poetical and more practical, the first or mythical meaning
of these stories was forgotten, and they were regarded no
longer as mere poetical fancies, but as historical facts.
Perhaps some real hero had indeed performed daring deeds,
and had made the world around him happier and better. It was
easy to liken him to Sigurd, or to some other mythical
slayer of giants; and soon the deeds of both were ascribed
to but one. And thus many myth-stories probably contain some
historical facts blended with the mass of poetical fancies
which mainly compose them; but, in such cases, it is
generally impossible to distinguish what is fact from what
is mere fancy.

All nations have had their myth-stories; but, to my mind,
the purest and grandest are those which we have received
from our northern ancestors. They are particularly
interesting to us; because they are what our fathers once
believed, and because they are ours by right of inheritance.
And, when we are able to make them still more our own by
removing the blemishes which rude and barbarous ages have
added to some of them, we shall discover in them many things
that are beautiful and true, and well calculated to make us
wiser and better.

It is not known when or by whom these myth-stories were
first put into writing, nor when they assumed the shape in
which we now have them. But it is said, that, about the year
1100, an Icelandic scholar called Saemund the Wise collected
a number of songs and poems into a book which is now known
as the "Elder Edda;" and that, about a century later, Snorre