After this Alfadur (the Almighty) will cause a new heaven and a new earth to arise out of the sea. The new earth, filled with abundant supplies, will produce its fruits without labor or care. Wickedness and misery will no more be known, but the gods and men will live happily together. This twilight of the gods is aptly described in a conversation held between Balder and Hermod, after Hermod has a second time ridden to Hel: And the fleet-footed Hermod made reply: -1 When from the south shall march the fiery band And cross the bridge of heaven, with Lok for guide, His ship, and the great serpent makes to land; If strength might save them, could not Odin save, I, what were I, when these can nought avail? 1 From Matthew Arnold's "Balder Dead." And his black brother-bird from hence reply, To other gods it were, is my enforced Mine ears are stunned with blows, and sick for calm. In new re-covered seats, the happier day." He spake; and the fleet Hermod thus replied: "Brother, what seats are these, what happier day? Tell me, that I may ponder it when gone." And the ray-crowned Balder answered him: — "Far to the south, beyond the blue, there spreads Another heaven, the boundless — no one yet Hath reached it; there hereafter shall arise The second Asgard, with another name. Thither, when o'er this present earth and heavens The ruin'd palaces of Odin, seats Familiar, halls where we have supp'd of old, Our eyes with gazing, and rebuild with tears. And we shall tread once more the well-known plain Of Ida, and among the grass shall find O Hermod, pray that thou may'st join us then! I rest the thrall of Hela, and endure Death, and the gloom which round me even now Thickens, and to inner gulph recalls. Farewell, for longer speech is not allowed." CHAPTER XXXI. MYTHS OF NORSE AND OLD GERMAN HEROES. 1 $ 185. The Saga of the Volsungs. Sigi, the son of Odin, was a mighty king of the Huns whom Odin loved and prospered exceedingly. Rerir, also, the son of Sigi, was a man of valor and one who got lordship and land unto himself; but neither Sigi nor Rerir were to compare with Volsung, who ruled over Hunland after his father Rerir went home to Odin. To Volsung were born ten sons, and one daughter, Signy by name; and of the sons Sigmund was the eldest and the most valiant. And the Volsungs abode in peace till Siggeir, king of Gothland, came wooing Signy, who, though loth to accept him, was, by her father's desire, betrothed to him. Now on the night of the wedding great fires were made in the hall of the Volsungs, and in the midst stood Branstock, a great oak tree, about which the hall had been built, and the limbs of the tree spread over the roof of the hall; and round about Branstock they sat and feasted, and sang of ancient heroes and heard the music of the harp that went from hand to hand. But e'en as men's hearts were hearkening some heard the thunder pass 2 And deemed that in the doorway they heard a man laugh out. 1 See the Story of the Volsungs, by William Morris and Eirikr Magnusson; William Morris' Sigurd the Volsung; Vigfusson and Powell's Corpus Poeticum Boreale; and Commentary § 185. 2 The extracts in verse are from William Morris' Sigurd the Volsung." A bill he bore on his shoulder, whose mighty ashen beam Burnt bright with the flame of the sea, and the blended silver's gleam. But forth from his cloudy raiment he drew a gleaming sword, Be merry, Earls of the Goth-folk, O Volsung Sons be wise, And reap the battle-acre that ripening for you lies: For they told me in the wild wood, I heard on the mountain-side For they knew that the gift was Odin's, a sword for the world to praise. Then all made trial, Siggeir and his earls, and Volsung and his people, to draw forth the sword from Branstock, but with no success, till Sigmund, laying his hand carelessly on the precious hilt, drew forth the naked blade as though it were loose in the oak. Whereupon Siggeir offered money for the sword, but Sigmund scorned the offer. But in time Siggeir had his vengeance. Inviting King Volsung and his sons to Gothland, he fell upon them, slew the king, and suffered the sons, fastened under a log, to be devoured in succes |