neri'.^

number, though ^.not expresslystated,is

Their
the

eastward, another westward,

the young

eastern

and

hero's lot ; did

she Hung a band northward,

when
gift,
and bade it hold for aye ?
(seeSuppl.).
and fays,for the
the regularthing in tales of norns
It seems
ized
advantagespromised in precedingbenefactions to be partlyneutralby a succeedingone.
travelled about in the
The Nornagestssaga
cap. 11 says; : There
the third

norn

scuof,OS.

OHG.

diminish

this

scop, from

the

root.

same

The

AS.

word

metten

I connect
varia lectio
in Hel. 66,

with metod (creator,see

(Rawlinson)
p. 22). In
'
the unkind
has ' \"kgraman
fates.;the ' metodo giscapu
mettena,'
'
to those
19. 67, 11 answer
ivyrdagesceapu,'and the gen. plurals'metodo,
'
.calls
wyrda imply that not one creator,but several are spoken of. Vintler
'
to
dole
man.
out
maids
that
them
erteilen,'
diernen,die dem menschen
Bogth.

Conf.

niptNara, Egilssagap.

440.

p. 101

409

NOPiNI.

their
wlio foretold to men
spdJconui\
to
'. People invited them
aldr
or
orlcig
fate, spaSu monnuni
their houses, gave them
good cheer and gifts. One day they came
to Nornagest'sfather,the babe lay in the cradle,and two taperswere

land

volvur,'who

'

called

are

'

'

burninoassured
or

him

of

happiness beyond
'

off her seat and

cried 'I

cause

giftedhim, and

had

women

all otliers of his race, the

in

yngsta nornin,'who

hin

pushed

fallen to the

crowd

the

rose
gi'ound,

up

in

had
anger,

third
been
and

onlylive tillthe lightedtaper beside

eldest .volva quicklyseized the taper,put
mother with the warning not to kindle it

that the child shall

out '.

has burnt

it out, and

'

the first two

When

him.

over

youngest norn,

him

'

The

it to the

gave

who
received from this the
again till the last day of her son's life,
of Norns-guest. Here volva,spdkona and norn
are
perfectly
name
before (p. 403) that the volur passed
saw
; as we
synonymous
the nornir do the very
through the land and knocked at the houses,'^
is attributed to the firsttwo norns, an
A kind disposition
same.
to the .third. This
evil one
third,consequentlySktdd, is called
of different ages therefore,Urd'7- being con'the youngest,'
sidered
theywere
the
Such
oldest.
tales of travelling
giftingsorceresses
.much in vogue all through the Mid. Ages (seeSuppl.).^
were
^

dame

I have

elsewhere

Aventiiire
with, the ancient

is

shown

an

in detail,
that the journeyinf:^
]\Iuse
hou.se-visiting
and
and
featiue
to
a
inspiring
propheticnorn,
agrees

conception;

see

NigellusWirekere, in his
fable (exemplum):
I bant

my

Kleine

schriften 1, 102.
(comp.about

JSpeculumstultorum

tres hominum

curas

1200),relates

relevare sorores,

(^uas nosf (dales dicimiis esse elects.

travel
of nature.
Two
of the
Thay
throughthe land, to remedy the oversights
soft-hearted
and
in
rush
and
the
to
want
first apsisters,
impulsive,
help at
pearance
of distress,
but are
restrained by the third and more
intelligent
one,
whom
First they fall
as
a
they address as domina, and revere
higher poMer.
in with a Ijeautiful noble maiden, who has all good thingsat her command, and

yet complains ; she

is not. helped,for she can

help herself. Then they find in
the forest a modest
maid laid up in bed, because sore
feet and hips hinder her
from
walking ; she too obtains no help from the goddesses; excellently
endowed
in mind
and body, she must
bear her misfortune
patiently.At last
in the neighbourhood
the
sisters come
,Qf a town
a
upon
poqr rough peasant
lass :

Exiit in bivium

rustica,nil

ventrem

purgare
inverecunda

puella

dea,
elatis retro nimiumque rejectis,
dellexo crure
resedit humi,
poplite
reverens

vestibus

una
manns
foenum, panistenet altera frustum ;
this one, at the suggestionof the thii'd sister,
when .the first two
.away, is heaped witli the giftsof fortune by the goddesses:
Haec;mea
multotiens genitrixnarrare
solebat,

CUJU3me

certe non

meminisse

pudet.

have

tunicd

410

WISE

The

WOMEN.

Edda

(goSarok

expresslyteaches that there are good

and though it names
illar,
grimmar, liotar),

and

had

norns

only three,
of them
tliat there are more
from
descended
:. some
are
gods,others
from
Sasm. 187-8.
elves, others from dwarfs, Sn.. 18. 19,
Why
be furnished with dogs ?
should the norns
Seem, 273^
grey noma,
We
description,
see, throughout this Eddie
things and persons
else naud'r
are
or
kept clearlyapart. Destiny itself is called orlog.,
aldr
have to -manage
(necessitas),
(aevum) ; the norns
it,espy it,
it (seeSuppL). And
decree it,pronounce
the other dialects too had
term
OHG.
MHG.
urlouc
:
iirlac,AS. orlceg,
possessedthe same
OS. orlag,
(Gramm. 2, 7. 87. 789. 790),,
orlegi,
aldarlagu(Heh 103,
8. 113, 11. 125, 15);^ it was
only when tlie heathen goddesses
had been cast off,that the meanings of the words
to be concame
founded,
and the old flesh-and-blood
wurt, wm-ff,ivyrdto pale into
a mere
impersonalurlac.
In the same
relation as norn
to orlog,
stands parca to fatum
like qviSr from qveSa qvaS,quoth),and also alcra,
(from fari,
fioipa
But
when
the parcae had
to avarjKri (nauSr)or e'lfiapixevq.
once
vanished from the people's
the Eomance
imagination,
language(by
the reverse
of that justnoticed amongst us) formed
out
a process
of the abstract noun
and personalone, out oifatum an
Ital.
a
new
Fr. fee.^ I do not know
fata,Span, liada,Prov. fada (Eayn. sub v.),
if this was
of some
female beings
prompted by a faint remembrance
in the

Celtic

faith,or the influence

of the

Germanic

norns.

But

these

fays,so called at first from their announcing destiny,soon

to be ghostlywives
in general,
came
our
as
altogetherthe same
How
idisi and volur.^
in Italy,
current
was
very early the name
is proved by Ausonius, who in his Gryphus ternarii numeri
brings
forward
the
tres
Charites,tria Fata', and by Procopius,who
'

like the AS. lage,ON.

From
log (lex);
legan (tolay down, constituere),
therefore urlac,fundamental
law.
The forms urlouc,urliugehave significantly
^

liugan,louc (celare).
MHG.
aimee ; lata,lee. Some
poets say feie
others
Haujjt'szeitschr. 2, 182-3,
/ewe (Gotfr.Conr.).
(Hartni.Wolfr.),sine/eie,
3 OFr.
call them, in addition to fees,divesses (Marie de Fr. 2, 385),
poems
Men eure'es
duesses (Meon 4, 158. 165),duesse and fee (Wolf,lais 51) y.puceles
(3, 419) ; sapaudes (wise-women, from
(Meon 3, 418), franchespuceks senees
de Fr. 2, 385.
Enchanting beauty is ascribed to them all :
sapere 1),Marie
of H. Schreiber
A book
plus bela que fada,'Ferabras 2767 ; conf. 16434.
of faythe
lighton
antiquities
(Die feen in Europa, Freib. 1842) throws much
wise-women's
the
remind
of
the
us
fays
worship. Houses, castles and hills of
In Irish,
and Holla-hill,and of giant'shouses.
towers, of the Venus-hill
theu
the
is first a fays'
house,
faycommunity.
siahrog,
sighbrog,

been

twisted

"

'

Conf.

round

nata,

to the root

nee

;.

amata,

(De bello

mentions
Ptoman

Forum

remark
that

in norns,

ra

moirai,parcae
the

2, 122) a buildingin tlie

rpia (fyara(supra p. 405, note) with

'Pco/xalot
Koktlv?/j,o2pa";
Ta";
vevofxiKacn

yap

everywhere

the

number

the
At

tlirce,

and

Eomance
with

coincide

Eomans

1, 25, ed. Bonn.

therefore still neuter; but

About

they

called

ovtco

time

Goth.

411

FATAE.

NORNI.

the

fays(seeSuppl.).fays there is a multitude of stories,and

popular beliefs of Germany. Pok|uetde

sings:
Aissim
en

fadero trcs serors

aquellaora qu'ieusui natz,

que

Guilhdei.

totz

Poitou

temps fos

enamoratz,

Assi

sobr'un puegau.
fuy de nueitz/c/f/a?'^;
(sowas I giftedby night on a mount).

Marcabrus

Gentil
vos

fas nada

adastret,
quan

d'una

fada

bevitat esmerada,

Trc

Pentam.
1, 10. 4, 4 ;
fatego past, laughing,and givegood gifts,
the first fate bestow
the last one
curses
2, 8 ; Pervonto
blessings,
for three sleeping
builds a bower
fcde,and is then gifted1, 3 ; trc
fate live down in a rocky hollow, and dower the children who
descend 2, 3. 3, 10 ; fate appear at the birth of children,and lay
them

on

their breast 5, 5 ; Cervantes

las siete fadasl Don

'

names

los siete castillos de

vaefadaron en brazos
de una
ama
mia,'Eom. de la infantina ; there are seven fays in the
are
land, they are asked to stand godmothers,and seats of honour
but the seventh
w^as
prepared at the table : six take their places,
she now
with good
forgotten,
appears, and while the others endow
her malison
things,she murmurs
(La belle au bois dormant); in
the German
the

kindermarchen

thirteenth had

I do
Accorclinf,'ly

thouglithe

Quix. 4,

Latin

verb

been

not

is of

50 ;

'

siete fadas

it is
(Dornroschen)
overlooked.

derive

fata

course

the

Sa

icomen,

famed

forest of

the

or
cfxlns(speech),

from

same

in

twelve wise

word

as

(^arojspoken,

Conf. Ducange sub

(/jj^/xi.

Fatuus and I'atua are also connected.

Aghioph. 816.
jb. 1843. 2,129 131 separates tlie three parcae
dilferent adjuncts: the
in sculpturesthey have
from
moirai weaving,the
Grecian
Roman
the
are
represented
-writing
(p.406),
jiarcae
with horns of plenty. But almost everythingin the
tria fata simply as women
idises and norne, and
with our
doctrine of fays points to a common
nature

V.

Fadus, and Lobeck's

-

works

Lersch in the Bonner

the three fata,because

of art fall into the background

"

before the fulness of literature.

412

WOMEN.

WISE

Brezeliande, by the

apparelshew
bestows

and

begifta child,but
calamity (San Marte, Leg.of Arthur
themselves, and

Olger'sbirth

At

named

six
In

Morgue.

vnse

ivomcn

the

Children

lime-tree,three wayfaring

future.

The

OFr.

falls asleepin

]nm

Burchard

In

off.

sisters

or

pareae,

with

mensas

cum

of

of Worms
the

160).

