HOSPITALITY. 



and threw it back at the man who cast it, and into his face, so 

 strongly that he was slain. The hirdmen became much alarmed. 

 The news reached King Hrolf and his champions in the castle 

 that a tall man had come to the hall and killed one of the 

 hirdmen, and they wanted him to be slain. The king asked 

 if the hirdrnan had been killed without cause. ' Almost so,' they 

 said. When he heard the truth, he said : 'The man shall not 

 be slain ; you have got into a bad habit of throwing bones at 

 harmless men ; it is a disgrace to me, and a great shame for 

 you to do such things. I have often spoken of this before, but 

 you have taken no heed ; call the man whom you have now 

 assailed, that I may know who he is.' Bodvar came before 

 the king, and became his hirdman " (Hrolf Kraki's Saga, c. 43). 



It was a great recommendation for a man, when it could be 

 said that his house afforded accommodation to every one. 

 Hospitality was a leading trait in the character of the people. 

 In the code of conduct known as Havamal (see p. 401) we see 

 that the stranger must be well received, and the Sagas give 

 some remarkable examples of the generous hospitality of the 

 people, among them that of Geirrid, who had emigrated from 

 Norway to Iceland : 



" Geirrid settled in Borgardal, inside Alpta fjord. She caused 

 her house to be built across the high-road, so that all were 

 obliged to ride through it. A table set with food, which was 

 given to every one who wanted it, always stood ready. 1 Owing 

 to this she was looked upon as a high-minded woman " 

 (Eyrbyggja, c. 8). 



" Some winters later, Hord Grimkelson, with his wife Helga, 

 Sigurd, foster-son of Torn", Helgi Sigmundarson, and thirty 

 men, landed at Evrar, in Iceland. At that time Hord was 



it 



thirty winters old ; he had then been abroad for fifteen winters 

 in succession, and had got much property and honour. Illugi 

 the red, from Holm, came to the ship, and invited him and all 

 his men to stav with him, and did everything most honourable 



m' / C7 



to them. Hord took this well, and thought it a good invitation ; 

 he went to him with twenty-five men, and they were treated 

 with ale all the winter, with the greatest liberality " (Hord's 

 Saga, c. 19). 



There are several passages in the Sagas from which we see 

 that the usual length of time for a visit was three days. 



1 Cf. also Liindnamn, Part ii. 6. 



