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The church was content to fanctify the end of this feafting, by applying it to the nativity of our Lord; the anniversary of which happened to be much about the fame time. In the languages of the north, Juul, or Yule, ftill fignifies Christmas;

and the manner in which this feftival is celebrated in many places, as well as the old name itself, reminds us of many cir

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See alfo Key. Antiq. p. 159, &c. 349, 367.

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THE TWELFTH FABLE.

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Of the God Balder.

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HE fecond fon of Odin is named BALDER. He is of an excellent natural temper; and hath the univerfal praife of mankind: fo handsome in his son, and of fo dazling a look, that he feems to dart forth rays of light (a). To make you comprehend the beauty of his hair, you fhould be informed that the whiteft of all vegetables is called, the

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Eye-brow of Balder." This God, fo radiant and graceful, is also the most eloquent and benign; yet fuch is his nature, that the judgments he has pronounced can never be altered. He dwells in the city of Breidablik, before-mentioned. This place is in heaven, and nothing impure can have admittance there: this is confirmed by the following verfes: "Balder hath his pala

ces in Briedablik, and there I know are " columns, upon which are engraven verses, capable of recalling the dead to life.”

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The third God is he, whom we call KIORD. He dwelleth in a place named Noatun. He is ruler of the winds: he checks the fury of the fea, ftorms and fire (B). Whoever would fucceed in navigation, hunting or fishing, ought to pray to this God. He is fo rich, that he can give to his votaries kingdoms and treasures: and upon this account alfo he deferves to be invoked. Yet Niord is not of the lineage of the Gods. He was reared at Vanheim, that is, in the country of the VANES; but the Vanes delivered him up an hoftage to the Gods, and received in his place Haner. By this means a peace was re-eftablished between the Gods and the Vanes. Niord took to wife Skada, the daughter of the Giant Thiaffe. She prefers dwelling on the spot where her father inhabits, that is, in the land of the mountains; but Niord loves to refide near the fea: yet they came at length to this agreement between themselves, that they should pass together nine nights among the mountains, and three on the fhore of the fea. One day Niord, returning from the mountains, compofed this fong; "How "do I hate the abode of the mountains? "I have only paffed nine nights there; "but how long and tedious did they feem! "There one hears nothing but the howling of wolves, inftead of the fweet fing

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"ing of the swans *, who dwell on the fea-fhores." In anfwer to this, Skada compofed the following verfes; "How is "it poffible for me to enjoy my rest on "the couch of the God of the Ocean "whilft birds in flocks returning each "morning from the foreft, awake me with "their screamings?" Then Skada returned to the mountains, where her father dwells; there fnatching up her bow, and fastening on her fnow-fkates, the often employed herself in the chace of favage beafts +.

*It is very remarkable, that the ancient Icelandic bards fhould have got hold of that fabulous opinion of the SWAN's being a finging bird; which fo generally. prevailed among the Greek and Roman poets. It would be a curious fubject of difquifition, to inquire what could have given rife to fo arbitrary and groundlefs a notion. There can be no mistake about the bird here; for the Icelandic words are the fame with our English: Saungui Suana, "The fong, or finging of SWANS." Cantus Cygnorum.

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+ The reader will find an additional paffage here in the Latin verfion of Goranfon; as alfo fome parts of the preceding paragraph differently rendered.

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REMARKS ON THE TWELFTH FABLE,

(A)" He feems to dart forth rays of light.] Of all the nations who have for

merly adhered to the

Gothic' religion †, none have given us fuch a particular defcription of it as the Icelanders. If we are not therefore always able to prove, that fome of the points contained in the doctrine of the EDDA have been univerfally received by other ancient nations of Europe; must it be thence concluded, that these doctrines were unknown to them? Analogy authorises us to judge the contrary. The conformities, we discover in that part which we know, may ferve to answer for what remains unknown. But this reasoning, which I think well founded, fhall not hinder me from feeking more pofitive proofs of that resemblance and conformity, as far as one can discover any traces of it amid the ruins of antiquity. There is in this place matter for

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the exercise of inveftigation. Who is this God Balder? Was he known to the other nations of Europe? It seems to me probable, that Balder is the fame God, whom the Noricians and Gauls worfhiped under the name of Belenus. This was a celebrated God among the Celtes. Many infcriptions make mention of him. We even find monuments, where he is exhibited according to his attributes. That which hath been long preserved at the castle of Polignac, reprefents him with a radiated head, and a large open mouth; which exactly agrees with the picture here given of him in the EDDA; as a God refplendent and eloquent. We eafily fee, that Belen and Balder came from the fame origin, that is, from the Phrygian word Bal, or Balen, which fignifies King, and which they formerly applied to the Sun. Selden (de Diis Syris. Synt. II. c. I.)

Fr. La Religion Celtique.

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