; the last is

Limburg {Mones anzeiger

a

meadow

beside

court

an

fountain

foretell the

approach,and

boat, and

for whom

v)ivcs

p. 157-8.

endow

and

Guillaume

of

romance

ho^v Eenoart

table

appear,

Ectrites falls asleepin

1835, 169),when
and

faees in white
is spiteful
one

cle Barendon, dames

fontaine

describes

nez

and
fays come
carry
still spoken of as three
the house
spread the

three

they are
people of

three

platesand three knives ;

lapidibusvel epulis in domo'.

the

conf
.

In

the

'

praeparare

watches

of

the

and
to children,
wash them
night the fatuae come
lay them
down
by the fire (see Suppl.).In most of the tales there appear
three fays,as well as three norns
and three pareae ; occasionally
and thirteen ; but they also come
like that weirdlady
seven
singly,
'

of

the

wood,'

and

with

proper

names

of

their

own.^

French

"^

La fata in Giierino meschino

^8; Morganda fatata,fata
p. m. 22.3. 234
Morgana, Morghe la fee (Noiiv. Renart 4810); 'diu frouwe de la rosrhe bise
(black rock),die gesach nieman, er scliiede dan vro, riche luide wise,'whom
but he went
none
saw
1, 118=".
glad, rich and wise, Ben. 144. MsH.
away
Monnier's
Culte des espritsdans la Sequanie tells of a fee Arie in Francherewards
diligent
comte, who
ap2"ears at country (esp. harvest) feasts, and
and
she
makes
the
for
fruit
fall
off
the
trees
.children,
spinnere;
good
and Berhta.
distributes nuts and cakes to them
at Christmas,just like Holda
I believe her to be identical with the Welsh
Arianrod,daughter of Don and
arian
contains
sister of Gwydion
in
Croker
3,
195.; her name
(Woden),
the
she
used
of
it
that
is
and
is
also
so
a shiningone,
.milkyway.
(argentum),
of
de la Halle
A jeu composed in the latter half of the 13th centitry by Adam
Arras
in
Tlieatre
55
Paris
1839,
seq.)gives a
(pubL
fran^.au moyen
p.
age,
fidl
account
of
dame
et
sa
compaignie. They ,are beautiful
pretty
Morgue
dames
w
ho
fixed
time of the year seek a night's
women
at a
(beles
parees),
that look
dishes
at
where
set
the
table for them ; men
are
on
lodging a house,
there
must
not
word.
Beside
la
on
speak a
Alorgue sage
appear (p.76-7) two
other fays,Arsile and Maglore,and the last,on
sittingdown, notices that no
h
as
been
laid
for
while
the
others
Icnife
her,
praise the beauty of theirs.
in
cries
out
Maglore
prisa qviiestavli,ni avisa
anger : 'Suije li pire? pen me
seule
faille'.
Arsile tries to pacifyher, and says, it is fitting
a coutel
que toute
that we
those
who
have arranged this place so prettily.
give a present to
endows
with
one
riches,Arsile .with the poeticart, but Maglore says ;
Morgue
"

De

mi

certes

bien doivent

Morgue however
head, and on the

il nient,:
falir a don bel,
naront

puisquejaifali a coutel
honni soit qui riens leur
insistingon a gift,Maglore
other a calamitous journey :

donra

bestows

on

one

fellow

bald

NORNI.

tradition

bringsto lighta

: the
fays
giant-maidens

heads

or

413

FATAE.

close connexion

blocks

enormous

cany

faysand

between

of stone

on

our

their

their aprons, while the free hand

pliestlie spindle;
doing the buildingpart had linished her
fay who was

in

wlien the

bringany more, and these,

though two miles off,lieard the cry and dropped their stones, which
not
buried themselves
deep in the ground ; when the fays were
goodThey were
spinning,they carried four stones at once.
natured,and took specialcare of the children whose fates they
houses by the
in and out of the neiglibours'
foretold. They went
chimney, so that one day the most careless one among them burnt
all the fays of the
and
uttered a loud wail, at which
lierself,
could deceive them :
running up. You never
neighbourhood came
a man
once, when
put his wife's clothes on and nursed the baby^
in and
the fay walked
said directly
:
non, tu n'es pointla belle
\
ni ne vogues, ni ton fuseau n'enveloppes
tu ne files,
d'hier an soir,
To punish him, she contented
herself with making the applesthat
were
baking on the hearth shrink into peas.
in Eomance
Of such stories there are plenty; but nowhere
or

task, she called

to her. sisters not

out

to

'

German

folk-tales do

meet,

we

as

far

as

it

the

the Greek

conceptionof twiningand fasteningthe cmd, or

spinningand cuttingthe thread of life.Only one
Ages, Marner, has

with

know,

Norse
of

one

poet of the Mid,

2, 173^:

fldhtcnmir ein sell,

scliepfer
da bi diu dritte saz (thethird sat by) ;
diu zerbrachz (brokeit)
unheil.
min
: daz was

zwo

But

this

thread

Then

seems

borrowed

from

the Eoman

(rumpat, p. 406, note).

before

daybreak

Wonns

of

by day.
fays to the
a

cloth

all doubt.

Here
three

breakingoff

makes

Ottokar

ains comperront cliier le coutel

qu'ilouvlierent chi a metre.
the fays departto a meadow, their

they shun to meet the eyes of men

of these three
close resemblance
understands
coutel of
wrongly
Burciiard of

view

we

see

nonis.

spread for

the

the

the

schcpferi

placeof meeting,for
plainlyenough
The

fay ;
be

French

the

editor

passage in
corruption of

the

If Maglore
a
mandragora is elsewhere called, a close
be established with Alrune, Ohun.
connexion
Morgue is shortened from
may
the
Breton
for merwoman
Morgan, which is
(from nior, the sea, and gwen,
Morgan with that
splendens femina). One might be tempted to connect
has
the
ON.
morni
stands for morgni ; but the norn
inexplicaldenorn,'as
the
nothing to do with
morning or the sea (see Su]"pl.).
1 II.
Schreiber,Feen in Europa pp. 11. 12. 10. 17. Michclct 2, 17.
removes

Mandaglore, Mandagloire,

'

as

the

414

WISE

WOMEN.

in good or evil. The

banun
impart all success
(creating)
in Hild. lied is hardlyto be explainedby the fastening
of

festan

'

'

thread

of death.
If

we

the

mythus with the Greek,

its own
In
Homer
independent way.
that spinsthe thread for the newborn
:

compare

taken

shape in
Alaa}
personified

aSTorse

what

'

thingsAisa

Od. 7, 197 other

Xlvut,ore
iTrevrjcre
for him

span

ol Alaa

makes

and

three

the
Ad-)(eaL"i,
"ATpoTTO'i,
exalted of all.

But

KX(o6(ti

in

re

who

give to

almost

the

mortals

he

birth

the

Hesiod

{dair.
258)

combatants, KKwOm,
them

names

djaOov re
both

have

to

eldest and

most

as

a'lre/Bporotaiv
"ArpoTTov,

SiSovaiv exeiv
at

'.

span

of stature, but

Kal

Adyealv re

lyeLvo/iievoiai
'

Theog. 218

in

re

beside

last small

her

But

"

unkind

goddesses stand

her thread '.

/3apelac
fJ'^jrrjp
jjllv T"Ke

Xivco, ore

the Kataklothes

it is the

II. 20, 127 ;

fn]T7]p.

associated with

KaTaK\co6e"i

lyeivo/xevcp vi]aavTO

M'hat Aisa

re/ce

fitv

birth with

spinners(two)are

aaaa

'

at

has

ol Alaa

aaaa

yeivo/xevq)

each

KaKov

good

re

and

"

ill;

'

and

in

is
description
given by Plato (De republ. 617 Steph. 508 Bekk.): The three
whose
knees the
on
daughters of ^AvdyKT](necessity),
fioipai are
turns
spindle(drpaKro^)
; they sit clothed in white and garlanded,
Lachesis ra rye'yovora, Klotho
ra
singingthe destiny,
Atropos
ovra,
relation to past, present and future as
ra
fieXKovra : justthe same
do not themselves
the norns
have, though the Greek proper names
(formed like Av^m, GaWco, Arjro),Mop/xM,
exj)ress it. Kkwddo
Top"y(jii)
spins (from Kkwhw
spin,twine), Lachesis allots (from

w^ords

same

The

at 905.

most

the unturnable,cuts
"Arpo7To";,
Xa-xelv),

overlooked,that Hesiod
while

with

AVurt

us

Latin

I think

the eldest

producesthe

most

not

be

the

mightiest,
powerfulimpression.

the last,Atropos,as

distribute the offices of the parcae somewhat

Apuleius (De mundo
p. 280) : Clotlio ^9?-acsen?'is
curam,

quia quod torquetur

ala-a is the OHG.

era,

our

ehre,for

aiza,aisa (as aistan is aestimare) :

is fair and
meed.

up

It must

thread.

writers

as
differently,
temporis habet

Gothic

sets

the

detailed

what
fitting,

If this

(seeSuppl.).

is any

era

one's due ; kut

understand

etymologyholds,we

in

which

momenti
digitis,
we

should

expect

what
honor, decus, dignitas,
each
his
t
o
ex
ala-av,
dignitate,
why frau Ere waa personified
=

415

NOKNI.

est, quia quod

latum
praesentisindicat spatia; Atropos practcriti

temporishabet
perfectuniest,praetcriti^
futuri,quod etiain illis quae futura sunt finem
quoted on
(seeSuppl.). Isidore's opinionwas
in fuso

nagestssaga bears

tell his fortune

birth three moirai

whose
live

strikingresemblance

only tillthe billet then

Altliaca

his mother
here

exchange

the

Another

tale,that of the

ugly old

women,

desire

be

to

who

bidden

(Deutschesagen

to

come

to

three old

Elsewhere

tlirce

the

9)

no.

of the mountain, and

help,but
marriage

introduces

under

Nor-

Meleager,at

Atropos destines

him

burnt

to
out

two

tales

modern
no.

spinners (no.14),depictsthem

44.
as

longerto predict; they

no

and
do

but
foretell,

women

dederit

The

for death, Kinderm.

fates

or

of

of the fire.^ Our

it out

norns

p. 405.^

the liearth be

burning on

plucks

deus

suum

that

to

Lacliesis

speciem;

to
not

maidens

their table is the

called cousins.

be

spin.^ A folk-tale
spinningin a cave
Evil one
(I suppose

norn) chained up ; again we are told of the roof-beam on

the
not forget
which a spinnirig
ivifcsits at midnight.* We must
describes a
which
norn
as
AS.
term
iveaving, Wyrd gcwdf
(p.406) ; and when it is said in Beow. 1386 : ac him Dryhten
largitusest successuum
forgeafwigspeda gewiofu'(ei Dominus
bellicorum
phraseology,only
texturas),this is quite heathen
putting God in the place of Wyrd. Gottfried (Trist.4698), in
Blicker of Steinach's purity of mind, expresses himself
describing

the third

'

'

thus

ich wsene,

daz

haben

wunder

ze

und

infeinen
gespunnen

in in ir hrunnen

haben

und gereinet
geliutert
;
*

ween

that

fays spun

him

as

wonder, and cleansed him

in their

fountain '.
Saxo

Gram.

unmistakably he

p.

