Page:Northern Antiquities 2.djvu/246

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few of those Epithets; selecting such as have not already occurred in the Edda.

Odin, the Father of the Ages; the Supercilious; the Eagle; the Father of Verses; the Whirlwind; the Incendiary; he who causes the arrows to shower down,” &c.

Thor is designed by twelve Epithets; the most common is that of “The son of Odin and the earth.”

Loke is stiled, “The Father of the Great Serpent; the Father of Death; the Adversary, the Accuser, the Deceiver of the Gods,” &c.

Frigga is “The Queen of the Gods.”

Freya, “The Goddess of Love; the Norne or Fairy who weeps Golden Tears; the Kind and Liberal Goddess,” &c.

After these Epithets of the Gods, follows an alphabetical list of the Words most commonly used in Poetry. Some of them are now unintelligible, some appear insipid, and others are like those idle Epithets of the ancient Classics, which follow a word as constantly as the shade does the body, and are introduced rather to fill up the measure of the verse, than to add to the sense. Some are nevertheless worth knowing, were it only for their singularity. For instance, Rivers are called by the Scalds “the sweat of the earth;” and “the blood of the vallies.” Arrows are “the