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138 RELIGION OF THE NORTHMEN.
hleo, Dan. Lse, Engl, lee) ; and G;^mir—the Con-
cealing (geyma, A.-8. gym3i,n, Dan. gjemme, tocon-
ceal, to keep). They express the sea in its uproar,
in its mildness, and as the covering of the Deep.
The name of his wife, Ean—Kobbery, or -the Bob-
bing (rsena, to plunder), denotes the sea as craving
its sacrifice of human life and of treasures, ^gir
and his family, it is certain, did not belong among
the J5sir, yet they were regarded, like them, as
mighty beings, whose friendship was sought by the
.^ir themselves. The ancient legend that -^gir,
when visited by the ^Esir, illuminated his hall with
shining gold (l;^sigull), refers no doubt to the phosphorescent
light of the sea (marelldr, sea fire, Dan.
Morild).
The Northmen imagined twelve of the ^sir to be
superior, and, as it were, to form a Coimcil of Gods
but which they were is nowhere said with certainty.
In the ancient poem of Grimnismal* there are
twelve celestial abodes enumerated by way of preeminence,
and in the Later Edda,f twelve names by
which Odin was especially designated. This preference
shown in the Mythology for the number
twelve, has appeared to several interpreters to refer
to the divisions of the year among the heathen
Northmen, and their reckoning of the sun's course.
According to their theory, each of the twelve .^Esir
was the director of his respective month ; the twelve
names of Odiii were names of the months; and
the twelve celestial abodes denoted the twelve signs
* The 0. Edda :
Grimn. 5-17.
jTheL, Edda: Gylf. 8.
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