Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1897-03-31
THE SWORD OF TYR.
ANORTHERN MYTH THAT is STRANGE
LY MIXED WITH HISTORY.

The Beautiful Weapon Made by q Clever
Dwarf Possessed Magical Powers-The
Decree of the Norns and How IL Wa.
Fulfilled In Several Instances.
Our Morse ancestors had many things to
contend with besides the aggressivoncss Of
their warllke neighbors. The extreme cold
weather, the long periods of darkness,
lasting half the year, terrible storms and
poverty and hunger were formidable foes,
and they tended to develop in the north.
men both combativeness and superstition.
1t is not strange, then, that their gods
were supposed to be warlikc, or that they
should think that frost giants and evil
spirits were abroad in that frigid storm
swept land.
Odin, the father Of all the gods. while
he possessed many attributes and was
patron Of song and story, was particularly
distinguished for his mar,ial spirit and
possessed a marvellous spear, guugnir.
which WIS endowed with miraculous u;lal.
tiles and which he always carried with
him. This wonderful spear was III, haudi.
work Of u Sl;ill'ul smith, a dwarf Ur IN,
name Of DyuiiaM
Among Odln'S sons was. ono thu. hnd In.
hrrtCd his fathers yvarliEc spirit and
whose name was Tyr, gad of war and
courage. One ul TyrE most valuable pOs.
sessions was II sacred sword made by the
clever dwarf who had fashioned his ia.
thCr's spear. The sword was hung In the
temple, whore the first rays of the morn.
ing sun CarCssCd its shining blade 1t wGs
carefully guarded night and day, but IN
spite OF all precautions it mysteriously
disappeared.
There was CONSERVATION in Asarrd when
the loss was discovered and immediate
search was made for the missing weapon.
A druidesS, who possessed the gift of div
inatiou, was consulted, and from hcr II
was learned that the Norns had ,deuruCd
that whoever came into possession of the
sword should conquer the world hut
would eventually como to his death by 1t.
The d"uidCvs, however, refused TO disclose
the hidiTg place Of the sword.
In The nnriout city Of Cologne, which
WIS f0undcG by the RurHus, ,hc prrfe~,
or Governor Of the province, sut one day
.uGst.uU upon NlC choicest yiands and
drinking of the richest wines of his PROV
inCc. Nitcllius was noted for his german
dizirG proclivitics, and it was surprising
W Aai''' W iO hii'N hliii llitib lc Dt
selected for the honors that came to him.
As he sat at his table surrounded by the
c0nviyial spirits of the city a servant came
TO him saying that a stranger wished to
see him upon matter that would admit
Of no delay.
Reluctantly re left Off his fcasting to rc.
ceive the visitor, u tall, dignificd stranger,
who presented him with the sword of Tyr,
Tcmarking that it would bring him great
honor and renown. He then salutcd vi
tollus as emperor. Immediately those
present took up the cry, Hail TO the en-
pCror!" and Nitcllius was elected emperor
of Rome.
He at once proceeded toward Rome, the
capital of the empire, but pursued his
journey very leisurely, paying much more
attention to fCasting than TO marching.
One day, while in state Of intoXication,
he left his sword, the sacred sword of Tyr,
unguardCd in one Of the outer apartments
of his tent, where IL was observed by II
German soldier, who appropriated it, lcav-
ing in its place Il rusty weapon that he
had been CARRYING
Nitcllius was 80 absorbed with his feast
ing that he aid no, miss the sword until
after his uITiyul at Rome Learning that