thinks that the ancient Britons called him Belertucades. This was the Apollo of the Greeks and Romans, the Sun confidered as a benign and falutary conftellation, who chaced away maladies, animated the fpirits, and warmed the imagination, that fruitful mother of poetry and all the other arts. (B)" He checks the fury of the fea, ftorms " and fire."] This God, or at least a God with these attributes,' hath been adored by all the ancient nations of Eu rope, as well Goths as' Celtes: as also by the Perfians, and the people who dwell around the Euxine and Cafpian feas. They all of them affigned a Genius or God to the waters, whether of the fea, or of rivers, or fountains. This God would not fail to be adored, and loaded with prefents. In many places among the Gauls, they every year confecrated to him animals, precious ftuffs, fruits, and gold and filver. Such was that small piece of water near Tou 4 loufe, into which great riches were thrown in honour of this Deity. They looked upon him as eafily provoked, and upon his goodness as not a little precarious; but fuch as was not ill adapted to the temper of him who was the mafter and director of fo deceitful an element. Thus the EDDA fcruples to admit him into the family of the Gods. The common people, in divers places of Germany and the north, are ftill perfuaded that men owe him a yearly tribute; and that when any body is drowned, this God hath carried him away. They call him, in Germany, Der Nix; and formerly in the north, Nocken. They had no other phrase to exprefs a perfon's dying in the water, but "Nocken hath taken "him;" and hence without doubt is derived the French word Noyer, to drown. The Gauls called this divinity Neith. They believed that he refided in the fea, and in pools. There was near Geneva, in the lake which goes by the name of that town, a rock confecrated to to him, which still retains the name of Neiton; a word approaching very near to that of Noatun, which, according to the EDDA, is the refidence of the God of Waters. The Romans retained both the worship and name of this God, who was adored by the ancient Celtic nations of Italy. In general, all the several people of Europe have had a great veneration for this Divinity, and nothing was more difficult than to bring them off from the worship they O fons Bandufiæ, fplendidior vitro ; THE THE THIRTEENTH FABLE. Of the God Frey, and the Goddess Freya. N IORD had afterwards, at his refidence of Noatun, two children, named FREY, and FREYA; both of them beautiful and vigorous. Frey is the mildest of all the Gods. He prefides over the rain, and the fun, and all the productions of the earth. He is to be invoked in order to obtain either fine seasons, or plenty, or peace; for it is he who difpenfes peace and riches, Freya is the moft propitious of the Goddeffes. The place which the inhabits in heaven, is called "The Union of the "People." She goes on horseback to every place where battles are fought, and afferts her right to one half of the flain; the other half belongs to ODIN. Her palace is large and magnificent; thence the fallies forth in a chariot, drawn by two cats. She lends a very favourable ear to the vows of those who fue for her affift 7 ance. ance. It is from her that the Ladies have received the name, which we give them in our language. She is very much delighted with the fongs of lovers; and fuch as would be happy in their amours ought to worship this Goddefs. Then says Gangler, All these Gods appear to me to have great power: and I am not at all furprized (A) that you are able to perform so many great atchievements, fince you are fo well acquainted with the attributes and functions of each God, and know what it is proper to afk of each in order to fucceed. But are there ftill any more of them, befides thofe you have already named? REMARKS ON THE THIRTEENTH FABLE. guage, viz. Frayer, to engender or spawn as fifhes do; and Friand, which anciently fignified " full of defire:" as alfo to Frija, which in Swedifh fignifies to be amo rous, and to seek in marriage; and Friar, a gallant. The name Aphroditis, which was given to Venus by the people of Greece, feems alfo to bear fome affinity to this. Gallantry being one of the principal virtues of every brave warrior, it was but right that the Goddess of Love fhould have the charge of rewarding one half, at least, of those who had died with their fwords in their hands. (A)" I am not at all "furprized, &c."] The people fettled in Scandinavia, before the arrival of Odin, were a very fimple race, and eafily aftonished. This conqueror fubdued them as much by impofing on their minds, as by vanquifhing their arms. Amazed at thofe fucceffes, which their own ig 1 norance had occafioned, and was not able to account for; they very wifely fent to Odin himfelf, to inquire the cause. We have feen that this was the end, which GANGLER, or the king who affumed that name, proposed to himself. Here he learned fo many new circumftances concerning the functions of the feveral Gods, and the worfhip to be paid them in order to fecure their favour, that he thought he had discovered the mystery, and was now in a condition to cope with his rival. · THE |
