Page:Norse mythology or, the religion of our forefathers, containing all the myths of the Eddas, systematized and interpreted with an introduction, vocabulary and index.djvu/461



[In Cumberland, England, are three farms: High-garth, Middle-garth, Low-garth.] The mid-yard, middle-town, that is, the earth, is a mythological word common to all the ancient Teutonic languages. Ulfilas renders the Gr. [Greek: oikoumenê] by midjungards; Heliand calls the earth middil-gard; the Anglo-Saxon homilies, instead of earth, say middan-geard (meddlert, Jamieson), and use the word us an appellative; but the Icelandic Edda alone has preserved the true mythical bearing of this old Teutonic word. The earth (Midgard), the abode of men, is seated in the middle of the universe, bordered by mountains and surrounded by the great sea (ûthaf); on the other side of this sea is the Utgard (out-yard), the abode of the giants; the Midgard is defended by the yard to burgh Asgard (the burgh of the gods) lying in the middle (the heaven being conceived as rising above the earth). Thus the earth and mankind are represented as a stronghold besieged by the powers of evil from without, defended by the gods from above and from within. Midgard.

[The serpent of Midgaard]. The world-serpent hidden in the ocean, whose coils gird around the whole Midgard. Thor once fishes for him, and gets him on his hook. In Ragnarok Thor slays him, but falls himself poisoned by his breath. Midgard-serpent.

A mythic tree; no doubt the same as Ygdrasil. It derives its name from Mimer, and means Mimer's tree. Mimameider.

The name of the wise giant keeper of the holy well Mímis-brunnr, the burn (bourn, brun) of Mimer, the well of wisdom, in which Odin pawned his eye for wisdom; a myth which is explained as symbolical of the heavenly vault with its single eye, the sun, setting in the sea. Is the likeness of the word to the Latin memor only accidental? The true etymology of Mímir is not known. Mimer.

[The derivation from mala or mola (to crush) is, though probable, not certain. The word may be akin to Goth. milhma, cloud; Swed. moln; Dan. mulm; Norse molnas (Ivor Aasen), to grow dark from bands of clouds arising.] Thor's formidable hammer. After Ragnarok, it is possessed by his sons Mode and Magne. Mjolner.