From these few examples it appears clearly that in spite of the harsh treatment of woman by the more ancient Germans the veneration of her is inherent in the Teutonic soul. Hence prophetesses gradually become goddesses in the consciousness of the people; hence the depth of the later cult of the Virgin Mary (_Marienkultus_), and the extraordinary sentimental and poetic evolution of the Love Service (_Minnediensf_) which inspired and enriched what was perhaps, the greatest period of German literature and life. The oldest traces of German literature left to us are, in fact, charms pronounced by such deified women. The Old Saxon word _idis_ (from ict, ictn, work, activity, _i.e._, the working, active, skilful one) means originally "divine virgin," especially a goddess of fate. This is illustrated in the two charms found in Merseburg thus the first story runs: The gods Phol and Wodan rode into the forest; suddenly Baldur's horse sprained his foot. Sindgund and her sister Sunna uttered a charm over him. Volla and her sister Freya did the same; but all in vain. Then Wodan, who understood such things well, uttered his charm. He charmed away the sprain in the bone, the blood, and the joint. He uttered the potent formula: "Bone to bone, blood to blood, joint to joint, as if they were glued." Great as the art of the four heavenly women is in the treatment of wounds, it is yet inferior to that of Wodan. But it is an indication of the Teutonic conception that the curing of the sick and the tending of the wounded appertains to the domain of woman. It will furnish a more accurate idea of the alliterative form of this most ancient Germanic poetry if we place here a clever translation by Professor Gummere of the story just told: "Phol and Wodan fared to the holt: Then Haider's foal's foot was wrenched. Then Sinthgunt besang it and Sunna, her sister: Then Fryja besang it and Volla, her sister: Then Wodan besang it, who well knew how, The wrenching of bone, the wrenching of blood, The wrenching of limb: Bone to bone, blood to blood, Limb to limb, as if it were limed." The second Merseburg charm attributes to the Idisi (wise women) the power, on the battlefield, of loosening prisoners' bonds. This is apparent from its text, which runs: "Once sat (wise) women (idisi), sat hither and thither. Some bound bonds; some hindered the host; Some unfastened the fetters: Spring from fetters; fly from the foe." It describes the activity of the heavenly women, the Valkyries, in battle. They are, according to the charm, divided into three detachments; the first, binds prisoners in the rear of the army which they favor; the second, engages the foe; the third group appears in the rear of the enemy where the prisoners are secured, and, touching their fetters, utters the formula of deliverance: "Escape from your bonds, flee from the enemy."