62 MYTHOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS RITES. . 
Their chief occupation consisted, as we have already said, in taking care 
of the tree Yggdrasill, and seeing that its root was duly watered ; they had, 
besides, to engrave the runes of fate upon a metal shield, for by these runes 
was the lot of every living being decided. But they were always just, 
impartial, and unchangeable, and none of their decrees could ever be altered. 
Next to these in rank are the Valkyra, or Valkyryor (pl. 12, fig. 7). They 
were warlike virgins, mounted upon horses, and armed with helmets, 
shields, and spears. Odin, who was desirous to collect a great many heroes 
in Valhalla, in order to have a numerous host of warriors when at the 
Ragnaroek he would be compelled to meet the giants in battle, sent down 
to every battle-field to make choice of those who were to be slain, and to 
sway the victory. Hence their name, which is composed of Val, a battle- 
field, and kyra, to choose, the electors of the battle-sield. Their presence was 
known by a strange flickering light, like that of the Aurora Borealis, and — 
every hero was rejoiced at the prospect of being called by the Valkyre totake 
a place in Odin’s hall. In Valhalla these virgins had the office of waiting 
upon the banqueting heroes, and of foretasting their mead. Every time these 
maidens rode through the air they filled it with the rays of light which 
streamed from their spears, and from the manes of their horses dew dropped 
into the valleys, and hail fell upon the woods. Their number is not men- 
tioned, and only two are particularly distinguished, viz. Hrist and Mirst, who 
were the exclusive cup-bearers to Odin. 
The Edda mentions also another class of beings inferior to the gods, but 
still possessed of great power; these were called the Hlves, or Alfs. The 
white spirits, or Hlves of Light, were exceedingly fair, more brilliant than 
the sun, and clad in garments of a delicate and transparent texture. They 
loved the light, were kindly disposed to mankind, and generally appeared 
as fair and lovely children. Their country was called Alfhevm, and was the 
domain of Freyr, the god of the sun, in whose light they were always 
sporting. 
The black or night-elves, Svartalfs, were a different kind of creatures. 
Ugly, long-nosed dwarfs, of a dirty brown color, they appeared only at 
night, for they shunned the sun as their most deadly enemy, because when- 
ever his beams fell upon any of them, they changed them immediately into 
stones. Their language was the echo of solitudes, and their dwelling-places 
in subterranean caves and clefts, which were called Svartalfaheem. They 
were probably the dwarfs who came at first into existence as maggots pro- 
duced by the decaying flesh of Hymir’s corpse, and were afterwards endowed 
by the gods with a human form and great understanding. They were 
particularly distinguished for a knowledge of the mysterious powers of 
nature, and for the runes which they carved and explained. They were the 
most skilful artificers of all created beings, and worked in metals and in 
wood. Among their most noted works were Thor’s hammer, and the ship 
Skidbladnir, which they gave to /reyr, and which was so large that it 
could contain all the Asir with their war and household implements, but so 
skilfully was it wrought, that when folded together it could be put into a 
side pocket. 
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