Norway was known, in the eigiuh cen- tur)', as a country under the rule of powertul and
turbulent
Jarls, and of rest-
less, adventurous sea-rovers.
less, adventurous sea-rovers.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v4
, part i.
, pp.
222 to 228.
" Iceland was more Formerly populous
than at present ; while history proves, that its climate has been gradually growing more
of
phy, Popular and Scientific," &c. , vol. i. ,
part i. , pp. 1S9 to 195.
' In December, 1 88 1, Sweden had a po-
System
Geogra-
severe, and the soil more ungrateful. See pulation of 4,572,245 inhabitants. See "Popular Encyclopedia, or Conversations
Whitaker's "Almanack" for 1883, p. Lexicon," vol. iv. Art. Iceland, p. 32.
351.
'* "
Since 1814, this double kingdom has combined, under one king and two very different constitutions, two proud and free- spirited nations, each jealous of its peculiar privileges. The poliiical condition of Swe- den and Norway forms a permanent parti- lion between them ; there a jealous aristo-
" See vol. ii. of this work, where the Life
of St. Buo, Missionary in Iceland, has been inserted.
'^ See James Bell's " System of Geogra- phy, Popular and . Scientific," &c. , vol. i. , part i. , pp. 166, 167.
* See Morhof, " De Lingua Germanica," p. 64.
°5 See "Glossarium-Sveo- Hag : Spegel,
Gothicum," Lund. , 1722, 4to.
" Known as tlie Uanska tunga.
°' Called Norroena.
' See Rask's "'Grammar of the Anglo-
is overit. sanc;ent perpetually watching
cracy
privileges ; here, the democracy struggles to defend its new-born rights. In both king- doms, the peasantry and citizens hold a h—igher rank than in most European States. "
"
Lexicon," vol. vi. . Art. Sweden and Nor- English, by Thorpe.
Po|ndar Encyclopedia, or Conversations Sa. xon Tongue," p. 42. Translation into
way, p. 474.
'» See Rev.
J.
Bosworth's " of Dictionary
April 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 295
purest state, the old Norse or Danish was carried into Iceland, by the first Norwegian refugees, in the ninth century ; and, as modern Icelandic scholars read the oldest documents with the greatest facility, the antique, witii but slight variations, may still be considered the living language of Iceland. Being trained to the use of letters and to the habit of writing, the Icelanders began to record in books, as on monuments, what they deemed most interesting and instructive, for themselves and for their posterity. The Scribes were literarymen, and they were greatly patronized. Norse inscriptions and records areeventobefound,ontheirrocksandpromontories; sothat,thosemight go down to posterity, unless subjected to the accidents of n£tture. 3° But, they cared only for history or legendary biography. The Iceland Chroniclers have written the memorable events of their own and of their ancestors' times, both in prose and in verse. This they practised, before the other people of Scandinavia had acquired the use of letters. 3' Iceland had a class of travelling minstrels, called Skalds, 3= who handed down personal 'knowledge, or experience, with oral tradition and history, cliiefly in verse. They were entertained and held in respect, by kings and heroes, whose companions they often were, during various expeditions. Thus, they were able to give very faithful and lively descriptions of desperate conflicts, they had witnessed, or in which they had valiantly fought. 33 In the Icelandic language, from Ragnar- Lodbrok to Valdemar II. , there is a list of 230 among the chief Skalds, or poetical historians, kept. Among these are several crowned heads and cele- brated warriors. 34 The Saga-man or stor)'-teller recalled the memory of past events in prose. Hence came the Northern Sagas or Histories to be so named ; but, the old Icelanders did not distinguish very critically between mythic and historic narrative. The Sagas were popular narratives, recording the lives of chiefs, kings, and noble families. 'J'hey often introduce metrical passages, and they are very numerous. Those compositions may be classed, as Poetic or Fictitious, Mythic and Romantic, Biographic or Historical, as relating to general, local, and family traditions. Vet, in several cases, it is not an easy matter, to reduce them under any of the foregoing divisions, so discursive and arbitrary have been their themes. In course of time, tiiose re- cordswerecommittedtowriting. TheEddasaretheearliestrecordsknown; one of these is called the poetic or elder Edda,33 and the first compiler of this 3* was Soemund Sigfussen, acleric, born in Iceland, a. d. 1056. He seems to have written some of those poetic efiusions, from the recital of contem- porary Skalds, and to have collected others from Manuscripts. 37
Some of these poems are traced back to the ninth and tenth centuries,
the Anglo-Saxon Language," Preface, sect. xi. , p. cxlix.
3°
edition of Allien Kr. intz's " Rerum Ger- manicaium Historici Clarissimi Regnorum Aquilonarium, Danix, Sueciae, Noru. igiae, Chronica," p. 480, as published at P"raukfurt on the Maine, A. D. 1583, fol.
5' From tlie ninth to the end of the thir-
teenth century, the Northmen had a rude
literature of thtir own ; and a long list of 1787, with a Latin translaioii, notes and
. See Jacob Ziegler's Schondia,
to the
their Sa<;as wili be found, in . Samuel Liing s
tion, chap, i. , pp. 17 to 23.
3- From the Icelandic Skdlld, which means
"a poet. "
" See Rev. J. Bosworth's " Dictionary of
glossary. A second volume was not printed, until ad. 1818. A third volume appeared in 1828, edited by Professor Finn Magnu- sen.
" See Rev. J. liosworth's "
" Heimskringla
; or Chronicle of the Kings of Norway," vol. i. Preliminary Uisserta-
the Anglo-Saxon Language,' Preface, sect. xi. , num. 3, p. cxlvi.
s* See Wlieatou's " of
History Northmen,"
p. 51.
^^ The word Edda is said to mean "a
grandmother," and as expressed very doubt- fully, by a commentator, "quasi prima mater etlinicie rclijiionis.
* The Icelandic text of the poelic Edda
w. is puldished, in 4to, at Copenhagen, A. D.
of the Anglo-Saxon Language," Preface, sect.
xi. , pp. cxlvi. , cxivii.
Dictionary
296
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 23.
andtheyhaveallusionstopaganmannersandcustoms. InIceland,every chieftain was careful to preserve his genealogical tree ; and, it appears very
probable, that their mode for compiling family pedigrees had been derived, from the early Irish colonists. Still more important it is to know, that the
historic Sagas were almost universally written, before the mythic and romantic ones. 38 -phg prose or younger Edda 39 was composed by Snorre Sturleson,4° born of a noble family, a. d. 1178, at Hvamm, on the west coast of Iceland, and he was murdered, a. d. 1241. The Heimskringla,*' or Annals of the Nor- wegianKingsfromOdin,ishisgreatwork. i= SeveralnorthernSagascontain historic narratives, which serve to illustrate past transactions in Iceland, in
Scotland,andinEngland. 43 TheSagas,andtheotherScandinavianchroni- clers, briefly relate much about^Ireland, which is, for the most part, very trust-
worthy; and, at all events, it agrees with the representations, at that time, currentamongtheIrishthemselves. Thenorthernchroniclesgenerallyrefer
to Ireland incidentally, or they are confined to the narrative of particular events. •• Those contain accounts of the Norse achievements in Ireland, both
in war and
The Irish records are still more copious, in reference to their
peace.
