be added, fome of which will occasionally arise in the future courfe of our inquiries. It is notorious, that many traces of oriental ufages are found amongst all the European nations during their pagan ftate; and this phenomenon is rationally refolved, on the supposition that all Europe was originally peopled from the eaft. But as the refemblance which the pagan Scandinavians bore to the eastern nations in manners, monuments, opinions, and practices, is fo very perceptible and apparent, an inference arises, that their migration from the east must have happened at a period by many ages more recent, and therefore most probably about the time specified by their historians. In the mean time we must remember, that a diftinction is to be made between this expedition of Odin's Goths, who formed a fettlement in Scandinavia, and those innumerable armies of barbarous adventurers, who fome centuries afterwards, diftinguished by the fame name, at different periods overwhelmed Europe, and at length extinguished the Roman empire. When we confider the rapid conquefts of the nations which may be comprehended under the common name of Scythians, and not only thofe conducted by Odin, but by Attila, Theodoric, and Genferic, we cannot afcribe fuch fucceffes to brutal courage only. To say that some of these irresistible conquerors made war on a luxurious, effeminate, and enervated people, is a plaufible and eafy mode of accounting for their conquefts: but this reafon will not operate with equal force in the hiftories of Genghizcan and Odin himself was not only a warrior, but a magician, and his Afiatics were called Incantationum auctores. Chron. Norweg. apud Bartholin. L. iii. c. 2. p. 657. Crymog. Arngrim. L. i. cap. vii. p. 511. From this fource, thofe who adopt the principles juft mentioned in this difcourfe, may be inclined to think, that the notion of spells got into the ritual of chivalry. In all legal fingle combats, each champion attested upon oath, that he did not carry about him any herb, SPELL, or ENCHANTMENT. Dugdal. Orig. Juridic. p. 82. See Hickes's account of the filver Dano-Saxon shield, dug up in the ifle of Ely, having a magical Runic infcription, fuppofed to render thofe who bore it in battle invulnerable. Apud Hickef. Thefaur. Differtat. Epiftol. p. 187. Tamerlane, Tamerlane, who deftroyed mighty empires founded on arms and military difcipline, and who baffled the efforts of the ableft leaders. Their fcience and genius in war, fuch as it then was, cannot therefore be doubted: that they were not deficient in the arts of peace, I have already hinted, and now proceed to produce more particular proofs. Innumerable and very fundamental errors have crept into our reasonings and systems about favage life, refulting merely from those ftrong and undistinguishing notions of barbarifm, which our prejudices have haftily formed concerning the character of all rude nations 1. Among other arts which Odin's Goths planted in Scandinavia, their skill in poetry, to which they were addicted in a peculiar manner, and which they cultivated with a wonderful enthusiasm, feems to be most worthy our regard, and especially in our prefent inquiry. As the principal heroes of their expedition into the north were honourably diftinguished from the Europeans, or original Scandinavians, under the name of AsÆ, or Afiatics, so the verses, or language, of this people, were denominated ASAMAL, or ASIATIC fpeech *. Their poetry contained not only the praises of their heroes, but their popular traditions and their religious rites; and was filled with those fictions which the most exaggerated pagan fuperftition would naturally implant in the wild imaginations of an Afiatic people. And from this principle alone, I mean of their Afiatic origin, fome critics would at once account for a certain capricious spirit of extravagance, and thofe bold eccentric conceptions, which fo ftrongly distinguish the old northern poetry'. Nor 1 See this argument purfued in the following DISSERTATION. Linguam Danicam antiquam, cujus in rythmis ufus fuit, veteres appellarunt "ASAMAL, id eft Afiaticam, vel ASARUM SERMONEM; quod eum ex Afia Odinus fecum in Daniam, Norwegiam, Sueciam, "aliafque regiones feptentrionales, invex erit." Steph. Stephan. Præfat. ad Saxon. Grammat. Hift. A most ingenious critic obferves, that "what we have been long accustomed to call the ORIENTAL VEIN of poetry, ❝because some of the EARLIEST poetical "productions have come to us from the "caft, is probably no more ORIENTAL than is this fantastic imagery, the only mark of Afiaticism which appears in the Runic odes. They have a certain fublime and figurative caft of diction, which is indeed one of their predominant characteristics ". I am very fenfible that all rude nations are naturally apt to cloath their fentiments in this style. A propenfity to this mode of expreffion is neceffarily occafioned by the poverty of their language, which obliges them frequently to fubftitute fimilitudes and circumlocutions: it arifes in great measure from feelings undisguised and unrestrained by custom or art, and from the genuine efforts of nature working more at large in uncultivated minds. In the infancy of society, the paffions and the imagination are alike uncontrouled. But another caufe feems to have concurred in producing the effect here mentioned. When obvious terms and phrases evidently occurred, the Runic poets are fond of departing from the common and efstablished diction. They appear to use circumlocution and comparisons not as a matter of neceffity, but of choice and skill: nor are these metaphorical colourings fo much the refult of want of words, as of warmth of fancy ". than OCCIDENTAL." Blair's Crit. Diff. on Offian. vol. ii. p. 317. But all the LA- m Thus, a Rainbow is called, the bridge of the gods. Poetry, the mead of Odin. The earth, the veffel that floats on ages. A fhip, the horse of the waves. Ice, the vast bridge. Herbs, the fleece of the earth. A Battle, a bath of blood, the bail of Odin, the shock of bucklers. A Tongue, the word of words. Night, the veil of cares. Rocks, the bones of the earth. Arrows, the hailstones of helmets, &c. &c. n In a ftrict geographical fenfe, the original country of thefe Afiatic Goths might not be fo fituated as phyfically to have produced these effects. Yet it is to be obferved, that intercourfe and vicinity are in this cafe fometimes equivalent to climate. The Perfian