New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-31

Nj. LAinr notwithstanding, the position Of woman
In the North was degraded. The ssgas appear 70
indicate that the Skslds who made and preserved
them djd not altogether approve OF the prevalent
IDEAS ON the subject Of gathering property
At Ieast they try 20 represent piracy as being
zen orally restricted TO the earlier years Of the
warriors, who were supposed TO reform when they
grew older, and to confne their eccentricitiee to
roasting their kings and raiding ono anotheTs
farmsteads The Heimsluingla,' however pre-
sents series Of pictures of life, in which blood
shed and drinking constitute tho NAN
motives Of existence, and whatever may III
the course Of time have been developed from INC
crude institutions OF the Mortimer. IL Is oiincuio
for the dlspassionate modern 70 regard tnein 20
desirable or creditable ancestors In these oit
sagas, moreover, O good deal OF allowance miu'O
be made for the decidedly unscenuhc ihAe,"
ton of the SlSalds. 1t must be reinenDereu OlS
the earliest known written sagas are sep
by fun two centuries and hail. from tne eNe"."
with which they deal and therefore wha' pur poruS
Z. be history, as distinguished from egenu' "a"
only be accepted professionally. and with reSer'~-
tons w.,
Ths r.c.nt unearthing Of two wellpreservcd
-..a.,as =, yilrpg sbips in Scandinavia has set
at rest the doubts, long entertained. concerning
the possibilities of extended navigation in those
d,vs The saeas indeed. speak OF vessels with
IA feat of keel but antidusries were accustomed
% a,acredit such statements. Now 10 is seen that
tb. viking slips were large and stanch vessels,
and Il is apparent that though not decked over
they must have been Trustworthy sea-boats In all
Int the worst westher Relying as they did al
most entirely upon propulsion by their oars
lee shore could have had httle terror for them.
When possible, they kept near the coast and
anchored or landed at night. At sea they USED
tents or awnings. They could transport horses
and cattle long distances in their ships, though
they always took with them separate boats Tor
transport service, so as not 70 crowd the hghtln9
men. The saRns ore full Of reports Of sea and
land fights. but seldom enter into the detail
peeesSary for the instruction of remote pos
terfty, usually taking for granted the famihsriV
Of their audiences with such everyday AFFAIRS.
II Is observed by Iang that the Heimskr'nGla" OF
Snorre Sturlason is rather series OF Individual
memoirs than a history. Chronological sequence
is indeed preserved carefully, but the annals OF
the old Kings OF Norway really little more
than narratives Of the adventures Of 50 many In
dividuals
Nothing can be further removed from dulnesS
than these chronicles. They are much condensed
and generally told without any attempt at eho-
grafton or establishment, but they are
crowded with action and incident. and
thickly strewn with picturesque and
wild revenges, crafty devices. deeds Of treachery
and accidents BY food and field. Almost every
chapter ends with some verses in which the main
incident Is treated from a religious or didactiO
point of view Mr. Anderson appears 10 have had
in mind the omission OF these rhymes, as not
Sufficiently presenting the words Of the original
text; but, in our opinion, ne has done wisely to
retain them for they certainly add TO the peculiar
Wild flavor OF the chronicle The present edition
of the Heimskringia" has been carefully revised
BY Professor Anderson, with the aid OF the latest
Norwegian scholarship and criticism. ana the
editors notes TO the text Of the sagas appear 10
be sufficiently full and 70 bring the work down
TO a level with recent discoveries Considering
its mornentous consequences 20 Europe, the Nklng
period seems short. but IL was one OF intense &C
tfyity, not 90 say OF purely malign activity Inc
Morse rovers may in the end have proved blessings
10 the countries they harried. conquered and colo
nized, but no one can be surprised that AT the
time they were regarded as blessings very thor
ouehiy disguised Doubtless they builded better
than they knew, or Ihsn they would have cared
60 build had they known. With the advent OF
Christianity their fRvorte pasume fell
gradually into disrepute, though 1t is
not credible that any access OF hu'
manity moved them 20 rclinQuish piracy, and
the latter WINS practised. under high auspices, by
Christian Englshmen-if not formally by Eng
land-as late as the seventeenth century
In the HeimslSripes' we see these warliEe
and little scrupulous bsrbsrisns in their habit as
they lived: loving. fighting, plunderinO. murder
ing drinking, cheating, oVerreaching, they
struggle along before us through the sagaS and
with all their faults and vices 1t must be recog-
nized that there is great deal Of humanity about
them ana that none Of the passions and desires
which inspired them have so far been civilized
out OF existence as TO be unfamiliar even at the
end of the nineteenth century. Mr.. lAing re-
marks that there is not much reference TO the
heather religion in the IIeimskringla." and he
suggests that it may not have been prudent or
safe for the transcybe1 Of these chronicles 10
enlarge upon that topic after Christianity had
become established. This may explain the fact
but the loss Is not very considerable, since from
other sources we have sufficiently rull knowl
edge of the Norfe mythology and cultus OF the
gods. IL is principally as n record Of human ac-
tivity at n remote and barbnrous period that the
work is interesting and valuable; and it's i'm
portance from that point OF view is so great that
Professor Andersons new edition o. the Helms
kringla" ought 10 be heartily welcomed