Like her no goddess kind, She saves from wounds and death, Her sigh—the sweet south wind O’er the wild flowers doth breathe.[110] Round tears for mortal woe Each morn her blue eyes fill, Which on the flowers below In purest dew distil. Her daughters Siofna[111] hight And Hnos, with amber hair, Not e’en the spirits of light Can boast of aught so fair. Whate’er is passing bright On earth, from Hnos we call: Siofna gives slumbers light, The morn on pure souls fall.[112] Freya had an equal share with Odin in the souls of all slain in fight; for is not love the cause of as much bloodshed as any other passion? All maidens of birth also hastened to her palace of Vingolf. Her car was drawn by two wild cats, or perhaps leopards; and next to Frigga, with whom she has been often confounded; she was the most powerful of all the goddesses. Her husband was Oddur, of whom little is known, except that he travelled far and wide, and that her attachment to him induced her to follow him, weeping tears of gold. Yet, if report be true, she was not always distinguished for conjugal faith. She had two daughters by Oddur, both exquisitely fair to behold; and she had four attendants, to each of whom was intrusted some portion of her sovereignty. Thus Siofna was the goddess of first love; Lofna removed all obstacles which impeded the fruition of lovers’ wishes; Var presided over betrothals, and punished false vows; Tir, the portress of Freya’s palace, refused admission to all who were not qualified to enter; and she was the enemy of all unfortunate lovers: she it was who prevented the fruition of their hopes. This mythos explains itself more satisfactorily than any other. ÆGIR AND RAN Were of giant race, and deities of the deep. They had nine daughters, personifications of the billows, the currents, and the storm. Ægir might be propitiated; but Ran was always cruel, when the fates would permit her: she occasioned shipwrecks in which she delighted, on account of the spoil which they brought her. She had a wonderful net, with which she caught such mariners as fell into the sea. In crystal halls his head Rears Ægir, Ran’s stern spouse; A silver helmet red With coral guards his brows; His beard, of ocean weeds, His spear with amber deck’d, And pearls, but show he needs, And the proud waves are check’d.