Women who undertook journeys in such animal shapes were called hamhleypa, or runners under another shape.
“It is said that Ulf, a hersir,[[382]] every night became so cross that no one could speak to him, and that in the evening the sleeping sickness came over him, so that he fell asleep. But there were those who said that he could change his shape and roam about far away as a wild beast, and that it was only his body which sat sleeping in the house; therefore his name was lengthened, and he was called Kveldulf (Evening Ulf)” (Egil’s Saga, ch. 1).
“It is mentioned that once when Signy was sitting in her skemma[[383]] there came to her a Völva very skilled in witchcraft.
Signy spoke to her: ‘I want to exchange shapes with you.’ She said, ‘Thou shalt have thy will;’ so she caused by her witchcraft that they exchanged appearance; the sorceress sat down on the bed of Signy, as she told her, and went to bed with the king in the evening, and he did not know that Signy was not with him. Of Signy it is said that she went to the earth-house of her brother Sigmund, and asked him to lodge her during the night, as she had gone astray in the forest, and did not know where she was. He said she could stay there, and he would not refuse a lonely woman lodgings, and thought she would not reward him for the good entertainment by telling where he was. She went into his room and they sat down to eat; he often looked at her, and she seemed fair and fine to him.... Thereupon she went home, met the sorceress, and asked to exchange shapes again, and thus she did. When time passed on Signy gave birth to a boy, who was called Sinfjötli. When he grew up he was large and strong and good-looking, and resembled much the Volsunga family; he was not quite ten winters old when she sent him to Sigmund in the underground house. She had tried her other sons before she sent them to Sigmund by sewing gloves to their hands through flesh and skin. They did not bear it well, and grumbled at it. She did the same to Sinfjötli, and he did not wince; she tore the kirtle off him so that his skin followed the sleeves;[[384]] she said he must feel pain. He answered, ‘Little will a Volsung feel this pain.’ Then he came to Sigmund, who asked him to knead their meal while he fetched firewood. He handed him a bag, and then went after wood. When he returned, Sinfjötli had baked the bread. Sigmund asked if he had found anything in the meal. He replied, ‘I fancy there was something alive in the meal when I began to knead it, but I have kneaded it also herein.’ Sigmund said, laughing: ‘I guess thou wilt not eat this bread to-night, for thou hast kneaded in it the most poisonous worm.’ Sigmund was so strong that he could eat poison without being hurt; and Sinfjötli could stand poison externally,[[385]] but was unable to eat or drink it”[[386]] (Volsunga Saga, c. 7).
“King Hring, of Uppdalir, in Norway, had a son, Björn (bear), and when his wife died he married a woman from Finnmörk. She changed her stepson into a bear in this way. She struck him with a wolfskin glove, and said that he should become a fierce and cruel lair-bear, ‘and use no other food than the cattle of thy father; thou shalt kill it for thy food, so much of it that it will be unexampled, and never shalt thou get out of this spell, and this revenge shall harm thee.’
“Thereafter Björn disappeared, and no one knew what had become of him. When he was missed he was searched for, and nowhere found, as was likely. Then it is told that the king’s cattle were killed in large numbers, as a big and fierce grey bear began to attack them. One evening the bondi’s daughter (Björn’s sweetheart) happened to see this fierce bear, which came to her and fondled her much. She thought she recognized in this bear the eyes of Björn, Hring’s son, and did not shun him much. The bear walked away, and she followed until it came to a cave. When she came there a man greeted Bera,[[387]] the bondi’s daughter. She recognized Björn, and they were very glad to see each other. They stayed in the cave for a while, for she would not part before she need. He said it was unfit for her to stay there with him, as he was a beast by day and a man by night. King Hring came home from his warfare, and was told what had occurred while he was away, that his son Björn had disappeared, and a large beast had come into the country and attacked his own cattle mostly. The queen urged much to have the beast slain, but it was delayed a while; the king disliked this, and thought it strange. One night, when Bera and Björn were in their bed, Björn said, ‘I expect that to-morrow is my death-day, and that I shall be hunted up, and I take no pleasure in life because of the ill fate that lies on me, though I have one enjoyment, namely, that we are two, which will now be changed. I will give thee the ring which is under my left arm; to-morrow thou wilt see men who attack me, and when I am dead go to the king and ask him to give thee what is under the left shoulder of the bear, which he will grant. The queen will suspect thee when thou goest away, and give thee the flesh of the animal to eat, but thou shouldst not eat it, for thou art pregnant, as thou knowest, and wilt bear three boys, who are ours, and on them will it be seen if thou eatest of the bear’s flesh, and this queen is the greatest witch. Then go home to thy father, and there bring up the boys; one of them will seem the worst to thee, and, if thou art not able to have them at home for the sake of their overbearing and unruliness, then take them away with thee to this cave. Thou wilt find here a chest with three compartments; the runes by its side will tell what is to belong to each of them; three weapons are in the rock, and each of them shall have the one intended for him. The first-born of our sons shall be called Thórir, the second Elgfrodi, the third Bödvar, and I think it probable that they will not be little men, and their names will long be remembered.’ He foretold her many things, and then the bear’s skin fell over him. The bear went out, and she after him, and looked round. She saw many men coming past the spur of the mountain, with many large dogs in front. The bear ran out of the cave and along the mountain; the dogs and the king’s men came against it, and it was difficult to hunt it; it maimed many men before it was slain, and killed all the dogs. At last they made a circle round it, and it ran in the circle, and saw that it could not escape; it turned to the king’s side, caught the man next to him, and tore him asunder alive; then it was so exhausted that it threw itself down on the ground; they soon rushed at it and slew it. The bondi’s daughter saw this, went to the king, and said: ‘Will you, lord, give me what is under the left shoulder of the bear?’ The king consented, as it could only be a thing well fit to be given to her. The king’s men had then flayed off much of the skin of the bear; she went and took the ring, and kept it, but they saw not what she took, and did not search; the king asked who she was, as he did not know her; she gave him a wrong name”[[388]] (Hrolf Kraki, cc. 25, 26).
Some women could shape themselves into a Mara or Kveldrida (evening-rider, or nightmare), in which shape they could hurt or kill people in their sleep. In the Eidsifja Kristinrett we find that there was a punishment for women who had this power.
“Geirrid and Gunnlaug conversed during the greater part of the day, and late in the evening she said to him: ‘I should like thee not to go home to-night, for many are the sea-sliders (those who slide over the sea—witches, spirits, etc.), and there are often witches beneath a fair skin, and thou dost not look very lucky in my eyes now.’ He answered: ‘I shall not be hurt, as we are two together.’ She said: ‘Odd will be of no use to thee, and thy self-will is worse for thyself.’ Then Gunnlaug and Odd left, and went to Holt. Katla was already in her bed, and asked Odd to invite Gunnlaug to stay; he said he had done so, but he wanted to go home. ‘Then let him go, and meet what he deserves,’ she answered. Gunnlaug did not come home in the evening, and they talked about searching for him, but did not. In the night, when Thorbjörn looked out, he found his son Gunnlaug at the door; he was lying there, and was mad. He was carried in and his clothes pulled off. He was bruised and bloody all over his shoulders, and his flesh torn off the bones. He lay all the winter in wounds, and his sickness was much talked of. Odd Kötluson said that Geirrid had ridden on him, as they had parted abruptly that night; and most people thought it to be so. The next spring, during the citation days, Thorbjörn rode to Máfahlid and summoned Geirrid, charging her with being an evening-rider and causing the sickness of Gunnlaug. The case came to the Thorsnesthing, and Snorri godi helped his brother-in-law, Thorbjörn, while Arnkel godi defended the case for his sister, Geirrid. The verdict of twelve (tylftarkvid)[[389]] had to decide; but neither Snorri nor Arnkel were allowed to deliver the verdict, on account of their relation to prosecutor and defendant. Then Helgi Hofgardagodi, the father of Björn, whose son Gest was the father of Skald-Ref, was called upon to deliver the verdict of the twelve. Arnkel godi went to the Court and took an oath at the altar-ring that Geirrid had not caused the sickness of Gunnlaug. Thórarin (a son of Geirrid) and ten others took oath with him, and then Helgi gave verdict for her (Geirrid), and the suit of Snorri and Thorbjörn was made void, and this brought dishonour on them” (Eyrbyggja, c. 16).
It was believed that some people understood the language of birds.[[390]]
“Dag, the son of King Dyggvi, took the kingship after him; he was so wise that he could understand the talk of birds. He had a sparrow which told him many tidings; it flew into various lands. The sparrow once flew into Reidgotaland, to a farm called Vörvi; it went on the field of the owner and took food. The owner came there, took up a stone, and wounded the sparrow to death. King Dag became sorry when the sparrow did not return; he then made a sacrifice to inquire, and got the answer that his sparrow had been killed at Vörvi. Then he levied a great host and went to Gotland, and made warfare and plundered. One evening when he went down to his ships with his host a thrall ran out of a forest and threw a pitchfork at them, which hit the king and killed him. His men went back to Sweden” (Ynglinga Saga, ch. 21).[[391]]