San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-05-21
MYTHS OF THE NORTH.
CHARMING AND GRoTESoUE nee
lANDIc TRADITIONS.

Warrior-Literal TRANSACTIONS That Rob
the Poet of His Pet Themes-Beer and
Pork, Instead of Nectar and Ambrosia.
An old IceIandic romance tells us that
there is a rock in Iceland where people who
were sick or otherwise wretched used to be
take themselves, and thence leap down to GER
tain death. and as certain reception into
the halls of JOY prepared for the brave, add
iyr. at is useless, therefore, to give our
,..lves up to groans and complaints, or toput
uar relatives to needless expense, since we
can easily follow the example of our fathers,
who have Zone by the way of this rock" In
Sweden there are several of these rocks, three
of which bear the name of Valhalla, the war
riors heaven, because they were used as
sort of a vestibule to that glorious han of
Odin.
One of these rocks called Stafva Hall, used
10 be the scene of remarkable annual festi-
walls. A number of people, after singing and
feasting, and entering fully into the dancing
and general merriment, would throw them
selves from the cliff into the lake below, in
the same manner as the classic writers tell us
that the Scythians and Hypoboreans used to
10 But if none of these reliefs were at hand,
frequently the case after Christianity had
Put an end to these practices, heroes generally
ronsoled themselves by putting on their com
plcte armor, thus meeting their end fully
equipped for battle, as sort Of protest against
the ignominiOus death forced upon them
against their will.
THE HOUSE OF GLADNESS
The reward of all this valor awaits the
-, +ho n nd
sheim Chouse of gladnessj, where in the gilt
taring hall, Valhalla, Allfather gathers the
souls of all who died the death of heroes.
Over the field of battle hover the Valkyries,
maids of Odin, who choose the champions to
be honored by death, alrl conduct them to
this abode of perpetual joy. Here the ceiling,
splendid with shields, rests on columns Of
spears, while over the benches hang glisten,
ing coats of mail. This dwelling stands in
the shining grove of CHASER, where every leaf
is of pure red gold. That is why gold is
sometimes called Glaser's leaves.
On the roof of ValhaIla, feeding on the
leaves of the tree Lerad the protector),
stands goat which yields an abundance of
mead for gods and heroes; and feeding from
the same tree is the stag Eikthyrner lknotty
| horned), from whose antlers drips 50 much
which water the celestial plains; twelve the
abodes of men and twelve the chill regions of
Nihheim, where reigns Hela or Hell, who takes
charge of all souls not having made their
exit from the body by the prescribed route.
| In Valhalla swords serve to warn the inhabi-
tants and the whole palace is resplendent
with gold.
The amusements of the blest are quite in
| Oh in
life, for we are told that every day, as soon
as they are dressed, they ride out to the field
Of battle and there cut each other to pieces
until near meal time, when, prestol they put
their various fragments together again in
proper order, like so many animated puzzle
cards, don their armor, mount their steed:
and prance amicably back to Valhalla, in
time for dinner. There they are served al
table by the Valkyries, the same fair Onei
who, lowering over the earthly field of fray
first choose them to enter this Paradise of the
brave As fast as the dishes are emptiec
these maidens fill them again with meat Oh
with mead, for neither the food nor the drinl
ever gives out.
But to say, as some writers do, that they
drink from the skulls of their enemies i
neither truth nor reason; for their enemies
IL ILey uleu uOLOI ANY arc III LllltbAAa, thil'
of course using their skulls for normal pur
poses. If they died ingloriously, they ar
wearing all their bones in Nifheim. The Lit
eral translation of King Ragnar Lodbrok'
dying utterance, which has caused the curl
Gus mistake, is ''Soon shall we drink ale on
Of the curved branches of the skull" refer
ring, no doubt, to the horns Of animals
which were the common drinking cups of tn
Odinc worshipers.
Now, am afraid that literal translation
has let out fact dangerous to the project
of any poet lying in wait for an illustration
have not only robbed him of pet horro
in depriving him of the use of the traditiona
gruesome beaker, but have mentioned ale a
the drink of gods and heroes! Nevertheless
like little George, | cannot tell ie and al
is the word-the veritable ''wine of barley
described of old by Aristotle, Theophrastus
Herodotus ct al, and perpetuated to this da.
under the musical names Of London porter
German lager, and various other name
which will be readily recalled by those &C
auainte! with the mgndIne criticize. -! ct th