zealously in the North to this day, it is possible to gain
some direct insight even yet; and see that old Norse system of Belief,
as it were, face to face. Let us forget that it is erroneous Religion;
let us look at it as old Thought, and try if we cannot sympathise with
it somewhat.

The primary characteristic of this old Northland Mythology I find to
be Impersonation of the visible workings of Nature. Earnest simple
recognition of the workings of Physical Nature, as a thing wholly
miraculous, stupendous and divine. What we now lecture of as Science,
they wondered at, and fell down in awe before, as Religion. The dark
hostile powers of Nature they figure to themselves as '_Joetuns_,'
Giants, huge shaggy beings of a demonic character. Frost, Fire,
Sea-tempest; these are Joetuns. The friendly powers again, as
Summer-heat, the Sun, are Gods. The empire of this Universe is divided
between these two; they dwell apart, in perennial internecine feud.
The Gods dwell above in Asgard, the Garden of the Asen, or Divinities;
Joetunheim, a distant dark chaotic land, is the home of the Joetuns.

Curious all this; and not idle or inane, if we will look at the
foundation of it! The power of _Fire_, or _Flame_, for instance, which
we designate by some trivial chemical name, thereby hiding from
ourselves the essential character of wonder that dwells in it as in
all things, is with these old Northmen, Loke, a most swift subtle
_Demon_, of the brood of the Joetuns. The savages of the Ladrones
Islands too (say some Spanish voyagers) thought Fire, which they never
had seen before, was a devil or god, that bit you sharply when you
touched it, and that lived upon dry wood. From us too no Chemistry, if
it had not Stupidity to help it, would hide that Flame is a wonder.
What _is_ Flame?--_Frost_ the old Norse Seer discerns to be a
monstrous hoary Joetun, the Giant _Thrym_, _Hrym_: or _Rime_, the old
word now nearly obsolete here, but still used in Scotland to signify
hoar-frost. _Rime_ was not then as now a dead chemical thing, but a
living Joetun or Devil; the monstrous Joetun _Rime_ drove home his
Horses at night, sat 'combing their manes,'--which Horses were
_Hail-Clouds_, or fleet _Frost-Winds_. His Cows--No, not his, but a
kinsman's, the Giant Hymir's Cows are _Icebergs_: this Hymir 'looks at
the rocks' with his devil-eye, and they _split_ in the glance of it.

Thunder was not then mere Electricity, vitreous or resinous; it was
the God