The Yore, rising within five miles of the source of the Swale, after passing Wensleydale, becomes a boundary between the North and West Ridings, till it reaches the vicinity of Ripon, three miles below Masham; and having received the Swale at Myton, six miles below Boroughbridge, changes its name to Ouse, in consequence of the contemptible rivulet so named, joining the river. At Nun Monkton, the Nid, which rising in the north-west extremity of Netherdale passes Pately-Bridge, Ripley, and Knaresborough, falls into the Ouse, which at York is augmented by the Foss, a small stream rising near Craike Castle. From York, the Ouse taking an almost direct southerly course, becomes the boundary between the East and West ridings. At Nun Appleton, about eight miles below York, the Wharfe, which rises at the foot of the Craven hills, and has passed Otley, Wetherby, and Tadcaster, is received. The course of the Ouse is now southeast, by Selby, and thence nearly east till it receives the Derwent. This fresh accession rises in the east moorlands of the North Riding, within about four miles of the sea, and nine from Scarborough; it flows southerly, almost parallel to the coast, till it comes to the foot of the wolds. It then takes a west, and afterwards a south-west direction; and, having received the Rye from Helmsley, passes Malton, to which town it is navigable from the Ouse for vessels of 25 tons. The Derwent is the boundary between the north and east ridings, from its junction with the small river Hertford, till it approaches Stamford bridge, where it enters the east riding, within which it runs till it falls into the Ouse, near the village of Barnsley, about three miles and a half above Howden. After receiving the Derwent, the Ouse continues nearly southeast, and within less than a quarter of a mile from Boothferry, is joined by the Aire. This river, rising in the Craven mountains, flows along Airedale in a south-east line, passing Leeds, and at Castleford receiving the Calder, from this point the Aire holds an easterly course,

1

till within a little distance of Snaith it runs north-east, to meet the Ouse at Armin. About three miles below this junction, at Goole, the Ouse receives the Don, a river rising in the western moors. The OUSE having now received nearly all its Yorkshire waters, is as wide as the Thames at London; and flowing in a north-easterly direction, is still further augmented by the Trent from Lincolnshire, after which confluence it receives the name of HUMBER, the Abers of Ptolemy. At Bromfleet it receives the Foulness, and rolling eastwards, now a volume of water two or three miles in width, at Hull receives the river of that name. A few miles below Hull, and opposite to Hedon and Paul, the Humber takes a direction southeast, and widening into a vast estuary of about six or seven miles in breadth, disembogues itself into the German ocean.

Longstaffe, in his "Richmondshire," notes that the Yore "near Middleham, is much infested with a horrid Kelpie or water-horse, who riseth from the stream at eventide, and rampeth along the meadows eager for prey (p. 96). Certain is it that most marvellous tales of water spirits on and about the stream are not only by

66

-grey-haired eld

in superstitious credence held,"

"

but also by many others; and it is imagined that the Kelpie claims at least one human victim annually. Those who are acquainted with the river cannot be at all surprised that the tribute is, by means of accidents, pretty punctually rendered. A legend of the Ouse is given by a spirited writer in the "St. James's Magazine." "Some hundred years ago, the waters of the Ouse possessed, or were possessed by, a peculiar magic influence which they certainly retain no longer. If any one went to a certain part of the river and cast therein five white pebbles precisely as the cathedral clock struck the first hour of May-morning, he would see displayed on its surface as on a glass whatever of the past, present, or future he desired to have presented to him. Many had tried the experiment, and with success so far as the immediate object was concerned, but the remoter consequences were always most unaccountably fatal to the adventurer." The author then proceeds to exemplify this by a legend, the hero of which, a knight returning homeward from the wars, and desirous of ascertaining the fidelity of his

ladye-love, consults the oracle. He beholds her father's mansion near Scarborough, sees a masked and cloaked youth descend from Julia's window, assisted by a serving man, who conceals the ladder. A dark cloud instantly renders the figures indistinguishable. Maddened with jealousy the knight mounts, flies to the mansion—his horse, overtasked, drops dead, but he arrives in time to see the identical youth re-ascending the ladder, and to stab him to the heart. Alas, for unhallowed prying! The masked cavalier was indeed no other than his own faithful Julia, who had adopted this disguise in order to attend a masque in the neighbourhood, unobserved, and was returned at the moment of her jealous and exasperated lover's arrival. And when the story had got abroad, the terrified and superstitious hearers cried with general consent, "This comes of consulting the magic mirror of the Ouse upon a May-morning!"-St. James's Magazine; vol. ii. p. 244.