——
invasions. VastnumbersoftheSagasandEddas someofthemveryancient
have been collected by learned men, from tiie smoky huts of Iceland, and
they have been purchased for the public Libraries of Copenhagen, of Stock-
holm, and of Christiana. Antiquarian Societies have been established for their
accurate publication, critical study, and correct interpretation ; philology has
been enriched by the materials collected ; while the ascertained age and authenticity of those old manuscripts have interested, not alone the learned men of the northern nations, but every enlightened lover of literature and of
national history.
At an early period, Denmark was divided into a number of petty states,
inhabited by wild and adventurous warriors, under the direction of different Jarls, or chiefs. ''^ The first ruler of Denmark is said to have been Skiold, son ofOdin;** but,hishistoryandthatofhisposterityisgreatlywrappedinfable,
3* See " The Religion of the Northmen," by Rudolph Keyset, translated by Barclay Pennock. Introduction, chap, ii. , p. 65. New York, 1854, 8vo.
M A complete edition of the original text was first published, at Stockholm, by Pro- fessorRask,in1818.
lished in iSog. This gives the Njala or Life of the celebrated Icelander, Njall Por- geirsson, and of his sons. Its matter is said to be correct, and its style ornate.
•• See J. J. A. Worsac's " Account of the Danesand Norwegians in England, Scotland ar. dIreland. " TheNorwegiansinIreland,
<" He is called the Herodotus of the sect, ii. , p]5. 309, 310.
North. *^ Saxo, a writer of Danish origin, and dis-
*' It was published, by Peringskjold, with tinguished by the title Grammaticus, on a Latin and Swedish translation, in Two account of his learning and scholarship, was
bom about the middle of the twelfth cen- tury. He is said to have been provost of the cathedral church of Roskild. He wrote the History of Denmark, in Latin. It consists of sixteen Books ; but, that first portion, re- lating to the origin of the Danes, and to the reiirns of their ancient Kings, is full of fables ; but, the last eight books, and parti- cularly those which regard the events of his own times, deserve the utmost credit. It concludes with the year 1 1S6, and the author died a. d. 1204, according to Stephens, the editor of his works, which were printed at
Soroe.
<° " SeeS. A. Dunham's HistoryofDen-
in Icelandic, by Olaus Olavius. Copenhagen, mark, Sweden and Norway," vol. i. Intxo- 1772, 4to. A Latin version of it was pub- duction, p. 41.
Volumes, folio, at Stockholm, A. D. 1697. Schbning and Thorlacius issued it, with a Latin and Danish translation, in Three Vo- lumes, folio, at Copenhagen, 1777 to 17S3. It was continued, by the younger Thorlacius and Werlauff, in Three Volumes, A. D. 1813 to 1826.
<" It has been translated from the Icelandic into English, by Samuel Laing, who has given a Preliminary Discourse, with a Me- moir of Snorro Sturleson. This work ap- peared, in Three Octavo Volumes, at Lon-
don, in 1844.
43 As for instance, the
"
Sagan of Niali PorgeirssymokSomonHans,"&c. ,edited
April 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 297
norisitaneasymattertoprovewhatisauthentic. " Notonlyhavethemo- dern Danish historians perpetuated and chronicled the deeds of their early
kings /' but, even we are presented with real or fanciful engravings, represen- ting their features and dress. <9 From the period of their dreaded invasions on and among the more southern countries of Europe, the warlike exploits of the Northmen Vikings and seafaring men have given celebrity to the Scan- dinavians, while their predatory expeditions have been recorded, by their native writers. The monuments yet remaining,5° and the Runic inscriptions 5' of the North, attest the former customs and national life of that people. 5= The style of denomination they affected, in order to signify a boastful supremacy on the ocean, was that of Vikings or sea-kings. Among the Scandinavian ad- venturers,theDaneswererenownedfortheircourageandferocity. 53 Inthe writings of St. Gregory of Tours,5* the name Danus, or Dane first appears. ss Little is known regarding Denmark, until about the eighth century, after the Christian era. In the beginning of this century, and for two hundred years afterwards, the Danes were very formidable. In like manner, their neighbours the Norwegians were notorious, for their piracies and adventures by sea. The original inhabitants of Sweden were of Finnish or Lapp descent; but, these were driven to the extreme north, when the Goths and German Suiones began to encroach, on the more southern parts of that country. A regular govern- ment was first established, in Sweden, a. d. 994, by Olaf I. , or Oluus, who was a convert to Christianity. s* For centuries, the Goths and Swedes remained a distinct people, and their disputes distracted the kingdom ,^^ until they be- came united, in the middle of the thirteenth century, when the powerful family of the Folkungs were on the throne.
Norway was known, in the eigiuh cen- tur)', as a country under the rule of powertul and turbulent Jarls, and of rest-
less, adventurous sea-rovers. Before the close of the tenth century, little
indeed is ascertained, regarding the distinctive internal history of Norway. Then, the Christian religion was established there, by King Olaf I. In the
" . \ learned French writer. Mallet, has
Monumenta UUerakerensia cum Upsala
Nova lUustrata, at in published Stockholm,
I7'9-
5' Curious old wood-cuts,
illustrating Northern life and the products of the North-
ern nations, will be found throughout the
written a work of du Dannemarc. "
great authority,
" Histoire
"The 'DannemarksRijjes Historic," ved Ludrig Holberg, published in Three. 4to volumes, from 1732 to 1 735, gives a detailed history of Denmark.
« See " Danmarckis especially Rigis
Kronicke" ved ArrililHuiifeld tilOdersberg D. R. Canceler, tomus i. Riobenhaffn, 1652, fol. (two vols. ).
5° Several curious monumental inscriptions
are noted, in tlie two folio volumes of Bishop
Eric Pontoppidan, ''. Marmora Danica Selcc-
tiora sive Inscripiionum quotquot Fatorum
injuriis per Daniam suucr. sunt, vel /Evo,
"
Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus,"
vel vel Kei Momento eleyantia,
haffn hoss, Heinrich Baldtirch, Anno M. uc. xxil.
*< His feast occurs, at November and 17th,
he flourished in the sixth century.
