SAGA-BOOK - Viking Society Web Publications

"Lapland Sorcerers" 217
is suspected of being the shape-shifter who, in the form of
a swallow, twittered outside Egill's window at York, and
almost stopped him composing the poem which was to
save his life. The early Norwegian laws too show the
Finnar in a bad light. Christians are forbidden to consult
them for magical purposes, or to put trust d ftnna ena
fordaioor."
Of course, in the non-historical sagas the Finnar play
a considerable part. In Hrolfs saga kraka Hvit, daughter
of the Lapp king, turns her stepson Bjorn into a bear, so
causing his death. R Qrvar-Oddr, in his saga, is given three
magic arrows which ultimately came from Gusir, king of
the Finnar." They fly back to the bowstring of their own
accord, and hit whatever they are aimed at. In Sturlaugs
saga starfsama a Finnr is chosen to do battle with the
sinister Svipuor. After the fight has gone on for a time
without result the two contestants vanish, and their
places are taken by two dogs. These fight also without
result, until they in turn disappear and are replaced by
two eagles. One eagle tears the other to pieces and then
flies off, leaving the onlookers undecided as to which of
the original contestants has won.!" In Hdlfdanar saga
Eysteinssonar the hero does battle against two kings of
the Finnar. One, Fl6ki, can shoot three arrows simultaneously,
each hitting its mark. Halfdanr chops off his
hand. It flies into the air, whereupon Fl6ki holds up the
stump, the hand alights on it and becomes at once united
to it. Later Halfdanr cuts at Fl6ki with his sword.
Fl6ki blows against it and the sword is twitched from
Halfdanr's hand. Meanwhile, Floki's brother king, Fior,
has turned into a walrus, and crushed fifteen men beneath
him.!'
7 R. Keyser and P. A. Munch, Norges gamle Love indtil I]87 I (1846), 350-I,
389.
e Finnur J6nsson, Hr olfs saga kraka og Bjarkarimur (1904), 50.
• R. C. Boer, Qrvar-Odds saga (Altnordische Saga-bibliothek 2, 1892), 14.
10 Guoni J6nsson, Fornaldar sogicr Norourlanda (1950), III 127-8.
11 F. R. SChroder, Hdlfdanar saga Eysteinssonar (Altnordische Sagabibliothek
IS, 1917), 127-8.