102

is

uses

the

Latin

describingnorns

words
'

Mos

nympha, but
antiquis,
super

parca,
erat

^ The
still three

to Mercury 550-561
names
Hymn
individuallysome
in nuud)er,winrjod maidens
dwelling on Parnassus,
besprinkledwith white meal, who prophesy when they have eaten
food (ijSelni/
of honey. Otherwise
t5a)Sr]v)
they are called dptai.
Apollodonis i. 8, 2.

other ^oipm.
their heads
fresh divine

54-5.
*

Altd.

wl). 1, 107-8-9-10.
Norske
eventyr no.
Miillenliotl's Schleswigh. s. p. 410.
Pentamer.
Jul. Schmidt, Reichenfels p. 140.

13.

4, 4.

Rob.

Chambci-s

p.

416

WISE

eventibus

liberorum

futuris

oracula

farcariim

consultare.

Quo

filii fortmiam

Olavi

Fridlevus

WOMEN.

exploraturus,nuncnpatis
aedes precabundiis
solenniter votis,deorum
accedit,ubi introspecto
sedes totidem
saccllo^ iernas
occiipari
nt/vqjJiis
cognoscit.Quanim
aninii liberalem
forniam, uberemqiie
prima indulgentioris
puero
secunda
beneficii loco
humani
favoris copiam erogabat. Eidem
Tertia
condonavit.
liberalitatis excellentiam
protervioris
vero,
studii femina, sororum
indulgentiorem
ingenii invideutiorisque
donis officere cupiens,
futuris
aspernata consenstim, ideoque earum
pueri moribus parsimoniaecrimen affixit.' Here they are called
ritu

the third
of

the

is

nymph

first two.

the

OK

authorities ; and

who

lessens the boons

else in

nowliere

again the
The
only

infant,but

the

to

come

found

I have

which
sisters,

illnatured one,

is,that the

difference
father seeks

out

their

do

norns

not

their
dwelling,

temple (seeSuppl.).^
and the spindleof the faysgive us
The weaving of the norns
to
recognisedomestic motherlydivinities ; and we have already
remarked, that their appearingsuddenly,their haunting of weUs
about frau Holda,
and springsaccord with the notions of antiquity
to spinning,
who devote themselves
and the like goddesses,
Berhta
and

bestow

boons

on

and

babes

chiklren.^

Celts

Among

especially,

consiilted.
which their oracle was
the birth of a child,lays the sheet imder it,and
its fortune.
And
other occasions in life they say,
determines
on
taipLaima
with lemti
connected
ordained
it
doubt
Laima
Fate
is
no
so
closely
;
leme,'
ch. XVII,
hills
the
She
barefooted
runs
over
(see
(ordinare, disponere).
from debt
Dchlda
is
also
mentioned
There
a
(nursing-mother,
Watersprites).
^

They

The

had

templethen, in

Lettish

Laima,

at

'

to

to
trinityof jmrcae, and their spinning a thread,are unknown
;309.
272.
dainos
Stender's
Ehesas
Gramm.
264.
conf.
pp.
;
p.
Lithuanians
do know
a
IVerjKya(spinner). The Ausland for 1839,

suckle).

the

Lettons

310.

The

"

seven
dieves valditoycswere
the
her
distaff
a
by
men
given
spun
foiu-th
the
the
in
third
the
second
the
the
set
wove
woof,
highestgod,
up
warp,
the
told tales to tempt the workers to leave off,for a cessation of labour spoilt
sixth
t
he
the
added
to
to
and
exhorted
them
fifth
life,
length
industry,
web, the
the garment and gave it to the most
washed
high
cut the threads,the seventh

278

no.

has

god, and

pretty Lithuanian

goddesses,the

it became

legend :

The

the lives of

first one

of

out

winding-sheet. Of

the man's

the seven,

only i/ireespin or

weave.
^

three
or

Not

Marys

few
of

times
Swiss

have

Holda

and

Berhta

I think
niu'sery-rhyme

passedinto Mary
can

and

recognisethe heathen

in the
norns

idisi :
rite, rite rosli,
Bade stot e schlossli,
ze
ze
es

Bade

stot

hus,
glildi

liiegeddrei Mareie drus.

spinntside,

die eint

ride,ride a-cock horse,

at

Baden

stands

stands
at Baden
there look three
the

one

little castle,

golden house,
Marys out of it :

spinssilk,

KORNI.

the fatae
wliich

more

run

we

beings.

In

them

higher in

to

Teutons

among

semi-divine

out

apt

seem

than

our

into

that

find
this

of matres

sense

and

matronac}

to divine than to
attachingmore
respect the fays have something

idises and norns,

who

in lieu of it stand

warlike.

4. WALA.CHUEIUN
the

Yet, as
of
asserts

norns

417

WALACHUKIUN.

fatae

are

closelybound

vaticination
destiny,
itselfall the

that stirred the

(VaLKYRJOR).
witli fatum

the nouncing
prothe kinship of the fays to the

"

Now

same.

up

there

was

"

sort of

no

destiny

of
spirit

antiquitymore
stronglythan the issue of
that the same
battles and wars
: it is significant,
urlac,urlouc
and bellum also (Graff2, 96. Gramm.
2, 790),
expresses both fatum
and the idisi forward or hinder the fight. This their office we have
to look into more
narrowly.
From
Caesar (De B. Gall. 1, 50) we
alreadylearn the practice
sortihus et vaticinationibwi
of the Germani, 'ut matresfamilias
eorum
tresses
declararent,utrum
proelium committi ex usu esset,necue '. Misselected for tlie
of families practised
augury, perhapswomen
and godlikerepute like Veleda.
purpose, of superior
concerned themselves
Let us bear in mind, which
gods chiefly
to themselves
with the event of a battle : Offinn and Frcyja draw
and
all those who fall in fight,
OSinn
admits them to his heavenly
abode (pp.133, 305). This hope,of becoming after death members
of the divine community, pervades the religion
of the heathen.
the ON.

Now

valr,AS. wed, OHG.

the
battle-field,
to

gatherit in,was

seems

made

to

of the

sum

slain

denominated

to

take

carnage

possessionof

of the

this

val,

Idosa,kiesen,to choose ; this verb

generaltechnical term for the acceptanceof any sacrifice

has the siges
Jciir(choosing
a higherbeing.^ But OSiun, who

(lieamTer schnatzelt chride,

die drit schnit haberstrau.
bhiiet nier Gott mis chindH an
Schnatzeln

denotes the
ival,

is,I suppose,

the other cards

?
the third cuts oaten straw.
God keep my childie too !
.

wind ? [snast -wick ? snood ? In the marchen

of the Goo"eniaid,
schnatzen is apparentlyto comb]. The .'seventhline sometiiiu's
di dritte schneidt den faden (cutsthe thread). Conf. Vonbun
runs
:
p. 6(".
Firmenich
Mannhardt
The
2, ()G5^
388.
392.
in
the
pp.
nursery-song
Wunderhorn
p. 70-1 has tlireespinningtocken,i.e.nymi"hs,fays.
^
Lersch in the Bonn
7.'
Annual
1843, pp. 124
Chief passage, Stem. 141".
Conf. Gramm.
4, 608, and AS. wig curou,
C:v(\m. 193, 9; MHG.
\Vh. 355, 15.
sige kiesen, Iw. 7009,sig erkiesen,
So,
to

"

"

den

tot kiesen.

27

418
of

WOMEN.

WISE

is served
victory,
p. 133, note),

he sends out

in Valholl

by maidens, and

battle,to choose the slain,Sn. 39;

into every

them

'Idosa

er

ero,'Siem. 164^; vildi J?ikhiosa,Stem. 254^

such
Hence
a
maiden, half divine,is called valkyrja
; and

liSnir

it is another
has

welcome

most

retained the

same

very

coincidence, that

the

AS.

language
to
term
wselcyrre)
(wselcyrge,
ivcelcyrie
as
bellona, erinnys,Alecto, Tisiphone,

English such Latin words

The Cott. MS. Vitell.
for parca and venefica.
and employs it even
this is translating
A. 15 has a gloss wtelcyrigean
eagan, gorgoneus':
AS. one ; did the eyes of the wffilcyrigean
idea into an
the Greek
I am
instil horror like the Gorgons'heads?
quitesafe in assuming
would be the Gothic
walachurid
OHG.
(walachurra)
an
; valahusjo
find a man's
form.
At the end of the Langobardiangenealogy we
'

Walcaiisus}

name

Another

is ON. valmeyjar(battle-maids),
valhjrjur

of the

name

which Hallager140^ says

perhaps also the present Norw. valdoger,
is guardian-spirit.
hialmmeyjar,
Again,they are called skialdmeyjar,
because they go forth armed, under shield and helmet
(vera und
The
of OSinn 4^
hialmi, Soem. 151^ 192^); nonnor
Herjans,nuns
und hialmi
hvU 168^,/iv-i^
Edda bestows on the valkyrjathe epithets:
solhiort,
sunbright167^,liart(alba sub galea)145^ hiort 174'',
litud' 142% hialnivitr
145=*,
157% gidlvariS167^, margidlin mser
Helm
alvitr 164% all descriptive
of beauty or helmet-ornaments.
much
these helm
and shield women
as
and shield distinguish
as
Ssem. 250%
heroes, they ride on shield-service,under shield-roof,
of
and are called skialdmeyjaraldrstamar, or young shield-maidens
117.
Atli's court.
The
(Herod.4, 110
legend of the Amazons
similar yet
to rest on
Jorn. cap. 6.7.8. Paul. Diac. 1, 15) seems
suffrcen (australis)
different notions. A valkyrin Ssem. 167''is named
of biort,solbiort ? Again at 151% disir
apparentlyin the sense
"

suSrcenar

Of

(seeSuppl.).^
valr,wal itself we

that it should

from

the

appliedto strages,and

its

the root in velja,

so
valjan (eligere),
the notion of choosing,but being
gettingblurred, it had to be helped out by a

might

first have
sense

seek

contained

:
Tit. 105, 4 has a striking
juxtaposition
'.
It
und
ir
ivelt
kiusche
siieze
man
magede
Sigun diu
is only in Dietr. 91'' and Rab. 536. 635. 811. 850. 923 that welreche occurs
; can
walkiire
?
it have any relationship
to
^
in the vv^aggon with him,
03inn
has Frigg,the valhjrjurand the ravens

second
'

Sn. 66.

verb of the

meaning.
sigehaftuf dem wal,da

For

same

valkyrjaI

Our

also find the

superbia,or skari agmen.

skorAngr'(seeSuppl.j.

name

Brynhildr

shmhigr, derivable
is called in Vols,

saga

either from
cap. 24

'

skar
mestr

VALKYRJA,

419

W^LCYRIE.
'i

One

name

(Stem.212. Vols,
in OSin's

attractive
particularly

is

cap.

saga

2),given them,

service,and OSinn
I find

oskmeyjar,wish-maidens

is called

confirmation

think,because they are

Oski, Wunsc.

