SHAPE-CHANGING. 433 



our sons shall be called Thorir, the second Elgfrodi, the third 

 Bodvar, and I think it probable that they will not be little men, 

 and their names will long be remembered.' He foretold her 

 many things, and then the bear's skin fell over him. The 

 bear went out, and she after him, and looked round. She saw 

 many men coming past the spur of the mountain, with many 

 large dogs in front. The bear ran out of the cave and along 

 the mountain; the dogs and the king's men came against it, 

 and it was difficult to hunt it ; it maimed many men before it 

 was slain, and killed all the dogs. At last they made a circle 

 round it, and it ran in the circle, and saw that it could not 

 escape ; it turned to the king's side, caught the man next to 

 him, and tore him asunder alive ; then it was so exhausted 

 that it threw itself down on the ground ; they soon rushed at 

 it and slew it. The bondi's daughter saw this, went to the 

 king, and said : ' Will you, lord, give me what is under the left 

 shoulder of the bear ? ' The king consented, as it could only 

 be a thing well fit to be given to her. The king's men had 

 then flayed off much of the skin of the bear ; she went and 

 took the ring, and kept it, but they saw not what she took, 

 and did not search ; the king asked who she was, as he did 

 not know her; she gave him a wrong name" 1 (Hrolf Kraki, 

 cc. 25, 26). 



Some women could shape themselves into a Mara or Kvel- 

 drida (evening-rider, or nightmare), in which shape they 

 could hurt or kill people in their sleep. In the Eidsifja 

 Kristinrett we find that there was a punishment for women 

 who had this power. 



" Geirrid and Gunnlaug conversed during the greater 

 part of the day, and late in the evening she said to him : ' I 

 should like thee not to go home to-night, for many are the sea- 

 sliders (those who slide over the sea witches, spirits, etc.), 

 and there are often witches beneath a fair skin, and thou dost 

 not look very lucky in my eyes now.' Be answered: ' I shall 

 not be hurt, as we are two together.' She said : ' Odd will be 

 of no use to thee, and thy self-will is worse for thyself.' Then 

 Gunnlaug and Odd left, and went to Holt. Katla was already 

 in her bed, and asked Odd to invite Gunnlaug to stay ; he 

 said he had done so, but he wanted to go home. ' Then let him 

 go, and meet what he deserves,' she answered. Gunnlaug did not 

 come home in the evening, and they talked about searching 



1 In ch. 27 we are told that Bera ate 



bear's flesh, and bore three sons 



ne bit and a little of another bit of the 



VOL. I. 2 F 



