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INFEEIOE DEITIES AS OBJECTS OF WOKSHIP. 181
myself to be separated from thee !
" " "Wilt thou
accept me? " she asked of Thorvald, Hallfred's bro-
ther. He answered in the negatiye. Then said
Hallfred the Younger, a son of the skald, "I will
accept thee ! "*
It is said, however, of the hopeful Icelandic youth
Thi5randi Hallsson, that he was slain by the Disir of
his family. It was shortly after the introduction of
Christianity into Iceland, that ThiSrandi's father
Hall, on a winter night, gave a banquet (no doubt
a sacrificial banquet in honor of the Disir) at his
estate of Hof, on Alpta-fj6r5. The soothsayer Thor-
halli, who was among the guests, forbade any one
to go out at night; for whoever did so would bring
about some mishap. "When all had gone to bed
there were three raps upon the door, but no one
heeded it, except Thi5randi, who lay nearest to the
door. He, believing it to be guests who had arriv-
ed, sprang up with the third rap and went out with
his sword in hand. As he perceived nothing at first,
he went a little way from the door; but now he
heard the trampling of horses' feet, and saw nine
women in black ride from the ISTorth, bearing dhawn
swords, and nine women in light clothing, upon
white horses, ride across the fields from the South.
He now wished to go in ; but the women in black
came in his way and attacked him. He defended
himself bravely, but fell at last. Some time afterward
his father awok« and missed him. They
sought ThiSrandi, and soon found him lying sorely
Magnttsen's Eddalaere. Vol. IV. p. 45 : (from Hallfrod's Saga).