The Prose Edda on Saturn

The Younger Edda: > Chapter Iv. > Foreword.

• attestation: Saturn grew up on the island of Crete in Greece and excelled all men in wisdom, strength, and beauty

  "This Saturn grew up in that island in Greece which hight Crete. He was greater and stronger and fairer than other men"

• attestation: Saturn invented many crafts, was skilled in magic, could foretell the future, and discovered gold smelting

  "He invented many crafts which had not before been discovered. He was also so great in the art of magic that he was certain about things that had not yet come to pass"

• attestation: Saturn's rule brought such abundance that only gold coins circulated and crops never failed in Crete

  "No money circulated excepting gold coins, so plentiful was this metal; and though there was famine in other lands, the crops never failed in Crete"

• attestation: Saturn took the form of a golden bull to abduct a king's daughter, bringing her to Crete

  "he took upon himself the likeness of a bull, and lay before her in the wood, and so fair was he that the hue of gold was on every hair"

• relationship: Saturn had three sons: Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto

  "He had three sons: one hight Jupiter, another Neptune, the third Pluto"

• attestation: Saturn built seventy-two fortresses in Crete

  "Saturn had built in Crete seventy-two burgs"

• relationship: Saturn's wife was named Juno

  "his wife, Juno"