306 who had distinguished themselves as Scalds from the time of Regner Lodbroc to that of Waldemar II. from the latter end of the eighth to the beginning of the thirteenth century, in which are to be found the names of several crowned heads. Regner Lodbroc himself was an accomplished Scald, and Rognvald, Count of the Orcades, has also obtained great celebrity for his readiness in making verses. Eigil Skalagrimson, Eyvind Skaldaspiiler, Gunlaug, and many others were as distinguished for their warlike achievements as for their skill in poetry. One warrior in recommending himself to his mistress boasts that he is master of nine accomplishments. “I play well at chess; I know how to cut Runes; I am apt at reading; and can handle the tools of a smith; I can pass over the snow on skees; I excel in shooting with the bow and in managing the car; I sing to the harp and compose verses.” Another declares that he knows the names of all the stars, an attainment not without use to men who passed so great a portion of their lives upon the ocean. The Scald at one time was an invariable appendage to the court of a powerful prince or jarl, but even though a stranger he needed no introduction. It was not unusual during a banquet or festal meeting, for Scalds1 to enter the king’s hall, and demand 1 Alfred the Great took advantage of this privilege to explore the Danish camp, A.D. 878, in the character of a Scald or Minstrel.

307 permission to sing a Drapa in praise of the monarch, and on these occasions they were usually liberally rewarded. Canute the Great gave the Scald, Berse Torveson, two gold rings, each half a mark in weight, and a gold-hilted sword, and to another fifty marks of silver for a song. Hacon Jarl gave Halfred Vanrode a silver-hafted axe and a good suit. Gunlaug the Icelander received rich presents from King Ethelred, of England, King Sigtryk Silk-beard, in Iceland, the Sweedish King Oluf, the Earl of the Orkneys, &c. and so many others. The Scalda or Kenningar, which has already been mentioned as forming a portion of the Prose Edda, is a kirid of poetical dictionary which contains the rules of their art, but Arngrim is of opinion that it was not compiled before the thirteenth century. According to Wormius the Scalds had 136 metres, without reckoning rhyme.2 The melody of their verses, like that of the Anglo-Saxons, consisted in alliteration, or a fixed recurrence of certain vowels and consonants. This method of versification was also in use with the Welsh bards, and the oldest Irish poems are alliterative. Another characteristic of their poetry is the frequency of their metaphoric expressions, which, however, are not always without force, and the reader may be amused with the following selection of them: 2 The well known ode, entitled the Ransom of Eigil, is in rhyme.

308 Ice . . . . . . . . . . The greatest of bridges. Gold . . . . . . . . . . The tears of Freya. (v. ch. vii.) The Sea . . . . . . . . . . The girdle of the Earth—the plain of Waterfowl. A Ship . . . . . . . . . . The horse of the Waves—The Skate of Pirates—Horse of Heffler (a famous sea-king)—Asses of Ægir. (v. ch. vi.) A Shield . . . . . . . . . . The moon of the battle—The tent of Hlaka (a Valkyr). Arrows . . . . . . . . . . The sorceress virgins of the String—Hailstones of Helmets—Daughters of misfortune. A Battle . . . . . . . . . . A bath of blood—Hail of Odin—Shock of Bucklers—Storm of Gondol (a Valkyr). The flashing of a sword . . . . . . . . . . The mortal gleam. Wine . . . . . . . . . . Blood. The Tongue . . . . . . . . . . The sword of words. Rivers . . . . . . . . . . Sweat of the Earth—Blood of the Valleys. Odin . . . . . . . . . . The Sire of Ages—The God of swords—The supercilious—The incendiary—The Sire of Verses—The Whirlwind—The Eagle, &c. The Bow . . . . . . . . . . The Worm. Swords . . . . . . . . . . Herrings of Death—Cleavers of Helmets. Death . . . . . . . . . . The long wandering. Lances . . . . . . . . . . Cutting Rays—Rods of Odin. Battle-Axe . . . . . . . . . . The hand of the Slayer. The Eye . . . . . . . . . . The torch of the face—The diamond of the Head. Hair . . . . . . . . . . Forest of the head—(if white) Snow of the Brain. Cuirass . . . . . . . . . . The Bark of Hilda (goddess of war). Shirt of Mail . . . . . . . . . . Hillock of Skogul (a Valkyr). Wolf . . . . . . . . . . Brother of the Vulture.

309 Warrior . . . . . . . . . . Shaker of Helmets. Sailors . . . . . . . . . . Sons of Endil (a sea-king). Grass . . . . . . . . . . The hair, the fleece of the Earth. Earth . . . . . . . . . . The vessel which floats on ages—The daughter of the Night—Foundation of the air. Night . . . . . . . . . . The veil of cares. Rocks . . . . . . . . . . Bones of the Earth. Poetry . . . . . . . . . . The drink of Odin—Suttung’s mead. (v. ch.i.) Loke . . . . . . . . . . The Adversary—The Accuser—The deceiver of the Gods. Giants . . . . . . . . . . Sons of the Frost. Birds of prey . . . . . . . . . . Birds with yellow legs. Horns . . . . . . . . . . Curved branches of the Skull. The Raven . . . . . . . . . . The Swan of Blood. Blood . . . . . . . . . . The rain of Wounds, &c. None of the northern monarchs held the Scalds in higher esteem than the powerful Harald Haarfager, and at his table they had always the second seat of honour. In his Saga there is a story of his being on a visit to his fair kinswoman, Ingebiorg, whose charms had such an effect on three of his Scalds, that each separately had the audacity to make a declaration of love to the princess, and to entreat her pity. Ingebiorg suppressing her indignation, pretended to yield, and made an assignation with each for that very night. It was in the month of December, in Norway, she contrived to lock them up in separate rooms, where they had to remain in the lightest possible attire until morning. When, on rising, the king enquired for his Scalds, Ingebiorg led him to

310 the shivering lovers, half dead with cold and fear, and it was with much difficulty that they escaped with their lives from the effects of his anger.”3 Sometimes, to aid their memory, the Scalds were accustomed to cut Runes or letters upon their staves, but for the most part their songs were either extemporaneous or learned by rote. It is related of one Scald, that in a single evening he sang sixty songs to Harald Haardraade, and knew four times as many. Müller asserts, and not without reason, “that no nation ever possessed a poetry more strictly national than the Scandinavians.” Although the fact of their having any at all has been roundly denied, and he adds, “that Snorro Sturtesen could not (as has been pretended) have invented the verses inserted in his history, since he appeals to them in his preface as authorities well known to his countrymen.” The songs of the Scalds were chiefly in praise of the living, but they were rarely guilty of flattery, at least not during that which has been designated the heroic age of the north. The following sketch of the history of the art of the Scalds in Norway from Professor Miiller’s Saga Bibliothek, during a period of about two hundred years, from the middle of the ninth to the middle of the eleventh century, will not be without interest, nor 3 Om Kong Harald Haarfager’s Skalde.—Müller Saga Bibl.

311 foreign to our subject, to those at all conversant in Norwegian history. “Harald Haarfager’s reign was the augustan age of the Scalds. Ambitious and warlike, he kept a splendid court, to which he sought to draw all the distinguished men of his country. The Scald, Thiodolf Hvine, was his bosom friend, and there are extant many fragments of songs in his honour. “Eric Blodoxe (who figures in English history), although a lawless sanguinary prince, proved the estimation in which he held Scalds by granting Eigil his life, on account of the beauty of an ode, although he had slain his son.4 His death, which took place during a piratical expedition to England about the middle of the tenth century, was sung in a celebrated Drapa which still exists. “Hacon Adelsteen, or Athelstan (the god-son of Athelstan of England, in whose court he had been brought up) was, at least in heart, a Christian, and therefore gave but little encouragement to the Scalds, whose art was so entirely identified with the religion of Odin, which it tended much to keep alive. His praises, notwithstanding, were sung by three famous Scalds, the most celebrated of whom or indeed of any of the Scalds, Eyvind Scalda-spiller, was present when he was killed.5 4 Vide page 321. 5 The death-song of King Hakon Adelsteen has been translated into English by Dr. Percy, in a work entitled, “Five pieces of Runic Poetry,” amongst which will be found also “The Ransom of Eigil.”

