88 



ll'A'.l/'O.VX. 



Snears, like swords, had numerous poetical names. Odin's 

 spear was called Gungnir. Some other names were 



The pole of Darrad (( )diu). 



The sounding Hsh of the armour. 



The snake of the corpse. 



The flying dragon of the wounds. 



The snake of the attack. 



The venom-thong of the fi^lit. 



The thorn of the wound. 

 The serpent of blood. 

 The serpent of battle. 

 The serpent of wound. 

 The serpent of shield. 

 The shooting-serpent. 



These are of many shapes, and it is impossible to tell 

 which were used for war, or for household, or for felling 

 trees. 



"It was seen from the Tiling that a body of men rode down 

 along Gljiifra (a river), and that shields glittered there. 

 When these arrived a man in a blue cloak rode foremost; 

 he had a gilt helmet on his head and a gold-ornamented 

 shield at his side ; in his hand a hooked spear ; the socket of 

 its head was inlaid with gold ; he was girt with a sward. 

 This was Egil Skallagrimsson " (Egil's Saga, ch. 85). 



The axe. The axe is frequently mentioned in the Sagas, 

 and must often have Keen ;i formidable weapon. Some were 

 artistically and splendidly made, and inlaid with precious 

 metal, each side being made of different patterns. 



Fig. 864.--Axe inlaid with metal, of silver mixed with gold. 

 Bjerringhoi mound at Mammen, near Viborg. 



real size. 



