The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1905-01-12

NURING our itinerancy in Europe
last year, among the number Of
cities visited wae Christiana the
capital of Norway. This ancient city is
situated about rs miles from the sea al
the head Of the Christiana tjord, IAN estua-
ry of Skagerrack. The modern part of the
city was founded about 300 years ago by
q Danish king, but the "0ld town, ''now
a suburb of the city proper, the erst-
while rendezvous of pirates and free
hooters, is nearly 1000 years old.
There exists many facts and eviden-
ces as well as sagas and traditions which
conclusively and positively brove that
in this secluded sheltered spot many
Vikings gathered to repair their ships
and TO reft and prepare for new and
perilous exploits. But besides these
there were undoubtedly, in the minds
OF those ancient highwaymen Of the
seas, other substantial reasons for max
ing this ford their trysting place, rea-
sons which appealed more directly to
their physical being.
Human nature does not materially
change in thousand years, and IL is
very probable that the prototype OF the
modern Jack Tar held the same views
as the latter in regard TO the rules which
govern the moral and physical being Of
the seafaring man. While at sea he is
capable of enduring almost any hard
ship and privation without murmuring I;
there he is Spartan and q stole. But
from the moment he puts his foot on
terra frma or on an island, as the
case may be, provided the necessary
conditions exist, he is an epicurian and
cynic.
His desiderata are few but urgent
His desires, whatever their name may
be, must be satisfied regardless of con-
sequences. Moral and physical laws
are thrown to the winds, and in the
hey-day OF shore leave Jack is the prey
of all that is evil.
Such, also, was the Viking, only ten
fold more vicious and bloodthirsty
There was nothing to restrain him but
physical force and he dearly loved oppo-
sition OF this nature. His first and last
demands, and the first and last demands
on him in life were combat.
There is, however, one essential differ
ence between Jack Tar OF the present day
and the subject OF this brief sketch, for
while the former, as rule, cares little
or nothing for things celestial, the vi.
king never for moment doubted that
he would land on the golden shore Of
Wallha!la, provided he died, as beftted
warrier, in battle or by the sword.
III perchance he should live until old age
made him unfit TO carry shield or sword
in deadly strife against an adversary,
1t was the custom that his brother-at-
arms or his armor-bearer should admin
lister the death-thrust. In the event no
friend was at hand to render assistance
in the bloody finalty, 1t was considered
full proper for the aged warrior to plant
the hilt OF his sword in the earth and
by throwing himself upon its point,
thus perish. The portals Of Wallhalla
would open, the waiting Varkyres would
receive him and conduct him to the hall
where dwelt the warriors over which
Odin, (or Woden,) presided.
u is thus apparent, according to the
ment was a necessary adjunct to enter
the abode Of the blessed, but to my
knowledge an intermediary is never
mentioned.
have stated that there were undoubt-
edly other reasons for the Vikings max
ing the Christiania ford his home be-
sides that Of repairing his ship and do.
ing other nece jsary labors. 1t is a well
known fact that the climate OF the
southern part of Norway is compare
lively mild, the average winter tenn
erature being about 24o, Fahrenheit, and
there are many adjacent fertile valleys,
which, though naturally Of inconsequen-
tial size individually, yet collectively
were capable of giving sustenance to a
large population.
Petty kings were as numerous in
Sweden and Norway when history be-
gan as colonels are today in the United
States, and the formers claim to
royal purple are certainly easier estab-
lished than the latter's TO the epaulettes
supposed to follow their titles Each king
kept court Of his own and employed as
large q number of retainers as the fnan-
ces of his realm admitted. He often
had numerous fuedatories, who often
lent their presence to swell the number
OF his courtiers as well as fill the ranks
OF his warriors.
Thus II was that the returning VII
king, perhaps himself king, laden
with plunder from foreign parts, was
certain to receive royal welcome, and
often the long Northern winter even
ings were spent in carousing and de-
bauchery. To be able to drink large
quantities of liquors, principally mead
(miod) and wine, was considered as
much Of warriors requisite as was
the welding Of the sword. Horns OF the
OK or wooden tankards we're commonly
used for drinking purposes, which on
one side had row OF pegs placed verti-
cally one above the other; by these pegs
the amount drank was registered and
he who could lower the liquor peg or
more below a former drinker was con-
sidered the best man.
To this custom of the ancient Odin
worshipers is traceable the common
saying Ito take person down peg or
two," that is, to humiliate person,
This barbaric manner, to test ones en-
durance in drinking bouts, obtains yet
among the lower classes in the Scandi-
navian countries, though the tell-tale
"pegh was discarded long ago.
The north coast of Europe, that is to
say, from the western end of the Eng
lish channel to the southeastern coast
of the Baltic, besides what at the pres
ent day constitutes Great Britain natur-
ally suffered most from the depreda-
tions of these Northern buccaneers, but,
II memory serves me rightly there is
mention made of them in ancient Roman
writings, which would indicate that
they extended their predatory voyages
even to the sunny cline of the Medit-
eranean sea.
OF course, the Christiana ford is not
the only place where remains indicative
of the Viking have been found. In the
vicinity of my former home on the
west coast of the southern part of Swe-
den, there is small river which emp
ties into bay or vik, (hence the name
Viking. This river is navigable for
smaller craft quite distance from the
sea and flows through a stretch of level
country, which for fertility and agri-
cultural resources is unsurpassed in the
world, aslfar as l have had opportunity
to compare it, In the banks of this