Together with
the dead man's weapons and clothes; and generally, they expend the whole
wealth of the deceased, by keeping the body so long in the house before it
is burnt, and by these heaps which are carried off by strangers. It is the
custom with the Estum to burn the bodies of all the inhabitants; and if any
one can find a single bone unconsumed, it is a cause of great offence.
These people, also, have the means of producing a very severe cold; by
which, the dead body continues so long above ground without putrefying; and
by means of which, if any one sets a vessel of ale or water in the place,
they contrive that the liquor shall be frozen either in winter or
summer[16].
[1] Alfred's Orosius, by Barrington, p. 16. Langebeck, Scrip. Dan. II. 118-
123. Wulfstan appears to have been a Dane, who had probably become
acquainted with Ohthere, during his maritime expeditions, and had gone
with him to reside in England. - Forst.
[2] There is a lake still called Truso or Drausen, between Elbing and
Prussian Holland, from which, probably, the town here mentioned, which
stood on the Frisch-haf, took its name. - Forst.
[3] It is necessary to distinguish accurately between Weonothland, which is
probably Fuehnen, Funen, or Fionio, now called Fyen; and Weonodland or
Winodland, afterwards Wendenland. - Forst.
[4] Denmark obviously, called simply Dene, in the voyages of Ohthere. - E.
[5] Probably Bornholm. - E.
[6] Called Sueoland in the voyages of Ohthere, is assuredly Sweden, to
which all these islands belong. Becinga-eg, is certainly Bleking; the
l being omitted in transcription, called an island by mistake.
Meore is indisputably the upper and lower Moehre in Smoland; Eowland
is Oeland; and Gotland is doubtless the modern isle of that name.
- Forst.
[7] Weonodland, or Winodland, extends to the mouth of the Vistula; and is
obviously a peculiar and independent country, totally different from
Weonothland, belonging to Denmark. - Forst.
[8] Wisle, or Wisla, is the Sclavonian orthography for the Vistula, called
Weichsel by the Germans, and Weissel by the Prussians. - Forst.
[9] Witland is a district of Samland in Prussia. It had this name of
Witland at the time of the crusades of the Germans against Prussia.
The word Wit-land, is a translation of the native term Baltikka, or
the white land, now applied to the Baltic Sea. - Forst.
[10] Est-mere, a lake of fresh water, into which the Elbing and Vistula
empty themselves; now called Frisch-haf, or the fresh water sea.
- Forst.
[11] This is undoubtedly the Elbing which flows from lake Drausen, or
Truso, and joins, by one of its branches, that arm of the Vistula
which is called Neugat or Nogat. - Forst.
[12] The Ilfing, or Elbing, comes out of Esthonia, yet not from the east,
as here said by Alfred, but from the south; except, indeed, he mean
that arm of the Elbing which runs into the Nogat, or eastern arm of
the Vistula.