But

there

is

of my

opinionthat Wuotan
in his identity
of Wunsc
with Mercury,for ]\Iercury
bore the name
which is like our
carries the magic wand
(caduceus),
v:ishing-rod,
will
out
OHG.
come
(-yerde,yard). The likeness
vmnsciligerta
from a closer inspection
of the two rods,which is yet
more
distinctly
something more

; but

to come

may

suppose

into the dress

a

if Wuotan
that
of

the

and

Wunsc,

OSinn

OsJd

and

are

which
thorn, the sleeping-thorn,

OSinn

tlie valkyrjaBrynhildr(Soem.192"^),
was

wishing-thorn. It throws

Chrimhild,that rocks

are

the

lighton
named

Chriemhildes^^7
(p.370),which

after them,
does

of

nature

called

meaning

we

put

likewise

Brunhild

one

find

not

one,

and

spilstcin,
so

well

spille(spindle,
fusus). For other stones
knnkel
and in French fairy-tales
have the name
(distaff),
quenouillc
^ Dornroschen
dame ;
a la bonne
pricked her finger
(thorn-rosekin)
with the spindleand fell into a dead sleep,
Brunhild
did with
as
the wishing-thorn.Spindlesare an essential characteristic of all the
of antiquityamong
The
wise-women
Teutons, Celts and Greeks.^
walkiire is a wunsch-kint,Wunsches
hint,pp. 139, 142 (seeSuppl.).
from

spil(Indus)as

The

name

from

which
wunsclielweib,

lasted down

to

late time, shall

of the
produced hereafter; here I call up from the poem
the connexion
of valkyrswith fays
a beingby whom
Staufenberger
is placedbeyond doubt.
To the knightthere shews herself a maiden
biort above),
in wliitc apparel(the hvit and
on
a stone
(line
sitting
224) ; she has ivatched over him in danger and tvar from his yoidh
about
him
she becomes
his
unseen
(332 3G4) ; now
up, she was
love, and is with him ivhcnever he ivishcs for her (swenne du einest
bi dir 474). By supernach mir, so bin ich endelichen
wunschest
human
whither
she
lists
ich
she
wil, da,
moves
(war
swiftly
power
hat mir Got gegeben 497). Staufenberger,
after
bin ich,den umnsch
being united to her in love, may do anythingexcept take a wedded
wife,else he will die in three days.

be

"

'

er

wilnschf.e nach

bi im

H.

so

war

der frouwen

diu schcene

sin,

fin,'

Schreiber

pp. 20. 21.

Sclireiber'3 derivation, pp. 65
(suprap. 257) from the root nere, neza

like also

Nehalennia

"

67, of
to

spin.

tlie

name

Nehaea,

420

WISE

"VVlien he

resolves
notwithstanding

he?' foot throughthe

to

whose

WOMEN.

and
floor,

this remarkable
her

anotlier

on

he has to die

story, umnschwcih

lover

marriage,she drives
ing
(1016.1066). Accord-

or

ivunschclweih

is

one

by wishingit,whenever he
her name'
it were
longsfor her, names
as
(p.398) : this is,thougli
not a false,
yet a later meaning substituted for the originalone,
which had reference to the god of wishing,the divine Wish.
Old
Norse
of these
the nature
legend \\ ill unfold to us more
precisely
presence

can

procure,

'

women.

In Valholl

the

to
occupationof the oshneyjaror valkyrjiir
was
hand
the drinking-hornto the gods and einherjar,
and to furnish
the table. Here
out their peculiar
relation to Frcgja,
who
comes
chooses val like them, is called Valfrcyja(p.305),^
and pours out
at the banquet of the Ases
(atgildiAsa),Sn. 108. Exactly in the
stol i rioSrinu (inthe niuriute,
same
on
a
way did Gondul, sitting
drink out of a horn (Fornald.
offer the comers
clearing),
sog. 1, 398.
400);and with this agree the deep draughtsof the modern folk-tale :
dressed and garlandedmaiden
from the Osenberg offers
a beautifully
the count of Oldenburg a draughtin a silver horn, while uttering
predictions
(Deutschesagen, no. 541). Svend Fallingdrank out of the
horn handed
him
his
on
by elf-women, and in doing so, spiltsome
horse, as in the preceding story (Thiele2, 67) ; I have touched
whose
(p.372) on the identityof Svend Fallingwith Siegfried,
relation to the valkyr Brunhild
out
comes
clearlyin the Danish
in Arvidsson
2, 301, three mountainstory. In a Swedish folk-song
'

'

maids

hold

harmony

are

silver tankards

out
some

Norwegian

additional Danish

and

ones

in

their

traditions

in Thiele

ivhite

in

1, 49.55.

hands.

Faye

Quite in

p. 26-8-9.

30 ;

3,44 (seeSuppL).

valkyrs in war.
but
'rac5a viguni' or
Not
'sigri,'
only 'kiosa val, kiosa feigS,'^
in
and
their
of
is placed
therefore the deciding battle
hands,
victory,
at riSa grund,'
tSn. 39.
'gorvar
They are said to be 'gorvar (alert)
Still

more

to

the

purpose

is the

office of the

So, in a Faroese song, Valvfrygv(Finn Magn. lex. p. 805).

and
of death by OSinn
The
of souls at the moment
taJdng possession
to
the
me
so
deep-rooteda
valkyrs,appears
Freyja,or by their messengers
in christian
well
find
it
featnre of oiir heathenism,that we may
lingeringeven
cribed
for
the
and
devils
scramble
of
is
Of tliis sort
the
traditions.
soul,desangels
1235-44.
hunted
has
which
Schmeller
in the poem
Muspilli,
up, Georg
Meon
6(l'-2" 86, and
1, 239.
4, 114-5 ; and a strikingpassage in the Morolt I
think of tracingthis idea to the Epistle
Will any one
shall quote in ch. XVII.
of
Enoch
?
of Jude 9, or the apocryphalBook
^
"

"\VALACUURIUN.

Sffiin.4^
at riSa til go5]7ioSar,'

421

SKULD.

Eooted

in their

being is an

tible
irresis-

this warlike

occupation; hence the Edda expresses

their most
cliaracteristic passionby the verb '}?ra'(desiderant),
Sffim. 88^
134^* : it
or
])xivSo(desiderabant)
fystoz (cnpiebant),
is their own
longing,strivingand wisliingthat has swung itself
round into that wishing for them.
Usually nine valkyrjurride out
Stem. 142, 162 ; their lances,helmets
and shields glitter
together,
15 1\
in the story of T'aiSrandi (sec
This nineness is also found
first in white raiment, then nine
nine disir appear
p. 402),to whom
longingfor

'

'

others

in

black.

thirteen of

'

'

Sa?m.

them:

44-5, and

after

him

Sn.

39,

enumerate

Hrist, Mist, Skeggdld,Skugul, Hildr, Thriid'r,

Hlock, Herfiotr,
Gall, Geirahod' (al.Geirolul),
liandgricF,
RddgrOT,
Saem. 4'' only six: Skuld, Skogul, Giinnr, Hildr,
Reginleif
; but
three as
Gondul, Geirskogul}The j)rose of Sn. 39 distinguishes
val-choosers and
mistresses of victory: Gud'r,Bota and
strictly
Skuld 'norn
en
yngzta'. The celebrated battle-weavingsong of
the Nialssaganames
the following
: Hildr, Hiorprimul, Sangriffr
(1.
Gondol, Skogol,
EangriSr),
Svipid,Gunnr, Gondid; the Hakonarmal:
the Krakumal
Geirskogol;
(ed.Eafn, p. 121) only Hlock and Hildr.
of extraordinary
Several of these names
value
and immediate
are
of the remainder
and not one
to our
investigation,
ought to be left
out of sightin future study (seeSuppl.).
of norns
and
Skuld, for instance : we gatlierfrom it the affinity
time
the distinction between
them.
A
valkyrs,and at the same
dis can
be both
and valkyr,but the functions are
norn
separate,
and usuallythe persons.
The norns
have to pronounce
the fatum,
they sit on their chairs,or they roam
through the country among
their threads.
Nowhere
is it said that they ride.
mortals,fastening
The valkyrs ride to war,
decide the issue of the fighting,
and
conduct the fallen to heaven ; their ridingis like that of heroes
and gods (pp.327. 392), mention
is made
of their horses : skalf
Mistar

(tremuitMistae

marr

(aureo
shake

equo

vecta

falls

tillationes in comis
the

name

virgo),145''; M'hen

themselves, dew

hail
fertilizing

on

Mist, which

803).

dripsfrom
trees

'

means

skalds

156^

steeds
into

manes

with
145''''',

elsewhere
in the

the

their

et collis equorum

Unpublishedpassages

lex. p.

equus),Sa^m.

which

wa?'gullinnicer
of the valkyrs
the valleys,
and

compare

of the wise-women

nust, may

supply 29

or

30

have

names

the

'

des-

(p.287);
indicated
(Finn Ma-^n.

422

WISE

WOMEN.

like

but
phenomenon. Of the norns, none
UrSr and
(p.405) can be a valkyrjatoo : were
too aged or too dignified
as
for the work
of war
breaking,of the thread (ifsuch an idea can
a

North)better
Two

become

other

the maiden

valkyrs,Hloch

above

and
(p.401) as idisi,
the Kormakssaga there

In

practisedin

Skidd
VerSandi

be

in

the

have
Hcrfiotr,
restrainers
as
interpreted
occurs

the

detected

arms

Hlokk

youngest

imagined
cutting,

? did

and

also

the

been

claimed

of the

fight.

Hlakkar, for

gen.

bellona.
Tkruffr

Hildr, Gunnr,
because

their

well,and

turns
personality

made

find

bellum

'

and

899.
as

other

the

hildr

hefir

Teutonic

2962

elsewhere

ealle fornam
Wurd

GticT nimeS
we

have

'

5069

AS.

hild

Ifdd
;

that

Gunnr

and

as

of

(=:Gu6r)
of bellona

nobis

guff

fuisti,
still

we

nime

GticT

deaS

gifmec

2154, guSdeaS fornam

tongues

argues

bellona
verit,'

])u oss

closely,

more

(pugna,proelium);

gunnr

Conversely,beside the
personalHild and Gild': gifmec

Beow.

OS.

hildr

164^

2240

in

up

studied

walachuriun
presence there of some
sisterhood.
Even in ONorse, ITildr and

into
got generalized

Seem.

be

to

the

the whole

was

deserve

(ifH. take me),

fornam
(carriedoff)

nimeS,' Beow.

4494, Wyrd

fornam

farnimid, Hel. Ill, 11), swylt fornam

889, wig

2411

(conf.

2872, Wyrd

for-

'

5009.
And
other
(suprap. 406) ; conf. Ililde grap
as
beings that do us good or harm are by turns aroused and quieted,
it is said picturesquely:
Hildi vekja (bellonamexcitare),
Seem. 160^
The
246=^; elsewhere
merely vig vekja (bellum excitare)105*.
valkyrs,like OSinn (p.147),are accompanied by eaglesand ravens,
who
and the waging of war
is poetically
alighton the battlefield,^
Ssem.
expressedas ala gogl gunna^ sysf.ra(avesalere sororum
belli),
160^
The forms in OHG.
Hiltia and
Gundia
were
(Gudea),both
found in the Hild. lied 6, 60, though alreadyas mere
common
have -hilt,
nouns
names
; compositeproper
-gunt.^ The legend of
Hildr, who goes to the val at night,and by her magic wakes the
fallen warriors into life again,
is preservedboth in the Edda (Sn,
'

sweop

164-5) and
Hilde?
1

also in the OHG.

