the land; from his third,
the earls, yellow-haired, rosy, and keen-eyed, who broke horses and
strung bows, rode, swam, and hurled spears; and the youngest of the
earls' race was Konung the king, who knew all mysteries, understood
the speech of birds, could quench fire and heal wounds. Heimdal is
said to be the son of nine mothers, and to have fought with Loki for
Freyja's Brising-necklace. His horn is hidden under Yggdrasil, to be
brought out at Ragnaroek, when he will blow a warning blast. His origin
is obscure. Still less is known of Vidar and Vali, two sons of Odin,
one of whom is to avenge Baldr's death, the other to slay the wolf
after it has swallowed up the chief God at Ragnaroek. Thor's stepson
Ullr (Glory) is probably, like his sons Modi and Magni (Wrath and
Strength), a mere epithet.

Frigg, Odin's wife and the chief Goddess, daughter of Earth,
is not very distinctly characterised, and is often confused with
Freyja. Gefion should be the sea-goddess, since that seems to be
the meaning of her name, but her functions are apparently usurped by
the Wane Njoerd; according to Snorri, she is the patron of those who
die unwedded.

_Baldr_.--The story of Baldr is the most debated point in the Edda. The
chief theories advanced are: (1) That it is the oldest part of Norse
mythology, and of ritual origin; (2) that Baldr is really a hero
transformed into a God; (3) that the legend is a solar myth with
or without Christian colouring; (4) that it is entirely borrowed
from Mediaeval Greek and Christian sources. This last theory is too
ingenious to be credible; and with regard to the third, there is
nothing essentially Christian in the chief features of the legend,
while the solar idea leaves too much unexplained. The references to
the myth in the Elder Edda are:

(1) _Vegtamskvida_ (about 900 A.D.). Odin questions the Sibyl as to
the meaning of Baldr's dreams:

_Odin_. "For whom are the benches (in hell) strewn with rings, the
halls fairly adorned with gold?"

_Sibyl_. "Here the mead, clear drink, stands brewed for Baldr; the
shields are spread. The sons of the Aesir are too merry."

_Odin_. "Who will be Baldr's slayer and rob Odin's son of life?"

_Sibyl_. "Hoed bears thither the high branch of fame: he will be
Baldr's slayer and rob Odin's son of life."

_Odin_. "Who will avenge the deed on Hoed and bring Baldr's slayer to
the funeral pyre?"

_Sibyl_. "Rind bears a son, Vali, in the halls of the west. He shall