. PREDICTION OF A VOLVA. 397 



his fate, but they did not all like it quite as well. The two 

 foster-brothers sat in their seats and did not go to inquire ; 

 they had no mind for her prophesying. The Volva said, 

 ' Why do these young men not ask about their fates, for they 

 seem to me the most noteworthy of those present ? ' Ingimund 

 answered, ' I do not care to know my fate until it comes, and I 

 think my life does not depend on thy tongue-roots.' She 

 replied, ' I will, however, tell thee unasked. Thou wilt settle 

 in a land called Iceland ; it is still to a great extent unsettled ; 

 there thou wilt become a man of rank and grow old ; many of 

 thy kinsmen will also be famous men in that land.' Ingimund 

 said, ' This is well told, because I have made up my mind 

 never to go to that place, and I should be a poor trader if I 

 sell my many good family lands and go into deserts.' The 

 Finn answered : ' It will happen as I tell, and it shall be a 

 token that the image has disappeared from thy purse which 

 King Harald gave thee in Hafrstjord, and it now lies on the 

 stone ridge where thou wilt settle ; a Frey of silver is marked 

 on it ; when thou bulkiest thy farm my tale will prove true.' 

 Ingimund said : ' If I should not offend my foster-father by it, 

 I would reward thee by knocking thee on the head ; but 

 because I am not an overbearing or fretful man, I shall not do 

 it.' She said he need not be angry. Ingimund said she 

 had brought bad luck there, and she said that it would be 

 thus, whether he liked it or not. She added : ' The fate 

 of Grim also points thither, as well as that of his brother 

 Hromund, and both will be great boandr.' Next morning 

 Ingimund searched for the image, but did not find it ; he 

 thought this a bad omen. Ingjald told him to be merry, 

 and not let this affect him, or hinder his joy, saying that many 

 famous men now thought it honourable to go to Iceland, and 

 that it was only for good that he invited the Finn. Ingimund 

 said he could not thank him for this, but nevertheless their 

 friendship would never cease " (Vatnsdaela Saga, c. 10). 



" At that time there was a very bad season in Greenland ; 

 the men who had gone a-fishing had a small catch, and some 

 had not returned. There was a woman in that district (Her- 

 jolfsnes), Thorbjorg, who was a spdkoua, and was called 

 1 the little Volva.' She had had nine sisters, all spdkonas, 

 but she alone was then living. It was her custom in the 

 winter to go to feasts, and those especially who wanted 

 to know about their fate, or the season, invited her. As 

 Thorkel was the greatest bondi in Herjolfsnes, it was thought 

 he ought to know when the bad season would cease. He 

 invited the prophetess, and she was well received, as war 

 customary with such women. A high seat was prepared fos 



