WINELAND THE GOOD 





On account of the identity of name one might perhaps be 

 tempted to think that it was Gudrid's "fylgja " (fetch) coming to 

 warn her. But she does nothing of the kind in the saga, nor 

 was there any reason for it, as the Skraelings came to trade with 

 peaceful intentions, and fled as soon as there was disagree- 

 ment. But the story is obscure and confused, and it is 

 probable that this is a borrowed incident, and that something 

 of the meaning or connection has dropped out in the transfer. 

 Another remarkable feature (which Moltke Moe has pointed 

 out to me) is that while 

 in Eric's Saga Karlsevne 

 pays for the Skraelings' 

 furs and red cloth, in the 

 " Gronlendinga -f>attr" he 

 makes " the women carry out 

 milk-food [' bunyt '] to 

 them" (it was placed out- 

 side the house or even 

 outside the fence), "and as 

 soon as the Skraelings saw 



milk-food they would buy that and nothing else." Now the 

 natives of America cannot possibly have known milk-food; 

 but on the other hand it happens to be a characteristic of 

 the underground folk that they are fond of milk and por- 

 ridge (cream-porridge), which is put out for the mound- 

 elves and the "nisse." Another underground feature comes 

 out in the incident of the five Skraelings in Markland, three of 

 whom " escaped and sank into the earth " (" ok sukku i 

 jorS niSr"). Possibly the statement that the people in 

 Markland " lived in rock-shelters and caves " may have a similar 

 connection. 



As the Skraelings of Greenland were dark, it was quite 

 natural that they should become trolls, and not elves, which 

 were fair. 



It may also be supposed that the troll-like nature of 

 the Skraelings is shown in the curious circumstance that 



15 



Fight with mythical creatures 

 [From an Icelandic MS.] 



