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ODIN," the Giants, "the Sons of the "Froft," &c. they would naturally wish to know the origin of fuch fingular modes of fpeech.. It was then to render this knowledge eafy, that the Author of the EDDA wrote; nor am I furprized, that this book hath appeared whimfical and unintelligible to those who were ignorant of its defign.

Hence likewife we learn why this work came to be divided into Two principal parts. The FIRST confifts of this brief Syftem of Mythology, neceflary for underftanding the ancient Scalds, and for perceiving the force of the Figures, Epithets and Allufions with which their poetry abounds. This is properly called the EDDA. The SECOND is a kind of Art of Poetry, which contains a Catalogue of the Words most commonly used by the Poets, together with Explanations and Remarks; it contains also a treatise on the ancient Language, and Orthography; and an explication of the Structure and Measure of their different forts of Verfe. Hence it is, that this part is called SCALDA or POETICS. It is very extenfive, and leads one to fuppofe that this people had among them a vaft number of Bards, and that the Author pof feffed an uncommon depth of erudition on thefe fubjects. The Reader will doubtless be furprized to find fo compleat a Treatife

of Poetry, amid the few monuments now remaining of ancient Scandinavia: Efpecially among thofe Goths and Normans, who contributed fo much to replunge Europe into ignorance, and whom many nations have had fo much reason to accufe of ferocity and barbarism. Could one have expected to find among fuch a people, fo decifive a taste for an Art which feems peculiarly to require fenfibility of foul, a cultivation of mind, and a vivacity and fplendor of imagination? for an Art, I fay, which one would rather fuppofe must be one of the last refinements of luxury and politeness.

I trufted we should find the causes of this their love of poetry, in the ruling paffion of the ancient Scandinavians for war,' in the little ufe they made of writing, and especially in their peculiar fyftem of Religion. What was at firft only conjecture, a later research hath enabled me to discover to have been the real cafe: And I flatter myself that the perufal of the EDDA will remove every doubt which may at first have been entertained from the novelty and fingularity of the facts which I advanced.

IT now remains for me to relate in a few words the history of this Book, and to give a fhort account of my own labours. I have already hinted that there have been two

EDDAS

EDDAS. The firft and most ancient was compiled by SOEMUND SIGFUSSON, firnamed the LEARNED, born in Iceland about the year 1057. This Author had ftudied in Germany, and chiefly at Cologne, along with his countryman ARE, firnamed alfo FRODE, or the LEARNED; and who likewife diftinguished himself by his love for the Belle-Lettres *. Sæmund was one of the first who ventured to commit to writing the ancient religious Poetry, which many people ftill retained by heart. He seems to have confined himself to the meer selecting into one body fuch of the ancient Poems as appeared most proper to furnish a fufficient number of poetical figures and phrafes. It is not determined whether this collection (which, it should seem, was very confiderable) is at present extant, or not: But without engaging in this dispute, it fuffices to say, that Three of the Pieces of which it was compofed, and perhaps those three of the most important, have come down to us. We fhall give a more particular account of these in the body of this work.

* V. Arii Frode scheda, feu libellus de Ilundiâ, editæ ab And. Buffao. Havn. 1733. in Præfat. This ARE FRODE is the oldest of all the northern hiftorians whofe works have

come down to us. He wrote manyHiftories which are loft; that which remains is on the establishment of the Norwegians in Iceland.

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The first collection being apparently too voluminous, and in many respects obscure, and not fufficiently adapted to common use, the young poets would naturally with that fome body would extract from the materials there collected, a courfe of Poetic Mythology, more eafy and intelligible. Accordingly, about 120 years afterwards, another learned Icelander engaged in this tafk: This was the famous SNORRO STURLESON, born in the year 1179, of one of the most illuftrious families in his country, where he twice held the dignity of firft magiftrate, having been the fupreme judge of Iceland in the years 1215 and 1222. He was alfo employed in many important negotiations with the King of Norway, who inceffantly ftrove to fubdue that ifland, as being the refuge of their malcontent subjects. SNORRO, whofe genius was not merely confined to letters, met at laft with a very violent end. He was affaffinated in the night that he entered into his 62d year, anno 1241*, by

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by a faction of which he was the avowed enemy. We owe all that is rational, certain and connected in the ancient history of these vast countries, to his writings, and especially to his " Chronology of the Nor"thern Kings." There runs through this whole work fo much clearnefs and order, fuch a fimplicity of ftile, fuch an air of truth, and fo much good fenfe, as ought to rank its author among the best hiftorians of that age of ignorance and bad tafte. He was also a poet, and his verses were often the entertainment of the courts to which he was fent. It was doubtlefs a love for this art which fuggefted to him the design of giving a new EDDA, more useful to the young poets than that of Sæmund. His defign therefore was to felect whatever was most important in the old Mythology, and to compile a fhort Syftem, wherein fhould, notwithstanding, be found, all the Fables

opinion attribute it to Snorro, it may be fufficient to fay that fome writer who lived a few years later than that celebrated fage, may have added a Supplement, drawn up after the manner of Snorro, by way of continuation of that Author's work. Befides, it is a matter of little im

portance which ever opinion we adopt. We are only interested in the first part of the EDDA; and it is fufficient that the Author of that part, whofoever he was, hath there faithfully preferved the ancient religious traditions of the northern nations,

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