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01* THE GODS. 135
mankind and embraces their numerous hosts with
her divine power. She drives with cats—a symbol
of sly fondling and sensual enjoyment. Her hus-
band's name, OSur, signifies Sense, Understanding,
but also wild desire. The various names bestowed
upon her when she travels among the people,
denote the various modes by which Love reveals
itself in human life. The other Goddesses named
in the Asa Mythology as Patronesses of Love and
Marriage—Sjofn, Lofn, and Ydr—were all regarded
as messengers and attendants of Freyja.
The JEsir Baldur, HoSur, and Vali are the most
intimately connected with each other, but their sig-
nificance can be best understood in connection with
the myth of Baldur's Death, under which they
shall be mentioned.
T^r* is the God of warlike boldness, of Bravery
Bragi is, as the name itself implies, the God of Poe-
try.f They are both Sons of Odin, and are in reality
only peculiar expressions of Odin's being. As
the God of War he awakens wild courage, as the
Sovereign of the Soul he is himself represented as
the Inventor of Poetry.
Idnna, the Efficacious, perhaps originally signified
Nature's vigorous Summer-life; to_the-(3&ir she is
the Goddess of Eternal Youth. Her connection
* T;^r corresponds with A.-8. Tir, glory, dominion; the Sanskr.
Djaus, gen. Divas; Qr. "Zcvs, gen. AiSj; Mcmo-Ooth. Tins, gen.
Tivis ; Norse Tfr, gen. Tfs ; are cognate words signifying God.
{Deut. Mythol, pp. 175, 187.)
f Bragi corresponds with A.-S. Brego, a ruler, prince ; and perhaps
with A.-S. brsBgen, brain. In the Norse, bragr signifies
poetry.
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