Asgard Stories: Tales From Norse Mythology

THE people who lived long ago in the far-off lands of the north watched the wonderful things that happened out of doors every day just as we do; but they did not know about the one loving God who is the Father of all who made them and the world and rules it by his wise laws; so they thought there must be a great many unseen powers living in the clouds in the wind in the storms and the sunshine and doing all those wonders that no man could do.And so those northern people who were our own forefathers came to believe in many gods—one for the sun another for the thunder another for the flowers and so on.In the long dark winters when the bright sun had gone away from them these northmen had time to think many thoughts about the powers of frost and wind and storms which they called giants and they used to tell stories and sing songs about the short bright summer the thawing out of the streams and lakes the coming of the birds and flowers.With great joy the people saw the bright sun-god Baldur come back to them in the spring after the long darkness and knew that they owed their lives to his friendly warmth and light.As we read the stories or myths told by those people long ago we can see that they were meant to tell about the world around us. At first the stories were told and sung from father to son—that is from one generation to another; but later when people learned how to write these myths were written down and kept with great love and care.This is the story they told of the Beginning. At first before living creatures were in the world it was all rough and without order. Far to the north it was very cold for ice and snow were everywhere. Toward the south there was fire and from the meeting of the fire and the cold a thick vapor was formed from which sprang a huge giant. On looking about for some food he saw a cow who was also searching for something to eat. The ice tasted salt and when the cow began to lick it a head appeared and at last the whole figure of a god stood before her...