WORSHIP <>r /7,-/:r, ETC. 351 



rule of the land and the laws, King Eystein, is also mine. 

 Eystein said : ' I advise thee, King Sigurd, to cut the third lot 

 for the cloak, for King 01 af, like ourselves, is the son of Mag- 

 nus.' Sigurd answered: 'Men can see that every expedienl 

 has now been tried, for thou wantest to have two lots where I 

 have one, but I will not deprive King Olaf of any honour.' 

 Then the lots were put into the cloak, and the lot of King 

 Sigurd came up, and he was to rule " (Sigurd Jorsalafari's 

 Saga, c. 21). 



It seems to have been the custom among zealous sacrincers 

 to consecrate their lands and property to the gods, without 

 however denying themselves the use and enjoyment thereof. 

 That this was customary all over the North we may conclude 

 from the mass of names of farms, villages, &c., named after the 

 gods Odin, Frey, and Thor. 



In their colonies the people followed the same custom of 

 dedicating their settlements or lands to the gods, and we find 

 ample proof of this in England, Normandy, Iceland, the 

 Orkneys and Faroe Islands. 



Among the gods most worshipped besides Odin were Frey, 

 Thor and Njord. 



We find from the Sagas that Frey was worshipped equally in 

 Norway, Iceland, and Sweden, and no doubt also in Denmark. 



One summer when Hallfred and his followers came from 

 Iceland to Norway, and asked for tidings, they were told that 

 there had been a change of chiefs in Norway ; that Hakon 

 Jarl was dead, and Olaf Tryggvason had come instead with a 

 new creed and commandments. 



" Then the men on the ship agreed to make a vow ; they 

 vowed to give much property to Frey if they got a fair wind 

 to Sweden, but to Thor or Odin if they got to Iceland ; if 

 they should not get a fair wind to sail, the King should have 

 his way." They never got a fair wind, and had to sail to 

 Thrandheim (Hallfredar Saga, c. 5). 



' ; When Hrafnkel had settled at Adalbol (Iceland) he had a 

 great sacrifice. He had a large temple made. He loved Fn-y 

 more than other gods, and gave him one-half of all his most 

 precious things. He settled in the whole valley and gave 

 lands to the people, but wanted to rule them and became godi 



