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KEGENEEATION OF THE GODS. 153
Dragon of Darkness, who witH Death upon his wings
flees away to the abyss, never more to arise from it.
Biit the doctrine of Regeneration and the Coming
of the Supreme God to the great Judgment, was
not so vividly present to the minds of the Asa -worshipers
as was tlie doctrine of Eagnarokk. What
might be beyond the great World-conflagration was
to them a dark enigpia, which few were bold enough
to fathom. Perhaps in that highest God they had
a dim conception of that Mighty One, from whom
the first spark of the World-life proceeded, who
dwelt in the Fire-Heaven before the World and the
J5sir came into being, and who.Was to scatter over
them the fire of Devastation in Eagnarokk ; but this
presentiinent was joined with a feeling ef fear, and
hence no man should daretto pronoiince the name
of the Great Judge of the Universe.*
thus denoted " The Shining Abode." When Grimm assumes th^t
Gimli is a dative form of gimill (wliich he takes to be the same
as himill, an older form of himinn, heaven), because Gimli is used
only in the dative (Deut. Myth. p. 783), he errs, as^ Gimli occurs
twice in the nominative form (Gyl£ 3 and 17).. ,^
* The author inclines to Finn Magnusen's opin'onthat the High-
est God vrhose coming the VoluspS and Hyndlu]j68 announce, is
Surtur ; although most authorities reject it. [See'Grimm. . Bent.
. pp. 784-5.; Geijer : Svea-Rikes Hafder Vol. I. p. 336.