on Icelandic, Norse, and English literature be properly
estimated."[14]

With the great Sagas, the fame of which has spread abroad as their strong
dramatic character deserves, Northern literature possesses the no less
celebrated Eddas. These Eddic poems "discover an ideal of beauty," writes
Mr. York Powell, "an aerial unearthly fairy world, and a love of nature
which we do not find in the Saga." They also reveal that those who
composed them were familiar with more southern scenes and manners; and the
poems are shown to be the mental offspring of the men "who won Waterford
and Limerick and kinged it in York and East England." "It is well to
remark," he adds, "that among the first poets we have any knowledge of,
the majority are of mixed blood with an Irish ancestress not far back in
the family tree.... Their physical characteristics, dark hair and black
eyes, like Sighvat and Kormack,[15] their reckless passion and wonderful
fluency are also non-Teutonic and speak of their alien descent." In
Bragi's Eddic poem there is a very manifest introduction of a
characteristic Irish rhyme-method.

Thus we have it on unquestionable authority that the noble Norse
literature, which occupies a position of the greatest importance,
dominating as it does the Teutonic world, was itself the offspring, in a
certain sense, of our ancient Irish literature. Irish literary training
and talent presided over and took part in its composition, gave dramatic
vividness to its narrative--grace, method, and myths to its poetry.

With this knowledge in mind you will look with better insight into the
story of the Norsemen in Ireland, and see them, no longer as a cloud of
barbarians, but as brave adventurous knights whose voyages fringed our
seas with a murmur of song, and whose cities, in quiet times, were the
favourite resort of Irishmen skilled in letters and all the arts of peace
and war. "Why should we think of faring home?" sang King Magnus. "My heart
is in Dublin. I shall not return in autumn to the ladies of Nidaros. Youth
makes me love the Irish girl better than myself."

Considering how often and how constantly the prejudice of the ignorant
prevents a good understanding between neighbours, whether these be
individuals or nations, I have sometimes thought of writing a book to be
entitled: "The Good Deeds of our Enemies." Too often do we find writers
stopping at nothing to cover the foe with obloquy. By this they put out
their own eyes and blin