SACRIFICES TO THE DISIR. 



411 



would never miss, and never go so far as not to come back 

 into bis hand ' ' (Skaldskaparmal, 35). 



"Ragnar (the son of Sigurd Hring) grew up in his father's 

 bird ; he was taller and handsomer than any man people bad 

 seen, and like bis mother and her kin to look at, for it is 

 known from all old sayings about the people that are called 

 Altar that they were much finer than other kinds of men in 

 the northern lands. The parents of his mother Alfhild and 

 all her kin sprung from Alt' the old " (Sogubrot, c. 10). 



"The land which King Alf ruled was called Alfheim, and 

 all the people that spring from him are of the Alfa-kin ; next 

 after the Risar they were finer than other people. King Alf 

 was married to Bryngerd, daughter of King Ramn, in Rauina- 

 riki ; she was tall but not handsome, for Rauni was ugly ; 1 the 

 men who are tall and ugly are called raumar " (Thorstein's 

 Saga Vikingssonar, c. 1). 



The people thought that the spirits of the Alfar sometimes 

 lived not far from human habitation's. 



Kormak and Thorvard had fought, and the latter had been 

 wounded ; be recovered slowly, and as soon as be could get on 

 bis feet went to find Thordis (a Volva), and inquired how be 

 coulcLbest recover bis health. He replied : 



" A short distance from here there is a bill, in which Alfar 

 live. Thou must get the bull, which Kormak killed, and with 

 its blood redden the outside of the hill, and make a feast for 

 the Alfar of the meat, and thou wilt recover " (Kormak's Saga, 

 c. 22). 



Pisa-blot. The sacrifices offered to the Disir, or genii who 

 specially guarded men and families and appeared when im- 

 portant events happened, 2 seem to have been performed by 

 women only, and to have been usually made in the autumn or 

 winter nights ; sometimes human sacrifices were made to them. 



This worship from its very nature was probably of great 

 antiquity, and belonged to the religion practised by the 

 Asar. 



The earliest account of a Disa-blot is in Hervarar Saga. 



^ " A man named Arngrim was a Risi and mountain dweller, 



1 Other texts Raum and his kinsmen 

 were tall and ugly. 



2 Cf. Gisli Sursson, 22, 24, 30, 33; 



Half's Saga, 15; Grimnismal, 53 ; Atlamal, 

 2o. Fylgjas appeared to people in dreams : 

 Lj6svetninga, 21 ; Atlamal, 19 ; Xjal, 12. 



