[ 467 3 



amongft themfelves, and the people of Eftum brew no ale, 

 though they have mead in profufion q . 



" There is alfo a particular cuftom amongft this nation, that 

 when any one dies, the corpfe continues unburnt with the re- 

 lations and friends for a month or two, and the bodies of 

 kings and nobles r (according to their refpeclive wealth) lye 

 for half a year before the corpfe is thus deftroyed, and it 

 continues above ground in the houfe, during which time drink- 

 ing and fports laft till the day on which the body is con fumed. 

 Then, when it is carried to the funeral pile, the fubftan.ce of 

 the deceafed (which remains after thefe drinking bouts and 

 fports) is divided into five or fix heaps (fometimes into more) 

 according to what he happens to be worth. Thefe heaps are 

 difpofed at a mile's diftance from each other, the la r geit heap 

 at the greateft diftance from the town, and fo gradually the 

 fmaller at lefler intervals, till all the wealth is divided, fo that 

 the leaft heap mall be neareft the town where the corpfe lies. 

 " Then all thofe are to be fummoned who have the fleeteft 

 horfes in that country, within the diftance of five or fix miles 

 from thefe heaps, and they all ft rive for the fubftance of the 

 deceafed ; he who hath the fwifteft horfe obtains the moft dif- 

 tant and largeft heap, and fo the others, in proportion, till the 

 whole is feized upon. He procures, however, the leaft heap, 

 who takes that which is neareft the town, and then everv one 

 rides away with his fhare, and keeps the whole of- it ; on ac- 

 count of this cuftom, fleet horfes are extremely dear. When 

 the wealth of the deceafed hath been thus exhaufted, then they 

 carry the corpfe from the houfe, to burn it, together with the 



Here Wulfftan's voyage ends in Hakluyt. 

 1 High men in the Saxon, 



O002 " dead 



