Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 11, 1900.djvu/296

 284 The Ancient Teutonic Priesthood.

evidence even from historical times. In Rembertus' Vita Anscharii (c. 23 f.), the Swedish king seems to perform sacerdotal functions. Together with his nobles he casts lots before the meeting of the assembly, thus discharging the duty which is assigned by Tacitus to the ' state-priest.' Even in the latter part of the eleventh century w^e find a king Sveinn, who was known as Blotsveinn (/ e> ' Sacrifice- Sveinn.') He is said to have obtained the throne, on the expulsion of the Christian king, Ingi Steinkelsson, by promising to offer sacrifice on behalf of the people.^

In the North therefore priestly duties seem everywhere to be combined with temporal power. The temporal chief is both judge and sacrificial priest.^ It has been suggested that this absence of a priesthood in the North is a late development, and due to encroachment on the part of the temporal powers ; but the evidence points distinctly the other way. In the first place, the gods are represented as priest-kings. The case of the god Fro has already been mentioned. The god UUr seems to bear a similar character. Saxo (iii., p. 130), after relating the story of Othin's exile, says that the gods elected a certain Ollerus {i.e. Ullr) not only to the kingdom, but even to the honours of divinity. Immediately afterwards he speaks of him as a Jtamen. There seems also to be some reason for believing that Balder was once regarded as a priest-king. Secondly, priesthood and chieftainship have the same emblem, namely the sacred arm-ring. In Icelandic temples this was kept lying upon the altar, but at all public meetings the godi wore it on his arm, and upon it all oaths were sworn.^ In Symeon's History of the Church of Durham (ii., 13), a

' Hervarar s. ad fin. {F. A. S., i., p. 512).

Sigi. Skadi is perhaps identical (in origin) with the goddess Skadi, the eponymous deity of Skaeno.
 * In Vols. s. I the mythical king Skadi pronounces excommunication upon

^ Eyrbyggia s. 4 ; Kiahiesiuga s. 2, &c. In the Saxon Chronicle also (Ann. 876) the ring-oath is represented as the most binding form of engagement known to the Danes,