576 DUELLING 



Hjalmar at the door of the hall, and sent in for the king 

 and told him to look how he had arranged her. Thereafter the 

 king welcomed Odd, and seated him in the high seat at his 

 side. When Odd had rested himself the king said he wanted 

 to make an arvel 1 after Hjalmar and Ingibjorg, and raise a 

 mound over them. The king let everything be done as Odd 

 ordered. The helmet and mail-coat of Hjalmar were brought 

 forward, and the men praised his deeds highly, and told how 

 hard it had been to slay him ; they were both placed in one 

 mound, and all went to see this great mound, for Odd had it 

 made with much honour. He remained quiet that winter with 

 King Hlodver, who in the autumn gave him men and ten 

 ships, and he went in the summer to seek Ogmund Eythjofsbani 

 again, but found him not " (Orvar Odd's Saga, c. 14). 



In the time of King Knut duelling was abolished in Norway, 

 and robbers and Berserks were outlawed. 



" The last summer before the one when Eirik jarl, Hakonsson, 

 made ready to go west to England to visit King Knut the 

 Great, his brother-in-law, he placed his son Hakon as ruler 

 over Norway, and gave him into the hands of his own brother 

 Svein jarl to look after and govern for him, because Hakon 

 was a child in age. Before Eirik jarl left, he summoned to 

 him the chiefs and powerful bcendr; they talked much about 

 the laws and customs of the land, for Eirik jarl was a wise 

 ruler. The men thought it a great barbarity in the land, that 

 rioters or Berserks challenged high-born men for the sake of 

 their property or women, and that the one who fell should 

 have no indemnity paid for his slaying ; many suffered 

 disgrace and loss of property, and some lost their life ; there- 

 fore Eirik jarl abolished all holmgangas in Norway, and out- 

 lawed all robbers and Berserks who went about plundering " 

 (Gretti's Saga, c. 19). 



" In the summer a throng of men rode to the Thing Illugi 

 the Black and his sons Gunnlaug and Hermund, Thorstein 

 Egilsson and his son Kollsvein, Onund from Mosfell with 

 all his sons, and Sverting Hafr-Bjarnarson. One day when a 

 crowd went to the logberg (law-hill) and the law cases were 

 ended, Gunalaug asked for a hearing, and said. ' Is Hrafn 

 Onundsson here ? ' He said he was. Gunnlaug Ormstunga 

 then added : ' Thou knowest that thou hast got my betrothed, 

 and that thou hast shown enmity towards rne ; on that account I 

 will summon thee to holmf/anga after three days' time on Oxarar- 



1 Inheritance feast. See Vol. II., p. 47. 



