352 



RELIGION. WORSHIP, SACRIFICES, ETC. 



(= tern pie-priest and judge) over them. After this his name 

 was lengthened and he was called Frey's godi." 



" Hrafnkel owned one valuable thing which he loved more 

 than any other. This was a horse with a dark stripe along its 

 back which he called Freyfaxi ; he devoted to his friend Frey 



one-halt' of this horse, and 

 loved it so much that he 

 made a vow to slay any man 

 who rode it against his 

 will" (Hrafnkel Frevsgodi's 



C1 " 



Saga). 



Thorkel had been forced to 

 sell his land to Glum. Be- 

 fore he departed from Thvera 

 he went to the temple of 

 Frey, leading thither an ox, 

 and said : 



" Frey, who long hast 

 been my patron, and hast 

 accepted many gifts from 

 me and rewarded me well, 

 now I give this ox to thee, 

 so that Cllum may leave 

 Thveraland as much against 

 his will as I do now ; let me 

 see some token whether 

 thou acceptest it from me 

 or not. At this the ox bel- 

 lowed loud and fell dead, 

 which Thorkel liked well, 

 and he was less sad because 

 he thought his prayer was 

 heard " (Vigaglum's Saga, 

 c. 9). 



Fig. 774. Runic stone, with hammer, at rr -. i 1-1 TTI 



Stenqvista Sodermanland, Sweden). Stones -L^OF 11K6 F rey was 111- 



with a similar-shaped hammer have been found yoked The poetical and 

 in several places in Denmark and Sweden. 



figurative names given to 



him are far from being as numerous and beautiful as those 

 given to Odin. It was customary, at least in the earliest times, 



1 In the earliest times Thor was the 

 great enemy of the Jb'tnar. He was 

 called upon by wrestlers also (Gunnlaug 



Ormstungu, 10), and showed his anger 

 by causing loss of property (Floamanna 

 Saga, c- 20). 



