INTRODUCTION.
UNCERTAINTY ATTENDING THE EARLY HISTORY OF ALL NATIONS.—MONSTROUS HYPOTHESES RESPECTING THAT OF NORTHERN EUROPE.—FABULOUS, OR AT LEAST DOUBTFUL, KINGS OF SWEDEN, NORWAY, AND DENMARK.—DISTINCTION OF RACES IN THE NORTH.—THE ORIGINAL INHABITANTS, THE SWIONES, GOTTONES, DANKIONES, WERE PROBABLY THE SWEDES, GOTHS, AND DANES.—THE JUTES AND LAPPS AND FINNS DIFFERENT FROM THE NEW COMERS.—INFORMATION COLLECTED BY ALFRED RELATIVE TO THE NORTH.—NUMEROUS CHIEFS WITH THE REGAL TITLE.—KINGS OF DENMARK: DAN—HUMBLE—LOTHER—SKIOLD—GRAM, ETC.—WONDERFUL ADVENTURE OF HADDING AND OF THE GIANTESS HARDGRIPE.—FRODE I.—ODIN—HIS ORIGIN ACCORDING TO SAXO—ACCORDING TO THE YNGLINGA SAGA.—HIS SUPERNATURAL POWERS.—REASONS ASSIGNED FOR HIS EXISTENCE.—HODER AND BALDER.—THE FATAL SISTERS.—DEATH AND FUNERAL OF BALDER.—JOURNEY TO THE SHADES BELOW IN QUEST OF HIS SOUL.—HERMOD’S JOURNEY.—ODIN’S.—PROPHECY.—RINDA AND ODIN.—CHARACTER OF ODIN.—RURIC.—HAMLET PRINCE OF JUTLAND.—HIS REAL OR FABULOUS ADVENTURES.—FENGO.—DANISH KINGS AFTER RURIC.
| Page | |
| Futility of Inquiries into the Origin of Nations | [1] |
| That of the Swedes obscure and fabulous.—Pedigree of the Swedish Kings from Noah, according to Joannes Magnus | [2] |
| Origin of Idolatry and War in the North.—Extension of the Gothic Empire, and a new Empire founded by them, the seat of which was in Poland or Hungary. | [3] |
| The Empire of the Goths broken into numerous Principalities.—The Danes aspire to throw off the Yoke of Sweden; but being assailed by the Saxons, submit, and receive Dan, a Swedish Prince, as their King. This Prince gave his Name to the Danish Kingdom, and his Brother Angul, the First King of the English, left his name to that People.—Wars between Sweden and Denmark.—Swibdager, King of Norway, elected King of the Goths and Swedes.—Defeats and slays Gram, King of Denmark, and subjects his Kingdom to the Swedes. All this according to Joannes Magnus | [4] |
| Norway. According to Torfœus, the Giants, of whom he gives a minute Account, were the most ancient Inhabitants of this Region | [6] |
| Soon after them came the Goths, about the Period of the Fall of Troy; next came the Asae, or Scythians | [7] |
| To these he adds an indigenous Race, which is evidently a Mythologic Creation | [8] |
| Thor, the Father of Nor, the common Ancestor of all the Norwegian Princes, deemed by that People superior to Odin himself. The Danes and Swedes held Odin to be the Supreme God.—Amalgamation of the two Religions | [9] |
| Denmark. Claims to great Antiquity.—List of Danish Kings from Noah to Odin, “that King of the Turks whom the Romans forced towards the North;” and from the latter to Hardicanute and Harald Harfager | [10] |
| The Goths were in the North of Europe prior to the Times we call Historic; but the Cimbri were there before them; and these were probably preceded by other Swarms, whose very names are lost | [11] |
| The Finns and the Lapps probably Descendants of the earliest Inhabitants of the North.—The People of the North were split into numerous Tribes, of which the Swiones were the most conspicuous.—The Dankiones, probably the Danskir, or Danes.—The Swiones, Goths, and Teutones, all kindred Tribes.—The Finns | [12] |
| The Goths the last People that reached Western Europe.—Their gradual Amalgamation with the former Inhabitants produced that Form of Society peculiar to the North | [13] |
| The Sons of Odin probably the first Gothic Monarchs of the North.—The original Inhabitants different, in all respects, from the Goths.—The Finns and Lapps represented in the early Gothic Poetry as Magicians, and the Jutes as Giants and Magicians.—Antipathy between the Goths and the former Races, and the Causes of it | [14] |
| Tacitus’s meagre Account of the Northern Tribes that constituted the Anglo-Saxons.—Alfred’s Account of what he learned of the North from Otter, a Norwegian Navigator | [15] |
| Curious Particulars of what constituted Riches in the extreme North, in the Days of Otter.—The Finns tributary to the Goths.—Credibility of Otter’s Relation.—Acknowledged Distinction between the various Tribes of the North | [16] |
