heroes and hero worship-第7节

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radition。　　Runes　are　the　Scandinavian　Alphabet；　suppose　Odin　to　have　been　the　inventor　of　Letters；　as　well　as　〃magic；〃　among　that　people！　　It　is　the　greatest　invention　man　has　ever　made！　　this　of　marking　down　the　unseen　thought　that　is　in　him　by　written　characters。　　It　is　a　kind　of　second　speech；　almost　as　miraculous　as　the　first。　　You　remember　the　astonishment　and　incredulity　of　Atahualpa　the　Peruvian　King；　how　he　made　the　Spanish　Soldier　who　was　guarding　him　scratch　_Dios_　on　his　thumb…nail；　that　he　might　try　the　next　soldier　with　it；　to　ascertain　whether　such　a　miracle　was　possible。　　If　Odin　brought　Letters　among　his　people；　he　might　work　magic　enough！

Writing　by　Runes　has　some　air　of　being　original　among　the　Norsemen：　　not　a　Phoenician　Alphabet；　but　a　native　Scandinavian　one。　　Snorro　tells　us　farther　that　Odin　invented　Poetry；　the　music　of　human　speech；　as　well　as　that　miraculous　runic　marking　of　it。　　Transport　yourselves　into　the　early　childhood　of　nations；　the　first　beautiful　morning…light　of　our　Europe；　when　all　yet　lay　in　fresh　young　radiance　as　of　a　great　sunrise；　and　our　Europe　was　first　beginning　to　think；　to　be！　　Wonder；　hope；　infinite　radiance　of　hope　and　wonder；　as　of　a　young　child's　thoughts；　in　the　hearts　of　these　strong　men！　　Strong　sons　of　Nature；　and　here　was　not　only　a　wild　Captain　and　Fighter；　discerning　with　his　wild　flashing　eyes　what　to　do；　with　his　wild　lion…heart　daring　and　doing　it；　but　a　Poet　too；　all　that　we　mean　by　a　Poet；　Prophet；　great　devout　Thinker　and　Inventor；as　the　truly　Great　Man　ever　is。　　A　Hero　is　a　Hero　at　all　points；　in　the　soul　and　thought　of　him　first　of　all。　　This　Odin；　in　his　rude　semi…articulate　way；　had　a　word　to　speak。　　A　great　heart　laid　open　to　take　in　this　great　Universe；　and　man's　Life　here；　and　utter　a　great　word　about　it。　　A　Hero；　as　I　say；　in　his　own　rude　manner；　a　wise；　gifted；　noble…hearted　man。　　And　now；　if　we　still　admire　such　a　man　beyond　all　others；　what　must　these　wild　Norse　souls；　first　awakened　into　thinking；　have　made　of　him！　　To　them；　as　yet　without　names　for　it；　he　was　noble　and　noblest；　Hero；　Prophet；　God；　_Wuotan_；　the　greatest　of　all。　　Thought　is　Thought；　however　it　speak　or　spell　itself。　Intrinsically；　I　conjecture；　this　Odin　must　have　been　of　the　same　sort　of　stuff　as　the　greatest　kind　of　men。　　A　great　thought　in　the　wild　deep　heart　of　him！　　The　rough　words　he　articulated；　are　they　not　the　rudimental　roots　of　those　English　words　we　still　use？　　He　worked　so；　in　that　obscure　element。　　But　he　was　as　a　_light_　kindled　in　it；　a　light　of　Intellect；　rude　Nobleness　of　heart；　the　only　kind　of　lights　we　have　yet；　a　Hero；　as　I　say：　and　he　had　to　shine　there；　and　make　his　obscure　element　a　little　lighter；as　is　still　the　task　of　us　all。

