The Chautauquan, Vol. 03, February 1883: A Monthly Magazine Devoted to the Promotion of True Culture.; Organ of the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle.Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle
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The Chautauquan, Vol. 03, February 1883: A Monthly Magazine Devoted to the Promotion of True Culture.; Organ of the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle.
Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle
Chautauqua Institution -- Periodicals; Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle -- Periodicals
The second portion, or Deception of Gylfe, is full of the most
interesting myths of the Teutonic religion. This Gylfe is the king of
Sweden mentioned in the introduction, who repairs to the court of the
Æsir to find out the secret of their power. He disguises himself and
asks admittance to the hall of the gods. They recognize him, and make
him the victim of ocular illusion. The hall is so high he can scarcely
see the top, and the shingles on the roof are golden shields. Gylfe is
admitted, and engages in conversation with Odin himself, who is called
Har. Gylfe asks all manner of questions about the various deities, the
creation of the world and of man, the steed of Odin, Frey’s famous
ship, the life of the gods in Valhall, and the final destruction of all
things at Ragnarök. Har answers patiently, and in detail, until Gylfe
proceeds to inquire about the new order of things that should spring
up after Ragnarök. Har gives him a short answer, and unceremoniously
closes the dialogue. The illusion of the city and gold-roofed hall
vanishes, and Gylfe finds himself alone on a desolate plain. He returns
to his home, and tells what he has heard and seen. In this way, fables
the author, the race of Northmen became possessed of their knowledge of
divine things.
The other important portions of the Younger Edda are the Discourse of
Brage, the Skaldskaparmál, and the Hattatal. Brage is the northern
Apollo, and never opens his lips except to utter words of wisdom.
His discourse is mythologic and supplemental to the Gylfaginning, or
Delusion of Gylfe. The Skaldskaparmál is also partly narrative, partly
a digest of the rules and principles to be followed in composing verse.
The Hattatal is merely an enumeration of the various meters employed in
Icelandic poetry.[D]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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