NOTES TO THE TWENTY-SEVENTH CANTO.
Specimen of the metre in the original.
I haveṯ stander Oeen;
Nu Hlesen kun er liden,
Thi Bölgerne med Ti̱den
Har plöieṯ den i̱ Söen;
Men stor i Oldti̱ds Dage
Den knei̱sed höi̱ og brat,
Og ṯrodsed Nordens Drage,
Deṯ sorṯe Kaṯṯegaṯ.
The subject of this Canto is taken from the celebrated chapter in the poetic Edda, called “Ægir’s feast” or “Lok’s scurrility,” to account for the origin, object and meaning of which, has puzzled all the commentators of the Edda. The most simple éclaircissement thereof seems to be that of Finn Magnussen, who thinks that the author of it may have been a sort of Scandinavian Lucian, who wished to throw a sly ridicule on the gods of his country. Œhlenschläger has varied, augmented, and embellished the subject with imagery and embroidery of his own, and has omitted certain parts of somewhat too obscene a nature.
[92] Skidbladner, name of the bark given by Gerda to Frey. The following is probably the explanation of this mythe. Frey signifies the sun; Gerda, the earth. Skidbladner signifies the clouds or vapours extracted from the earth by the rays of the sun. See Skidbladner in the Alphabetical Catalogue.
[93] Hringhorn; name of Balder’s bark. The language of the ancient Scandinavians was highly poetical and metaphorical. A ship was often compared to an animal, and its masts to the horns of the said animal; the masts were made fast with iron rings round their circumference, and this I take to be the surest etymology of the word Hringhorn or Ringhorn. The ships of the Vikings were long and deep, and had usually but one mast.
[94] Naglefare: See the Catalogue.
[95] It seems to me as if the author has taken this idea from the account given in Cook’s voyages of the women of Otaheite swimming off from the shore to the ship, to look out for lovers among the sailors.
[96] I here acknowledge a plagiarism from Dryden, in his quaint translation of the Novimus et qui te in the Third Bucolic of Virgil.
[97] Alludes to Thor and his companions’ adventure related in the Second Canto.