The Book of Were-Wolves | Page 9

distant lands, doing his
own or other people's business." In like manner the Danish king Harold
sent a warlock to Iceland in the form of a whale, whilst his body lay
stiff and stark at home. The already quoted Saga of Hrolf Krake gives
us another example, where Bödvar Bjarki, in the shape of a huge bear,
fights desperately with the enemy, which has surrounded the hall of his
king, whilst his human body lies drunkenly beside the embers within.

In the Vatnsdæla Saga, there is a curious account of three Finns, who
were shut up in a hut for three nights, and ordered by Ingimund, a
Norwegian chief, to visit Iceland and inform him of the lie of the
country, where he was to settle. Their bodies became rigid, and they
sent their souls the errand, and, on their awaking at the end of three
days, gave an accurate description of the Vatnsdal, in which Ingimund
was eventually to establish himself. But the Saga does not relate
whether these Finns projected their souls into the bodies of birds or
beasts.
The third manner of transformation mentioned, was that in which the
individual was not changed himself, but the eyes of others were
bewitched, so that they could not detect him, but saw him only under a
certain form. Of this there are several examples in the Sagas; as, for
instance, in the Hromundar Saga Greypsonar, and in the Fostbræðra
Saga. But I will translate the most curious, which is that of Odd, Katla's
son, in the Eyrbyggja Saga.--(c. 20.)
"Geirrid, housewife in Mafvahlið, sent word into Bolstad, that she was
ware of the fact that Odd, Katla's son, had hewn off Aud's hand.
"Now when Thorarinn and Arnkell heard that, they rode from home
with twelve men. They spent the night in Mafvahlið, and rode on next
morning to Holt: and Odd was the only man in the house.
"Katla sat on the high seat spinning yarn, and she bade Odd sit beside
her; also, she bade her women sit each in her place, and hold their
tongues. 'For,' said she, 'I shall do all the talking.' Now when Arnkell
and his company arrived, they walked straight in, and when they came
into the chamber, Katla greeted Arnkell, and asked the news. He
replied that there was none, and he inquired after Odd. Katla said that
he had gone to Breidavik. 'We shall ransack the house though,' quoth
Arnkell. 'Be it so,' replied Katla, and she ordered a girl to carry a light
before them, and unlock the different parts of the house. All they saw
was Katla spinning yarn off her distaff. Now they search the house, but
find no Odd, so they depart. But when they had gone a little way from
the garth, Arnkell stood still and said: 'How know we but that Katla has
hoodwinked us, and that the distaff in her hand was nothing more than

Odd.' 'Not impossible!' said Thorarinn; 'let us turn back.' They did so;
and when those at Holt raw that they were returning, Katla said to her
maids, 'Sit still in your places, Odd and I shall go out.'
"Now as they approached the door, she went into the porch, and began
to comb and clip the hair of her son Odd. Arnkell came to the door and
saw where Katla was, and she seemed to be stroking her goat, and
disentangling its mane and beard and smoothing its wool. So he and his
men went into the house, but found not Odd. Katla's distaff lay against
the bench, so they thought that it could not have been Odd, and they
went away. However, when they had come near the spot where they
had turned before, Arnkell said, 'Think you not that Odd may have been
in the goat's form?' 'There is no saying,' replied Thorarinn; 'but if we
turn back we will lay hands on Katla.' 'We can try our luck again,'
quoth Arnkell; 'and see what comes of it.' So they returned.
"Now when they were seen on their way back, Katla bade Odd follow
her; and she lea him to the ash-heap, and told him to lie there and not to
stir on any account. But when Arnkell, and his men came to the farm,
they rushed into the chamber, and saw Katla seated in her place,
spinning. She greeted them and said that their visits followed with
rapidity. Arnkell replied that what she said was true. His comrades took
the distaff and cut it in twain. 'Come now!' said Katla, 'you cannot say,
when you get home, that you have done nothing, for you have chopped
up my distaff.' Then Arnkell and the rest hunted high and low for Odd,
but could not find him; indeed they