Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 11, 1900.djvu/303

 The Ancient Teutonic Priesthood. 291

In the North the clearest case of a tribal cult is that of Thorgerdr Holgabrudr. In one respect this cult hoi ds a peculiar position. Thorgerdr is never mentioned as a member of the divine community either in the mythological poems or in Gylfaginning, nor does she stand in any kind of relationship to the rest of the gods. Her cult formed no part of the orthodox religion of the North. In Skaldska- panndl 52 it is stated that she was the daughter of Holig, the founder of the Halogaland monarchy ; after their deaths they were both honoured with worship. According to Saxo (iii., p. 116), however, she was the wife of Helgo {i.e. Holgi) and daughter of Cuso {i.e. Gusi), King of the Lapps. This seems to be the older version, not only because Saxo gives the myth in some detail, but also because Thorgerdr seems to bear a distinctly Lappish character, e.g. in her use of the bow and in the practice of magical arts.^ She seems to have been one of the powers revered by the Halogalander Ketill Haengr, who, like other members of his family, did not worship the generally recognised gods.- She is also said to have been worshipped by an Icelandic settler named Grimkell, who came from Orkadal, a district to the south of the Throndhjem Fjord.^ Beyond this her cult is only known in connection with the celebrated Earl Hakon of Hladir, who ruled Norway from 975 to 995. She and her sister Irpa seem to have been the chief, if not the only^ objects of his worship. He raised several costly temples to her honour,^ and is even reported, on what appears to be fairly good authority, to have sacrificed his son to her in his battle with the lomsvikingar.^ Yet, in spite of Hakon's great position and the fact that he was the last important champion of heathenism in Norway, her cult seems to have met with no general acceptance. She appears indeed to have been regarded rather as a troll than a goddess.

How then is Hakon's worship to be explained? The reason is that he traced his descent from the ancient

' Cf. Olafs s. Tryggv. (Flat), 154 f., 173-

-Saga Ketils Hitiigs, ^ (^F. A. S.,\\., pp. 131, 135); Oi'var-Odds. s. 17 (i^. ^. .S., ii., p. 228).

^ Hardar s. 19 (Island. Sog. ii., p. 59). ^ Olafs s. Tryggv. (Flat.), 114, 173, 326; Nials s. 88. « Olafs s. Tryggv. (Flat.), 154; cf. Saxo, x., p. 483. U 2