Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 17, 1906.djvu/407

 Custom and Belief in Icelandic Sagas. 391

4. Orlyg and Koll went out together, from Ireland.

drlyg was Christian, " but Koll vowed to Thor." They got separated in the storm, but both came to land {LaJidnama, about 890).

5. {Floamanna Saga, 990). Thorgils Orrabeinsstjupr

ThorSarson had been a devotee of Thor, but became Christian some years before the establish- ment of Christianity in Iceland. Thor appeared to him in dreams and threatened him. One night a " home-boar " died {i.e. a boar which had grazed in the home enclosures) ; he had it buried by some fences, and let no one eat of it. Another night an old ox died. Then Thorgils watched ; next morning he was blue all over, so that people thought he and Thor must have met. Before starting on his journey to Greenland he dreamt again, and Thor, " big and red-bearded," threatened him with a bad voyage. When bad weather came, many wanted to sacrifice to Thor, but Thorgils forbade it. During the voyage he remembered having once dedicated a calf to Thor ; the calf, now a full-grown ox, was on the ship, and he decided to throw it overboard. A woman of the company became angry and begged that they might have it for food : " No wonder things go ill, when Thor is so much insulted ; " but Thorgils refused.

6. {Gunnlaiigs Saga, 1003). ^"^ Norway, Thord vowed

to Thor for victory over Gunnlaug in a wrestling match.

7. [Thorfimi Karlsefni's Saga, 1007). The Christian

settlers in Greenland became very short of food, and answer to their prayers did not come as quickly as they wished. Thorhall made a poem in honour of Thor, and was rewarded by a whale, of unknown species. The whole party,