Thegear. — Myths of Observation. 581 



widely separated that we acquire the idea that the memories 

 of many scattered tribes have preserved the recollection of 

 some terrible event in the far-off past, having a destructive 

 fire for its source of terror, as it ravaged the inhabited lands. 

 Hesiod tells us the story of the strife between Jove and 

 Typhoeus, and describes the coming of the fiery spirit : — 



"Beneath his [Jove's] immortal feet vast Olympus trembled 

 as the king arose and earth groaned beneath. And the heat 

 from both caught the dark- coloured sea, both of the thunder 

 and the lightning and fire from the monster. And all earth, 

 heavens, and sea were boiling, and huge billows roared round 

 the shores. . . . So, I wot, was earth melted in the glare 

 of burning fire."" 



This tale, of course, might be thought to be a, mere poetic 

 fancy as to the conflict of the good and evil powers, but the 

 references come with singular coincidence from far -distant 

 places. 



The legend of the British Druids records the double deluge 

 of fire and water : " The profligacy of mankind had provoked 

 the great Supreme to send a pestilential wind upon the earth. 

 At this time the patriarch, distinguished for his 

 integrity, was shut up, together with his select company, 

 in the enclosure with the strong door. Here the just ones 

 were safe from injury. Presently a tempest of fire arose. It 

 split the earth asunder to the great deep. The Lake Llion 

 burst its bounds, and the waves of the sea lifted up themselves 

 on high around the borders of Britain ; the rain poured down 

 from heaven, and the waters covered the earth."! 



Here we have a distinct account that the deluge of rain 

 succeeded the tempest of fire. If we turn to the Norse 

 mythology we find in the Voluspa, as it appears in the elder 

 Edda, a description of the time when the conflict was taking 

 place between Odin and Surt, just as we saw in the Greek 

 the battle between Jove and Typhceus. 



Surt from the South comes 



With flickering flame. 



* * * * 



Theu arises 

 Hliu's second grief, 

 When Odin goes 

 With the wolf to fight, 

 And the bright slayer 



Of Beli with Surt. 



* * * * 



The sun darkens, 

 Earth in ocean sinks, 

 Fall from heaven 

 The bright stars. 



* Theog., 841. 



t " Mythology of the British Druids," p. 22G. 



