Untitled - Centrostudirpinia.it

HOESES. 657
honum J>ionat ok hefr oss vel dugat/ Olafr summoned them
to an assembly, resolving to destroy the idol himself, and sailed
to the coast where the temple (hof) stood. When he landed, he
found the horses of the god grazing there (J?a sau hans menn stctfS-
hross nokr vr$ vegin, er ]?eir sogftu at hann Freyr astti). The
king mounted the stallion, and his courtiers the mares, and so
they rode to the temple ; Olafr dismounted, walked in and threw
down the idols (go Sin), 1 but took Frey s image away with him.
When the Traendir found their gods dishonoured, and Frey s
image carried off, they were ware that the king had done it, and
they came to the place of meeting. The king had the image set
up in the Thing, and asked the people : know
ye this man ? 3
It is Freyr our god they answered. How has he shewn his
power to you ? He has often spoken to us, foretold the
future, granted plenty and peace (veitti oss ar oc frrS) / The
devil spake to you said the king ; then taking an axe, he cried
to the image : Now
help thyself, and defend thee if thou canst/
Freyr continuing silent, Olafr hewed off both his hands, and then
preached to the people how this idolatry had arisen. The whole
narrative bears the impress of a later age, yet it had sprung out
of Norse tradition, and assures us that horses were consecrated to
Freyr, and maintained in the hallowed precincts of his temples.
Had not the temples of other gods such horses too ? The animals
that Wilibrord found grazing in Fosete s sanctuary (p. 230) can
hardly have been horses, or he would not have had them slaugh
tered for food; but the practice of rearing cattle consecrated to
the gods is established by it none the less. And apart from this,
it seems that single beasts were maintained by private worship
pers of the god.
Such breed of pure and dedicated horses was destined for holy
uses, especially sacrifice, divination, and the periodical tours of
deities in their cars. Their manes were carefully cultivated,
groomed and decorated, as the name Faxi indicates; probably
gold, silver and ribbons were twined or plaited
into the locks
(Gullfaxi, SMnfaxi) ; mon gloar (juba splendet), Saam. 92% l^sir
mon af mari (lucet juba ex equo) 32 b , as indeed the Lat. jubar
suggests juba, because a mane does radiate, and light sends out
1 So that there were other statues standing beside Frey s.