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SOECEKY. 267
the enchanting song (seiSlsetin) began, the people in
the house could not imagine what it meant ; but
the song was beautiful to hear. Hrut alone knew
the song; he forbade every' one to look out of the
house during the night, and bade all to keep awake
as well as they could, then no one could be harmed
by it. Nevertheless they all slept ; Hrut remained
awake the longest, but he, too, fell asleep at last.
Hrut's son Kari, who was then twelve years old, was
the most promising of his children and well beloved
by the father. The sorcery was directed upon him
he, therefore, could not sleep soundly, but became
more and more restlesif. Finally he sprang up and
looked out ; he drew near the place of the enchantment
and fell down dead." Hr^t afterward avenged
his son's death by causing Kotkel and Grima to be
stoned.*
By means of these enchantments called sei5, it
was believed that the sorcerer could call up storms
and all manner of injuries, transform himself into
the likeness of animals, and enable himself to foretell
coming events. This art appears to have been
mostly employed for. doing injury, and was con-
sidered a far more ignoble art than the incantations
(galldr). Its origin was ascribed to the Goddess
Freyja, and it appears to have been mostly practiced
by women, who were called witches (seiSkona, plur.
seiSkonur). The great abhorrence which many,
even in heathen times, had for this kind of sorcery,
is seen in King Harald Harfagri's proceedings
;