es neron, the Modern
Greek word for water, so little resemble the ancient Greek [Greek text
which cannot be reproduced] and so much resemble the Sanscrit nira? and
how is it that nara, which like nira signifies water, so much resembles
nara, the word for man and the Divinity? How is it that Nereus, the name
of an ancient Greek water god, and Nar, the Arabic word for fire, are so
very like Ner, the Welsh word for the Creator? How is it that a certain
Scottish river bears the name of the wife of Oceanus, for what is Teith
but Teithys? How indeed! and why indeed! to these and a thousand similar
questions. Ah man, man! human reason will never answer them, and you may
run wild about them, unless, dropping your pride, you are content to turn
for a solution of your doubts to a certain old volume, once considered a
book of divine revelation, but now a collection of old wives' tales, the
Bible.

* * * * *

THE END

* * * * *

_Printed by Hazell_, _Watson & Viney_, _Ld._, _London and Aylesbury_.

Footnotes:

{0} Unfortunately none of the illustrations can be included as the
Project Gutenberg transcriber lives in a country where they are still in
copyright, Archibald Standish Hartrick having died in 1950.--DP.

{1} That vira at one time meant man in general, as well as fire, there
can be no doubt. It is singular how this word or something strikingly
like it, occurs in various European languages, sometimes as man,
sometimes as fire. Vir in Latin signifies man, but vuur in Dutch
signifies fire. In like manner fear in Irish signifies a man, but fire
in English signifies the consuming, or, as the Hindus would call it, the
producing element.

{2} "Pawb a'i cenfydd, o bydd bai,
A Bawddyn, er na byddai."--GRONWY OWEN.

{3} One or two of the characters and incidents in this Saga are
mentioned in the Romany Rye. London, 1857, vol. i. p. 240; vol. ii. p.
150.

A partial translation of the Saga, made by myself, has been many years in
existence. It forms part of a mountain of unpublished translations from
the Northern languages. In my younger days no London publisher, or
indeed magazine editor, would look at anything from the Norse, Danish,
etc.

{4} All these three names are very common in Norfolk, the population of
which is of Norse origin. Skarphethin is at present pronounced Sharpin.
Helgi Heely. Skarp