390
THE SAXONS IN ENGLAND.
[book i.
of Germany, but in our own common name for the
devil, Old Nick. According to the account given in
Beowulf, these were supernatural, elvish creatures
haunting the lakes, rivers and seas, ever on the
watch to injure the wayfarer, and apparently en-
dowed with the power of creating tempests. In this
Semi-Christian view they were fiendish and savage
enemies of the sailor, whom they pursued with horns
and tusks, dragged to the bottom of the waves and
then no doubt devoured1. Probably, like other su-
pernatural beings dreaded by our forefathers, they
were included in the family of ogres and monsters
descended from the first homicide. Yet it may be
doubted whether this was the original and heathen
sense of the word Nicor. As IaJe as the thirteenth
century I find in an old German glossary Neckar
translated by Neptunus, the god of the sea ; and it
is notorious that one of the names borne by O∫>inn,
whenever he appears as a sea-god is Hnikujrr and
Nikuz. Hepce it1 is not unlikely that in their
ancient creed, the pagan Saxons recognized Nicor
as Woden. The name Hwala which occurs in the
genealogies, and like Geat may be assumed to be
only another'name of Woden, confirms this view.
Hwala is formed from Hwæl, cetus, just as Scyldwa
is from Scyld, clypeus, and was probably only a
name of Woden as a sea-god. The danger attend-
ing the whale or walrus fishery2 made the first at
least of these animals an object of superstitious
ɪ Beowulf, passim.
2 The fisherman inÆlfric’s dialogue disclaims any intention of whale-
fishing, on account of its dangers. Thorpe, Anal. p. 24.
CS. x∏∙]
HEATHENDOM. NIOOR.
891
dread to the Anglosaxon sailor ; perhaps, as in the
case of the bear, natural peculiarities which are
striking enough even to our more scientific eyes,
helped to give an exceptional character to the mo-
narch of the Northern seas. Be this as it may, it
is not without importance that Hwala should appear
in the genealogies among names many of which
are indisputably Woden’s, that in Scandinavia and
Germany Nikuz or Necker should be names of the
sea-god, and that till a very late period,—when
the heathen gods had everywhere assumed the garb
of fiends and devils,—the Nicor should appear as
the monster of the deep par excellence. The mira-
culous power attributed to the Nicor,—in Beowulf
he is called “ wundorlic wægbora,” a supernatural
bringer of the waves,—is in itself evidence of earlier
godhead ; and in this sense I am disposed to identify
him with the demon marinus whom St. Gall defeated
by his constant watchfulness. In his altered and
degraded form we may also recognize the demon of
the lines lately cited, who stabs the horse with his
horns while crossing the water. The beautiful Nix
or Nixie who allures the young fisher or hunter to
seek her embraces in the wave which brings his
death, the Neck who seizes upon and drowns the
maidens who sport upon his banks, the river-spirit
who still yearly in some parts of Germany demands
tribute of human life, are all forms of the ancient
Nicor ; but more genuine perhaps,—certainly more
pleasing,—is the Swedish Stromkarl, who from
the jewelled bed of his river, watches with delight
the children gambol in the adjoining meadows, and