the Nibelungen Lied. "The
eagles of Kriemhild's dream," says Auber Forestier, "are winter-giants,
whose wont it was to transform themselves into eagles; while the pure
gods were in the habit of assuming the falcon's form."

[EN#22]--Idun.

The story of Idun and her Apples is related in the Younger Edda. It is
there represented as having been told by Bragi himself to his friend
AEgir. This myth means, that the ever-renovating spring (Idun) being
taken captive by the desolating winter (Thjasse), all Nature (all
the Asa-folk) languishes until she regains her freedom through the
intervention of the summer's heat (Loki). --See Anderson's Norse
Mythology.

[EN#23]--Balder.

The story of Balder is, in reality, the most ancient form of the
Siegfried myth. Both Balder and Siegfried are impersonations of the
beneficent light of the summer's sun, and both are represented as being
treacherously slain by the powers of winter. The errand of Hermod to
the Halls of Death (Hela) reminds us of the errand of Hermes to Hades
to bring back Persephone to her mother Demetre. We perceive also a
resemblance in this story to the myth of Orpheus, in which that hero is
described as descending into the lower regions to bring away his wife
Eurydice.

[EN#24]

The making of rich clothing for the heroes is frequently referred to in
the Nibelungen Lied. Carlyle says, "This is a never-failing preparative
for all expeditions, and is always specified and insisted on with a
simple, loving, almost female impressiveness."

[EN#25]--The Winning of Brunhild.

The story of the outwitting of Brunhild, as related in the pages which
follow, is essentially the same as that given in the Nibelungen Lied. It
is quite different from the older versions.

[EN#26]--Sif.

Sif corresponds to the Ceres of the Southern mythology. (See Grimm, p.
309.) The story of Loki and the Dwarfs is derived from the Younger Edda.
It has been beautifully rendered by the German poet Oelenschlager, a
translation of whose poem on this subject may be found in Longfellow's
Poets and Poetry of Europe.

[EN#27]--Eigill.

Eigill is the original William Tell. The story is related in the Saga
of Thidrik. For a full history of the Tell myth, see Grimm's Teutonic
Mythology, p. 380, and Baring-Gould's Curious Myths of the Middle Ages,
p. 110.

[EN#28]--Welland the Smith.

The name of this smith is variously given as Weland, Wieland, Welland,
Volundr, Veli