“Now must we separate for some time, and fare thee well. I tell thee that my Disir will constantly follow thee. Thereupon Thorstein went to his boat and rowed to his men” (Thorstein Vikingsson, ch. xxii.).
“At the time when Olaf came to Gardariki there were many men in Hólmgard who foretold future things; they all could tell by their wisdom that the fylgjas of a young foreigner had come into the country, and that these were so lucky-looking that never had they seen the fylgjas of any man like them; but they knew not who or whence he was; nevertheless they showed with many words that the bright light shining over him would spread all over Gardariki and widely through the eastern half of the world” (Fornmanna Sögur, I. c. 57).
“Glum dreamed one night that he was standing outside his farm, and looking over the fjord, and that he saw a woman going up the district from the sea, and walking towards Thverá (the farm of Glum). She was so large that her shoulders touched the mountains on both sides of the valley; he went from the house to meet her, and invited her to him, and then he awoke. All thought it marvellous, but he said: ‘The dream is great and remarkable; but thus will I interpret it: that my mother’s father Vigfus must be dead, and that woman who was taller than the mountains is probably his hamingja, for he surpassed others in most things of honour, and his luck will dwell where I am.’ Next summer, when ships arrived from Norway, the death of Vigfus was heard of” (Viga Glum, c. 9).
The shapes of the various Fylgjas can best be found from the forms in which the people thought they perceived them. They were inherited from one man by his descendants and even relatives, so that some families had their permanent guardianship; to them accordingly was often ascribed the success of some individuals.
The shapes most frequently assumed were those of birds and animals, and in some such shape every man was supposed to have his fylgja indicative of his character; cunning people were said to have foxes for their fylgja; fierce warriors, wolves; great chiefs, eagles, oxen, bears, and other animals.[[339]] From numerous Sagas we find that they frequently assumed the shape of bears, which went in front of the persons they wanted to guard, and sometimes presented themselves in the form of the human being whose genii they were, but never in the shape of women[[340]] like the Disir proper. Those of the deceased were believed to warn their relatives, kinsmen, and friends, and appeared at or before important events in the life of the person whom they guarded, sometimes while he was awake, but as a rule in dreams, and it was believed that a sudden sleepiness foreboded their coming. Wherever those under their protection went they accompanied them, preceding them to such places as they intended to visit.
When Halfred while on a voyage to Iceland fell sick—
“A woman was seen to walk along the ship; she was large and had on a coat of mail, and walked on the waves as if on land. Halfred looked and saw that it was his female guardian (fylgja-kona), and said: ‘I declare myself altogether sundered from thee.’ She asked, ‘Wilt thou, Thorvald, receive me?’ He replied he would not. Then Halfred the young (a son of the poet Halfred) said, ‘I will receive thee;’ she then vanished. Then Halfred said: ‘I will give to thee, my son, the sword of the king, but the other things shall be laid in my coffin if I die on board the ship.’ He sang (‘God rules; I fear hell; every man must die’). A little after he died, and was laid in a coffin with his things, a cloak, a helmet, and a ring, and then thrown overboard” (Halfredar Saga, c. 11).
The chief Hall of Sida had a feast. In the night Thidrandi his son heard some one knocking repeatedly at the door, and went out with a sword in his hand.
“He heard the sound of horses’ feet from the north, and saw nine women[[341]] riding in black clothes with drawn swords in their hands. He also heard horse-feet from the south, and saw nine women all in white clothes on white horses. He wanted to go in and tell this vision to people, but the black-dressed women were quicker and attacked him, while he defended himself valiantly.
“A long while after Thórhall (one of the guests) awoke and asked if Thidrandi was awake, and got no answer. He said it was too late. They went out. The moon shone and the weather was frosty. They found Thidrandi lying wounded” (Fornmanna Sögur).