Norris, John (3), an American philanthropist, one of the founders of the theological seminary in Ando- vcr, was born about 1751, and was for many years a re- spectable merchant in Salem, Mass. March 21, 1808, ha gave $10,000 towards establishing the institution at Andover. This was a day of unequalled munificence, for on the same day Messrs. Brown and Bartlet, mer- chants of Newburyport, gave towards the same object, the former $10,000 and the latter $20,000. Mr. Norris li\'ed to see the seminary opened on Sept. 28. He died Dec. 22, 1808. His widow, Mary Norris, died at Salem in 1811, bequeatliing $30,000 to the theological semi- nary at Andover, and the same sum to trustees for the benefit of foreign missions to the heathen. In such es- teem was Mr. Norris held by his fellow-citizens that he was for several years elected a member of the senate of Massachusetts. Obtaining, through the divine blessing upon his industry, an ample fortune, he considered him- self as the steward of God, and his abundant liberality flowed in various channels. Extreme self- diffidence prevented liim from making a public profession of re- ligion; yet his house was a house of prayer, in which the morning and evening sacrifice ascended to the mer- cy-seat; and he once said in a solemn manner, "I would not relinquish my hope that I am a child of God for a thousand worlds." — Allen, Biog. Diet. s. v.
Norrman, L.vurkntius, a learned Swedish prelate, was born April 24, 1651, in Strengnaes. After having studied in several universities of (iermany and Holland, he became in 1680 secretary of the count de La (iardie ; in 1681 he was appointed professor of Oriental languages in Upsala, and was called in 1683 to teach them in the University of Lund. In 1684 he returned to Upsala, where he occupied successively the chairs of metaphys- ics, the Greek language, and theology. He afterwards travelled over Denmark and Germany, and was ap- pointed conservator of the library of Upsala, inspector of the churches of that city, and in 1703 bishop of Gothenburg. He was justly regarded as one of the most skilful philologists of Sweden. He died Mav 21, 1703. We have of his works, De Hellenismo Judaico (Stockholm, 1685) : — De origine collegii electorum Im- perii Germanici (ibid. 1680) -.-De Socrate (ibid. 1686) : — De censore Romano (ibid. 1086) : — De origine Goiho-
riim (ibid. 1687): — De Fadere Amphictyonico (ibid. 1688) : — De saeerdotio Romano Pompiliano (Upsala, 1688) -.—De Scipione Africano (ibid. 1688) :— Z»e A Inbi- ade democratico (ibid. 1688) : — De senatu A reopagitieo (ibid. 1689) : — De cruce veterum (ibid. 1692) : — De causis deficientis suadas Romance (ibid. 1702) : — De typogi-aphia (Hamburg, 1740, 8vo) ; reprinted in the Moniimenta typographica of Wolf: — several other dissertations col- lected with his funeral orations (Stockholm, 1738, 4to). Norrman also edited the Scholia rhetoriea of Phce- bammon ; the Defguris sententice et elocufionis of Alex- ander; the Discourses and Letters of the monk Theod- ulus; two Discourses of Aristides, etc. See Pipping, Meniorice theologorum ; Memoria virorum in Siiecia eruditissimorum (Leips. 1731); Norrelius, Vita Norr- manni (Stockholm, 1738). — .Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Gene- rale, xxxviii, 270.
Norse Mythology. 1. The religion which was cherished by the Norsemen of Norway and Iceland, be- fore the introduction of Christianity in these countries, was the so-called Asa faith. It took its name from the asas, as the gods were called, which it presented as ob- jects to whom man owed reverence and worship. In its most original form this asa-faith was common to all the Teutonic nations, and it spread itself geographically over England, the most of France and Germany, as \vell as over Denmark, Sweden, Norwaj-, and Iceland. It must have sprung into existence in the ancient east- ern homesteads of the Teutonic family of nations before they divided into two groups — the southern, or Ger- manic, and the northern, or (iothic. Hence we might in one sense speak of a Teutonic mythology. This would be the mythology of the Teutonic people, as it was known to them, say four or five hundred years be- fore Christ, while they all lived together in the East, without an}' of the peculiar features that have been added later by any of the several branches of that race. But from that time we have no Teutonic literature or history. In another and more limited sense we must recognise a distinct German, a distinct English, and a distinct Northern mythology, and we must even draw a distinction between the mythological systems of L)en- mark, Sweden, and Norway. How this Teutonic my- thology developed, and what characteristic forms it as- sumed in Germany, England, Denmark, etc., we cannot know accurately, for time has left us but scattered frag- ments of the system of cosmogony and theogony which these nations reared. The different branches of Teu- tonic mythology died and disappeared as Christianity gradually made its way, first in France, about five hun- dred years after the birth of Christ, then in England, one or two hundred years later ; still later in Germany, where the Saxons, Christianized by Charlemagne about the year 800 after Christ, were the last heathen people. In Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland the asa-faith flourished longer and more independently than else- where, and had more favorable opportimities for com- pleting its development. The pagan religion flourished in the north of Europe until about the middle of the llth century ; or, to speak more accurately, Christianity was not completely introduced into Iceland before the year 1000; in Denmark and Norway some twenty or thirty years later, while in Sweden, paganism was not completely rooted out before the year 1150. In all of these countries, excepting Iceland, the overthrow of hea- thenism was more or less abrupt and violent. The eradication of the heathen religion was so complete that it was either wholly or to a great extent obliterated from the minds of the people. But the asa-faith in its Norse form is well known. We call it Norse, because it is preserved for us by the Norsemen, who emigrated from Norway and settled Iceland. In the Icelandic lit- erature we have a complete record of it. The introduc- tion of Christianity in Iceland was attended by no vio- lence. While in the other countries mentioned above the monarchical form of government prevailed, and the people were compelled by their rulers to accept the