CHIEFS -SITTING ON MOUNDS. 



493 



" A man was called Dala-Gudbrand ; he had the name of 

 Hersir, but ruled like a king over the Dalir (district). Sigvat 

 Scald compared him in power and in vast possessions to Erling 

 Skjalgsson " (St. Olaf, Heimskringla, c. 118). 



" Arnvid the blind replied : ' Lord (Herra), most unlike are 

 red gold and clay, but greater is the difference between King 

 and Thrall. You promised your daughter Ingegerd, who is 

 high born in all pedigrees of Uppsvia family, which is the 

 highest in the northern lands, for it is descended from the 

 gods themselves ' ' (St. Olaf, Hkr., 96). 



It was the custom of the Hersir and of chiefs to sit daily or 

 often on the mound raised over the remains of their ancestors' 

 kinsmen or wives, so that they could be seen for a long distance, 

 and that every one might have access to them. At such times 

 it seems to have been customary for the chiefs to be alone. 

 They occupied themselves there in playing with their dogs, 

 hunting with hawks, cutting the manes of their horses, or look- 

 ing at games, &c. ; or they quietly contemplated the panorama, 

 and saw before them visions of Odin, of the Valhalla, and of 

 their kinsmen who had gone there. 



This custom of sitting on mounds seems to be of very great 

 antiquity, and was mentioned in the earlier Edda, and in 

 many places in the Sagas. 



" Thrym the Jotun had stolen Thor's hammer, and Loki, 

 having borrowed the eagle-shape of Freyja, goes in the dress 

 of Freyja (see Wedding-dress), as a bride to Jotunheim, and 

 there beholds Thrym. 



Thrym sat ou a mound, 

 The Lord of Thursar, 

 Braiding gold bands 



For his grey hounds, 1 



And cutting even the manes 



Of his horses." 



(Thrymskvida, 6.) 



Thorleif the wise was a chief who would not accept 

 Christianity, and Olaf Tryggvason sent the poet Hallfred to 

 him on this account. 



" Thorleif was wont, as was often the custom of men in 

 ancient times, to sit on a mound not far from the boer, and 

 there he was when Hallfred came " (Fornmanna Sogur). 



1 Greyiom : this is the dative form 

 which is grey in nominative ; the form 



grey hund also occurs (Fornmanna Sogur 

 xi. 10.) 



