Having thus, in a very cursory manner, noticed a few of the most important circumstances, connected with the civil and political affairs of the country, I shall proceed to some brief remarks on the religious history of the ancient northern nations, and of Iceland in particular; in doing which, I shall make ample use of the valuable information contained in the "Northern Antiquities" of M. Mallett.

The religion of the north, in its greatest purity, taught the existence of a supreme God, "the author" according to the Icelandic Mythology, "of every thing that existeth; the eternal, the ancient, the living and awful being, the searcher into concealed things, the being that never changeth"; to whom, also, was attributed "a boundless knowledge and an incorruptible justice." From him sprung (as it were emanations of his divinity) an infinite number of subaltern deities and genii, of which every part of the visible world, was the seat and temple. These intelligencies were not contented barely to reside in each part of nature, but they directed its operations,

and it was the organ or instrument of their love or liberality to mankind. Each element was under the guidance of some being pe

culiar to it. The earth, the water, the fire, the air, the sun, the moon, and the stars, had each their respective divinity; and to serve these several gods with sacrifices, to be brave and intrepid themselves, and to do no wrong to others, were the moral obligations inculcated upon mortals by this religion. To these duties was added the belief in a future state, where cruel tortures were reserved for those who despised the three fundamental precepts of morality, and joys without number for the religious, just, and valiant. This appears to have been the state of religion among the Scandinavians, till towards the period of the fall of the Roman empire, when, in consequence of the arrival of Odin in the north; it began to lose much of its original purity. The people became weary of its simplicity, and associated to the supreme God many of those genii or inferior divinities, who had always been subservient to him; and even the supreme being himself, whom they called by the name of Odin, they divested of a

portion of his omnipotence, and looked upón him as little more than the god of war, in which character he is called in the Edda, "the terrible and severe god, the father of slaughter, the god that carrieth desolation and fire, the active and roaring deity, he who giveth victory, and reviveth courage in the conflict; who nameth those that are to be slain." Such as were most brave in battle, and as died fighting, were received

him in his palace Valhala: thus, when Regner Lodbrog* was at the point of death, far from uttering complaints, he burst out into an exclamation of rapture; "We are cut to pieces with swords: but this fills me with joy, when I think of the feast that is preparing for me in Odin's palace. Quickly, quickly seated in the splendid habitation of the gods, we shall drink beer† out of the skulls of our enemies. A brave man fears not to die. I shall utter no timorous words as I enter the hall of Odin". Next to Odin, Freya, his wife, was considered the principal

* See translations from the Icelandic, entitled Five Pieces of Runic Poetry. p. 27.

† Odin alone drank wine.

deity, who appears to have been the Venus in the northern Mythology; and next to her was Thor, whose authority extended over the winds and seasons, and particularly over thunder and lightning. He is called in the Edda, the most valiant of the sons of Odin. These three deities composed the supreme counsel of the gods, and were the principal objects of the worship of the Scandinavians, who, nevertheless, were not all agreed about the preference which was due to each of them in particular: thus the Danes paid the highest honors to Odin, and the Swedes to Freya, while the natives of Iceland bestowed them upon Thor. Twelve other gods (inferior deities) and as many goddesses are besides enumerated in the Edda. Odin was believed to be the creator of heaven and earth. The ideas upon this head, as handed down to us by the Icelandic Mythology, cannot be better expressed than in the language of the Voluspa. "In the day-spring of the ages," says the poet, "there was neither sea nor shore, nor refreshing breezes. There was neither earth below nor heaven above to be distinguished. The whole was only one vast abyss, without herb, and without seeds.

The sun had then no palace; the stars knew not their dwelling-places; the moon was. ignorant of her power. After this there was a luminous, burning, flaming world towards the south, and from this world flowed out incessantly into the abyss, that lay towards the north, torrents of sparkJing fire, which, in proportion as they removed far away from their source, congealed in their falling into the void, and

so filled it with scum and ice. Thus, was the abyss, by little and little, filled quite full: but there remained within it a light and immoveable air, and thence exhaled icy vapors. Then a warm breath coming from the south melted those vapors, and formed of them living drops, whence was born the giant Ymer. It is reported that, while he slept, an extraordinary sweat, under his armpits, produced a male and female, whence is sprung the race of giants; a race evil and corrupt, as well as Ymer their author. Another race was brought forth, which formed álliances with that of the giant Ymer: this was called the family of Bor, so named from the first of that family, who was the father of Odin. The sons of Bor

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