New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-31
MORSE sAGAs.
.EHE CHRONICLES OF THE KINGS OF
NORWAY

ZEE Morse RiNGS rron the Iceiandic Of sae OF,
sturiason BY samuel LANG. Esg SeSona an s,,
so 1n' L% p' with Two Maps. In -Four Volumes,
pp. 800. Scribner d Wexford.
Samuel Laings translation OF tne mems.
hringa" has long been out Of PRINT nor w"s ~
any time well known, having been puons"su -
century ago, and before tho aeVeiopi1enV U 1y
thing like popular interest in Norse me'oty CIV
tantsouities. Since 1914, the time Of its appear.
t.r.. thers has been q distinct renaissance OF
Go,s. literature, while the active researches OF
,.r.baalogists and antjquarcs have thrown much
-, bgbt upon the Scandinavian CIVILIZATION
~ ~. sarlv and especially of the Viking period
Ia revised edition Of this famous chronicle Oh 'ne
Kinnrs Of Norway was, therefore, in order, ana
Erofessor Anderson was fit editor Tor the WORK.
aaines introduction has been retained, ana wisely
lsor A. Is an admirable and learned essay, ana
y,it,en in an attractive style. But II could have
ty,,en wished that Mr. Anderson had annotated II
move fully and in particular had directed attic n
zion TO the writer's mistakes and TO the changed
eonclusions which; in regard to many points, have
been established upon discoveries made SINCE inc
essay In question was composed g..
Iaing is safe guide so far as his lights carly
him. but in his time Morse scholarship was mol
lwhat il has since become, and he consequently TEL
into several errors which should not have been per
His theory of runes, for instance, was curiously
tc,uae and erroneous, and this should have been
shown in the notes 10 the introduction. In ais
cussing the social customs of antiquity, moreover,
his ideas often rest upon imperfect knowledge
and moro exact information has been obtained
from the barrows and other finds" Of late years.
His attempt to prove that the Norsemen OF the
Viking period possessed many arts and varied H.
dustries would have been greatly reinforced py
knowledge of the discoveries which have been mace
within the past twenty years, discoveries Which,
show that in the later part of the Iron Age, rang
ing from the fifth to the eleventh century OF our
era Norway possessed sn art Developments WHOM a'
first sight seems incompatible with tne manher'
tapa customs of the fierce and ruthless marauders
who landing from their long ships, haired the
coast of England and subdued it, and carried their
dragon prows far up the rivers OF trance' "n'
Iaing was an enthusiastic champion OF WORSE
civilization. He could not tolerate Inc luea tdh'
England was under heavy obligations 70 Uoo
Ambassadors. According to him ~ was 'ne
Mortimer who planted, in Great Britain the germs
NJ f,eedom: IL was 70 the Thing, not to the
.witenagemote that the beginnings OF parIa-
Ementarv Governments were attributable. The
turo,o SaxonS he held. were q feeble folk; de-
uraded and subject race who had neither interest
inor spjrit TO stimulate them in resisting the
iniratieal Mortimer, and who tsmely yielded even
to the smallest invasions
Whatever the origin of tho Mortimer may have
been we know now that they passed through the
so-caIIed three periods viz. the Stone Bronze
and Iron periods, in the habitat where they are
found at the beginning Of the historical record
that is to say, the eighth century. We know also
that they possessed that method OF preserving inc
memory of events which before the Invention OF
writing must have been common to all peoples who
had made any advance from ssVsgery. In
Oriental countries the same method is retained
even to this day, and the Transmission OF history
and literature orally has ever been an important
branch of education in Hindusten. The North
men were served in this respect by theSkalds ana
the Skalds appear TO have been for the most part
lcelanders, by an interesting process of natural
selestion. The discovery of Iceland led TO its
colonization by Norwegsns Of a superior order,
ibondes or free land owners, that Is to say. who
emigrated to escape the increasing tyranny Of CON
louerors like Harold Harfeger. The conditions OF
life in the new colony favorable 20 peace and
agriculture, and civilization grew there faster
than In Norway and Sweden and Denmark. Ice
Hand in n short time began to produce SSaldS as Q
Ispecialty: men who had committed TO memory the
isaeaa. leeendary and historical, and who had
Harmed the family record Of all the important
Ibondes so that they were living registers Of the
most necessary facts concerning the Distribution
of the land, upon which the whole political and
social systems rested.
The Skalds of Iceland, moreover, were the
natural ambassadors and messengers OF tho time
for not being concerned in any Of the blood-eods
which swarmed among the Mortimer, they could
pass freely to and fro. and they appear to have
been regarded and treated as neutrals everywhere
Tbe origin of the sagas which they recfted or sung
Is Of course, altogether contectaraL As TO The
leeepdary portion Of them, their genesis belongs
TO the obscure but interesting study Of folklaW
and mythology! 1t may be said with regard to
the broad outlines OF the Morse myths that they
followed the most simple and natural lines oil
evolution. Anthropomorphism was never more
dominant and obSious than in this case The
Mortimer in all guilelessness made gods sfte'
. their own image; they transferred 70 their ideal
fzations OF supernatural powers and passions, sp
retites fraities and habits Of thought and actor
which characterized them They were a rude
violent and cruel race. We may see them 'as the
lived even now; holding small tracts Of hand by
udal tenure but not subsisting upon 1t; raising
poor crops Of cereals and engaging IN pratical ex-
peditions while the crops were growing" gather
ing property" as the Slralds systematically put
&c In the sagas. At home the bondes attended
stated assemblies or Things, 70 which they were
summoned by runners carrying symbolic tokens
after the.manner of the fiery cross described by
Eoott in the Highlands. II war was meant or
arrow spin in four was passed around. III TIT
Thing was to be peaceful another token was used
THE Thingssyere open air meetings and thoroughly
democratic. The Blondes held their kings undel
curb through these assemblies, and II necessary
fepoeed or removed" them. Owing 20 thu
peyerty of Norway in good building stone The
houses of the people were built Of wood and th'
dwellings, Of the kings differed in no respect from
shose Of the Blondes. The kings lived on thu
boarding round system generally, and judging
frem the sagss large proportion Of them met thei
heath by being burned alive in these woodel