The Danish History, Books I-IX | Page 9

to be
over-king of the whole land. But in most instances the father or brother
betrothed the girl, and she consented to their choice. Unwelcome
suitors perish.
The prohibited degrees were, of course, different from those established
by the mediaeval church, and brother weds brother's widow in good
archaic fashion. Foster-sister and foster-brother may marry, as Saxo
notices carefully. The Wolsung incest is not noticed by Saxo. He only
knew, apparently, the North-German form of the Niflung story. But the
reproachfulness of incest is apparent.
Birth and beauty were looked for in a bride by Saxo's heroes, and
chastity was required. The modesty of maidens in old days is eulogised
by Saxo, and the penalty for its infraction was severe: sale abroad into
slavery to grind the quern in the mud of the yard. One of the tests of
virtue is noticed, "lac in ubere".
That favourite "motif", the "Patient Grizzle", occurs, rather, however,
in the Border ballad than the Petrarcan form.
"Good wives" die with their husbands as they have vowed, or of grief
for their loss, and are wholly devoted to their interests. Among "bad
wives" are those that wed their husband's slayer, run away from their
husbands, plot against their husbands' lives. The penalty for adultery is
death to both, at husband's option--disfigurement by cutting off the
nose of the guilty woman, an archaic practice widely spread. In one
case the adulterous lady is left the choice of her own death. Married
women's Homeric duties are shown.
There is a curious story, which may rest upon fact, and not be merely
typical, where a mother who had suffered wrong forced her daughter to
suffer the same wrong.
Captive women are reduced to degrading slavery as "harlots" in one

case, according to the eleventh century English practice of Gytha.
THE FAMILY AND BLOOD REVENGE.--This duty, one of the
strongest links of the family in archaic Teutonic society, has left deep
traces in Saxo.
To slay those most close in blood, even by accident, is to incur the guilt
of parricide, or kin-killing, a bootless crime, which can only be purged
by religious ceremonies; and which involves exile, lest the gods' wrath
fall on the land, and brings the curse of childlessness on the offender
until he is forgiven.
BOOTLESS CRIMES.--As among the ancient Teutons, botes and
were-gilds satisfy the injured who seek redress at law rather than by the
steel. But there are certain bootless crimes, or rather sins, that imply
"sacratio", devotion to the gods, for the clearing of the community.
Such are treason, which is punishable by hanging; by drowning in sea.
Rebellion is still more harshly treated by death and forfeiture; the
rebels' heels are bored and thonged under the sinew, as Hector's feet
were, and they are then fastened by the thongs to wild bulls, hunted by
hounds, till they are dashed to pieces (for which there are classic
parallels), or their feet are fastened with thongs to horses driven apart,
so that they are torn asunder.
For "parricide", i.e., killing within near degrees, the criminal is hung up,
apparently by the heels, with a live wolf (he having acted as a wolf
which will slay its fellows). Cunning avoidance of the guilt by trick is
shown.
For "arson" the appropriate punishment is the fire.
For "incestuous adultery" of stepson with his stepmother, hanging is
awarded to the man. In the same case Swanwhite, the woman, is
punished, by treading to death with horses. A woman accomplice in
adultery is treated to what Homer calls a "stone coat." Incestuous
adultery is a foul slur.

For "witchcraft", the horror of heathens, hanging was the penalty.
"Private revenge" sometimes deliberately inflicts a cruel death for
atrocious wrong or insult, as when a king, enraged at the slaying of his
son and seduction of his daughter, has the offender hanged, an instance
famous in Nathan's story, so that Hagbard's hanging and hempen
necklace were proverbial.
For the slayer by a cruel death of their captive father, Ragnar's sons act
the blood-eagle on Ella, and salt his flesh. There is an undoubted
instance of this act of vengeance (the symbolic meaning of which is not
clear as yet) in the "Orkney Saga".
But the story of Daxo and of Ref's gild show that for such wrongs
were-gilds were sometimes exacted, and that they were considered
highly honourable to the exactor.
Among OFFENCES NOT BOOTLESS, and left to individual pursuit,
are:--
"Highway robbery".--There are several stories of a type such as that of
Ingemund and Ioknl (see "Landnamaboc") told by Saxo of
highwaymen; and an incident of the kind that occurs in the Theseus
story (the Bent-tree, which sprung back and slew the wretch bound to it)
is given. The romantic trick of the mechanic bed, by which a steel-shod
beam