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latter for their cruel invaders, will account for the utter ignorance of the old Spanish Romancers, in whatever relates to the Mahometan nation, although so nearly their own neighbours."*

In the mean time, and long before any amicable intercourse with the Saracens of Spain took place, the poetry and the manners of Scandinavia were gradually propa gating through Europe. It has already been observed, that towards the commencement of the tenth century Rollo, at the head of his Normans, and at a period when the religion and poetry of his country had attained their highest state of perfection, invaded and conquered an important province of France; and it is remarkable that the first notice we possess in poetry of those celebrated heroes of the eighth century, Charlemagne, Roland and Oliver, originated with a Norman Warrior at the conquest of England.

In William's army was a valiant warrior, named Tailefer, who was distinguished no

* Percy on the Ancient Minstrels, page 29.

less for the minstrel arts, than for his courage and intrepidity. This man asked leave of his commander to begin the onset, and obtained it. He accordingly advanced before the army, and with a loud voice animated his countrymen with songs in praise of Charlemagne and Roland, and other heroes of France; then rushing among the thickest of the English, and valiantly fighting, lost his life.

In the interim, therefore, between the irruption of Rollo into France, and the invasion of England by William, the Normans having embraced Christianity, exchanged likewise the heroes of Scandinavia for those of Christendom, and decorating them with all the chivalric fictions of the North, at length gave birth, after the feudal system, and the first Crusade had established the rage of adventure, to those singular and romantic compilations ascribed to Turpin and Geofrey of Monmouth, the former published about 1122, and the latter probably in 1138.

The introduction of the Feudal System by establishing the order of Knighthood, and

the Crusades in 1096, 1147, and 1188, by inculcating a taste for the magnificence, luxury and polish of the Orientals, together with the influence which after some centuries the Arabian literature of Spain exerted on the western world, at length carried the fictions, the chivalry and deference to the fair sex, which originally burst forth in the wilds of Scandinavia to the highest pitch of perfection, and gave birth to that splendid combination of romantic Valour and highflown Gallantry which so remarkably distinguished the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.

NUMBER LVII.

A few grey stones

Now mark the spot where Odin's temple stood,
And there the traveller seeks with busy eye
His altar green with moss.

SOUTHEY.

WHEN Odin corrupted the simplicity of that religious faith which had existed for so many centuries among his ancestors, he taught his deluded followers to worship with peculiar rites and ceremonies the deities of Valhalla. Sensible of the vast influence which superstition holds over the uncultivated mind, and of its utility in supporting that awe and mystic dread with which he endeavoured to envelope his own character and his assumption of divinity, he taught his cre dulous warriors not only to repose implicit confidence in the theology he had dictated,

but to worship his own person as the first

deity of the system.

Relinquishing, therefore, the simple but rational rites of Scythia as too pure and abstract for his purpose, he introduced the erection of temples, the officiation of Priests and Priestesses, animal sacrifices, oracles, and as we shall presently see, an entire system of magic and demonism.

The religious structures of the Scandinavians were, as might be supposed, at firstrude and inartificial, but, in process of time, owing to their intercourse and connection with other European countries, and their nocessary progress in art and civilization, these, a century or two previous to the introduction of Christianity, became more stately and elaborate, and were sometimes highly rich and magnificent.

Norway, Denmark and Sweden vied with each other in the erection of these holy fabrics. To enumerate these would be tedious and superfluous, we shall therefore content ourselves with noticing their most cele

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