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124 HEIilGION OF THE NOETHMEN.
at first, outside of it as a border inclosing it.* It
was thus believed to be separated from Mannbeiiu
by the ocean, as it was from Gobbeim by a stream
called Ifing,f wMcb was never frozen over.
8. Helbeimr, the World of the Bead, the lower
"World, the abode for the bodies of the Dead {HaUr).
Thither the way from the upper Worlds (Helvegr)
led down by the North through Jotunheim over the
stream Gjoll—the Soimding or SMnmg (Northern
Lights?); the bridge over it, Gjallarbru, was roofed
with shining gold.
9. Niflheimr, the Mist-World. The first and last
of these were primeval worlds, which were thought
to be situated without the proper mwidane "World-
system, to which the .^ir belonged.
We may remark, however, that the representations
of these different worlds and theii* mutual
relations, were very obscure and variable, even in
heathen times. We could expect no other of a
people but little enlightened, especially at a time
when the knowledge of Nature was so very limited.
In later times the confusion was increased when the
Learned began to look for these Worlds upon the
Earth, and to rack their brains in finding out proper
regions to refer them to.:j:
* Compare the L. Edda: GylfagianiDg 51, -with theO. Edda:
HJrnaiskviSa.
f The word if or ef, ordinarily signifies- doubt, but the original
meaning appears to have been fluctuation, unrest.
X Magnuseu's ideas of these worlds are set forth in his "Edda-
Isere," page 179, etseqi. ; Petersen's, in "Danmarks Historie" IIL
pp. 122-124. The above system corresponds with the latter.