Amber and Jet in Ancient Hirials. Ill 



Amber southward into Greece and Rome, and it is a curious 

 fact that now, wherever the best Amber finds occur, Greek 

 and Roman coins come to light [in Norway]. I'he tradinj^ 

 with these peoples brought men into touch with the culture of 

 more civilized lands, and helped the spread of geographical 

 knowledge. The Scandinavians used Amber themsehes as 

 a decorative material, iis exemplified by the gra\e-fintis and 

 the mention of it in the Sagas." Amber mining is also 

 described. " The wearing of it is not much the fashion 

 now, and the greater part is used by merchants for barter 

 in Africa and Asia, or made into mouthpieces for smokers. 

 Here and there among the country people one sees a little 

 girl with a necklace of Amber beads, or one with a clear 

 yellow heart of it hung round the neck.^^ In olden days 

 they thought the Amber beads prevented inflammation, cured 

 pain, swollen glands, and sore throat. In Pliny's time, 

 shortly after the birth of Christ, it was believed that Amber 

 beads relieved goitre and cretinisin, then, as now, prevalent 

 in Southern Alpine districts. This belief is not quite for- 

 gotten, as grandparents in Norway often put Amber beads 

 round the baby's ne^< so that it shall cut its teeth easilv. 

 In Russia the nurse will wear an Amber necklace so thar 

 sickness shall not fall on either nurse or child. ^^ In China 

 Amber is worn as an amulet against sickness of all kinds, 

 and something of the same belief exists in Morocco and 

 Algiers." This summary of a very interesting article from 

 a Scandinavian source helps to throw light on the feelings 

 with which Amber was regarded in Norway and Sweden, and 

 the last remark as to customs concerning its use in Morocco 

 and Algiers may also apply to the Berbers, an offshoot of 



11 This reminds one of the almost universal custom in Home, 

 where the little girls nearly always wear an Amber necklace and 

 the boys wear an Amber bead as an amulet. 



12 At St. Monan's, Grizzle . . ingeniously concealed in the 

 folds (of the infant's) inner garments a large lammer (amber) bead, 

 ever famous for its mystic virtues in repelling the invisible opera- 

 tions of fairy influence supposed to have been exercised upon these 

 defencele^s being (.1. W. .Jack. (•hiifni(i and Jh.ttiicf. I'ast dtid 

 rresent, pp. 89-90). 



