ustoms survive the fall of their
Religion--Instances--Demonology of the Northern
Barbarians--Nicksas--Bhargeist--Correspondence between the Northern
and Roman Witches--The power of Fascination ascribed to the
Sorceresses--Example from the "Eyrbiggia Saga"--The Prophetesses of
the Germans--The Gods of Valhalla not highly regarded by their
Worshippers--Often defied by the Champions--Demons of the
North--Story of Assueit and Asmund--Action of Ejectment against
Spectres--Adventure of a Champion with the Goddess Freya--Conversion
of the Pagans of Iceland to Christianity--Northern Superstitions
mixed with those of the Celts--Satyrs of the North--Highland
Ourisk--Meming the Satyr.

The creed of Zoroaster, which naturally occurs to unassisted reason as a
mode of accounting for the mingled existence of good and evil in the
visible world--that belief which, in one modification or another,
supposes the co-existence of a benevolent and malevolent principle,
which contend together without either being able decisively to prevail
over his antagonist, leads the fear and awe deeply impressed on the
human mind to the worship as well of the author of evil, so tremendous
in all the effects of which credulity accounts him the primary cause, as
to that of his great opponent, who is loved and adored as the father of
all that is good and bountiful. Nay, such is the timid servility of
human nature that the worshippers will neglect the altars of the Author
of good rather than that of Arimanes, trusting with indifference to the
well-known mercy of the one, while they shrink from the idea of
irritating the vengeful jealousy of the awful father of evil.

The Celtic tribes, by whom, under various denominations, Europe seems to
have been originally peopled, possessed, in common with other savages, a
natural tendency to the worship of the evil principle. They did not,
perhaps, adore Arimanes under one sole name, or consider the malignant
divinities as sufficiently powerful to undertake a direct struggle with
the more benevolent gods; yet they thought it worth while to propitiate
them by various expiatory rites and prayers, that they, and the
elementary tempests which they conceived to be under their direct
command, might be merciful to suppliants who had acknowledged their
power, and deprecated their vengeance.

Remains of these superstitions might be traced till past the middle of
the last century, tho