312 “The sons of Eric Blodoxe, although reproached with parsimony, kept up ancient usages at their court, and there was no lack of Scalds during their reign. “Hacon Jarl troubled himself but little about the art of the Scalds, but this able and ambitious prince was a zealous adherent to the old faith, and the Scalds, therefore, were ever welcome to his board. One of the most famous amongst them, Einar Skaaleglam, was truly devoted to him, and his Drapa to his patron was held a model for after-Scalds. “Olaf Tryggesen’s zeal for Christianity caused him rather to discourage than to favour the Scalds; but one of them, indignant at seeing his art slighted, forced the king to listen to his song, by declaring that if he did not, he would immediately abjure Christianity, which Oluf, with much trouble, had induced him to embrace. “The sons of Hacon Jarl retained their father’s religion and principles without his cruelty. They were great encouragers of the Scalds, and favourites with all ranks. “Olaf was, at first, as little inclined to the Scalds as his namesake Olaf Tryggesen, but he afterwards encouraged them; finding, probably, how much they added to his popularity and to the splendour with which he loved to surround his throne. On his

313 last expedition, undertaken with a view to recover his kingdom, he was accompanied by several.” Previous to the battle of Stickelstadt, 1030, famous in the history of Norway, the king after watching all night having fallen asleep towards dawn, suddenly waked, and calling for the Scald Tormod, bade him sing a vise. Then Tormod stood up and sang the whole Biarkemaal6 with so loud a voice, that the whole army heard it. The following is a free translation of the first two stanzas of this spirited battle-song. The bird of morn has risen,     The rosy dawn ’gins break, ’Tis time from sleepy prison     Virs sons to toil should wake.7 Wake, from inglorious slumber!     The warrior’s rest is short— Wake! whom our chiefs we number—     The lords of Adil’s court. Har, strong of arm, come forth,     Rolf, matchless for the bow, Both Northmen, of good birth,8 6 Biarke was a celebrated Scald, and it was usual to sing some stanzas of his ode previous to a battle. 7 Men in general—Vil was the brother of Odin, and aided him in the creation of Askur and Embla, the first man and woman. 6 The Scandinavians attached great importance to pedigree.

314     Who ne’er tnrn’d lace from foe, Wake not for foaming cup.     Wake not for maiden’s smile, Men of the North! wake up,     For iron Hilda’s9 toil! This waked up the army, and caused a great enthusiasm amongst them. And Olaf thanked Tormod and gave him a gold ring for his song, who replied that he hoped the king and he would never be separated, either in life or death; remarking that Sigvald, Scald, was now far away with the gold-hilted sword the king had given him. Olaf said that he would not quit the field so long as one man remained by his side.10 The day before having called his Scalds within the circle formed by the bravest men of the army, he said, “It is well that you are here to witness what is about to take place, and not to be obliged to have recourse to others when called on, hereafter, to sing the events of this day.” Then the Scalds, having conversed together, said, that it was fitting that a song should be sung in honour of what was about to happen, on which each extemporized a strophe, which many of the army learned upon the spot. It was in the same spirit and in pursuance of the same custom that Taillefer at the battle of Hastings obtained the permission of Duke William to sing the song of Roland before the onslaught, and 9 Hilda, the goddess of war. 10 Heimskringla.

315 having done so he was the first to ride into the ranks of the English, where he was immediately slain. But to return to Müller. “The belief in Olafs sanctity, he continues, made Christianity national in Norway; and the heathen songs soon ceased to be dreaded. Scalds were well received at the court of the Christian king, Magnus the good, who used himself to extemporize verses. Harald Sigurdsen was a still greater friend to the Scalds, poetry being his favourite recreation; and it was probably this taste which caused him to shew such favour to all Icelanders: whilst on their part the Scalds vied with each other in singing his praises. King Harald with the flower of his army perished in England, A.D. 1066, and from this time the art languished and gradually died away. The universal establishment of Christianity, and consequent oblivion of the old religion, rendered the Scalds’ favourite figures of speech daily less intelligible, and classical learning introduced by the priests, took the place of the old poetry. Towards the end of the thirteenth century this taste had so much gained ground, that it is related in the Saga of Bishop Laurentius, that a Norwegian noble, being desirous of paying his court to a young lady, a kinswoman of King Eric, the priest-hater, applied to Brother Laurence to help him with a Latin verse. When a Norwegian disdained to write to his mistress in his native tongue, it was time, remarks Müller, for the Scald with his antiquated phraseology to quit the field. About this time, also,

316 the ballads and romances of the south of Europe began to be introduced into the North.”11 Although from the circumstances which have been noticed in the introduction, Iceland became the classic land of the Scalds, it is not to be supposed that the three great Scandinavian kingdoms could not boast of their peculiar poets, Eyvind Skalda-spiller, the most celebrated of them all who was termed “the Cross of Poets,” was a Norwegian, and so were many others. No one amongst them, however, seems to have played a more important part than the Icelander Eigil Skalagrimsen, a distinguished Scald, and one of the most undaunted warriors and formidable pirates of his day. It was he who with his brother Thorolf contributed so materially to the important victory gained by Athelstan at Brunanburh, A.D. 934, which annihilated the Anglo-Danish power in the North of England, and first, strictly speaking, brought the whole of South Britain under one sceptre.12 His History, or Saga, written towards the middle of the twelfth century, is still extant, and as the simple narrative of the adventures of this extraordinary character and of his family, throw a strong light on the manners of the age in which they lived (from the middle of the ninth to the end of the tenth century), and will convey to the reader a better idea of the nature 11 Prof. P. E. Müller Saga-bibliothek, 3rd vol. Introd. 12 Sharon Turner’s Hist. of the Anglo Saxons. Edit 1823. vol. ii. p. 181. Book vi. chap. ii.

317 of the Sagas, generally, than any laboured essay, we shall here extract from Müller’s Saga Bibliothek an abridged account of them. “EigiTs grandfather, Queldulf, was a powerful man in Heligoland, who died about the commencement of Harald Haarfager’s wars. Foreseeing that the different princes or petty-kings of Norway must at length be overwhelmed by that able monarch, he would never be persuaded to take any part against him, but neither would he consent to enter into his service. His brother-in-law, however, who was the third of Harald’s chief Scalds, obtained his reluctant permission that his eldest son Thorolf should repair to Harald’s court, lest the king might take offence. Harald received Thorolf well and took him into his service. He soon distinguished himself, and, through the king’s influence, married a rich widow in Heligoland. He was now named king’s tenant, and was sent to levy tribute from the Finns, with the exclusive privilege of trading with them on his own account. He became by degrees rich and powerful, and used to go to Finland with a suite of a hundred men; whereas none of his predecessors had ever taken more than thirty. King Harald once paid him a visit with three hundred followers, and Thorolf went out to meet him with five hundred, and had prepared an enormous wooden house in which he feasted the whole. His ostentation of power excited the jealousy of Harold, and Thorolf found it prudent to appease it by a present of a ship of war, fully equipped. His

318 enemies, however, contrived to awaken the king’s suspicions a second time, and Thorolf received orders to repair to court. This he refused to do, but resigned his fiefs. He still retained, however, a hundred freed men, whom he employed in the herring and cod fisheries, and made an expedition to the east of the Gulf of Finland, where he gained much booty. He loaded a ship thence for England with dried fish, oil, costly furs, hides, &c. taking in return wheat, honey, wine, and clothes.13 This was about the year of our Lord 870. His enemies having accused him to the king of having unlawfully exacted taxes from the Finns, Harald caused his ship with its valuable cargo to be seized. Thorolf went the next year on another piratical expedition up the Baltic, and returning through the Sound, where some Norwegian vessels happened to be lying at the time, he revenged himself by capturing one laden with malt, wheat, and honey, for the king’s housekeeping. He was, in consequence, declared an out-law; 13 To form a just estimate of the character of the Scandinavian Pirates, the Danes or Normans of the middle-ages, we must view them in their double capacity of Merchant and Rover. “The Danish merchants of this period/’ says Müller, were the choice spirits of the age, navigating their own ships, and having no security but in their strength, tried warriors of high birth, and minds not wholly uncultivated, who went out on their expeditions equally prepared to trade or to plunder.”

319 and, as in the ensuing spring he was about to leave the country, Harald fell on him by surprise, and he was slain after a vigorous defence. Aulver Hnussen, the king’s Scald before alluded to, became mediator between his kinsmen and the king; and as Harald promised to give considerable compensation,14 Thorolf’s brother Grim, called from his scald head Skala-grim, repaired to the king’s court. Harald also insisted that Grim should enter into his service, and, when Grim hesitated, was so enraged, that Aulver advised him to make his escape as speedily as possible. There was now nothing left for Queldulf’s family but to repair to the new land which Ingulf had lately discovered (Iceland), and they accordingly set sail thither; but not until they had taken a bloody revenge on the king’s servants and kinsmen. Old Queldulf died on the voyage, but Grim arrived with two ships in Borg-fiord; and on landing, finding the neighbouring district unoccupied, he divided it amongst his followers. He was an able man, and, above all, a skilful smith. He had two sons, Thorolf and Eigil. The latter, when only three years old, 14 By the Saxon laws every man’s life was valued at a certain sum, which was called his were, and was paid to his relations in compensation for its loss. In Scandinavia the payment of a sum of money on a like occasion implied not merely a compensation, but in some respect also an apology and submission to the next of kin to the deceased.

