Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 17, 1906.djvu/408

 392 Custom and Belief in Icelandic Sagas.

however, became ill after eating of it ; and when

they learnt where it had come from, they threw

away what was left.

8. {NJdla, 990). He is mentioned as standing with

Thorgerd HolgabriiS and Irpa in the temple of

Earl Hakon and Gudbrand of Dale, in Norway.

Flj6tsd(Ela (990) mentions him with Frey, Frigg,

and Freyja, in Bersi's temple, in Iceland, but the

style of the passage is late, and an older version

of the same incident names no special gods.

Frey. — More than one reference to Frey seems to

point to his being originally a tribal god of the Swedes.

Whatever his origin was, he found wide acceptance, and

was, with the possible exception of Thor, the favourite

Icelandic deity, so far as can be judged from the material.

More than one Icelander is famous under the title of

Freys-priest ; e.g. Hrafnkel FreysgoSi (about 946) and

Thord FreysgoSi (about 970).

1. {Hrafnkel Frey sgo^i's Saga, ^6). Hrafnkel Freysgot5i

liked no god more than Frey. He shared his best treasures with him, and gave him half tl e horse Frey-faxi, vowing to kill anyone who re Je it. He kept his oath ; but discarded his favourite deity when the other chiefs of the district destroyed his temple in vengeance for the slain Einar.

2. ( Waterdale Saga, 954). Brand put his trust in his

horse Frey-faxi.

3. Viga-Glunt's Saga (957). Thorkell the Tall went

to Frey's temple and led thither an old ox, and said, " Frey, who hast long been my chief trust, and hast received many gifts from me and well rewarded them, I give thee this ox, that Glum may go from Thvera as unwillingly as I now go. Give me some sign whether thou accept or not." The ox fell dead, and Thorkell went away happy. The sequel took place some thirty years later.