Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 3.djvu/385

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 373 the twelve apostles too strong to be merely accidental, notes. Some imperfect knowledge and rude imitation of Chris- tianity are eddently at the bottom of this form of heathenism. It will also be observed that in all the forms of heathenism that existed before Christianity, the priesthood, whether here- ditary or dedicated by selection to their vocation, were all a temple-priesthood. They belonged to particular services, gods, and temples ; and not to any territorial district like a parish, or to any particular group of people like a congre- gation. Christianity, however, from the first appears to have been altogether congregational. The bishops, elders, and deacons belonged to particular congregations in particular localities, within which they taught and governed in things spiritual. If the Christian church lost this original and cha- racteristic formation at Rome, it was by imitating and adopting, some centuries after its first establishment, the former heathen establishment of a temj^le-priesthood, a pontifical college, and a pontifex maximus. Odinism appears to have been formed, like early Cln'istianity, and no doubt an imitation of it, upon the congregational principle. The godar had under his charge a certain portion of territory called a godard, similar to a Christian parish. The inhabitants of this locality paid him certain dues as their priest and local judge. Each godard appears to have had its own Thing, or court, for admi- nistering the laws of the general or district Thing, for appor- tioning dues or taxes, and the levies of men and ships. To this early and complete arrangement of the country and popu- lation into godards, or parishes, may be ascribed the great military and naval achievements of the pagan Northmen. It was an effective military arrangement of the whole people. As an arrangement connected with religion, its principle is evidently congregational, and derived from Christianity in the early ages when it had no hierarchy. The godard, that is, the right to jurisdiction and certain dues for civil and ecclesi- astical function within a locality, appears to have become a saleable transferable property at last, just like an advowson to the cure of souls in an English parish at the present day. So perfectly similar were the arrangements of Odinism and Christianity, that a century after the establishment of Chris- tianity and Christian church institutions in Iceland, Bishop Isleif held a godard as quite compatible with his functions- T^ B 3