55 Also, see Joannis Mevrsi "Historic
Danicoe, sive De Regibus Daniae, qui fami-
liam Oldenburgicam proecessere, eorumque rebus gestis, a Uano ad Canutum vi. , in quo
desinit Saxo. " Amstelodami, a. d. clolo. cxxxviti. fol.
5* See "Popular Encyclopedia, or Con- versations Lexicon," vol. vi. Art. Sweden
and Norway, p. 473.
5' Adam ot Bremen, who wrote in the
year 1007, alludes to those disorders, in his history.
pro; Reliqvs, excelleutiam Fasciculus. " Hatinx, 1739 and
1741.
5' Very curious plates of Northern Anti-
quities, illustrating churches, monuments,
seals and and historic incidenis will be found,
in the two folio vulumes of Johun I'eriiig-
*'
skiold :
rum," embracing in the first part Thiunia, cum Antiquitatibus ac Inscriptionibus quae Cippis et Rupibus, vel Tunibis incisoe passim reperiuntur justa deliniatione, brevique com- memario illustrate, and published at Stock- holm, in 1710; and, in the second part,
Monumentorum Sveo-Gothico-
&c. , written the by
Olaus
Archbishop nus, at Rome, in 1555.
Mag-
" Xhe folio history of Denmark, drawn from native and foreign sources, has been learnedly compiled, by Claus Christofferson.
"
Synopsis Historiarum Danica-
Its title is
rum," &c. , and it bears the imprint, Risben-
298 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 23.
beginning of the eleventh century, Olaf II. continued this good work, and he subjected several petty princes to his rule. s^ The Norwegians were formerly
governed by a number of Vikings, subject to a chief King ; and, their ancient laws, which have been published, indicate much of their social state and civil
polity. 59 Canute the Great, King of Denmark, conquered Norway in 1028, but he did not long retain its government ; for, in 1034, the Norwegians had their own monarchs, who, even for a time, governed in Denmark.
It seems to be a well-established fact, that so early as the eighth century, Irish colonists and Christian missionaries, from our Island, had dwelt in remote Ice- land. No doubt, they found or had attracted an indigenous people there,*°
andtheyprobablyinstructedthese,inthetenetsofthetruereligion. However, under exceedingly unfavourable conditions, the Irish settlers in Iceland led religious lives,'' built churciies, and cultivated literature, probably in the Scan- dinavian, as in tlieir own language. The Ira litur, or letters of the Irish,'^ and their books, were known to the pagan Norwegians and Swedes, who began to arrive there as adventurers, in the ninth century. Many of the Irish Christians—especially the monks—were then obliged to flee from the Island, and the natives, who had been converted to the true Faith, were subjected to the power of ever-increasing swarms of emigrants, during the tenth century, so that, it is probable, Christianity was gradually suppressed. *' Notwith-
standing, a school of poetry and history remained, to perpetuate in song and chronicle, the deeds of departed men and the events of past times, which an early civilization had taught the Irish settlers to cultivate, and which these in turn had communicated, as a precious legacy to those people, among whom they had lived for so long a period. In its pagan state, Iceland had a mytho- logyandsuperstitions,peculiartoitself. TherefugeesfromNorwayreplaced Christian practices, by an idolatrous worship. They established laws, which were observed by the colonists. For a long time, their literature breathed the spirit of their strange traditions and rude imaginations. But, the light of Faith began to dawn among the Icelanders, towards the close of the tenth
century; andsoon,theoldmanuscriptsofthepaganswereconsignedtoobli- vion. Yet, their old laws were in force, until the time of Thorgeir,''* who
a promulgated Decree,
in the at the —
year 1000,'s public Assembly
that the — of Christ then received Religion
of the
Island
greater part of the inhabitants should be publicly propagated, and that
Representatives,
by
the
'*
s' See "Popular Encyclopedia, or Con- versations Lexicon," vol. v. Art. Norway,
p. 264.
5' The Common Law of Norway, as it
existed in the middle ages, may be studied,
from the "Regis Magni Legum Reforniatoris
Leges Gula-Thingenses, sivejus Commune
Norvegicum. " Kx Manuscriptis Legati Christianiiy into Iceland, the reader is re-
cum interjjretatione La- tina et Daiiica, variis Lectionibus, indice Verburum et IV. Tabulis ceneis. Havnioe,
1817, 4to.
^ According to some accounts, in the be-
ginning of the fiftli century, Iceland was in- habited, and Veiieralile Bcde gives a pretty accurate description of the Island.
''On this subject, see George Webb
"
Story of Burnt Njal, or Life in Iceland at the end of the Tenth Century," vol. i. Introduction. First Settlers, pp. vii. ,
viii. Edinburgh, 1861, Svo.
'' See Rev. George Miller's " Lectures on
ferred to the " sive llistoria Krisini-. Saga,
Arna-Magnosaiii,
Dasent's
Religiunis Christianas in Icelandium intro- diictae ;" nee non Pattr af Isleifi Biskupi, sive Narratio de leieiio Episcopo ; ex Manu-crijitis Legati Magnasani cum Inter- preiatione Laiina, notis, Chronulogia, tabu- lis genealogicis, et Indicibus, tam Rerum quam verborum. Haffris, 1773, 8vo.
"5 According to the " Vig. i-Glums Saga,
sive Vita Viga-Glumi," the pagan hero of
Iceland was baptized during this year. See
cap. xxviii. , pp. 172, 173.
'^
About the year 1000, the Icelandic hero Glums was baptized. See theViga-Glums Saga
the Philosophy of Modern History," vol. iii. , Lect. xxvi. , p. 204, and n. (1), p. 252.
'^ Notwitlistanding, the Icebnders'Chro-
nicies frequently allude to tlie personal his-
toiy of men, living amongst them, wlio were of Irish extraction.
'• P"or an account of the introduction of
April 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 299
paganism should be prohibited. *' To the zeal of the holy King Olaus,*^ or Olaf, their conversion was principally owing,^9 and he had succeeded, like- wise, in bringing the people of Greenland,7° which was a discovery of the Icelandic navigator, known as Erich Raude,'' or the Red-headed, to the pro- fession of Ciiristianity. '* Churches were founded in Greenland,^3 which the Norwegianshadsettled; and,theseoldNorsecolonies,attheirmostflourish- ing period, are said to have numbered 10,000 inhabitants. ? * During four centuries, this country formed a bishopric ; but, the connexion between its Scandinavian settlers and the modier country was cut off. In the thirteenth
century, it is thought, that the Skraelings, or Esquimaux, made a descent from the north, and extirpated the Scandinavian race, or perhaps absorbed these
people among their own, the lowest race, both physically and intellectually, to be found in Europe. " Although traditions existed among the Greenianders, re- garding the first white visitors, and although Bishops had been appointed for theSee,'*downtothesixteenthcentury; yet,whenJohnDavisrediscovered
now a possession of Denmark were converted, likewise, to the true Faith, towards the close of the tenth century. '^ However, the former customs and
none otiiers but
anywhere long the coast. Th—e inhabitants of the Fero or Faroe Islands ^^
in Greenland, 1585,
were to be — Esquimaux people found,
sive Vita Viga-Glumi, Cujus Textus ad fidem prsestantisaimi Codicis membranei di- ligenter exactus est, et collatus cum mullis libris chartaceis. E Manuscriptis Legati Magnseani. Havnirr,1786,410.
a great stretch of the south-west coast, they reared villages and farm houses.
