EDUCATION OF CHILDREN. 45 



In the raising and education of boys, most attention was 

 paid to their physical development ; both physical and intel- 

 lectual accomplishments were named idrottir. The most 

 important of these were the skilful handling of all kinds of 

 weapons, riding, swimming, snow-shoe running, rowing, wrest- 

 ling, working in wood and metal, and harp-playing ; to which 

 should sometimes be added skill in training and managing 

 dogs, falcons and hawks for the hunt. Of intellectual accom- 

 plishments are mentioned knowledge of runes, laws, the art of 

 poetry, so necessary for remembrance of the deeds of heroes, 

 eloquence, skill in draughts or checkers, chess, and the use of 

 foreign tongues. 



Kali, the son of Kol, who had settled in the Orkneys, well 

 known as a kindly and accomplished man, composed the 

 following stanza : 



I am ready to play chess, I can slide on snow-shoes, 



I know nine idrottir, I shoot and row usefully, 



I shall scarcely forget the runes, I know too both 



I am a book-reader and smith ; Harp-playing and metres. 



(Orkneyinga Saga, c. 49.) 



" It is told that Hjordis gave birth to a boy, and he was 

 carried to King Hjalprek. He w r as glad when he saw the 

 flashing eyes in his head, and said no one would be his equal, 

 and he was water-sprinkled with the name Sigurd ; all people 

 say the same of him, that in vigour and size no man was his 

 equal. He was brought up by Hjalprek with great affection. 

 When all the famous men and kings in the old Sagas are 

 named, Sigurd will be the foremost in strength and accom- 

 plishments, energy and valour, which he had in a higher 

 degree than any other man in the northern half of the w ? orld. 

 Sigurd grew up there with Hjalprek, and every child loved 

 him ; he betrothed Hjordis to King Alt', and fixed her mund. 

 The foster-father of Sigurd was Kegin, son of Hreidmar ; he 

 taught him idrottir, chess, and runes, and to speak many 

 tongues, as then was the custom with kings 1 sons, and many 

 other things " (Volsunga Saga, c. 13). 



Raising children secretly seems not to have been allowed. 



" King Harald Hardradi, during a visit to the Norwegian 

 chief Aslak, inquired of him if he was not well versed in the 

 laws established by the late king, Olaf Haraldsson (digri). 

 Aslak saying that he was, the king asked him if he knew what 



