The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-08-25
The Wind MYTH.

Ii the sun plays by far the largest part In
the mythic dramas of India and Greece. in
northern countries his importance is riyalled
by that OF the wind. Sitting, through the
long hights, under the boughs of their prime-
val forests, or by the shores of their stormy
seas, it was natural that the sound of tbe wind
should be a strong spur to the fancy of our
northern ancestors and should have given rise
to many curious myths. Odin himself, the
chief god of the northern pantheon, bears
most OF the attributes of wind god His
name comes from the verb UQdha ito go" or
like the Latin cadere, especially ITO 90 eu ckly.
to rush.. One of Odin's favorite by-names is
Gaugleri, "ihe Ganger;" and this. too is his
character, that he is always wandering over
the world and having adventures With men.
His three possessions are his sword. his man
tie, and bis horse, Sleipnir. With the first we
have here nothing 10 do The seconi. which
ment, fir N terae,a1 of the Niebelungeu Not. and
the plshiag hat of the later folk-tales, as well
as to the helmet of Hades and the petdsos OF
Hermes, is doubtless the darkness-what
Macbeth calls the blanket of the dark" It
belongs to a larger part of Odin's nature than
as mere wiud god, to that part in which he
approaches the character of Zeus, as the heav-
ems, or the all-contaning atmosphere Saxo,
10 his "Hiatorica Danica"-wherein the myth
illogical beings of the Eddas reappear as
gulse-tells us how, when a certain Haddine.
a favorite of Odin, was wounded in battle.
Odin came to his help, wrapped him in his
mantle aud carried him through the air; and
one OF Saxo's commentators discusses whether
Odn did this by the help of the devil, or
whether Odin was himself the prIuce of dark
ness. We know how hat riding through the
air was one of the peculiar powers of witches
and We shall see. when we come to discuss the
myth of the Valkyriur, Odin's "shield maid
these Va mar hn
resses OF medieval witches. In popular tales
this mantle r-appears as the wishing cloth"
or the magic clvth," so familiar to all read
ers of fairy st'ries, which has originally the
power of transporting the possessor achereuer
he wishes, and afterward of giving him chat
eoer he wishes OF this we have an interest
ing example in one of Abj0rnsen and Noes
Morse Folk Tales. Here the hero goes to the
North Wind to get back some meal which the
wind had stolen.
80 off he went, but tbs way was long,
and he walked and walked; but at last be came
to the North Winds house.
Good dayP said the lad, and thank you for
coming to see u.s.
"'Good dayp answered the North Wind, for
his voice was loud and gruff; and thanks for
coming to see me. What do you want?'
49, Oh answered the lad. Il only wished to
ask you to be so good as to let me have back
that meal you took from me on the safe steps,
for we haven't much to live on; and if you're
to go on swapping up the morsel we have,
therell be nothing for it but to starve.'
L haven't got your meal" answered the
Mort Wind; but if you are in such need I'll
give you cloth which will get you every.
thing you want you if only say, Cloth,
spread yourself, and serve up all kinds of good
dishesp"
This present is unfortunately stolen from
him by the landlord at the inn where he
sleeps on bis way hume, and a like fate be-
fall the North Winds second present, ram
which could coin golden ducats; but they are
both recovered by means of a stick which when
you say, Stuck, stick. lay on lays on till you
hero beats the landlord till be has restored
cloth and ram Contemporary Reciew.