Traditions of Lancashire, Volume 1 | Page 9

early
church, still lurk in the pastimes of our rural districts:--the new science
of which we have spoken, by taking cognisance of these and all other
existing sources of legitimate investigation, will settle the source and

affinities of nations upon a plan as much superior to that of Grotius and
his school as fact and reason exceed the guess-work of the theorist and
the historian. Meantime we would cite a few examples that illustrate
and bear more particularly on the subject to which our inquiries have
been directed.
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. Ælfric
and the Nornæ, 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 Parcæ 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, Hephæsti,
Telchines, and Idæan Dactyli. The Brownies and Fairies are of the
same kindred as the Lares of Latium. "The English Puck, the Scottish
Bogle, the French Esprit Follet, or Goblin, the Gobelinus of monkish
Latinity, and the German Kobold, are only varied names for the
Grecian Kobalus, whose sole delight consisted in perplexing the human
race, and calling up those harmless terrors that constantly hover round
the minds of the timid." "The English and Scottish terms, '_Puck,'
'Bogle'_, are the same as the German 'Spuk' and the Danish 'Spogelse,'
without the sibilant aspiration. These words are general names for any
kind of spirit, and correspond to the 'pouk' of Piers Ploughman. In
Danish 'spog' means a joke, trick, or prank, and hence the character of
Robin Goodfellow. In Iceland Puki is regarded as an evil sprite; and in
the language of that country, 'at pukra' means both to make a
murmuring noise and to steal clandestinely. The names of these spirits
seem to have originated in their boisterous temper--'spuken,' Germ. to
make a noise: 'spog,' Dan. obstreperous mirth; 'pukke,' Dan. to boast,
scold. The Germans use 'pochin' in the same figurative sense, though
literally it means to strike, beat; and is the same with our poke."
However varied in name, the persons and attributes of these immaterial
beings have no variance which will not readily be accounted for by the
difference of climate, territorial surface, and any priority that one tribe
had gained