the child should live only as long as the taper then burning near the
bedside. These ominous words filled the mother's heart with terror,
and she tremblingly clasped her babe closer to her breast, for the
taper was nearly burned out and its extinction could not be very long
delayed. The eldest Norn, however, had no intention of seeing her
prediction thus set at naught; but as she could not force her sister
to retract her words, she quickly seized the taper, put out the light,
and giving the smoking stump to the child's mother, bade her carefully
treasure it, and never light it again until her son was weary of life.

"In the mansion it was night:
The Norns came,
Who should the prince's
Life determine."

Saemund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.).

The boy was named Nornagesta, in honour of the Norns, and grew up to
be as beautiful, brave, and talented as any mother could wish. When he
was old enough to comprehend the gravity of the trust his mother told
him the story of the Norns' visit, and placed in his hands the candle
end, which he treasured for many a year, placing it for safe-keeping
inside the frame of his harp. When his parents were dead, Nornagesta
wandered from place to place, taking part and distinguishing himself
in every battle, singing his heroic lays wherever he went. As he
was of an enthusiastic and poetic temperament, he did not soon weary
of life, and while other heroes grew wrinkled and old, he remained
young at heart and vigorous in frame. He therefore witnessed the
stirring deeds of the heroic ages, was the boon companion of the
ancient warriors, and after living three hundred years, saw the
belief in the old heathen gods gradually supplanted by the teachings
of Christian missionaries. Finally Nornagesta came to the court of
King Olaf Tryggvesson, who, according to his usual custom, converted
him almost by force, and compelled him to receive baptism. Then,
wishing to convince his people that the time for superstition was
past, the king forced the aged scald to produce and light the taper
which he had so carefully guarded for more than three centuries.

In spite of his recent conversion, Nornagesta anxiously watched the
flame as it flickered, and when, finally, it went out, he sank lifeless
to the ground, thus proving that in spite of the baptism just received,
he still believed in the prediction of the Norns.

In the middle ages, and even later, the Norns figure in many a st