Teutonic Mythology

Gods and Goddessesof the Northland

IN

THREE VOLUMES

By VIKTOR RYDBERG, Ph.D.,

MEMBER OF THE SWEDISH ACADEMY; AUTHOR OF THE "THE LAST ATHENIAN"AND OTHER WORKS.

AUTHORISED TRANSLATION FROM THE SWEDISH

RASMUS B. ANDERSON, LL.D.,EX-UNITED STATES MINISTER TO DENMARK; AUTHOR OF "NORSEMYTHOLOGY," "VIKING TALES," ETC.

HON. RASMUS B. ANDERSON, LL.D., Ph.D.,EDITOR IN CHIEF.J. W. BUEL, Ph.D.,MANAGING EDITOR.

VOL. I.

PUBLISHED BY THENORRœNA SOCIETY,LONDON COPENHAGEN STOCKHOLM BERLIN NEW YORK1906

OF THEViking Edition

There are but six hundred and fifty sets made for the world,of which this is

No. 99

IDUN, HEIMDAL, LOKE, AND BRAGE.

(From an etching by Lorenz Frölich.)
Idun was the beautiful goddess who in Asgard was keeper
of the apples which the gods ate to preserve eternal youth.
She is most generally regarded as the wife of Brage.

Heimdal, the son of nine mothers, was guardian against the
giants of the bridge of the gods, Bifröst. With a trumpet he
summoned all the gods together at Ragnarok when he and Loke
slew each other. He was the god of light.

Loke though beautiful in form was like Lucifer in character
and was hence called the god of destruction. By the giantess
Angerboda he had three offspring, viz: the Midgard serpent,
the Fenris-wolf, and Hela, the latter becoming goddess of Hel.

Brage was the son of Odin and being represented as the chiefskald in Valhalla he is called the god of poetry.