THE LA.\HV(ETTIR OR I'HuTKcTIXG SPIRIT*. 419 



followed, they were more closely connected with the land than 

 with the people, and there was a heathen law in Iceland pre- 

 venting the people from disturbing them. 



They were subordinate to the guardian gods of each country, 

 and excited dreams in men, and on behalf of the guardian 

 watched over those places at which they dwelt ; they especially 

 liked to dwell on mountains, and sometimes the dead were 

 assigned places with them. 1 



" It was the beginning of the heathen laws that men should 

 not go with a head-ship (with dragon-heads; out on the main 

 sea, or, if they did, they should take the heads off before they 

 saw land, and not approach it with gaping heads and yawning 

 snouts, that the landvoettir might not be frightened " (Land- 

 narna, c. 7). 



These landvoettir sometimes loved special men, and followed 

 them. 



" Bjorn (an Icelander) dreamt one night that a rock- dweller 

 came to him and offered to enter into partnership with him, 

 and he consented. Thereafter a he-goat came to his goats, and 

 they increased so much that he soon became very rich. After 

 this he was called He goat Bjorn. Second-sighted men saw 

 that all landvoettir followed He-goat Bjorn to the Thing, and 

 Thorsteiu and Thord (his brothers) to hunting and fishing ' : 

 (Landnania, iv. c. 12). 



Egil, fleeing from the pursuit of King Eirik Bloodaxe and 

 his men, got a vessel to go to Iceland. 



" And when they were ready to sail Egil went upon an 

 island. He took into his hand a hazel-pole and went on a 

 projecting rock, pointing landwards. He took a horse's head 

 and fastened it upon the pole ; then he said the following 

 words : ' Here I raise a pole as a curse, and I turn this curse 

 upon King Eirik and Queen Gunnhild.' He turned the horse's 

 head so that it pointed landwards. ' I turn this curse on the 

 guardian spirits who dwell in this country, so that they shall 

 all go astray, and no one of them shall meet or find his home 

 until they have driven King Eirik and Gunnhild from the 

 land. He thrust the pole into a rift in the rock, and let it 

 stand there ; he carved runes on the pole which told all this 

 imprecation. Thereupon he went on board ship and sailed " 

 (Egil's Saga, c. 60). 



1 Cf. Olaf Tiyggvasou's Saga, p. 37. 



2 E 2 



