Northern mythology

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216 NORTHERN MYTHOLOGY.
and the ^Yitcll could, like Hai-thgrebe, assume various
forms, make themselves little or big, ugly or handsome
also invest themselves with the likeness of a whale or
other animal, as the trollman sent by Harald Elatand
to Iceland, and the troll-wife who, in order to kill King
Frodi, transformed herself to
a sea-cow, and her sons to
calves. With viands prepared from snakes or serpents a
person procured strength, wisdom and success in war for
any favourite individual. By oblivious potions and philters
lovers were made to forget their old love and contract
a new one. That which Grimhild gave to Gudrun consisted
of a strong drink, ice-cold water and blood: and
with this di'ink were mingled many potent (evil) things,
as the juice of all kinds of trees, acorns, soot, entrails of
victims, and boiled
swinc^s liver, which has the \'irtue of
extinguishing hatred. In the horn containing it runes
were sculptured ^
Trollmen, it was believed, could derive much aid from
certain animals : thus the art of interpreting the voice of
birds is spoken of as a source of great discoveries. The
crow was in this respect a bird of considerable importance,
and that such was also the case with the raven is e\ddent
from Odiums Hugin and Munin. The cat is also mentioned
as a special favourite among trollmen. The skilful
Icelandic magician, Thorolf Skegge, is said to have had
no less than twenty large black cats, that valiantly defended
their master when attacked, and gave eighteen
men enough to do ^.
Of the ^ hamhlaup,^ or power of assuming various
forms, we have an example in Odin himself, who could
change his appearance (hamr), and as a bird, a fish or
'
Saxo, p. 249, 192, 414, 179, 37, 256 ; Snorri, Saga Olafs Tryggv. c. 37.
GotSi-iinar Harmr, 21-23.
- Ragn. LoSbr. Saga. 8 ; Vols. S. 19 ; Snom, Olaf Kyr. Saga, 9 ;
Vatiisd.
Saga, 28.