tempt at least by the leaders: while the
common people, serfs, or slaves were still immersed (as much as
in Christian Europe) in a stupid superstition.

[31] The following story exhibits the influence of
witchcraft among the followers of Odin. Towards the end of
the tenth century, the dreaded Jomsburg sea-rovers had set
out on one of their periodical expeditions, and were
devastating with fire and sword the coast of Norway. A
celebrated Norwegian Jarl, Hakon, collected all his forces,
and sailed with a fleet of 150 vessels to encounter the
pirates. Hakon, after trying in vain to break through the
hostile line, retired with his fleet to the coast, and
proceeded to consult a well-known sorceress in whom he had
implicit confidence for any emergency. With some pretended
reluctance the sorceress at length informed him that the
victory could be obtained only by the sacrifice of his son.
Hakon hesitated not to offer up his only son as a
propitiatory sacrifice; after which, returning to his fleet,
and his accustomed post in the front ranks of the battle, he
renewed the engagement. Towards evening the Jomsburg pirates
were overtaken and overwhelmed by a violent storm,
destroying or damaging their ships. They were convinced that
they saw the witch herself seated on the prow of the Jarl's
ships with clouds of missile weapons flying from the tips of
her fingers, each arrow carrying a death-wound. With such of
his followers as had escaped the sorceric encounter, the
pirate-chief made the best of his way from the scene of
destruction, declaring he had made a vow indeed to fight
against men, but not against witches. A narrative not
inconsistent with the reply of a warrior to an inquiry from
the Saint-king Olaf, 'I am neither Christian nor pagan; my
companions and I have no other religion than a just
confidence in our strength, and in the good success which
always attends us in war; and we are of opinion that it is
all that is necessary.'--Mallet's _Northern Antiquities_.

When men's minds are thus universally unsettled and in want--a
want both universal and necessary in states--of some new
divine objects of worship more suited to advanced ideas and
requirements, a system of religion more civilising and rational
than the antiquated one, will be adopted without much difficulty,
especially if it is not too exclusive. Yet the Scandinavians were
unusually tenacious of th