Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-10-02
SHIPS AS BURIAL PLACES.
A Curious Old Scandinavian Method of
Disposinx OF the Dead.

A Curious Old Scandinavian Method Of
Disposing OF the Dead.
Burial ships have so far been dis
covered to the number of about
dozen in Sweden and Norway, says
the Edinburgh RerieW. The bodies
laid in them, burned or unburned,
were equipped with pathetic care
Besides being deliberately armed and
adorned, they had placed at their dis
posal means of employment and di-
version, such as writing-tablets, forg-
ing tools, whetting stones, scissors,
cooking utensils, schessmen, draughts-
men, and dice. In one of nine boats,
containing as many bodies, disinterred
in the churchyard Of Wendell in Up
land, weapons and implements were
associated with the remains of three
horses, three dogs, a COW, a pig, ram,
eve, and goose. Another sheltered
the bodies Of a goose. a duck, fall
con, rock owl, and crane
The inference seems, justified that
all these birds were domesticated.
Inside the ribs of the celebrated
Gokstadt ship some peacoks' feathers
lay scattered with fragments of gold
embroidered silken stuff, and the
tumulus near SandefiOrd, from which
it was unearthed in 1889, contained
the skeletons Of at least twelve
horses and six dogs. But the treas
ures of the sepulchral chamber amid
ship had long ago fallen prey to
some of the numerous and naneless
thieves who
Ransacked tho graves Of warriors old,
Their falchions wrenched from corpsss' hold.
The vessel itself, which is of oak,
clinkerbuilt, and seventy-flvc feet
long, is preserved in the. Archaeology
cal museum at Christiania~
Life in the North, however funda-
mentally homely, was attended in
those days by accessories, of consider
able splendor. Gastronomic refine
ments were indeed unknown. Boiled
veal counted as the chest of dafnties;'r
roast pork, with wheat bred, might
also be provided for favored guests,
in default of which delicacies c,lrds-
and buttermilk were welcome and
the bill of fare during a royal visit
comprised on alternate days, fish and
milk, meat and ale. Yet the tables
spread with such simple repasts were
often gay with embroidered cloths
and radiant with gildcd vessels, dainty
glass beakers and repousse silver and
bronze drinking-horns- They were
surrounded, too, by gorgeously clad
jewelers.. Scarlet cloaks lined with
fur and secured with magnificent
tlbula Of bronze inlaid with silver, or
of silver gilt diversified with flligree
work, garnets or walrus ivory were
flung over silken TUNES or kirtles
made. of a kind OF velvet called
''pell-' These were belted with
girdles finely wrought of precious
METALS, gold rings, encircling legs,
arms, and fingers: silk caps, adorned
with lace. covered the head: shoes
were of leather covered with beaten
gold and stitched with, silk: a gold
band like a diadem confined twany
and profuse locks flowing down to the
shoulders. We hear. besides, ofgloves
made soft with down, of suits Of
''many-colored English CLOTH" rain.
and-dust cloaks. and of fur-lined
mantles with golden neclstraps.
Sig,lrd the jarl figures in st. Olaf's,
Saga as clad in '+a blue kirtle' and
blue hose. high shoes faced around
his legs Il gray cloak. and Il gray
broad brimmed hat. and hood over
his face. IL staff ia his hand with a
gilt silver mounting at the. upper
end. from which ID silver ring hung"