登陆注册
4619900000007

第7章

Saemund, one of the early Christian Priests there, who perhaps had a lingering fondness for Paganism, collected certain of their old Pagan songs, just about becoming obsolete then,--Poems or Chants of a mythic, prophetic, mostly all of a religious character: that is what Norse critics call the _Elder_ or Poetic _Edda_. _Edda_, a word of uncertain etymology, is thought to signify _Ancestress_. Snorro Sturleson, an Iceland gentleman, an extremely notable personage, educated by this Saemund's grandson, took in hand next, near a century afterwards, to put together, among several other books he wrote, a kind of Prose Synopsis of the whole Mythology; elucidated by new fragments of traditionary verse. A work constructed really with great ingenuity, native talent, what one might call unconscious art; altogether a perspicuous clear work, pleasant reading still: this is the _Younger_ or Prose _Edda_. By these and the numerous other _Sagas_, mostly Icelandic, with the commentaries, Icelandic or not, which go on zealously in the North to this day, it is possible to gain some direct insight even yet; and see that old Norse system of Belief, as it were, face to face. Let us forget that it is erroneous Religion; let us look at it as old Thought, and try if we cannot sympathize with it somewhat.

The primary characteristic of this old Northland Mythology I find to be Impersonation of the visible workings of Nature. Earnest simple recognition of the workings of Physical Nature, as a thing wholly miraculous, stupendous and divine. What we now lecture of as Science, they wondered at, and fell down in awe before, as Religion The dark hostile Powers of Nature they figure to themselves as "_Jotuns_," Giants, huge shaggy beings of a demonic character. Frost, Fire, Sea-tempest; these are Jotuns. The friendly Powers again, as Summer-heat, the Sun, are Gods. The empire of this Universe is divided between these two; they dwell apart, in perennial internecine feud. The Gods dwell above in Asgard, the Garden of the Asen, or Divinities; Jotunheim, a distant dark chaotic land, is the home of the Jotuns.

Curious all this; and not idle or inane, if we will look at the foundation of it! The power of _Fire_, or _Flame_, for instance, which we designate by some trivial chemical name, thereby hiding from ourselves the essential character of wonder that dwells in it as in all things, is with these old Northmen, Loke, a most swift subtle _Demon_, of the brood of the Jotuns.

The savages of the Ladrones Islands too (say some Spanish voyagers) thought Fire, which they never had seen before, was a devil or god, that bit you sharply when you touched it, and that lived upon dry wood. From us too no Chemistry, if it had not Stupidity to help it, would hide that Flame is a wonder. What _is_ Flame?--_Frost_ the old Norse Seer discerns to be a monstrous hoary Jotun, the Giant _Thrym_, _Hrym_; or _Rime_, the old word now nearly obsolete here, but still used in Scotland to signify hoar-frost.

_Rime_ was not then as now a dead chemical thing, but a living Jotun or Devil; the monstrous Jotun _Rime_ drove home his Horses at night, sat "combing their manes,"--which Horses were _Hail-Clouds_, or fleet _Frost-Winds_. His Cows--No, not his, but a kinsman's, the Giant Hymir's Cows are _Icebergs_: this Hymir "looks at the rocks" with his devil-eye, and they _split_ in the glance of it.

Thunder was not then mere Electricity, vitreous or resinous; it was the God Donner (Thunder) or Thor,--God also of beneficent Summer-heat. The thunder was his wrath: the gathering of the black clouds is the drawing down of Thor's angry brows; the fire-bolt bursting out of Heaven is the all-rending Hammer flung from the hand of Thor: he urges his loud chariot over the mountain-tops,--that is the peal; wrathful he "blows in his red beard,"--that is the rustling storm-blast before the thunder begins.

Balder again, the White God, the beautiful, the just and benignant (whom the early Christian Missionaries found to resemble Christ), is the Sun, beautifullest of visible things; wondrous too, and divine still, after all our Astronomies and Almanacs! But perhaps the notablest god we hear tell of is one of whom Grimm the German Etymologist finds trace: the God _Wunsch_, or Wish. The God _Wish_; who could give us all that we _wished_!

Is not this the sincerest and yet rudest voice of the spirit of man? The _rudest_ ideal that man ever formed; which still shows itself in the latest forms of our spiritual culture. Higher considerations have to teach us that the God _Wish_ is not the true God.

同类推荐
  • 称赞净土佛摄受经

    称赞净土佛摄受经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 净度三昧经

    净度三昧经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle

    The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太上六壬明鉴符阴经

    太上六壬明鉴符阴经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 急救仙方

    急救仙方

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 这样说有人缘朋友多

    这样说有人缘朋友多

    只有掌握切实有效的说话术,在交谈时才能让别人对你心不设防,再难沟通的人都能与其自由交谈,再冷的话题都能让你妙语不断:看人戴帽子,学会见什么人说什么话;求人办事看眼色,让对方付出心甘情愿与朋友交往时,要注意保持适度的弹性,采取明智的态度拒绝,摆脱不必要的麻烦……翻开本书,学习日常生活中最直接有效,使用率最高的口才技巧,让你在最短时间内掌握说话的分寸与尺度,迅速提升自身沟通能力;让你与陌生人交往时快速建立共识,获得认同赢得信赖,无往不胜。
  • 八十天环游地球(语文新课标课外必读第二辑)

    八十天环游地球(语文新课标课外必读第二辑)