"It is remarkable, that the vestiges of stone churches have been discovered there, whiletheirarchitecturalfeaturesandsizeare
'' See such a statement, in " Hin Foma exactly identical with tliose of the primitive
Lx>gb6k I^<Iendinga sem nefuist Gragas. Co-
dex Juris Islandorum Aiitiquissimus, qui
nominatur Gargas. £x duobus Manuscriptis
Pergamenis (quae sola supersuiit) Biblio-
thetse Regiae et Legati Arnoe-Magnxani,
nunc primumeiiitus. Cum interpre'. atione
Latina, Lectionibus variis, Indicibus Vocum out new conclusions as to the sites of long. et Return pp. Praemissa Comnientatione
Histor. ca el Critica uc iiujus Juris origirie ct
Indole," pp. , ab J. F. G. Schlegel Con- scripta. Pars. i. Commentatio Historica ct
Critica, sect. I, 2, 3, 4, 5, pp. xiv. to. xxi. Havniae. Sumptibus Legati Arnaeiriag- nseani. Typis H. H. Thiele, 1829, 4to, in Two Volumes.
" The festival of St. Olaus 11. , or St.
Olave, King of Norway and martyr, was celebrated on the 29th of July, where his Acts will be found.
'» Although little seems to be known, re-
garding tlie history of the early inhabitants
of Greenland, much information about its
prcxlucts are to \x. found, in David Crantz's
"
History of Greenland : containing a De- scription of the Country ami its inhabitants," &c. Tran^lated from High Dutcii, and pub-
lished, in two octavo voiumes, at London, A. U. 1767.
lost cities, monasteries and churches ; while scientific inquiries have led to the conviction, that Greenland is not that ice-clad desert which for ages it has been considered to be, but that it contains grassy valleys worthy of the name it bears, which name, we know, it obtained from the bright verdure which at times fringes its southern point, and which, to Icelandic eyes, seemed beautiful in con- trast with the desert wastes which were too familiar to them at home. "—Henry
1" S>-e the account, in the " cap. xi , pp. 82 to loi.
KristniSaga,"
No. 6, p. 359. New Series.
's In 1448, the Pope issued a brief to a
Bishop of Norway, in which he complains of the pitiful condition of the inhabitants of Greenland, who had been attacl^ed by sea- pirates, about thirtyye. ars before, when people of both sexes weie carried off into captivity, by the hostile fleet.
'' These however, did not make bishops,
any effort to reach theiT dioceses.
Scandinavian See Rev. J. Anglo-Saxon
' See ibid. , vol. i,. Book iv. ,
sect. 2, pp. 243, 244.
'•^ These were discovered,
'' In the ninth one
century, Gunbjomhad
seen Greenland ; and, when Eric Rode, or Red Eric, was exiled from Iceland, in the
Dictionary
Language, Preface, sect, xi. , p. cxlv. Lon-
he set out with his kindred and
1'^ The dates are between a. d. fixed,
tenth
friends to seek its inhospitable shores. Over
century,
996 and 998, in the work intituled, "Johaimis
chap,
i. ,
by navigators, at an early periol. Bosworth's " of the
Irish churches. See an illustration, in John "
R. G. Hassard's History of the United States of America," Part i. , chap, i. , p. \2.
'* Patient research among the obscure pages of the Sagas has thrown fresh light upon doubtful historical data, and brought
Bed- ford's article, "Greenland: What is it," in the "Irish Ecclesiastical Record," vol. iv. .
don, 183S, 8vo.
"
300 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 23.
spirit of the Norse people, moulded on old traditions, did not wholly depart, for many succeeding generations.
The peculiar Norse manners and customs, with characteristics of the Scandinavian superstitions, have been very ably treated, by various modern writers, and, especially by the learned Finn Magnusen ;'» but, speculation is still rife, in the interpretation of the Eddaic doctrines and mysteries. ^" The Northmen legends have accounts of a gigantic race inhabiting their regions. ^' Such opinions were probably founded on their mythology of generation, which refers to the Frost-Giants, or Mountain- Giants. ^^ From their race sprang Odin, or Woden, the father of the bright and beautiful ^sir, the ruling Gods of Heaven and Earth. Asgard or Heaven was the abode of these Gods, and there was Odin's hall, the great Valhalla, roofed with shields, supported by spears, its benches adorned with, coats of mail. Thither Odin invites all men slain in battle, and he refreshes them dailywithboars'fleshandhornsofmead. Theotherdivinitieshavevarious offices to discharge there, or they interpose on earth, in the affairs of men. It was thought a time must come, when the world shall be destroyed, and when a new earth, eternally green and fair, shall spring up out of the sea. Dwarfs, demons, dragons, ser|)ents, monsters, wolves, ghosts and apparitions, had their fantastic existence and form, in the Norse mythology, and in the Norseman's imagination. The celebrated chief divinity or hero of the north, the elder Odin, or Woden, is thought to have passed from southern Europe, or from Asia, i—nto Scandinavia. He is generally regarded as a personage, pardy his- torical and in the remote past—yet chiefly mythological. He was largely mixed up with the northern superstitions, and the Asa dogmas, as understood bytheNorthmenofNorwayandofIceland. Inthemain,theDanesandSwedes seem to have followed the same traditions, customs, and dogmas. These are wild and extravagant, differing altogether from the Greek and Roman fictions
Messenii Scondia lUustrata, seu Chronolo- gia de Rebus Scondios, hoc est, Sueciae, Danite, Norvegipt>, atque una Islandiae, Gron- landijcque, lam Ecclesiasticisquam politicis ; a Mundi Cataclysmo, usque Annum Christi MDCXII gestis. Primumeditaet observationi- bus aucta a Johanne Peringskiold, tomus i. Chronologiifi Scondianie, p. 76. Stock- holmiEE, 17CXD, fol. ,
" A very ingenious work, and most valua- ble for reference, on Northern pagan prac- tices, is the " Priscse Veterura Borealium Mythologias Lexicon, cuncta illius Cosmolo- gica, Theosophica et Damonica Numina, Entia et Loca ordine Alphabetico indicans, illustrans et e magna parte cum Exteris, ista
contingentibus, comparans.
