CONTENTS Translator’s Preface — p. xi Introduction — p. xiii Part I MYTHS OF THE GODS — p. 1 The Creation of the World — The Giants — The Æsir — Men and Women — Dwarfs — Vanir — Elves — 1 The Plains of Ida — Valhalla — Yggdrasil — 5 Odin — 7 Thor — 10 Balder — 12 Njord — 13 Frey — 15 Tyr — 16 Heimdal — 17 Bragi — 18 Forseti — 18 Hod — Vali — Vidar — Ull — 18 Hœnir — Lodur — 19 Loki and His Children — 21 Hermod — Skirnir — 25 The Goddesses — Frigg — Jord — Freyja — 25 Saga — Eir — Gefjon — Var — Vor — Syn — Snotra — 28 Idun — Nanna — Sif — 29 The Norns — 30 Familiar Spirits — Attendant Spirits — 31 The Valkyries — 32 Thorgerd Hoelgabrud and Irpa — 34 The Forces of Nature — Ægir — 34 Night — Day — 37 Hel — 37 The Giants — 39 The Dwarfs — 41 The Vettir — 42 The Heroes and Life in Valhalla — 48 Corruption — 49 The Treasures of the Gods — 50 The Rape of Idun — 53 Thor’s Unlucky Journey to Jotunheim — 56 Thor’s Visit to Hymir — 65 Thor’s Visit to Geirrœd — 70 Thor’s Combat with Rungnir — 72 Thrym Steals Mjollnir — 76 The Necklace of the Brisings — 79 The Death of Balder — 80 Ægir’s Banquet — The Chastising of Loki — 86 Other Norse Myths Concerning the Death of Balder (in Saxo) — 94 The Death of Kvasir-Suttung — 97 Odin’s Debate with Vafthrudnir — 100 Odin (Grimnir) and Geirrœd — 102 Harbard and Thor — 105 Ragnarok — The Twilight of the Gods — 108 On the Mythology of the Eddas — 112 Part II THE HEROIC LEGENDS — p. 121 Introductory Remarks — 123 Wayland — 126 The Hjadnings — 129 The Legend of Tyrfing — 130 The Legends of the Volsungs — Helgi Hjorvardsson — 147 Volsung — Siggeir — Sigmund — Sinfjotli — 151 Helgi Hundingsbane — 159 Sinfjotli — 165 The Death of Sigmund — 166 Sigurd Fafnirsbane — 168 The Niflungs — The Slaying of Sigurd — 175 Atli — 184 Jormunrek — 187 Aslaug — 190 German Legends Dealing with Siegfried and the Nibelungs — 192 The Development of the Legendary Cycle of the Volsungs — 197 Hadding — 204 Frodi the Peaceful and His Mill — 211 Helgi and Rolf Kraki — 215 Starkad the Old — 221 Orvar-Odd — 235 Norna-Gest — 237 Asmund Kempibane — 239 Romund Greipsson — 242 Ragnar Lodbrok and His Sons — 245 Hjorleif and Half — 251 Fridthjof — 256 Part III THE WORSHIP OF THE GODS — p. 265 Of Temples, of Sacrifices, and of Divination — 267 The Principal Temples in the North — 276 Bibliography — p. 279 Translator’s Note — p. 281 Notes — p. 283 Index — p. 363

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