TEUTONIC MYTHOLOGY. - Centrostudirpinia.it

WALACHURIUN, SKULD. 421
at ricSa til go5J?io5ar/ Ssem. 4 b . Eooted in their being is an irresis
tible longing for this warlike occupation ;
hence the Edda expresses
their most characteristic passion by the verb j?ra (desiderant),
Ssem. 88 b , J?raoV (desiderabant) or fystoz (cupiebant), 134a : it
is their own longing, striving and wishing that has swung itself
round into that wishing for them. Usually nine valkyrjur ride out
together, Saem. 142, 162; their lances, helmets and shields glitter
151 a . This nineness is also found in the story of ThiSrandi (see
p. 402), to whom nine disir appear first in white raiment, then nine
others in black. Ssem. 44-5, and after him Sn. 39, enumerate
thirteen of them : Hrist, Mist, Skeggold, Skogul, Hildr, Thrll&r,
Hlock, Herfwtr, Goll, GeirahoS (aL Geirolul), RandgmS, RddgriS,
Reginleif ; but Saem. 4 b only six: Skidd, Skogul, Gunnr, Hildr ,
Gondul, GeirsJcoguL 1 The prose of Sn. 39 distinguishes three as
strictly val-choosers and mistresses of victory: Gu&r, Rota and
Skuld f
norn en yngzta . The celebrated battle-weaving song of
the Nialssaga names the following : Hildr, Hiorprimul, Sangri&r (1.
RangriSr), Svipul, Gunnr, Gondul] the Hakonarmal: Gondol, Skogol,
Geirskogol; the Krakumal (ed. Eafn, p. 121) only Hlock and Hildr.
Several of these names are of extraordinary and immediate value
to our investigation, and not one of the remainder ought to be left
out of sight in future study (see Suppl.).
Skuld, for instance : we gather from it the affinity of norns and
valkyrs, and at the same time the distinction between them. A
dis can be both norn and valkyr, but the functions are separate,
and usually the persons. The norns have to pronounce the fatum,
they sit on their chairs, or they roam through the country among
mortals, fastening their threads. Nowhere is it said that they ride.
The valkyrs ride to war, decide the issue of the fighting, and
conduct the fallen to heaven ; their riding is like that of heroes
and gods (pp, 327. 392), mention is made of their horses : skalf
Mistar marr (tremuit Mistae equus), Sa3m. 156* ; m<z?*gullin maer
(aureo equo vecta virgo), 145a ; when the steeds of the valkyrs
shake themselves, dew drips from their manes into the valleys, and
a
>
fertilizing hail falls on trees 14o b
, with which compare the l
des-
tillationes in comis et collis equorum of the wise-women (p. 287) ;
the name Mist, which elsewhere means mist, may have indicated
1
Unpublished passages in the skalds supply 29 or 30 names (Finn Magn.
lex. p. 803).