FOSTER CHILDREN. \\\ 



The general custom was first to have the child knee-seated 

 (knesetja), or put on the knees of him who was to be fosterer ; 

 the child was then called the knee-seated (knesetningr) of his 

 foster-father, who bestowed upon him as much care as if he 

 had been his own child. 



" Harald (Gormsson) took Harald, son of Eirik (Blood- axe), 

 to raise him, and knee-seated him ; he was raised in his hird " l 

 (Fornmanna Sogur, i., ch. 19). 



" Hoskuld, an Icelandic chief, having died and his sons 

 having held arvel after him, one of these, Thorleik by name, 

 was jealous of his stepbrother Olaf, whose mother was Mel- 

 korka, an Irish king's daughter, who had been bought as a 

 thrall by Hoskuld. To conciliate him, Olaf offered to foster 

 Thorleik's son, saying : ' I will foster thy son, for he is always 

 called a lesser man who fosters the child of another ' " 2 (Lax- 

 da>la, c. 27). 



To raise another's child was a proof that the fosterer con- 

 sidered himself of lower or subordinate position than the 

 father. A very good example in this respect is that of Harald 

 Fairhair and Athelstan of England. 



" At this time there ruled over England a young king, 

 Adalstein (Athelstan) the Good, who was one of the most 

 high-born men in Northern lands. He sent men to Norway to 

 King Harald with a message. The messenger went before the 

 king and gave him a sword the handle and hilt of which were 

 ornamented with gold. The whole scabbard was ornamented 

 with gold and silver, and set with precious stones. The 

 messenger held out the sword-handle towards the king, and 

 said : ' Here is a sword which Adalstein, King of England, sent 

 you as a gift.' The king took hold of the handle, and at once 

 the messenger said : ' Now you have taken hold as our king 

 wanted, and after this you will be his thegn and sword- 

 taker.' King Harald felt that this was sent to delude him, 

 thought much over it, and asked his wise men if the messenger 

 should be killed or the king disgraced in any other manner, 

 for he would not be the thegn of the Engla king or any 

 other man in the world. Then King Harald at the persuasion 

 of his men remembered that it was not king-like to kill the 

 messengers of another king, who bore the message of their 

 master without adding to it ; but to let plot contend against 



1 Cf. also Harald Fairhair's Saga, 



c.21. 



2 Of. also Herd's Saga, c. 9. 



