File:The Open court (1897) (14595581208).jpg

Identifier: opencourt11_1897caru (find matches)
Title: The Open court
Year: 1887 (1880s)
Authors: Carus, Paul, 1852-1919
Subjects: Religion
Publisher: Chicago : The Open Court Pub. Co.
Contributing Library: The Newberry Library
Digitizing Sponsor: CARLI: Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois

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r destruction. The germ of deathwas in their nature from the beginning, and this germ would grad-ually develop as their strength gradually became wasted and con-sumed. That which is born must die, but that which is not borncannot grow old. The gradual growth of this germ of death, and correspond-ing waste of the strength of the gods, is profoundly sketchedthroughout the mythology. The gods cannot be conquered unlessthey make themselves weak ; but such is the very nature of thingsthat they must do this. To win the charming Gerd, Frey mustgive away his sword, but when the great final conflict comes hehas no weapon. In order that the Fenris-wolf may be chained,Tyr must risk his right hand, and he loses it. How shall he thenfight in Ragnarok? Balder could not have died had not the godsbeen blind and presumptuous ; their thoughtlessness put weapons 184 THE OPEN COURT. into the hands of their enemy. Hoder would never have thrownthe fatal mistletoe had not their own appointed game been an m-
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ducement to him to honor his brother. When Loke became sepa-rated from Odin the death of the gods was a foregone conclusion.Our old Gothic fathers, in the poetic dawn of our race, in-vestigated the origin and beginning of nature and time. The divine THE RELIGION OF OUR ANCESTORS. 185 poetic and imaginative spark in them lifted them up to the Eter-nal, to that wonderful secret fountain which is the source of allthings. They looked about them in profound meditation to findthe image and reflection of that glorious harmony which their soulin its heavenly flights had found, but in all earthly things they dis-covered strife and warfare. When the storms bent the pine treeson the mountain tops, and when the foaming waves rolled ingigantic fury against the rocky cliffs, the Norseman saw strife.When the growl of the bear and the howl of the wolf blended withthe moaning of the winds and the roaring of the waters, he heardstrife. In unceasing conflict with the earth, with the beasts, andwith each

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