We　will　fancy　him　to　be　the　Type　Norseman；　the　finest　Teuton　whom　that　race　had　yet　produced。　　The　rude　Norse　heart　burst　up　into　_boundless_　admiration　round　him；　into　adoration。　　He　is　as　a　root　of　so　many　great　things；　the　fruit　of　him　is　found　growing　from　deep　thousands　of　years；　over　the　whole　field　of　Teutonic　Life。　　Our　own　Wednesday；　as　I　said；　is　it　not　still　Odin's　Day？　　Wednesbury；　Wansborough；　Wanstead；　Wandsworth：　　Odin　grew　into　England　too；　these　are　still　leaves　from　that　root！　　He　was　the　Chief　God　to　all　the　Teutonic　Peoples；　their　Pattern　Norseman；in　such　way　did　_they_　admire　their　Pattern　Norseman；　that　was　the　fortune　he　had　in　the　world。

Thus　if　the　man　Odin　himself　have　vanished　utterly；　there　is　this　huge　Shadow　of　him　which　still　projects　itself　over　the　whole　History　of　his　People。　　For　this　Odin　once　admitted　to　be　God；　we　can　understand　well　that　the　whole　Scandinavian　Scheme　of　Nature；　or　dim　No…scheme；　whatever　it　might　before　have　been；　would　now　begin　to　develop　itself　altogether　differently；　and　grow　thenceforth　in　a　new　manner。　　What　this　Odin　saw　into；　and　taught　with　his　runes　and　his　rhymes；　the　whole　Teutonic　People　laid　to　heart　and　carried　forward。　　His　way　of　thought　became　their　way　of　thought：such；　under　new　conditions；　is　the　history　of　every　great　thinker　still。　　In　gigantic　confused　lineaments；　like　some　enormous　camera…obscure　shadow　thrown　upwards　from　the　dead　deeps　of　the　Past；　and　covering　the　whole　Northern　Heaven；　is　not　that　Scandinavian　Mythology　in　some　sort　the　Portraiture　of　this　man　Odin？　　The　gigantic　image　of　_his_　natural　face；　legible　or　not　legible　there；　expanded　and　confused　in　that　manner！　　Ah；　Thought；　I　say；　is　always　Thought。　　No　great　man　lives　in　vain。　　The　History　of　the　world　is　but　the　Biography　of　great　men。

To　me　there　is　something　very　touching　in　this　primeval　figure　of　Heroism；　in　such　artless；　helpless；　but　hearty　entire　reception　of　a　Hero　by　his　fellow…men。　　Never　so　helpless　in　shape；　it　is　the　noblest　of　feelings；　and　a　feeling　in　some　shape　or　other　perennial　as　man　himself。　　If　I　could　show　in　any　measure；　what　I　feel　deeply　for　a　long　time　now；　That　it　is　the　vital　element　of　manhood；　the　soul　of　man's　history　here　in　our　world；it　would　be　the　chief　use　of　this　discoursing　at　present。　　We　do　not　now　call　our　great　men　Gods；　nor　admire　_without_　limit；　ah　no；　_with_　limit　enough！　But　if　we　have　no　great　men；　or　do　not　admire　at　all；that　were　a　still　worse　case。

This　poor　Scandinavian　Hero…worship；　that　whole　Norse　way　of　looking　at　the　Universe；　and　adjusting　oneself　there；　has　an　indestructible　merit　for　us。　A　rude　childlike　way　of　recognizing　the　divineness　of　Nature；　the　divineness　of　Man；　most　rude；　yet　heartfelt；　robust；　giantlike；　betokening　what　a　giant　of　a　man　this　child　would　yet　grow　to！It　was　a　truth；　and　is　none。　　Is　it　not　as　the　half…dumb　stifled　voice　of　the　long…buried　generations　of　our　own　Fathers；　calling　out　of　the　depths　of　ages　to　us；　in　whose　veins　their　blood　still　runs：　　〃This　then；　this　is　what　we　made　of　the　world：　　this　is　all　the　image　and　notion　we　could　form　to　ourselves　of　this　great　mystery　of　a　Life　and　Universe。　　Despise　it　not。　　You　are　raised　high　above　it；　to　large　free　scope　of　vision；　but　you　too　are　not　yet　at　the　top。　　No；　your　notion　too；　so　much　enlarged；　is　but　a　partial；　imperfect　one；　that　matter　is　a　thing　no　man　will　ever；　in　time　or　out　of　time；　comprehend；　after　thousands　of　years　of　ever…new　expansion；　man　will　find　himself　but　struggling　to　comprehend　again　a　part　of　it：　　the　thing　is　larger　shall　man；　not　to　be　comprehended　by　him；　an　Infinite　thing！〃


