Northern mythology

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20 NORTHERN MYTHOLOGY.
gold, where he daily receives those that fall in arms. The
halFs ceiling is formed of spears, it is roofed with shields,
and the benches are strewed with coats of mail; before
the west door hangs a wolf, and over him an eagle hovers.
It is suiTounded by a roaring river called Thimd^, and
before it is a paling or lattice named Valgrind. It has five
hundred and forty gates, through each of which eight
hundi-ed men can.go abreast. Without the gates of Valhall
is the wood Glasir, where the leaves are of red gold.
They who from the battle-field come to Odin are called
Einheriar, or chosen heroes ; their occupation consists in
arming themselves, in going out into the court, to fight
with and slay each other ; but at breakfast-time they ride
home to Valhall, perfectly sound, drink beer with the
j^sir, and recruit themselves with the flesh of the hog
Ssehrimnir; for this hog, although boiled every day by
the cook Andhrimnir, in the kettle Eldhrimnir, is whole
again in the evening. The mead which they drink flows
from the udder of the goat Heidrun (Hei]7run), that feeds
on the leaves of the tree Lerad (Lera^r), which stands over
Odin^s hall. With this mead a drinking-vessel is filled of
such capacity, that all the Einheriar have wherewith to
satisfy themselves. Here they are waited upon by the
Valkyriur, who present the mead and have charge of eveiything
belonging to the table. The branches of the tree
'
This interpretation I believe to be borne out by the context of Grimnismal,
Str. 21, which has manifestly been misunderstood, viz.
pytr ]7und, Thiind roars, arstraumr Mkir the strong streams
seem
unir pi6'(Nvitnis Thiodvitnir'sfish ofer mikill over great
fiskr flo'Si 1 plays in the river valglaumi at vatJa for the band of the
fallen to ivade.
pund, tJie roaring (like Odin's name pundr), I take for the name of the
river that surrounds Valhall. Valglaumr, as Rask observes, is the company
of * valr,' or fallen, that have to pass over the river to come to Valhall.
What is meant by Thiodvitnir's fish is unknown.—P.