CHAPTER III. 



THE BIRTH AND BRINGING UP OF CHILDREN. 



Appearance of the Nornir at a child's birth Ceremony attending birth 

 Religious rites Antiquity of the custom of sprinkling water over a child 

 The Asa form and the Christian form of baptism Naming the child 

 Birth of Sigurd, Eagnar Lodbrok's son Helgi's birth Distinctive names, 

 Belief in predestination Possession of two names considered lucky- 

 Presence of the household and of neighbours at childbirth Gifts of 

 weapons and animals Cutting the first tooth The prime sign Ex- 

 posure of children Reasons for exposure The custom continued after 

 the introduction of Christianity The bringing up of children Attention 

 paid to physical development Secret adoption not allowed. 



THE Nornir seeni to have appeared during the night that 

 followed a child's birth, which among the high-born was at- 

 tended with a great deal of ceremony. The newly-born infant 

 was placed on the floor, and remained there without being 

 touched by any one, until taken up and put in the folds of 

 his cloak, by his father, or in his absence by the nearest of 

 kin, who by this ceremony acknowledged the legitimacy of 

 his offspring. After he had received the child in his arms 

 he looked at it, and from its appearance judged of its temper, 

 proportions, fortune, luck in war, &c., and decided if the 

 newly-born infant should live or be exposed and left to die 

 a custom similar to that of the Spartans. 



Then if the child was to live, a religious or sacred rite called 

 Ausa Vatni, 1 which seems to have consisted either in pouring 

 or sprinkling water over the child, was performed, a custom 

 so common that we are not told how the water was poured or 

 sprinkled over, though it may have been with the hand. 



This ceremony was considered a most sacred rite, and was 

 an integral part of the Asa creed, and consequently of great 



1 The words ausa moldu mean ' to 

 pour mould on' (to bury). In Yng- 

 lingatal the expression ausinn (another 



form of the verb) haugi is used of a 

 man buried in a mound. 



