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*fHE DtVINE service! OF THE HEATHENS. 2^6
Thorol^ Mostrarskegg of Iceland, the zealous wor-
shiper of Thor already spoken of, "gave his son
Steinn (from his birth it appears) to Thor, his friend,
and called him Thorstein." Of this Thorstein, it is
related that when he had a son who at the heathen
rite of sprinkling with water received the name of
Grim, " he gave him to Thor, destined liim to be a
priest (hofgo5i) and called him Thorgrim."* The
Haleygian Chieftain Eyvind Kinnrifa, a contemporary
of King Olaf Tryggvason, was given to "Odin
from his birth. "When King Olaf had taken him
prisoner and could neither with fair words nor with
threats prevail on him to submit to be baptized, he
at last caused a vessel of hot coals to be set upon
Eyvind's stomach, in order that the dreadful torture
might compel him. But Eyvind was even then inflexi-
ble. At length, when his body was bursted with
the heat, he begged them to take off the vessel ; he
wished to say a few words before he died. The
king asked again if he would believe in Christ.
"No!" answered he,
even though I would.
"I cannot receive baptism,
My father and mother had
no children before they applied to the magic-,
skilled Finns. The latter told them that they
should have a child, if they would promise under
oath this child should serve Odin and Thor imtil the
day of his death. They did as the Finns advised.
I was born, and they gave me to Odin. So soon as
I was able to judge for myself in anything, I renew-
ed their vow. I have since that time, in all de-
votedaess, served Odin, and I have become a
» Eyrb. S. 7 and 11.