1872.] Holmboe — Traces of BuddJiism in Norway. 185 



may be seen on the flags of stone which cover the cells. In this case the 

 archaeologists have supposed that it was put mth a view to prevent water 

 from penetrating into the cells. To demonstrate the inexactitude of this 

 opinion, Mens. Holmhoe cites examples of sepulchral cells which have been 

 covered with only one large flag, over which a coating of bark could not 

 contribute much to prevent the entrance of water. Consequently he thinks 

 that the use of the bark must have had another object. The author thinks 

 that the bark is used to bear inscriptions, and in support of this conjecture, 

 he notices that several thin flags of stone have been found over the bark, 

 probably to secure it against injury from damp. As an ulterior argument, 

 he cites several topes of Afghanistan, in which Mr. Masson found, over the 

 upper flags of the cellules a vegetable matter which he names tuz or leaves, 

 and which Professor Wilson takes to be " the inner bark of the Jjliurj or 

 birch tree, which was very commonly used for writing upon by the Hindus 

 in early times." In support of this conjecture, the author also cites the cus- 

 tom of the ancient Buddhists, to inscribe on sepulchral urns the names of the 

 persons whose relics were deposited in them. 



Extract from a Memoir ly Professor G. Holmhoe entitled, " ^at Guldlract- 

 eatI'rog,som ofte forehommerT — A hind of hract of gold which is 

 often met with. 



A great number — upwards of 200 — gold bracts are preserved in the Mu- 

 seums of Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Christiania, which had been from time 

 to time dug out of the earth — a few being obtained from sepulchral urns 

 mider the cinders of the dead. The most common type of these, presents a 

 large human head on the back of a badly drawn quadrangle. Archaeologists 

 — predecessors of the author — thought that the type represents Odin, the chief 

 of torla (sic) , one of the northern divinities, mounted on his horse Sleepner. 

 This opinion has been combated by Mons. Holmboe, in a memoir printed in 

 the Bulletin of the Society of Sciences of Christiania, for 1858. M. H. has 

 proved in it, that the quadruped ordinarily represented, has horns and therefore 

 cannot be a horse. It has been said that these horns are intended for ears, but 

 several specimens show the horns beside ears. As another argument against 

 the received opinion, it may be observed that Sleepner, according to the 

 legends, had eight feet, whereas the quadruped on the bracts never has more 

 than four. Consequently M. H. started the opinion that the type is a 

 poor imitation of the Buddhist coin, representing Siva mounted on the back 

 of his bull Nandi. But one circumstance which he omitted to notice in his 

 memoir of 1858, has led to his writing again on the subject, and it is this, 

 that the animal everywhere appears carrying a tail in the form of that of a 

 horse, which has contributed much to strengthen the previous opinion. The 

 author now draws attention to the Tibetan bull named Yak, the tail of 



