heroes and hero worship-第4部分

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　this　is；　to　me；　the　living　rock　amid　all　rushings…down　whatsoever；the　one　fixed　point　in　modern　revolutionary　history；　otherwise　as　if　bottomless　and　shoreless。


So　much　of　truth；　only　under　an　ancient　obsolete　vesture；　but　the　spirit　of　it　still　true；　do　I　find　in　the　Paganism　of　old　nations。　　Nature　is　still　divine；　the　revelation　of　the　workings　of　God；　the　Hero　is　still　worshipable：　　this；　under　poor　cramped　incipient　forms；　is　what　all　Pagan　religions　have　struggled；　as　they　could；　to　set　forth。　　I　think　Scandinavian　Paganism；　to　us　here；　is　more　interesting　than　any　other。　　It　is；　for　one　thing；　the　latest；　it　continued　in　these　regions　of　Europe　till　the　eleventh　century：　　eight　hundred　years　ago　the　Norwegians　were　still　worshippers　of　Odin。　　It　is　interesting　also　as　the　creed　of　our　fathers；　the　men　whose　blood　still　runs　in　our　veins；　whom　doubtless　we　still　resemble　in　so　many　ways。　　Strange：　　they　did　believe　that；　while　we　believe　so　differently。　　Let　us　look　a　little　at　this　poor　Norse　creed；　for　many　reasons。　　We　have　tolerable　means　to　do　it；　for　there　is　another　point　of　interest　in　these　Scandinavian　mythologies：　　that　they　have　been　preserved　so　well。

In　that　strange　island　Iceland；burst　up；　the　geologists　say；　by　fire　from　the　bottom　of　the　sea；　a　wild　land　of　barrenness　and　lava；　swallowed　many　months　of　every　year　in　black　tempests；　yet　with　a　wild　gleaming　beauty　in　summertime；　towering　up　there；　stern　and　grim；　in　the　North　Ocean　with　its　snow　jokuls；　roaring　geysers；　sulphur…pools　and　horrid　volcanic　chasms；　like　the　waste　chaotic　battle…field　of　Frost　and　Fire；where　of　all　places　we　least　looked　for　Literature　or　written　memorials；　the　record　of　these　things　was　written　down。　　On　the　seabord　of　this　wild　land　is　a　rim　of　grassy　country；　where　cattle　can　subsist；　and　men　by　means　of　them　and　of　what　the　sea　yields；　and　it　seems　they　were　poetic　men　these；　men　who　had　deep　thoughts　in　them；　and　uttered　musically　their　thoughts。　　Much　would　be　lost；　had　Iceland　not　been　burst　up　from　the　sea；　not　been　discovered　by　the　Northmen！　　The　old　Norse　Poets　were　many　of　them　natives　of　Iceland。

Saemund；　one　of　the　early　Christian　Priests　there；　who　perhaps　had　a　lingering　fondness　for　Paganism；　collected　certain　of　their　old　Pagan　songs；　just　about　becoming　obsolete　then；Poems　or　Chants　of　a　mythic；　prophetic；　mostly　all　of　a　religious　character：　　that　is　what　Norse　critics　call　the　_Elder_　or　Poetic　_Edda_。　　_Edda_；　a　word　of　uncertain　etymology；　is　thought　to　signify　_Ancestress_。　　Snorro　Sturleson；　an　Iceland　gentleman；　an　extremely　notable　personage；　educated　by　this　Saemund's　grandson；　took　in　hand　next；　near　a　century　afterwards；　to　put　together；　among　several　other　books　he　wrote；　a　kind　of　Prose　Synopsis　of　the　whole　Mythology；　elucidated　by　new　fragments　of　traditionary　verse。　　A　work　constructed　really　with　great　ingenuity；　native　talent；　what　one　might　call　unconscious　art；　altogether　a　perspicuous　clear　work；　pleasant　reading　still：　　this　is　the　_Younger_　or　Prose　_Edda_。　　By　these　and　the　numerous　other　_Sagas_；　mostly　Icelandic；　with　the　commentaries；　Icelandic　or　not；　which　go　on　zealously　in　the　North　to　this　day；　it　is　possible　to　gain　some　direct　insight　even　yet；　and　see　that　old　Norse　system　of　Belief；　as　it　were；　face　to　face。　　Let　us　forget　that　it　is　erroneous　Religion；　let　us　look　at　it　as　old　Thought；　and　try　if　we　cannot　sympathize　with　it　somewhat。

