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204 EELI&ION OV THE SrOKTHMEN.
gave him to Thor (perhaps devoted him to his ser-
vice), in order that the God should furnish him with
sacred columns of the High-Seat ; -whereupon, so the
account goes, there shot up on his ground a tree
sixty-three ells high, and two fathoms thick, from
which not only he, but the whole surrounding neigh-
borhood- was supplied with Ondvegis-s^ur.*
It is probable that the image of some one of the
Gods was often carved upon these pillars, and that
this contributed something to the veneration in which
they were held. It appears, at least, that this was
the case with the sacred columns which were some-
times to be found in the temples. Thus we are told
that Thor's image was carved upon one of the Ond-
vegis-s-ulur, which had stood in a temple of Thor,
on the island Moster in ISTorway, and which guided
the Icelandic settler Thorolf Mostrarskegg to a place
of abode.f
* Landnmb. IL, 23.
t Eyrbyggja S. 4.