188 THE HOME OF A NATURALIST. 



like the way that the heroes of Scandinavian mytho- 

 logy went forth to fight the powers of evil, armed by 

 their own God-like strength alone. I have always 

 liked to fancy that this mighty conqueror of Valkyrur 

 was Baldur the Beautiful, whose mission was to subdue 

 evil, and to bring peace and sunshine. Born of the 

 goddess Freija, whose knowledge and power seem to 

 have been almost as much acknowledged as that of 

 Odin, Baldur could not make the phantom steed (or 

 battle maiden) swear by aught more binding than 

 "mother's might." Also binding the brutal power of 

 this evil being with " his aiu hair " — those wonderful 

 golden locks that were the admiration of gods and men 

 — seems more fitting than binding " the mare wi' her 

 ain hair," as the later version has it. 



To be cognisant of the supernatural is supposed to 

 be hereditary in some families, the members of which 

 are treated with especial consideration in consequence. 

 Those privileged individuals are gifted with second- 

 sight, and power to call up spiritual appearances, but 

 they are very reluctant to speak of any of their dealings 

 with the unseen worlds, so that it has only been by the 

 most ingenious and patient course of questioning that 

 I have elicited personal experiences, or even family 

 traditions, from any of the witchy tribe. Degenerate 

 scions of those " wise " folk have not scrupled to 

 impart the knowledge given to them in some 

 weak unguarded hour, and in that way the desired 

 information regarding many hidden things has been 

 obtained. 