| The original Tribes gradually expelled, and driven North towards the Arctic Circle by the Goths and Swiar.—Scandinavian domestic History, for centuries after the Arrival of Odin, little known.—Numerous Chieftains in the North under the regal Title | [17] |
| Contradictory Accounts of the Sovereigns and Transactions of the northern Kingdoms; yet they cannot be rejected as wholly fabulous, as the Songs which form the entire History of the North supply us with the best Picture of national Manners | [18] |
| Summary of Saxo’s History of Denmark during the doubtful Period | [19] |
| Dan, the first King of Denmark, gave his Name to that Country.—On his Death his Son Humble elected in his stead.—His Brother, Lother, revolts and usurps the Dignity.—Is slain by his Subjects, and his son, Skiold, the Hercules of the North, raised to the Throne | [19] |
| His Prowess.—Overthrows the Duke of the Alemanni, reduces his People to the Condition of Tributaries, and marries his Daughter Awilda; his Wisdom equal to his Valour; his Benevolence, good Laws and Government; his love of Glory | [20] |
| Gram, the Son and Successor of Skiold, equal to his Father in Strength and Enterprise, and his Life more romantic.—Subdues Sweden, and carries away the princess Gro | [20] |
| His Inconstancy.—Is deprived of Empire and Life by Swibdager, King of Norway.—Saxo’s curious Account of the different Species of Giants | [21] |
| Swibdager places Guthrum, the Son of Gram, as a Vassal on the Throne of Denmark.—Hadding, the Brother of Guthrum, the most celebrated of Danish Heroes.—His wonderful Adventure with the Giantess Hardgrip | [22] |
| His farther wonderful Adventures and Exploits.—He slays Swibdager and his Son Asmund | [24] |
| The wonderful Story of the Hero continued | [25] |
| His Death.—He is succeeded by his eldest Son, Frode I., also a great Warrior, who carried his Depredations from Russia to the British Islands.—Frequent Intercourse between Denmark and Britain.—Frode fought and killed a Dragon, who brooded over immense Riches, in a Cave | [27] |
| Takes London by a Stratagem.—Several Sovereigns succeeded, of whom little is known until the Danish States elected for their Monarch Hoder, a Descendant of the famous Hadding | [28] |
| Odin, King of the Hellespont, according to Saxo, laid Claim to Divinity, and was worshipped by most of Europe.—His profound Knowledge of Magic.—A Golden Statue presented to him by the Kings of the North, and placed by him among the Gods.—Deceived by his Wife, Frigga.—Exiles himself for a Season, in consequence.—His Power and Divinity usurped during his Absence.—Returns, and compels the Usurpers to flee the Country | [29] |
| Mitothin, one of the Usurpers of Odin’s Authority, flees to Fionia, and is killed by the Inhabitants.—A Plague ensues, which was stayed by his Body being exhumed, the Head cut off, and a stake driven through the Corpse.—Probably the first Vampire on Record.—Snorro’s Account in many Respects different from Saxo’s, as above.—The Cause of that Difference.—Odin’s Government theocratic.—His perpetual Wars.—Always successful.—Called the Father of Victory.—Peculiar Veneration attached to his Character.—War with the Vanir, his Neighbours | [30] |
| They cut off the Head of Mimir, one of Odin’s Hostages, and send it to Asgard.—Odin, by his Magic, converts the Head to an Oracle.—He flees the Roman Arms with a Multitude of Followers, and advances to the West.—Reduces some States in Germany, over which he places his Sons.—Passes northward, and fixes his Seat at Odensey—Sends Gefio, one of his Prophetesses, to make Converts in the neighbouring Regions.—She is successful; marries Skiold, the Son of Odin, who reigned over the Danish Islands.—He compels the King of Sweden to cede him the eastern Part of that Kingdom.—He establishes his Seat at Sigtuna, erects Temples, and offers Sacrifices | [31] |
| His Worship diffused throughout Germany and Scandinavia.—His extraordinary Qualities.—His wonderful Ship, Skidbladner | [32] |
