E OF CHILDREN. 1 I 



Helga was sick and had borne a child. . . . Torn* became angry 

 at this; he took the girl, but did not dare to kill her, for it was 

 called murder to kill children after they were water-sprinkled " 

 (Hord's Saga, c. 8). 



Thorstein (son of Egil Skallagrimsson) one summer pre- 

 pared to go to the Tiling, and said to his wife Jofrid : ' Thou 

 art with child ; if it is a girl thou shalt have it exposed, but 

 raise it if it is a boy.' It was the custom, while the country was 

 all over heathen, for those who had little property to have their 

 children exposed, although it \\as always considered very 

 wicked. And when Thorstein had said this, Jofrid answered : 

 ' This is unworthy of a man like thee, and thou who art so rich, 

 oughtest not to do this.' Thorstein added: 'Thou knowest 

 well my temper, and that it will not be well with thee if my 

 order is not obeyed.' Then he rode to the Thing, and Jofrid 

 gave birth to a girl which was exceedingly handsome. The 

 women wanted to take it, but she said they needed not, and 

 called her shepherd Thorvard, and said : ' Take my horse and 

 lay a saddle on it, and bring this child to Thorgerd, daughter 

 of Egil (Skallagrimsson) in Hjardarholt, and ask her to raise it 

 secretly so that Thorstein may not know it ; 1 look on this 

 child with such eyes of love that I have not the heart to expose 

 it. Here are three marks of silver as reward ; Thorgerd will send 

 thee abroad.' Thorvard did as she said. He rode to Hjardarholt 

 with the child and handed it to Thorgerd ; she had it raised 

 with her tenant at Leysingjastadir in Hvammsfjord. . . When 

 Thorstein came home from the Thing Jofrid told him that the 

 child had been exposed as he had ordered, but her shepherd had 

 run away and stolen her horse. Thorstein said this was good, 

 and got another shepherd. For six winters this was not 

 discovered. A few years after, when Thorstein was on a visit to 

 his brother-in-law, Thorgerd told him that the beautiful girl 

 before him was his own daughter, and how she had come 

 thither. Thorstein said : ' I cannot blame you for this ; most 

 things that are fated take place, and you have remedied my 

 foolishness. I like this girl so much that it seems to me 

 great luck to have so fair a child ; but what is her name ? ' 

 ' Helga she is called,' answered Thorgerd. ' Helga the fair,' 

 added Thorstein. ' Now thou shalt make her ready to go home 

 with me ' ' (Ghmnlaug Ormstunga, c. 3). 



No violent hand was ever laid upon children that were to 

 be exposed. Only one case is mentioned of a child which was 

 to be thrown into the water. One custom was to put the 



