The Breach Of Peace Between Asas And Vans Frigg Skade And Ull In The Conflict

: THE MYTH CONCERNING THE EARLIEST PERIOD AND THE EMIGRATIONS FROM THE NORTH.
: Teutonic Mythology

When the Asas had refused to give satisfaction for the murder of

Gulveig, and when Odin, by hurling his spear, had indicated that the

treaty of peace between him and the Vans was broken, the latter leave

the assembly hall and Asgard. This is evident from the fact that they

afterwards return to Asgard and attack the citadel of the Asa clan. The

gods are now divided into two hostile camps: on the one side Odin and

his al
ies, among whom are Heimdal (see Nos. 38, 39, 40), and Skade; on

the other Njord, Frigg (Saxo, Hist., 42-44), Frey, Ull (Saxo, Hist.,

130, 131), and Freyja and her husband Svipdag, besides all that clan of

divinities who were not adopted in Asgard, but belong to the race of

Vans and dwell in Vanaheim.



So far as Skade is concerned the breach between the gods seems to have

furnished her an opportunity of getting a divorce from Njord, with whom

she did not live on good terms. According to statements found in the

myths, Thjasse's daughter and he were altogether too different in

disposition to dwell in peace together. Saxo (Hist., 53 ff.) and the

Younger Edda (p. 94) have both preserved the record of a song which

describes their different tastes as to home and surroundings. Skade

loved Thrymheim, the rocky home of her father Thjasse, on whose

snow-clad plains she was fond of running on skees and of felling wild

beasts with her arrows; but when Njord had remained nine days and nine

nights among the mountains he was weary of the rocks and of the howling

of wolves, and longed for the song of swans on the sea-strand. But when

Skade accompanied him thither she could not long endure to be awakened

every morning by the shrieking of sea-fowls. In Grimnismal, 11, it is

said that Skade "now" occupies her father's "ancient home" in

Thrymheim, but Njord is not named there. In a strophe by Thord Sjarekson

(Younger Edda, 262) we read that Skade never became devoted to the

Vana-god (nama snotr una godbrudr Vani), and Eyvind Skalda-spiller

relates in Haleygjatal that there was a time when Odin dwelt i

Manheimum together with Skade, and begat with her many sons. With

Manheimar is meant that part of the world which is inhabited by man;

that is to say, Midgard and the lower world, where are also found a race

of menskir menn (see Nos. 52, 53, 59, 63), and the topographical

counterpart of the word is Asgardr. Thus it must have been after his

banishment from Asgard, while he was separated from Frigg and found

refuge somewhere in Manheimar, that Odin had Skade for his wife. Her

epithet in Grimnismal, skir brudr goda, also seems to indicate that

she had conjugal relations with more than one of the gods.



While Odin was absent and deposed as ruler of the world, Ull has

occupied so important a position among the ruling Vans that, according

to the tradition preserved in Saxo, they bestowed upon him the task and

honour which until that time had belonged to Odin (Dii ... Ollerum

quendam non solum in regni, sed etiam in divinitatis infulas

subrogavere--Hist., 130). This is explained by the fact that Njord

and Frey, though valtivar and brave warriors when they are invoked,

are in their very nature gods of peace and promoters of wealth and

agriculture, while Ull is by nature a warrior. He is a skilful archer,

excellent in a duel, and hefir hermanns atgervi (Younger Edda, i.

102). Also after the reconciliation between the Asas and Vans, Thor's

stepson Ull has held a high position in Asgard, as is apparently

corroborated by Odin's words in Grimnismal, 41 (Ullar hylli ok allra

goda).



From the mythic accounts in regard to the situation and environment of

Asgard we may conclude that the siege by the Vans was no easy task. The

home of the Asas is surrounded by the atmospheric ocean, whose strong

currents make it difficult for the mythic horses to swim to it (see Nos.

65, 93). The bridge Bifrost is not therefore superfluous, but it is that

connection between the lower worlds and Asgard which the gods daily use,

and which must be captured by the enemy before the great cordon which

encloses the shining halls of the gods can be attacked. The wall is

built of "the limbs of Lerbrimer" (Fjolsv., 1), and constructed by its

architect in such a manner that it is a safe protection against

mountain-giants and frost-giants (Younger Edda, 134). In the wall is a

gate wondrously made by the artist-brothers who are sons of "Solblinde"

(Valgrind--Grimnism., 22; thrymgjoell--Fjoelsvimsm., 10). Few there

are who understand the lock of that gate, and if anybody brings it out

of its proper place in the wall-opening where it blocks the way for

those who have no right to enter, then the gate itself becomes a chain

for him who has attempted such a thing (Forn er su grind, enn that fair

vito, hor hve er i las um lokin--Grimn., 22. Fjoeturr fastr verdr vid

faranda hvern er hana hefr fra hlidi--Fjoelsv., 10).



