560 TEE OATH AND ORDEAL. 



to have proved his case. The strips of sod seem to have 



generally been three 

 



" Ordeal then consisted in a man going under a strip of sod 

 which was cut from the field ; the ends of it were to be fast in 

 the ground, and the man who was to perform the ordeal must 

 go under it. He who went under the sod was considered 

 not guilty if it did not fall down upon him. Thorkel made 

 an agreement with two men that they should dispute about 

 something, and be present when the ordeal was taking place 

 and touch the turf, so that all should see that they threw it 

 down. After this the ordeal was to be performed, and as soon 

 as the man had come beneath the sod the men who were 

 to rush against one another with weapons did so, and met 

 close to the turf-loop and fell there; it fell down, as was 

 likely, then men rushed between them and separated them, 

 which was easy, for they fought with no anger. Thorkel Trefil 

 asked for judgment on the ordeal. All his men said that it 

 would have been satisfactory if nobody had spoiled it. Then 

 Thorkel took all the movable property, while the lands were 

 given to Hrappsstadir " (Laxdsela, c. 18). 



Berg summoned Jokul to the Eunavatns Thing on account 

 of a blow received from him during a wedding feast, and pre- 

 pared the case. 



" At the Thing they tried to reconcile them, but Berg 

 said he would take no fine and not be reconciled unless Jokul 

 went under three sod-slices, as was there the custom after great 

 offences, and thus show his humility. Jokul said that sooner 

 should the Troll take him than he would lower himself thus. 

 Thorstein said : ' This is a matter for consideration, and I will 

 go under the sod-slice.' Berg said that would do. The first 

 sod-slice reached to the shoulder, the second to the waist-belt, 

 the third to the middle of the thigh. When Thorstein went 

 under the first, Berg said : ' Now I will make the foremost of 

 the Vatnsdal-men stoop like a pig.' Thorstein answered : 

 ' There was no need for thee to say this, but the first result of 

 these words will be that I will not go under any more sod- 

 slices ' ' ( Vatnsdeela, c. 33). 



The ordeal of boiling water was sometimes resorted to. 



A bondwoman, Herkja, told Atli that she had seen King 

 Thjodrek and Atli's wife, Gudrun, together. Gudrun asked 

 Atli why he was no longer merry. He told her the cause of 



