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 ***

       Produced by Charlene Taylor, Katie Hernandez and the Online

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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.

       1

       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

       2

       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,

       3

       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