Lastly,Thru"r,

"

Andr.

and

poem

which

El. p. xxvi. xxvii.

of

Gudrun, where

likewise
Conf.

sinks into

Luke

17, 37

she is called

mere

ottou

to

apj^ellaawfia,

tKf'i

(TvvaxSrjcrovTaLol aeroi.
kol

The

suited to
*

burg.

Trad,
a

fuld.,in

valkyr,of

Deutsche

Scliannat

Themarhilt

heldensagep.

no.

443, have

preservedthe

name,

well

(fromdemar, crepusculum).

327 seq. Conf. supra j).285,

on

Hilde

and

Hikl-

UILD.

tive

prii"r virgo,and

in

GUND.

OHG.

423

DRUD.

occurs

in

great

many

female

Wolcliandrud, Himildriul,
Elfrida],
Alpdrud [^lfj?ry5,
{e.g.

names

Pliddrut, Plihdmt

Plectrud, Kerdrud

Gertrude, Mimidriid,

Sigidrud,which naturallysuggest ghostly beings),has assumed

the generalmeaning of witch, sorceress, hobgoblin.^ Hans
Sachs
alte trute
for old witch,and noisy children are
several times uses
! ^ so that here
quietedwith the words : hush, the d^^ut will come
she exactly fills the place of frau Holla
or
Berhta, and can
the more
AS. woodbe the ancient valkyr. An
appropriately
maiden, named Dhryd',comes
up in the Vita Offae secundi (supra,
to
France, where she had been sentenced
p. 388) : she is from
the shore of
death for her crimes,exposed in a ship,and cast on
the maiden
Mercia.
Here Offa saw
passingfair,and married her,
She is called 9^ Drida,
but she soon
committed
new
transgi-essions.
9^ Petronilla,
15^ Qvendrida (i.e.,cwen
ThryS ; conf. Kemble's preface
to Beow.
xxxvi, and Bilckstrom 1, 220 (seeSuppL).
pp. XXXV,
have been many
Beside the valkyrsnamed, there must
others,
'

'

'

'

and

the

lovers

or

second

section

wives

of heroes.

of

the
Such

Ssemundaredda
are

names

several

as

Kara, SigrUn,
Svava, Sigrlinn,

Seem. 142^ 145^ 157,

expresslycalled valkyrjur,
of human
It also comes
169. 194.
out, that they were
origin,
being daughters of kings,Svava of Eylimi, Sigrlinnof Svafnir,
of BuSli ; Svava
was
Sigrun of Hogni, Kara of Halfdan, Sigrdrifa
the lover of Helgi HiorvarSsson,Sigrlinnof HiorvarSr,Sigrun of
Helgi Hundingsbani,Kara of Helgi HaddingskaSi,and Sigrdrifa,
of SigurSr. Grimhildr
who
other than Brynhildr,
is no
(helmetmaiden, p. 238),and above all Brynhildr,Prunhilt, whose very
betokens the mail-clad Hildr,is superhuman: her inaccessible
name
hall stands on a mountain, like those of Veleda and Jetha (pp.95she herself,bound
where
by
a
scMldhurg (skialdborg),
6) ; it was
who
Sigrdrifa,

are

spell,
sleptunder her shield,till SigurSr released her. Then
she
before her death
she prophesied to him, Ssem. 194^ and
encircled with Jlickering
Her hall was
prophesiesagain,224. 226^
Sn. 139 (seeSuppL),as was
sal hennar vafrlogi,'
fiame, oc var um
monili laetabunda),
also that of Menglocf(OHG. Maniklata, i.e.,
another valkyr: salr er slunginner visom vafrloga
(Seem.110*,conf.
the

'

Some

peoplethink Gerdrut,Gerdraut,an

(Kinderm.43).
gesch.des groteskekom.
Flogel,
p.
^

23.

unchristian

name.

Frau

Trmle

424

WOMEN.

WISE

this

Before
107'^''').

MengloS,

sacrifice is offered to

Vebiorg shialdmccr

them

Fornald.

in

finds at

Dietrich

Babehilt,whom

all

appears

virginskneel, sit,and
(111^);conf, ch. XXXVI.

nine

sog.

1, 384.

sing;
Then

And

vro

fountain, asleep(as Sigurd found

Brynhild),and who giveshim healing salves,and foretells his fate

norns
or
valkyrs.
(Ecke 151
160),must also be reckoned among
lover
their favourites,
as
The valkyrsbestowed
Staufenberger's
on
did on him (p.419), victoryand protectionin battle (SigrunhlifSi
honom
opt siSan i orrostom, Soem. 142^); this relation is technically
they hide their heroes' ships(Svava
expressedby vcrja(tueri134'');
145=^'^,
Sigrun 153^). The above-mentioned Hildr too, the daughter
"

of

that
but

brother, by which

her

valkyragain,for

sisters,and

meant

higher beings are

these

fraternize with

other times

is not

it is

maids
a

sister by

everywhere

proteges (Arvidsson2,

their

songs
folk-

her 8000

with

skoldmo

of

memory

modern

into

even

captivity
; at

from

her betrothed

rescues
a

1, 189, Kerstin

in Arvidsson

redeems

filtered down

has

shield-maidens

these

The

betrothed.

HeSin's

king Hogni (Hagene),was

sister

birth,
called

120-1-2.

medieval
in our
poetry,the
Nyerup 4, 38-9). Now those women
need only be uttered
whose name
to victory,
nerves
sightof whom
be formed and
can
to one's side as quicklyas
a wish
to bringthem
of this kind (seeSuppL).
are
evidentlyshield-women
accomplished,
of valkyrsmortal maidens
into his band
OSinn then admitted
of

kinglyrace,

heroes ;
but

that

deified

yet I do

not

suppose

the oldest and

from

gods
Helgi were
Helgi,Sam.

elves.

or

looked

standingby the side of the deified

of such lineage,
that all valkyrswere

women

most

It

famous

were,

noting,that

Kara

second hirth of Svava

and

is also worth
as

upon

like the norns,

descended
and
the

her
elder

VolundarqviSa tliree other valkyrs

cdvitr,
svanhvit,Rervor
make
their appearance
together: Jllad'gud'r
and OlrlXn,the first two
being daughtersof king LoSver, the third
live
and Egill,
Volundr
to SlagfiSr,
of Kiar ; they unite themselves
to pursue
at vitjaviga,'
with them
seven
years, and then escape,
148^

169.

In

the

'

their old trade of

war

again.

the whole, it

On

with heroes
half-goddesses
to an
the heroes
came
:
parties
example teaches
Staufenberger's

turned

these

grew

scant

of

life.Stem.

assuming that promotion to

169\
the

out

early

seems

to
detrimentally

death

or

of

the union

other

both

harm,

as

Sigrun varS skammlif,' she

Perhaps we should be rightin
valkyrs office took placeunder an
;

and

'

425

WALACHURIUN.

again reminds one of the Amazons.

for lettinghis
03inn was
At all events, when
angry with Sigrdrifa
she should be given in
he decreed that now
favourite fall in battle,"^
Snem. 194:^
HlaSguSr,Hervbr
marriage,qvaS liana giptazscyldo,'
and against
had been carried off by the men
forcibly
and
Olrun
are
descriptive.
their will (see Suppl.).^All these female names
bellona
discussed on
IllaSguSris literally
Olriin was
p. 404.
which
virginity}

oblitration of

'

to the

battles,the adj.alvitr

swan-shape.

Saxo

much

of

likewise

Gram.

22-3

seer

of

and

to

the
has

Scanhvita, who

another

names

hosts

to

svanhvit

giftof prophecy,and

valkyr,is

the

Gunnvor, alludes

kindred

like the

straf^is;Hervor,

and presents a
spirits,
for Slagfi"r
(seep. 380),

As
to seal their covenant.
llegner
I preferto explainit not as Slagfiunr,
though he is called a son of
the Finnakonungr,but as Slagjioffr alatus,pennatus,which goes
his lover, and is supported by the OHG.
better with Svanhvit

sword

to

word

slagifedara,
peuna.
little we

How

totallyfrom

entitled to

are

separate the

another, is taught by the tale

one

and

nonis

of

valhjrs

these

three

valkyrs as
prevalenceamong
three and sisterly
of the number
well as norns
companionship,nor
which
better fits a
Hervor's having the epithetalvitr (omniscia),
than a valkyr; it is said of all three,that they sat on the
norn
all-witting one
sea-beach spinningcostlyfiax,nay, of the same
that
(who is repeatedlycalled iXnga,as Skuld is in other places),
about to orlog drygja'to dree a weird, Ssem. 133'' 134^.
she was
Not

also.

maidens

to

mention

the

'

'

'

Oracuh
Gallici antistites,
numinis
pei-petua
3, 8 :
Pompon. Mela
traduntur.
Gallicenas
esse
nuniero
novem
vocant,
putantqiie
sanctae,
virginitate
maria ac ventos
concitare,seque in quae velint
ingeniissingularibuspraedita-s
et
animalia
sunt, scire ventura
vertere, sanare
quae apud alios insanabilia
consulereut
in
id
ut
deditas
e
t
tantum
nisi
se
sed
non
navigantibus,
praedicare,
of these nine sooth-telling
gallicenae
Q '. The similarity
[I.profectis
profectas
conf. Tzschucke,
read Galli Cenas, others Barrigenas,
Some
is unmistakable.
'

Not.
above
^

and

1(53.
crit. pp. 159
N.B. againstOeiin's
"

the
On
iLS

will,who

could

therefore be outwitted

:.

destinystood

god.

wise-women
as
represented
for
will
be
similar
it
reasons
actuallywriting;
p. 406

we

saw

acquainted with writing,

that valkyrsembroider

paint. The Vols, saga cap. 24 says of Ijrynhild: huu sat i einui skemmu
aJirar konur, hun
sinu
kuuni
meira hagleik enn
viC meyjar sinar,hun
lagtJi
h
afSi
'.
in
And
ok sauma^i
borSa me5' gulli,
a
er
stormerki,
Sigurt^r
giort
]7au
the
this
lines
of
her.
I
beside
to
this chamber
a,
place
opening
Sigurt)comes
'

and

Swedish

song

Sven

Farlingban

rider tilljungfrunsgard,

stickude pa silket del hvita.

this hero is identical with iSigurO".
som

And

426

WOMEN.

