e, the archer; Ull, the fast
ski-runner, and Forsete, the son of Balder, who settles disputes
between gods and men. Among the goddesses (or _asynier_), Frigg,
Odin's wife, is the foremost. She knows the fate of everybody and
shields many from danger. Her dwelling is Fensal. Next comes Freya,
the goddess of love. She is the daughter of Njord and sister of Frey.
She is also called Vanadis, or the goddess of the Vanir. She was
married to Odd, and by him had a daughter Noss. But Odd left her, and
Freya weeps in her longing for him, and her tears are red gold. When
she travels, her wagon is drawn by two cats. The name of her dwelling
is Folkvang. There were also a number of other goddesses, who were in
the service of either Frigg or Freya.

Aeger, the ruler of the turbulent and stormy sea, is a Yotun, but he
is a friend of the gods. When they visit him his hall is lighted with
shining gold. His wife is Ran, and their daughters are the waves.

In the beginning there was peace among gods and men. But the arrival
of the Yotun women in Asgard undermined the happiness of the gods, and
in heaven and on earth a struggle commenced which must last until
both are destroyed. The Yotuns continually attack the inhabitants of
Asgard, and it is only the mighty Thor who can hold them at bay. It is
the evil Loke, who is the worst enemy of gods and men. He belongs to
the Yotun race, but was early adopted among the gods. He was fair in
looks, but wily and evil in spirit. He had three evil children--the
Fenris-Wolf, the Midgard-Serpent, and Hel. The gods knew that this
offspring of Loke would cause trouble; therefore they tied the
Fenris-Wolf, threw the serpent into the sea, and hurled Hel down into
Niflheim, where she became the ruler of the dead. All who die from
sickness or age are sent to her awful dwelling, Helheim. This is the
origin of the saying, "Whom the gods love die young."

The greatest sorrow which Loke caused the whole world was that by
deceit he caused the death of the lovely god, Balder. Then the gods
took an awful revenge. They tied him to three stones, and over his
head they fastened a venomous serpent, whose poison was always to drip
upon his face. Loke's faithful wife, Sigyn, placed herself at his side
and held a cup under the poisonous drip; but whenever the cup is full
and she goes to empty it, the poison drips into Loke's face, and then
he writhes in agony so that the whole world trembles. This is the
cause of earthqu