|
The fields and the choice lands in that place seemed fair to
Odin, and he chose for himself the site of a city which is now called Sigtún.
There be established chieftains in the [9] fashion which bad prevailed
in Troy; he set up also twelve head-men to be doomsmen over the people and
to judge the laws of the land; and he ordained also all laws as there had been
before in Troy, and according to the customs of the Turks. After that he went
into the north, until he was stopped by the sea, which men thought lay around
all the lands of the earth; and there he set his son over this kingdom, which
is now called Norway. This king was Sæmingr; the kings
of Norway trace their lineage from him, and so do also the jarls and the other
mighty men, as is said in the Háleygjatal. Odin had with him
one of his Sons called Yngvi, who was king in Sweden after him; and those houses
come from him that are named Ynglings. The Æsir took wives of the land
for themselves, and some also for their sons; and these kindreds became many
in number, so that throughout Saxland, and thence all over the region of the
north, they spread out until their tongue, even the speech of the men of Asia,
was the native tongue over all these lands. Therefore men think that they can
perceive, from their forefathers' names which are written down, that those names
belonged to this tongue, and that the Æsir brought the tongue hither
into the northern region, into Norway and into Sweden, into Denmark and into
Saxland. But in England there are ancient lists of land-names and place-names
which may show that these names came from another tongue than this.
© 2005 Alfaleith.org. Alfaleith™ is a service mark and trademark
of Alfaleith.org. • Web site design by Golden
Boar Creations. |