Outside of the very high Asgard cordon and around it there flows a rapid

river (see below), the moat of the citadel. Over the eddies of the

stream floats a dark, shining ignitible mist. If it is kindled it

explodes in flames, whose bickering tongues strike their victims with

unerring certainty. It is the vaferloge, "the bickering flame," "the

quick fire," celebrated in ancient songs--vafrlogi, vafreydi,

skjot-brinni. It was this fire which the gods kindled around Asgard

when they saw Thjasse approaching in eagle guise. In it their

irreconcilable foe burnt his pinions, and fell to the ground.

"Haustlaung," Thjodolf's poem, says that when Thjasse approached the

citadel of the gods "the gods raised the quick fire and sharpened their

javelins"--Hofu skjot; en skofu skoept; ginnregin brinna. The "quick

fire," skjot-brinni, is the vaferloge.[21]



The material of which the ignitible mist consists is called "black

terror-gleam." It is or odauccom; that is to say, ofdauccom ognar

ljoma (Fafn., 40) (cp. myrckvan vafrloga--Skirn., 8, 9; Fjolsv., 31).

It is said to be "wise," which implies that it consciously aims at him

for whose destruction it is kindled.



How a water could be conceived that evaporates a dark, ignitible mist we

find explained in Thorsdrapa. The thunder-storm is the "storm of the

vaferfire," and Thor is the "ruler of the chariot of the

vaferfire-storm" (vafreyda hreggs hufstjori). Thus the thunder-cloud

contains the water that evaporates a dark material for lightning. The

dark metallic colour which is peculiar to the thunder-cloud was regarded

as coming from that very material which is the "black terror-gleam" of

which lightning is formed. When Thor splits the cloud he separates the

two component parts, the water and the vafermist; the former falls down

as rain, the latter is ignited and rushes away in quick, bickering,

zigzag flames--the vaferfires. That these are "wise" was a common Aryan

belief. They do not proceed blindly, but know their mark and never miss

it.



The river that foams around Asgard thus has its source in the

thunder-clouds; not as we find them after they have been split by Thor,

but such as they are originally, swollen with a celestial water that

evaporates vafermist. All waters--subterranean, terrestrial, and

celestial--have their source in that great subterranean fountain

Hvergelmer. Thence they come and thither they return (Grimn., 26; see

Nos. 59, 63, 33). Hvergelmer's waters are sucked up by the northern root

of the world-tree; they rise through its trunk, spread into its branches

and leaves, and evaporate from its crown into a water-tank situated on

the top of Asgard, Eikthyrnir, in Grimnismal, str. 26, symbolised as a

"stag"[22] who stands on the roof of Odin's hall and out of whose horns

the waters stream down into Hvergelmer. Eikthyrnir is the great

celestial water-tank which gathers and lets out the thunder-cloud. In

this tank the Asgard river has its source, and hence it consists not

only of foaming water but also of ignitible vafermists. In its capacity

of discharger of the thunder-cloud, the tank is called Eikthyrnir, the

oak-stinger. Oaks struck by lightning is no unusual occurrence. The oak

is, according to popular belief based on observation, that tree which

the lightning most frequently strikes.



But Asgard is not the only citadel which is surrounded by vafermists.

These are also found enveloping the home where dwelt the storm-giant

Gymer and the storm-giantess Aurboda, the sorceress who knows all of

Asgard's secrets, at the time when Frey sent Skirner to ask for the hand

of their daughter Gerd. Epics which in their present form date from

Christian times make vaferflames burn around castles, where goddesses,

pricked by sleep-thorns, are slumbering. This is a belief of a later

age.



To get over or through the vaferflame is, according to the myth,

impossible for anyone who has not got a certain mythical horse to

ride--probably Sleipner, the eight-footed steed of the Asa-father, which

is the best of all horses (Grimn., 44). The quality of this steed, which

enables it to bear its rider unscathed through the vaferflame, makes it

indespensable when this obstacle is to be overcome. When Skirner is to

go on Frey's journey of courtship to Gerd, he asks for that purpose mar

thann er mic um myrckvan beri visan vafrloga, and is allowed to ride it

on and for the journey (Skirn., 8, 9). This horse must accordingly have

been in the possession of the Vans when they conquered Asgard, an

assumption confirmed by what is to be stated below. (In the great epic

Sigurd's horse Grane is made to inherit the qualities of this divine

horse.)



