Northern mythology

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NORTHERN MYTHOLOGY. 19
logical matter^ the substance of whicli is to be found interspersed
throughout the present work. The end of the
story is as follows :
^^King Geirrod was sitting with his
sword half-drawn
across his knees, when he heard that it was Odin that was
come, whereupon he rose for the piu'pose of removing him
from the fii-e, when his sword slipt from his hand, in endeavouring
to recover which, he fell forwards, and was
pierced through with the weapon. Odin then vanished,
and Agnar reigned in his father^s stead."
3. Vegtam (\'iator indefessus) .—Under this denomination
Odin goes to consult the spirit of a ^ vala ' that lies buried
near the gate of HePs abode, respecting the fate of Baldur.
Tlie substance of this poem is given in the present
work ^
4. Hdr, Jafnhdr, Thrithi (High, Even-high, Third) under
which denomination he appears in Snorri's Edda as a sort
of northern trinity. In Grimnismal he assigns all these
names to himself.
He was called Hrafna-gud, (the ravens^ gotl), because he
has two ravens, Hugin and Munin, which he sends forth
over the mde world to get intelligence : when they return,
they sit on his shoulders, and tell him all they have seen
and heard. But he is anxious on account of Hugin, fearing
he will not return, and still more so for Munin. As
creator of heaven and earth, Odin rules and orders all
things ;
he gives victory and riches, eloquence and understanding,
the skaldic or poetic art, manliness and fail*
wind^.
Odin^s abode is, as we have said, named Gladsheim
(Gla^sheimr), with its hall Yalhall (Valholl) radiant with
1 Tliere is a beautiful paraphrase of it by Gray, under the title of " The
Descent of Odin."
2 Gylf. 20, 38. Yegtamskv. Str. 6. Yaf>rudnism. Str. -1. Grimnism.
Str. 20, 46-50, 54. Hyudlulj. Str. 2, 3.