Opening the text

Norse mythology; or, The religion of our forefathers, containing all the myths of the Eddas, systematized and interpretedAnderson, Rasmus Björn

Religion

Norse mythology; or, The religion of our forefathers, containing all the myths of the Eddas, systematized and interpreted

Name: Norse mythology; or, The religion of our forefathers, containing all the myths of the Eddas, systematized and interpreted
Author: Anderson, Rasmus Björn

Anderson, Rasmus Björn

Mythology, Norse; Northmen -- Religion; Old Norse literature; Tales, Medieval

We will omit a synopsis of the remainder, and merely give their titles,
as they do not enter so completely into the system of mythology as the
first eleven: (12) Rigsmaal (Song of Rig), (13) The Lay of Hyndla, (14)
The Song of Volund, (15) The Song of Helge Hjorvardson, (16) Song of
Helge Hundingsbane I, (17) Song of Helge Hundingsbane II, (18) Song of
Sigurd Fafnisbane I, (19) Song of Sigurd Fafnisbane II, (20) Song of
Fafner, (21) Song of Sigdrifa, (22) Song of Sigurd, (23) Song of Gudrun
I, (24) Song of Gudrun III, (25) Brynhild’s Ride to Hel, (26) Song of
Gudrun II, (27) Song of Gudrun III, (28) The Weeping of Odrun, (29) The
Song of Atle, (30) The Speech of Atle, (31) The Challenge of Gudrun,
(32) The Song of Hamder, (33) The Song of Grotte, (34) Extracts from the
Younger Edda, (35) Extracts from the Volsunga Saga, (36) Song of Svipdag
I, (37) Song of Svipdag II, (38) The Lay of the Sun, (39) Odin’s
Raven-Cry.

The antiquity of these poems cannot be fixed, but they certainly carry
us back to the remotest period of the settlement of Norway by the Goths.

It may be added here that many of the poems of the Elder Edda, as well
as much of the Old Norse poetry generally, are very difficult to
understand, on account of the bold metaphorical language in which they
are written. The poet did not call an object by its usual name, but
borrowed a figure by which to present it, either from the mythology or
from some other source. Thus he would call the sky _the skull of the
giant Ymer_; the rainbow he called _the bridge of the gods_; gold was
_the tears of Freyja_; poetry, _the present_ or _drink of Odin_. The
earth was called indifferently _the wife of Odin_, _the flesh of Ymer_,
_the daughter of night_, _the vessel that floats on the ages_, or _the
foundation of the air_; herbs and plants were called _the hair_ or _the
fleece of the earth_. A battle was called _a bath of blood_, _the hail
of Odin_, _the shock of bucklers_; the sea was termed _the field of
pirates_, _the girdle of the earth_; ice, _the greatest of all bridges_;
a ship, _the horse of the waves_; the tongue, _the sword of words_, etc.


                         II. The Younger Edda,

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

Norse mythology; or, The religion of our forefathers, containing all the myths of the Eddas, systematized and interpretedAnderson, Rasmus Björn

Religion

Norse mythology; or, The religion of our forefathers, containing all the myths of the Eddas, systematized and interpreted

Anderson, Rasmus Björn

Mythology, Norse; Northmen -- Religion; Old Norse literature; Tales, Medieval

We will omit a synopsis of the remainder, and merely give their titles,
as they do not enter so completely into the system of mythology as the
first eleven: (12) Rigsmaal (Song of Rig), (13) The Lay of Hyndla, (14)
The Song of Volund, (15) The Song of Helge Hjorvardson, (16) Song of
Helge Hundingsbane I, (17) Song of Helge Hundingsbane II, (18) Song of
Sigurd Fafnisbane I, (19) Song of Sigurd Fafnisbane II, (20) Song of
Fafner, (21) Song of Sigdrifa, (22) Song of Sigurd, (23) Song of Gudrun
I, (24) Song of Gudrun III, (25) Brynhild’s Ride to Hel, (26) Song of
Gudrun II, (27) Song of Gudrun III, (28) The Weeping of Odrun, (29) The
Song of Atle, (30) The Speech of Atle, (31) The Challenge of Gudrun,
(32) The Song of Hamder, (33) The Song of Grotte, (34) Extracts from the
Younger Edda, (35) Extracts from the Volsunga Saga, (36) Song of Svipdag
I, (37) Song of Svipdag II, (38) The Lay of the Sun, (39) Odin’s
Raven-Cry.

The antiquity of these poems cannot be fixed, but they certainly carry
us back to the remotest period of the settlement of Norway by the Goths.

It may be added here that many of the poems of the Elder Edda, as well
as much of the Old Norse poetry generally, are very difficult to
understand, on account of the bold metaphorical language in which they
are written. The poet did not call an object by its usual name, but
borrowed a figure by which to present it, either from the mythology or
from some other source. Thus he would call the sky _the skull of the
giant Ymer_; the rainbow he called _the bridge of the gods_; gold was
_the tears of Freyja_; poetry, _the present_ or _drink of Odin_. The
earth was called indifferently _the wife of Odin_, _the flesh of Ymer_,
_the daughter of night_, _the vessel that floats on the ages_, or _the
foundation of the air_; herbs and plants were called _the hair_ or _the
fleece of the earth_. A battle was called _a bath of blood_, _the hail
of Odin_, _the shock of bucklers_; the sea was termed _the field of
pirates_, _the girdle of the earth_; ice, _the greatest of all bridges_;
a ship, _the horse of the waves_; the tongue, _the sword of words_, etc.


                         II. The Younger Edda,

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Norse mythology; or, The religion of our forefathers, containing all the myths of the Eddas, systematized and interpreted

Norse mythology; or, The religion of our forefathers, containing all the myths of the Eddas, systematized and interpreted

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