NOTES. 
113 
of Job, or the writings of the Prophet Isaiah. It contains the 
religious superstitions of the ancient Danish, Swedish, and 
Icelandic nations; for it shows us this great truth, that all 
the ancient monuments and records of these countries, all 
the Greek and Roman writers since the sixth century, all 
the Runic inscriptions, universal tradition, the popular su¬ 
perstitions, the names of the days, and many modes of 
speech still in use, unanimously depose, that, before the times 
of Christianity, all these parts of Europe worshipped Odin, 
Thor, and the gods of the Edda. It was, in fact, their Bible. 
The manuscript in which this early account of the Serpent 
appears was written by Snorro Sturleson, who, in 1215, more 
than six hundred years ago, rewrote the ancient Edda. This 
rare book was translated and printed in London, in the year 
1770; and in it I find this singular story : — 
“ THE EDDA, XXVII. FABLE. 
“ Of the Journey undertaken hy the God Thor , the Hercules of 
the Danish Gods , to go to fish for the Great Serpent . 
But tell,’ said Gangler; ‘did the God Thor never re¬ 
venge this affront, given him by the Serpent ? 
“ ‘ ’ T is well known,’ said Har, ‘ though nobody has talked 
of it, that Thor had resolved to attack the Great Serpent, if 
an opportunity offered. With this view, he set out from As- 
gard a second time, under the form of a young boy, in order 
to go to the Giant Eymer. When he was got there, he be¬ 
sought the Giant to permit him to go aboard his bark along 
with him when he went a fishing. The Giant answered, that 
a little puny stripling, like him, could be of no use to him, 
but would be ready to die of cold when they should reach 
the high seas, whither he usually went. The God Thor as¬ 
sured him that he feared nothing, and asked him what bait 
he intended to fish with. Eymer, the Giant, bade him to 
look out for something. Thor went up to a herd of cattle 
which belonged to the Giant, and, seizing one of the oxen, 
tore off his head with his own hands ; then returning to the 
8 
