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INTEODUCTION. 27
way of that period wMch does not begin with Odin
and the ^^ir as the introdacers of civilization, while
they and all other mythic forms are made into human
beings. Such, to take only the most prominent
examples, was the treatment of the mythos in
the Swedish Histories of Dalin* and Lagerbring,f
and so was it to the highest extreme in the histori-
cal writings of Schoning :]:
and Suhm.§
The latter was efficient in carrying forward, the
labors of Amas Magnseus and Torfseus, and he con-
centrated all the labors of the century in the field
of Northern Archaeology, which he carried to the
farthest extreme of systematic representation. His
" Odin " is the "Atlantica " of the eighteenth century
like it the result of all preceding researches ; like it
comprehensive, strange, even nonsensical, yet not
fantastic. This work is the most learned and com-
* "Svea-Eikes Historie," llil.
f "Svea-Eikes Historie," Stockh., 1769.
J " Om de Norskes, og endeel andre nordiske Polks Oprindelse,"
1189.
% Pet. Fred. v. Suhm, b. 1728, d, 1799, as Eoyal Danish Historiograpber
and Chamberlain, was an enthusiastic scholar. His works
in thir department are unsurpassed for learning and diligent re-
search, but in regard to mythology, they contain only the distorted
notions of the age, which he has wrought up into the most pom-
pous and extravagant caricatures. Besides his " History of Den-
mark," and " Critical History of Denmark," his works bearing on
this subject are
:
" Forbedringer i den gamle danske eg norske Historie," Kjo-
benhavn, 1161.
" Om de nordiske Folks seldste Oprindelse," lb. Ills, 2 vols. ; and
more especially:
"Om Odin og den hedenska Gudelsere," &c., 1115.
;