Teutonic Mythology, Vol. 1 of 3, by
Viktor Rydberg, Ph.D.
Title: Teutonic Mythology, Vol. 1 of 3
Gods and Goddesses of the Northland
Author: Viktor Rydberg, Ph.D. Translator: Rasmus B. Anderson, LL.D.
Release Date: October 29, 2011 [EBook #37876] Language: English
*** TEUTONIC MYTHOLOGY, VOL. 1 OF 3 ***
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Teutonic Mythology
Gods and Goddesses of the Northland
IN
THREE VOLUMES
By VIKTOR RYDBERG, Ph.D.,
MEMBER OF THE SWEDISH ACADEMY; AUTHOR OF THE "THE LAST ATHENIAN" AND OTHER WORKS. AUTHORISED TRANSLATION FROM THE SWEDISH
BY
RASMUS B. ANDERSON, LL.D., EX-UNITED STATES MINISTER TO DENMARK; AUTHOR OF "NORSE MYTHOLOGY," "VIKING TALES," ETC.
HON. RASMUS B. ANDERSON, LL.D., Ph.D., EDITOR IN CHIEF. J. W. BUEL, Ph.D., MANAGING EDITOR.
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VOL. I.
PUBLISHED BY THE NORRoeNA SOCIETY, LONDON COPENHAGEN STOCKHOLM BERLIN NEW YORK 1906
OF THE Viking Edition
There are but six hundred and fifty sets made for the world, of which this is
No. 99
COPYRIGHT, T. H. SMART,
1905.
IDUN, HEIMDAL, LOKE, AND BRAGE.
(From an etching by Lorenz Frolich.)
Idun was the beautiful goddess who in Asgard was keeper of the apples which the gods ate to preserve eternal youth. She is most generally regarded as the wife of Brage.
Heimdal, the son of nine mothers, was guardian against the giants of the bridge of the gods, Bifrost. With a trumpet he summoned all the gods together at Ragnarok when he and Loke slew each other. He was the god of light.
Loke though beautiful in form was like Lucifer in character and was hence called the god of destruction. By the giantess Angerboda he had three offspring, viz: the Midgard serpent, the Fenris-wolf, and Hela, the latter becoming goddess of Hel.
Brage was the son of Odin and being represented as the chief skald in Valhalla he is called the god of poetry.
TEUTONIC MYTHOLOGY. TABLE OF CONTENTS.
VOLUME ONE.
PART I.
Page
Introduction--The Ancient Aryans 1
(a) The Aryan Family of Languages 3
Hypothesis of Asiatic Origin of the Aryans 5
Hypothesis of European Origin of the Aryans 15
The Aryan Land of Europe 20 (b) Ancient Teutondom 26
PART II.
(a) Mediaeval Migration Sagas 32
The Troy Saga and Prose Edda 44
Saxo's Relation to the Story of Troy 47
Older Periods of the Troy Saga 50
Story of the Origin of Trojan Descent of the Franks 60
Odin as Leader of the Trojan Emigration 67
Materials of the Icelandic Troy Saga 83
Result of Foregoing Investigations 96 (b) Popular Traditions of the Middle Ages 99
Saxon and Swabian Migration Saga 107
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PART III.
PART IV.
The Frankish Migration Saga 111
Migration Saga of the Burgundians 113
Teutonic Emigration Saga 119
Myths Concerning the Creation of Man 126
Scef, the Original Patriarch 135
Borgar-Skjold, the Second Patriarch 143
Halfdan, the Third Patriarch 147
Halfdan's Enmity with Orvandel and Svipdag 151
Halfdan's Identity with Mannus 153
Sacred Runes Learned from Heimdal 159
Sorcery, the Reverse of Sacred Runes 165
Heimdal and the Sun Goddess 167
Loke Causes Enmity Between Gods and Creators 171
Halfdan Identical with Helge 180
The End of the Age of Peace 185
War with the Heroes from Svarin's Mound 194
Review of the Svipdag Myth 200
The World-War and its Causes 204
Myth Concerning the Sword Guardian 213
Breach Between Asas Vans. Siege of Asgard 235
Significance of the World-War 252
The War in Midgard. Hadding's Adventures 255
Position of the Divine Clans to the Warriors 262
Hadding's Defeat 268
Loke's Punishment 273
Original Model of the Bravalla Battle 281
The Dieterich Saga 285
Myth in Regard to the Lower World 306
Gudmund, King of the Glittering Plains 309
Ruler of the Lower World 312
Fjallerus and Hadingus in the Low World317
A Frisian Saga, Adam of Bremen 319
Odainsaker and the Glittering Plains 321
Identification of Odainsaker 336
Gudmund's Identity with Mimer 339
Mimer's Grove 341
LIST OF PHOTOGRAVURES.
VOL. I.
Page.
Idun, Heimdal, Loke, and Brage. Frontispiece
Thor the Thunder God 122
Giant Thjasse in the Guise of an Eagle Carries of
f Loke
174
Odin Punishes the Monstrous Progeny of Loke
301
Stockholm, November 20, 1887.
Hon. Rasmus B. Anderson, United States Minister, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Dear Sir,
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It gives me pleasure to authorise you to translate into English my work entitled "Researches in Teutonic Mythology," being convinced that no one could be found better qualified for this task than yourself. Certainly no one has taken a deeper interest than you in spreading among our Anglo-Saxon kinsmen, not only a knowledge of our common antiquity, but also of what modern Scandinavia is contributing to the advancement of culture--a work in which England and the United States of America are taking so large a share.
Yours faithfully, VIKTOR RYDBERG.
[Pg 1]
I. INTRODUCTION.
A. THE ANCIENT ARYANS.
1.
THE WORDS GERMAN AND GERMANIC.
Already at the beginning of the Christian era the name Germans was applied by the Romans and Gauls to the many clans of people whose