Northern mythology

NORTHERN MYTHOLOGY. 147
mens from meare) ; oSr is then the outward and inward
sense, or perception. La is water, fluid-, Yitv, colour,
whereby allusion is made to the circulation of the blood
and the vital warmth thereby produced. Here then are
expressed the three actions of animal life : to breathe, to
perceive, to move from ivithin. The derivation of Hoenir is
unknown. He is called Odin^s friend, and associate, and
fellow-traveller, with reference to the close connection
between perception and mind. He is also called the rapid
As, and Long-foot, in allusion to the far-reaching activity
of perception in space ;
in other words, Hoenir operates in
space as Odin does in time. He is also called Aur-konungr^,
king of matter^. Lo^r (LoSr) is, without doubt,
related to la, blood, litr, colour, A. S. wlite, and expresses
the motion of the fluid with its consequences, vital warmth
and colour.
The beings different from men are—besides the giants,
the oldest of all, and the iEsir, who created heaven and
earth, and preserve all things—the Elves and Vans (Alfar
and Vanir) ^. The Elves are the subordinate powers of
nature ; some of them, the Light-elves (Liosalfar) are
airy, light beings, hovering over, and, as it were, protecting
the earth : in other words, they are the powers that
operate on all that thrives in air, in plants, in rivers, and
on the earth^s surface. Others, Dark-elves (Dockalfar,
Svartalfar), dwell in the bowels of the earth, and are nearly
related to, if not identical with, the Dwarfs, or powers
that work in stones, earth, metals : they are skilful workers
in metal The whole '^.
transition from the hard, dark stone,
through the glittering metals, to
the germinating powers
in the earth, which develop themselves in the fairest, coloured,
fruitful forms—the plants—seems represented by
1
From aiir, argilla, lutum. Finn Magnusen (Lex. Myth. p. 464) would
read or-konungr, sagittarum rex, from or, sagitta, telum.
2 Skaldskap. 15. 3 Pages 25, 14.
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