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BOECEEY. 273
sharp when they were angry that the earth was torn
up by it, and any living being that met them fell
down dead. She drew two seal-skins over their
heads and then let King Eirik's men kill them *
Enchanted food and drink are mentioned in
many places both in the old Eddaic poems and in
the Sagas. It was believed that, by means of such
food or drink, the dispositions of men could be
changed, courage and ferocity awakened, or forget-
fulness induced. The flesh, and especially the
heart and blood of certain strong and wild animals
— ^wolves, for instance—when used as food, were re-
garded as a means of making men bold and cruel.
To obtain a charmed drink, they mingled together a
variety of things which superstition had endowed
with magic powers; runes were also employed
sometimes read as magic formulas over the potion,
sometimes carved upon wood or bone and cast into
it. The term enchanted drink was also frequently
understood to mean a poisonous drink.
The belief in enchanted clothing and armor was
likewise very prevalent. Clothes were enchanted,
either to secure the wearer against wounds or to
bring injury or death upon him. It is said of the
chieftain Thorer Hund, that he had several reindeer
frocks (hreinbjalfar) made for himself by the Finns,
which were charmed in such a manner that no
weapon could take effect upon them ; and in the
battle by Stiklastad one of these frocks protected
him against the sword of Olaf the Saint, when the
* Snor,: Ear. mrf. S. 34.
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