To the song of the swan-bird."

'"To which Skadi sang in reply:--

"Ne'er can I sleep
In my couch on the strand,
For the screams of the sea-fowl.
The mew as he comes
Every morn from the main
Is sure to awake me."

"'Skadi then returned to the rocky mountains, and abode in Thrymheim.
There, fastening on her snow-skates and taking her bow, she passes her
time in the chase of savage beasts, and is called the Ondur goddess,
or Ondurdis.....'

"OF THE GOD FREY, AND THE GODDESS FREYJA.

"'Njoerd had afterwards, at his residence at Noatun, two children, a son
named Frey, and a daughter called Freyja, both of them beauteous and
mighty. Frey is one of the most celebrated of the gods. He presides
over rain and sunshine, and all the fruits of the earth, and should be
invoked in order to obtain good harvests, and also for peace. He,
moreover, dispenses wealth among men. Freyja is the most propitious of
the goddesses; her abode in heaven is called Folkvang. To whatever
field of battle she rides, she asserts her right to one half of the
slain, the other half belonging to Odin.....'

"OF TYR.

"'There is Tyr, who is the most daring and intrepid of all the gods. 'T
is he who dispenses valor in war, hence warriors do well to invoke him.
It has become proverbial to say of a man who surpasses all others in
valor that he is _Tyr-strong_, or valiant as Tyr. A man noted for his
wisdom is also said to be "wise as Tyr." Let me give thee a proof of
his intrepidity. When the AEsir were trying to persuade the wolf,
Fenrir, to let himself be bound up with the chain, Gleipnir, he,
fearing that they would never afterwards unloose him, only consented on
the condition that while they were chaining him he should keep Tyr's
right hand between his jaws. Tyr did not hesitate to put his hand in
the monster's mouth, but when Fenrir perceived that the AEsir had no
intention to unchain him, he bit the hand off at that point, which has
ever since been called the wolf's joint (ulflidr). From that time Tyr
has had but one hand. He is not regarded as a peacemaker among men.'

"OF THE OTHER GODS.

"'There is another god,' continued Har, 'named Bragi, who is celebrated
for his wisdom, and more especially for his eloquence and correct forms
of speech. He is not only eminently skilled in poetry, but t