The dyed wand of Hedin’s cloth[[433]]
Against red shields;
To us life was marked before.”
(Landnama, ii. c. 33.)
When there was to be an important event there were always some omens before it took place, in the shape of visions, or supernatural beings who sang songs which foretold the event.
It foreboded a violent death if a man saw his fylgja bloody.
“Once Njal and Thórd (his servant) were outside the farm. A he-goat was in the habit of going about the grass-plot on the farm, and no one was allowed to drive it away. Thórd said, ‘This is strange.’ Njal asked, ‘What dost thou see which seems strange?’ He answered, ‘It seems to me that the he-goat lies here in the hollow place, and is bloody all over.’ Njal replied there was no he-goat there, nor anything else. ‘What is it, then?’ inquired Thórd. ‘Thou must be a death-fated man, and hast seen thy Fylgja,’ said Njal, ‘and guard thyself well.’ ‘That will not help,’ added Thórd, ‘if death is fated to me’” (Njala, c. 41).
“It is said that King Gorm once invited to a Yule-feast his father-in-law Harald, who promised to come in the winter, and the messengers so reported.
“When the time for preparation came the Jarl chose such followers to the feast as he wanted. Knut went with him, but it is not said how many men he had. They arrived at the Limafjord, and as they were about to cross it they saw there an oak which appeared somewhat unusual. There were growing on it acorns, which were small and quite green, but under it lay others both ripe and large. At this they wondered much, and the Jarl thought it very strange that there should be green acorns at that time of the year, for there lay near the oak those which had grown during the summer. ‘We will go back,’ said the Jarl, ‘and proceed no farther.’ He thereupon returned home, where he remained with his hird the next season. The King deemed it strange that the Jarl did not come, but thought something important had prevented him. All was quiet during the summer, and when winter came the King invited the Jarl to the Yule-feast, as in the previous year. The Jarl promised to go, as before, and when the time came departed with his followers, and journeyed until he came to the Limafjord. He had now come on board, and intended to cross the fjord. It is said that they had with them pregnant bitches. After they had got on board the Jarl thought he heard the whelps in the bellies of the bitches barking, while the mothers themselves were silent. This the Jarl and all regarded as the greatest wonder, and they therefore turned back, and stayed at home during that Yule. On the third winter the King again invited the Jarl, who promised to come; and when the time came he departed, and journeyed until he arrived at the Limafjord, resolving to remain there overnight. Then a sight presented itself which was thought very strange. They saw a wave rise within, and another without, the fjord, and the two advanced to meet each other. The waves were large and made a great noise when they met and fell together; then it seemed as if the sea became bloody. Then the Jarl said, ‘This is a fearful portent, and we must turn back and not accept the invitation.’ This they did, and the Jarl remained at home also that Yule....
“It was resolved that the King should send messengers to the Jarl to ascertain why he had not come. The Queen advised that they should first meet and talk to him, and thus see what the reason was. When the messengers told the Jarl of their errand, he quickly got ready and went to visit Gorm with a fine retinue. The King received his father-in-law well, and quickly went to speak with him. The King asked why he had not once come at his bidding, and thus shown disrespect to the King and his invitation. The Jarl replied that he had meant no disrespect, but had not once come to the feast, because other things had prevented him. He then told the wonders which they had seen, as mentioned before, and asked if he would like to know what he thought each wonder meant. To this the King assented. The Jarl then said: ‘I will first take that one where we saw an oak with small green acorns, with the old and large ones underneath. That I think must foretell a change of belief which will come over these lands, which will flourish more, and the fine acorns foretell that; but the present belief is betokened by the old acorns on the ground, and they will rot and become mere dust; this belief will also fall and be destroyed when the new one rises. The second wonder was when we heard the whelps bark in the bitches. That I think must foretell that young men will take the words from the mouths of the older, and become so reckless that they will have no less to say, though the older are oftener wiser in counsels. And I think that those of whom this will be true have not yet come into the world, for the whelps which barked while the mothers were silent were yet unborn.