THE FYLGJAS OR FOLLOWING SPIRITS. 415 



it : that my mother's lather Yigfus must be dead, and that 

 woman who was taller than the mountains is probably his 

 hamingja, for he surpassed others in most things of honour, 

 and his luck will dwell where I am.' Next summer, when 

 ships arrived from Norway, the death of Vigfus was heard of " 

 (Viga Glum, c. 9). 



The shapes of the various Fylyjas can best be found from 

 the forms in which the people thought they perceived them. 

 They were inherited from one man by his descendants and 

 even relatives, so that some families had their permanent 

 guardianship ; to them accordingly was often ascribed the 

 success of some individuals. 



The shapes most frequently assumed were those of birds 

 and animals, and in some such shape every man was supposed 

 to have his fylgja* indicative of his character ; cunning people 

 were said to have foxes for their fylgja ; fierce warriors, wolves ; 

 great chiefs, eagles, oxen, bears, and other animals. 1 From 

 numerous Sagas we find that they frequently assumed the 

 shape of bears, which went in front of the persons they wanted 

 to guard, and sometihies presented themselves in the form of 

 the human being whose genii they were, but never in the shape 

 of women 2 like the Disir proper. Those of the deceased were 

 believed to warn their relatives, kinsmen, and friends, and 

 appeared at or before important events in the life of the person 

 whom they guarded, sometimes while he was awake, but as a 

 rule in dreams, and it was believed that a sudden sleepiness 

 foreboded their coming. Wherever those under their pro- 

 tection went they accompanied them, preceding them to such 

 places as they intended to visit. 



When Halfred while on a voyage to Iceland fell sick 



" A woman was seen to walk along the ship ; she was large 

 and had on a coat of mail, and walked on the waves as if on 

 land. Halfred looked and saw that it was his female guardiuii 



1 The eagles dreamt of by Angantyr 

 were thought to be the fylgjas of cham- 

 pions (Hervarar Saga, c. 5). 



Thorstein Vikingsson saw in the many 

 bears which attacked him a foreboding 

 of a king or a king's son (Gautrek and 



Thorstein Uxafot from the white bear 

 cub, which he hud observed walking 

 ahead of the latter. 



- N'jala, 12; Fmnbogi Kaimni's Saga ; 

 Fornmanna Sb'gur, iii. They are s>-. n 

 in a walking state. Viga Glinn's Saga: 



Hrolf's Saga; Thorstein Vikingsson, c. I Halfred'sSaga, 22, 24; Vatnsdsela, p. 36; 



12). 



Thus also Geitir guessed the birth of 



Atlamal, 19 ; Egil's Saga, 50, 60 ; Sogn- 

 brot, 2. 



