cribed to these Runes, and they were carved
on sticks and then scraped off, and used as charms. These rune-charms were
of different kinds, eighteen different sorts are mentioned in this song.

A song of Brynhilda speaks of different runes which she will teach Sigurd.
"_Runes of victory_ must those know, to conquer thine enemies. They must
be carved on the blade of thy sword. _Drink-Runes_ must thou know to make
maidens love thee. Thou must carve them on thy drinking horn. _Runes of
freedom_ must thou know to deliver the captives. _Storm-Runes_ must thou
know, to make thy vessel go safely over the waves. Carve them on the mast
and the rudder. _Herb-Runes_ thou must know to cure disease. Carve them on
the bark of the tree. _Speech-Runes_ must thou know to defeat thine enemy
in council of words, in the Thing. _Mind-Runes_ must thou know to have
good and wise thoughts. These are the Book-Runes, and Help-Runes, and
Drink-Runes, and Power-Runes, precious for whoever can use them."

The second part of the poetic Edda contains the stories of the old heroes,
especially of Sigurd, the Achilles of Northern romance. There is also the
Song of Volund, the Northern Smith, the German Vulcan, able to make swords
of powerful temper. These songs and ballads are all serious and grave, and
sometimes tender, having in them something of the solemn tone of the old
Greek tragedy.

The prose Edda, as we have said, was the work of Snorro Sturleson, born in
Iceland in 1178[328]. He probably transcribed most of it from the
manuscripts in his hands, or which were accessible to him, and from the
oral traditions which had been preserved in the memory of the Skalds. His
other chief work was the Heimskringla, or collection of Saga concerning
the history of the Scandinavians. In his preface to this last book he says
he "wrote it down from old stories told by intelligent people"; or from
"ancient family registers containing the pedigrees of kings," or from "old
songs and ballads which our fathers had for their amusement"

The prose Edda begins with "The deluding of Gylfi," an ancient king of
Sweden. He was renowned for his wisdom and love of knowledge, and
determined to visit Asgard, the home of the AEsir, to learn something of
the wisdom of the gods. They, however, foreseeing his coming, prepared
various illusions to deceive him. Among other things, he saw three
thrones raised one above another.

"He afterwards beheld three thrones raised one abo