WISE

The

of battle is

award

part of destiny;

only norns, but

valkyrs also were
imaginedspinning and weaving. This is placed
in the clearest lightby the fearfully
excitingpoem in cap. 158 of
one

not

Nialssaga. Through a crevice in the rock DorruSr sees women

human
for
heads
them
sit singingover
a
serve
tech,at which
and arrows
weights,entrails for warp and weft, swords for spools,
in their weird
for a
comb
as
:
they describe themselves
song
for the spectatorDorruSr.^
intended
and their web
as
valkyrjur,
their steeds,and six of
At length they tear up their work, mount
them
ride to the south, six to the north.
Compare with this the
iveavingWyrd of the AS. poet (p. 415). The parting of the
that ride in oppositedirections,is like
into two
bands
maidens
those nine in white and nine in black,who came
cession
ridingup in sucthe

(p.421).

by side ; with equal aptness a

valkyrsand Krjpe"i
(withoutany
comparisoncan be drawn between
the likeness is only an apparent one) :
for no doubt
verbal affinity,
the battlefield in bloody garments,
the K7JP too might be seen
on
tendingthe wounded, dragging away the dead. A Kijpis allotted
I have

to the child as

whom
the

he

as

of Hector

or

blood, just as
a

he

of the

Hesiod

Achilles.^

contend
/C7}pe?
the wounded

fresh confirmation
moirai

claws

their

of a
possession
prominence the

two

put

ascribes talons and

The

into

Zeus

her talons round

each throws

; Achilles

it is born

white-toothed

dingy

(p.414) :

soon

/xotpai, side

might choose, and

death

the

and

set norns

shape.

in

249
254) makes
(scut.
the fallen warriors,
over
"

man,

to drink

eager

The

his

to the moirai

and

valkyrs.
wings of the thriai,
point to
later view [Hesiod'sJ
brings

identityof

and keres, the

lird's

between
Krjp"";
the balance,to decide
two

thirst for blood

of the

had

norns

sinister side of the keres.

5. Swan-maidens.
But

we

have

now

to

make

out

new

aspect of the valkyrs.

they travel through air and water, riSa lopt ok

to swim, in
to fly and
142^ 159^; theirs is the power
Stem.
log,'
tlie body of a sivan, they love to
assume
other words, they can
We

are

'

told that

'
if
vef Darra"ar,''
even
understand
vindiim,vindum
So at least we
may
' vef
the
web
of
of
out
darraGar,'
a
and the whole story first arose
the name
dart,conf. AS. deoreS (jaculum). We know that the Sturlungasagacontains a

similar narrative.

very
-

II. 8, 70. 9, 411.

18, 535"540.

22, 210. 23, 79. 24, 82.

427

SWAN-MAIDENS.

the

the sea-shore ; and

lingeron

considered

was

swan

of

bird

the
sat on
augury} Tlie VolundarqviSa relates : Tliree women
by
shore,spinningjiax,and had their dlptarhamir (swan-shifts)
could
moment
:
flyaway again as swans
they
them, so that any
'

meyjar Jingo'and

has

tlie

even

'

hvilaz

at

settuz

dro). In
(svanfiaSrar
Kara, who
2, 375-6),the same

feathers

of them

one

the

and
swan's
wears
(swanwhite),
Hromundarsaga (Fornald.sog.

the

Edda

of svanhvit

surname

'

ScEvarstroud

second

was

says

birth

in

(fiolkyngiskoiia
svxin-sMft,
ance
and hovers above the hero,singing.^By her assisti alftarham),
Helgi had always conquered,but it happened in one fight,
off liis
hewed
too high in the air,and
his sword
that he swung
lover's foot, she fell to the ground,aud his luck was
spent. In
'sonum
Saxo Gram., p, 100, Fridlevus hears up in the air at niglit
who prophesyto him, and drop
olorum
trium
clangentium,'
superne
the
it. Brynhildr is like the swan
on
on
a
girdlewith runes
time,
(Fornald.
wave
sog. 1, 186) : the simile betrays at the same
of changing into the bird.
that she had reallythe power
Many
the Norse
still live among
tales of swan-ivivcs
people. A young
three swans
saw
man
alighton the shore, lay their white bird-shifts
of

Svava, appears

as

enchantress

an

'

'

in the
then

He

into beautiful
grass, turn
take their shifts again,and

of the

her knees

youngest ; she fell on

it,but he took her home

with

him,

after.

open

On

2, 143-5.

on

every year
eldest
two

hurtlingin

year the third

1

St. John's

the

Es schwant

to

night.

watch

air,which
son

in

mir, it swans

me

Two

seven

them

and

"

he

into

undenialile,for

we

I liave

question.

A.

trampled down

was

lie set his

midnight they heard

a

deep sleep.

three

saw

swan-hero

in succession

years

the held ; at

sent

watched,

hand, the

he set

maidens

boding.

also .say In tlie same

mir
(so
schwansfcdern'
grow)
alreadyin Zesen's
'
svanfiaSrar dro (wore) '.
^
Kat'n has chosen the reading Lara.

Vjird seems

When

asks the forbidden

whatever

field,in which

sons

her.

married

other

the

she

forsakes his wife the moment

a

him, and begged for

kept concealed
hand, than she Jleivout as a simii
died soon
window, and the sorrowing husband

Afzelius

peasant had

swans.

the garment

abstracted

before

and

shape of

the

her the shift he had

gone by,he shewed

years were
had it in her
she no
sooner

throughthe

time, and

in the water,

bathe

in

fly away

another

wait for them

lay in

maidens, and

sense

The
:

Simson).

The

come

reference
wachsen
Conf. the

es

next

flying,
to

the

(there
Eddie

428

WISE

WOMFN.

wings asido, and then danced up and down the

jumped up, fetched the wings away, and laid them under

^vlio laid their

field.

He

the stone

tired,they

they were

declared,if one
should

he

whicli

on

have

When

sat.

of them

him, and

to

came

the

would

maidens
asked

stay and

be his

danced

had

for their

till

wings ;

wife, the other

he

two

their

this point the story takes a

wings back. From
turn, which is less within the provinceof the swan-wife myth ; but
it is worth
noting,that one of the maidens offers her lover a drink
out of a golden'pitcher,
of water
exactlyas elfins and wish-wives do
49.
elsewhere (pp.420, 326). Molbech
no.
These
to
have been long known
must
lovelyswan-maidens
German
tradition. When
they bathe in the coolingflood,they lay
the swan-shift
down on the bank the swan-ring,
; who takes it from
them, has them in his power.^ Though we are not expresslytold
whose
merioomcn
garments Hagene took
so, yet the three prophetic
such ; it is said (Nib.1476, 1) by way of simile
away, are precisely

again:
sie swebten

die

sam

uf
vogele

der fluot.

only two of them (theDanish story only

epicnames
but one
and Sigelint^
of them begins
one),the 2visiu wip, Hadburc
described as
wnnderlich,'
to prophesy,and their garments are
1478, 3. The myth of Volundr we meet with again in an OHG.
: three doves
flyto a
poem, which puts doves in the placeof swans
fountain,but when they touch the ground they turn into maidens,
their clothes,and will not give them up till one
Wielant removes
It is true, our

'

of them

consents

take

to

widely diffused,young
them,

which

turns

him

men

them

for her

throw
into

husband.

the

siuans?

In

shift,ring
When

tlie

other tales
or

chain

as

over

resumption of

completely,the hero retains a

of this detail lies in its
of the high antiquity
connexion with the heroic legendof Scoup or Sceaf (p.370) ; and
into modern
it has found its way
Especiallyimporpedigrees.*

human

shape cannot
sivan-wing
; evidence

be

effected

vol. 3 : The stolen veil.

I suppose, from this Sigelint
22, 28
; Snmerl.
has
Graff
145
48
a
nd
fel
cigelinde
6,
53,
draconis,
cigelinta
;
in
Schni.
214.
see
3,
Sigel,
feiglander
sigeline
;
3 Kinderm.
Adalb. Kuhn
Deutsche
49.
no.
p. 164, the
sagen 2, 292-5.
1

Miisteus,Volksmarchen

There

is a
(conf.23, 19) has

named,
jilant

swan-chain.
"*
who carry a
Conf. Deutsche
sagen no. 540 : 'the Schwanrings of Plesse,'
no.
A doc. of 1441 (Wolf'sNorten
sivan's wing and ring on their scutcheon.
ecclesiae
decretorum
Johannes
doctor, decanus
a
Swaneflngel,
48) names
the phrase:'to tear
In a pamphlet of 1617 occurs
majoris Hildesemensis.
the

ringand

mask

off this

pseudonym '.

429

SWAN-MAIDENS.

placingin

tant,as

is
the walktireii,

^vives to
128

in the

river,he crept

hand,

then

chain

'

dor

away

There

escape.

(on

iininie

forest

of

account

in

them

about

wild

took

and

up

could not

she

relation of these

exact

statement

hunting in

nobleman

lightthe

clear

saw

bathing

gold chain
peculiarvirtue

the

was

sulche

it) werden

bl. 1

Altd.

maiden

swan-

her

on

in this
frowen

genant'. He married her, and she had seven

wilnschelwyhere
children at a birth,they all had gold ringsabout their necks,i.e.,
of assuming a swan-shape. Swanlike their mother, the power
children then are ivish-children. In Gudrun, the propheticangel
of
in the shape of a wild bird singing,
the sea-wave
i.e.,
comes
over
Lohengrin a talkingsivan escorts the hero in
passed current for the
(-road)
ship; in AS. poetry swanrdd
of
and alpiz,
alpt (cygnus)is aldn to the name
selfet,
itself,
ghostlyalp,self (seeSuppL).

in

and

sivan,

his
sea

the

"

tell of

hear

"We

swims

that

sivan

moimtain, holding a ring in his bill :

to

comes

end.^

an

in

hollow

lets it fall,the

if he

UrSarbrunnr

the

On

the lake

on

itself two

earth
are

swans

is
(Sn. 20); another story of a soothsayingswan
A young
communicated
by Kuhn, p. 67, from the Mittelmark.
is implied in the familiar Westman
metamorphosedinto a swan

maintained

phaliannursery-rhyme:
swane,

swane,

bistu

wannehr

Another, of Achen, says

in
Ssefugel

name

noh

wel met

we

the

krane, wisse schwane,

krune

And

pek up de nesen,
?
kriegerwesen
(wasta warrior)

the

Engeland fahre

AS.

to indicate

seems
genealogies

swan-hero.

fairly
suggest
queen, may
spinner Eerhta, the goose-footed'^
swan-maidens
'gallicenaewere able
(p.280).3 If those prophetic
The

'

Gottschalk's

Sagen,Halle 1814, p.

227.

but also a Druitlic ; as it goes

Pythagorean synihol,
resembles a pair of gooseand
of elfs foot,
elf's cross, goblin-foot,
by the name
and elvish beings are again brought togetherin
feet or swan-feet,semi-divine
is next door to a swan-maiden, and Staufenthis emblem
; the valkyr ThruS
-

The

pentagram

lover
berger's
3

The

was

likewise

beautiful

had

such

foot.

story of the Good

Woman,

publ.in Haupt
in which

as
shewing yet another way
350, is very acceptable
of\he Karlings. The
linkedVith
the
hero-legend
got

two

love
and brought up in mutual
one
day at paskellourie,
also
are
lor these
identical with Flore and Blanchejteur,

zeitschr. 2,

fairybeing

children

(77
"

not

this

87),are

born

on

clearly

real names,

but

430
to
too

WISE

animal

assume

what

seem

to have

shapes they pleased,

why, then
about swan-metamorphosisin

known

that in French

times, so

e.g.,in Meon

3, 412

WOMEN.

we
fay-legends

la fontaine

qui de

du

Desire

3, 419.

arbre mises

une

de la fontaine

bout

bien

stolen,and

haut.

en

la

418.

eurees

the

fees:

lor chemises

tout

desoz

orent

were

omissions

et senses,

biaute sembloient

lor robes

shifts

early

very

baignoient

se

trois j)uccles
preuz

The

Celts

en

puceles senees

supply the

may

the

maidens

knightespiesin the forest a

wimple (sans guimple). The wimple
the

plus

detained.