On the outer side of the Asgard river, and directly opposite the Asgard

gate, lie projecting ramparts (forgardir) to protect the drawbridge,

which from the opening in the wall can be dropped down across the river

(see below). When Svipdag proceeded toward Menglad's abode in Asgard, he

first came to this forgardir (Fjoels., i. 3). There he is hailed by the

watch of the citadel, and thence he gets a glimpse over the gate of all

the glorious things which are hid behind the high walls of the citadel.



Outside the river Asgard has fields with groves and woods (Younger Edda,

136, 210).



Of the events of the wars waged around Asgard, the mythic fragments,

which the Icelandic records have preserved, give us but very little

information, though they must have been favourite themes for the heathen

skaldic art, which here had an opportunity of describing in a

characteristic manner all the gods involved, and of picturing not only

their various characters, but also their various weapons, equipments,

and horses. In regard to the weapons of attack we must remember that

Thor at the outbreak of the conflict is deprived of the assistance of

his splendid hammer: it has been broken by Svipdag's sword of victory

(see Nos. 101, 103)--a point which it was necessary for the myth to

assume, otherwise the Vans could hardly he represented as conquerors.

Nor do the Vans have the above-mentioned sword at their disposal: it is

already in the power of Gymer and Aurboda. The irresistible weapons

which in a purely mechanical manner would have decided the issue of the

war, were disposed of in advance in order that the persons themselves,

with their varied warlike qualities, might get to the foreground and

decide the fate of the conflict by heroism or prudence, by prescient

wisdom or by blind daring. In this war the Vans have particularly

distinguished themselves by wise and well calculated strategies. This we

learn from Voeluspa, where it makes the final victors conquer Asgard

through vigspa, that is, foreknowledge applied to warlike ends (str.

26). The Asas, as we might expect from Odin's brave sons, have

especially distinguished themselves by their strength and courage. A

record of this is found in the words of Thorbjorn Disarskald (Younger

Edda, 256).



Thorr hefir Yggs med arum

Asgard of threk vardan.



"Thor with Odin's clan-men defended Asgard with indomitable courage."



But in number they must have been far inferior to their foes. Simply the

circumstance that Odin and his men had to confine themselves to the

defence of Asgard shows that nearly all other divinities of various

ranks had allied themselves with his enemies. The ruler of the lower

world (Mimer) and Honer are the only ones of whom it can be said that

they remained faithful to Odin; and if we can trust the Heimskringla

tradition, which is related as history and greatly corrupted, then Mimer

lost his life in an effort at mediation between the contending gods,

while he and Honer were held as hostages among the Vans (Ynglingas., ch.

4). Asgard was at length conquered. Voeluspa, str. 25, relates the final

catastrophe:



brotin var bordvegr

borgar asa

knatto vanir vigspa

vollo sporna.



Broken was the bulwark

of the asaburg;

Through warlike prudence were the Vans able

its fields to tread.



Voeluspa's words seem to indicate that the Vans took Asgard by strategy;

and this is confirmed by a source which shall be quoted below. But to

carry out the plan which chiefly involved the finding of means for

crossing the vaferflames kindled around the citadel and for opening the

gates of Asgard, not only cunning but also courage was required. The

myth has given the honour of this undertaking to Njord, the clan-chief

of the Vans and the commander of their forces. This is clear from the

above-quoted passage: Njordr klauf Herjans hurdir--"Njord broke Odin's

doors open," which should be compared with the poetical paraphrase for

battle-axe: Gauts megin-hurdar galli--"the destroyer of Odin's great

gate,"--a paraphrase that indicates that Njord burst the Asgard gate

open with the battle-axe. The conclusion which must be drawn from these

utterances is confirmed by an account with which the sixth book of Saxo

begins, and which doubtless is a fragment of the myth concerning the

conquest of Asgard by the Vans corrupted and told as history.



The event is transferred by Saxo to the reign of King Fridlevus II. It

should here be remarked that every important statement made by Saxo

about this Fridlevus, on a closer examination, is found to be taken from

the myth concerning Njord.



There were at that time twelve brothers, says Saxo, distinguished for

courage, strength, and fine physical appearance. They were "widely

celebrated for gigantic triumphs." To their trophies and riches many

peoples had paid tribute. But the source from which Saxo received

information in regard to Fridlevus' conflict with them did not mention

more than seven of these twelve, and of these seven Saxo gives the

names. They are called Bjorn, Asbjorn, Gunbjorn, &c. In all the names is

found the epithet of the Asa-god Bjorn.



