as the eye could reach; and as they drew
nearer they saw a line of huge mountains, rising, as it were, out of
the water, and stretching their gray heads far above the clouds. And
the overhanging cliffs seemed to look down, half in anger, half in pity,
upon the little white winged vessel which had dared thus to sail through
these unknown waters. But the surface of the sea was smooth as glass;
and the gentle breeze drove the ship slowly forwards through the calm
water, and along the rock-bound coast, and within the dark shadows of
the mountain-peaks. Long ago the Frost-giants had piled great heaps of
snow upon these peaks, and built huge fortresses of ice between,
and sought, indeed, to clasp in their cold embrace the whole of the
Norwegian land. But the breezes of the South-land that came with Bragi's
ship now played among the rocky steeps, and swept over the frozen
slopes above, and melted the snow and ice; and thousands of rivulets of
half-frozen water ran down the mountain-sides, and tumbled into rocky
gorges, or plunged into the sea. And the grass began to grow on the
sunny slopes, and the flowers peeped up through the half-melted snow,
and the music of spring was heard on every side. Now and then the little
vessel passed by deep, dark inlets enclosed between high mountain-walls,
and reaching many leagues far into land. But the sailors steered clear
of these shadowy fjords; for they said that Ran, the dread Ocean-queen,
lived there, and spread her nets in the deep green waters to entangle
unwary seafaring men. And the sound of Bragi's harp awakened all
sleeping things; and it was carried from rock to rock, and from
mountain-height to valley, and was borne on the breeze far up the
fjords, and all over the land.

One day, as they were sailing through these quiet waters, beneath the
overhanging cliffs, Bragi tuned his harp, and sang a song of sea. And
then he told Siegfried a story of AEgir and his gold-lit hall.

Old AEgir was the Ocean-king. At most times he was rude and rough, and
his manners were uncouth and boisterous. But when Balder, the Shining
One, smiled kindly upon him from above, or when Bragi played his harp by
the seashore, or sailed his ship on the waters, the heart of the bluff
old king was touched with a kindly feeling, and he tried hard to curb
his ungentle passions, and to cease his blustering ways. He was one of
the old race of giants; and men believe that he would have been a very
good and quiet gi