The　primary　characteristic　of　this　old　Northland　Mythology　I　find　to　be　Impersonation　of　the　visible　workings　of　Nature。　　Earnest　simple　recognition　of　the　workings　of　Physical　Nature；　as　a　thing　wholly　miraculous；　stupendous　and　divine。　　What　we　now　lecture　of　as　Science；　they　wondered　at；　and　fell　down　in　awe　before；　as　Religion　The　dark　hostile　Powers　of　Nature　they　figure　to　themselves　as　〃_Jotuns_；〃　Giants；　huge　shaggy　beings　of　a　demonic　character。　　Frost；　Fire；　Sea…tempest；　these　are　Jotuns。　　The　friendly　Powers　again；　as　Summer…heat；　the　Sun；　are　Gods。　　The　empire　of　this　Universe　is　divided　between　these　two；　they　dwell　apart；　in　perennial　internecine　feud。　　The　Gods　dwell　above　in　Asgard；　the　Garden　of　the　Asen；　or　Divinities；　Jotunheim；　a　distant　dark　chaotic　land；　is　the　home　of　the　Jotuns。

Curious　all　this；　and　not　idle　or　inane；　if　we　will　look　at　the　foundation　of　it！　　The　power　of　_Fire_；　or　_Flame_；　for　instance；　which　we　designate　by　some　trivial　chemical　name；　thereby　hiding　from　ourselves　the　essential　character　of　wonder　that　dwells　in　it　as　in　all　things；　is　with　these　old　Northmen；　Loke；　a　most　swift　subtle　_Demon_；　of　the　brood　of　the　Jotuns。　The　savages　of　the　Ladrones　Islands　too　（say　some　Spanish　voyagers）　thought　Fire；　which　they　never　had　seen　before；　was　a　devil　or　god；　that　bit　you　sharply　when　you　touched　it；　and　that　lived　upon　dry　wood。　　From　us　too　no　Chemistry；　if　it　had　not　Stupidity　to　help　it；　would　hide　that　Flame　is　a　wonder。　　What　_is_　Flame？_Frost_　the　old　Norse　Seer　discerns　to　be　a　monstrous　hoary　Jotun；　the　Giant　_Thrym_；　_Hrym_；　or　_Rime_；　the　old　word　now　nearly　obsolete　here；　but　still　used　in　Scotland　to　signify　hoar…frost。　_Rime_　was　not　then　as　now　a　dead　chemical　thing；　but　a　living　Jotun　or　Devil；　the　monstrous　Jotun　_Rime_　drove　home　his　Horses　at　night；　sat　〃combing　their　manes；〃which　Horses　were　_Hail…Clouds_；　or　fleet　_Frost…Winds_。　　His　CowsNo；　not　his；　but　a　kinsman's；　the　Giant　Hymir's　Cows　are　_Icebergs_：　　this　Hymir　〃looks　at　the　rocks〃　with　his　devil…eye；　and　they　_split_　in　the　glance　of　it。

Thunder　was　not　then　mere　Electricity；　vitreous　or　resinous；　it　was　the　God　Donner　（Thunder）　or　Thor；God　also　of　beneficent　Summer…heat。　　The　thunder　was　his　wrath：　　the　gathering　of　the　black　clouds　is　the　drawing　down　of　Thor's　angry　brows；　the　fire…bolt　bursting　out　of　Heaven　is　the　all…rending　Hammer　flung　from　the　hand　of　Thor：　　he　urges　his　loud　chariot　over　the　mountain…tops；that　is　the　peal；　wrathful　he　〃blows　in　his　red　beard；〃that　is　the　rustling　storm…blast　before　the　thunder　begins。　Balder　again；　the　White　God；　the　beautiful；　the　just　and　benignant　（whom　the　early　Christian　Missionaries　found　to　resemble　Christ）；　is　the　Sun；　beautifullest　of　visible　things；　wondrous　too；　and　divine　still；　after　all　our　Astronomies　and　Almanacs！　　But　perhaps　the　notablest　god　we　hear　tell　of　is　one　of　whom　Grimm　the　German　Etymologist　finds　trace：　　the　God　_Wunsch_；　or　Wish。　　The　God　_Wish_；　who　could　give　us　all　that　we　_wished_！　Is　not　this　the　sincerest　and　yet　rudest　voice　of　the　spirit　of　man？　　The　_rudest_　ideal　that　man　ever　formed；　which　still　shows　itself　in　the　latest　forms　of　our　spiritual　culture。　　Higher　considerations　have　to　teach　us　that　the　God　_Wish_　is　not　the　true　God。

