AUTHOR'S NOTES.
Note I., p. 17.--FORTUNE-TELLING RHYMES.
The author has in Chapter I. supposed that a very ancient northerncustom, used by those who were accounted soothsaying women, might havesurvived, though in jest rather than earnest, among the Zetlanders,their descendants. The following original account of such a scene willshow the ancient importance and consequence of such a propheticcharacter as was assumed by Norna:--
"There lived in the same territory (Greenland) a woman named Thorbiorga,who was a prophetess, and called the little Vola, (or fatal sister,) theonly one of nine sisters who survived. Thorbiorga during the winter usedto frequent the festivities of the season, invited by those who weredesirous of learning their own fortune, and the future events whichimpended. Torquil being a man of consequence in the country, it fell tohis lot to enquire how long the dearth was to endure with which thecountry was then afflicted; he therefore invited the prophetess to hishouse, having made liberal preparation, as was the custom, for receivinga guest of such consequence. The seat of the soothsayer was placed in aneminent situation, and covered with pillows filled with the softesteider down. In the evening she arrived, together with a person who hadbeen sent to meet her, and show her the way to Torquil's habitation. Shewas attired as follows: She had a sky-blue tunick, having the frontornamented with gems from the top to the bottom, and wore around herthroat a necklace of glass beads.[42] Her head-gear was of blacklambskin, the lining being the fur of a white wild-cat. She leant on astaff, having a ball at the top.[43] The staff was ornamented withbrass, and the ball or globe with gems or pebbles. She wore a Hunland(or Hungarian) girdle, to which was attached a large pouch, in which shekept her magical implements. Her shoes were of sealskin, dressed withthe hair outside, and secured by long and thick straps, fastened bybrazen clasps. She wore gloves of the wild-cat's skin, with the furinmost. As this venerable person entered the hall, all saluted her withdue respect; but she only returned the compliments of such as wereagreeable to her. Torquil conducted her with reverence to the seatprepared for her, and requested she would purify the apartment andcompany assembled, by casting her eyes over them. She was by no meanssparing of her words. The table being at length covered, such viandswere placed before Thorbiorga as suited her character of a soothsayer.These were, a preparation of goat's milk, and a mess composed of thehearts of various animals; the prophetess made use of a brazen spoon,and a pointless knife, the handle of which was composed of a whale'stooth, and ornamented with two rings of brass. The table being removed,Torquil addressed Thorbiorga, requesting her opinion of his house andguests, at the same time intimating the subjects on which he and thecompany were desirous to consult her.
"Thorbiorga replied, it was impossible for her to answer their enquiriesuntil she had slept a night under his roof. The next morning, therefore,the magical apparatus necessary for her purpose was prepared, and shethen enquired, as a necessary part of the ceremony, whether there wasany female present who could sing a magical song called '_Vardlokur_.'When no songstress such as she desired could be found, Gudrida, thedaughter of Torquil, replied, 'I am no sorceress or soothsayer; but mynurse, Haldisa, taught me, when in Iceland, a song called_Vardlokur_.'--'Then thou knowest more than I was aware of,' saidTorquil. 'But as I am a Christian,' continued Gudrida, 'I consider theserites as matters which it is unlawful to promote, and the song itself asunlawful.'--'Nevertheless,' answered the soothsayer, 'thou mayst help usin this matter without any harm to thy religion, since the task willremain with Torquil to provide every thing necessary for the presentpurpose.' Torquil also earnestly entreated Gudrida, till she consentedto grant his request. The females then surrounded Thorbiorga, who tookher place on a sort of elevated stage; Gudrida then sung the magic song,with a voice so sweet and tuneful, as to excel any thing that had beenheard by any present. The soothsayer, delighted with the melody,returned thanks to the singer, and then said, 'Much I have now learnedof dearth and disease approaching the country, and many things are nowclear to me which before were hidden as well from me as others. Ourpresent dearth of substance shall not long endure for the present, andplenty will in the spring succeed to scarcity. The contagious diseasesalso, with which the country has been for some time afflicted, will in ashort time take their departure. To thee, Gudrida, I can, in recompensefor thy assistance on this occasion, announce a fortune of higher importthan any one could have conjectured. You shall be married to a man ofname here in Greenland; but you shall not long enjoy that union, foryour fate recalls you to Iceland, where you shall become the mother of anumerous and honourable family, which shall be enlightened by a luminousray of good fortune. So, my daughter, wishing thee health, I bid theefarewell.' The prophetess, having afterwards given answers to allqueries which were put to her, either by Torquil or his guests, departedto show her skill at another festival, to which she had been invited forthat purpose. But all which she had presaged, either concerning thepublic or individuals, came truly to pass."
The above narrative is taken from the Saga of Erick Randa, as quoted bythe learned Bartholine in his curious work. He mentions similarinstances, particularly of one Heida, celebrated for her predictions,who attended festivals for the purpose, as a modern Scotsman might say,of _spaeing_ fortunes, with a gallant _tail_, or retinue, of thirty maleand fifteen female attendants.--See _De Causis Contemptae a Danis adhucgentilibus Mortis, lib. III., cap. 4_.
Note II., p. 32.--PROMISE OF ODIN.
Although the Father of Scandinavian mythology has been as a deity longforgotten in the archipelago, which was once a very small part of hisrealm, yet even at this day his name continues to be occasionallyattested as security for a promise.
It is curious to observe, that the rites with which such attestationsare still made in Orkney, correspond to those of the ancient Northmen.It appears from several authorities, that in the Norse ritual, when anoath was imposed, he by whom it was pledged, passed his hand, whilepronouncing it, through a massive ring of silver kept for thatpurpose.[44] In like manner, two persons, generally lovers, desirous totake the promise of Odin, which they considered as peculiarly binding,joined hands through a circular hole in a sacrificial stone, which liesin the Orcadian Stonehenge, called the Circle of Stennis, of which weshall speak more hereafter. The ceremony is now confined to thetroth-plighting of the lower classes, but at an earlier period may besupposed to have influenced a character like Minna in the higher ranks.
Note III., p. 101.--THE PICTISH BURGH.
The Pictish Burgh, a fort which Nora is supposed to have converted intoher dwelling-house, has been fully described in the Notes upon Ivanhoe,vol. xvii. p. 352, of this edition. An account of the celebrated Castleof Mousa is there given, to afford an opportunity of comparing it withthe Saxon Castle of Coningsburgh. It should, however, have beenmentioned, that the Castle of Mousa underwent considerable repairs at acomparatively recent period. Accordingly, Torfaeus assures us, that eventhis ancient pigeon-house, composed of dry stones, was fortificationenough, not indeed to hold out a ten years' siege, like Troy in similarcircumstances, but to wear out the patience of the besiegers. Erland,the son of Harold the Fair-spoken, had carried off a beautiful woman,the mother of a Norwegian earl, also called Harold, and shelteredhimself with his fair prize in the Castle of Mousa. Earl Harold followedwith an army, and, finding the place too strong for assault, endeavouredto reduce it by famine; but such was the length of the siege, that theoffended Earl found it necessary to listen to a treaty of accommodation,and agreed that his mother's honour should be restored by marriage. Thistransaction took place in the beginning of the thirteenth century, inthe reign of William the Lion of Scotland.[45] It is probable that theimprovements adopted by Erland on this occasion, were those whichfinished the parapet of the castle, by making it project outwards, sothat the tower of Mousa rather resembles the figure of a dice-box,whereas others of the same kind have the form of a truncated cone. It iseasy to see how the projection of the highest parapet would render thedefence more easy and effectual.