    国家教育部颁布了最新《语文课程标准》,统称新课标,对中、小学语文教学指定了阅读书目,对阅读的数量、内容、质量以及速度都提出了明确的要求,这对于提高学生的阅读能力,培养语文素养,陶冶情操,促进学生终身学习和终身可持续发展,对于提高广大人民的文学素养具有极大的意义。
  • 破解企业人力资源风险

    破解企业人力资源风险

    企业的繁荣和发展最终起作用的是人,人是企业生存和发展的根本。人在企业中又是一最大的变数,正所谓“成也萧何,败也萧何”对人的管理也就是对企业的管理。本书就企业聘人,用人、管理人等方面存在的一系列问题进行了深刻独特到的分析,给用人者提供了警醒。同时,也让企业认识到自己人力资源管理方面的不足,从而加以改进,只有这样企业才能得到可持续发展。
  • 霸道拽王妃

    霸道拽王妃

    她,是黑帮最厉害的女人,却难逃命运的捉弄。一颗子弹结束了她的性命,然,再睁眼,她变成了东云国国公府的四小姐,这四小姐竟然连下人奴才都不把她放在眼里,随意欺负?真真是笑话!她苏陌岂是随意让人欺压的软柿子,她的人生宗旨是——人不犯我我不犯人,人若犯我我必十倍奉还之。他,是东云国的九王爷,风流倜傥,放荡不羁。当他在房梁上见到她的那一眼的时候,他便决定要娶她,只是——这女子也太过不一般了,她的人生似乎不受他的控制,而是她自己控制。当她以为她和他不会有任何交集的时候,为什么他的一句:“我们都像是一匹狼,一匹拥有傲视群雄却又孤独的狼,这样的两个人,不该在一起么?”会让她的心有所动摇?-----“小野猫,我们做笔交易如何?”-----“条件?”-----“本王喜欢和自己性格一样的女子,本王要你嫁给本王……”-----"……"-----“你确定是我了吗?”-----“嗯。”-----“一旦确定了是我,那么到死都不能放手了,上穷碧落下黄泉,我都会跟着你。你若负我,我会让你付出代价的,这个代价,我保证,你消受不起…”ps:简介无能,欲知详情,内容为你揭晓……————————————————————————————————————末槿花开的群162270788162369667162270789前面说过的群作废敲门砖:书中任意人物名末槿的群目前都是刚创建没有人希望亲们来群里一起聊天哈先来的给管理员————————————————————————————————————★★★★PS:本人心理承受能力极端的差,如若不喜欢本文的,ok,下拉下拉,另选出口;如若觉得本文还不错的,ok,末槿感谢您的支持,但切勿收藏了又下,这很影响写作情绪★★★★★★★隆重推出末槿的新坑★★★帝妃逍遥末槿花开大家给力点,给末槿点支持哈推荐好友的文文邪魅老公追逃妻残留的影邪王爷娇宠妃烟色凝眸总裁仇妻不好惹沫紫倾黑道老公娇宠妻沫紫倾傻王爷的痴情妃水滴小草古代女法医七星盟主契约结婚陌潇湘腹黑前夫,你死定了过期贝儿侧妃劫方园王的毒爱璃火半更
  • 天命轻狂:傲世妖妃

    天命轻狂:傲世妖妃

    她本是妖帝,在一场天地大战中香消玉殒。再睁眼,变成了人尽可欺的将军府大小姐。不闹个天翻地覆她便枉为妖帝!于是,拳打暴丑男妖,脚踢臭屁厉王。顺手抢走太子宝物,却遇到妖孽贤王,本想吃干抹净做回妖界霸主,却被可恶贤王揪住小辫子,男强女强,到底谁上谁下?谁主攻受?
  • 足球之地表最强

    足球之地表最强

    当一个热爱足球的普通少年,无意间将自己的身体与《实况足球》游戏相连通,他的梦想轨迹是否会因此而改变····
  • 血隐狂刀

    血隐狂刀

    何为江湖?有人的地方就是江湖!有江湖的地方就注定会有纷争……
  • 魔剑之千夜

    魔剑之千夜

    巅峰只是梦想,过程才是生命的色彩,一个懵懂的少年,迈着稚嫩的步伐,一步步走向人生的巅峰,去追寻那看不到的高度,去寻找那缥缈的成仙梦
  • 绝色王妃世无双

    绝色王妃世无双

    月扶南以为自己能平平淡淡的活完这第二条命,却没想到这王爷府就是她的地狱,身份就是她的催命符!没有一丝灵力的废材将军府大小姐,如何生存在这异世?月扶南终于脱离了这王爷府,君逸枫觉得自己应该是高兴的,可没想到这女人转身就进了晋王府,成了晋王妃,自己的皇婶。她到底是一个怎样的传奇?明明是一丝灵力都没有的废物,却偏偏飞上枝头变成耀眼天下的凤凰,医术无双,灵力强大,想翻天都没人能拦住她!
  • 如意事

    如意事

    许明意再次睁开眼睛的时候,回到了十六岁身患怪病的那一年。这时,她那老当益壮的祖父正值凯旋归京——“路上救下的这位年轻人长得颇好,带回家给孙女冲喜再合宜不过。”于是,昏迷中被安排得明明白白的定南王世孙就这么被拐回了京城……——————正版读者群:734187674(任意一本书粉丝值满2000进)