Gripla

						OLD NORSE RELIGION IN THE SAGAS OF ICELANDERS            309

the god Frey. Early in the saga it is said that 'the temple of Frey' stood

near the farm Þverá; and the property included the field Vitazgjafi,

which never fell 'barren'.21 Scholars have naturally assumed that Frey

was responsible for the fertility of the field, and thus it was consecrat-

ed to him, although this is not said outright.22 When Sigmund and Þor-

kel had unjustly appropriated use of the field from Glúm and his

mother for a while, Glúm killed Sigmund on the spot. Glúm won the

case arising from the killing, and Þorkel had to hand over his part of

Þverá. Then the saga says:

Ok áðr Þorkell fór á brott frá Þverá, þá gekk hann til hofs Freys

ok leiddi þagat uxa gamlan ok mælti svá: 'Freyr,' sagði hann, 'er

lengi hefir fulltrúi minn verit ok margar gjafar at mér þegit ok

vel launat, nú gef ek þér uxa þenna til þess, at Glúmr fari eigi

ónauðgari af Þverárlandi en ek fer nú. Ok láttu sjá nokkurar jar-

tegnir, hvártú þiggr eða eigi.' En uxanum brá svá við, at hann

kvað við ok fell niðr dauðr, ok þótti Þorkatli vel hafa við látit ok

var nú hughœgra, er honum þótti sem þegit myndi heitit.23

Before Þorkel departed from Þverá, he went to the temple of

Frey, leading an old ox, and spoke thus: 'Frey,' said he, 'you

who have long been the patron who has received many gifts

from me and repaid them well, I now give you this ox, in order

that Glúm may leave Þverárland under no less compulsion than

I do now. Manifest some signs to show whether you accept or

not.' The effect on the ox was such that it bellowed and fell

dead; and Þorkel thought the answer favourable, and was now

easier in mind, when it seemed to him that the prayer had been

heard.

The next allusion to Frey is in connection with outlawry of Vigfús,

son of Víga-Glúm. Of him it is said:

En hann mátti eigi heima vera fyrir helgi staðarins . . . ok helt

Glúmr hann á laun. En því skyldu eigi sekir menn þar vera, at

Freyr leyfði eigi, er hof þat átti, er þar var.24

21  Víga-Glúms soga, ed. Jónas Kristjánsson (ÍF IX), Rvík 1956, pp. 16, 22.

22  ÍF IX, p. 22 n. 1 and works there cited.

23  ÍF IX, p. 34.

24  ÍF IX, p. 66.