>F CHILDREN. ;i!) 



bad coine into Denmark, and Gisli and his companions let 

 themselves be prime-signed ; it was a custom at that time 

 much used by the men who were on trading journeys, for they 

 could then hold free intercourse with the Christians. Early 

 in the spring Bjalfi made his ship ready for Iceland. Sigurd, 

 a Norwegian, the companion of Vestein, was then west in 

 England " (Gisli Surssou's Saga, pp. 95-97). 



The exposure of the child depended so entirely upon the 

 will of the father, that not even the mother dared to oppose it ; 

 if the child was fatherless at its birth, the right was exercised 

 by the person who ruled over the household or family, and the 

 child was then carried out by a thrall. Such children as had 

 not been received by the father, or with his knowledge or 

 consent, were called uborin born (unborn or non-accepted 

 children); the exposure itself is called utburd(= carrying out, 

 i.e., out of the house). 



There was a chief in Iceland named Asbjorn Gunnbjarnarsou ; 

 his wife was Thorgerd, a fine and accomplished woman. They 

 had a daughter, Thorny, whom Thorgerd gave in marriage to 

 Skidi without Asbjorn's consent. 



" Some years after Asbjorn rode to the Thing and said to 

 Thorgerd : ' Now I ride to the Thing as I am wont, and I know 

 that thou art far gone with a child ; now whatever it is, boy or 

 girl, it shall not be raised, but exposed.' She said he should not 

 do that, so wise and powerful a man as he was ; ' for it would be an 

 unheard-of wickedness even if a poor man did it, but especially 

 as you do not lack goods.' Asbjorn replied : ' I thought when 

 thou gavest our daughter Thorny to Skidi, the eastman, 

 without niy knowing it, that I should not raise more children 

 for thee to' give away against my will, but if thou dost not do 

 as 1 tell thee, thou wilt feel it, as will all who break my orders, 

 or do not do what I want.' He rode to the Thing. A little 

 after Thorgerd gave birth to a boy ; it was large, fat, and very 

 fine ; all who saw it, both men and women, praised it. Though 

 Thorgerd thought the child was fine and loved it much, never- 

 theless she wanted it to be exposed, for she knew the temper of 

 her husband, Asbjorn, that he must have his will. Then she 

 got men to expose the child, and prepare him, as was the custom. 

 They took it out of the house, laid it down between two stones, 

 and put a large slab over it ; they left a piece of pork in the 

 child's mouth, and went away. Gest, a bondi, heard the child 