320 began to make verses, and at the age of seven, killed a child who had irritated him at play. When only twelve years of age his strength was remarkably great, and, his father having vexed him, in revenge he stabbed one of his favourite servants, so that he died. His brother Thorolf entered the service of King Eric, of Norway, and returning, after a time, to Iceland to visit his father, Eigil accompanied him back to Norway. Whilst there, in a quarrel he killed one of the king’s bailiffs, and it was with great difficulty that he was allowed to quit the country, one of his friends having paid compensation-money for him. He next went with his brother on a piratical expedition to Courland, where he was taken prisoner by peasants; but escaping, returned, set fire to the house where they were drinking, and burned them all alive. He was afterwards engaged in various adventures, and repairing to England, was present with his brother, as before related, at the battle of Brunanburgh, where Thorolf was killed. King Athelstan for his services gave him two chests full of silver, and made him great offers to induce him to remain with him. Eigil, notwithstanding, returned to Norway for the purpose of espousing his brother’s widow; and then sailed for Iceland with the English money. Soon after his wife’s father died in Norway, and her brother, Ber-gaumund, having seized the whole inheritance, Eigil again repaired thither, and cited Bergaumund, who was protected by King Eric Blodoxe, to the Gulething.

321 Eigil’s friend, Arinbiorn, accompanied him thither with a great body of men. In the midst of a wide plain, hazel-rods were placed in a circle, on which were fastened the sacred strings, called Vebond. Within the circle sate the judges (Dommer), twelve being from Fjordefylke; twelve from Sognefylke; and twelve from Hördafylke, for every cause was to be judged by three Fylks. Bergaumund asserted that Eigil’s wife being born of a slave, could not inherit, but Arinbiorn proved by twelve witnesses that her birth was legitimate; and when the time was come for the judges to pronounce sentence, Queen Gunhild, being apprehensive of the result, procured one of her kinsmen to cut in twain the holy strings, by which means the Thing was suddenly broken up. Then Eigil challenged Bergaumund to the Holmgang, to decide there to whom the inheritance should belong; and declared feud and enmity against any who should dare to meddle with it. King Eric was highly irritated, but at the Thing all were weaponless. Eric sent men to take Eigil, who, however, effected his escape in a small vessel, and even succeeded in killing a man on board the king’s own ship. He was immediately declared an outlaw throughout the whole country; and, having been furnished by Arinbiorn with a vessel with thirty men, he sailed away. Returning, however, suddenly in the night, he unexpectedly fell upon Bergaumund, and slew him, together with Rognvald, King Eric’s son, a child of eleven years of age, who was then staying

322 with him. Before he sailed away he cut a stake, and setting a horse’s head upon it said, as he raised it up, “I raise up this Nid-stang, and turn this curse against King Eric and Queen Gunhild.” Then, turning the horse’s head towards the land, said, “I turn this curse against the spirits which dwell in this land (Landvætterae), that they may wander about bewildered and no one find his home until they have driven Eric and Gunhild from the land.” He then stuck the pole in a cleft of the rock and went his way.15 Eigil reached Iceland A.D. 934, where, soon after, his father died. That summer, on account of the civil dissensions in Norway, no intelligence came thence to Iceland, an embargo having been laid on all vessels; and Eigil, weary of a peaceful life, determined to repair to the court of King Atheist an. In his voyage thither he was shipwrecked on the north 15 Similar ceremonies were by no means unusual. The stakes (Nidstange) thus consecrated, were supposed not only to bring the wrath and vengeance of the gods upon the guilty, but were often used also to brand an adversary with contempt as a coward or Nidding. In the Vatnsdœla Saga, Finboge the strong, and his brother-in-law, Berg, having challenged the two brothers, Jokul and Thoerstein, to a combat; it happened that on the day appointed there was so violent a storm, that Finboge and Berg thought themselves exempted from coming. Jokul in consequence raised a Nidstang against them (a horse’s head upon the end of a pole), and the end of it was that Finboge was forced to leave the country.

323 coast of England; and learned to his sorrow that Eric Blodoxe, his mortal enemy, who hud been driven from Norway, had received the kingdom of Northumberland as a fief from the English king on condition of defending it from the Scots, and that he had his residence in the neighbourhood. Eigil reflected that he could scarcely hope to escape undiscovered, and, not caring to be taken in flight, he resolved to ride at once to the royal residence, where, by good fortune, he fell upon Arinbiorn, who had given up everything in Norway to follow the banished king. He followed Arinbiorn’s advice, went into the king’s hall as he sat at table in the evening, and embracing his feet, declared in verse, that he had set danger at nought in order to seek a reconciliation with him. Eric replied that he might prepare himself for death; and Gunhild would have had him executed at once, but Arinbiorn represented to the king that it would be murder to slay any one by night, and obtained that Eigil’s fate should be deferred until the next day, and that in the mean time he should remain in his (Arinbiorn’s) custody. Arinbiorn advised Eigil, in the mean time, to compose a Drapa to the king’s honour, sent him food and ale, and then, assembling his men, sate and drank with them until midnight. When morning came Eigil had finished his Drapa, and the two friends went with a large troop of armed men to the king’s court. On their arrival there, Arinbiorn again entreated Eric, for his sake, to let Eigil go in peace; but when

324 Gunhild still urged the king to destroy him. Arinbiorn declared that he would defend him to his uttermost with his men. This made the king more tractable, and Eigil now recited his famous song, which has been preserved to the present day under the title of “The Ransom of Eigil.” Eric was much struck with the beauty of the song, and said that since Eigil, of his own accord, had surrendered himself into his power he might depart; but warned him and his children never again to come before his eyes. After this Eigil repaired to King Athelstan, and on his recommendation returned once more to Norway, with the view under Hagen Athelstan’s just government to demand his wife’s inheritance, now held by Bergaunund’s brother, Atle. Hagen or Haeon forbad Eigil to remain in Norway, but allowed him to bring his cause before the Gule-thing. On the way he visited Arinbiorn’s sister, whose young son, Fridgeir, had been challenged to the Holm-gang by a powerful champion, Liotr the pale, a Swede, who had paid court to his sister and having been rejected, took this method to revenge the affront Eigil fought the duel in Fridgeir’s place, and slew Liotr. After having delivered the summons to Atle in his own house, Eigil repaired to the Thing and demanded his property. Atle declared on the oath of twelve men, that he had no property of Eigil’s, on which Eigil challenged him to the Holm-gang. He who conquered was to have the property, and after the fight was to slay a votive ox, which was led to the place of combat.

325 After hewing at each other for some time, Eigil rushed in upon Atle and threw him. Eigil now returned to Iceland, where he remained until the news came that Eric Blodoxe was slain, and Arinbiorn returned to Norway. He went thither to spend a winter with him, and took him a long-ship’s sail richly worked, and other good presents. Arinbiorn as a julegift presented him with a silk upper-garment embroidered with gold, with gold buttons in front, as also an entire new suit of English cloth much embroidered, on which Eigil composed a verse. After Juul Eigil got out of spirits, because he had inherited nothing from Liotr the pale. It was the law that whoever slew another in a duel should be his heir, but it was the law also that the king should inherit the property of all foreigners who died within his dominions; and therefore the king’s bailiffs immediately took possession of Liotr’s property. Eigil entreated the aid of Arinbiorn to make good his right, but he shewed him how difficult it would be to carry the matter through, for, said he, “the entrance to the king’s court is wide, but the outlet is narrow.” As Eigil, however, still persisted, Arinbiorn repaired tor him to Hacon, by whom he was received harshly, as one who sought to serve a foreigner rather than his own sovereign, and who, moreover, secretly favoured Eric Blodoxe’s sons. Arinbiorn would make no excuse, but returned straight home, and, opening a chest, took from it forty marks of silver, which he gave to Eigil for

