OATHS BY WITNESSES. 557 



more at stake than I in the keeping of the truce.' They made 

 little answer, and sat down. The sons of Thord and Halldor, 

 their brother-in-law, began to talk together. Some were in 

 favour of keeping the truce, and others not, and they nodded 

 their heads one to another. Tungustein said : ' Is that your 

 thought, Grettir, but what will the chiefs do ? Thou art in 

 truth a great and brave man, but seest thnu not how they 

 put their noses together in deliberation what to do.' ' 



After a taunting song from Grettir, in which he ridiculed 

 their indecision, Hjalti Thordarson said : 



" ' It shall not be so ; let us keep our oath of peace, though 

 we have been outwitted ; let us not ourselves set the example 

 of violating the truce we have declared and given. Grettir 

 shall go free wherever he likes, and the truce shall last until 

 he has returned. Then this plighted faith will be no longer in 

 force, whatever may happen between us.' All thanked him, 

 and thought his opinion chief-like, considering the guilt of the 

 person interested. Thorbjorn Ongul, Hjalti's brother at this 

 became silent " (Gretti's Saga, c. 73, 74). 



Oaths by witnesses. If there were witnesses, including at 

 least two freemen who were of age, to testify under oath for or 

 against, then the one who had the most witnesses won his 

 case. 



If a witness's appearance was hindered, then two men could 

 take his evidence and give it under oath on his behalf. 



If people heard a bad report about a man, evidence was given 

 by ten men, two of whom had to swear to it, and the others 

 verified their words that they had heard such report without 

 knowing if it was true or not. Such evidence forced the 

 accused to free himself from the accusation either by oath or 

 ordeal. 



The purifying oath, skirsl 1 or dulareid, 2 varied according 

 to the accusation. It was taken either by the defendant alone, 

 or by him and a certain number of co-swearers, the number of 

 whom varied according to the nature of the cases. The 

 greatest number was twelve, and the oath, which was con- 

 sidered the most solemn and important, was in such a case 

 called tyl/tareid (twelve-men oath). 



1 Skirsl, to pass under jardarmen. See 

 page 559. 



" Dulareid, an oath of denial. 



