Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 4, 1893.djvu/232

 224 the waterfall, and all remnants had to be thrown into it: he was also very skilled in the future The night he died all his sheep drove down into the waterfall. (5. 6.) 20. Lopt went to Norway every third summer to sacrifice, on behalf of himself and Flosi, his mother's brother, at the temple of which his mother's father, Thorbjörn had been custodian. (Flosi could not go in person, being at enmity with King Harald.) (5. 8.) —Frequent mention is made of magical arts, as practised by witches (völva, fjölkunnigkona), or more rarely by men (fjölkunnigr madr). The art itself is generally called fjölkyngi (much knowledge), or fródleikr (wisdom, learning). There are also persons who have the second-sight (are ófreskir) or have supernatural strength (rammaukin), or who can change their shape (hamrammr). To these beliefs the following series relates. 21. Asolf came from Ireland to the Eastfirths. He was a Christian, and would have no dealings with heathen men, would not even take food from them. He made a hut for himself under Eyjafell, and dealt with no one. They were curious to know what he had to eat, and saw many fish in the hut, and on their going to the stream which ran past the hut, they found it full of fish, so that they thought they had never seen such a marvel ; but when the men of the district heard of it they drove him away, and would not let him enjoy this good. Then Asolf shifted his dwelling to Midskáli, and stayed there. All the fish disappeared from the brook when men went to take them, and when they came to Asolf the waterfall beside his hut was full of fish. Again he was driven away, and went to the westmost Asó1fsskáli, and things went just the same as before [The longer version adds: "The settlers called that sorcery, but Thorgeirr (who had driven Asolf away) said he was of the opinion they were good men."] (1. 15. 16.) 22. A whale was driven ashore on Lón-Einar's beach, and he had cut up part of it, when a storm carried it off and drove it ashore on the land of Einarr Sigmundarson. Lón-Einarr attributed this to the magic of Hildigunn. (He went in search of the whale, and found Einarr with his men cutting it up, and killed one of them, but retired, as he had fewer men. He again came to attack Einarr,