122 THE HORSES OF PREHISTORIC [CH. 



himself into a mare, and a smith's magic-working stallion) was 

 gratt at bit, " grey in aspect or complexion." As the cult of Odin 

 had made its way up northwards from central Europe, and 

 never formed the popular religion of Norway, the fact that Odin 

 is represented as riding on a grey horse, whilst the older Thor 

 always fares on foot, makes it likely that horses of a certain 

 kind had made their way into the North from central Europe. 

 It is also to be remarked that whilst Sleipnir is grey, 

 Heimdal's horse is evidently a chestnut or yellow-dun. 



We shall presently see that the grey colour of Sleipnir 

 is a valuable indication of the importation of Libyan blood 

 into Upper Europe. 



From the horses' names given in the appendix to Sijmon's 

 Edda we can learn something of the colours of the horses of 

 a later date. Ali's horse was named Hrafn (' Raven '), Actie's 

 steed was called Grar (' Grey '), whilst other horses are named 

 Soti ('Sooty'), Goelfaxi ('Golden-haired/ i.e. dun), Silfrentopr' 

 (' Silver- topped/ i.e. silver-maned ?). 



In addition to the dun, grey, and white horses of the earlier 

 x period, we now find black horses making their appearance. 



The Icelandic sagas furnish some useful evidence concerning 

 the horses used by the early Norse settlers in Iceland, who 

 were especially addicted to the pastime of horse-fighting (an 

 amusement practised in modern Siam), and who, until their 

 conversion to Christianity by the simple but effective methods 

 of Thangbrand, the militant missionary sent by King Olaf of 

 Norway in 997, regularly ate horse-flesh on certain occasions. 



In the sasra of Burnt NjaL the scene of which is laid in 



O J ' 



the tenth century, there are constant allusions to horses and 

 riding, but no description is given of these animals, unless 

 they are of an exceptional kind. " Starkad had a good horse 

 of chestnut hue, and it was thought that no horse was his 

 match in fight " ; Gunnar of Lithend had a brown 1 , and on 

 the great fight between these two stallions and its sequel 

 the development of the tragedy depends. " Now men ride to 

 the horse-fight, and a very great crowd was gathered together. 



1 Burnt Njal, LVII-LVIII. 



