452 
tocontroverfy. Schéning and Suhm incline 
to diftinguish between Woden the god of war, 
and Odin chief of the Afe; and fuppofe the 
apotheofis of the former to have long preceded 
that of the latter, who perhaps was merely 
the conduétor of the firft colony of Goths 
which ventured to forfake the fouthern 
ores of the Baltic and to take up its abode in 
Scandinavia. Gibbon (i. 294) inclines to the 
{peculation which makes the enterprifes of the 
orthern Mahomet co-eval with thofe of Pom- 
pey. Gréter, ftruck witha refemblance be- 
tween the cofmogony of the Edda and that of 
Meliffus of Samos, as defcribed by Diogenes 
Laertius, has attempted to prove from a paf- 
fage in the Aigi(drecka (Str. 24.)5 that Odin 
wifited the ifland of Samos (Sams-egio), and 
derived his do€trines from this Grecian philo- 
fopher, who flourithed in the eighty-fourth 
Olympiad. In confirmatien of a theory which 
afligns to this earlier era the exploits of the 
northern divinities, it might be pleaded that 
Herodotus mentions (Melpomene LKXXI1.) 
an immenfe brewing-copper, in high eftima- 
tion among the Scythiang, the acquifition of 
which by Thor, appears to be celebrated 
in the Hymis-Quida. The identity of the 
elder Anachartis, and of Odin, may one day 
stot feem indefenfible. 
But at whatever perjod thofe perfons flou- 
rifhed, whofe aétions form the themes of the 
Edda: whether their deeds and their doc- 
trines were chronicled in verfe by the *Scalds 
of their own times; or were preferved by 
tradition merely, until the northern dawn of 
literature broke forth over Iceland; thie fagas 
which preferve thefe tranfaétions, are equally 
interefting. They are, and muft remain the 
earlieft monuments of Gothic intellect. They 
are, and muft remain the firft fruits of that 
noble ftem of language, whofe {preading 
branches yet overfhadow Scandinavia, Ger- 
many, and Britain. ‘They are the childhood 
flammerings of thofe nations who have created 
a fchool of poetry fuperior to the Greck. They 
willacquire an increafing intereft among all 
the defcendants from the Gothic ftock. They 
are fupplying to new pocts the outlines of an 
_ original mythology: and they will afford a 
favourite text for commentary to all the an- 
tiquaries who thall in future bufy themfelves 
with artic paleofophy. | 
“The poetical value of the elder northern re- 
liques, is far inferior to that of the fanciful 
ftories which compofe the new Edda: no 
metaphors equally bold, nu adventures equally 
prodigious, no defcriptions equally romantic 
here ftartle and reward the curiofty. In 
% Klopftock erroneoufly afcribes bards to 
the Gothic nations on the faith of a falfe read- 
ing in Tacitus: this word is Cimbric, or 
Welfh, and includes both the civil and ec- 
clefiaftical magiftracy. Milton, with learned 
accuracy, notices the fteep, 
«6 Where your old bards, the famous druids 
lie.” 
Original Pott*y. 
| [ Dec. 
their fiead ceeur definite allegories, whick 
throw much light on the manner in which 
rude nations endeavour to account to them~ 
felves for the origin of things, and in which 
moral faéts aflume in their minds a mythic 
form. Much information too is afforded con 
cerning the different tribee into which the 
Goths and the contiguous nomade nations 
were divided, and concerning the geographical 
allotment of their refpective territory. Buys 
it is time to pafs from profing to fcanning. 
THe Meat or VAFTHRUTHNI. 
Odis. Friga, counfel thou thy lord, 
Whofe unquiet bofom broods 
A journey to Vafthrunt’s hall, 
With the wife and crafty fute, 
To contend in Runic lore.” 
Friga. Father of a hero-races 
In the dwelling-place of Goths, 
Let me counfel thee to ftay 5 
For to none arnong the Jutes*, 
Is Vafthruni’s wifdom given. 
Odin. Far P've wander’d, much fojourn’ds 
In the kingdoms of the earth 5 
But Vafthruni’s royal hall 
I have {till the with to know, 
Friga. Safe departure, fafe returt, 
May the fatal filters grant! 
The father of the years that roll, 
Shield my daring traveller's head ! 
Odin rofe with fpeed, and went 
To contend in Runic lore, 
With the wie and crafty Jute. 
To Vafthruni’s royal hail 
Came the mighty king of fpells. 
Odin. Hail Vafthruni, king of men, 
To thy lofty hall I come, 
Beckon’d by thy wifdom’s fame. 
Art thou, I afpire to learn, 
Firft of Jutes in Runic lore? f 
Vaftbruni. Who art thou? whofe daring lip 
Doubts Wafthruni’s juft renown? 
Know that tothy parting ‘tep 
Never fhall thefe doors unfold, 
If thy tongue excel not mine 
In the ftrife of myftic lore. 
a Dann as 
* The Daniih interpreters fhould not be al- 
ways followed in the ufe of the words ge@ 
and giant. The Goths and the Jutes were 
contiguous nations, part of whom ulti- 
mately became ftationary in Gothland and 
Jutland, From the name of the latter, by 
cualefcence with the article, is formed the 
denomination Teutones, Deutch. (Thus the 
French call the Antinous Je Lantin, inftead 
of PAnun, and the Englith fay @ newt, ins 
ftead of an ewt, vfing in fact a double article. 
Thefe two nations were early hoftile: Lucian 
(in his letter to Philo on hittory-writing) aly 
ludes to fome account of a war between the 
Goths and the Jutes: and the Edda abounds 
with traces of their habitual rivalry, Vaf=. 
thruni was 2 king of the Jutes. ; 
| tei 
