Northern mythology

NORTHERN MYTHOLOGY. 139
ning, its foundation existed : a creation from nothing was
incomprehensible. The existing things were cold and heat,
ice and light. Towards the north lay Niflheim\ towards
the south Muspellheim. Niflheim (from nifl, Ger. nebel,
Lat. nebula, Gr. ve^eX?;) signifies the home, or icorld of
mist. Here was Hvcrgelmir- (from hver, a large kettle,
spring, and gelniir, from gialla, stridere, comp. Ohg. galm,
stridor, sonitus^), the hubhling, roaring kettle, or spring,
whence the ice-streams flow forth. They are called EHvagar"*
(from el, storm, rain, sleet, and vagr (vogr), ivave,
stream). The word eitr, which is applied to these and
similar icy streams, signifies poison, but originally the most
intense cold. The Swedes still say ' etter-kallt,^ equivalent
to our piercing cold. The first twelve rivers which run
from Hvcrgelmir, some of which occur also as rivers proceeding
from Eikthyrnir^s horn in Valhall^, signify the
misty exhalations, before the creation of the world, like
the clouds afterwards.
Muspellheim, it may be supposed,
betokened (in contradistinction to Niflheim) the world of
light, icarmth, fire; but the origin of the word is unknown^.
Over this world Surt (the swart, connected with svart,
nigei-"^) ruled, a god who reveals himself in the burning
fire, and whose sword is flames. In its signification of
swart, browned by fire, the name resembles Krishna [the
black, violet),
one of the names of the Indian deity Vishnu.
Sm-t is not an evil being ; he comes forth, it is true, at the
end of the world, which he burns, but it is the corrupt,
fallen world, after which a state of bliss will begin. Nor
is he black of hue : on the contrary, he and his followers,
MuspelPs sons, form a bright, shining band^. Surt, in
my opinion, is not the same as he whose power sends
forth the heat, for then Surt^s
name, not this periphrasis,
1 Page 3. Hrafnag. Obins, 25, 26. 2 Pages 3, 12.
3 Grimm, D. M. p. 530. * Page 3. ^ Page 20.
6 Page 3, note 2. ' Grimm, p. 769. s Gylf. p. 72.