Norwegian Life: An Account of Past and Contemporary Conditions and Progress in Norway and Sweden — John Shaqi
Norwegian Life: An Account of Past and Contemporary Conditions and Progress in Norway and Sweden
History
Norwegian Life: An Account of Past and Contemporary Conditions and Progress in Norway and Sweden
Norway -- Social life and customs; Sweden -- Social life and customs
Frey, the son of Njord, rules rain and sunshine and the productiveness
of the soil, and his aid is needed to get good crops, peace and
wealth. His dwelling is Alfheim. He sails in the magnificent ship
Skibladner, which was built for him by the dwarfs. His wife is the
Yotun daughter Gerd, but in order to get her he had to give away his
good sword, so that he will be unarmed in the coming final battle of
the gods.
Tyr, Odin's son, is the god of courage and victory, whom brave men
call upon in battle. He has only one hand, for the Fenris-Wolf bit off
his right hand.
Brage, the long-bearded, is the god of eloquence and poetry. His wife
is Idun, who has in her keeping the apples of which the gods eat to
preserve their eternal youth. Heimdal, the white god with teeth of
gold, was in the beginning of time born by nine Yotun maidens, all
sisters. He is the watchman of the gods. He is more wakeful than
birds. He can see a hundred miles off, and he can hear the grass grow.
His dwelling is Himinbjorg, which is situated where the Bifrost bridge
reaches heaven. When he blows his Gjallar-horn, it is heard throughout
the world. Among the other gods were Haad, son of Odin, blind but
strong; the silent and strong Vidar; Vale, the archer; Ull, the fast
ski-runner, and Forsete, the son of Balder, who settles disputes
between gods and men. Among the goddesses (or _asynier_), Frigg,
Odin's wife, is the foremost. She knows the fate of everybody and
shields many from danger. Her dwelling is Fensal. Next comes Freya,
the goddess of love. She is the daughter of Njord and sister of Frey.
She is also called Vanadis, or the goddess of the Vanir. She was
married to Odd, and by him had a daughter Noss. But Odd left her, and
Freya weeps in her longing for him, and her tears are red gold. When
she travels, her wagon is drawn by two cats. The name of her dwelling
is Folkvang. There were also a number of other goddesses, who were in
the service of either Frigg or Freya.
Aeger, the ruler of the turbulent and stormy sea, is a Yotun, but he
is a friend of the gods. When they visit him his hall is lighted with
shining gold. His wife is Ran, and their daughters are the waves.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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