326 Liotr’s land, because Eigil, by taking on him the duel, had saved the life of his sister’s son. Eigil took the money and again recovered his spirits. Towards the spring, Arinbiorn went on a Viking’s expedition with three long ships, having an hundred men in each, the greater number of whom were of his own household. Eigil took the command of one of these vessels manned by some of his own men, and the remainder he sent with a merchant ship to South Norway. After they had plundered Sax-land and Friis-land, they separated at the Liim-fjord, in the North of Jutland. Arinbiorn repaired to Eric’s sons, and Eigil to Norway, to spend the winter with Thorstein, who was of kin both to him and Arinbiorn. King Hacon having learned the defection of the latter, seized his property and persecuted his kinsmen. He ordered Thorstein, amongst the rest, either to leave the country immediately, or to go and levy the taxes which Jarl Arnvid held back. This was a perilous errand, for none of those who had hitherto undertaken it had ever returned. Eigil, however, took upon him the adventure, and, after many perils, brought back the tribute, on which Thorstein was reconciled to the king, and Eigil sailed back to Iceland. Soon after his return he lost a son, and a short time after his eldest son, Baudvar, was drowned in the Borgfjord. When Eigil found his son’s body on the beach, he took it in his arms and rode with it to Skalagrim, his father’s barrow, which he caused to

327 be opened, and laid the corpse in it. Whilst thus occupied, his emotion was so violent that his vest burst. He afterwards went straight home, entered the recess where he was wont to sleep, threw himself down and drew the curtain. No one dared to speak to him, and he lay there three days without touching meat or drink. On the third morning his wife, Asgarde, sent one of the men to Hiardarholt, where his favourite daughter, Thorgerde, lived, who was married to Oluf Paa. Thorgerde arrived the same evening. When Asgarde asked her if she had supped, she replied with a loud voice that she had not eaten nor would again taste food until she ate with Freya. She then went to the recess and called to her father to open, saying that she was come to travel the same journey with him. Eigil opened, and Thorgerde laid herself down on the second bed. You do well, my daughter, said Eigil, to follow your father; much affection have you ever shewn me. How, replied she, could I desire to outlive this calamity? After this they were both silent for an hour, when Eigil said, Are you chewing anything, my daughter? I am chewing Sol,16 for I think that it will thus be sooner over with me, and I fear to live too long. Is Sol hurtful then to men—very hurtful, said Thorgerde, will you eat of it?—Why should I not? replied Eigil. Soon after Thorgerde called for drink, and they brought her water. This comes of eating 16 An esculent sea-weed.

328 sea-weed, said Eigil, one is devoured by thirst Drink then, father, said she. They took him a horn, and he swallowed the liquid greedily. We have been deceived, cried Thorgerde, the drink was milk. On this Eigil, in vexation, bit a piece out of the horn, and threw it violently to the ground. What are we to do now, said the daughter, for our project is thwarted. Should we not do well, father, to prolong our lives until you shall have composed a song for Bodvar, and I have carved it on a stave. Eigil said that he was in no state to write verses, but that notwithstanding, he would try. He then composed the song, called the loss of a son (Sonar Torrek) in twenty-four strophes, and as he proceeded his spirits rose, and when it was complete he took it to his family, and having seated himself in the high-seat, according to ancient custom, he caused the funeral-ale to be drunk for the dead. When Thorgerde departed home he made her rich presents. After this Eigil lived peacefully for many years in Iceland; and learning that Eric’s sons had returned to Norway, and that Arinbiorn had again become a powerful man there, he composed a song in his honour, of which a fragment remains, and afterwards a funeral song over him. Eric’s sons were soon again driven out of their possessions by Hacon Jarl, in whose praise the Scald Einar Skaaleglam composed a Drapa, and received from the Jarl in reward a shield on which were figured old legends, and between the figures were plates of gold enriched with precious

329 stones. When Einar returned to Iceland he went to visit Eigil, who, however, at the time was from home; but having waited for him three days, as it was not the custom to remain longer in a strange place, he hung the costly shield on the wall and departed, saying to the men about that he made an offer of it to Eigil. When Eigil returned, this was told to him. The pitiful fellow! he exclaimed, does he expect that I will spend the night in making verses about his shield! Bring me my horse, I will ride after him and slay him. When they told him that Einar was already far away, he was pacified, and composed an ode on the occasion, and afterwards he and Einar were friends. Eigil’s youngest son, Thorstein, was a handsome and a powerful man, but not so strong as his father, who never had great affection to him. When Asgerde died he gave up his Gaard to him, and went to live with one Grim who had married his sister’s daughter, whom he loved much. He would never visit his son, but when Thorstein had to carry a dangerous affair at the Thing, Eigil now old rode thither with eighty armed men and obtained a decision for his son. Eigil attained the age of ninety years, and lost his sight and hearing; but was still strong, and in two stanzas bewailed the infirmities of his old age. He had determined to ride to the Althing, and there on the mount of justice to scatter about his English money, in order to make the whole assembly fight for it. When Grim would not allow this, he went out one morning with his two chests

330 and two slaves, and no one ever saw slaves or chests after. Soon after, he died.17 The word Saga means, literally, a tale or narrative, and is used in Icelandic to denote every species of tradition, whether fabulous or true. In fact the variety of those which are still extant is nearly equal to their number, and upwards of two hundred are preserved in the libraries of Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Upsala. They are biographical narratives of greater or less length, totally independant of each other, describing events which have taken place, for the most part, from the ninth to the thirteenth century, and end with the Sturlunga Saga. Some of these have already been published with Latin translations, and the remainder are in the course of publication. In 1817, Professor P. Erasmus Müller, of Copenhagen, published his Saga Bibliothek in three volumes, in which he has given an abridgment of all the Sagas extant, fixing with great ingenuity their probable dates, and strictly examining their claims to authenticity. His interesting researches have opened the way to much valuable information respecting the civilization and domestic habits of Northern Europe during the period in question, and to him the author of these pages is chiefly indebted for the information he has sought to communicate in this appendix. The Professor has shewn that the greater portion of the early Sagas may be depended upon as faithful 17 Eigil’s Saga. Müller, Saga Bibliothek, vol. i.

331 historical narratives. It was not unttl the middle of the eighth century that historical romance was introduced into the North, chiefly from Spain. In the Sagas written subsequently to that period, truth and fiction are so blended as to render them historically useless. The Sagas usually begin in the simplest manner, “There was a man whose name was, &c. the son of,” &c. The narrator seldom intrudes his own opinions, but contents himself with remarking that such or such an event encreased the person’s reputation, or that men generally condemned such another. We shall make no apology for here inserting the abridgments of two Sagas, each widely differing from the other in character, but both giving a lively picture of the manners of the times. The chief actors in the first were well known historical characters, and men of great influence, and there is very little doubt that everything therein described actually took place, and pretty nearly as it is told. ABOUT ENDRID’S WEDDING. “Endrid, a son of Einar Tambeskiælvar, was the boldest youth in Norway. One day whilst on a cruise southward, he landed on the island Könnt. A maiden came down to the vessel and begged to be taken on board. Her name was Siegrid, a daughter of the powerful Er ling Skialgsen, of Jedderen. She had accompanied her foster-father to this distant isle,

332 and was now longing to return once again to her kinsmen. Endrid, who was occupied in lading the vessel, had not given much heed to her, and she was allowed to go on board. When the vessel was well under sail, he began to enquire who she was, and having learned, he said to her, There is danger in having you here, but now there is no remedy and so must it be. After a short time the wind got up, and they were driven by a gale out to séa, and at length were glad to find anchorage under the lee of a smalL rocky island, where there was no cover but a deserted fisher’s hut. ‘Where will you lie tonight?’ said Endrid to the maiden. ‘I will lie next the wall, and you the nearest to me,’ she replied. They did so, and he placed his sword between them. The storm continued for three days, and, when the weather cleared, they sailed to Drontheim. Einar received them coldly, and said to Endrid, ‘You have become choice in your mistresses, seeing that no less than Erling’s daughter will content you.’ Endrid replied warmly, ‘I did not expect such a remark from you, father, because I consented to take back the maiden to her home. It is no fault of mine that the weather prevented me from choosing the shortest course.’ ‘It matters but little, my son,’ said Einar, ‘what I may remark, but the maiden’s father and kinsfolk will not pass this matter over lightly, and I am not desirous that she should tarry here.’ Upon this Endrid got angry, prepared without delay a small vessel, and, despite of his father’s warning,

333 conducted her himself to Erling’s Gaard. On their arrival, they found no one without, the whole household being at table. They entered the drinking chamber, and meat was served up, but no one addressed them a word. Erling’s hall was not decked out with tapestry, but, over every man’s head hung a breast-plate, a head-piece, and a sword. When it was time to retire, Endrid was conducted to a well-furnished chamber, where he found Sigrid lying in a bed, who commanded him, instantly, to retire. He did so at once, but had scarce turned his back on the door when he met Erling with a number of armed followers. ‘Why do you not lay yourself in the bed,’ said he sternly, ‘is it less befitting to lie with my daughter here than in a fisher’s hut?’ Erling replied, ‘I lay with your daughter in a fisher’s hut, but so as to bring no dishonour on her nor on her kin.’ Erling said, ‘That talking would not serve him there,’ and challenged him to submit to the ordeal of fire. Endrid declared himself willing to do so, in order to free the maiden and himself from dishonour, and then recited a verse. Endrid now fasted, as was the custom, and bare the iron. Three days after his hands were unbound and found whole. Erling praised him highly, and pressed him to remain with him as his guest, but Endrid angrily refused, and straightways departed. “Skialg Erlingsen advised his father to lose no time to seek to pacify Endrid, for that otherwise the feud might prove many a man’s bane, and obtained

334 from him full authority, not only to consent to his daughter’s marriage with Endrid, but even to offer her to him. “When Skialg came up with Endrid, he told him that his father had given consent to his marriage with Sigrid. Endrid replied that he would own that he preferred Sigrid to any other maiden, but that after what had passed he could not pay court to her. But when Skialg added that her father himself offered her to him, Endrid agreed that this was sufficient compensation for his affront, and returning asked Erling if such was, in truth, his intention. Erling said that it was, and Endrid accepted the proposition with joy, and a great feast was held. “Endrid now prepared to return to his father, and whilst on his way fell in with him in a ship of war (Drage-skib), accompanied by twenty smaller ones. Einar asked his son why his head was shaved round like a clerk’s: Endrid answered, that he had borne the iron. Since you have borne hot iron, said Einar, and burned your skin, I will take care that many a Jedderlander shall feel cold iron in his. You resemble but little your grandsire, Hacon Jarl, or your father’s kinsmen, Kætil Hæng and Queldulf. Endrid explained that he had been reconciled with Erling, adding that he had received money from him. All this Einar heard with impatience and scorn. Erling then said that he was to marry Sigrid. Einar said that she was purchased at far too high a price, that all this was no compensation for the affront offered

335 to his blood, nor should stop his journey to Jedderland. At least, Endrid said, that Erling himself had offered his daughter to him. ‘Is it so !’ said Einar, ‘then Erling was afraid, and this honour to us is a counterpoise to your disgrace; but we will continue our voyage to Jedderland that they may behold our force.’ They were received in the most distinguished manner, and Endrid drank the marriage cup with Sigrid.” The next extract which we shall insert is chiefly of value as shewing the domestic manners of persons of the highest rank in Scandinavia. CONCERNING RAUDULF. “Once when St. Olaf, King of Norway, was making a progress through Upland, and had come to Oesterdal, his bailiff, Biorn, complained to him that of late great robberies had been made among the cattle in the neighbourhood, and that some rich landholders, who lived in a lone Gaard, hard by, were suspected as the plunderers. This landholder was named Raudulf, and his sons, Sigurd and Dag. Soon after these men themselves came to make their duty to the king, whom they invited to their Gaard, three days after. The king accordingly repaired thither with three hundred men. On arriving, he saw a high and massive palisade with a strong portcullis. The owner was at the gate with many followers to receive the king. Straight before them was a fair building,

336 which Olaf took for a church, but it was a sleeping house roofed with wood. The whole room was well floored, and there were a great many other houses within the enclosure, great and small, and all well built. There was no church, for no bishop had ever been there. The king caused his travelling tent to be set up, in which evening prayers were said, and he went afterwards into the eating room, and lights were borne before him. He sate himself in the high seat, which had been well adorned; on his right was the bishop, on his left the queen, and the chief men were ranged on both sides. Next the bishop sate Finn Arnesen, then Kalf Arnesen, Thornberg, and the sons of Arne, Arnbiorn, Kolbein, and Arne. The king’s followers occupied all the upper part of the chamber, in the lower part sate the household and the guests whom Raudulf had invited. “The feast was excellent, and there was a variety of good drinks. Raudulf’s sons went round and saw that the guests were attended to. The king conversed much with Raudulf, whom he found an intelligent man, and who talked of the future. Are you a soothsayer, then? said Olaf. No, replied he; but I am able to come to certain conclusions from the course of the sun, moon, and stars, and especially from dreams, for which latter purpose I always put on new garments, and lie down in a new bed, placed in a new spot. The king asked the sons whether they had profited by their father’s wisdom: Sigurd said that he had learned from the course of the heavens

337 to know the time, whether by day or by night. The younger son said that he could divine the character of men from their eyes, and any man’s defects, or excellencies, from his countenance. King Olaf was in high spirits, and asked the bishop upon what quality he prided himself? The bishop said that he could sing twelve masses without book, and in return put the like question to the king, who replied, that having once set eyes upon a man he never forgot him, a very important quality, but, continued he, every man in his turn. What do you pique yourself on, Kalf Arnesen? That I never suffer my wrath to diminish, said Kalf, how long soever it be suspended. Finn Arnesen said, that no danger could ever make him desert his feudal lord. Thorberg, that he would never break an oath made to his lord. Arnbiorn said, that the bow did not exist which he could not bend. Kolbein had three qualities, skill in the bow, in running on skees, and in swimming. Arne in managing a boat. Biorn Stallar prided himself, that at the Thing he delivered the king’s message in such a manner that he heeded not whether his speech pleased any great man or not; and so on with the remainder, which caused much amusement. When the king rose from table, Randulf conducted him to the new sleeping house with lights burning. It was built of a circular shape, with balconies all round it. Within these was a wall covered with shields, having four doors, equally distant from each other; the beds were ranged along the walls. In the middle of

338 the house were twenty thick and lofty pillars, supporting a painted dome or canopy. The pillars were connected by cloth, and within this enclosure were the beds of the principal persons. In this twenty might sleep, and in the outer chamber forty. In the centre was an elevated platform, on which was a large bed adorned with great skill. The wood was covered with iron and copper, painted, and in parts, inlaid with gold. On the corner pillars were large gilded bosses of copper, from which issued iron bars with branches, each having three lights. Randulf said to the king that if he desired to have significant dreams, he should sleep in that new bed. Olaf was content and lay himself down. On the canopy above was painted God and his angels, the upper heaven, below this the stars, then the clouds and winds, the fowls, and lowest of all the earth with plants, trees, &c. On the tapestry between the pillars were heathen figures, and traditions concerning celebrated kings. The queen and her women lay on the king’s left, the bishop and priests on his right. Arnbiorn and Kolbein lay near the head of the bed with their men. Finn and Thorberg at the feet. Olaf, after having sung his evening prayer, lay awake longer than usual, gazing on the canopy, which at length seemed to him to turn round, and he fell asleep. The next morning he related his dream to Randulf, and bade him interpret it after high mass, which he did. “He put to the test also the gifts of the two sons.

339 The weather turned out as Sigurd had predicted, and although the morning was thick and dark, he told at once the hour. Olaf bade Dag tell him from his appearance what was his constitutional weakness. After some hesitation, Dag said that the king was fond of women, and Olaf acknowledged that he was right. At Dag’s suggestion the stolen cattle were sought for in the house of the bailiff himself, and there found, and Biorn was dismissed from his office.” It will not be here out of place, before quitting the jsubject entirely, to speak shortly of the favourite pursuits and amusements of these Northern warriors, so often alluded to in the Sagas. . It has been shewn that a particular constellation was consecrated to each of the twelve principal deities, and that the Scandinavians had their solar houses answering to the signs of the Greek zodiac. The frequent maritime expeditions of their chiefs, in fact, rendered a knowledge of the stars absolutely necessary; and this knowledge led naturally to a belief in astrology; a superstition from which scarcely any nation has been entirely exempt, and which has often enchained even the strongest minds. The Finlapps, to this day, are in the habit of predicting the fate of a new-born child from the position of the stars. Meteors, or shooting-stars, were supposed to be the horses of the Valkyrs; Ursa Major, they called the Great Dog; Ursa Minor, Charles’ Wain; the three stars in Orion’s belt, Freya’s distaff; the

340 Swan, the Cross; the milky-way, the winter-road; and the dog-star, Loka-brenna, or Loke’s burning. They had also stars called the wolf, the eagle, and the raven; and when Thor slew Thrym, he cast his eyes up to heaven, where they became stars, or, according to another passage, it was Odin who placed them there to console Skada. Another accomplishment to which great importance was attached, was the art of cutting Runes. The old northern word Run (plural Runar) originally signified a word or discourse, more particularly in secret; and, on the introduction of writing, was naturally enough applied to those mysterious characters which could convey secretly, and at any distance, the thoughts of one person to another. Odin was considered as their inventor, and they were supposed to possess supernatural powers in the hands of those who had the secret of arranging them. In a little poem, called the Runic Chapter, or the magic of Odin, which forms a portion of the Edda, the father of the gods boasts, at length, of the wonders he could perform with their aid; such for example, as to render harmless the weapons of an enemy, to still the raging of the storm, to arrest sorcerers in their flight through the air, to gain the love of women, to restore the dead to life, &c. Runes cut on the rim of a drinking-horn, and sprinkled with blood from the hands, were considered a preservative against poison in the liquor. Great caution, however, was to be observed in the employment of them. A lover,

341 once, desiring to awake love in the bosom of his mistress by cutting Runes, made a mistake in their position, and brought on her a lingering illness. The Runic staffs, also called Riim-stocks, and Prim-staffs, were smooth, flat pieces of wood, of a foot and upwards in length, and two or three inches in breadth. On these were scored marks denoting the principal fasts and holidays of the year, and they are still used as almanacks in Norway. The antiquity of the Runic characters has been denied, and their invention attributed to the Gothic Bishop, Ulphilas, who lived in the reign of the Emperor Valens; but it has been proved that his alphabet is wholly different. Runestones, older than the introduction of Christianity, are, however, of rare occurrence. A third accomplishment was the art of running upon Skees or Snow-shoes (Skieloben, Skidfæri). This was of great antiquity amongst the Norwegians, and still greater amongst the Finns. The Skees are long flat pieces of wood, sometimes six feet in length, by means of which, and aided by a long pole held in both hands, a person expert in the use of them will pass over the deepest snow with great rapidity. It was one of the accomplishments on which warriors prided themselves the most. Einar Tambeskielvar, mentioned in the Saga concerning Endrid, Harald Hardraade, and Harald Blaatand, kings of Denmark and Norway, were celebrated for their skill in this exercise. It is still a common amusement in winter in Drontheim, and with them the Finns and Lapps

342 will beat a man with skates on clear ice. When Norway belonged to Denmark, previous to 1814, it had two regiments of Skee-runners, each consisting of 480 men, whose services in a winter campaign might have been turned to excellent account. One Arnliot Gellina is said to have been so expert that he would let two others stand on his skees and yet run as fast as an ordinary person alone. In short the ancient Scandinavians were skilful in almost all athletic exercises. In foot-races, in which men of the first rank and kings themselves were wont to take part Olaf Tryggesen, and King Harald Gille, an Irishman, were particularly celebrated in this and all similar feats, as well as in skaiting and leaping. The Nials Saga speaks of one Icelander who, in complete armour, could leap higher than he stood, of another who sprang twenty-four feet over a river, although the banks on both sides were frozen and slippery. Dances too were frequent with the Northmen, and amongst others a sword-dance, which required considerable dexterity. Wrestling was also common in all its branches, exactly as it still exists with us. Bowls, and a kind of hockey, were played on a plain, or, in winter, on the ice, and rowing was a favourite exercise, but the art of riding gracefully was introduced later from the south, with tournaments. The ancient Scandinavians, whose warlike expeditions were chiefly by sea, knew nothing of cavalry. They prided themselves much on their skill with the bow, particularly the inhabitants of Tellemark:

343 Einar Tambeskielvar was one of the most celebrated for this exercise. They excelled also in throwing the spear, in slinging, and in the use of the broad-sword. But of none of these exercises is such frequent mention made in the Sagas as of that of swimming, which was the favourite recreation of Olaf Tryggesen, who excelled in all these athletic sports. The following extract from the Saga of that monarch is too characteristic to be here omitted. “About this time King Olaf was engaged in a great work, having commenced building the new town of Nidaros,18 together with a palace and a church. A great quantity of building timber had been conveyed by his orders to the shore, which he gave to any who chose to build. Hacon Jarl was lately dead, and all the people had acknowledged Olaf as king, but many were unwilling to embrace the new faith which he was so anxious to introduce. There happened to be three Iceland ships lying at anchor at the bridge, on board of which were several Icelanders of distinction, who had come to a resolution to refuse adherence to the new faith. Kiartan, the son of Oluf Paa, a rich Icelander, arrived a few days after in a vessel which he had fitted out on an adventure. He was the handsomest and tallest man in Iceland, with fair silken hair which fell in ringlets, and large blue eyes, and was distinguished beyond others in all manly exercises, particularly in swimming. 18 Now Trondhjem or Drontheim.

344 He was welcomed by his countrymen, who asked him what he intended to do concerning the new faith. He said that he cared but little about the matter, but was willing to abide by the decision they had already come to. It was a fine hot day in autumn, and several of the townspeople were amusing themselves with swimming in the river Nid. Kjartan proposed to his countrymen to go to see how the strangers acquitted themselves, and accordingly they went. One man evidently far outdid the rest in all feats in the water, and Kjartan, turning to Halfred Ottarsen, proposed to him to try his skill with this man. ‘Far be it from me,’ said Halfred, ‘he is one with whom I have no desire to come in collision.’ Kjartan then asked his friend Bolle if he would not swim with the townsman. ‘I do not consider myself equal to it,’ said Bolle. ‘I know not what has become of your spirit,’ said Kjartan, ‘but I am resolved to try his force, though neither of you have the courage to do so.’ Saying this, he went straight to the point opposite, to the place where the townsmen were swimming, and throwing off the scarlet short coat in which he was clad, sprang into the water, and swimming straight to the man, seized and dived with him, keeping him under for a time. When they came up the townsman, after a very short interval, took Kjartan down in his turn, and remained under the water longer than his adversary desired. They came to the surface a second time, spake not a word to each other, but, after a few moments, went

345 down together again, and remained under still longer than before. Kjartan now began to have some apprehension as to how this sport might end, and thought that he, never before, had been in so dangerous a position. At last the man let him up, and they swam together to shore and began to dress, when Kjartan first was fully aware how muscular and large a man he had been struggling with. After a time the stranger asked Kjartan who he was, and Kjartan told him his name and birth-place. ‘You swim well, Icelander,’ said the townsman, ‘are you as skilful in other accomplishments as in this?’ ‘I have not acquired much honour by my swimming,’ returned Kjartan, ‘and may probably succeed no better with the others, although in my native land they have been called accomplishments.’ ‘The honour you may gain from them,’ said the townsman, ‘will depend much on those with whom you try them. But why do not you ask me who I am?’ Kjartan said, ‘That he had no desire, whatever, to know.’ ‘To do you justice,’ said the townsman, ‘you are a manly fellow, but you seem somewhat haughty also. You shall know, however, with whom you have been trying your skill in swimming, my name is Olaf Tryggesen, and here men call me the king.’ Kjartan made no reply, but was going away without his cloak. The king called him back, and bade him not be in such haste. Kjartan returned, although very slowly, and the king, taking his own cloak from his shoulders, said, ‘A young man so

346 courageous and promising as you appear should not return to his comrades without a cloak. I give you mine, and desire you to consider what has passed between us to-day as mere sport, for I think that your reputation as a swimmer will fall in the eyes of but few, even though it get abroad that I measured myself with you in that exercise.’ Kjartan thanked the king for his cloak, which was of great value, but his countrymen were not well pleased that he had accepted it, since the fact might be construed as implying that he had submitted himself to the king.”19 Lastly, skill in smith’s work was an accomplishment held by the Northmen in the highest esteem. The most distinguished of northern smiths was the far famed Velent, or Vaulund, the nearly forgotten tradition concerning whom has of late been rendered popular in England, by the author of Kenilworth, in the person of Wayland Smith. About a mile from the White Horse Hill, near Ashdown, where the great battle took place in A. D. 871, between King Alfred and the Danes, there is a rude Bauta or monumental stone similar to those so frequent in Denmark and Norway. There was a tradition amongst the peasants in the vicinity, that an invisible smith lived there formerly; who, if any traveller’s horse dropped a shoe on the road, would put it on again, and that this mysterious farrier was named Wayland Smith. There was a well known Norman or Danish 19 Olaf Tryggesan’s Saga.

347 leader of the name of Veland, who desolated France about the years 861-62, and was supposed to have been killed in a duel there in 863; but, as Müller remarks, it is not improbable that a Norman leader of the name of Veland may have fallen on this spot, and in the course of time, been confounded by the people with the fabulous Velent, or Wayland, whose legend was current with all nations of Gothic descent. King Alfred, in his translation of Boethius, p. 43 and 162, asks, “Where are now the bones of the wise and famous Goldsmith Velent! who knows his barrow!” In Professor Thorkelin’s translation of the Anglo-Saxon Scyldinger, p. 36. Biovulf prays that his good arms, the work of Veland, may be laid with him in his grave.20 In Ritson’s Ancient Metrirical Romances, Lond. 1802. vol. iii. p. 382. 32mo. there is mention of a sword made by Weland,21 and the same name is often introduced in the old German legends. In a Latin poem, “de prima expeditione 20 Mitte Higelaci Si me bellum auferat Apparatum Martium optimum, Quod pectus meum gerit Gestamen præstantissimis Id est spoliis conversatum Welandi opus. 21 It is the make of Mining, Of all swerdes it is king, And Weland it wrought Bitterfer it hight.

348 Altilæ regis Hunnorum in Gallias,” Walther of Vaskastein is said to bear weapons of Veland’s make, and an anonymous French author of the twelfth century relates of William the Iron-cleaver, son of Aldrim, Duke in Angoulesme, that he derived that surname from the excellence of his sword, made by the Smith Valandus.22 In pursuance of the plan adopted throughout this work, we shall here give an abridgment of the history of this mysterious personage from the Vilkina Saga, as a curious specimen of the fabulous Sagas generally.23 It is of the most remote antiquity, and is remarkable, amongst other things, as containing, probably, the original of the fable of which in modern times William Tell has become the hero. The feat of shooting an apple from a boy’s head was a favourite one with the Icelandic story tellers; and is to be found in more than one of the Sagas. The celebrated historian, Saxo the Grammarian, tells it of a famous chief, Palnatoke, who was cotemporary with the father of Canute the Great. Saxo himself lived about the end of the twelfth century.24 22 P. E. Müller’s Saga Bibliothek, vol. iii. p. 161. 162. 23 Allusion is made also to Weland’s misfortunes in the Anglo-Saxon poem from the Exeter manuscript, given in Conybeare’s Anglo-Saxon Poetry, p. 238. 24 Müller considers that the story told of William Tell is more probably derived from this tale, deemed by many originally German, than from Saxo. Some have declared the whole tale of Eastern origin.

349 VELENT’S SAGA. “Velent’s father, Vade, was the son of King Vilkinus, and a Mermaid whom he met in a wood near the sea-shore, as he was returning from a cruize in the Baltic His father never took to him, but gave him twelve castles in Zealand. At the age of nine years Velent was sent to learn smith’s work in the land of the Huns,25 where he suffered much ill treatment from Sigurd Svend, who was under the same master, Mimer Smith. His father, therefore, removed him thence, and placed him with two skilful dwarfs, who lived in the mountain Kullen. After remaining with them more than two years, they became envious of his skill, and sought to take his life, but he slew them both, and having set himself with his tools in a hollow tree, with a glass window in front, he committed himself to the mercy of the waves, and was drifted to Thy, in Jutland, where he was well received by King Nidung. His father, sometime before had been killed by an avalanche. He soon found an 25 The Huns are frequently alluded to in the songs of the Edda, and in the old fabulous Sagas. Magnussen is of opinion that these Huns were the subjects of Attila, who is himself often brought on the stage under the name of Atle, and also that the name of Huns is often applied to people of the Slavic or Vandal family .—Magnussen Den Ældre Ædda, v. iv. p. 312.

350 opportunity to shew how far he surpassed the king’s smith, Æmilius, in his own craft. The king once set out on a warlike expedition with 30,000 knights, and after five days march having discovered that he had left behind the stone which always brought him victory, he offered his daughter and half his kingdom to any one who would bring it to him in one day. Velent did so, but the king evaded his promise, and banished Velent for having killed one of his men. To revenge himself Velent disguised himself as a cook, and put some magic herbs in a soup prepared for the princess. The plot was discovered in time, and Velent having been seized, the king ordered the sinews of his feet to be cut, and he was forced to sit in the king’s court and to employ himself in forging jewels for his enemies. About this time Egil, Velent’s younger brother, who was a celebrated archer, came also to King Nidung’s court. The king had him seized also, and to prove his skill, forced him to shoot an apple placed on the head of his son, a child of three years old. Egil took three arrows from his quiver, and then shot the apple from the lad’s head, which feat was much celebrated. The king asked him what he had intended to do with the other arrows. He answered boldly, that he had meant them for him had the arrow struck his boy, and the king approved the answer. Velent still meditated revenge, and, one day, when the king’s daughter came into his workshop to have a ring repaired, he violated her, and

351 soon after having enticed away her two youngest brothers, he killed them both, and inserted their bones in a costly vessel of gold which he had been forced to make for the king’s table. He had made himself wings from the feathers of birds, shot by his brother Eigil, and by means of these flew up to the highest tower of the king’s palace, from whence, with a loud voice, he declared to the king what he had done. The king caused Egil to be brought, and threatened him with instant death unless he killed fciis brother with an arrow. Egil shot, and the arrow struck Velent under the left arm, from which the blood flowed copiously, and although Velent flew away towards Zealand, the king was satisfied that he would not survive. Egil, however, had only struck a bladder filled with red liquor, which Velent, foreseeing what would happen, had placed under his arm. The king, soon after, died, and Velent effected a reconciliation with his son, and married the sister, who had already produced him a son, named Vidga.” We shall close this Appendix with a few remarks on the belief in magic and witchcraft amongst the ancient Scandinavians. They believed in two species of sorcery, one of which was named Galldur, and was to be effected chiefly by means of songs and runes engraved upon the bark of trees: and it was in this art that Odin was so great a proficient. The second kind was called Seid, which the Aser learned of the Vaner. Seid

352 was a kind of soup or ointment; the ingredients of which seem to have varied according to the effects to be produced. They consisted in part of the hearts and blood of serpents and wolves, of dew of boiled swine’s liver, of various herbs, &c. and at last Runes were generally thrown into the cauldron. The preparation of Seid was said to be so loathsome that men became blind with it, and it was at last abandoned to women. It was a very general superstition in the north, that by eating of the hearts of particular animals, a person might acquire the properties peculiar to the animals themselves. It is related in the Heimskringla Saga, that Sigurd, by eating of the heart of the great serpent, Fröfner, became so wise as to understand the cry of birds. Every jule-evening, for three years successively, a terrible animal, or rather an enchanter with wings, whom no steel would touch, used to come to King Hrolfe’s palace in Leira. Biarke slew him, and made his comrade (Stallbroder), Hodur, eat of its heart, so that from being timid, he became strong and valiant. Nor was this property confined to the hearts of animals alone, since Saxo tells us that Eric the Wise learned to understand the conversation of all animals, by eating a soup made of snake’s flesh. Guttorm ate of a snake and a wolf cooked together, and became very cruel and daring. Biarke’s brother, Elg Frode, having wounded himself in the leg, gave Biarke some of the blood to drink, telling him that he would thus become stronger

353 than other men; Sigurd, by drinking a certain potion, forgat his love to Brynhilde; and Asa-Loke himself is said to have acquired a great portion of his evil qualities, from having eaten the heart of a witch. We learn from Th. Bartholin, that there were certain sorceresses or fortune-tellers (Valas) in Scandinavia, who wandered about the country predicting future events, and the fortunes of young children of rank. The sorceress Heidr, a widow, had in her troop thirty young men and fifteen maidens, who were set on high places, and had under them cushions stuffed with cock’s feathers. They wore Hunnish belts, and purses in which they kept all that they had need of for their magic. One of them ate a soup of goat’s milk, and a dish of the hearts of all the animals which were served up to the others. They could prophesy of good and bad times, and used various instruments and large Seid-staffs. The enchantress Hulda, whose legend has been translated from the Icelandic, by the learned Captain Abrahamsen, was a renowned witch (Seid-kona-volva) in the north, and superstitions connected with her still linger amongst the rocks of Norway. The peasants there believe to this day that Hulla or Hul-dren, is the queen of subterranean beings, and wife to the elf-king, Thusselin, who is described as of diminutive stature, whilst, on the contrary, Hulla is said to be a tall old woman of a dark colour, who, seen from behind, resembles a trough. The Elle-maids

354 also were to be known, from being hollow behind, and the sign of the cross was sufficient to make them turn round; but this defect does not seem to have been attributed to them before the introduction of Christianity. Hulla is also to be seen in stormy weather, driving before her through the woods large herd of dark grey cattle and sheep. Cattle of this kind are hence called Hulla-creatur, and are highly prized. Some pretend to have even seen her residence, and peasants still living assert that at particular moments they have perceived farm-houses and cultivated fields, where were usually only vast woods. Both Hulla and Thusselin are accused of carrying off cattle, and even human beings, but are obliged to return them on hearing the sound of a church bell. They were particularly addicted to stealing unbap-tized children, leaving their own deformed bantlings in their stead. On whipping, however, the young imp three Thursday evenings successively, Hulla is forced to restore the rightful progeny. This is evidently a superstition from the times of paganism, Thor being the great foe of giants and all spirits of darkness. Hulla, however, is best known by her song, (the Huldre-slaat), a subterranean musick or hollow mournful sound, often heard in the mountains.26 Indeed none of the superstitions of the Scandinavians seem to have been more universal than their 26 Müller Saga-Bibliothek.

