ned. A high
seat was prepared for her, in which a cushion filled with poultry
feathers was placed. When she came in the evening, with the man who had
been sent to meet her, she was clad in a dark-blue cloak, fastened with a
strap, and set with stones quite down to the hem. She wore glass beads
around her neck, and upon her head a black lamb-skin hood, lined with
white cat-skin. In her hands she carried a staff, upon which there was a
knob, which was ornamented with brass, and set with stones up about the
knob. Circling her waist she wore a girdle of touch-wood, and attached to
it a great skin pouch, in which she kept the charms which she used when
she was practising her sorcery. She wore upon her feet shaggy calf-skin
shoes, with long, tough latchets, upon the ends of which there were large
brass buttons. She had cat-skin gloves upon her hands, which were white
inside and lined with fur. When she entered, all of the folk felt it to
be their duty to offer her becoming greetings. She received the
salutations of each individual according as he pleased her. Yeoman
Thorkel took the sibyl by the hand, and led her to the seat which had
been made ready for her. Thorkel bade her run her eyes over man and beast
and home. She had little to say concerning all these. The tables were
brought forth in the evening, and it remains to be told what manner of
food was prepared for the prophetess. A porridge of goat's beestings was
made for her, and for meat there were dressed the hearts of every kind of
beast, which could be obtained there. She had a brass spoon, and a knife
with a handle of walrus tusk, with a double hasp of brass around the
haft, and from this the point was broken. And when the tables were
removed, Yeoman Thorkel approaches Thorbiorg, and asks how she is pleased
with the home, and the character of the folk, and how speedily she would
be likely to become aware of that concerning which he had questioned her,
and which the people were anxious to know. She replied that she could not
give an opinion in this matter before the morrow, after that she had
slept there through the night. And on the morrow, when the day was far
spent, such preparations were made as were necessary to enable her to
accomplish her soothsaying. She bade them bring her those women, who knew
the incantation, which she required to work her spells, and which she
called Warlocks; but such women were not to be found. Thereupon a search
was made throughout the h