400 RELIGION.- THE VOLVAS. 



he saw them coming on horseback, and said : ' Now the guests 

 must be welcomed, and I intend my cats to do it, and I will 

 place all of them in the entrance, and it will take them long 

 before they get in if they defend the door.' Then he made 

 them very strong with spells, and they looked very fierce, 

 mewing and rolling their eyes. Jokul (Thorstein's brother) 

 said to Thorstein : ' It was good advice of thine not to let this 

 human fiend be undisturbed any longer.' They were eighteen 

 men. Thorolf said to himself : ' Now fire shall be made, and I 

 do not care though smoke follows it, for the coming of the Vatns- 

 dal men is not likely to be peaceful. He put a kettle over the 

 fire, and laid under it wool and all kirids of rubbish, and the house 

 became full of smoke. Thorstein came to the door and said : 

 ' We ask thee to go out, Thorolf.' He answered that their errand 

 could not be peaceful. Then the cats at once began to whine 

 and act hideously. Thovstein said : ' This is a wicked company.' 

 Jokul answered : ' Let us go in at them, and not care for these 

 cats.' Thorstein said they should not, 'for it is most likely 

 that our men will be hurt by all the cats and Thorolf's 

 weapons, for he is a great champion; I should prefer 

 that he gave himself up and walked out, for he has so much 

 smoke from the fuel that he cannot well stay in.' Thorolf 

 took the kettle off the fire and threw it on the wool-pile, 

 and so strong a smell came out that Thorstein and his men 

 could not stand very near the door. Thorstein said : ' Beware 

 of the cats that they do not clutch you, and let us throw the 

 fire into the houses.' Jokul took a large firebrand and threw 

 it, into the entrance, so that the cats drew back and the door 

 fell back. The wind blew on the houses and the flames 

 were fanned up. Thorstein said : ' Let us stand at the fence 

 where the smoke is thickest and see what he does, for he has 

 so much fuel that he cannot stay long.' Thorstein guessed 

 right. Thorolf jumped out with two chests full of silver, and 

 went with the smoke ; when he came out the Norwegian was 

 there, and said, ' Here is the fiend running, and he looks wicked 

 now.' He ran after Thorolf down to Vatnsdal river, until they 

 came to some deep pits or fens. There Thorolf turned round 

 towards him, took hold of him, laid him under his arm, and said : 

 ' Thou triest to run now ; let us then both run.' He jumped into 

 the bog and they sank, and neither came up again. Thorstein 

 said : ; A great mishap was this that my Norwegian should perish, 

 but it is well that Thorolf's property will be enough to pay his 

 wergild.' And so it was. The abode of Thorolf was after this 

 called Sleggjustadir, and cats were often seen there, and it was 

 often thought evil to be there "(Vatnsdrela, c. 28). 



Men and women with the power of foreseeing and foretelling 



