The Portland daily press., 1877-01-20
Recent Publications.

VIKING TALES OF THE NORTH. The Sagas of
Thorstein, Vikings Son, and Fridthjof the Bold.
Translated from the Iceandic by Prof. Rasmus. B.
Anderson and Mr.. Jon Bjarnason. Also Tegner's
FrdthjoFs Saga, translated into English by Pro-
fessor George Stephens.
FRIDTHJoF's SAGA, translated from the Swedish Of
Bishop Tegner, by Mr.. and Mrs.iThos. A. E. Hol-
somb.
These two volumes Is. G. Griggs & Co., Chi
cago. Portland: Loring, Short & Harmon, y are
SO nearly allied in matter and treatment that
their simultaneous appearance seems to require
the consideration of them together rather than
Individually. The treasure-stores OF Northern
myth and legend have remained comparatively
unexplored until recently, and the large, vague
and austere forms of the gods Of Valhalla have
not had place in the material of literary imag-
cry and allusion as have the more vivid, human
aud warm-colorsd deites of the Greeks. Yet
in the Northern myths there. is noble
and powerful Imagination, a majestic dimness
through which Balder and Freya, Odn and
Thor appear to US as In the twilight of the
gods" and the long northern nights lit by the
dance of the Valkyrie, the meed-giving maids
the sun low in the south, the spectral brilliance
of ice and snow-feld, and the strong, manly
and enduring nature that thrivss in the north
land-have given to the legend, and Sagas
wonderful and potent charm
The Saga is, exactly speaking, a tale, his
torical in its nature but as is the case with all
early historic lore, largely mixed with the
supernatural and with the storyteller's lawful
perquisite of embellishment. 1t is not hard to
imagine the interest with which circle of jarls
and vikings would listen to the voice of the
saga-man as he whiled away the winter eve
nings with the adventures of Frdtbjof and his
good ship Ellide, beside the generous blaze of
the hearth-fre. The translations in prose- by
Profs. Anderson and Bjarnasor, of the sagas
of Thorstein and Fridthjof are exceedingly
fine, and bear, in their terse strong language
quaint without exaggeration of archaic word
ing, an impress of truthfulness to the spirit of
the saga which is easy to perceive even with
out acquaintance with the original, Or the
Icelandic language in which it was written.
In their brief narration, crowded full of epic ac-
tion in the unimpassoned manner of the chron-
cler with which they record deeds that the read
er translates to himself with sudden thrill and
flush of the cheek-these sagas remind one of
the Arthuran chronicles Of good Sir Thomas
Mallory. The preface, notes, and the sketch of
Bishop Tegner's life and his letter to Prof
Stephens have much interest and value. A
curious little coincidence will amuse and pos
sibly be of worth to those interested in COM
parative mythology who trace back the nursery
tales Of Jack and his Beanstalk aud Cinderella
to Aryan legends, and who ingepiously fiud
mystic parallels between the "four-and-twenty
HI h;rd. Ia1r IN, n NC
Sun and Dawn, in the mention of King Kol of
India and his magic drinking-horn-can it be
that this is the merry monarch of Mother
Gooses melodies, King Cole that "called for
his pipe and called for his bowl?'
Bishop Tegner's poem-of which the transla-
tion by Prof Stephens forms the latter part of
the volume of MessJs. Anderson and Bjarn-
ason, and the entire contents of that of Mr.. and
Mrs Holcomb-is noble and original work.
Its form is both epic and dramatic, with very
great mesrical variety and fine freedom of
treatment. Its proportions are large and we'll
defined, its dramatic truth is notable, and its
poetic beauty extraordinary The introduction
of so many and elaborate metres is an innova-
tion that adds melodc and harmonic power to
the epic and does not at all mar its effect of
first canto-a trait carefully repeated by both
translations lis admirably managed and in fine
accordance with the spirit of northern eleglac
verse. This alliterative measure-wbich, it
will scarcely be necessary to explain, is an un-
rhymed semi-rhythmic verse of which the only
arbitrary law appears to have been the three
fold appearance of the same initial letter among
the words of every two lines, s,-was favorite one
among northern nations; and, in its subtle
iteration that is rather felt by the ear than
noted, as is a rhyme its effect is singularly
powerful. "Piers Ploughman' is familiar
example of the alliterative measure in its early,
rude manner; in the verse of the Welsh poets,
up to the present time, it exists with very elat-
crate notifications and rules, aud 1t has its
apotheosis in the Glove is Enough of Mr..
William Morris. In the "Fnthjofs Saga"
Bishop Tegner has kept closely to the spirit of
the prose poem which was his model, and
while he has accentuated the character of
Frithjof and Ingeborg with something Of the
refinement and complexity Of modern thought
this quality has not hindered the primitive mo
ton, the oldtime grace and power Of these
noble figures. The purity and strength of the
saga loses nothing by its poetic garb Of a later
| day Between the two translatons it is diff
| cult and even ungracious TO make distinction.
Perhaps the impression left upon the readers
| mind will be that, as a whole, the work of
| Prof Stephens is somewhat more thoroughly
penetrated with the northern spirit, in its
clear, compact wording, while that of Mr.. and
| Mrs. Holcomb not unfrequently surpasses the
former in musical flow, ease and felicity of
| phrase.
REASON, FAITH AND DUTY. Sermons by Jane
Walker, D. D., L L. D., late President of Harvard
College, Boston: Roberts Brothers. For sale by
Bailey s. Noyes.
1t is rash thing for any one to publish to
the world sermons which their author deemed
unworthy Of publication; for the most modest
Of preachers is not likely to err In scruples of
that nature, or to undervalue the worth Of his
| own sermons. But an enthusiastic admirer of
the late Rev. DR.. Walker has published in this
| volume series of dscourses for the publica-
| tion of which DR.. Walker himself was unwil.
ling to give permission; although some partial
consent appears to have been extorted from
him at last The editor says,-"The revered
author of these Dscourses should not be held
responsible for their publication. Long since,
|
unpublished sermons" And then he adds,
somewhat ob.curely, ly,-'.After repeatedly re-
fusing the friend, to whom he had given the
scanty remnant, the privilege of publishing a
portion of them, he allowed his scruples to be
in a measure overcome, at the time of their
last interview" There is not much consent in
this, and if this is all the editor could say on
that point, it appears to be substantially true
that these sermons are published against the
will of their author. And this will be salts
factory reflection to many readers,-to those
| who have associated strong work with the
name of DR.. Walker. They can say to them
selves. he has at least not made himself fully
responsible for this work. They can think tha
the mental comments with which they read
are perhaps such as he would make, and th'
characteristics noted are perhaps those which
constituted his objections to the publication.
The editors note has suggested to US, in thu
examination Of some of these sermons, th'
questiop,-What does DR.. Walker hmsel
| l t. Sc