[Footnote 106: Blueland, the country of the blacks in Africa, the country south of Serkland, the modern Ethiopia.]
[Footnote 110: The Tanais is the present Don river, which empties into the Sea of Asov.]
The country east of the Tanaquisl in Asia was called Asaland or Asaheim, and the chief city in that land was called Asgard.[111] In that city was a chief called Odin, and it was a great place for sacrifice. It was the custom there that twelve temple-priests[112] should both direct the sacrifices and also judge the people. They were called priests or masters, and all the people served and obeyed them. Odin was a great and very far-traveled warrior, who conquered many kingdoms, and so successful was he that in every battle the victory was on his side. It was the belief of his people that victory belonged to him in every battle. It was his custom when he sent his men into battle, or on any expedition, that he first laid his hand upon their heads, and called down a blessing upon them; and then they believed their undertaking would be successful. His people also were accustomed, whenever they fell into danger by land or sea, to call upon his name; and they thought that always they got comfort and aid by it, for where he was they thought help was near. Often he went away so long that he passed many seasons on his journeys.
[Footnote 111: Asgard is supposed, by those who look for historical fact in mythological tales, to be the present Assor; others, that it is Chasgar in the Caucasian ridge, called by Strabo Aspargum the Asburg, or castle of the asas. We still have in the Norse tongue the word Aas, meaning a ridge of high land. The word asas is not derived from Asia, as Snorre supposed. It is the O.H. Ger. _ans_; Anglo-Sax. _os_ = a hero. The word also means a pillar; and in this latter sense the gods are the pillars of the universe. Connected with the word is undoubtedly Aas, a mountain-ridge, as supporter of the skies; and this reminds us of _Atlas_, as bearer of the world.]
[Footnote 112: The temple-priests performed the functions of priest and judge, and their office continued hereditary throughout the heathen period of Norse history.]
Odin had two brothers, the one hight Ve, the other Vile,[113] and they governed the kingdom when he was absent. It happened once when Odin had gone to a great distance, and had been so long away that the people of Asia doubted if he would ever return home, that his two brothers took it upon themselves to divide his estate; but both of them took his wife Frigg to themselves. Odin soon after returned home, and took his wife back.