The Wensleydale men worshipped Woden and

Thor. p. 10.

The following account of Woden, or Odin, the great and deified leader of the Scandinavian tribes, from whom' all the Royal Houses derived their descent, is taken from "The Heimskringla; or Chronicle of the Kings of Norway," written in Icelandic by Snorro Sturleson, who was born in 1179, and died in 1241. Snorro himself was of the privileged class, claiming descent from Odin and consequently entitled to hold the hereditary office of Godar, which, although no longer including the functions of priest, still allowed its possessor to act as judge in the district where he resided. Of his Chronicle he says, "In this book I have had old stories written down, as I have heard them told by intelligent people, concerning chiefs who have held dominion in the northern countries, and who spoke the Danish tongue; and also concerning some of their family branches, according to what has been told me. Some of this is found in ancient family registers, in which the pedigrees of kings and other personages of high birth are reckoned up, and part is written down after old songs and ballads which our forefathers had for their amusement. Now, although we cannot just say what truth there may be in these, yet we have the certainty that old and wise men held them to be true."

According to the Saga of the Yngling family, there was in northern Asia a river properly called by the name of Tanais, and which falls into the ocean at the Black Sea; and on the east of it was Asaheim; and here was Asguard. "In that city [Asguard] was a chief called Odin, and it was a great place for sacrifice. It was the custom there that twelve temple Godars should both direct the sacrifices, and also judge the people. They were called Diars, or Drotners, and all the people served and obeyed them. Odin was a great and very far travelled 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."

"There goes a great mountain barrier from north-east to south-west, which divides the Greater Sweden from other kingdoms. South of this mountain ridge it is not far from Turkland, where Odin had great possessions. But Odin having foreknowledge, and magic-sight, knew that his posterity would come to settle and dwell in the northern half of the world. In those times the Roman chiefs went wide around in the world, subduing to themselves all people; and on this account many chiefs fled from their domains. Odin set his brothers Ve and Vitir over Asguard; and he himself, with all the gods and a great many other people, wandered out, first westward to Gardarige, [Russia] and then south to Saxland [Germany]. He had many sons; and after having subdued an extensive kingdom in Saxland, he set his sons to defend the country. He himself went northwards to the sea, and took up his abode in an island which is called Odinso in Fyen."

*

"When Odin of Asaland came to the north, and the gods with him, he began to exercise and teach others the arts which the people long afterwards have practised. Odin was the cleverest of all, and from him, all the others learned their magic arts; and he knew them first, and knew many more than other people. But now, to tell why he is held in such respect, we must mention various causes that contributed to it. When sitting among his friends his countenance was so beautiful and friendly, that the spirits of all were exhilarated by it; but when he was in war he appeared fierce and dreadful. This arose from his being able to change his colour and form in any way he liked. Another cause was, that he conversed so cleverly and smoothly, that all who heard were persuaded. He spoke everything in rhyme, such as now composed, and which we call scald-craft. He and his temple-gods were called song-smiths, for from them came that art of song into the northern countries. Odin could make his enemies in battle blind, or deaf, or terrorstruck, and their weapons so blunt that they could no more cut than a willow twig; on the other hand, his men rushed forwards without armour, were as mad as dogs or wolves, bit their shields, and were strong as bears or wild bulls, and killed people at a blow, and neither fire nor iron told upon them. These were called Bersækers. Odin could transform his shape: his body would be as if dead, or asleep; but then he would be in shape of a fish, or worm, or bird, or beast, and be off in a twinkling to distant lands upon his own or other people's business. With words alone he could quench fire, still the ocean in tempest, and turn the wind to any quarter he pleased. Odin had a ship which was called Skidbladnir, in which he sailed over wide seas, and which he could roll up like a cloth. Odin carried with him Mimir's head, which told him all the news of other countries. Sometimes even he called the dead out of the earth, or set himself beside the burial-mounds; whence he was called the ghost-sovereign, and lord of the mounds. He had two ravens, to whom he had taught the speech of man; and they flew far and wide through the land, and brought him the news. In all such things he was pre-eminently wise. He taught all these arts in runes, and songs which are called incantations, and therefore the Asaland people are called Incantation-smiths."

PP