In

swan-maiden
of

the

413-5.

niestre

the Lai
without

du

her

white-robed

fay

to the swan-shift.

answers

6. Wood-Wives.
We
in the
and

have

:
depthof the forest

under

this character

sacred forest
in the

that the

seen

the

on

escort

would

dwell

in the

tower

placedon

opens

with

appear

seek

the

they are

they suggest

further reflections.

trees, the

among

Did

gods

of

not

old

throned

their train and

Was
The

The

sat

the Gothic

?
wood-sprites

rock, that is,in the woods

the words

the

as

lakes

likewise wood-wives,

wise-women

haunts.

same

woodland

poolsand

on

it is because

their favourite abode

seems

groves,

wish-wives

not

aliorunas
Veleda's

VolundarqviSa

meyjar flugosunnan
invented

Myrhvicfigognom,

in fairy-tale
fashion,to suit the
white.
Berhta
marries Pepin, and
bright,
Garin le Loherain,Pepin'swife is said to be
in question she is the unnamed
story now
Barria (Robert of Berry),spoken of simply

of their daughter Berhta,the

givesbirth to Charlemagne; in the
of Moriane, but in the
Blanchefleur
daughter of count
Kuprecht of
diu guote frouive(162. 1130), diu
as
guote (1575),la bone dame
(3022), conf. bonadea, bonasocia,p. ii83 ; her
husband, who steps into the placeof the childless last king (Merovingian),is
Karelman
that can
suit herself is Berte,already
(3020),and the only name
contained
in that of her father Iluodbert.
The
children
of this pair are
and
Kwrle der merre
in the
'. The events
Pippin der kleine (little)
(greater)
middle part of the story are quite other (more fully unfolded, if not more
pleasing)than those told of Flore and Blanchefleur ; but we plainlyperceive
how on
the new
Karling race in the freshness of its bloom were
graftedolder
heathen
myths of the swan-wife, of the good wife (p.253), of the mild woman
(p. 280),of the bona socia (p. 283\ and of the bonne dame
(p. 287) ; Conf.
Sommer's
pref.to Flore xxvi. xxvii. xxxii.
'

'

'

name

431

WOOD-WIVES.

maids

south

flew from

they tarried
could

they
Almost

through murky wood to tlie seashore,there

:
years, till they grew homesick
meyjar fystoza myrkvan vicf,
no
longer,and returned to the sombre wood.

seven

resist

all swan-maidens

those of the Swedish

years agree with

As

with

met

are

forest. The

seven

p. 427.^
of

names

valkyrs,and

our

of the wise-women

epicstill calls one

OHG.
siguwip,AS.

I believe that the

Sigelint,
a generaldesignation
was
sigrvif,
can
municated
produce an AS. spell com-

ON.
sigewif,

of all wise- women,

me

the

story on

Sigriln,
Sigrdrifa,
Sigrlinnare

to

in

for which

by

Kemble

I
:

sitte ge

sigewif,
sigaSto eorSan !
nsefre ge wilde (1.
wille)tu unida fleogan!
beo ge swa
gemyndige mines godes,
and eScles.^
biS manna-gehwylc metes
swa
Like

they are invited to the house with promise of gifts.

will consider a passage m Saxo, where
he is
On this point we
is,he
unmistakably speaking of valkyrs,though, as his manner
norns,

avoids the vernacular

which

In

term.

altogetherdiffers so

his account

much

from

Hother

and

Balder,

of the Edda, he

says,

nebulae

perductus in
quoddam silvcstrinm virginum conclave incidit,a quibus proprio
essent
nomine
salutatus,quaenam
perquirit.Illae suis ductihis
hellorum
maxime
fortunam gubernaritestantur : saepe
aiospiciisque
enim se nemini consincxias proeliis
subsidiis
intercsse,
clandestinisquc
quippe conciliare prospera, ad versa
optatosamicis praeberesuccessus:
After bestowingtheir advice
infligere
posse pro libitu memorabant.
with
their house
on
him, the maidens
(aedes,conclave)vanish
before Mother's eyes (seeSuppl.). Further on, p. 42 : At Hotherus
locorum
devia j^ervagatus,
extrema
insuetumque mortalibus nemvs
forte xirginibus
habitatum
: easdem
reperit
ignotis
emensus,
spccum
insecabili
veste
esse
constabat,quae eum
quondam donaverant.
counsel, and are called ityinpliac?
They now
give him more

p.

39

Hotherus

inter

venandum

that

of

'

'

In

the

Wallacliian

taken

crowns
-

from

Sedete

Balder

Three

marchen

i'ortnnae

otJier nymphs

with

also mentioned

201, three

wood-wives

bathing have

tlieir

them.

bellonae, descendite

estote

memores

errore

meae,

ad

([uam

terram, nolite in silvam

est honiinum

voLire ! Tain

cibi atf^ne patriae.

quililiet

alter,and prepare enchanted food

appear directly
of snakes, p. 43.
A '"feminasilvestris et immanis
spittle
by Saxo p. 125.

the

lor
'

ia

432

WISE

This
that

war,

modern

no

seems

dwelt

distorted

view, to imagine the maids

of

in OSin's

heavenly company, that traversed air and

haunting the woodlaiid cave ; therefore feaxo was
and to placetheir chamber, their cave,
silvcstres,

flood,as likewise

rightto

WOMEN.

call them

in the forest.

The

older stagesof

in which

languagesupply some

our

similar

expressions,

elvish
not of mere
recognisethe idea of wise wood-iuives,
wood-S]3rites.
They are called ivildiu ivip,and the Trad, fuld.,
of
ivildero iviho '. Burcard
p. 544, speak of a place ad domum
mentions
Worms, p. 198*^,
agrestes
feminas quas silvaticas vocant, et
eis dicunt
quando voluerint ostendunt se suis amatoribus, et cum
et item quando voluerint abscondunt
se oblectasse,
se et evanescunt'.
to express
This
the notion of wish-life.
quando voluerint seems
Meister
Alexander, a poet of the 13th century, sings (str.139,
nu
gent si viir in (go they before him) liber gras in
p. 143^):
ivildcr ivihe wiete
(weeds)'. So: 'von einem loilden wihe ist Wate
has learnt to be) physician,
Gudr. 2117; 'das wilde
arzet,'is {i.e.
In the Gl. monst.
Ecke
189.
335, wildaz
vAjJ stands
frduivclinl
'

'

'

'

'

for

lamia, and

333

ivildiu

tvi2J for

ululae,funereal

birds,death-

and
klagemuttcr,
bodingwives, stillcalled in later times klagcfrmtcn,
resemblingthe propheticBerhta (p.280). In groves, on trees,there
clothed in white (pp.287-8),
appeared dorninac,niatronae, jpuellae
life
from the more
elvish tree-wife or dryad,whose
distinguishable
The Vicentina Germans
is bound
worship
up with that of the tree.
and
Christmas
Twelfthday: the
a
chiefly between
wood-tvife,
and throio it in the fireto propitiate
women
spin flax from the distaff,
her
of

bunches
frau

Gaue,

are

corn

to

so

standingat

left

this

day

high mountain, and

woman's
chairs)
; there

the

schtan

noch

afterwards,being
remained

in

it

on

is

sitters.

of human
di

Frankenwald

and

they leave

three

an

The

stone, dcr ivelle fra

raell warn,' while

the
persecuted,

custody at
1

man

ran

sacfcn

the

no

150.

of

rock,

loild

folklived

stones

away,

until

Dauernheim
Duiil-sche

the

(thewild
gcstoil

the

impression on
people say

stands

in the Wetterau

and Dauernheim

Leidhecken

Between

wei

for Wuotan

harvest-time

fieldfor the hohiveihel (wood-wives,

of older higherworship.
lieichenfels,
p. 147),a remnant

Jul. Schmidt's

'

the

three

the

hcmdfulsof flax lying on

limbs

in

As

Berhta.

and

Holda

bit like

she is every

the

were

as

there

stillsoft ;

wife and

they died.

the

child

Folk-songs

WOOD-WIVES.

make

the huntsman

her:

'whither

in the wood
wild

433

MENNI.

start

dark-brown

maid, and hail

beast?'

(Wunderhorn 2, 154),but his

did not take to the bride, justas iu the tale of the swanmother
find a more
children.
We
pleasingdescriptionin the Spanish
ballad De la infantina (Silvap. 259) : a huntsman
stands under a

loftyoak
En

away,

una

rama

cabellos de
*

siete

the

refuses

todo

facias(7 fays)me
los siete

knight
her

forest at

alta viera estar

cabeza

su

andasse

que

But

mas

sola

first to

wants

When

consent.

night,rauhe

off the hero to her

aquel roble

fadaron

anos

Ms

infantina,

una

en
en

cobrian

brazos de
esta

una

montina

'.

take his mother's

Wolfdieterich
up, the

comes

mia,

ama

sits

and
opinion,
by a fire in

shaggywoman,

and

she
the

carries

where she is a queen and lives on

country,^
a high rock : at length,
bathing in the jungbrunnen,she laysaside
her hairy covering,
and is named
Sigcminne, the fairest above aU
lands '.2 Synonymous with 'wildaz wip' the glosses
have holzmnoja
she who
wails or moos
in the wood
(lamiaand ulula),
; holzfroive
AM.
bl.
Doc. 219^)
335.
2, 195; holzruna
(lamia)
(Gl. mons.
of that Gotliic aliorumna,AS.
meaning the same, but suggestive
and the OK
burgrune,
SigrUn (seeSuppl.).^
own

'

"

7. Menni, Merimanni.
One
have

generalname

been

with

menni,

the ON.

man

for

minni

beingsmust

; it is connected

but
(virgo),

it

occurs

from
with

only in

(neut),pi.merimanniu, translates sirena

tier,in Hoffm. fundgr.19, 18),meriminni,

diu
333.

In

the

13th

century poets,

meynvip,
merfrouwe,yet
Diut. 1, 38.

(couldnob
1

211

such

Called

also to

wildez

or

earlytimes
man
(homo), and
manni
compounds : meriscylla(Eeda umbe

GI. Doc. 225=^

merminnc

wip

very

is
'

diu

mons.

equivalent to

wise

merminne,'

gottinneoder merminnc, die sterben niht enmohten

Eneit. 8860.
In the Wigamur 112. 200. 227 seq.,
die),'
'

Troje,conf.
(seeSuppl.).

Ecke

81 ; and

Deutsche
Elsentroje,

heldensage198.

