216 SPORT IN NORWAY. 



But should he have a fight in the town, he acts as a 

 man of taste and good breeding, and only uses his 

 knife; but amongst his own people his sharp teeth 

 come into play, and he seldom disdains to seize the 

 defiant pigtail of his enemy, which, on such occasions, 

 falls over the forehead in a most inviting manner. 



But unless excited by brandy or ale, the Saetersdal 

 peasant is not usually pugnacious or obtrusive in man- 

 ner. He is superstitious to a degree, owing to the 

 wild solitude of the district, and the traditions from 

 olden time. " Aasgardsreien " still goes about and 

 jests, and many are the tarred crosses which the pea- 

 sant marks over his door at Christmas-time, to keep 

 the powers of evil away. He firmly believes, too, in 

 spirits ; and there are few of them who at least once in 

 their lives have not seen and heard the wild, ringing 

 gait of " Aasgardsreien." After sunset he will hardly 

 ever venture out of doors, and even threats or promises 

 will not induce him to go a single step after darkness 

 has fallen. He is very sluggish in his movements, 

 more so than is usually the case among the Norwegian 

 peasantry; excessively egotistic, and of a calculating 

 turn of mind. 



He will not readily do any service to a stranger ; and 

 when any request or demand is made, and he thinks the 

 party able to pay, he never forgets to weigh, as far as 

 possible, the favour asked of him against the money 



