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160 KELIGION OF THE NOETSMEit.
the title of honor which has been customary since
— ;
a change which some suppose to indicate that thence-
forth the tempol-al dignity became of most import-
ance with the rulers of the country, whereas the
spiritual dignity had the ascendency before, or that
the Warrior in them began to crowd out the Priest*
Thus the term Drottnar appears- at one time to have
been applied to. the priests of the Asa-faith, al-
though it was oiily in so far as they were also the
supreme rulers of the people; and it went out of
use long before the time when history first sheds
any clear light upon the heathen state of the Northmen,
which was not, as is well known, until near its
conclusion.
A third name conferred upon the priests is go5ar
or hoigo5ar. _ The name go5i can be derived from
go8, God, and signifies a servant -of God, a priest
^ofgoSi (hof, a temple) signifies priest or superin-
tendent of a temple. The term. go5i was universal
in Iceland. That island was divided into four
Fj6r5ungar or fourths ; in each Fj6r8ling there were
originally three Things6knar or judicial districts,
and in each of these again, three chief temples
(hofu5-hof )-. He who presided over such a temple
was called Go5i, and was at the same time chieftain
and judge in the district,f and in the former char-
acter he was as influential as in that of priest.
His official dignity, with the influence depending
on it, was called in Iceland Go6or5,:(: and was en-
* Geijer: Svea-Riies Hafder. Vol. I, 495.
LandnAinab6k IV., 'I (fslendinga Sogur, Vol. I, 1848).
f
t Literally; God-word—or5, word, authority.