Search -
The Heroes of Asgard Tales from Scandinavian Mythology
The Heroes of Asgard Tales from Scandinavian Mythology Author:A E Keary Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: PART II. AIR THRONE, THE DWARFS, AND THE LIGHT ELVES. In the morning Odin mounted Air Throne, and looked over the whole earth, whilst the Esir stood all ro... more »und waiting to hear what he thought about it "The earth is very beautiful," said Odin, from the top of his throne, " very beautiful in every part, even to the shores of the dark North Sea; but, alas! the men of the earth are puny and fearful. At this moment I see a three-headed giant striding out of Jotunheim. He throws a shepherd-boy into the sea, and puts the whole of the flock into his pocket. Now he takes them out again one by one, and cracks their bones as ifthey were hazel-nuts, whilst, all the time, men look on, and do nothing." "Father," cried Thor in a rage, "last night I forged for myself a belt, a glove, and a hammer, with which three things I will go forth alone to Jotunheim." Thor went, and Odin looked again. "The men of the earth are idle and stupid," said Odin. " There are dwarfs and elves, who live amongst them, and play tricks which they cannot understand, and do not know how to prevent. At this moment I see a husbandman sowing grains of wheat in the furrows, whilst a dwarf runs after him, and changes them into stones. Again, I see two hideous little beings, who are holding under water the head of one, the wisest of men, until he dies; they mix his blood with honey; they have put it into three stone jars, and hidden it away." Then Odin was very angry with the dwarfs, for he saw that they were bent on mischief; so he called to him Hermod, his Flying Word, and despatched him with a message to the dwarfs andlight elves, to say that Odin sent his compliments, and would be glad to speak with them, in his palace of Gladsheim, upon a matter of some importance. When they received Hermod's summons...« less