GROWTH OF HAIR—GUNNAR’S BOWSTRING 341 
Do the Sagas or other ancient Scandinavian literature, in 
which descriptions of fishing frequently figure, allude to such 
use of dead men’s hair? Two of the foremost Scandinavian 
scholars could recall none. The Kalevala—the great Finnish 
epic—yielded no help. 
Nearest comes the account of “ Gunnar’s Slaying” in 
Story of the Burnt Njal.1 After his bowstring has been cut by 
his foe, Gunnar said unto his wife, Hallgerda, ‘Give me two 
locks of thy hair, and ye two, my mother and thou, twist them 
together into a bowstring for me.’ ‘Does aught lie on it?’ 
she says. ‘ My life lies on it,’ he said; ‘for they will never 
come to close quarters with me, if I can keep them off with my 
bow.’ ‘ Well,’ she says. ‘ Now will I call to thy mind that 
slap in the face thou gavest me,’ and refused him her hair. 
Gunnar, just ere he falls, sings: 
“Now my helpmeet, wimple hooded, 
Hurries all my fame to earth. 
Woman, fond of Frodi’s flour 
Wends her hand, as she is wont.” 2 
The passage containing the Greek words quoted in the 
article was eventually discovered on p. 82 of Fayuwm Towns and 
their Papyri, by Grenfell, Hunt, and Hogarth. 
kal 89 xO6va Svompaedov pOacas 
doxnpovas WAG map’ Hovas 
WvOev S¢ wérpay Kabioas Gre 
kdAapov pev eOnoev vexpa TpLxt 
déreap b¢ AaBav kal Yuopioas 
a | ess , ~ 
ayxurtpov ayny: Bude BvbG 
ds 8 ovdév GAws TOT eAappévoy.? 
published, and many people believe that such growth does take place. Erasmus 
Wilson pronounces that ‘‘ the lengthening of the hairs observed in a dead 
person is merely the result of the contraction of the skin towards their bulb.”’ 
1 Blakey, op. cit., 207, states an engraving was found at Herculaneum 
“ representing a little Cupid fishing with the ringlets of her (sic) hair for lovers.’’ 
So far I have failed to track this hermaphroditic representation, nor is Sir C. 
Waldstein aware of its existence. 
2 Translated by Dasent. Frodi’s flour = gold. 
3 Professor Grenfell tells me that ére here has no connection, unless the 
main verb came in line 16, where there is a lacuna, but the traces do not 
suggest any verb. He also approves my rendering of Wwpicas having the 
sense of “‘ baiting the swim ”’ with bits of flesh from the corpses. 
