Fig. 1343.—Ancient loom from the Färoes in Bergen Museum. ] “It happened one morning, Good Friday, in Kateness (Caithness, Scotland), that a man called Dorrud went out of doors, and saw that twelve men were riding together to a woman’s house and there disappeared. He went there and looked through a ‘light hole’ and saw other women who had set up a web on the loom. The weights (whorles) were human heads, but the woof and the warp were intestines of men, a spear was used as a spindle and an arrow as a shuttle” (Njal Saga). Whorls are very common in the graves. Many examples occur of women taking to the profession of arms, and often fighting as bravely as the most valiant warriors;[265] and that this custom was not altogether unknown in some parts of Europe at a later period than that of the Viking age is shown by the appearance of Joan of Arc. [Illustration: Fig. 1344. ] [Illustration: Fig. 1345. ] Whorle of spindle of burnt clay, ⅔ real size, found by the side of a clay urn containing burnt bones in an oblong mound—Greby, Bohuslan. From a neighbouring hill one can count about 160 tumuli, sixty of which are oblong—varying from 25 to 36 feet in length, and 15 to 20 feet in width—several have memorial stones upon them, the highest being 14 feet.—Earlier iron age. [Illustration: Fig. 1346.—Specimen of a peculiar weaving shuttle formed in the shape of a short double-edged blade—the back being formed for putting on a handle. Specimens found in several women’s graves. About ¼ real size.—Norway. ] “Svafa, the daughter of Bjartmar jarl, gave birth to a girl; most people thought she ought to be exposed, and said she would not have the character of a woman if she became like the kinsmen of her father.[266] The jarl had her besprinkled with water, and brought up and called her Hervör, and said the kin of Arngrim’s son was not quite dead while she was alive. When she grew up she was fair; she practised more shooting and the handling of sword and shield than sewing and embroidering; she was tall and strong, and as soon as she was able she oftener did evil than good; when she was hindered from that she ran into the woods and slew men in order to take their property. When the jarl knew this he took her home, and there she stayed for a while” (Hervarar Saga, ch. 6; also Herraud and Bosi’s Saga, c. 2, and Atlakvida.) ----- Footnote 256: Ragnar Lodbrok’s Saga. Footnote 257: