54 ODIN OF THE NORTH. 



called Odin ; he had many sons, and they all became great 

 and strong men. One of his sons was called Sigrlami ; to him 

 Odin gave the realm now called Gardariki ; he became a great 

 chief over that land ; he was handsomer than any man. He 

 was married to Heid, the daughter of King Gylfi ; they had a 

 son called Svafrlami." (Hervarar, c. 2). 



Sigrlami fell in a fight against Thjassi the Jotun. When 

 Svafrlami heard of his father's death he took for himself all 

 his realm, and became a powerful man. It is said that on one 

 occasion when riding in a forest he chased a stag for a long 

 time, and did not kill it until sunset, when he had ridden so 

 far into the forest that he lost his way. He saw a large stone 

 and two Dvergar beside it, whom he was going to sacrifice to 

 the gods, but on their begging to be allowed to give a ransom 

 for their lives Svafrlami asked their names. One was called 

 Dyrin, the other Dvalin. Svafrlami at once recognised them 

 to be the most skilful of Dvergar, and insisted upon their 

 making a sword for him, the hilt to be of gold, and the 

 scabbard to be ornamented and inlaid with gold. The sword 

 was never to fail, and never to rust ; to cut iron and stone 

 as well as cloth ; and it was to bring victory in all battles 

 and duels (einvigi) to every one who carried it. 



On the appointed day Svafrlami came to the rock ; the 

 Dvergar gave him the sword; but Dvalin, standing in the 

 door of the stone, said : " Thy sword, Svafrlami, shall be a 

 man's bane (death) every time it is drawn ; and with it shall 

 be performed the greatest nithiug's deed ; it also will be thy 

 death." Svafrlami then struck at the Dvergar so that both 

 edges of the sword entered into the rock, but the Dvergar 

 ran into the rock. Svafrlami, we are told, called the sword 

 Tyrfing, and carried it in battles and single fights ; with it he 

 killed in a duel Thjassi the Jotun, his father's slayer, whose 

 daughter Frid he married '' (Hervarar Saga, c. 3). 



We not only have accounts of how this Odin established his 

 family in the North, but also how he died there. Feeling 

 that his days were coming to an end, he prepared to die on a 

 pyre, as was the custom of those times ; and we find the belief 

 existed that after his death he returned to the old Asgard. 



" Odin fell sick and died in Sweden. When he was at 

 death's door he let himself be marked (wounded) with a spear- 

 point, and said he was the owner of all the men slain by 

 weapons, and would go into Godheim (the world of the gods), 



