356 



OCCUPATIONS AND SPORTS OF MEN. 



Games with dice were of great antiquity, as seen from the 

 finds, which prove even more than the Sagas how common 

 dice-throwing was. The dice-throwing of the three Northern 

 kings about Hisingen shows that the highest throw won. 



" On Hising (an island at the mouth of the Gauta river) was 

 a district which had at one time belonged to Norway, and at 

 another to Gautaland. The kings agreed to cast lots about 



the possession thereof, and throw 

 dice, and that he should have it 

 who threw the highest. The Swedish 

 king threw two sixes, saying that 

 King Olaf need not throw ; but he 

 replied, shaking the dice in his 

 hand, ' there are yet two sixes on 

 the dice, and it is easy for God, niy 

 lord, to let them turn up again.' 

 Fig. 1338. Die of bone. Real size. He threw, and got two sixes. Olaf 



King of Sweden threw and again 



got two sixes. Olaf King of Norway threw and there was on 

 one die six, but the other burst asunder, and then there were 

 seven. He then took possession of the district " (St. Olaf s Saga). 



Dancing does not seem to have been a popular amusement 

 before the end of the llth century ; and it is only referred to 

 in a very obscure manner in the following Saga. 



" King Godniund, of Glaesisvellir, was to give his sister in 

 marriage to Siggeir, son of King Harek of Bjarmaland, and 

 had prepared a splendid wedding-feast. Bosi was present, 

 disguised in the garb of King Godrnund's councillor Sigurd, 

 whom he had slain. It is not stated how the chiefs were placed, 

 but it is mentioned that Sigurd played on a harp for the brides- 

 maids ; and when the horns were brought in the men said that 

 no one was his equal. . . . When the horn consecrated to Thor 

 was brought in, Sigurd changed the tune ; then all that was 

 loose, both knives and plates, began to move ; many jumped 

 from their seats and moved to and fro on the floor ; and this 

 continued for a long while. Then came the horn consecrated 

 to all the Asar. Sigurd once more changed the tune, and 

 played so loud that it echoed all around. All in the hall 

 rose, except the bride and bridegroom and the king, and 

 everyone was moving round the hall, for a long while. The 

 king asked if he knew any more tunes, and he said he still 

 had some left, but he told the people to rest first. The 

 men sat down and began to drink. Then he played the 



