6G 



MYTHOLOGY AND COSMOGONY. 



to search for Goclkeim and Odin the old. He went with 

 twelve men far and wide about the world ; he came to Tyrkland 

 and to Sweden the great, and met there many of his friends 

 and kinsmen, and was five winters on that journey. 1 Then he 

 came back to Sweden, and stayed at home for some time. 

 He had married a woman called Vana in Vanaheim ; their 

 son was Vanlandi. Svegdir went again in search of Godheirn. 

 In the eastern part of Sweden there is a large boer called 

 Stein (stone) ; there stands a rock as large as a big house. One 

 evening after sunset, when Svegdir ceased drinking and went 

 to his sleeping-house, he saw a Dverg sitting outside the rock. 

 Svegdir and his men were very drunk, and ran to the rock. 

 The Dverg stood in the door and shouted to Svegdir to come 

 in if he wanted to meet Odin. Svegdir rushed into the rock, 

 which at once closed upon him, and he came not back " 

 (Ynglinga, c. 15). 



A description of the leading events in the life of each of 

 the remaining mythical or semi-mythical rulers named in the 

 genealogies is given in the Ynglinga, but we have only thought 

 it necessary to place before the reader these few typical 

 examples, as the scope of the work will not admit of a fuller 

 treatment of the subject ; though some extracts have been 

 incorporated in the Chapter on Customs, &c. 



The Northern chiefs traced their ancestry from this Odin of 

 the North, whose influence had become so great with King 

 Gylfi that two of his sons, as we have seen, married the latter's 

 daughters. 



When reading the Saga literature we are particularly struck 

 by the frequent references made to pedigrees in which the 

 people of the North took great pride. There are three great 

 genealogical branches through which the Northern chiefs 

 traced their descent from Odin. 



" All who are truly wise in events know that the Tyrkjar 

 and Asia-men settled in the northern lands. Then began the 

 tongue which has since spread over all lands. The leader of 

 these people was called Odin, and to him men trace their 

 families" 2 (Sturlaug's Saga (Fornaldarsogur, 111), c. 1). 



These genealogical branches are : 1. The Ynglinga ; or that 

 of Halfdan the black, the nephew of Rognvald Jarl. 2. The 



1 This would imply that Sweden was 

 east of Vanaheim. 



2 Cf. also Herraud and Bosi's Saga, 

 c. 1. 



