heroes and hero worship-第8节

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he　_Valkyrs_；　and　then　that　these　_Choosers_　lead　the　brave　to　a　heavenly　_Hall　of　Odin_；　only　the　base　and　slavish　being　thrust　elsewhither；　into　the　realms　of　Hela　the　Death…goddess：　　I　take　this　to　have　been　the　soul　of　the　whole　Norse　Belief。　　They　understood　in　their　heart　that　it　was　indispensable　to　be　brave；　that　Odin　would　have　no　favor　for　them；　but　despise　and　thrust　them　out；　if　they　were　not　brave。　Consider　too　whether　there　is　not　something　in　this！　　It　is　an　everlasting　duty；　valid　in　our　day　as　in　that；　the　duty　of　being　brave。　　_Valor_　is　still　_value_。　　The　first　duty　for　a　man　is　still　that　of　subduing　_Fear_。　We　must　get　rid　of　Fear；　we　cannot　act　at　all　till　then。　　A　man's　acts　are　slavish；　not　true　but　specious；　his　very　thoughts　are　false；　he　thinks　too　as　a　slave　and　coward；　till　he　have　got　Fear　under　his　feet。　　Odin's　creed；　if　we　disentangle　the　real　kernel　of　it；　is　true　to　this　hour。　　A　man　shall　and　must　be　valiant；　he　must　march　forward；　and　quit　himself　like　a　man；trusting　imperturbably　in　the　appointment　and　_choice_　of　the　upper　Powers；　and；　on　the　whole；　not　fear　at　all。　　Now　and　always；　the　completeness　of　his　victory　over　Fear　will　determine　how　much　of　a　man　he　is。

It　is　doubtless　very　savage　that　kind　of　valor　of　the　old　Northmen。　　Snorro　tells　us　they　thought　it　a　shame　and　misery　not　to　die　in　battle；　and　if　natural　death　seemed　to　be　coming　on；　they　would　cut　wounds　in　their　flesh；　that　Odin　might　receive　them　as　warriors　slain。　　Old　kings；　about　to　die；　had　their　body　laid　into　a　ship；　the　ship　sent　forth；　with　sails　set　and　slow　fire　burning　it；　that；　once　out　at　sea；　it　might　blaze　up　in　flame；　and　in　such　manner　bury　worthily　the　old　hero；　at　once　in　the　sky　and　in　the　ocean！　　Wild　bloody　valor；　yet　valor　of　its　kind；　better；　I　say；　than　none。　　In　the　old　Sea…kings　too；　what　an　indomitable　rugged　energy！　Silent；　with　closed　lips；　as　I　fancy　them；　unconscious　that　they　were　specially　brave；　defying　the　wild　ocean　with　its　monsters；　and　all　men　and　things；progenitors　of　our　own　Blakes　and　Nelsons！　　No　Homer　sang　these　Norse　Sea…kings；　but　Agamemnon's　was　a　small　audacity；　and　of　small　fruit　in　the　world；　to　some　of　them；to　Hrolf's　of　Normandy；　for　instance！　Hrolf；　or　Rollo　Duke　of　Normandy；　the　wild　Sea…king；　has　a　share　in　governing　England　at　this　hour。

Nor　was　it　altogether　nothing；　even　that　wild　sea…roving　and　battling；　through　so　many　generations。　　It　needed　to　be　ascertained　which　was　the　_strongest_　kind　of　men；　who　were　to　be　ruler　over　whom。　　Among　the　Northland　Sovereigns；　too；　I　find　some　who　got　the　title　_Wood…cutter_；　Forest…felling　Kings。　　Much　lies　in　that。　　I　suppose　at　bottom　many　of　them　were　forest…fellers　as　well　as　fighters；　though　the　Skalds　talk　mainly　of　the　latter；misleading　certain　critics　not　a　little；　for　no　nation　of　men　could　ever　live　by　fighting　alone；　there　could　not　produce　enough　come　out　of　that！　　I　suppose　the　right　good　fighter　was　oftenest　also　the　right　good　forest…feller；the　right　good　improver；　discerner；　doer　and　worker　in　every　kind；　for　true　valor；　different　enough　from　ferocity；　is　the　basis　of　all。　　A　more　legitimate　kind　of　valor　that；　showing　itself　against　the　untamed　Forests　and　dark　brute　Powers　of　Nature；　to　conquer　Nature　for　us。　In　the　same　direction　have　not　we　their　descendants　since　carried　it　far？　May　such　valor　last　forever　with　us！

