Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1899-09-02 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

VIKING CHILD EXPOSURE. Amongst ithe Northman, well known as the Vikings, it was a lawful custom to expose their children to death, even for several generations after the introduction of Christianity. The custom was an antique one, and the mother dare not refuse her husband's or guardian's comttutnds when he had ordered her to do so. The Vikings excuses or reasons for this cruel custom were equally pecukar. :Monstrosities and deformed children generally were relegated unceremoniously to the "beads of the evil one." The Frostathings Law says:—" Every child born into this world shall be raised, bactised. end carried t,. the church, except that which is 'born deformed that She mother cannoo. give strength to it, whose hers are in place of the toes, whose chin is between his shoulders, the nook on his breast., with the calves of his legs turning forward, his eyes: on the 13,...ek of his head, and seal's tins or a dog's head. It shall he carried to a beach and buried where neither men nor cattle go; that is the I beach of the evil one.- But healthy and properly I formed children were exposed for other ..reasons. Domestic quarrels, kindred hatred,- disagreeable marriages. ~a hiother dying in child bed, evil omens attending thil birth, being the child of a . concubine, being unable to rear a child through poverty were the muses and reasons for exposing children. There were several ways of exposing the clkild, the most popular being that of placing stones as to allow the lipaby to rest unhurt and • protected from beasts. A sort of stone heap with a hollow topped with a slab. In this the baby lay W.il a piece of pork in its mouth as nourishment for the purpose of prolonging life, so that • feeling creatures passing and attracted with Um cries, and felt disposed, might take and adopt.• the ...Add as their own. Bet the exposure wasn't II • .vs so merciful. If a sinister motive prompted' t then the child was ordered to he thrown the stream or buried in sonic very lonely • It was counted murder to expose a child :rt. baptism. Schemes were often devised to child, and orders sometimes disobeyed. Saga gives us an incident Flaming this, a roads as follows:—"Signy bore a girl. iirge and handsome; her brother Torfiald not let it be water sprinkled until he .ew bow it would go with her life. She died, and' he became PO angry that ho wanted to have the add exposed. tie asked his foster father to take the child clown to the river and drown it. Liguard said this was very wicked, but could wit refuse; E.ll he took the child and went with it. IS seemed to him Pn hanclsmbe that I,- had Ti' the heart to throw it into the water. He turned too to Siguyjarstadir, and laid the child down at the yard gate, thinki:;g it would soon be found. Signyjarson. raw this. He went and took the child. and gave it out that his wife Helga was ick, and had born a child. Torfi heard of this and became angry: he took Ice child, but ii Ilot dare to kill her, for it was murder to kill phildree after they were water sprinkled.—J. ,on, Victoria Chambers, Sunderland.  In order to fiVII our readers a personal interest in their paper we offer Four of 25 id each to the readers who send in the Rest Brie! Contribution, ex. or original. Intending Contributors should choose a subject or extract they think will be of GENERAL INTEREST and forward it. In to other contributors only one contribution should le sent. All nomshould be addressed "Our R adore' Page," Editor, "Northern 'Golly Quetta" One., Middlesbrough.