NORTHERN MYTHOLOGY. 59 
‘ture soon became a mead, the drinking of which made sages and poets. 
To the gods they reported that they had found Quasir strangled by his own 
wisdom. But some time afterwards they killed a giant also; his son avenged 
the death of his father by placing them upon a rock in the sea, and 
threatened that he would not release them until they had given him the 
precious mead. Fear at last overcame avarice, and they yielded to him 
their treasure. He concealed it in the Guztberg ; but Odin having bored a 
hole in the rock, entered through it in the shape of a worm and drank all 
the mead in the three vessels, and then escaped in the shape of an eagle. - 
The giant discovered the theft, pursued him in a like form, and caught 
the god above Asgard. A terrible fight took place, and Odin, in order to 
relieve himself, disgorged all the mead, which was caught by the gods 
below in a number of small vessels. 
When the Asir and Vanir had ratified the peace above mentioned, they also 
exchanged hostages. The Asir gave to the Vanir Hénir and his companion 
Minmir, and the Vanir left with the Asir Wjord, and his two children, 
Freyr and Freya, who were adopted by their new associates. | 
Njord, or Njérdr, was the god of the winds, the giver of rain, and had 
the power to still the agitated waves of the ocean and to quench the fire. 
He was the patron god of sailors, fishermen, and hunters, and received with 
particular favor the o®erings of travellers. Even temples and sacrificial 
places were considered under his especial care. His palace Voadun is the 
eleventh of the palaces in Asgard. He is represented (pl. 13, jig. 5) 
dressed in an ample garment, with wings upon his shoulders, and long and 
dishevelled hair on his head; in his right hand he holds the oar, and in his 
left the bow, while a net is at his feet. 
Freyr, his son, is the god of the sun, of fruitfulness, and rain ; his aid was 
always implored when men wished to obtain a favorable season or peace. 
He was considered kindly disposed towards mankind and willing to grant 
their prayers. He is represented (jig. 3) with a halo around his head, in 
his left hand holding a number of ears of wheat, and with his right an urn 
from which the water flows ; as the god of the sun, he has the golden boar 
Gullinbursti lying at his feet. His dwelling is in Alfheim. Sometimes he 
is also found standing on the left of Odin (pl. 11, jig. 6). 
The myth tells us of him that he once seated himself upon the vacant 
throne of Odin, from which, as has been said, one could see everything in 
the whole world. Casting his eyes around he saw in the high north in the 
land of the giants, the beautiful Gerda, daughter of Gymir, and fell imme- 
diately so deeply in love with her that it affected his health, so that he 
could neither eat, drink, nor sleep. His parents were very much afflicted 
at the condition of their child, and made his servant Skyrnir ascertain the 
cause. When they learned it, they charged the faithful attendant with the 
task of demanding her in marriage for their son. After much trouble and 
overcoming many obstacles, Skyrnir succeeded and Gerda became Freyr’s 
wife. | 
Freya, the sister of Freyr, was the goddess of love and also goddess of 
the moon. She was next to Frigga the most powerful and honored, the 
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