" Iceland was more Formerly populous
than at present ; while history proves, that its climate has been gradually growing more
of
phy, Popular and Scientific," &c. , vol. i. ,
part i. , pp. 1S9 to 195.
' In December, 1 88 1, Sweden had a po-
System
Geogra-
severe, and the soil more ungrateful. See pulation of 4,572,245 inhabitants. See "Popular Encyclopedia, or Conversations
Whitaker's "Almanack" for 1883, p. Lexicon," vol. iv. Art. Iceland, p. 32.
351.
'* "
Since 1814, this double kingdom has combined, under one king and two very different constitutions, two proud and free- spirited nations, each jealous of its peculiar privileges. The poliiical condition of Swe- den and Norway forms a permanent parti- lion between them ; there a jealous aristo-
" See vol. ii. of this work, where the Life
of St. Buo, Missionary in Iceland, has been inserted.
'^ See James Bell's " System of Geogra- phy, Popular and . Scientific," &c. , vol. i. , part i. , pp. 166, 167.
* See Morhof, " De Lingua Germanica," p. 64.
°5 See "Glossarium-Sveo- Hag : Spegel,
Gothicum," Lund. , 1722, 4to.
" Known as tlie Uanska tunga.
°' Called Norroena.
' See Rask's "'Grammar of the Anglo-
is overit. sanc;ent perpetually watching
cracy
privileges ; here, the democracy struggles to defend its new-born rights. In both king- doms, the peasantry and citizens hold a h—igher rank than in most European States. "
"
Lexicon," vol. vi. . Art. Sweden and Nor- English, by Thorpe.
Po|ndar Encyclopedia, or Conversations Sa. xon Tongue," p. 42. Translation into
way, p. 474.
'» See Rev.
J.
Bosworth's " of Dictionary
April 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 295
purest state, the old Norse or Danish was carried into Iceland, by the first Norwegian refugees, in the ninth century ; and, as modern Icelandic scholars read the oldest documents with the greatest facility, the antique, witii but slight variations, may still be considered the living language of Iceland. Being trained to the use of letters and to the habit of writing, the Icelanders began to record in books, as on monuments, what they deemed most interesting and instructive, for themselves and for their posterity. The Scribes were literarymen, and they were greatly patronized. Norse inscriptions and records areeventobefound,ontheirrocksandpromontories; sothat,thosemight go down to posterity, unless subjected to the accidents of n£tture. 3° But, they cared only for history or legendary biography. The Iceland Chroniclers have written the memorable events of their own and of their ancestors' times, both in prose and in verse. This they practised, before the other people of Scandinavia had acquired the use of letters. 3' Iceland had a class of travelling minstrels, called Skalds, 3= who handed down personal 'knowledge, or experience, with oral tradition and history, cliiefly in verse. They were entertained and held in respect, by kings and heroes, whose companions they often were, during various expeditions. Thus, they were able to give very faithful and lively descriptions of desperate conflicts, they had witnessed, or in which they had valiantly fought. 33 In the Icelandic language, from Ragnar- Lodbrok to Valdemar II. , there is a list of 230 among the chief Skalds, or poetical historians, kept. Among these are several crowned heads and cele- brated warriors. 34 The Saga-man or stor)'-teller recalled the memory of past events in prose. Hence came the Northern Sagas or Histories to be so named ; but, the old Icelanders did not distinguish very critically between mythic and historic narrative. The Sagas were popular narratives, recording the lives of chiefs, kings, and noble families. 'J'hey often introduce metrical passages, and they are very numerous. Those compositions may be classed, as Poetic or Fictitious, Mythic and Romantic, Biographic or Historical, as relating to general, local, and family traditions. Vet, in several cases, it is not an easy matter, to reduce them under any of the foregoing divisions, so discursive and arbitrary have been their themes. In course of time, tiiose re- cordswerecommittedtowriting. TheEddasaretheearliestrecordsknown; one of these is called the poetic or elder Edda,33 and the first compiler of this 3* was Soemund Sigfussen, acleric, born in Iceland, a. d. 1056. He seems to have written some of those poetic efiusions, from the recital of contem- porary Skalds, and to have collected others from Manuscripts. 37
Some of these poems are traced back to the ninth and tenth centuries,
the Anglo-Saxon Language," Preface, sect. xi. , p. cxlix.
3°
edition of Allien Kr. intz's " Rerum Ger- manicaium Historici Clarissimi Regnorum Aquilonarium, Danix, Sueciae, Noru. igiae, Chronica," p. 480, as published at P"raukfurt on the Maine, A. D. 1583, fol.
5' From tlie ninth to the end of the thir-
teenth century, the Northmen had a rude
literature of thtir own ; and a long list of 1787, with a Latin translaioii, notes and
. See Jacob Ziegler's Schondia,
to the
their Sa<;as wili be found, in . Samuel Liing s
tion, chap, i. , pp. 17 to 23.
3- From the Icelandic Skdlld, which means
"a poet. "
" See Rev. J. Bosworth's " Dictionary of
glossary. A second volume was not printed, until ad. 1818. A third volume appeared in 1828, edited by Professor Finn Magnu- sen.
" See Rev. J. liosworth's "
" Heimskringla
; or Chronicle of the Kings of Norway," vol. i. Preliminary Uisserta-
the Anglo-Saxon Language,' Preface, sect. xi. , num. 3, p. cxlvi.
s* See Wlieatou's " of
History Northmen,"
p. 51.
^^ The word Edda is said to mean "a
grandmother," and as expressed very doubt- fully, by a commentator, "quasi prima mater etlinicie rclijiionis.
* The Icelandic text of the poelic Edda
w. is puldished, in 4to, at Copenhagen, A. D.
of the Anglo-Saxon Language," Preface, sect.
xi. , pp. cxlvi. , cxivii.
Dictionary
296
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 23.
andtheyhaveallusionstopaganmannersandcustoms. InIceland,every chieftain was careful to preserve his genealogical tree ; and, it appears very
probable, that their mode for compiling family pedigrees had been derived, from the early Irish colonists. Still more important it is to know, that the
historic Sagas were almost universally written, before the mythic and romantic ones. 38 -phg prose or younger Edda 39 was composed by Snorre Sturleson,4° born of a noble family, a. d. 1178, at Hvamm, on the west coast of Iceland, and he was murdered, a. d. 1241. The Heimskringla,*' or Annals of the Nor- wegianKingsfromOdin,ishisgreatwork. i= SeveralnorthernSagascontain historic narratives, which serve to illustrate past transactions in Iceland, in
Scotland,andinEngland. 43 TheSagas,andtheotherScandinavianchroni- clers, briefly relate much about^Ireland, which is, for the most part, very trust-
worthy; and, at all events, it agrees with the representations, at that time, currentamongtheIrishthemselves. Thenorthernchroniclesgenerallyrefer
to Ireland incidentally, or they are confined to the narrative of particular events. •• Those contain accounts of the Norse achievements in Ireland, both
in war and
The Irish records are still more copious, in reference to their
peace.