In t]je Wolfdietr. (Dresd. MS. 290"7), hoelve

goddesses
go to a
fetch the hero to them, and tend him
him
for a
; the loveliest wants
These beingsare more
wise-women
than elfins.
^

As

the XaptTfs (Graces)

and fays spin and weave,
wilder wtbe henden
geworht,'Ulr. Lanz. 4826
avral,II. 5, 338 (seeSuppl.).
KdfjLov
also

'mit

so

mountain,
husband.

do the wild

; ninXos

ov

women

xapim

434

WISE

wip,who dwells in a hollow rock of the sea,

termed
indifferently
merivip168. 338, mcrfrouiuc 134, and

there appears
is

and

merminne

wildez

AS.

350.

three

Those

WOMEN.

wism

1479, 1

1475, 1.

Beow.
M.
3037.
mereivif,
wip of the Nibelungen are
they foretell and forewarn

would

names

of itself

put them

on

Dutch

maerminne.

also called
; their

merwip
vidual
having indi-

with

par

the Norse

omits
the poem
valkyrs: Hadhurc, Sigelint.The third,whose name
(p.428),is addressed by Hague as 'aller wiseste wip!' 1483, 4.
Wittich's ancestress
(p.376) is named frouwe Wdchilt,as if Wave-

Hilde, she

is

merminne^ and

also has

Murolt
rules

bekande

man

the sea, in

by

an

merminne

poet had

had

under

noch

given,but

ElsaM

that of her

and
is

son

her

10,000 %mmarried

women

(dern

gezoc),
they dwell on a mountain
volent
ever-bloomingland. In the ApoUonius,a beneis queen of the sea
5160. 5294) ; here the
(lines

in his mind

have

must

has

lives in mount

974.

"

giveswise advice to Morolt; Mor. 40''41^

196 seq.)
Lanzelet (lines
is said to be wis

in Ulrich's

(5751.6182), she

who

is not

name

she likewise

merminne

keiniu

merminne

dwarfs ; her

over

Madelger,and
The

aunt

an

sooth to the hero, Eab. 964

says

mannes

siren in the classical sense,

before

merminne

they

but the Germans

heard

ever

of sirens.

The

(Danske viser 1, 118. 125). Norse legend

for us a precisely
has preserved
male being,
the taciturn
corresponding
who
is fished
propheticmarmennill
(al.marmendill, marbendill),
to be let go into it again; Halfssaga
lip out of the sea, and requires
7 (Fornald.scig.2, 31"33), and Isl. sog. 1, 03 (Landn. 2, 5).i
c.
marmennils
him
coral is named
From
smi"i,he cunninglywrought
At a later time the word merfeiwas
it in the sea.
used in Germany:
whom
he found
that lover of Staufenberger,
and the
in the forest,
Eair
tradition
Melusina
of ancient
a
(possiblyeven
Gaul),are
the
that
had previously
been called mcrimcnni?
precisely fairybeing

Danish

name

is maremind

But, similar

"

to the

merminne, there

also

was

waltminne,which

equally stands for lamia in old glosses(Diut. 3, 276).

Sigcminne,whether the baptizedEauch-els, Wolfdieterich's lover
with perfectrightbe
(p.433),or the wife of Hugdieterich,^
may

word

Marmennill

is

extremely like

first to

prophesy,Od. 4,

current

of

and

Yet

even
3

our

Baklander

385

There

merfeineoccurs
already in
merfetn,MS. 2, 63^

Deutsche

heldensagepp.

Greek

may
Vilander,p. 172

seq.

and

the

Proteus,who
have

is also reluctant at
Proteus-like stories

(seeSuppL).

Diut. 1, 38;

185. 200-1.

been

sub v.),
wazzerfeine
(Oberl.

MENXI.

regardedas

loaltminne

I find scclcona used of the

and

who

this array

wildaz wip
such
being,

or

as

minni

be

can

found

in the
a

wood,

tugurium

(seeSuppl.).

of authorities it is

mcnni,

Vilkinns

Gram., p. 15, speaks of

Saxo

silvestrisimmanisque feminae

By

whom

woman

Vadi.

him

bore

In the Vilk. saga cap. 17

merminne}

or

435

MERIMANNI.

proved

thought of

was

placedat

the

that the
satisfaction,

to

as

higher,
superhuman

side of the Scandinavian

norn

valhjr. But in the scanty remains of our tradition the names

stand wofuUy bare, finer distinctions are
inevitablylost,and in
between
than one
more
gods,demigods,
place the boundary-lines
and valkyrs
elves and giantscross one another.
Equallywith norns
have
goddesses spinning and weaving, as
(pp.413-9. 425), we
shall see by and
as we
giantesses,
Holda, Berhta,Freyja,and even
and

Among

the

figuresin

the

Greek

and

Teutonic

we
mythologies,
and nornir,
fiolpao

and idist,
the
placedside by side the vv/x(f)at,
several isolated names
the Kr]pe^ and valkyrior.But
NUr} or
compared in the same
way, as for instance,
and 'Evvdo or Bellona
some
Sigrun or Sigrdrifa,
"Ept"?

have

and

Gunnr.

Eris, like Iris,is

sent

forth

on

an

might

be

Victoria with
with

errand

by

Hildr
Zeus

I often find these

(II.11, 3),as Skogul or Gondul by OSiun,
Grecian
figuresin attendance on individual gods : in II. 5, 333
^Euvco with
^Evvco gocs wltli Athene ; in 5, 592 ttotvl
iTToX.L'TTopOo'i
^

A Leyden parclim.IMS. of the 13th century contains the

of Charles the Great : Aquisgranidicitur Ays (Aix),et dicitur

followinglegend
qnod Karolus

eo

fatatam,sive quandam fatam, que alio nomine

consuetudineia
et ad banc
(1.dryas)appellutur,
vivebat
ad earn
habebat
et earn
et ita erat, quod ipso accedente
cognoscebat,
dum
ipsa,ipsoKarolo recedente moriebatur.
quadam vice ad ipsani
Contigit,
accessisset et cum
radius solis intra vit os ejus,et tunc Karolus
ea
delectaretur,
vidit granum
auri linguae
ejusalfixum, quod fecit abscindi,et contingenti(1.in
mortua
continenti)
est,nee postea revixit. The grainof gold,on which the spell
of the city: later tradition
to explain the name
(Petrarcha
hung, is evidently
it a ring,
of
instead
has
fara. 1, 3.
Aretin's legend of Charlem.
epist.
89)
p.
tenebat

nimpha

ibi

quandam mulierem
vel dea vel adriades

of the corpse, and throws

the mouth
the king,and that is why he
then attracts
of the
tlie town
made
further mention
is no
his favourite residence.
There
Frankish
maiden's
fairyexistence. It w;x.s a popular belief (appliedto the
mermaid
or
about the union of a wild-woman
king and graduallydistorted)

which
archbishopTurpin removes
into a lake near
Aachen
; this Jake

from

Charles's ancestress
Not very ditlerently
was
Berhta,as
above (p. 430),made
into a 'good woman,' i.e.a fay. [The similarity
in the heroic line : Pejjin
of names
of Herstal,Charles Martel,Pepin the Little,
magne's
CharleBerhta was
Charles the Great,seems
it doubtful whether
to have made
with

we

cjiristian hero.

saw

mother

or

his

great-grandmother.]

436

WISE

WOMEN.

4, 440 and 5, 518 "Epc^dfiorov

fie/xavta with Ares, who is
and
the
also followed by Ae2fio";
^6/3o^ (p.207-8). And lastly,
Ares;

in

nearlyallied ; and there was

supposed to be a special
wood-wives
stand particular
to our
Charis of victory. Still nearer
Theocritus 5, 17 names
those whom
classes of nymphs, especially
those
Seivai deal
called vvfjic^at
or
Xiixvdha^
aKolfirjroi,
Ta9
vv^t^a';,
The
13, 44.
gracefulmyth of swan- wives appears
dypoLcoTa!,";
Charites

indeed

are

it in

have

to the Greeks

to be unknown

with

common

Romans, while

and

the Celts ; yet

Teutons

we

of it remains

trace

in the

(p.338),and in the swan's propheticsong,

Nalus too the gold-bedizened
swan
as in the Indian
(hansa anser,
speech(Bopp'sed. pp. 6. 7).
goose)finds human
story of

and

Zeus

Leda

developed any idea of goddessesof fate.^

The beautiful fiction of the vila is peculiar
to Servian mythology :
that
she is a being half fay,half elf,whose
resembles
name
even
of the vala. The relation of valkyrsto christian heroes is suggested
by the fraternalbond between the vila and Marko (Vuk 2, 98. 232.
Danitza
for 1826, p. 108),as also by the vilas appearingsingly,
having proper names, and prophesying. In some
thingsthey come
the German
elfins of our
next
nearer
chapter: they live on hills,
elfenm. Ixxxii),
love the song and the round
dance (Ir.
they mount
ustrielila ga vila,'
fatal arrows
at men
:
up in the air and discharge
The

Slavs

have

not

'

vila has

the

shot

him

with

her

shaft.

Their

cry in the wood

is

woodpecker hacking,and is expressedby the

his mother
word 'kliktati'. The vila has a rightto the child whom
in heedless language (diavoye odniyo!)has consignedto the devil
(Vuk no. 394),as in similar cases the wolf or bear fetches him away.
Vile te odnele! (vilae
te auferant)
is a curse
(Vuks sprichw.p. 36);
'kad dot'u vile k otchim' (quandovilae ante oculos veniunt)signifies
the moment
of extreme
distress and danger (ibid.
117). The vila
like the sound

rides
Norse

the

old stag,and

seven-year

enchantresses

The

Bohem,

Eussians

in
lichoplezi
mermaids.
The
When
the
-

cures

of the

him.

bridles him

with

snakes,like the

(seeSuppl.).^
translates parca, but it simply means
judge (fem.) :
the word
must
at least notice the
parka. We
like the sirens and
Glosses 21% who
said to be three,
are

sudice

even

adopt

Hanka's

Bulgarian

samodiva

samovUa
cries to his
or

correspondsto

the

Servian

wounded
Pomak
'sister' samodiva, she comes
The
samodivy carry off children ; and mischief wrought

vila.
and

by

the

437

WOMEN.

WISE

Like the Fates,they begiftthe

elements,by storms, "c.,is ascribed to them.
him a shirt,another
visit
the
infant
newborn
Jesus, one sews
: three samodivy
stories about
Some
for
him.
trims
and
the
third
a
knits him
a
band,
cap
three
finds
swan-maids.
of
resemble
those
the
samodivy
them closely
Stoyan
b
ut
takes the
the
of
those
two
their
restores
eldest,
removes
clothes,
bathing,
her first
christens
St.
John
her.
and
marries
youngest (Mariyka)home,
her
without
But
she
cannot
do
the
her
to dance as
samodivy.
child,and asks
the
in
bathes
she
flies
'samodivski
drekhi,'Stoyan produces them,
away,
Trans.
her
mominstvo
and
mominski
recovers
(virginity).
fountain,
"

End

A.

KING

of

AND

Vol.

CO.,

I.

ABERDEEN.