CHAPTER IV. 



THE MYTHOLOGY AND COSMOGONY OF THE NORSEMEN. 



The three poems giving the mythology and cosmogony of the North The 

 Voluspa, Vafthrudnismal, Grinmismal, the Asar, Jotnar, and Thursar 

 Odin and Vafthnulnir The nine worlds Before the creation The 

 origin of the Hrim Thursar Birth of Ymir Birth of Odin -Vili and 

 Ve The ash Yggdrasil The well of wisdom Hel, one of the nine 

 worlds The bridge Bifrost Heimdall Bergelmir born before the 

 creation The Jotun Ymir slain by Odin The deluge of blood 

 Creation of ihe world Divisions of time End of the world A new world. 



IN the three poems called Voluspa, Vafthrudnismal, and Grirn- 

 nismal, we have the earliest accounts of the cosmogony and 

 of the mythology of the people of the North. The grand 

 central figure in the mythology is Odin. He and his kin 

 formed the people known as Asar in the lore and literature 

 of the North, and were treated as gods. These poems are too 

 long to be given here in full, but in the following pages we 

 have endeavoured, by means of extracts, to give a more or 

 less consecutive account of the subjects with which they deal. 



The Voluspa was an inspired poem of a Volva or Sibyl, 1 and 

 embodies the records of the creation of the present world, and 

 of the time prior to it ; of the various races, their origin and 

 history, and of the chaos and destruction which finally will 

 overtake mankind. 



It is in some places so obscure, that if it had not been 

 partly explained by the later Edda, and had light thrown 

 upon it by the sagas and ancient laws, it would be impossible 

 to understand its meaning ; and even now it is most difficult, 

 and in some places impossible to fully comprehend several of its 

 mythical parts, some of which will always remain enigmatical. 



Vafthrudnismal is especially interesting as compared with 



Voluspa is derived from rolva, sybil 

 and spa, foretelling. The name rolva 

 seems to be derived from coir (start', stick ). 



as \ve see that the sibyls or prophetesses 

 used tn walk from place to place with a 

 stick. 



