Ten Great Religions: An Essay in Comparative TheologyClarke, James Freeman
Islamic
Ten Great Religions: An Essay in Comparative Theology
Clarke, James Freeman
Christianity and other religions; Religions
"'Njörd had afterwards, at his residence at Nóatún, two children, a son
named Frey, and a daughter called Freyja, both of them beauteous and
mighty. Frey is one of the most celebrated of the gods. He presides
over rain and sunshine, and all the fruits of the earth, and should be
invoked in order to obtain good harvests, and also for peace. He,
moreover, dispenses wealth among men. Freyja is the most propitious of
the goddesses; her abode in heaven is called Fólkváng. To whatever
field of battle she rides, she asserts her right to one half of the
slain, the other half belonging to Odin.....'
"OF TYR.
"'There is Tyr, who is the most daring and intrepid of all the gods. 'T
is he who dispenses valor in war, hence warriors do well to invoke him.
It has become proverbial to say of a man who surpasses all others in
valor that he is _Tyr-strong_, or valiant as Tyr. A man noted for his
wisdom is also said to be "wise as Tyr." Let me give thee a proof of
his intrepidity. When the Æsir were trying to persuade the wolf,
Fenrir, to let himself be bound up with the chain, Gleipnir, he,
fearing that they would never afterwards unloose him, only consented on
the condition that while they were chaining him he should keep Tyr's
right hand between his jaws. Tyr did not hesitate to put his hand in
the monster's mouth, but when Fenrir perceived that the Æsir had no
intention to unchain him, he bit the hand off at that point, which has
ever since been called the wolf's joint (úlflidr). From that time Tyr
has had but one hand. He is not regarded as a peacemaker among men.'
"OF THE OTHER GODS.
"'There is another god,' continued Har, 'named Bragi, who is celebrated
for his wisdom, and more especially for his eloquence and correct forms
of speech. He is not only eminently skilled in poetry, but the art
itself is called from his name _Bragr_, which epithet is also applied
to denote a distinguished poet or poetess. His wife is named Iduna. She
keeps in a box the apples which the gods, when they feel old age
approaching, have only to taste of to become young again. It is in this
manner that they will be kept in renovated youth until Ragnarök.....
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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