Morning journal and courier., 1891-08-31
SHIPS AS BURIAL PLACES.
A Curious Scandinavian Method o1
 Disposing of the Dead.

Curious Scandinavian Method of
 Disposing ofthe Dead.
 From the Edinburgh Review.I
 Burial ship have so far been discovered to the number of dozen in Sweden and Norway. The bodies laid in them, burned or unburned, were equipped with pathetic care. Besides being elaborately armed and adorned, they had placed at their disposal means of employment and diversion, such as writing, tablets, forging tools, whetting stones, scissors, cooking utensil, chessmen, draughtsmen and dice. in one of nine boats, containing as many bodies, disin- tered in the the churchyard of Wendell in Uppland, weapons and implements were associated with the remains of three dogs, COW, pig, ram, eve and goose. Anoth- CT sheltered the bones of goose, a duck, falcon, rood owl and crane.
 The inference seem justified that all these birds were domesticated. Inside the ribs of the celebrated Gokstadt ship some peococks' feathers lay scattered with frag- ments of gold embroidered silken stuff; and the tumulus near Sandefiord, from which it was unearthed in 1880, contained the skeleton of at least twelve horses and six dogs. But the treasures of the sepul- chral chamber amidships had long ago fal len prey to some of the numerous and nameless thieves who
 Ransacked the graves of the warrIors old, Their falchions wrenched from corpses' hold. The vessel itself, which is of oak, clink- erbuilt and seventy-fve feet long, is pre- served in the archaeological museum of Christiania.
 Life in the north, however fundamental ly homely, was attended in those days by accessories of considerable splendor. Gas tronomic rehnements were indeed un- known. Boiled veal counted as the "best dainties;" roast pork with wheaton bread, might also be provided for favored guests, in default of which delicacies curds and buttermilk were welcome, and the bill of fare during royal visit comprised, on al ternate days, fish and milk, meat and ale. Yet the tables spread with such simple re- pasts were often gay with embroidered cloths and radiant with guided vessels, dainty glass beakers and repousse silver l and bronze drinking horns. They were surrounded, too, by gorgeously clad revel- CTS. Scarlet cloaks, lined with fur and se- | cured with magnificent fbule of bronze { inlaid with silver, or of silver guilt diver | sifed with fligree work, garnets or walrus ivory, were flung over silken tunics or kirtles made of a kind of velvet calle "pell."
 These were belted with girdles finely wrought of precious metals; gold rings en- circling legs, arms and fingers; silk caps, adorned with lace, covered the head; shoes were of leather, covered with beaten gold and stitched with silk; gold band like a diadem confined tawny and profuse locks flowing down to the shoulders. We hear, besides, of ''many-colored English cloth, J rain and dust cloaks, and of fur-lined man. ties with golden neck straps. Sigurd the Jarl figured in St. Olaf's saga as clad in ''a blue kirtle and blue hose, high shoes laced around his legs, gray broad d-brimmed hat and hood over his face, staff in his
 hand, with gilt silver mounting at the upper end, from which silver ring hung