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SORCEET. 275
A peciiliar kind of sorcery was the so-called sit-
ting-out (dtiseta, at sitja dti), in wliioli the magician
sat out at night under the open sky, and by certain
magic performances now no longer known, perhaps
most frequently by incantations (galldur), was be-
lieyed to call up evil spirits (vekja upp troll) or
awaken the dead in order to consult them. It was
especially to inqniS-e into the future that this kind
of sorcery was resorted to. An invocation of the
dead, not just for this object, but which was to clear
up an affair concerning which there was some doubt
of gaining light by natural means, is described in
the Fsereyinga Saga. The crafty Thrond of Grata,
an inhabitant of the Faroes, who it appears had
been forced to accept baptism although he was still
a rank heathen at heart, wished to find out how the
renowned hero Sigmund Brestarsson had met with
his death; whether he had been drowned while
attempting with two others to escape by swimming
from Thrond's pursuit, or whether he had reached
the land and was killed there. For this purpose he
had a great fire kindled in the presence of a large
concourse of people, and set up four panels of lattice
work in a square around the fire, and traced nine
sentences (reitar) upon the earthen floor around the
inclosure. He then seated himself upon a chair
between the fire and the railing, and forbade the
bystanders to speak. After he had been sitting
thus a long time, the ghosts of Sigmund's two com-
panions, who were dripping wet, made their appear-
ance, went up to the fire and warmed themselves,
and tiien passed out again. At length came Sig-