The sun., 1881-11-20

ing to the date mentioned. The clothes are o
! WOOL tho texture is finer than in the garments
OF the bronze age and the pattern is Otter
: checkered. The principal parts OF the suit are
n long Jacket. with sleeves reaching to the
wrists. and trousers which are kept together
with leather strap around the waist. and be-
low sewn on to long socks. Tho outer covering
for the foot is n pair OF sandals OF leather with
finely worked ornaments. Over the shoulders
is thrown n cloak with long fringe at The lower
end. One OF these cloaks. found in peat bog
has preserved its color. which is Eroen. with
yellow and dark green borders AZ for the
arms usad Mt this period $3.50 A. d.. they we're
on the whole. the same during the bronze
age. although OF somewhat different shapes.
two edged swords being common.
30 FAR no runc inscriptions have been found
that can be attributed TO a date earlier than 800
A. ID. Formerly ii was believed that the ruuas
wers invented by the Gernanic nations .wthou
any reference to tho alphabos OF south Euro
pean peoples. Further researches have. how
ever. proved conclnsivcly that such Is not tho
case. The runas were adaptations OF Greek or
| Latin characters. but the Germ anc races gave
the letters new names and altered their ar
rangcment. For example. all south European
| alphabets begin with a. b. and so on.
but the arrangement OF runes begins
with +. Il. {. h. The fact that the earlier
runin inscriptions wore written from right to
left indicates that the adaptation from Pelasgic
| characters must have been made at date much
earlier than that 10 which any of the Scandina-
vian inscriptions can be referred. There is no
| doubt that Greek was at one timo written from
| right to left, and. II we mistake not. Gen. Di
| Cesnola found in Cyprus nn inscription indi-
eating the period at which the transition to the
| later modo OF writing took place. 1t s reason
able to suppose. however. that In northern
| Thrace. and In other outlying regions occu-
| pied by cffshoots of tho Pelasgic race.
the mode of writing from right to left
might hayo been retained for many CEN
| turies aftor it had bsen given up In Greece.
| and have boon transferred to the Germanic
peoples with whom they came in contact. On
the later runic inscriptions the writing is done
| in the present manner that is TO say from loft
to right. Mr.. Du Chaillu makes it evident by
| placing the two aloha bets in juxtapostion. that
| tho late- runas differed considerably from
| those used during the earlier iron age. careful
| analysis. however. indicates that this difference
| arises not from the introduction Of new letters
| but only from gradual changes ia form. and
| sometimes in Specification. Some etters also fell
| out OF Use. making the number used during the
| last centuries Of tho heathcn times In Norway
| ana Sweden only sixteen instead OF twenty-tour.
| The Viking ago proper comprises the period
century. To ths innumorable voyages under
! taken by tho Vikings. both for peacsable and
| warliks purposes. n large number Of runic
| stones in different parts OF the country bear
| witness. One at Gripsholm commentaries
| certain Hayald. who went bravely far away
and died southwark in sarkland tSaracen
| lGnd)." Others tell OF voyages to Greece. Thus.
on stone in Eds parish Upland. The runas were
| cut by one RaGnvnld. who " in Greece WAS chief
/ II. = a. T..
other. cut by father to the memory OF his sons.
| who went to Greece. hut died at home. Stones
telling OF expeditions TO Greece are TO be found
not only in the coast provinces but far away In
tho country districts. On ono OF these found In
Upland there ia an inscription telling OF o man
who died in Langbardaland Lombsrdy).
The mass OF the scandinavian population In
tho latter part OF tho heatheu time seem to have
lived in villages. most Of which were situated
in the samo places rs at Present. and perhaps
had the sarse names. This inference may be
fairly drawn from tho circumstance that By tho
side OF each modern village. especially in the
provinces around Lake Malar. are still found
the grave fields where the heathen population
were buried. 1t is supposed that thu art Of
burning lime and bricks Was not introduced in
the North before the conversion OF the people TO
Christianity. and the dwellings referred with
certainty 10 the pagan eroch are OF two kinds
cay huts aud wooden houses in which the Joints
between the tmbcrs are closed with clay. The
Inner part OF the dwellings, consisted generally
OF ons Oblong room. the sides OF which were
rather low. often less than Il mans height. and
lacking both windows and doors. Tho entrance
was a. one end and was protected by a porch.
Where window was used it wss placed on tie
roof. which usually had u high pitch. and was
covered with straw. turf or shingles. There
was no chimney, only an openiDg in the roof.
from which the smoke arose from the fire.
place N the middle OF the room. Tho
furniture IN the houses Of the Vikings
was nnither abundant nor yaluabl,: it
comprised liIe besides bedsteads and
benches fastened to the walls. long tables in
front OF those benches. and o chest or Two for
keeping the treasures OF ths family. Chairs
are sometimes spoken OF. but not often. As
refuge from the attacks of enemies, stone forts
were built in the neiGhborhood OF the villages.
They are numerous in tho district around the
Maler IA we'll as on the Islands in that lake.
One in Gland. OF which a picture is given in
this book. has diameter OF 400 feet. height
OF 10. xith o width OF 0 feet at tho top. The
wall Is built OF granite boulGers and Of lime
stone. and is very solid. though no trace OF
hoitar can be seen.
From the tracings on grnYestones we get GA
Idea Of the shape OF the vessels that were used
in the Viking times. They were propelled
partly ty the use Of sails and partly BY oars (:
on each vas SenerLly not moro than one mast
and ons sal. The sails were usually OF coarse
voclisa stuff. but sometimes OF silk, with blue.
red. and green stripes. The number o, oars
WAS o'leR very great, and the size OF u ship was
determined by the humber Of seats for the row.
ers Olai TryFgyesson's ship. the Long Ser
pent. the largest OF its time IN Norway. had
thirty-tour rairs u oars and crew OF nearly one
thousand men. Carutethe Great owned Dra-
gon "a SUP wiki dragons head in the sternl.
Thi:t. had upward OF sixty pairs Of oars. That
burial in seips was not uneommon during tie
Yi-lrg 2se. is proved roth sy tho aGSa nara
ives aAl bE s6yargl discoveries in recent tines
In sweden AID Norway loi mounds nave hesI
cseErs a1d found 10 contain vessels il which
warriors hal bnen buried with their weapons
and horses. One Of the most remarkable of
,hese discoveries was made in 1880 on the farm
n Gokstau. At the entrance OF the Cbrisuenia
ford; in eNcavatinR long tululus tradition
alT Lrown ns tho Kisg's Mound. n wel- pre-