Cox, George - Aryan Mythology Vol 2.pdf

4 mythology of the akyan nations.
BOOK form probably of Grendel, 1 showed itself in the form of a
II
foal. The devil of the witches was a black buck or goat 2
that of the fathers of the Christian Church was a devouring
wolf. 3 Like Ahi, again, and Python and Echidna, he is
not only the old serpent or dragon but the hell-worm, and
the walnsh or leviathan (a name in which we see again
the Vala or deceiver). 4 Like Baalzebub, he assumes the
form of a fly, as Psyche may denote either a good or an
evil spirit. As the hammer which crushes the world, and
inflicts the penalty of sin on the sinner, he plays the part
of the Aloadai and Thor Miolnir. As the guardian of the
underworld, he is the hellward and the hell-shepherd or
host. His gloomy abode lies towards the north, whether as
the gloomy Ovelgunne, which has furnished a name for
many places in Germany,—the Hekelfelde, Heklufiall, or
hag's fell,— or the nobiskroech, nobiskrug, which answers
to the gate beyond which the lost souls leave hope behind
them. 5 The same process, which converted the kindly
Holda into the malignant Unholda, attributed to the devil
occupations borrowed from those of the Teutonic Odin and
the Greek Orion. But it is no longer the mighty hunter
following his prey on the asphodel meadow, or the god
traversing his domain in stately procession. The brave and
good who, had followed the midnight journeys of Wuotan
give place to the wretched throng of evil-doers who are
hurried along in the devil's train, or in that of some human
being, who for his pre-eminent wickedness is made to
take the devil's place. In Denmark the hunter is King
Waldemar, in Germany Dietrich of Bern, in France King
Hugh or Charles V. ; in England it is Heme the Hunter of
Windsor, and the one-handed Boughton or Lady Skipwith
1 Grimm, D. M. 946. the former answering to the Hellenic
2 Grimm, ib. 946-7. The buck was Kerberos. He also compares the Old
specially sacred to DonarorThor; but German warg, a wolf, with the Polish
it is possible that this transformation, wroq, the Bohemian wrah, the Slovinian
like that of Lykaon and Arkas, was sug- vrag, an evil-doer.
gested by an equivocal name; and the 4 Grimm, ib. 950.
buck may be only a kindred form to the 5 lb. 954. This word nobis is formed
Slavish Bog, which reappears among us from the Greek &/3 v