"half of fuch a night." Frey having thus given away his fword, found himself without arms when he fought against Bela; and hence it was, that he flew him with the horn of a ftag. Then, said Gangler, It seems to me very aftonishing, that fo brave a hero as Frey fhould give his fword away to another, without keeping one equally good for himself. He must have been in very bad plight, when he encountered with Bela; and I'll be sworn, he repented him heartily. That conflict was trifling, replied Har: Frey could have flain Bela with a blow of his fift, had he had a mind to it. But when the fons of Mufpell, thofe wicked Genii, fhall come to fight with the Gods, then he will have reason to be forry indeed that he parted with his sword.

THE

THE TWENTIETH FABLE.

Of the Food of the Gods.

UT, fays Gangler, if every man who has been flain in battle fince the beginning of the world, repairs to the palace of ODIN, what food does that God affign to fo vaft a multitude? Har answered him, You have reason to say it is a vast multitude; yet will it ftill increase ad infinitum; nay, the Gods themselves fhall defire, that it were ftill much more confiderable, when the wolf FENRIS arrives at the last day (A). The number, however, never can be fo great, but the flesh of the wild boar Serimner will fuffice to sustain them; which, though dreffed every morning, becomes intire again every night. I believe there are but few who are able to explain this matter to you, as it is defcribed in those verfes; the fenfe of which is to this effect; "The cook, Andrimner, dreffes the wild "boar inceffantly in his pot: the heroes

"are fed with the lard or fat of this ani"mal, which exceeds every thing in the "world (B)." But, fays Gangler, Does Odin eat at the fame table with the heroes? Har answered, The meat that is fet before him, ODIN diftributes to two wolves, known by the names of Geri and Freki: for as to himself, he ftands in no need of food: wine is to him inftead of every other aliment; according to what is faid in thefe verfes; "The illuftrious father of armies, "with his own hands fattens his two "wolves; the victorious ODIN takes no "other nourishment to himself, than what "arifes from the unintermitted quaffing of "wine." Two ravens conftantly fit upon his fhoulders, and whisper in his ear whatever news they have feen or heard. The one of them is named Hugin, or Spirit; the other Munnin, or Memory. Odin lets them loofe every day; and they, after having made their excurfions over the whole world, return again at night about the hour of repaft. Hence it is, that this God knows fo many things, and is called the God of the Ravens *. Gangler proceeds, and demands, And what is the beverage of the heroes, which they have in

*The reader will find an additional paffage here in the Latin Verfion of Goranson.

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as great abundance as their food? Do they only drink water? Har fays to him, You put a very foolish queftion. Can you imagine that the Univerfal Father would invite kings, and chiefs, and great lords; and give them nothing to drink but water? In that cafe, certainly very many of those, who arrive at the palace of Odin, and who had endured cruel torments and received mortal wounds in order to obtain accefs thither, would have reason to complain: this honour would indeed cóft them dear were they there to meet with no better entertainment. But you fhall fee, that the cafe is quite otherwife. For in VALHALL, there is a fhe goat, which feeds on the leaves of the tree Lerada. From her paps flows hydromel, or mead, in fuch great abundance, that it every day compleatly fills a pitcher, large enough to inebriate all the heroes (c). Truly, fays Gangler, this is a very useful, and very furprizing the goat: I fancy the tree the feeds upon, must have many fingular virtues. Har anfwered him, What is related of a particular ftag is much more marvellous. This ftag alfo is in Valhall, and feeds upon the leaves of that fame tree: there iffues from his horns fuch

*The original Icelandic word is Iarls, (Lat. Duces) whence is derived our title, EARLS; the word Jarls however had not acquired fo precise a meaning.

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an abundance of vapour, that it forms the fountain of Vergelmer, out of which arise the rivers that water the refidence of the Gods. Gangler goes on, and fays, Valhall must needs be an immense palace; yet I imagine there must often arife struggles and contefts at the gate, among fuch a croud of people as are continually thronging in and out. Har replied, Why do not you inquire, how many gates there are; and what are their dimenfions? Then you

would be able to judge, whether there be any difficulty in going in and out, or not. Know then, that there is plenty of feats and doors, as it is faid in the poem of Grimnis; "I know that there are five

hundred and forty gates in Valhall. "Out of each, eight heroes may march "abreaft when going to battle, followed "by crouds of spectators." A world of people! fays Gangler; and Odin must needs be a great chieftain, to command fo numerous an army. But tell me, How do the heroes divert themfelves when they are not drinking? Every day, replies Har, as foon as they have dreffed themselves, they take their arms; and entering the Lifts, fight, till they cut one another in pieces (D): this is their Diverfion but no fooner does the hour of repast approach, than they remount their steeds all fafe and found, and return to drink in the palace

of