IN NORTHERN MISTS 



are islands in the west near the Sea of Darkness (cf. chapter 

 xiii.) and that the Promised Land in Irish myth is surrounded 

 by darkness (=fog) like the Norwegian huldrelands and the 

 Icelandic elflands; but if Adam got his ideas in this way, it 

 would only show more conclusively how mythical his narrative 

 is. If Adam confused the names of Vinland and Finland (i.e., 

 Finmark) (cf. Vol. I, pp. 198, 382, Vol. II, p. 31), it would also 

 be natural for him to imagine that beyond it were ice and 

 darkness. 



The view has been held that the whirlpool in which King 

 Harold and the Frisian nobles were nearly drawn down was 

 of Scandinavian or Germanic origin [cf. S. Lonborg, 1897, 

 pp. 173 f.]. It seems undoubtedly to correspond to the 

 Norse " Ginnungagap " [cf. G. Storm, 1890, pp. 340 f.] ; 

 but it is a question how early this idea arose. I have already 

 (Vol. I, pp. II, 12, 17) pointed out the probable connection 

 between it and the Greek Tartaros (and Anostos) or Chaos, and 

 have shown (Vol. I, pp. 158 f.) that Paulus Wamefridi took his 

 whirlpool from this source, and called it Chaos. But now it is 

 evident, as we have seen, that Adam took his description of the 

 whirlpool from Paulus, and thus we have the full connection. 

 It may also be mentioned as curious that Lucian in his " Vera 

 Historia " tells of just such an abyss : 



" We sailed through a crystal-clear, transparent water until we were obliged 

 to stop before a great cleft in the sea. . . . Our ship was near being drawn 

 down into this abyss, if we had not taken in the sails in time. As we then put 

 our heads out and looked down, we saw a depth of a thousand stadia, before 

 which our minds and senses stood still. . . ." Finally with great difficulty 

 they rowed across a bridge of water that stretched over the abyss [Wieland, 

 1789, iv. p. 222]. 



With this may be compared that in the Irish legend (" Imram Maelduin ") 

 Maelduin and his companions came to a sea like green glass, so clear that the 

 sun and the green sand of the sea were visible through it. Thence they came 

 to another sea which was like fog (clouds), and it seemed to them that it 

 could hardly support them or their boat; they saw in the sea beneath them 

 people adorned with jewels and a delightful land, etc.; but when they also saw 

 down below a huge monster which devoured a whole ox, they were seized 

 with fear and trembling, for they thought they would not be able to get across 

 this sea without falling through to the bottom, because it was as thin as cloud; 

 but they came over it with great danger [cf. Zimmer, 1889, p. 164], 

 150 