355 belief in the preternatural powers possessed by certain women whom they called Valas or witches, who previous to the introduction of Christianity, were held in high esteem and respect, as we may perceive from the account given of Thorbiorg, called the lesser Vala, in the Saga of Eric the red.27 They used wands and magical incantations, were often attended by a numerous suite, and possessed great influence. As Christianity gained ground, they were represented in an odious light, as demons, or sold to the devil, instead of being simply exposed as impostors. But in heathen times also the people believed in malignant witches, who were represented as aged and deformed, residing in gloomy impenetrable forests, and siding by night through the air on wolves with snakes for bridles. They were supposed to have the power of assuming the form of wolves, and were called “Wehrwolves (Varulve). The Mar or night-mare, the belief in which is very ancient, seems to have been some such demon or evil spirit.28 There is mention of it in the Heimskringla, and Suhm remarks that the word has the same signification in Danish (Maren), English (Nightmare), French (Cauche-Mar), and German (Nacht Mar). The old Scandinavians had also many superstitions respecting barrows and the spirits of deceased men. Before the introduction of the religion of Odin, they 27 Eric Rödes’ Saga. 28 Magnussen.

356 believed that these spirits, called by them Draugr, remained with the bodies which they had once inhabited, and at times wandered about the earth. Hence the general prevalence of the belief in spectres in the north of Europe, a belief not yet eradicated. According to Suhm, Odin, finding it impossible to destroy this belief, although, in fact, inconsistent with his doctrine, attributed to himself power over these spirits, and hence he was called king of spectres and king of the barrows, by sitting upon which, and employing certain spells, he was able to call up the dead. We are told in one of the old Northern Kiœmpe-Viser, that Odin gave permission to King Helge Hundingsbane, a celebrated Danish hero, to visit nightly his barrow, in order to converse with his young and disconsolate widow, who used there to meet him. King Helge was seen one night by an attendant of his widowed bride entering into his barrow. She conveyed the intelligence to her mistress, who immediately hastened to seek him, and on perceiving that there was no illusion, but that the spirit of her lord was indeed there, addressed him as follows: Now am I more glad At this our meeting Than the rapacious Hawks of Odin When they devour Their daily meal, Or when they perceive The dewy dawn of morn.

357 I will kiss My lifeless king Ere he throws off His bloody helm; Helge, thine hair Is wet with blood, The dew of death hath bathed My warrior’s body, Thy hands, my king, Are icy cold, O Helge, how shall I Find cure for this! HELGE’S SPIRIT. ’Tis thou, Sigruna, Art cause, alone, That Helge is bathed With the dew of sorrow. O, sunny daughter of the south Decked out with gold! Ere that thou goest to rest Thou weepest bitter tears: Each bloody tear Falls on my breast, Icy cold, and torn with grief. It was a very old belief that deceased persons were sorely afflicted by the grief of those who lamented them. The power to raise spirits from the dead was not confined to Odin. In Groa’s magic song, one of the poems of the Elder Edda, a son summons his mother’s spirit from her grave, in order to ask her

358 counsel how to escape from dangers in which she, whilst living, had involved him. He thus begins his invocation:         SON. Wake up, Groa, Wake up, good mother, At the door of death I wake thee; Dost thou remember That thou badest thy son Come to thy grave?         MOTHER. Whatdesireth Mine only son. What peril threateneth thee now; That thou callest up thy mother, Who is turned to earth, Removed from the world of man? He asks her advice and protection in his perilous enterprize. She gives him nine rules for his direction, and bids him proceed fearlessly wherever the danger was greatest. The Scandinavians, like the Greeks, Romans, and other ancient nations, attributed certain mystic properties to the number nine. One of their deities, Njord, had nine daughters, another, Heimdall, nine mothers. Odin lay nine nights on the tree of the universe. The number of worlds according to them was nine. At the great feat at Upsala, held every ninth year, ninety-nine hawks or cocks were sacrificed to Odin, &c.

359 They believed also in the existence of tutelar divinities, whom they called Fylgiur or following spirits. These Fylgiur were always of the female sex, for the most part friendly, but sometimes hostile. Thus in the Volsunga Saga, Sigmund’s Fylgia guided and defended him, until Odin himself deprived him of victory, whilst in another place one warrior says to another, “The danger is great If thy foot stumble When thou goest to battle, Traitorous nornies Encompass thee on each side, And will have thee slain.” These Fylgiur were supposed to have the power of assuming the shapes of different animals. Previous to the introduction of Christianity, festivals (Disa-blot) were held in honour of them. In revenge for the neglect of their accustomed offerings, nine Fylgiur, tutelary spirits, of Thidrand’s race, procured his death.29 Another warrior, Halfred Vandrædakald, after embracing the Christian religion, was overtaken with a dangerous sickness, and being, as he believed, about to die, he was anxious that his Fylgia should not accompany him to the realms of death. She could distinctly be seen following the ship in which he was sailing; her form was that of a comely maiden, 29 Olaf Tryggesen’s Saga.

360 and she walked over the waves as though they had been dry land. She had a helmet on her head, Halfred gazed at her and said that she was his Fylgia, and addressing her, declared that they were divorced for ever.30 Upon this she said to Thorold, will you take me? but he refused, and Hallfred the younger said, Maiden, I will take thee.31 A confused belief in the transmigration of souls seems also to have prevailed at an early period in the north.32 In the poem which narrates the deeds the family of Volsung, we are told that Svava, the daughter of a king, was born again in the person of Siguna, also the daughter of a king. The same is also said of two other distinguished persons, Helge and Sigruna. The following story relating to this subject is told in the Heimskringla Saga, at the time when St. Olaf’s mother, Asta, the wife of Harald Grenske, king of a province in Norway, was in labour of him and could not come to the birth, a man came suddenly to the court with some jewels, of which he gave the following account: King Olaf Geirstade-Alf, a wise and good prince, who had reigned over the same province many years before, and was the direct ancestor of the then king, had appeared to him in a 30 In like manner the Romans believed that every one had a genius or tutelary spirit assigned to him at his birth, males to men, females to women. 31 Hallf. Vand. Saga. 32 Quad om Helge Hundingsbane.

361 dream, and directed him to open the barrow in which his body lay, and having severed from it the head with a sword, to convey the jewels laid up in the barrow to the queen, whose pains would then cease. The jewels were taken into the queen’s chamber, who soon after was delivered of a male child, whom they named Olaf, and it was the general belief that the spirit of Geirstade-Alf had passed into the body of the new-born prince, called after him. It happened long after, when he had attained manhood and was King of Norway, that he rode one day by chance near to the barrow of Olaf Geirstade-Alf, attended by one of his court, who said, “Is it true, my lord, that you once lay in this barrow?” “Never,” replied the king, “has my spirit inhabited two bodies.” “Yet,” said the attendant, “it has been reported that you have been heard to say, on passing by this barrow, ‘Here were we—here we lived.’” “I have never so said,” returned the king, angrily, “and never will I say so.” He was very wroth, and rode hastily away. The old Scandinavians believed that the power of discerning the spirits of deceased men was possessed by certain individuals; they were to be seen, however, only at night, and their presence was sometimes to be detected by a lambent flame, which disappeared when real fire was kindled. These spirits could assume bodies of air, but could not divest themselves of an unearthly paleness. They had the power of defending the treasures buried with them by

362 emitting fire, causing suffocating vapours, &c. To this day the peasants in Norway believe that the spirit of a dying man may be seen at the moment of its departure from the body, in the form of a long narrow white cloud. When a warrior died, his arms, at whatever distance from him, were tinged with blood.