traditions and fuperftitions were current even in the northern parts of Tartary. Georgia, however, may be fairly confidered as a part of Perfia. It is equal in fertility to any of the eaftern Turkish provinces in Afia. It affords the richeft wines, and other luxuries of life, in the greatest abundance. The most beautiful virgins for the feraglio are fetched from this province. In the mean time, thus much at leaft may be faid of a warm climate, exclufive of its fuppofed immediate phyfical influence on the human mind and temperament. It exhibits all the productions of nature in their highest perfection and beauty: Their warmth of fancy, however, if fuppofed to have proceeded from the principles above fuggefted, in a few generations after this migration into Scandinavia, must have loft much of its natural heat and genuine force. Yet ideas and sentiments, especially of this fort, once imbibed, are long remembered and retained, in favage life. Their religion, among other causes, might have contributed to keep this spirit aliye; and to preferve their original stock of images, and native mode of expreffion, unchanged and unabated by climate or country. In the mean time we may suppose, that the new fituation of these people in Scandinavia, might have added a darker fhade and a more favage complexion to their former fictions and superstitions; and that the formidable objects of nature to which they became familiarifed in thofe northern folitudes, the piny precipices, the frozen mountains, and the gloomy forefts, acted on their imaginations, and gave a tincture of horror to their imagery. A skill in poetry feems in fome measure to have been a national science among the Scandinavians, and to have been familiar to almost every order and degree. Their kings and warriors partook of this epidemic enthusiasm, and on frequent occafions are represented as breaking forth into spon-taneous fongs and verses. But the exercise of the poetical : beauty while the exceffive heat of the fun, and the fewer incitements to labour and induftry, difpofe the inhabitants to indolence, and to living much abroad in scenes of nature. Thefe circumstances are favourable to the operations of fancy. • Harold Hardraade, king of Norway, compofed fixteen fongs of his expedition into Africa. Afbiorn Pruda, a Danish champion, defcribed his past life in nine ftrophes, while his enemy Bruce, a giant, was tearing out his bowels.i. Tell my mo... ther Suanbita in Denmark, that he will not this fummer comb the hair of her fon. I had promifed her to return, but now my fide fhall feel the edge of the fword. ii. It was far otherwife, when we fate at home in mirth, chearing ourselves with the drink of ale; and coming from Hordeland passed the gulf in our ships; when we quaffed mead,. and converfed of liberty. Now I alone am fallen into the narrow prifons of the giants.. iii. It was far otherwife, &c." Every ftanza is introduced with the fame choral burden. Bartholin. Antiquit. Danic. L. i. cap. 10. P. 158. edit. 1689. The noble epicedium. of Regner Lodbrog is more commonly, known. The champion Orvarodd, after. his expeditions into various countries, fung,. on his death-bed, the most memorable. events of his life in metre. Hallmund, being mortally wounded, commanded his daughter to listen to a poem which he was about to deliver, containing hiftories of his victories,, talent was properly confined to a stated profeffion: and with their poetry the Goths imported into Europe a species of poets or fingers, whom they called SCALDS or POLISHERS of LANGUAGE. This order of men, as we fhall fee more diftinctly below, was held in the higheft honour and veneration: they received the moft liberal rewards for their verfes, attended the festivals of heroic chiefs, accompanied them in battle, and celebrated their victories P. These Scandinavian bards appear to have been esteemed and entertained in other countries befides their own, and by that means to have probably communicated their fictions. to various parts of Europe. I will give my reasons for this fuppofition. In the early ages of Europe, before many regular governments took place, revolutions, emigrations, and invasions, were frequent and almoft univerfal. Nations were alter victories, and to engrave it on tablets of wood. Bartholin. ibid. P. 162, Saxo Grammaticus gives us a regular ode, uttered by the fon of a king of Norway, who by mistake had been buried alive, and was discovered and awakened by a party of foldiers digging for treafure. Sax. Grammat. L. 5. p. 50. There are inftances recorded of their speaking in metre on the most common occurrences. P The Sogdians were a people who lived eastward of the Cafpian fea, not far from the country of Odin's Goths. Quintus Curtius relates, that when some of that people were condemned to death by Alexander on account of a revolt, they rejoiced greatly, and teftified their joy by SING ING VERSES and dancing. When the king enquired the reafon of their joy, they anfwered, "that being foon to be RE"STORED TO THEIR ANCESTORS by fo great a conqueror, they could not help "celebrating fo honourable a death, which was the wISH of all brave men, "in their own ACCUSTOMED SONGS." Lib. vii. c. 8. I am obliged to doctor Percy for pointing out this paffage. From the correfpondence of manners and princi ples it holds forth between the Scandinavians and the Sogdians, it contains a striking proof of Odin's migration from the eaft to the north: firft, in the fpontaneous exercife of the poetical talent; and fecondly, in the opinion, that a glorious or warlike death, which admitted them to the company of their friends and parents in another world, was to be embraced with the moft eager alacrity, and the highest fenfations of pleasure. This is the doctrine of the Edda. In the fame fpirit, RIDENS MORIAR is the triumphant clofe of Regner Lodbrog's dying ode. [See Keyfler, ubi infr. p. 127.] Icannot help adding here another stroke from this ode, which feems alfo to be founded on eastern manHe speaks with great rapture of drinking, ex concavis crateribus craniorum. The inhabitants of the island of Ceylon to this day caroufe at their feafts, from cups or bowls made of the fculls of their deceased ancestors. Ives's VOYAGE TO INDIA, ch. 5. p. 62. Lond. 1773. 4to. This practice these islanders undoubtedly received from the neighbouring continent. Compare Keyfler, Antiquitat. Sel. Septentrional. p. 362. feq. ners. nately |