landers had shown towards him; for they had made a law in Iceland, that they should make as many lampoons against the Danish king as there were headlands in his country; and the reason was, because a vessel which belonged to certain Icelanders was stranded in Denmark, and the Danes took all the property, and called it wreck. One of the king's bailiffs called Birger was to blame for this; but the lampoons were made against both. In the lampoons were the following lines:

"The gallant Harald in the field

Between his legs lets drop his shield;
Into a pony he was changed,

And kicked his shield, and safely ranged.

And Birger, he who dwells in halls
For safety built with four stone walls,
That these might be a worthy pair,
Was changed into a pony mare."

CHAPTER XXXVII.-King Harald sends a Warlock in a transformed shape to Iceland.

King Harald told a warlock to hie to Iceland in some altered shape, and to try what he could learn there to tell him: and he set out in the shape of a whale.* And when he came near to the land he went to the west side of Iceland, north around the land, where he saw all the mountains and hills full of guardian-spirits, some great, some small. When he came to Vapnafiord he went in towards the land, intending to go on shore; but a huge dragon rushed

* It is probable that all this chapter is intended for satire on people in the different localities of Iceland mentioned; but we have not the clue to the wit.-L.

down the dale against him with a train of serpents, paddocks, and toads, that blew poison towards him. Then he turned to go westward around the land as far as Eyjafiord, and he went into the fiord. Then a bird flew against him, which was so great that its wings stretched over the mountains on either side of the fiord, and many birds, great and small, with it. Then he swam farther west, and then south into Breidafiord. When he came into the fiord a large grey bull ran against him, wading into the sea, and bellowing fearfully, and he was followed by a crowd of land-spirits. From thence he went round by Reykjanes, and wanted to land at Vikarsskeid, but there came down a hill-giant against him with an iron staff in his hands. He was a head higher than the mountains, and many other giants followed him. He then swam eastward along the land, and there was nothing to see, he said, but sand and vast deserts, and, without the skerries, highbreaking surf; and the ocean between the countries was so wide that a long-ship could not cross it. At that time Brod-Helge* dwelt in Vapnafiord, Eyjolf Valgerdson in Eyjafiord, Thord Gellert in Breidafiord, and Thorod Gode in Olfus. Then the Danish king turned about with his fleet, and sailed back to Denmark.

Hakon the earl settled habitations again in the country that had been laid waste, and paid no scat as long as he lived to Denmark.

* Of Brod-Helge there is a separate saga called Vapnfirdinga Saga, the story of the people of Weapon firth.

+ Thord Geller is mentioned in several of the sagas.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.-Harald Gormson's Death.

Svein, King Harald's son, who afterwards was called Tjuguskeg* (forked beard), asked his father King Harald for a part of his kingdom; but now, as before, Harald would not listen to dividing the Danish dominions, and giving him a kingdom. Svein collected ships of war, and gave out that he was going on a viking cruise; but when all his men were assembled, and the Jomsborg viking Palnatoket had come to his assistance he ran into Seeland to Isefiord, where his father had been for some time with his ships ready to proceed on an expedition. Svein instantly gave battle, and the combat was severe. So many people flew to assist King Harald, that Svein was overpowered by numbers, and fled. But King Harald received a wound which ended in his death and Svein was chosen King of Denmark. At this time Sigvald was earl over Jomsborg in Vindland. He was a son of King Strut-Harald, who had ruled over Scania. Heming, and Thorkel ‡ the Tall, were Sigvald's brothers. Bue the Thick from Bornholm, and Sigurd his brother, were also chiefs among the Jomsburg vikings: and also Vagn, a son of Ake and Thorgunna, and a sister's son of Bue and Sigurd. Earl Sigvald had taken King Svein prisoner, and carried him to Vindland, to Jomsborg, where he had forced him to make peace * King in Denmark from 985 to 1014.

+ Palnatoke, the reputed founder and chief of the Jomsborg vikings. He is a legendary rather than an historical person.

In some versions of the saga he is called earl in Scania.

with Burisleif, the king of the Vinds, and to take him as the peace-maker between them. Earl Sigvald was married to Astrid, a daughter of King Burisleif; and told King Svein that if he did not accept of his terms, he would deliver him into the hands of the Vinds. The king knew that they would torture him to death, and therefore agreed to accept the earl's mediation. The earl delivered this judgment between them-that King Svein should marry Gunhild, King Burisleif's daughter; and King Burisleif again Thyre, a daughter of Harald, and King Svein's sister; but that each party should retain their own dominions, and there should be peace between the countries. Then King Svein returned home to Denmark with his wife Gunhild. Their sons were Harald and Knut (Canute) the Great. At that time the Danes threatened much to bring an army into Norway against Earl Hakon.

CHAPTER XXXIX.-The Solemn Vow of the Jomsborg
Vikings.

King Svein made a magnificent feast, to which he invited all the chiefs in his dominions; for he would give the succession-feast, or the heirship-ale, after his father Harald. A short time before, Strut-Harald in Scania, and Vesete in Bornholm, father to Bue the Thick and to Sigurd, had died; and King Svein sent word to the Jomsborg vikings that Earl Sigvald, and Bue and their brothers, should come to him,

*Harald died in 1018.

and drink the funeral-ale for their fathers in the same feast the king was giving. The Jomsborg vikings came to the festival with their bravest men, forty ships of them from Vindland, and twenty ships from Scania. Great was the multitude of people assembled. The first day of the feast, before King Svein went up into his father's high-seat, he drank the bowl to his father's memory, and made the solemn vow, that before three winters were past he would go over with his army to England, and either kill King Adalrad (Ethelred),* or chase him out of the country. This heirship bowl all who were at the feast drank. Thereafter for the chiefs of the Jomsborg vikings was filled and drunk the largest horn to be found, and of the strongest drink. When that bowl was emptied, all men drank Christ's health; and again the fullest measure and the strongest drink were handed to the Jomsborg vikings. The third bowl was to the memory of Saint Michael, which was drunk by all. Thereafter Earl Sigvald emptied a remembrance bowl to his father's honour, and made the solemn vow, that before three winters came to an end he would go to Norway, and either kill Earl Hakon, or chase him out of the country. Thereupon Thorkell the Tall, his brother, made a solemn vow to follow his brother Sigvald to Norway, and not flinch from the battle so long as Sigvald would fight there. Then Bue the Thick vowed to follow them to Norway, and not flinch so long as the other Jomsborg vikings fought. At last Vagn Akason vowed that he would

Svein actually banished King Ethelred II. from his kingdom in 1013.