The brothers had had allies, says Saxo further, but at the point when

the story begins they had been abandoned by them, and on this account

they had been obliged to confine themselves on an island surrounded by a

most violent stream which fell from the brow of a very high rock, and

the whole surface of which glittered with raging foam. The island was

fortified by a very high wall (praealtum vallum), in which was built a

remarkable gate. It was so built that the hinges were placed near the

ground between the sides of the opening in the wall, so that the gate

turning thereon could, by a movement regulated by chains, be lowered and

form a bridge across the stream.



Thus the gate is, at the same time, a drawbridge of that kind with which

the Germans became acquainted during the war with the Romans already

before the time of Tacitus (cp. Annal., iv. 51, with iv. 47). Within

the fortification there was a most strange horse, and also a remarkably

strong dog, which formerly had watched the herds of the giant Offotes.

The horse was celebrated for his size and speed, and it was the only

steed with which it was possible for a rider to cross the raging stream

around the island fortress.



King Fridlevus now surrounds this citadel with his forces. These are

arrayed at some distance from the citadel, and in the beginning nothing

else is gained by the siege than that the besieged are hindered from

making sallies into the surrounding territory. The citadel cannot be

taken unless the above-mentioned horse gets into the power of Fridlevus.

Bjorn, the owner of the horse, makes sorties from the citadel, and in so

doing he did not always take sufficient care, for on one occasion when

he was on the outer side of the stream, and had gone some distance away

from his horse, he fell into an ambush laid by Fridlevus. He saved

himself by rushing headlong over the bridge, which was drawn up behind

him, but the precious horse became Fridlevus' booty. This was of course

a severe loss to the besieged, and must have diminished considerably

their sense of security. Meanwhile, Fridlevus was able to manage the

matter in such a way that the accident served rather to lull them into

increased safety. During the following night the brothers found their

horse, safe and sound, back on the island. Hence it must have swum back

across the stream. And when it was afterwards found that the dead body

of a man, clad in the shining robes of Fridlevus, floated on the eddies

of the stream, they took it for granted that Fridlevus himself had

perished in the stream.



But the real facts were as follows: Fridlevus, attended by a single

companion, had in the night ridden from his camp to the river. There his

companion's life had to be sacrificed, in order that the king's plan

might be carried out. Fridlevus exchanged clothes with the dead man,

who, in the king's splendid robes, was cast into the stream. Then

Fridlevus gave spur to the steed which he had captured, and rode through

the eddies of the stream. Having passed this obstacle safely, he set the

horse at liberty, climbed on a ladder over the wall, stole into the hall

where the brothers were wont to assemble, hid himself under a projection

over the hall door, listened to their conversation, saw them go out to

reconnoitre the island, and saw them return, secure in the conviction

that there was no danger at hand. Then he went to the gate and let it

fall across the stream. His forces had, during the night, advanced

toward the citadel, and when they saw the drawbridge down and the way

open, they stormed the fortress and captured it.



The fact that we here have a transformation of the myth, telling how

Njord at the head of the Vans conquered Asgard, is evident from the

following circumstances:



(a) The conqueror is Fridlevus. The most of what Saxo relates about

this Fridlevus is, as stated, taken from the myth about Njord, and told

as history.



(b) The brothers were, according to Saxo, originally twelve, which is

the well-established number of Odin's clansmen: his sons, and the

adopted Asa-gods. But when the siege in question takes place, Saxo finds

in his source only seven of the twelve mentioned as enclosed in the

citadel beseiged by Fridlevus. The reason for the diminishing of the

number is to be found in the fact that the adopted gods--Njord, Frey,

and Ull--had left Asgard, and are in fact identical with the leaders of

the besiegers. If we also deduct Balder and Hoedr, who, at the time of

the event, are dead and removed to the lower world, then we have left

the number seven given. The name Bjorn, which they all bear, is an Asa

epithet (Younger Edda, i. 553). The brothers have formerly had allies,

but these have abandoned them (deficientibus a se sociis), and it is

on this account that they must confine themselves within their citadel.

The Asas have had the Vans and other divine powers as allies, but these

abandon them, and the Asas must defend themselves on their own fortified

ground.



(c) Before this the brothers have made themselves celebrated for

extraordinary exploits, and have enjoyed a no less extraordinary power.

They shone on account of their giganteis triumphis--an ambiguous

expression which alludes to the mythic sagas concerning the victories of

the Asas over Jotunheim's giants (gigantes), and nations have

submitted to them as victors, and enriched them with treasures

(trophaeis gentium celebres, spoliis locupletes).



(d) The island on which they are confined is fortified, like the Asa

citadel, by an immensely high wall (praealtum vallum), and is

surrounded by a stream which is impassable unless one possesses a horse

which is found among the brothers. Asgard is surrounded by a river belt

covered with vaferflames, which cannot be crossed unless one has that

single steed which um myrckvan beri visan vafrloga, and this belongs

to the Asas.



