"If you please to recollect, you will remember that the two nations had nothing to do with one another except at the spear's point. But if I can find what I want, I will enlighten you and myself too," said Meredith, rummaging among the bookshelves. "Here it is, I believe!" And with a volume in his hand he came back to the table and the lamp; but then became absorbed in study. Worsted needles flew in and out. Maggie watched Meredith's face and the leaves of his book as they were turned over. "Well, Ditto?" she said after a while. "What?" "Yes, _what_?" said Maggie, laughing. "Have you found anything?" "To be sure!" said Meredith, straightening himself up. "Yes, Maggie, it's all here--in a somewhat brief fashion." "Well, who was Woden?" "Woden was the principal deity. He was the god of the moving air, and of the light." "Like Apollo," said Flora. "Yes--more like Zeus or Jupiter. He was the all-father--the universally present spirit: above all the other gods. He was the god of the sky. They represented him with two ravens that sat on his shoulders, which every morning brought him news of whatever was going on in _Midgard_." "What's Midgard?" "Our lower earth. And the abode of the gods was called _Asgard_." "We did not read anything about Midgard and Asgard to-day." "No, but I thought you might like to know. And then _Walhalla_ was the place where Odin put half of the brave men who were slain in battle." "What became of the other half?" said Flora. "The goddess Freija took care of them. What she did with them, this book does not say. I have read before of the 'halls of Walhalla,' I am glad to know what it means." "Who was Freija?" "Wait a bit; I have not got through with Woden, or Odin. His two ravens were called _Hunin_ and _Munin_--which means, Thought and Memory. That's pretty! Woden is painted also as attended by two dogs. He was the chief and head of the gods, you understand. Now Freija was one of his wives. Naturally, she was the goddess of good weather and harvests--a fair kind of goddess generally. Also the dead were in her care; the other half of the heroes slain in battle came into her hands. She is painted riding in a chariot drawn by two cats." "But, Ditto, if Woden was the sky god, I don't see why those old Saxons should have fancied he would like such cruel sacrifices. Sunlight looks bright and cheerful." Meredith mused. "Yes," he said, "it does look bright and cheerful--but, it hates darkness." "What then, Ditto?" "Darkness means sin." "Oh, do you think that?" cried Maggie. "To be sure, I know darkness means sin. But do you think those old Saxons"---- "They felt the difference between darkness and light, undoubtedly, and they feared the sun-god." "But I don't see how they could think he was so cruel, though." "I suppose that is all quite natural," said Meredith musingly. "How afraid we should be of God, if we did not know Jesus Christ!" "Were the old Hebrews so afraid of Him?" Flora asked.