Of　the　other　Gods　or　Jotuns　I　will　mention　only　for　etymology's　sake；　that　Sea…tempest　is　the　Jotun　_Aegir_；　a　very　dangerous　Jotun；and　now　to　this　day；　on　our　river　Trent；　as　I　learn；　the　Nottingham　bargemen；　when　the　River　is　in　a　certain　flooded　state　（a　kind　of　backwater；　or　eddying　swirl　it　has；　very　dangerous　to　them）；　call　it　Eager；　they　cry　out；　〃Have　a　care；　there　is　the　_Eager_　coming！〃　Curious；　that　word　surviving；　like　the　peak　of　a　submerged　world！　　The　_oldest_　Nottingham　bargemen　had　believed　in　the　God　Aegir。　　Indeed　our　English　blood　too　in　good　part　is　Danish；　Norse；　or　rather；　at　bottom；　Danish　and　Norse　and　Saxon　have　no　distinction；　except　a　superficial　one；as　of　Heathen　and　Christian；　or　the　like。　　But　all　over　our　Island　we　are　mingled　largely　with　Danes　proper；from　the　incessant　invasions　there　were：　　and　this；　of　course；　in　a　greater　proportion　along　the　east　coast；　and　greatest　of　all；　as　I　find；　in　the　North　Country。　　From　the　Humber　upwards；　all　over　Scotland；　the　Speech　of　the　common　people　is　still　in　a　singular　degree　Icelandic；　its　Germanism　has　still　a　peculiar　Norse　tinge。　　They　too　are　〃Normans；〃　Northmen；if　that　be　any　great　beauty！

Of　the　chief　god；　Odin；　we　shall　speak　by　and　by。　　Mark　at　present　so　much；　what　the　essence　of　Scandinavian　and　indeed　of　all　Paganism　is：　　a　recognition　of　the　forces　of　Nature　as　godlike；　stupendous；　personal　Agencies；as　Gods　and　Demons。　　Not　inconceivable　to　us。　　It　is　the　infant　Thought　of　man　opening　itself；　with　awe　and　wonder；　on　this　ever…stupendous　Universe。　　To　me　there　is　in　the　Norse　system　something　very　genuine；　very　great　and　manlike。　　A　broad　simplicity；　rusticity；　so　very　different　from　the　light　gracefulness　of　the　old　Greek　Paganism；　distinguishes　this　Scandinavian　System。　　It　is　Thought；　the　genuine　Thought　of　deep；　rude；　earnest　minds；　fairly　opened　to　the　things　about　them；　a　face…to…face　and　heart…to…heart　inspection　of　the　things；the　first　characteristic　of　all　good　Thought　in　all　times。　　Not　graceful　lightness；　half…sport；　as　in　the　Greek　Paganism；　a　certain　homely　truthfulness　and　rustic　strength；　a　great　rude　sincerity；　discloses　itself　here。　　It　is　strange；　after　our　beautiful　Apollo　statues　and　clear　smiling　mythuses；　to　come　down　upon　the　Norse　Gods　〃brewing　ale〃　to　hold　their　feast　with　Aegir；　the　Sea…Jotun；　sending　out　Thor　to　get　the　caldron　for　them　in　the　Jotun　country；　Thor；　after　many　adventures；　clapping　the　Pot　on　his　head；　like　a　huge　hat；　and　walking　off　with　it；quite　lost　in　it；　the　ears　of　the　Pot　reaching　down　to　his　heels！　A　kind　of　vacant　hugeness；　large　awkward　gianthood；　characterizes　that　Norse　system；　enormous　force；　as　yet　altogether　untutored；　stalking　helpless　with　large　uncertain　strides。　　Consider　only　their　primary　mythus　of　the　Creation。　　The　Gods；　having　got　the　Giant　Ymer　slain；　a　Giant　made　by　〃warm　wind；〃　and　much　confused　work；　out　of　the　conflict　of　Frost　and　Fire；determined　on　constructing　a　world　with　him。　　His　blood　made　the　Sea；　his　flesh　was　the　Land；　the　Rocks　his　bones；　of　his　eyebrows　they　formed　Asgard　their　Gods'…dwelling；　his　skull　was　the　great　blue　vault　of　Immensity；　and　the　brains　of　it　became　the　Clouds。　　What　a　Hyper…Brobdignagian　business！　　Untamed　Thought；　great；　giantlike；　enormous；to　be　tamed　in　due　time　into　the　compact　greatness；　not　giantlike；　but　godlike　and　stronger　than　gianthood；　of　the　Shakspeares；　the　Goethes！Spiritually　as　well　as　bodily　these　men　are　our　progenitors。

I　like；　too；　that　representation　they　have　of　the　tree　Igdrasil。　　All　Life