massive gates. She was of fierce aspect, was inexorable,
and would set no one at liberty who had once entered her domain. Her
dish was hunger, her knife starvation, her servants slow-moving, her
bed sickness, and her curtains wide-spread misery.

With Ymir perished all the giants except Bergelmir. It was a popular
belief that, through the power of giants, mountains and islands were
raised, and that, by these monsters, mountains and rocks were hurled
from their original sites. Notwithstanding the huge bulk and the
number of heads and arms that many of the giants had, they were
supposed to be ignorant monsters, unable to cope with ordinary human
beings.

The Dwarfs, of whom an account is given in the _Eddas_, were cunning
and crafty elves, and skilled in magic. Some gave them a place between
men and giants. It was believed that the dwarfs appeared under the
forms of elves, brownies, and fairies. They used charms, and possessed
all the skill of witches. It was in their power to raise storms, kill
people by their diabolical art, fly away with children, and even with
grown-up persons, through the air, or imprison them in caverns within
the earth. They assisted men to discover the precious metals, of which
they (the dwarfs) were very fond. Occasionally they were seen through
an aperture of a hill, in their underground retreat, in palaces with
jasper columns, surrounded with vast treasures of gold and silver.

The Scandinavian gods were worshipped in spacious temples, or on stone
heaps or altars. These sacred places were always near a consecrated
grove or tree and a sacred fountain. Human sacrifices were not
uncommon at times of public calamities, such as war, disease, or
famine. Three great festivals were held every year, the first of which
was celebrated at the new year, in the Yule-month. On these occasions
offerings were made to Odin for success in war, and to Freyr for a
peaceful year. The chief victim was a hog, which was sacrificed to the
latter god, on account of swine having first instructed man to plough
the soil. Feasting and games occupied the whole month, therefore it
was called the Merry Month. Yule continues to be observed in several
places at the present time, and points to the custom of sun worship
and the adoration of the early gods of the north. The frumenty eaten
on Christmas eve or morning in England, and the sowans in Scotland,
seem to be imitations of the offerings paid to Hulda or Berchta, to
whom t