That　the　man　Odin；　speaking　with　a　Hero's　voice　and　heart；　as　with　an　impressiveness　out　of　Heaven；　told　his　People　the　infinite　importance　of　Valor；　how　man　thereby　became　a　god；　and　that　his　People；　feeling　a　response　to　it　in　their　own　hearts；　believed　this　message　of　his；　and　thought　it　a　message　out　of　Heaven；　and　him　a　Divinity　for　telling　it　them：　this　seems　to　me　the　primary　seed…grain　of　the　Norse　Religion；　from　which　all　manner　of　mythologies；　symbolic　practices；　speculations；　allegories；　songs　and　sagas　would　naturally　grow。　　Grow；how　strangely！　　I　called　it　a　small　light　shining　and　shaping　in　the　huge　vortex　of　Norse　darkness。　　Yet　the　darkness　itself　was　_alive_；　consider　that。　　It　was　the　eager　inarticulate　uninstructed　Mind　of　the　whole　Norse　People；　longing　only　to　become　articulate；　to　go　on　articulating　ever　farther！　　The　living　doctrine　grows；　grows；like　a　Banyan…tree；　the　first　_seed_　is　the　essential　thing：　any　branch　strikes　itself　down　into　the　earth；　becomes　a　new　root；　and　so；　in　endless　complexity；　we　have　a　whole　wood；　a　whole　jungle；　one　seed　the　parent　of　it　all。　　Was　not　the　whole　Norse　Religion；　accordingly；　in　some　sense；　what　we　called　〃the　enormous　shadow　of　this　man's　likeness〃？　Critics　trace　some　affinity　in　some　Norse　mythuses；　of　the　Creation　and　such　like；　with　those　of　the　Hindoos。　　The　Cow　Adumbla；　〃licking　the　rime　from　the　rocks；〃　has　a　kind　of　Hindoo　look。　　A　Hindoo　Cow；　transported　into　frosty　countries。　　Probably　enough；　indeed　we　may　say　undoubtedly；　these　things　will　have　a　kindred　with　the　remotest　lands；　with　the　earliest　times。　　Thought　does　not　die；　but　only　is　changed。　　The　first　man　that　began　to　think　in　this　Planet　of　ours；　he　was　the　beginner　of　all。　　And　then　the　second　man；　and　the　third　man；nay；　every　true　Thinker　to　this　hour　is　a　kind　of　Odin；　teaches　men　_his_　way　of　thought；　spreads　a　shadow　of　his　own　likeness　over　sections　of　the　History　of　the　World。


Of　the　distinctive　poetic　character　or　merit　of　this　Norse　Mythology　I　have　not　room　to　speak；　nor　does　it　concern　us　much。　　Some　wild　Prophecies　we　have；　as　the　_Voluspa_　in　the　_Elder　Edda_；　of　a　rapt；　earnest；　sibylline　sort。　　But　they　were　comparatively　an　idle　adjunct　of　the　matter；　men　who　as　it　were　but　toyed　with　the　matter；　these　later　Skalds；　and　it　is　_their_　songs　chiefly　that　survive。　　In　later　centuries；　I　suppose；　they　would　go　on　singing；　poetically　symbolizing；　as　our　modern　Painters　paint；　when　it　was　no　longer　from　the　innermost　heart；　or　not　from　the　heart　at　all。　　This　is　everywhere　to　be　well　kept　in　mind。