——
invasions. VastnumbersoftheSagasandEddas someofthemveryancient
have been collected by learned men, from tiie smoky huts of Iceland, and
they have been purchased for the public Libraries of Copenhagen, of Stock-
holm, and of Christiana. Antiquarian Societies have been established for their
accurate publication, critical study, and correct interpretation ; philology has
been enriched by the materials collected ; while the ascertained age and authenticity of those old manuscripts have interested, not alone the learned men of the northern nations, but every enlightened lover of literature and of
national history.
At an early period, Denmark was divided into a number of petty states,
inhabited by wild and adventurous warriors, under the direction of different Jarls, or chiefs. ''^ The first ruler of Denmark is said to have been Skiold, son ofOdin;** but,hishistoryandthatofhisposterityisgreatlywrappedinfable,
3* See " The Religion of the Northmen," by Rudolph Keyset, translated by Barclay Pennock. Introduction, chap, ii. , p. 65. New York, 1854, 8vo.
M A complete edition of the original text was first published, at Stockholm, by Pro- fessorRask,in1818.
lished in iSog. This gives the Njala or Life of the celebrated Icelander, Njall Por- geirsson, and of his sons. Its matter is said to be correct, and its style ornate.
•• See J. J. A. Worsac's " Account of the Danesand Norwegians in England, Scotland ar. dIreland. " TheNorwegiansinIreland,
<" He is called the Herodotus of the sect, ii. , p]5. 309, 310.
North. *^ Saxo, a writer of Danish origin, and dis-
*' It was published, by Peringskjold, with tinguished by the title Grammaticus, on a Latin and Swedish translation, in Two account of his learning and scholarship, was
bom about the middle of the twelfth cen- tury. He is said to have been provost of the cathedral church of Roskild. He wrote the History of Denmark, in Latin. It consists of sixteen Books ; but, that first portion, re- lating to the origin of the Danes, and to the reiirns of their ancient Kings, is full of fables ; but, the last eight books, and parti- cularly those which regard the events of his own times, deserve the utmost credit. It concludes with the year 1 1S6, and the author died a. d. 1204, according to Stephens, the editor of his works, which were printed at
Soroe.
<° " SeeS. A. Dunham's HistoryofDen-
in Icelandic, by Olaus Olavius. Copenhagen, mark, Sweden and Norway," vol. i. Intxo- 1772, 4to. A Latin version of it was pub- duction, p. 41.
Volumes, folio, at Stockholm, A. D. 1697. Schbning and Thorlacius issued it, with a Latin and Danish translation, in Three Vo- lumes, folio, at Copenhagen, 1777 to 17S3. It was continued, by the younger Thorlacius and Werlauff, in Three Volumes, A. D. 1813 to 1826.
<" It has been translated from the Icelandic into English, by Samuel Laing, who has given a Preliminary Discourse, with a Me- moir of Snorro Sturleson. This work ap- peared, in Three Octavo Volumes, at Lon-
don, in 1844.
43 As for instance, the
"
Sagan of Niali PorgeirssymokSomonHans,"&c. ,edited
April 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 297
norisitaneasymattertoprovewhatisauthentic. " Notonlyhavethemo- dern Danish historians perpetuated and chronicled the deeds of their early
kings /' but, even we are presented with real or fanciful engravings, represen- ting their features and dress. <9 From the period of their dreaded invasions on and among the more southern countries of Europe, the warlike exploits of the Northmen Vikings and seafaring men have given celebrity to the Scan- dinavians, while their predatory expeditions have been recorded, by their native writers. The monuments yet remaining,5° and the Runic inscriptions 5' of the North, attest the former customs and national life of that people. 5= The style of denomination they affected, in order to signify a boastful supremacy on the ocean, was that of Vikings or sea-kings. Among the Scandinavian ad- venturers,theDaneswererenownedfortheircourageandferocity. 53 Inthe writings of St. Gregory of Tours,5* the name Danus, or Dane first appears. ss Little is known regarding Denmark, until about the eighth century, after the Christian era. In the beginning of this century, and for two hundred years afterwards, the Danes were very formidable. In like manner, their neighbours the Norwegians were notorious, for their piracies and adventures by sea. The original inhabitants of Sweden were of Finnish or Lapp descent; but, these were driven to the extreme north, when the Goths and German Suiones began to encroach, on the more southern parts of that country. A regular govern- ment was first established, in Sweden, a. d. 994, by Olaf I. , or Oluus, who was a convert to Christianity. s* For centuries, the Goths and Swedes remained a distinct people, and their disputes distracted the kingdom ,^^ until they be- came united, in the middle of the thirteenth century, when the powerful family of the Folkungs were on the throne.
Norway was known, in the eigiuh cen- tur)', as a country under the rule of powertul and turbulent Jarls, and of rest-
less, adventurous sea-rovers. Before the close of the tenth century, little
indeed is ascertained, regarding the distinctive internal history of Norway. Then, the Christian religion was established there, by King Olaf I. In the
" . \ learned French writer. Mallet, has
Monumenta UUerakerensia cum Upsala
Nova lUustrata, at in published Stockholm,
I7'9-
5' Curious old wood-cuts,
illustrating Northern life and the products of the North-
ern nations, will be found throughout the
written a work of du Dannemarc. "
great authority,
" Histoire
"The 'DannemarksRijjes Historic," ved Ludrig Holberg, published in Three. 4to volumes, from 1732 to 1 735, gives a detailed history of Denmark.
« See " Danmarckis especially Rigis
Kronicke" ved ArrililHuiifeld tilOdersberg D. R. Canceler, tomus i. Riobenhaffn, 1652, fol. (two vols. ).
5° Several curious monumental inscriptions
are noted, in tlie two folio volumes of Bishop
Eric Pontoppidan, ''. Marmora Danica Selcc-
tiora sive Inscripiionum quotquot Fatorum
injuriis per Daniam suucr. sunt, vel /Evo,
"
Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus,"
vel vel Kei Momento eleyantia,
haffn hoss, Heinrich Baldtirch, Anno M. uc. xxil.
*< His feast occurs, at November and 17th,
he flourished in the sixth century.
55 Also, see Joannis Mevrsi "Historic
Danicoe, sive De Regibus Daniae, qui fami-
liam Oldenburgicam proecessere, eorumque rebus gestis, a Uano ad Canutum vi. , in quo
desinit Saxo. " Amstelodami, a. d. clolo. cxxxviti. fol.
