and strong-looking and had great buttons of lateen on the ends. On her hands she had catskin gloves, which were white inside and furry. Now when she came in every one thought it right to offer her courteous greetings, which she received according as they were agreeable to her. Squire Thorkel took the wise-woman by the hand, and led her to the throne which was ready for her. Thorkel then asked her to run her eyes over household and herd and home there. She spoke little about it all. In the evening a table was brought in, and at this point it must be told what food was made ready for the prophetess. There was made for her porridge of goat’s beestings, and for her food there were provided hearts of all living creatures which were obtainable; she had a brass spoon, and a knife with an ivory handle bound with copper, and the point was broken off. But when the table was cleared away Squire Thorkel approached Thorbjörg, and asked what she thought of the house, or the behaviour of the men, or how soon those things would become known to her which he had asked and men wished to know. She told him that she would not say before the following morning, when she had first slept the night. But on the morrow late in the day the necessary preparations were made for her to carry out the spell. She asked that such women should be procured for her as were instructed in the knowledge which was needed for the spell, and was called ‘varðlokkur’.[16] But no such women were found, whereupon a search was made about the house to find if any one knew these things. Then Gudrid said, ‘I am not skilled in magic, nor a wise-woman, but Halldis my foster-mother taught me in Iceland that art which she called “varðlokkur”.’ ‘Then you are wiser than I thought,’ answered Thorbjörg. ‘This is a kind of lore and a proceeding’, said Gudrid, ‘which I intend in no way to forward, since I am a Christian woman.’ ‘It may be’, said Thorbjörg, ‘that you might become useful to the company in this matter, yet be no worse woman than before; however I will leave it to Thorkel to procure those things which are necessary to me.’ At this Thorkel urged Gudrid till she said she would do as he wished.