Chapters 44-95 - Germanic Mythology

spirit, and on the other hand by the animal, vegetative, and corporal elements, and the
personality being endowed with will, it is responsible for the result of this reciprocal
activity. If the spirit becomes superior to the other elements then it penetrates and
sanctifies not only the personal kernel, but also the animal, vegetative, and corporal
elements. Then human nature becomes a being that may be called divine, and deserves
divine honor. When such a person dies the lower elements which are abandoned and
consigned to the grave have been permeated by, and have become participators in, the
personality which they have served, and may thereafter in a wonderful manner diffuse
happiness and blessings around them. When Halfdan the Black died different places
competed for the keeping of his remains, and the dispute was settled by dividing the
corpse between Hadaland, Hringariki, and Vestfold (Fagurskinna, Heimskringla). 482 The
vegetative force in the remains of certain persons might also manifest itself in a strange
manner. Thorgrim's grave-mound in Gisli's Saga was always green on one side, and
Laugarbrekku-Einar's grave-mound was entirely green both winter and summer
(Landnámabók II. 7).
The elements of the dead buried in the grave continued for more or less time their
reciprocal activity, and formed a sort of unity which, if permeated by his óður and önd,
preserved some of his personality and qualities. The grave-mound might in this manner
contain an alter ego of him who had descended to the realm of death. This alter ego,
called after his dwelling haugbúi, mound-dweller, was characterized by his nature as a
draugur, a branch which, though cut off from its life-root, still maintains its conisistency,
but gradually, though slowly, pays tribute to corruption and progresses toward its
dissolution. In Christian times the word draugur 483 acquired a bad, demoniacal meaning,
which did not belong to it exclusively in heathen times, to judge from the compounds in
which it is found: éldraugur, herdraugur, hirðidraugur, which were used in paraphrases
for "warriors"; óðaldraugur, "rightful owner," etc. The alter ego of the deceased, his
representative dwelling in the grave, retained his character: was good and kind if the
deceased had been so in life; in the opposite case, evil and dangerous. As a rule he was
believed to sleep in his grave, especially in the daytime, but might wake up in the night,
or could be waked by the influence of prayer or the powers of conjuration. Ghosts of the
good kind were hollar vættir, of the evil kind óvættir. 484 Respect for the fathers and the
idea that the men of the past were more pious and more noble than those of the present
time caused the alter egos of the fathers to be regarded as beneficent and working for the
good of the race, and for this reason family grave-mounds where the bones of the
ancestors rested were generally near the home. If there was no grave-mound in the
vicinity, but a rock or hill, the alter egos in question were believed to congregate there
when something of importance to the family was impending. It might also happen that
the lower elements, when abandoned by óður and önd, became an alter ego in whom the
482 Hálfdanar Saga Svarta "The great men of Raumarik and Vestfold and Hedemark went there and all
demanded his body for themselves to lay it in a howe in their own district, for they expected good seasons
if they had the body. Finally it was agreed that they should divide the body into four parts and the head was
laid in a howe at Stein in Ringerik" Erling Monsen tr.
483 Literally "a dry log"; in the following compounds listed above it carries the meaning of "tree" i.e. the
body of man. The sources of these words can be found listed in Vigfusson's Dictionary and Egilsson's
Lexicon Poeticum.
484 hollar vættir, "kind wights" Oddrúnar-grátr 9; óvættir, "evil wights" Grettissaga 42, Guðmundardrápa
by Árni Jónsson 59.