5* See "Popular Encyclopedia, or Con- versations Lexicon," vol. vi. Art. Sweden
and Norway, p. 473.
5' Adam ot Bremen, who wrote in the
year 1007, alludes to those disorders, in his history.
pro; Reliqvs, excelleutiam Fasciculus. " Hatinx, 1739 and
1741.
5' Very curious plates of Northern Anti-
quities, illustrating churches, monuments,
seals and and historic incidenis will be found,
in the two folio vulumes of Johun I'eriiig-
*'
skiold :
rum," embracing in the first part Thiunia, cum Antiquitatibus ac Inscriptionibus quae Cippis et Rupibus, vel Tunibis incisoe passim reperiuntur justa deliniatione, brevique com- memario illustrate, and published at Stock- holm, in 1710; and, in the second part,
Monumentorum Sveo-Gothico-
&c. , written the by
Olaus
Archbishop nus, at Rome, in 1555.
Mag-
" Xhe folio history of Denmark, drawn from native and foreign sources, has been learnedly compiled, by Claus Christofferson.
"
Synopsis Historiarum Danica-
Its title is
rum," &c. , and it bears the imprint, Risben-
298 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 23.
beginning of the eleventh century, Olaf II. continued this good work, and he subjected several petty princes to his rule. s^ The Norwegians were formerly
governed by a number of Vikings, subject to a chief King ; and, their ancient laws, which have been published, indicate much of their social state and civil
polity. 59 Canute the Great, King of Denmark, conquered Norway in 1028, but he did not long retain its government ; for, in 1034, the Norwegians had their own monarchs, who, even for a time, governed in Denmark.
It seems to be a well-established fact, that so early as the eighth century, Irish colonists and Christian missionaries, from our Island, had dwelt in remote Ice- land. No doubt, they found or had attracted an indigenous people there,*°
andtheyprobablyinstructedthese,inthetenetsofthetruereligion. However, under exceedingly unfavourable conditions, the Irish settlers in Iceland led religious lives,'' built churciies, and cultivated literature, probably in the Scan- dinavian, as in tlieir own language. The Ira litur, or letters of the Irish,'^ and their books, were known to the pagan Norwegians and Swedes, who began to arrive there as adventurers, in the ninth century. Many of the Irish Christians—especially the monks—were then obliged to flee from the Island, and the natives, who had been converted to the true Faith, were subjected to the power of ever-increasing swarms of emigrants, during the tenth century, so that, it is probable, Christianity was gradually suppressed. *' Notwith-
standing, a school of poetry and history remained, to perpetuate in song and chronicle, the deeds of departed men and the events of past times, which an early civilization had taught the Irish settlers to cultivate, and which these in turn had communicated, as a precious legacy to those people, among whom they had lived for so long a period. In its pagan state, Iceland had a mytho- logyandsuperstitions,peculiartoitself. TherefugeesfromNorwayreplaced Christian practices, by an idolatrous worship. They established laws, which were observed by the colonists. For a long time, their literature breathed the spirit of their strange traditions and rude imaginations. But, the light of Faith began to dawn among the Icelanders, towards the close of the tenth
century; andsoon,theoldmanuscriptsofthepaganswereconsignedtoobli- vion. Yet, their old laws were in force, until the time of Thorgeir,''* who
a promulgated Decree,
in the at the —
year 1000,'s public Assembly
that the — of Christ then received Religion
of the
Island
greater part of the inhabitants should be publicly propagated, and that
Representatives,
by
the
'*
s' See "Popular Encyclopedia, or Con- versations Lexicon," vol. v. Art. Norway,
p. 264.
5' The Common Law of Norway, as it
existed in the middle ages, may be studied,
from the "Regis Magni Legum Reforniatoris
Leges Gula-Thingenses, sivejus Commune
Norvegicum. " Kx Manuscriptis Legati Christianiiy into Iceland, the reader is re-
cum interjjretatione La- tina et Daiiica, variis Lectionibus, indice Verburum et IV. Tabulis ceneis. Havnioe,
1817, 4to.
^ According to some accounts, in the be-
ginning of the fiftli century, Iceland was in- habited, and Veiieralile Bcde gives a pretty accurate description of the Island.
''On this subject, see George Webb
"
Story of Burnt Njal, or Life in Iceland at the end of the Tenth Century," vol. i. Introduction. First Settlers, pp. vii. ,
viii. Edinburgh, 1861, Svo.
'' See Rev. George Miller's " Lectures on
ferred to the " sive llistoria Krisini-. Saga,
Arna-Magnosaiii,
Dasent's
Religiunis Christianas in Icelandium intro- diictae ;" nee non Pattr af Isleifi Biskupi, sive Narratio de leieiio Episcopo ; ex Manu-crijitis Legati Magnasani cum Inter- preiatione Laiina, notis, Chronulogia, tabu- lis genealogicis, et Indicibus, tam Rerum quam verborum. Haffris, 1773, 8vo.
"5 According to the " Vig. i-Glums Saga,
sive Vita Viga-Glumi," the pagan hero of
Iceland was baptized during this year. See
cap. xxviii. , pp. 172, 173.
'^
About the year 1000, the Icelandic hero Glums was baptized. See theViga-Glums Saga
the Philosophy of Modern History," vol. iii. , Lect. xxvi. , p. 204, and n. (1), p. 252.
'^ Notwitlistanding, the Icebnders'Chro-
nicies frequently allude to tlie personal his-
toiy of men, living amongst them, wlio were of Irish extraction.
'• P"or an account of the introduction of
April 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 299
paganism should be prohibited. *' To the zeal of the holy King Olaus,*^ or Olaf, their conversion was principally owing,^9 and he had succeeded, like- wise, in bringing the people of Greenland,7° which was a discovery of the Icelandic navigator, known as Erich Raude,'' or the Red-headed, to the pro- fession of Ciiristianity. '* Churches were founded in Greenland,^3 which the Norwegianshadsettled; and,theseoldNorsecolonies,attheirmostflourish- ing period, are said to have numbered 10,000 inhabitants. ? * During four centuries, this country formed a bishopric ; but, the connexion between its Scandinavian settlers and the modier country was cut off. In the thirteenth
century, it is thought, that the Skraelings, or Esquimaux, made a descent from the north, and extirpated the Scandinavian race, or perhaps absorbed these
people among their own, the lowest race, both physically and intellectually, to be found in Europe. " Although traditions existed among the Greenianders, re- garding the first white visitors, and although Bishops had been appointed for theSee,'*downtothesixteenthcentury; yet,whenJohnDavisrediscovered
now a possession of Denmark were converted, likewise, to the true Faith, towards the close of the tenth century. '^ However, the former customs and
none otiiers but
anywhere long the coast. Th—e inhabitants of the Fero or Faroe Islands ^^
in Greenland, 1585,
were to be — Esquimaux people found,
sive Vita Viga-Glumi, Cujus Textus ad fidem prsestantisaimi Codicis membranei di- ligenter exactus est, et collatus cum mullis libris chartaceis. E Manuscriptis Legati Magnseani. Havnirr,1786,410.
a great stretch of the south-west coast, they reared villages and farm houses.
