AGE OF ROCK-TRACINGS. I 2."i 



the art flourished for quite a long time, and that ou the 

 return of their warlike expeditions, either from the north or 

 south, they and some of the people illustrated the deeds of 

 their heroes. 



One of the finest tracings, which is about 66 feet in length 

 and 20 feet in height, is near a small stream by the bridge at 

 Hvitlycke. Among the prominent figures, of which there arc 

 over one hundred, is a large man, probably a champion, with a 

 shield and spear, attacking another ; in another part, two men 

 fighting with axes ; in another a large snake attacks a man 

 much smaller in size than the snake. There are also 22 ships, 

 varying in size from 2 to 3 feet in length, but one is about 



Fig. 900. Rock-tracing at Satorp, Tanum parish, Bohuslan. A champion defending 

 his ship against two smaller ones. Height, 4J feet ; width, 6J feet. 



10 feet long. The earth which covered the lower part of the 

 tracings had just been removed some days before my arrival at 

 the spot, and they were as distinct and fresh as if they had 

 been just cut. 



The large size of some of the tracings shows that a long 

 time must have been required to complete them, and indicates 

 that the people must have been settlers in the country. With 

 whatever instruments some of them were cut, the work, on 

 account of the great number of figures, must have been in 

 many cases slow. The question naturally arises : Did the early 

 tribes, who, according to the story, came to the North with 

 Odin, find a different people, who themselves or whose ances- 

 tors had made these illustrations of their history, or a people 