Gray's　fragments　of　Norse　Lore；　at　any　rate；　will　give　one　no　notion　of　it；any　more　than　Pope　will　of　Homer。　　It　is　no　square…built　gloomy　palace　of　black　ashlar　marble；　shrouded　in　awe　and　horror；　as　Gray　gives　it　us：　no；　rough　as　the　North　rocks；　as　the　Iceland　deserts；　it　is；　with　a　heartiness；　homeliness；　even　a　tint　of　good　humor　and　robust　mirth　in　the　middle　of　these　fearful　things。　　The　strong　old　Norse　heart　did　not　go　upon　theatrical　sublimities；　they　had　not　time　to　tremble。　　I　like　much　their　robust　simplicity；　their　veracity；　directness　of　conception。　　Thor　〃draws　down　his　brows〃　in　a　veritable　Norse　rage；　〃grasps　his　hammer　till　the　_knuckles　grow　white_。〃　　Beautiful　traits　of　pity　too；　an　honest　pity。　Balder　〃the　white　God〃　dies；　the　beautiful；　benignant；　he　is　the　Sungod。　They　try　all　Nature　for　a　remedy；　but　he　is　dead。　　Frigga；　his　mother；　sends　Hermoder　to　seek　or　see　him：　　nine　days　and　nine　nights　he　rides　through　gloomy　deep　valleys；　a　labyrinth　of　gloom；　arrives　at　the　Bridge　with　its　gold　roof：　　the　Keeper　says；　〃Yes；　Balder　did　pass　here；　but　the　Kingdom　of　the　Dead　is　down　yonder；　far　towards　the　North。〃　　Hermoder　rides　on；　leaps　Hell…gate；　Hela's　gate；　does　see　Balder；　and　speak　with　him：　Balder　cannot　be　delivered。　　Inexorable！　　Hela　will　not；　for　Odin　or　any　God；　give　him　up。　　The　beautiful　and　gentle　has　to　remain　there。　　His　Wife　had　volunteered　to　go　with　him；　to　die　with　him。　　They　shall　forever　remain　there。　　He　sends　his　ring　to　Odin；　Nanna　his　wife　sends　her　_thimble_　to　Frigga；　as　a　remembrance。Ah　me！

For　indeed　Valor　is　the　fountain　of　Pity　too；of　Truth；　and　all　that　is　great　and　good　in　man。　　The　robust　homely　vigor　of　the　Norse　heart　attaches　one　much；　in　these　delineations。　　Is　it　not　a　trait　of　right　honest　strength；　says　Uhland；　who　has　written　a　fine　_Essay_　on　Thor；　that　the　old　Norse　heart　finds　its　friend　in　the　Thunder…god？　　That　it　is　not　frightened　away　by　his　thunder；　but　finds　that　Summer…heat；　the　beautiful　noble　summer；　must　and　will　have　thunder　withal！　　The　Norse　heart　_loves_　this　Thor　and　his　hammer…bolt；　sports　with　him。　　Thor　is　Summer…heat：　　the　god　of　Peaceable　Industry　as　well　as　Thunder。　　He　is　the　Peasant's　friend；　his　true　henchman　and　attendant　is　Thialfi；　_Manual　Labor_。　　Thor　himself　engages　in　all　manner　of　rough　manual　work；　scorns　no　business　for　its　plebeianism；　is　ever　and　anon　travelling　to　the　country　of　the　Jotuns；　harrying　those　chaotic　Frost…monsters；　subduing　them；　at　least　straitening　and　damaging　them。　　There　is　a　great　broad　humor　in　some　of　these　things。

Thor；　as　we　saw　above；　goes　to　Jotun…land；　to　seek　Hymir's　Caldron；　that　the　Gods　may　brew　beer。　　Hymir　the　huge　Giant　enters；　his　gray　beard　all　full　of　hoar…frost；　splits　pillars　with　the　very　glance　of　his　eye；　Thor；　after　much　rough　tumult；　snatches　the　Pot；　claps　it　on　his　head；　the　〃handles　of　it　reach　down　to　his　heels。〃　　The　Norse　Skald　has　a　kind　of　loving　sport　with　Thor。　　This　is　the　Hymir　whose　cattle；　the　critics　have　discovered；　are　Icebergs。　　Huge　untutored　Brobdignag　genius；needing　only　to　be　tamed　down；　into　Shakspeares；　Dantes；　Goethes！　　It　is　all　gone　now；　that　old　Norse　work；Thor　the　Thunder…god　changed　into　Jack　the　Giant…killer：　　but　the　mind　that　made　it　is　here　yet。　　How　strangely　things　gro