"It is remarkable, that the vestiges of stone churches have been discovered there, whiletheirarchitecturalfeaturesandsizeare
'' See such a statement, in " Hin Foma exactly identical with tliose of the primitive
Lx>gb6k I^<Iendinga sem nefuist Gragas. Co-
dex Juris Islandorum Aiitiquissimus, qui
nominatur Gargas. £x duobus Manuscriptis
Pergamenis (quae sola supersuiit) Biblio-
thetse Regiae et Legati Arnoe-Magnxani,
nunc primumeiiitus. Cum interpre'. atione
Latina, Lectionibus variis, Indicibus Vocum out new conclusions as to the sites of long. et Return pp. Praemissa Comnientatione
Histor. ca el Critica uc iiujus Juris origirie ct
Indole," pp. , ab J. F. G. Schlegel Con- scripta. Pars. i. Commentatio Historica ct
Critica, sect. I, 2, 3, 4, 5, pp. xiv. to. xxi. Havniae. Sumptibus Legati Arnaeiriag- nseani. Typis H. H. Thiele, 1829, 4to, in Two Volumes.
" The festival of St. Olaus 11. , or St.
Olave, King of Norway and martyr, was celebrated on the 29th of July, where his Acts will be found.
'» Although little seems to be known, re-
garding tlie history of the early inhabitants
of Greenland, much information about its
prcxlucts are to \x. found, in David Crantz's
"
History of Greenland : containing a De- scription of the Country ami its inhabitants," &c. Tran^lated from High Dutcii, and pub-
lished, in two octavo voiumes, at London, A. U. 1767.
lost cities, monasteries and churches ; while scientific inquiries have led to the conviction, that Greenland is not that ice-clad desert which for ages it has been considered to be, but that it contains grassy valleys worthy of the name it bears, which name, we know, it obtained from the bright verdure which at times fringes its southern point, and which, to Icelandic eyes, seemed beautiful in con- trast with the desert wastes which were too familiar to them at home. "—Henry
1" S>-e the account, in the " cap. xi , pp. 82 to loi.
KristniSaga,"
No. 6, p. 359. New Series.
's In 1448, the Pope issued a brief to a
Bishop of Norway, in which he complains of the pitiful condition of the inhabitants of Greenland, who had been attacl^ed by sea- pirates, about thirtyye. ars before, when people of both sexes weie carried off into captivity, by the hostile fleet.
'' These however, did not make bishops,
any effort to reach theiT dioceses.
Scandinavian See Rev. J. Anglo-Saxon
' See ibid. , vol. i,. Book iv. ,
sect. 2, pp. 243, 244.
'•^ These were discovered,
'' In the ninth one
century, Gunbjomhad
seen Greenland ; and, when Eric Rode, or Red Eric, was exiled from Iceland, in the
Dictionary
Language, Preface, sect, xi. , p. cxlv. Lon-
he set out with his kindred and
1'^ The dates are between a. d. fixed,
tenth
friends to seek its inhospitable shores. Over
century,
996 and 998, in the work intituled, "Johaimis
chap,
i. ,
by navigators, at an early periol. Bosworth's " of the
Irish churches. See an illustration, in John "
R. G. Hassard's History of the United States of America," Part i. , chap, i. , p. \2.
'* Patient research among the obscure pages of the Sagas has thrown fresh light upon doubtful historical data, and brought
Bed- ford's article, "Greenland: What is it," in the "Irish Ecclesiastical Record," vol. iv. .
don, 183S, 8vo.
"
300 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 23.
spirit of the Norse people, moulded on old traditions, did not wholly depart, for many succeeding generations.
The peculiar Norse manners and customs, with characteristics of the Scandinavian superstitions, have been very ably treated, by various modern writers, and, especially by the learned Finn Magnusen ;'» but, speculation is still rife, in the interpretation of the Eddaic doctrines and mysteries. ^" The Northmen legends have accounts of a gigantic race inhabiting their regions. ^' Such opinions were probably founded on their mythology of generation, which refers to the Frost-Giants, or Mountain- Giants. ^^ From their race sprang Odin, or Woden, the father of the bright and beautiful ^sir, the ruling Gods of Heaven and Earth. Asgard or Heaven was the abode of these Gods, and there was Odin's hall, the great Valhalla, roofed with shields, supported by spears, its benches adorned with, coats of mail. Thither Odin invites all men slain in battle, and he refreshes them dailywithboars'fleshandhornsofmead. Theotherdivinitieshavevarious offices to discharge there, or they interpose on earth, in the affairs of men. It was thought a time must come, when the world shall be destroyed, and when a new earth, eternally green and fair, shall spring up out of the sea. Dwarfs, demons, dragons, ser|)ents, monsters, wolves, ghosts and apparitions, had their fantastic existence and form, in the Norse mythology, and in the Norseman's imagination. The celebrated chief divinity or hero of the north, the elder Odin, or Woden, is thought to have passed from southern Europe, or from Asia, i—nto Scandinavia. He is generally regarded as a personage, pardy his- torical and in the remote past—yet chiefly mythological. He was largely mixed up with the northern superstitions, and the Asa dogmas, as understood bytheNorthmenofNorwayandofIceland. Inthemain,theDanesandSwedes seem to have followed the same traditions, customs, and dogmas. These are wild and extravagant, differing altogether from the Greek and Roman fictions
Messenii Scondia lUustrata, seu Chronolo- gia de Rebus Scondios, hoc est, Sueciae, Danite, Norvegipt>, atque una Islandiae, Gron- landijcque, lam Ecclesiasticisquam politicis ; a Mundi Cataclysmo, usque Annum Christi MDCXII gestis. Primumeditaet observationi- bus aucta a Johanne Peringskiold, tomus i. Chronologiifi Scondianie, p. 76. Stock- holmiEE, 17CXD, fol. ,
" A very ingenious work, and most valua- ble for reference, on Northern pagan prac- tices, is the " Priscse Veterura Borealium Mythologias Lexicon, cuncta illius Cosmolo- gica, Theosophica et Damonica Numina, Entia et Loca ordine Alphabetico indicans, illustrans et e magna parte cum Exteris, ista
contingentibus, comparans.
