Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 1.djvu/202

 MEMOIR OF SNORRO STURLESON.

Snorro Sturleson was born in the year 1178, at Hvam, in the present bailiwick of Dale, in the western province of Iceland. His father, Stnrla Thordarson, was a man of consequence, descended from the royal stock of Odin to which the Northern kings, and all the great families among the Northmen, traced their lineage; and he held by hereditary right the dignity of a Godar, which in the times of the Odin worship was hereditary in certain families descended from the twelve Diars, Drottars, or Godars, who accompanied Odin from Asagard. The office of Godar appears to have combined the functions of priest and judge originally; and long after the sacerdotal function had ceased the judicial remained, and was exercised as an hereditary jurisdiction over the locality or godard, even long after the establishment of Christianity. Snorro was sent in his infancy to John Loptson, of Odda, to be fostered. It was the custom of the age for people of consequence to send their children to be fostered by others, sometimes of higher and sometimes of lower station; but always of a station, connection, or influence that would be of use afterwards to the foster-child. This fostering was not merely nursing the child until he was weaned, but implied bringing him up to the age of manhood; and the ties of foster-father, foster-son, and foster-brother, appear to have been as strong and influential as the natural ties of blood relationship. The custom has arisen in turbulent times, from the policy of not giving an opportunity to hereditary enemies to cut off an entire family at one swoop, leaving no heir and avenger,