"To make heaven and earth, to fix the sun and the moon in the
firmament, and mark out the days and seasons, were, indeed, important
labours," said Gangler; "but whence came the men who at present dwell
in the world?"

"One day." replied Har, "as the sons of Bor were walking along the
sea-beach they found two stems of wood, out of which they shaped a man
and a woman. The first (Odin) infused into them life and spirit; the
second (Vili) endowed them with reason and the power of motion; the
third (Ve) gave them speech and features, hearing and vision. The man
they called Ask, and the woman, Embla. From these two descend the
whole human race whose assigned dwelling was within Midgard. Then the
sons of Bor built in the middle of the universe the city called
Asgard, where dwell the gods and their kindred, and from that abode
work out so many wondrous things, both on the earth and in the heavens
above it. There is in that city a place called Hlidskjalf, and when
Odin is seated there on his lofty throne he sees over the whole world,
discerns all the actions of men, and comprehends whatever he
contemplates. His wife is Frigga, the daughter of Fjorgyn, and they
and their offspring form the race that we call AEsir, a race that
dwells in Asgard the old, and the regions around it, and that we know
to be entirely divine. Wherefore Odin may justly be called All-father,
for he is verily the father of all, of gods as well as of men, and to
his power all things owe their existence. Earth is his daughter and
his wife, and with her he had his first-born son, Asa-Thor, who is
endowed with strength and valour, and therefore quelleth he everything
that hath life."

OF NIGHT AND DAY.

10. "A giant called Njorvi," continued Har, "who dwelt in Jotunheim,
had a daughter called Night (Nott) who, like all her race, was of a
dark and swarthy complexion. She was first wedded to a man called
Naglfari, and had by him a son named Aud, and afterwards to another
man called Annar, by whom she had a daughter called Earth (Jord). She
then espoused Delling, of the AEsir race, and their son was Day, (Dagr)
a child light and beauteous like his father. Then took All-father,
Night, and Day, her son, and gave them two horses and two cars, and
set them up in the heavens that they might drive successively one
after the other, each in twelve hours' time, round the world. Night
rides first on her horse called Hrimfaxi, that every morn, as he ends
his course, be