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
"'One of the gods is Heimdall, called also the White God. He is the son
of nine virgins, who were sisters, and is a very sacred and powerful
deity. He also bears the appellation of the Gold-toothed, on account of
his teeth being of pure gold, and also that of Hallinskithi. His horse
is called Gulltopp, and he dwells in Himinbjörg at the end of Bifröst.
He is the warder of the gods, and is therefore placed on the borders of
heaven, to prevent the giants from forcing their way over the bridge.
He requires less sleep than a bird, and sees by night, as well as by
day, a hundred miles around him. So acute is his ear that no sound
escapes him, for he can even hear the grass growing on the earth, and
the wool on a sheep's back. He has a horn called the Gjallar-horn,
which is heard throughout the universe.....
"'Among the Æsir,' continued Har,'we also reckon Hödur, who is blind,
but extremely strong. Both gods and men would be very glad if they
never had occasion to pronounce his name, for they will long have cause
to remember the deed perpetrated by his hand.
"'Another god is Vidar, surnamed the Silent, who wears very thick
shoes. He is almost as strong as Thor himself, and the gods place great
reliance on him in all critical conjunctures.
"'Vali, another god, is the son of Odin and Rinda; he is bold in war,
and an excellent archer.
"'Another is called Ullur, who is the son of Sif, and stepson of Thor.
He is so well skilled in the use of the bow, and can go so fast on his
snow-skates, that in these arts no one can contend with him. He is also
very handsome in his person, and possesses every quality of a warrior,
wherefore it is befitting to invoke him in single combats.
"'The name of another god is Forseti, who is the son of Baldur and
Nanna, the daughter of Nef. He possesses the heavenly mansion called
Glitnir, and all disputants at law who bring their cases before him go
away perfectly reconciled.....'
"OF LOKI AND HIS PROGENY.
"'There is another deity,' continued Har, 'reckoned in the number of
the Æsir, whom some call the calumniator of the gods, the contriver of
all fraud and mischief, and the disgrace of gods and men. His name is
Loki or Loptur. He is the son of the giant Farbauti.....Loki is
handsome and well made, but of a very fickle mood, and most evil
disposition. He surpasses all beings in those arts called Cunning and
Perfidy. Many a time has he exposed the gods to very great perils, and
often extricated them again by his artifices.....
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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