566 PRIMITIVE HISTORY OP THE lONIANS. 



swan, condiTcts us to Leda, the wife of Tyndareus, and other con- 

 nections of the Onite line. 



In Germanic legends the memory of Onam has been overlaid by 

 Christian myths concerning the apostle John and John the Baptist. 

 Grimm, in his Deutsche Mythologie, finds that Italy, as well as Ger- 

 many and Scandinavia, maintained pagan rites under the name of 

 John, who assumed the role of a water-god.^^° The same author, in 

 his treatment of the Johannisfeuer, another pagan cerem:omal, shows 

 its connection with ancient solar worship, and appropriately directs 

 attention to the Gebennaberg, on which Apollo was anciently wor- 

 shipped, as one of the scenes of its observance.^^^ In Gehenna we 

 find the Gallic Penninus, or in other words Achban. The Sclavonic 

 god, Kupalo, whom Grimm associates with Johannes, may be a form 

 of Apollo, or designate Abihail, the wife and mother of solar divini- 

 ties.^^^ As for Baldag or Balder, the sun-god, who is found in the 

 same company, he is Polydeukes or Peleth. This Johannes must be 

 the head of the Scandinavian Yanir, who dwelt at "Vanaheim. They 

 "were reputed to be especially wise and intelligent. Two of their 

 goddesses, Skade, the wife of Njord, and Freya, bear names peculiarly 

 Onite, Skade being called Ondurdis, and Freya, Yanadis, Syr, Gefn.-^^ 

 Yanadis, according to Grimm,^^* is " nympha Yanorum," and she is 

 the Undine whom Mr. Cox identifies with Daphne.^®* In Daphne, 

 Ahban is not so perfectly preserved as in Gefn, the name of Freya or 

 Yanadis, while her other epithet Syr gives us the Shur of Abi-Shur. 

 It is interesting to note that Njord is represented as introducing vine 

 culture, and that his children, Frey and Freya, were worshipped in 

 Scandinavia, at Thvera and Upsala, which seem to be reminiscences 

 of Abi-Shur and Abihail.^®^ With Abihail, also the island Abalus, or 

 Basilea, in the same region, may connect. As for Ondurdis, the wife 

 of Njord, she reproduces in her name the Egyptian Tentyra.^®^* 

 For whom,, in particular, Njord may stand I cannot toll. 



150 Grimm's Deutsche Mythologie, 555. Andvari connects, 559. 



161 Id. 587. Here we must find the Egyptian connection of On and Ptah, and the Indian of 

 Indra and Agni. 



162 Id. 591. 



163 Mallet's Northern Antiquities, Bohn, 426. 

 163* Deutsche Mythologie, 374. 



16* Cox's Aryan Mythology, i. 400. 

 165 Grimm's Deutsche Mythologie, 197. 



165* w'ith Ondurdis the Indian Onderah, down to which the Asuras were driven by the Devs 

 of Siva, has the closest verbal connection. 



