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264 KELIGION OF THE NOETHMEN.
cian, while singing his incantations, mostly marked
or scored certain runic characters corresponding to
the effects which were desired from his sorcery.
Often the magic songs or incantations themselves
were called runes (rdnar). It was believed that by
such incantations they could protect themselves
against arms, undo chaips, heal wounds and cure
diseases, extinguish fire and settle storms, gain
woman's love and wake up the dead in order to
learn of them the future.* In the Older Edda there
are several poems which allude to these things,
though often in a manner rather obscure to us, and
they even contain powerful incantations of this kind,
as well as instructions concerning the magic use of
Bunes ; for instance, in the E^natals-Jattr OSins
(Odin's Eunic Lay) which forms the conclusion of
the Havamdl (Sublime. Discourse), Grougalldr
(Groa's Incantation), Sigrdrifamal (Sigurdrifa's
Song), &c. In the latter especially there is reckoned
up a whole lot of magic runes, such as runes of Vic-
tory (sigrrunar) to be cut upon the sword for victory
Ale-runes (Slrlinar) to be carved upon the drinking
horn, or marked upon the back of the hand and on
the nails, in order to gain woman's love'; Safety or
Protection runes (bjargrfinar) to be marked inside of
the hand of those who render assistance at the birth
of children; Surf-runes (brimrlinar) to be carved
upon the ship's prow and rudder as a protection
Limb-runes (limrunar)
against the raging of the sea ;
* Those incantations -were called valgalldr, probably because
tliev 'were glfieflT Vf^i in calling up those fallen in battle (valr).
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