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Attila's dreams. The dreams of the three first bridals nights (which
were kept hallowed by a curious superstition, either because the dreams
would then bold good, or as is more likely, for fear of some Asmodeus)
were fateful. Animals and birds in dreams are read as persons, as
nowadays.

A "curse" is powerful unless it can be turned back, when it will harm
its utterer, for harm someone it must. The "curse" of a dying man on his
slayer, and its lack of effect, is noted.

Sometimes "magic messengers" are sent, like the swans that bore a token
and uttered warning songs to the hero.

"Witches and wizards" (as belonging to the older layer of archaic
beliefs) are hateful to the gods, and Woden casts them out as accursed,
though he himself was the mightiest of wizards. Heathen Teutonic life
was a long terror by reason of witchcraft, as is the heathen African
life to-day, continual precautions being needful to escape the magic of
enemies. The Icelandic Sagas, such as Gretter's, are full of magic and
witchcraft. It is by witchcraft that Gretter is first lamed and finally
slain; one can see that Glam's curse, the Beowulf motif, was not really
in the original Gretter story.

"Folk-medicine" is really a branch of magic in old days, even to such
pioneers of science as Paracelsus.

Saxo's traditions note drinking of a lion's blood that eats men as a
means of gaining might and strength; the drinking of bear's blood is
also declared to give great bodily power.

The tests for "madness" are of a primitive character, such as those
applied to Odusseus, who, however, was not able, like Hamlet, to evade
them.

The test for death is the red-hot iron or hot brand (used by the
Abyssinians of to-day, as it was supposed in the thirteenth century to
have been used by Grimhild. "And now Grimhild goes and takes a great
brand, where the house had burnt, and goes to Gernot her brother, and
thrusts the burning brand in his mouth, and will know whether he is dead
or living. But Gernot was clearly dead. And now she goes to Gislher and
thrusts the firebrand in his mouth. He was not dead before, but Gislher
died of that. Now King Thidrec of Bern saw what Grimhild is doing,
and speaks to King Attila. `See how that devil Grimhild, thy wife, is
killing her brothers, the good warriors, and how many men have lost
their lives for her sake, and how many good men she has destroyed, Huns
and Amalungs and Niflungs; and in the same way would she bring thee