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174 RELIGION OF THE NOETHMEN.
dwelling-place to him; for in dig^ng a place for
his Gndvegis-slilur, or pillars of the High-seat,
Ingemund found in the earth an image of Frey
which he had lost in Norway.* The Icelander
Thorgrim of SjoTdoI was a zealous worshiper of Frey,
and held sacrificial festivals in his honor during the
winter nights. When Thorgrim was dead and
huried, the snow never settled upon his funeral
mound ; this was believed to be a favor shown by
Frey, for " the God loved him so for the sacrifices
he had made that he would not have it to become
cold between them."f
In the vicinity of the estate of Thveri in Eyja-
fjorS in Iceland there was a temple to Frey, and the
place became so holy that no criminal dared to
tarry there ; " Frey did not allow of it." When the
chieftain Tborkel the Tall \fas expelled from Thvera
by Glum Eyjolfsson, universally kaown by name of
Yiga-Glum, he led a full-grown ox to Frey's temple
before he left, and said^ " Long have I put all my
trust in thee, Oh Freyr ! Many gifts hast thou
accepted of me and repaid them well ; now do I
give this ox to thee, that thou may one day cause
Glum to leave this Thvera land even as much
against his will as I do now. Do thou give me a
sign that thou acceptest the offering!" At that
moment the ox bellowed loudly and fell dead upon
the ground. Thorkel considered this a good omen,
and moved away with a lighter heart. Afterward,
* Vatnsd. S. 10, 15.
t Giel. Surs. S. 15, 18.