Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1964, Side 77

Færeyinga saga, chapter forty
85
Frandr hafde t>a latit gera ellda mykla j elldaskala ok grindr fiorar
lætr hann gera med fiorum hornnum ok .ix. ræita ristr í>randr alla uega
ut fra grindunum. en hann setzst a stol mille elldz ok grindanna. hann
bidr j>a nu ekki við sig tala ok jieir gera suo. Frandr sitr suo vm hrid
ok er stund leid Jja gengr madr inn j elldaska'ann ok var allr aluotr.
t>eir kenna manninn at j>ar var Æinarr Sudreyingr. hann gengr at
elldinum ok rettir at hendr sinar ok litla hrid ok snyrr vt eftir j>at.
ok er stund lidr gengr madr jnn j elldahusit. hann gengr at ellde ok
rettir til hendr sinar ok gengr vt sidan. jaeir kendu at j>ar var f>orir.
bratt eftir jietta gengr hinn j>ride madr j elldaskalann. jaessi var mikill
madr ok miog blodugr. hann hafde hofudit j hende ser. jaenna kenna
jieir aller at j>ar var Sigmundr Brestisson hann nemur stadar nokkura
stund a golfinu ok gengr vt sidan ok eftir jietta riss brandr af stolinum
ok uarpar mædiliga ondunne ok mællti. nu megi j>er sia huat j>essum
monnum hefir at bana ordit —
This brief description is in parts obscure and as a whole
unique. It has clear affinities with divinatory and necro*
mantic practices, particular with the útiseta.') It has remoter
associations with beliefs in the unquiet dead, particularly
the drowned or murdered who come back to reveal the
Rafn und G. C. F. Mohnike (1833), 328; Munch: P. A. Munch, Det
norske folks historie I 2 (1853), 592; Niedner: Gronlander und Faringer
Geschichten iibertragen von F. Niedner (Thule XIII, 1929), 332; Olsen:
Magnus Olsen in Maal og Minne (1916), 19; Press: The Saga of the
Faioe Islanders translated by M. A. C. Press (1934), 76; Rafn: Færeyinga
saga. Udg. af C. C. Rafn (1832), 183—4; Rahbek: K. L. Rahbek, Nordiske
Fortællinger II (1821), 136; Reitan: Soga um Sigmund Bresteson . . .
ved J. Reitan (Gamal norske bokverk 5, 1908), 131; Rygh: O. Rygh in
Uore fædres liv. Udg. af N. Rolfsen (2nd ed , 1898), 234; Schroter: see
reference under Rafn above; Strómbáck: Dag Strómbák, Sejd (1935),
127; Torfæus: Commentatio historica, de rebus gestis Færeyensium . . .
Thormodi Torfæi (1695), 108—9; de Vries: J. de Vries, Altgermanische
Religionsgeschichte (2nd ed., 1956—7), I 329; Winther: N. Winther,
Færoernes Oldtidshistorie (1858—75), 349; York Powell: The Tale of
Thrond of Gate englished by F. York Powell (1896), 54. Translations I
know I have not seen are those published in Tórshavn (1904), by O. A.
Øverland in Norske historiske fortællinger no. 3 (1895) and by A. Bugge
in Udvalgte Sagaer (1901). Other abbreviated titles are: Hwb.: Hand-
worterbuch des deutschen Aberglaubens (1927—42); KL: Kulturhistorisk
leksikon for nordisk middelalder (1956—).
!) See Strómbáck, 126—9, and cf. Munch, Meissner and de Vries,
but the account does not fit exactly in any category.