HERMOD.
Another of Odin’s sons, and his special attendant, was Hermod, a bright
and beautiful young god, who was gifted with such great rapidity of
motion that he was always designated as the swift or nimble god.
“But there was one, the first of all the gods
For speed, and Hermod was his name in Heaven;
Most fleet he was.”
BALDER DEAD (Matthew Arnold).
As Hermod was so remarkably quick the gods usually employed him as
their messenger, and at a mere sign from Odin he was always ready to
speed to any part of the world. As a special mark of favor, the king
of gods gave him a magnificent corselet and helmet, which he often
donned when he took part in war, and sometimes Odin intrusted to his
care the precious spear Gungnir, bidding him cast it over the heads of
combatants about to engage in battle, and thus kindle their ardor into
murderous fury.
“Let us Odin pray
Into our minds to enter;
He gives and grants
Gold to the deserving.
He gave to Hermod
A helm and corselet.”
SÆMUND’S EDDA (Thorpe’s tr.).
As Hermod delighted in battle, he was often called “the valiant
in combat,” and confounded with the god of the universe, Irmin;
he sometimes accompanied the Valkyrs on their ride to earth, and
frequently escorted the warriors to Valhalla, whence he was considered
the leader of the heroic dead.
“To him spake Hermoder and Brage:
‘We meet thee and greet thee from all,
To the gods thou art known by thy valor,
And they bid thee a guest to their hall.’”
OWEN MEREDITH.
Hermod’s distinctive attribute, besides his corselet and helmet, was
a wand or staff called Gambantein, the emblem of his office, which he
carried with him wherever he went.
[Sidenote: Hermod and the soothsayer.]
Once, oppressed by nameless fears for the future, Odin, seeing that
the Norns would not answer his questions, bade Hermod don his armor,
saddle Sleipnir, which he alone was allowed to ride, and hasten off to
the land of the Finns. This people, living in the frozen regions of the
pole, were supposed to have great occult powers, and to be able to call
up the cold storms which swept down from the North, bringing plenty of
ice and snow in their train.
The most noted among all these conjuring Finns was Rossthiof (the horse
thief), who was wont to entice travelers into his realm by magic arts,
only to rob and slay them; but although he could predict the future, he
was always very reluctant indeed to do so.
Hermod, “the swift,” had no sooner received Allfather’s directions than
he started out, riding rapidly northward, and brandishing, instead of
his own wand, Odin’s runic staff, which had the power of dispelling
all the obstacles that Rossthiof conjured up to hinder his advance.
In spite, therefore, of phantom-like monsters and of invisible snares
and pitfalls, Hermod safely reached the conjurer’s abode, and when the
giant began to attack him, soon mastered him, bound him hand and foot,
and declared he would set him free only if he promised to reveal all
that he wished to know.
Rossthiof, seeing there was no hope of escape, pledged himself to do
all the god wished, and as soon as he was free began to mutter terrible
incantations, at the mere sound of which the sun hid behind the clouds,
the earth trembled and quivered, and the storm winds howled like a pack
of hungry wolves.
Pointing to the horizon, the conjurer now bade Hermod look, and the
swift god saw a great stream of blood redden all the ground. While
he was gazing wonderingly at this stream, a beautiful woman suddenly
appeared, and a moment later a little boy stood beside her. To the
god’s amazement, this child grew with such marvelous rapidity that he
soon attained his full growth, and then only did Hermod notice that he
fiercely brandished a bow and arrows.
As Hermod was gazing fixedly upon this vision, Rossthiof began to
speak, and declared that the stream of blood portended the murder of
one of Odin’s sons, but that if the father of the gods wooed and won
Rinda, in the land of the Ruthenes (Russia), she would bear him a son
who would attain his full growth in a few hours and would soon avenge
his brother’s death.
“Rind a son shall bear,
In the western halls:
He shall slay Odin’s son,
When one night old.”
SÆMUND’S EDDA (Thorpe’s tr.).
Satisfied with this prophecy, Hermod returned to Asgard, where he
reported all he had seen and heard to Odin. The father of the gods thus
definitely ascertained that he was doomed to lose a son by a violent
death. He soon consoled himself, however, by the thought that another
of his descendants would avenge the murder and thereby obtain all the
satisfaction which a true Northerner ever required.