--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Unknown collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 17 number: 1 published: 1913-11 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Unknown, "The Dead Gods," *Improvement Era* 17, no. 1 (November 1913): 56–57.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1701unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera1701unse start_page: 56 end_page: 57 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1913-11) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1701unse publication_year: 1913 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1913, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Dead Gods 7r\ wi\ *LL±i22k mm The Dead Gods What of the Gods who ruled the circle wan — That, land which j£ger, Surt», did form in runes; Where Odin's ravens spake, sang Freya's swan; Land of the mid-night suns, and circled moons? Ah! he who slew the Giants — iron Thor? No mountain wight* his hammer stroke appals: The Asas give not Love, nor Peace, nor War; Nor Odin reigns — where are Valhalla's walk? Gone from the northern skys the spectral throng; For aye are hushed the wild Valkyries' cries; Iduc, with youth has passed, Volund, the strong; The wrinkled Noras no more the shuttle plies: Ah! lost* in Vidar's silence, Brage's song; Slain by blind Hoder, dead fair Balder lies! 1 ft 1 I Not on Olympus Jove or Hera dwell; Athens, Hermes, Artemis are gone; The patient. Heracles, fierce Ares, fell; Apollo's horses bring no more the dawn! Yea, gone The Thunderer, and Roman Mars, Again old Saturn from his realm does flee; Nor Neptune, Bacchus, drive again their cars; Fair Venus rises not. from Cypres' sea! Unhaunted, now, y£gina's island fount.; And from j€gean s waves no mermaids scream; Profaned Dodona's Groves and Ida's Mount.; In Hellas, nympbless flows each classic stream: To Hade's lord no mortal owes account.; Grim Pluto is, like mighty Pan— a dream!