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worlds. I suppress here the names of the other gods, who made up the number of twelve; but I ought to bestow a word upon Loke, whom the ancient Scandinavians seem to have regarded as their evil principle, and whom notwithstanding they ranked among the gods. The Edda[1] calls him “the calumniator of the gods, the grand contriver of deceit and frauds, the reproach of gods and men. He is beautiful in his figure, but his mind is evil, and his inclinations inconstant. No body renders him divine honours. He surpasses all mortals in the arts of perfidy and craft.” He hath had many children by Segnie his wife: besides three monsters who owe their birth to him; the wolf Fenris, the serpent Midgard, and Hela or Death. All three are enemies to the gods; who after various struggles have chained this wolf till the last day, when he shall break loose and devour the sun. The serpent hath been cast into the sea, where he shall remain till he is conquered by the god Thor. And Hela or death shall be banished into the lower regions, where she hath the government of nine worlds, into which she distributes those who are sent to her. We find here and there in the Edda
- ↑ Mythol. 26.
