490 



L> I VISIONS OF PEOPLE INTO CLASSES. 



Out of the brushwood 

 Came Eig walking, 

 Taught him runes, 

 Gave him his name, 

 Said he was his son ; 

 He bade him own 

 The Oc?a?-fields, 

 The old homestead. 



He rode on thence 

 Through a dark wood, 

 Over hoar- frosted mountains, 

 Till he came to a hall ; 

 He brandished the spear, 

 Shook the linden, 

 Let the horse gallop, 

 Drew his sword, 

 Stirred up war, 

 Reddened the field, 

 Felled men for land. 



He alone then ruled 



Eighteen farms, 



Dealt out wealth, 



Gave to all 



Treasures and costly things, 



Bare-ribbed horses ; 



Scattered rings, 1 



Cut them asunder. 



Appearance of the High-born Women. 



The messengers drove 

 On the wet paths, 2 

 And came to the hall 

 Where Hersir lived; 3 

 He had a daughter 

 Slender-fingered, 

 White and gentle, 

 She was called Erna. 



The High-born Marry together. 



They asked for her 

 And drove home, 



And married her to Jail ; 

 She walked under linen ; 

 They lived together 

 And were happy, 

 Increased the kin, 

 Enjoyed life. 



Bur was the oldest, 



Barn the second, 



Jod and Adal, 



Arfi, Mog, 



Nid and Nidjung, 



They played 



Son and Svem (swain) 



And played chess. 



One was called Kund, 4 



Kon was the youngest. 



Sons of Jarls are called Kon. 



Up grew 

 The sons of Jarl, 

 They brake horses, 

 Bent shields, 

 Smoothed shafts, 

 Shook ash-spears. 



But Kon 5 the young 

 Knew runes, 

 Everlasting runes, 6 

 And life runes ; 

 And further he knew 

 How to save men's lives, 

 To blunt edges, 

 To calm the sea. 7 



From this we see that the Jarl was 

 supposed to have qualities not possessed 

 by the lower class, vyhich was kept in 

 awe of him on this account. 



He learnt the chirping of birds, 8 



To quench fires, 



To soothe minds, 



To allay sorrows ; 



He had the strength and energy 



Of eight men. 



1 Rings were of gold, and were used as 

 money. 



2 Perhaps this means the sea. 



3 We are not told about the Hersir. 



4 Kund a son, a kinsman. 



5 Kon-ung = Konung = Kuug = King. 



6 Everlasting runes, probably more 

 powerful ruues than ordinary runes 

 that may have been only known to few. 



7 To calm the sea by spell. 



8 Some people were supposed to under- 

 stand the language of birds. 



