The Helgi-poet mentions reindeer in the wilderness as wild [the old Ethic poet talks of them on the hill as tame], but above all he brings forward the hart with his towering horns, his dewy sides, his tall slender legs, and his gallant port. So the Tapestry-poet knows the hart. But these beasts are not Scandinavian, were not known save in Denmark so early as this[1]. They are highly characteristic of the Western Islands. They have never existed in Iceland.
Gulls and tame hawks are characteristic birds.
There is plenty of wood, oak for the pyre, yew and elm for the bow; similes are drawn from the lofty ash and the low broad thorn, the willow stripped of her leaves by the cruel wind or fire, the garlick lifting its tall graceful head above the other grass. Autumn is the Flax-cutter, 'hor-meito;' a lady is flax-shrouded, i. e. linen-wimpled.
Of positive geographic indications there are few. However one, which the Tapestry-poet gives, is striking indeed, 'Sudr á Fifi,' South on Fife, as if viewed from Orkney. Norway and Denmark are mentioned a couple of times. Limbfrith (Denmark) is spoken of once. The Rus- sian name 'Iarisgar' is in the Tapestry-poet. The Helgi-poet's geo- graphy is, beyond 'Iorbasound' [?], merely one of phantasy, Holy-river, Joy-bay, Sun-fell. The Morva-land (Oddrun), Havada-fiall (Heidrek Lay), and Jordan (Helgi Lay) look very like Moravia, the Carpathians, and Jordan. The pillars and shelves of the giant's house and the stone cauldrons of our Hymi Lay wonderfully recall the chamber of the giant- tomb at New Grange, Ireland, with its huge stone-slabbed chamber and broad stone bowls; a fit home indeed for a giant. See the pictures in ‘Sculptured Stones of Ireland.’
The Tapestry-poet has many words for dress, and stuffs, and metals, etc. breech and blouse, 'brók [Gaelic] ok blæja [bleaut];' tresses, 'tresc' [Romance word]; twisted brooches, 'hrodit sigle' [Old Eng. gehroden sigl]; 'lín' [Lat. linum]. The harp is also mentioned by him [never in the Sagas]. Constant intercourse with Celtic people is evi- denced by the Welsh-metal (Vala-malmr), Welsh-stuff (Vala-ript), Welsh swords (Volskom sverdom), Welsh-woman (Valnesk-víf).
The remarkable Lay of Alwise is the work of a man who had had the means of seeing various men and manners, he has a few Gaelic words.
For wages and trade, rings of fixed weight are used, yet the Ballad Poet once speaks of ‘scillingar,’ English coined money, and the word ‘penny’ is found in Loka-Senna.
We find Gaelic words scattered throughout the whole breadth of our songs, though in no great number: krás, dish (Righ, Hymi, Helgi, Thrym, Sun-Song); æti, oats; niol, darkness (Alwise); bio, earth (Wolospa); lind, well, water (Old Wolsung Play); tir, earth (if we read it rightly in the Western Wolsung Lay, l. 85, etc.)
- ↑ The stag was introduced into Sweden in the sixteenth century. See Mr. Styffe’s (of Upsala Library) Scandinavia i Medeltiden,—a truly excellent book.
