CUTTING TEETH. 37 



weapons that were made at the time the man was born. Also 

 sheep, animals, oxen or horses, if born at the time, were given 

 to high-born men in their honour, as here is said about Hlodver 

 Heidreksson : 



Hlijd was then burn With a ring-adorned helmet, 



In Hunaland, With a sharp sword (mcekir), 



With sax and sword, With a well-broken horse 



With a long brynja, On the holy field. 1 



(Hervarar Saga, c. 13.) 



When a child cut his first tooth it was the custom to give 

 him a present. 



The Gods in days of yore Altheim as a tooth fee. 



Gave to Frey (Grimnismdl.) 



" Asta, Gudbrand's daughter, bore a boy who was named 

 Olaf when he was water-sprinkled by Hrani. It was said by 

 some that Gudbrand would not let him be raised on account 

 of the hatred he had against his father (Harald Graenski), until 

 Hrani told him that he had seen light over the house in which 

 the child was born. Gudbrand himself went to look at it. 

 Then the boy was taken and brought up with great love. 

 Hrani gave him a belt and a knife as tooth-fee, and when he 

 grew up he gave him a ring and a sword " (St. Olaf's Saga, 

 vol. iv. ; Fornmanna Sogur). 



In the battle of Svold, Olaf Tryggvason said to Thyri, his 

 queen : 



" Now thou needest not weep, for thou hast got back thy 

 possessions in Vindland, but I shall to-day claim thy tooth-fee 

 from King Svein, thy brother, which thou hast often asked me 

 to do." 



The goddesses and gods seem to have been called upon to 

 help women in the pangs of childbirth. 



" Borgny, a king's daughter, could not be delivered of her 

 child before Oddrun, the sister of Atli, came to help her ; and 

 then Borgny says : 



Thus may help thee And more gods 



The kind powers As thou didst take 



Frigg and Freyja The danger from my hands. 



(Oddrunargrat.) 



1 Probably a field belonging to a temple. 