| The oracular Head of Mimir, which acquainted him with all he wished to know, and his two speaking Ravens, which brought him Intelligence of all that happened.—His miraculous Powers.—He and his Pontiffs worshipped as Gods.—His Laws, civil and religious | [33] |
| Proofs of his Existence from written as well as from traditionary Testimony | [34] |
| Rigs-mal, one of the Eddaic Poems, resembling in its Composition the Anglo-Saxon Poem of Bjówolf, throws much Light on the heroic Age in the North | [38] |
| Distinguishes the different Races by which the Country was successively occupied.—The first Gothic Emigrants drive the Finnish Tribes to the Wilds of Norrland, Lapland, and Finland.—The Antipathy between the two Races illustrated by the Legend of Njördr | [39] |
| The Sviar and the Goths, by whom they had been preceded, become one People through the religious Ascendancy of Odin | [40] |
| Religious Sects in the North.—Junction of the old and new religions.—The temporal Government of Odin perpetuated through his Sons.—Odin the Progenitor of all the great Dynasties of the North.—The Mythic Nor, from whom Norway took its Name | [41] |
| Alleged Succession of the Danish Kings.—Hoder beloved by Nanna, daughter of the King of Norway.—Balder, the Son of Odin, is enamoured of the same Princess and plans Hoder’s Destruction.—Hoder’s Interview with the Fatal Sisters | [42] |
| He obtains the magic Bracelets and Sword kept by the Satyr Mimring.—Defeats King Gelder.—He encounters Balder, who is assisted by the Gods, with Odin and Thor at their Head | [43] |
| He defeats them, and obtains the Hand of Nanna.—Is in turn defeated and dethroned by Balder.—Balder offers human Sacrifices.—Hoder again defeated, and compelled to flee to Jutland | [44] |
| Hoder’s second Interview with the Fatal Sisters.—He is again defeated by Balder.—Receives a magic Belt from Balder’s mysterious Purveyors.—Gives Balder a mortal Wound | [45] |
| Balder’s Death and Funeral.—Balder’s portentous Dream, according to the latter Edda | [46] |
| The Descent of Hermod to the Shades, in quest of Balder’s Soul, with the Story of the famous Horse, Sleipner | [46] |
| Poetical Description of Hermod’s Descent into the Regions of Hela | [49] |
| The Journey to the Shades attributed to Odin himself, in the poetical Edda of Saemund the Wise, while Balder was yet alive.—The Descent of Odin, and what he saw and heard in the Regions below | [51] |
| Hoder is killed by Bo, the Son of Odin, by the Princess Rinda.—Death of Odin | [55] |
| His pompous Funeral.—His Character | [56] |
| Ruric succeeds his Father Hoder on the Throne of Denmark.—The alleged Events on which the Tragedy of Hamlet is founded, happened in the Reign of this Prince.—Hamlet’s Father, Horwendil, Governor of Jutland, and a famous Pirate, killed by his Uncle, who marries the Mother | [57] |
| Hamlet feigns Madness.—Is suspected and feared by his Uncle.—Kills one of the Courtiers who had been hid in order to overhear his Conversation with his Mother.—He upbraids his Mother | [59] |
| Is sent to England with a View to his Destruction.—Substitutes the Names of his two Companions for his own in the Mandate to the English King, by whom they are put to Death | [60] |
| Marries the English King’s Daughter.—Returns to Jutland.—Assumes the Fool.—Burns his Uncle’s Courtiers with the Palace, and slays the Fratricide himself | [61] |
| He is declared his Uncle’s Successor.—His Death in Battle.—Skiold, the Son of Odin, the first Monarch of Denmark | [62] |
| Various Kings in the North.—That Title given to all Chiefs, Pirates, and others.—The extent of the Authority of any of them uncertain | [63] |
| Rational Conclusion drawn from the foregoing fabulous Accounts | [65] |
BOOK I.
HALF FABULOUS, HALF HISTORIC.
CHAPTER I.
DENMARK.
B.C. 40—A.D. 1014.
ANCIENT KINGS OF DENMARK.—THEY WERE NUMEROUS.—FRODE I.—LEGEND OF SWAFURLAMI AND THE SWORD TYRFING.—INCANTATION OF HERVOR.—THE BERSERKS.—STERKODDER, THE HERCULES OF THE NORTH—HIS ROMANTIC ADVENTURES.—WONDERFUL VOYAGE OF GORM I.—ONE EQUALLY WONDERFUL OF THORKIL.—KINGS OF DENMARK, CONTINUED: GURDIG AND GODFREY—RAGNAR LODBROG—SIGURD RING—HEMMING—GORM THE OLD—HARALD BLAATAND—SWEYN—INVASION OF ENGLAND.