J. F. Campbell Collection > Our Scandinavian forefathers

41
face is broad and open, caused by the height of the cheek-bones ;
the foreliead more remarkable for breadth than height ; and the com-
plexion fair, and often ruddy — never dark and sallow, like the Celtic.
But perhaps the most notable feature in their physiognomy is what I
would term the mohility of the countenance. The Celtic character
flashes out from the dark and deep-set eye, while the light-blue or
grey eye of the Scandinavian is comparatively inexpressive. But
this is compensated by the exceeding expressiveness of the moutli
and chin. The whole lower part of the face has often, indeed, the
appearance as if its very bones were flexible — so easily can the ob-
servant and practised eye read in it the signs of each thought or
emotion as it passes through the mind.
I must now, as the last head of these lectures, tell you something
of the literature of Scandinavia. I see, however, that ray remarks
on this subject must be greatly curtailed from what I had intended.
Even before writing, along with Christianity, was introduced into
Scandinavia, about the year 1000, the literature was extensive. It
was preserved in the memories of the people, and handed down from
generation to generation. At that time, of course, it consisted almost
solely of poetry. But after the art of writing became known, prose
works, and especially histories, or, as they were termed Sagas, began
to be composed. Of these there are very many ; and in an age
when, in the rest of Europe, the few who could write at all did no
more than compile a dry chronicle of events, many of Iceland's sons
were pubHshing volumes bearing on intricate questions in jurispru-
dence, and writing full and beautifully composed histories, which are
to this day about the most interesting and vivid that it is possible to
peruse. Of these, 1 must say nothing; and 1 shall confine myself to
one or two specimens of their poetry, selecting it from the heathen
period, that you may see the rude and fierce materials out of which
we have been formed. Among the chief poems is the celebrated
LoDBROKARKViDA, Or Death Song of Regner Lodbrok — a poem at
least 900 years old. Regner Lodbrok — that is, Regner Rouglibrcehs
— was a king of Denmark in the eighth century. After many success-
ful piratical expeditions, he was captured by Ella, King of Northum-
berland, and thrown into a dungeon full of venomous serpents, from
whose bite he soon expired. By whomsoever the song was composed,
it is represented as sung by him when the poison was working in his
veins, and is certainly very like what a Viking in his circuui stances
would say. Some good judges think it quite possible that it, or
part of it, may have been actually composed by him. On this, I am,
of course, no authority; but it can certainly be traced back at least
to within a century of the time of his death. The poem consists of
twenty-nine stanzas of ten lines each, and is simply a fierce, exulting
narrative of his life, glorying in his bloody victories, but not con-
cealing his defeats. A few verses will serve as a specimen, from a
translation which is almost literally exact: —