The　essence　of　the　Scandinavian；　as　indeed　of　all　Pagan　Mythologies；　we　found　to　be　recognition　of　the　divineness　of　Nature；　sincere　communion　of　man　with　the　mysterious　invisible　Powers　visibly　seen　at　work　in　the　world　round　him。　　This；　I　should　say；　is　more　sincerely　done　in　the　Scandinavian　than　in　any　Mythology　I　know。　　Sincerity　is　the　great　characteristic　of　it。　Superior　sincerity　（far　superior）　consoles　us　for　the　total　want　of　old　Grecian　grace。　　Sincerity；　I　think；　is　better　than　grace。　　I　feel　that　these　old　Northmen　wore　looking　into　Nature　with　open　eye　and　soul：　　most　earnest；　honest；　childlike；　and　yet　manlike；　with　a　great…hearted　simplicity　and　depth　and　freshness；　in　a　true；　loving；　admiring；　unfearing　way。　　A　right　valiant；　true　old　race　of　men。　　Such　recognition　of　Nature　one　finds　to　be　the　chief　element　of　Paganism；　recognition　of　Man；　and　his　Moral　Duty；　though　this　too　is　not　wanting；　comes　to　be　the　chief　element　only　in　purer　forms　of　religion。　　Here；　indeed；　is　a　great　distinction　and　epoch　in　Human　Beliefs；　a　great　landmark　in　the　religious　development　of　Mankind。　　Man　first　puts　himself　in　relation　with　Nature　and　her　Powers；　wonders　and　worships　over　those；　not　till　a　later　epoch　does　he　discern　that　all　Power　is　Moral；　that　the　grand　point　is　the　distinction　for　him　of　Good　and　Evil；　of　_Thou　shalt_　and　_Thou　shalt　not_。

With　regard　to　all　these　fabulous　delineations　in　the　_Edda_；　I　will　remark；　moreover；　as　indeed　was　already　hinted；　that　most　probably　they　must　have　been　of　much　newer　date；　most　probably；　even　from　the　first；　were　comparatively　idle　for　the　old　Norsemen；　and　as　it　were　a　kind　of　Poetic　sport。　　Allegory　and　Poetic　Delineation；　as　I　said　above；　cannot　be　religious　Faith；　the　Faith　itself　must　first　be　there；　then　Allegory　enough　will　gather　round　it；　as　the　fit　body　round　its　soul。　　The　Norse　Faith；　I　can　well　suppose；　like　other　Faiths；　was　most　active　while　it　lay　mainly　in　the　silent　state；　and　had　not　yet　much　to　say　about　itself；　still　less　to　sing。

Among　those　shadowy　_Edda_　matters；　amid　all　that　fantastic　congeries　of　assertions；　and　traditions；　in　their　musical　Mythologies；　the　main　practical　belief　a　man　could　have　was　probably　not　much　more　than　this：　　of　the　_Valkyrs_　and　the　_Hall　of　Odin_；　of　an　inflexible　_Destiny_；　and　that　the　one　thing　needful　for　a　man　was　_to　be　brave_。　　The　_Valkyrs_　are　Choosers　of　the　Slain：　　a　Destiny　inexorable；　which　it　is　useless　trying　to　bend　or　soften；　has　appointed　who　is　to　be　slain；　this　was　a　fundamental　point　for　the　Norse　believer；as　indeed　it　is　for　all　earnest　men　everywhere；　for　a　Mahomet；　a　Luther；　for　a　Napoleon　too。　　It　lies　at　the　basis　this　for　every　such　man；　it　is　the　woof　out　of　which　his　whole　system　of　thought　is　woven。　　The　_Valkyrs_；　and　then　that　these　_Choosers_　lead　the　brave　to　a　heavenly　_Hall　of　Odin_；　only　the　b