(e) The stream which roars around the fortress of the brothers comes

ex summis montium cacuminibus. The Asgard stream comes from the

collector of the thunder-cloud, Eikthynir, who stands on the summit of

the world of the gods. The kindled vaferflames, which did not suit an

historical narration, are explained by Saxo to be a spumeus candor, a

foaming whiteness, a shining froth, which in uniform, eddying billows

everywhere whirl on the surface of the stream, (tota alvei tractu undis

uniformiter turbidatis spumeus ubique candor exuberat).



(f) The only horse which was able to run through the shining and

eddying foam is clearly one of the mythic horses. It is named along with

another prodigy from the animal kingdom of mythology, viz., the terrible

dog of the giant Offotes. Whether this is a reminiscence of Fenrir

which was kept for some time in Asgard, or of Odin's wolf-dog Freki,

or of some other saga-animal of that sort, we will not now decide.



(g) Just as Asgard has an artfully contrived gate, so has also the

citadel of the brothers. Saxo's description of the gate implies that any

person who does not know its character as a drawbridge, but lays violent

hands on the mechanism which holds it in an upright position, falls, and

is crushed under it. This explains the words of Fjoelsvinnsmal about the

gate to that citadel, within which Freyja-Menglad dwells: Fjoeturr



fastr verdr vid faranda hvern, er hana hefr fra hlidi.



(h) In the myth, it is Njord himself who removes the obstacle, "Odin's

great gate," placed in his way. In Saxo's account, it is Fridlevus

himself who accomplishes the same exploit.



(i) In Saxo's narration occurs an improbability, which is explained by

the fact that he has transformed a myth into history. When Fridlevus is

safe across the stream, he raises a ladder against the wall and climbs

up on to it. Whence did he get this ladder, which must have been

colossal, since the wall he got over in this manner is said to be

praealtum? Could he have taken it with him on the horse's back? Or did

the besieged themselves place it against the wall as a friendly aid to

the foe, who was already in possession of the only means for crossing

the stream? Both assumptions are alike improbable. Saxo had to take

recourse to a ladder, for he could not, without damaging the

"historical" character of his story, repeat the myth's probable

description of the event. The horse which can gallop through the

bickering flame can also leap over the highest wall. Sleipner's ability

in this direction is demonstrated in the account of how it, with Hermod

in the saddle, leaps over the wall to Balder's high hall in the lower

world (Younger Edda, 178). The impassibility of the Asgard wall is

limited to mountain-giants and frost-giants; for a god riding Odin's

horse the wall was no obstacle. No doubt the myth has also stated that

the Asas, after Njord had leaped over the wall and sought out the

above-mentioned place of concealment, found within the wall their

precious horse again, which lately had become the booty of the enemy.

And where else should they have found it, if we regard the stream with

the bickering flames as breaking against the very foot of the wall?



Finally, it should be added, that our myths tell of no other siege than

the one Asgard was subjected to by the Vans. If other sieges have been

mentioned, they cannot have been of the same importance as this one, and

consequently they could not so easily have left traces in the mythic

traditions adapted to history or heroic poetry; nor could a historicised

account of a mythic siege which did not concern Asgard have preserved

the points here pointed out, which are in harmony with the story of the

Asgard siege.



When the citadel of the gods is captured, the gods are, as we have seen,

once more in possession of the steed, which, judging from its qualities,

must be Sleipner. Thus Odin has the means of escaping from the enemy

after all resistance has proved impossible. Thor has his thundering car,

which, according to the Younger Edda, has room for several besides the

owner, and the other Asas have splendid horses (Grimnism., Younger

Edda), even though they are not equal to that of their father. The Asas

give up their throne of power, and the Vans now assume the rule of the

world.



[Footnote 21: The author of Bragaraedur in the Younger Edda has

understood this passage to mean that the Asas, when they saw Thjasse

approaching, carried out a lot of shavings, which were kindled (!)]



[Footnote 22: In the same poem the elf-artist, Dainn, and the

"dwarf"-artist, Dvalinn, are symbolised as stags, the wanderer Ratr (see

below) as a squirrel, the wolf-giant Grafvitner's sons as serpents,

the bridge Bifrost as a fish (see No. 93), &c. Fortunately for the

comprehension of our mythic records such symbolising is confined to a

few strophes in the poem named, and these strophes appear to have

belonged originally to an independent song which made a speciality of

that sort of symbolism, and to have been incorporated in Grimnismal in

later times.]



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