Chapters 44-95 - Germanic Mythology

giant-powers believed to be active therein. Although the Germanic gods are in a constant;
more or less violent conflict with the powers of frost, still winter, when it observes its
limits of time, is not an evil but a good divinity, and the cold liquids of Hvergelmir mixed
with those of Urd's and Mimir's fountains are necessary to the world-tree. Still less could
night be referred to the domain of demons. Mother Nott never transgresses the borders of
her power; she never defies the sacred laws, which are established for the order of the
universe. According to the seasons of the year, she divides in an unvarying manner the
twenty-four hours between herself and day. Work and rest must alternate with each other.
Rich in blessing, night comes with solace to the weary, and seeks if possible to sooth the
sufferer with a potion of slumber. Though sombre in appearance (svört og dökk -
Gylfaginning 10), still she is the friend of light. She decorates herself with lunar
effulgence and with starry splendor, with winning twilight in midsummer, and with the
light of snow and of northern aurora in the winter. The following lines in Sigurdrífumál
3-4 sound like a reverberation from the lost liturgic hymns of our heathendom.
Heill Dagur,
heilir Dags synir,
heil Nótt og Nipt!
Óreiðum augum
lítið okkur þinig
og gefið sitjöndum sigur!
Heilir æsir,
heilar ásynjur,
heil sjá in fjölnýta fold!
Hail Dag,
Hail Dag's sons,
Hail Nott and Nipt!
Look down upon us
With benevolent eyes
and give us victory!
Hail Aesir,
Hail Asynjes,
Hail thou bounteous earth!
Of the Germans in the first century after Christ, Tacitus writes (Germania 3):
"They do not, as we, compute time by days but by nights, night seems to lead the day"
(nec dierum numerum, ut nos, sed noctium computant: nox ducere diem videtur). This
was applicable to the Scandinavians as far down as a thousand years later. Time was
computed by nights not by days, and in the phrases from heathen times, nótt ok dagr, nótt
med degi, bæði um nætr ok um daga, night is named before day. Linguistic usage and
mythology are here intimately associated with each other. According to Vafþrúðnismál
25 and Gylfaginning 10, Nott bore with Delling the son Dag, with whom she divided the
administration of the twenty-four hours. Delling is the elf of the morning redness (see No.
35). The symbolism of nature is here distinct as in all theogonies.
Through other divinities, Naglfari and Ónarr (Anarr, Aunarr), Nott is the mother
with the former of Unnr (Uðr), also called Auðr, with the latter of the goddess Jord,
Odin's wife. Unnr means water, Auðr means rich. It has above been shown that Unnr-
Auðr is identical with Njörd, the lord of wealth and commerce, who in the latter capacity
became the protectors of navigators, and to whom sacrifices were offered for a
prosperous voyage. Gods of all clans -- Aesir, Vanir, and Elves -- are thus akin to Nott,
and are descended from her.