their doing so that the Vikings endowed not only animals, but inanimate things as well, with "souls." To each belonged a sort of spirit-counterpart. Had we to rely for evidence upon the later burial custom only, this might have been less obvious; but the earlier practice of burning both the ship and her contents is decisive. We know that the primitive mind manifests strange lapses from logic, but it is impossible to believe that the Vikings were not fully alive to the seeming incongruity when they so carefully equipped, then burned, the dead man's ship. They believed that this would hasten, not hinder, the passage of the vessel and her burden to her destined port. Until recently the theory was widely accepted that such a burial ship was fitted out in order that the dead warrior might take his rightful place in a great armada of Viking ships assembling in another world. But the discovery that noble women received the same funeral honour disposes of that theory, in so far as it professes to furnish a complete explanation of the custom. The truer view seems to be as follows. The Norseman, in common with other peoples, imagined a vast, mysterious tide flowing between this world and the next. Over this waste of waters the soul at death must pass ere it could gain the far shore and join the deathless shades beyond. And so it followed that the mourners owed their dead one supreme act of love and duty. They must furnish him with a brave, In Greek mythology the black waters of Styx flowed between living and dead. Every soul must pay his obol to Charon before the wizened ferryman would consent to row him over. How otherwise with the proud Viking! His own warship is chartered to carry him hence when he dies, and his lady also sails luxuriously from this world to the next in her private pleasure yacht. Were humbler folk provided in like manner? We do not know. But not impossibly they, too, were buried in boats of smaller size. For that we may find analogy elsewhere. There still survives in North America the remnant of a tribe among whom a like practice was once observed. The Chinook Indians of Oregon were of old a sturdy race of navigators, famous for their huge canoes hollowed out of cedar-trunks. When one of their number died they laid him in his canoe, saw to it that neither paddle, food, nor the indispensable tobacco - pipe were lacking; then set the little craft to float upon the bosom of some still and sacred pool. But to revert to our Norse queen. What provision did the Vikings judge meet for a lady of such high degree to take when starting for the realms of the immortals? friezes, on equipage The collection of "relics" decoration still maintains its from the Oseberg ship has popularity in Norway at the been housed in a large room present day; it crops up in the museum. On entering, everywhere-in tapestries and a weird, uncanny equipage friezes, on carved furniture, confronts us: a massive char- even as an ornament for gables iot, four-wheeled, in which and leaden water-pipes on the two stark, fleshless steeds roofs of houses and churches. stand harnessed. Grim symbol of the death journey to Valhalla. On nearer inspection, this carriage proves to be a truly gorgeous one. In length about six feet, it is of oblong shape. Carts of just this form may still be noticed every day in Christiania. It rests upon a solid "tree," like that under an English stage - coach, this forming the "chassis" for its four solid but somewhat clumsy wooden wheels. The whole is made of beech-wood, as are the other pieces of furniture found in the ship. Curiously, there are two poles between the horses, instead of the single pole, found both in ancient and modern carriages drawn by a pair of horses. Lavishly splendid is the carving on this death-chariot. Most of the designs, executed with astonishing precision and skill, are carved in what is known as "dragon style." More properly this should be termed "animal style." The queer, elongated animals vaguely reminiscent of Caran d'Ache's caricatures - do not as a rule represent dragons. They are rather conventionalised shapes of wolves and dogs and cats, and other beasts, whose lolling tongues and lissom limbs give a most grotesque but not unpleasing effect. This ancient style of Prowling beasts were not the Viking decorator's only theme. He dealt also in quaint and humorous scenes from life. In one carving a foot-soldier grasps the bridle of a mounted warrior, while he threatens the rider with uplifted sword. He looks a desperate fellow, but his aggressiveness is sorely hampered by a third actor in the little drama. This is a female figure-presumably the rider's wife. The faithful dame holds. fast to the foot-soldier's tunic, and drags him back with might and main. The horses harnessed to the Viking queen's chariot were reconstructed from the chaos of bones found in the ship, by a noted Danish expert in anatomy. The skeletons have belonged to a breed of horse similar to the sturdy, low, thick-necked type called Nordfjordhest-from the Nordfjord region, where they are bred,a race as tough and surefooted as the serviceable Welsh pony, though more self-willed, and therefore less pleasant to ride or drive. Professor Gustafson has expended infinite pains in preserving the woodwork of the carriage. All the wood has been treated with chemicals, to strengthen it and supply new "body" and substance; besides being boiled once or the buried ship. Three of these more, and lightly varnished have been laboriously pieced over. With these precautions, and the provision of carefully constructed air-tight glass cases, there is every hope that the wood will last for many more years in the same condition. To subject everything in the collection to preservative treatment has been absolutely necessary. Some woodwork which was exposed to the air before it had been "cured" crumbled irretrievably away. Sometimes it has been found advisable to preserve brittle objects in glass cases filled with water. One such aquarium contains a dragon-head, peering with an unspeakably evil grin above its long and snaky neck. Many of the best carved pieces have been accurately copied by skilled Norwegian wood-carvers. Their task has proved anything but an easy one. The brilliant craftsmen of the Viking age had brought their art to high perfection. No one can fail to be surprised and impressed by the wealth of the designs, and perhaps even more by the depth of the carving, visible in three or four layers, all truly carved in a single thickness of wood. Students of arts and crafts will be thankful for these admirable copies; as also for many large drawings that have been made with a view to show more clearly some of the ancient designs, which are difficult to distinguish where the wood has become black and worn. Besides the carriage, four broken sledges were found in together. Two are richly carved; the third, of simpler pattern, was probably intended to convey the royal baggage. Professor Gustafson holds that the Viking queen died in autumn, and that those who buried her tried to equip her for all eventualities in the way of roads and weather. If there was snow upon the farther shore, she had her sledges. If not, she might discard these in favour of her carriage and pair. With these equipages the Professor connects some remarkable iron instruments inlaid with bronze and silver, of which other specimens have been found in Norway, but which have hitherto baffled attempts to determine their use. In appearance they may be compared to iron dog-whips, with several rings tied where the thong would normally be fixed. The Professor regards it as certain that these were ornaments to hang upon the harness, where they would jangle and ring whenever the horses moved. They were, in fact, primitive sleigh-bells. Very complete is the collection of kitchen utensils. Here we have huge tuns for brewing ale, a mill-stone, a cauldron on a tripod, a knife which might have come from Sheffield yesterday. All these things are elegantly shaped; none have been too humble to pass undecorated! Verily the Viking loved luxury and riches. Wealth with him was a passion, its acquisition a religious duty. Two enamelled plates, each bearing a cross in blue, give a highly decorative finish to this elegant antique. The bucket is believed to have come from Ireland, partly on account of its resemblance to other objects known to have been carried thence, partly because no similar work emanated from Norway in this early period of culture. These brief notes are an impression, not an inventory. The Oseberg collection has much more that is of interest and importance besides what is mentioned here. Suffice it now to chronicle one more find which throws a side-light on the Viking's faith. Within the death-chamber a loom was fixed, and from it hung the web, half-woven. Begun in one life, the tapestry should be completed in the next. There were no idlers in the Norseman's paradise. ARTHUR G. JAYNE. a -THOMAS CAMPBELL. sunsets like that in a submarine, though. It's a fair treat." Then peeping through another orifice he added wistfully, "My! Don't them little white cups on the telegraph-posts remind me of the lamps down Oxford Street? Something sickenin'." He turned round to the five others in the room. One yawned in reply. "Ace o' hearts, old son! Sweethearts, what you and me haven't got any use for now," The men were in a small onereplied the dealer, who was roomed hut or rabbit - hutch. holding a very dog's-eared pack It was octagonal in shape with of cards. "It's a potted meat a pointed roof, and had two sort of life this. No gals, no diminutive windows at about 'lectric light - not even breast height from the floor in bloomin' dip-and no enemy; seven of its eight walls. The only rumours. Might as well walls, each about three feet be in one of them new sub- long, were composed of a double marines. Yes I s'pose we skin of naked, uncompromising must turn down our gamble corrugated iron. The intervenand, if the Bojers don't turn up, ing space was filled with no turn into our flea-bags! That brick or stone wall, woodwork makes three and seven you or concrete. It contained owes me, ole pal. It'll be a common, loose shingle, such as dollar soon." The speaker got might have been gathered on up, stretched, and carefully most and carefully most beaches in England. stowed away the " "book of There were even holes left in cards on the sill of one of the the iron skin through which little windows of the room more shingle could be unthrough which the glow of the romantically tipped in as the sunset still streamed feebly. old stuff was shaken down by He looked out. the vibration of passing trains, or by bullets. Though easily "They don't get any ruddy |