REMARKS ON THE TWELFTH FABLE, (A) "He seems to dart forth rays of light.] Of all the nations who have formerly adhered to the the Gothic' religion †, none have given us fuch a particular description of it as the Icelanders. If we are not therefore always able to prove, that some of the points contained in the doctrine of the EDDA have been univerfally received by other ancient nations of Europe; muft it be thence concluded, that these doctrines were unknown to them? Analogy authorifes us to judge the contrary. The conformities, we discover in that part which we know, may serve to answer for what remains unknown. But this reasoning, which I think well founded, fhall not hinder me from feeking more pofitive proofs of that resemblance and conformity, as far as one can discover any traces of it amid the ruins the exercise of inveftiga-. tion. Who is this God Balder? Was he known to the other nations of Europe? It seems to me probable, that Balder is the fame God, whom the Noricians and Gauls worshiped under the name of Belenus. This was a celebrated God among the Celtes. Many infcriptions make mention of him. We even find monuments, where he is exhibited according to his attributes. That which hath been long preserved at the castle of Polignac, reprefents him with a radiated head, and a large open mouth; which exactly agrees with the picture here given of him in the EDDA; as a God refplendent and eloquent. We easily fee, that Belen and Balder came from the fame origin, that is, from the Phrygian word Bal, or Balen, which fignifies King, and which they formerly applied to the Sun. Selden. (de Diis of antiquity. There is in this place matter for Syris. Synt. II. c. 1.) Fr. La Religion Celtique. thinks that the ancient Britons called him Belertucades. This was the Apollo of the Greeks and Romans, the Sun confidered as a benign and falutary conftellation, who chaced away maladies, animated the fpirits, and warmed the imagination, that fruitful mother of poetry and all the other arts. (B) He checks the "fury of the fea, ftorms and fire."] This God, or at least a God with these attributes,' hath been adored by all the ancient nations of Eu rope, as well Goths as' Celtes: as also by the Perfians, and the people who dwell around the Euxine and Cafpian feas. They all of them affigned a Genius or God to the waters, whether of the fea, or of rivers, or fountains. This God would not fail to be adored, and loaded with prefents. In In many places among the Gauls, they every year .confecrated to him animals, precious ftuffs, fruits, and gold and filver. Such was that small piece of water near Tou 4 loufe, into which great riches were thrown in honour of this Deity. They looked upon him as eafily provoked, and upon his goodness as not a little precarious; but fuch as was not ill adapted to the temper of him who was the mafter and director of fo deceitful an element. Thus the EDDA fcruples to admit him into the family of the Gods. The common people, in divers places of Germany and the north, are still perfuaded that men owe him a yearly tribute; and that when any body is drowned, this God hath carried him away. They call him, in Germany, Der Nix; and formerly in the north, Nocken. They had no other phrafe to express a person's dying in the water, but "Nocken hath taken "him;" and hence without doubt is derived the French word Noyer, to drown. The Gauls called this divinity Neith. They believed that he refided in the fea, and in pools. There was near Geneva, in the lake which goes by the name of that town, a rock confecrated to ; to him, which fill retains the name of Neiton a word approaching very near to that of Noatun, which, according to the EDDA, is the refidence of the God of Waters. The Romans retained both the worship and name of this God, who was adored by the ancient Celtic nations of Italy. In general, all the feveral people of Europe have had a great veneration for this Divinity, and nothing was more difficult than to bring them off from the worship they O fons Bandufiæ, fplendidior vitro ; THE THE THIRTEENTH FABLE. Of the God Frey, and the Goddess Freya. N' IORD had afterwards, at his refidence of Noatun, two children, named FREY, and FREYA; both of them beautiful and vigorous. Frey is the mildest of all the Gods. He prefides over the rain, and the fun, and all the productions of the earth. He is to be invoked in order to obtain either fine feafons, or plenty, or peace; for it is he who difpenfes peace and riches, Freya is the moft propitious of the Goddeffes. The place which the inhabits in heaven, is called "The Union of the "People." She goes on horfeback to every place where battles are fought, and afferts her right to one half of the flain; the other half belongs to ODIN. Her palace is large and magnificent; thence the fallies forth in a chariot, drawn by two cats. She lends a very favourable ear to the vows of those who fue for her affist 7 ance. ance. It is from her that the Ladies have received the name, which we give them in our language. She is very much delighted with the fongs of lovers; and fuch as would be happy in their amours ought to worship this Goddess. Then fays Gangler, All these Gods appear to me to have great power: and I am not at all furprized (A) that you are able to perform fo many great atchievements, fince you are fo well acquainted with the attributes and functions of each God, and know what it is proper to ask of each in order to fucceed. But are there ftill any more of them, besides thofe you have already named? REMARKS ON THE THIRTEENTH FABLE. FREY is fome inferior intelligence or divinity, who refided in the air. FREYA, who has often been taken for FRIGGA, is the Goddess of Love, the Venus of the Scandinavians. The ladies are called, in Danish, Fruer; and, in ancient Gothic, the word Freya appears to have fignified the fame thing. This name has a remarkable analogy to the following words in the French lan guage, viz. Frayer, to engender or spawn as fifhes do; and Friand, which anciently fignified "full of defire:" as alfo to Frija, which in Swedifh fignifies to be amorous, and to seek in marriage; and Friar, a gallant. The name Aphroditis, which was given. to Venus by the people of Greece, feems alfo to bear fome affinity to this. Gallantry being one of the principal virtues of |