Note 6 — Chapter VI · THE TORJEDAHL.

The god Kvasir, or Unerring Wisdom, was the joint offspring of all the gods, and was created to aid their negociations with the Vanir. His blood, sweetened by mead, forms the drink of Poetic Inspiration, which was guarded by Gunlauth, the daughter of Thjassi, the chief of the Frost Giants. Odin, who was her lover, prevailed on her to give it up to him, and it is at present lodged in the heights of Asgard. That Poetic Inspiration should be wisdom, sweetened by honey and guarded by love, is in itself a beautiful allegory—and not less beautiful that it should be won by the gods and lodged in Heaven;—but the generation of Kvasir involves a most curious anomaly, and that is, that the gods should be able to create a being more intelligent than themselves,—unless, indeed, we interpret the allegory as implying that mutual council is more unerring than the unaided intelligence of any individual.