HOW OATHS WERE TAKEN. 555 



said they had not heard this wording before. The same oath 

 \\ns taken by him at Gnupafell and at Thvera " (Viga Glum's 

 Saga, c. 25). 



Oaths were sometimes sworn by objects. Volund says to 

 Nidud, his father-in-law : 



First thou shalt to me And at the sword's edge 



Swear all oaths That thoii killest not 



At the ship's side The wife of Volund 



And at the shield's edge, Nor puttest to death 



At the horse's foot My bride. 



(Volundarkvida, 33.) 



Gudrun thus curses Atli, for having broken his solemn oath 

 to her brothers, before she slays him in his bed and burns 

 him and his men in his own hall : 



Go it thus with thee, Atli, By the south-slanting sun, 



As thou to Gunnar By the rock of Sigty, 



Often didst swear oaths By the horse of the bed of rest, 1 



And name them of yore. By the ring of Ull. 2 



(Atlakvida, 30.) 3 



The oath of truce or peace was sealed by hand-shaking, and 

 had to be repeated with a great deal of care. 



Snorri Godi, the famous Icelandic chief, when on his way 

 from a feast with Thorgils Arason, stopped overnight at a farm 

 called Breidabolstad. After they had entered and sat down, 

 Snorri said : 



" ' I have been told, Thorgils, that no man can cite the oath 

 of truce so well as thee ' " (Heidarviga, c. 33). 



The following saga shows how an oath of peace was some- 

 times kept under the greatest temptations to break it. Gretti 

 was an outlaw, and had come in disguise under the name of 

 Gest to see some games of idrottir in which he was invited to 

 take part ; but knowing that if he was recognised his life 

 would not be safe, he insisted that those present should take 

 the oath of peace towards him. 



" ' Here I establish peace among all men, especially with 

 regard to this man, named Gest, who sits here ; and 1 include 

 all godords menu (district chiefs) and good boandr, and the 



1 The sleeping room. 



2 The stepson of Thor. 



3 See also Kjalnesinga, 2. 



