ocean right opposite to Odinsö, which land was called Sealand, where she afterwards settled and dwelt. Skiold, a son of Odin, married her, and they dwelt at Leidre.[1] Where the ploughed land was is a lake or sea called Laage. In the Swedish land the fiords of Laage correspond to the nesses in Sealand. Brage the Old sings thus of it:[2]—
"Gefion from Gylfe drove away,
To add new land to Denmark's sway,—
Blythe Gefion ploughing in the smoke
That steamed up from her oxen-yoke:
Four heads, eight forehead stars had they,
Bright gleaming, as she ploughed away;
Dragging new lands from the deep main
To join them to the sweet isle's plain."
Now when Odin heard that things were in a prosperous condition in the land to the east beside Gylfe, he went thither, and Gylfe made a peace with him, for Gylfe thought he had no strength to oppose the people of Asaland. Odin and Gylfe had many tricks and enchantments against each other; but the Asaland people had always the superiority. Odin took up his residence at the Mælare lake, at the place now called Sigtun. There he erected a large temple, where there were sacrifices according to the customs of the Asaland people. He appropriated to himself the whole of that district of country, and called it Sigtun. To the temple gods he gave also domains. Niord dwelt in Noatun, Frey in Upsal, Heimdal in Himinberg, Thor in Thrudvong, Baldor in Breidablik; to all of them he gave good domains.
Chapter VI.
Of Odin's accomplishments.
When Odin of Asaland came to the north, and the gods with him, he began to exercise and teach others the arts which the people long afterwards have
- ↑ Leidre, or Hleidre, or Leire, at the end of Isafiord, in the county of Lithraborg, is considered the oldest royal seat in Denmark.
- ↑ This fable is possibly the echo of some tradition of a convulsion in which the ocean broke into the Baltic through the Sound and Belts, or in which the island of Sealand was raised from the deep.
