Lay of the Norse Gods and Heroes.
Step out of the misty veil
Which darkly winds round thee;
Step out of the olden days,
Thou great Divinity!
Across thy mental vision
Passes the godly host,
That Brugi's melodies
Made Asgard's proudest boast.
There rise the sounds of music
From harp strings sweet and clear,
Wonderfully enchanting
To the receiving ear.
Thou wast it, thou hast carried
Sagas of Northern fame,
Didst boldly strike the harp strings
Of old Skalds; just the same
Thou span'st the bridge of Birfrost,
The pathway of the Gods:
O name the mighty heroes,
Draw pictures of the Gods!
These fairy tales of the giants, dwarfs, and heroes, are not senseless stories written for the amusement of the idle; but they contain the deep faith or religion of our forefathers, which roused them to brave actions, and inspired them with strength and courage. These Sagas existed for over four hundred years, until they exchanged their hero-god for St. Martin, and their Thumar, for St. Peter or St. Oswald, when their glory in Scandinavia fell before the preaching of the Cross.