each morning, rode across the upper world, and sank into his grave at
night.

Day after day, as the sun's power diminished, these primitive people
feared that he would eventually be overcome by darkness and forced to
remain in the under world.

When, therefore, after many months, he apparently wheeled about and
grew stronger and stronger, they felt that he had been born again. So
it came about that at _Hweolor-tid_, "the turning-time,"[1] there was
great rejoicing at the annual re-birth of the sun.

In the myths and legends of these, our Indo-European ancestors, we
find the origin of many of the Yule-tide customs now in vogue.

[Footnote 1: Yule-tide]

According to the Younger Edda, Wodin or Odin, the pioneer of the
North, a descendant of Saturn, fled out of Asia. Going through Russia
to Saxland (Germany), he conquered that country and left one of his
sons as ruler. Then he visited Frankland, Jutland, Sweden, and Norway
and established each one of his many sons on a throne.

This pioneer traveler figures under nearly two hundred different
names, and so it is difficult to follow him in his wanderings. As
Wodin, he established throughout the northern nations many of the
observances and customs common to the people of the Northland to-day.

The Edda gives an ancient account of Balder, the sun-god, who was
slain because of the jealousy of Loki (fire). Loki knew that