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Minstrelsy of the Scottish border - National Library of Scotland

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THE SCOTTISH BORDER. 351<br />

sea-snake may be learned from <strong>the</strong> credible mtnesses cited by<br />

Pontopiddon^ who saw it raise itself from <strong>the</strong> sea, twice as<br />

high as <strong>the</strong> mast <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir vessel. The tradition probably ori-<br />

ginates in <strong>the</strong> immense snake <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Edda, whose folds were<br />

supposed to girdle <strong>the</strong> earth.<br />

A sort <strong>of</strong> sea-snake, <strong>of</strong> size immense enough to have given<br />

rise to this tradition, was thrown ashore upon one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Ork-<br />

ney Islesj in 1808.

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