TEUTONIC MYTHOLOGY. - Centrostudirpinia.it

WODAN. 145
heofonwoman above in a local sense by heaven s corners, I doubt
if correctly ; in both the passages coeli fragores are meant. We
may however imagine Omi, Woma as an air-god, like the Hindu
Indras, whose rush is heard in the sky at break of day, in the din
of battle, and the tramp of the furious host (see Suppl.).
Precisely as the souls of slain warriors arrive at Indra s heaven, 1
the victory-dispensing god of our ancestors takes up the heroes
that fall in fight, into his fellowship, into his army, into his
heavenly dwelling. Probably it has been the belief of all good
men, that after death they would be admitted to a closer com
munion with deity. Dying is therefore, even according to the
home to God in AS.
Christian view, called going to God, turning :
metodsceaft seon, Beow. 2360. Csedm. 104,31. Or seeking, visiting
God: OS. god suokian, Hel. 174,26 ; fadar suokion, Hel. 143, 23;
upodashem, lioht odar, sinlif, godes riki suokian, Hel. 85, 21. 17, 17.
63, 14. 137, 16. 176, 5. In a like sense the Thracians, ace. to
Herodotus 4, 94, said Uvai irapa ZaXpofyv (TefteXeltyv) Sai/jiova,
which Zalmoxis or Zamolxes is held by Jornandes to be a deified
king of the Goths (Getae). In the North, faring to Offinn, being
guest ivith Offinn, visiting O&inn, meant simply to die, Fornald.
sog. 1, 118. 422-3. 2, 366. and was synonymous with faring to
Valholl, being guest at Valholl, ib. 1, 106. Among the Christians,
these were turned into curses : far pd til O&ins ! Offins eigi pik !
may Ooln s have thee (see Suppl.). Here is. shown the inversion
of the kindly being, with whom one fain would dwell, into an
evil one, 2 whose abode inspires fear and dread. Further on, we shall
exhibit more in detail the way in which Wuotan was pictured
driving through the air at the head of the furious (wiitende) host
named after him. Valholl (aula optionis) and Valkyrja obviously
express the notion of wish and choice (Germ, wahl, Scotch wale).
Of the peculiarities of figure and outward appearance of this
god, which are brought out in such bold relief in the northern
1
Bopp s Nalas, p. 264.
2 So Wuotan s name of itself degenerates into the sense of fury (wut) and
anger the Edda has ; instances of it. In revenge he pricked Brynhild with
the sleeping-thorn, Seem. Z94a and she :
, says OSinn ]?vi veldr, er ek eigi
mattak bregSa blunnstofom. He breeds enmity and strife : einn veldr OSinn
6llu
bolvi, pviat meS sifjungom sakrunar bar, Ssem. 165b . inimicitias Othinus
sent, Saxo gram. p. 142, as Christians say of the devil, that he sows the seeds
of discord, gremi OSins, Saem. 151 a (see Suppl.).
10