Nothing seems at first sight more difficult than to establish a community of origin between the gods of Olympus and those of the Scandinavian mythology.  The attempt has often been made, and each time with increased success.  Observe the process adopted in this interesting inquiry.

“Every country in Europe has invested its popular fictions with the same common marvels—­all acknowledge the agency of the lifeless productions of nature; the intervention of the same supernatural machinery; the existence of elves, fairies, dwarfs, giants, witches, and enchanters; the use of spells, charms, and amulets, and all those highly-gifted objects, of whatever form or name, whose attributes refute every principle of human experience, which are to conceal the possessor’s person, annihilate the bounds of space, or command a gratification of all our wishes.  These are the constantly-recurring types which embellish the popular tale:  which have been transferred to the more laboured pages of romance; and which, far from owing their first appearance in Europe to the Arabic conquest of Spain, or the migrations of Odin to Scandinavia, are known to have been current on its eastern verge long anterior to the era of legitimate history.  The Nereids of antiquity, the daughters of the ‘sea-born seer,’ are evidently the same with the mermaids of the British and northern shores.  The inhabitants of both are fixed in crystal caves or coral palaces beneath the waters of the ocean; they are alike distinguished for their partialities to the human race, and their prophetic powers in disclosing the events of futurity.  The Naiads differ only in name from the Nixen of Germany and Scandinavia (Nisser), or the water-elves of our countrymen.  AElfric and the Nornae, who wove the web of life, and sang the fortunes of the illustrious Helga, are but the same companions who attended Ilithyia at the births of Iamos and Hercules,” the venerable Parcae of antiquity.

The Russian Rusalkis are of the same family.  The man-in-the-moon has found a circulation throughout the world.  “The clash of elements in the thunder-storm was ascribed in Hellas to the rolling chariot-wheels of Jove, and in the Scandinavian mythology to the ponderous waggon of the Norwegian Thor.”

To the above extract, which is taken from the excellent preface by the editor to Wharton’s History of English Poetry, may be added the number of high peaks bearing the name of Tor or Thor, seen more especially on both coasts of Devonshire, and which are supposed to signalise the places of his worship.[6] From the same source may be derived affinities equally strong between the Highland Urisks, the Russian Leschies, the Pomeranian or Wendish Berstucs, and the Panes and Panisci who presided over the fields and forests of Arcadia.  The mountains of Germany and Scandinavia are under the governance of a set of metallurgic divinities, who agree with the Cabiri, Hephaesti, Telchines, and Idaean Dactyli.  The Brownies and Fairies are