Page:The Mythology of the Aryan Nations.djvu/523

Rh of Alkinoos is the house of feasting, where the dancers are never CHAP, weary, and the harp is never silent.

But the poet carries us to the true Phaiakian domain, when The fleets he makes Alkinoos say that though his people are not good boxers or wrestlers, none can outrun them on land or rival their skill on ship- board ; and Ave may well suppose that some consciousness of the meaning of his tale must have been present to the mind of the bard as he recounted the wonders of the Phaiakian ships. These myste- rious vessels have neither helmsmen nor rudders, rigging nor tackling ; but they know the thoughts and the minds of men. There is not a city nor a cornfield throughout the wide earth which they fail to visit, as they traverse the sea veiled in mist and cloud ; and in this their ceaseless vo)'aging they dread no disaster.^ No bark of that goodly fleet has ever been stranded or wTecked, for so the gods have ordained for the blameless leaders and guides of all across the sounding seas. Far in the distance only looms a danger of which the Aise Nausithoos has dimly warned the king ; and whence can the peril come but from Poseidon, whose huge and ungentle offspring drove them from their ancient heritage ? But whether the sea-god Avill really be able to fulfil his threat and sink the gallant Phaiakian bark, is a matter which Alkinoos is content to leave to the disposal of God. So in the light of a sun which has not yet gone down dwell the happy Phaiakian people ; but their beautiful ships are seen not only by Achaian eyes. The old Teutonic poet also beheld Skidbladnir, the magic bark of Freya ; the Icelander saw the good ship Ellide, as the wish-breeze bore them along to their destination. Nor were these the only vessels endowed with the power and wisdom of the Phaiakian ships. The divine Argo can speak the language of men, and guide its crew to the land which they seek ; but at this point the story of the speaking vessel becomes mingled with images which belong to another set of myths. The Argo contains within itself all the warriors of the Achaian land, and Skidbladnir, which can carry all the JEsiT, may yet be folded up like a mist and carried in the hand like a garment One question only remains. If the ships of Alkinoos have neither helm, nor rudder, nor rigging, what can

Dan the ship has become an iron boat ; short, each time that the club (of the but still "it sails of itself, if you only Maruts) is raised, the fiercer will be say, Boat, boat, go on. In that boat the storm. The old myth is still further there is an iron club, and that club you apparent in the concluding direction, must lift a little when you see the ship " Vhen you've got to land, you've no [which is bearing away the dawn- need to bother yourself at all about the maiden] straight ahead of you, and then boat ; first turn it about and shove it off they'll get such a rattling fair breeze, and say. Boat, boat, go back home."
 * In the Norse story of Big Bird they'll forget to look at you." In