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1T2 EELICHON OF THE NORTHMEN.
his strength with his comitrymaa' Gunnlaug Ormstunga,
he called upon Thor beforehand. Gunn-
laug, however, tripped him and threw him upon the
ground, but at the same time wrenched his own foot
out of joint.* But it appears that the Northmen
worshiped Thor especially to secure in him a pro-
tector against Trolls' and Evil Powers of a Jotun
nature, which were beheved to have their abodes in
mountains and wild, desert places. According to
an ancient legend,; he had delivered the inhabitants
ofNorway from thesePowers ; no wonder, therefore,
that he was specially worshiped in that country.f
Thor -vsas believed occasionally to reveal himself
to men. In the form of a red'bearded man he
made his appearance in the camp of the Swedish
hero StyrbjorUj when the latter had invoked his aid
against his uncl6 Eirik' the Victorious, whom Odin
protected.:]: As a young, red-bearded man of large
stature and a beautiful countenance, strong and sup-
ple in wrestling,- he revealed himself to King Olaf
TryggvasQn, and related to him how in the Olden
Time, when the Northmen invoked his aid, he had
with his Hanimer' beaten two Troll'women who tormented
them.§ Thor's red-beard was, doubtless, to
indicate the fiery nature of the Thunder-God.
That NjorS was an object of the zealous worship
of the Northmen may be readily ijttferred, as he was
believed to protect Sea-faring, in which our fore-
* Gunnlaugs Ormsttinga S. 10.
t OL Tr. a in Fornm. S. 213.
t Styrb. |5ttr, 2.
§ 01. Tryggv. a in Fornm. a 213.