Northern mythology

NORTHERN MYTHOLOGY. 7
her; the other called Hati, the son of Hrodvitnir^ runs
before the sun, and strives to seize on the moon ^, and so
in the end it will be. The mother of these wolves is a
giantess, who dwells in a wood to the east of IMidgard,
called Jarnvid (Jamvi'Sr), in which those female demons
(trollkonur) dwell called Jarnvids (Jarnvi'Sjur). She
brought forth many sons, who are giants, and all in the
form of wolves. One of this race, named Managarm, is
said to be the most powerful ; he will be sated with the
lives of all dying persons ; he will swallow up the moon,
and thereby besprinkle both heaven and air with blood.
Then will the sun lose its brightness, and the winds rage
and howl in all directions, as it is said^ :
Eastward sat the crone
iu the iron wood,
and there brought forth
Fenru*'s offspring.
Of these shall be
one worse than all,
the moon's devonrer
in a demon's guise.
Fill'd shall he be
with the fated's lives,
the gods' abode
—
with the red blood shall stain.
Then shall the summer's
sun be darken'd,
all weather turn to storm.
The father of Winter (Vetur) was called Vindsval, of
Summer (Sumar), Svasud (Svasu^r), Both shall reign
every year until the gods pass away. At the end of heaven
1 That wolves follow the sun and moon, is a wide-spread popular superstition.
In Swedish solvarg (sun-wolf) signifies a parheUon. Petersen,
Nor. Myth. p. 76.
2 Yoluspa, Str. 32, 33.