156 



WAR-SHIPS. 



rowed towards the King's fleet, and came up with that fine 

 beautiful ship to the King. It was then found to be the 

 ship of Harald Sigurdsson (Harald Hardradi), the King's 

 uncle " (Flateyjarbok, iii.). 



Sails were given as valuable gifts to powerful chieftains. 

 When Harald Hardradi and Eystein were sailing together, 

 Harald said : 



" ' Where didst thou, Eystein, get so fine a sail ? ' Eystein 

 answered : ' This is the sail, lord, which you would not receive 

 from Thorvard.' The king said : ' I never saw a finer sail, and 

 I have refused a costly thing.' Eystein replied :'.... take 

 whichever of the two sails thou likest best ; it is good that 

 thou knowest what thou didst refuse.' The king thanked 

 him and took the sail of Thorvard, and it was thought precious, 

 though it would scarcely fit the king's large ship in sailing- 

 matches " (Harald Hardradi, Fornmanna Sogur, vi. c. 100). 



Ships of war were apparently always painted; dark blue 

 ships are mentioned, but the colours were often more variegated. 

 The ships of Knut and Hakon Jarl were painted above the 

 water-line. Asbjorn Selsbani's ship was painted above the 

 water-line, in red and white colours. 



" When Knut the Great left the country he had a great 

 host and exceeding large ships. He himself had a dragon so 

 large that it had sixty rooms ; on it were heads ornamented 

 with gold. Hakon Jarl l had another with forty rooms, which 

 also had gilt heads, and the sails of both were striped with 

 blue, red, and green. Both were painted above the water. 

 They had many other ships, large and well equipped " 

 (Flateyjarbok, ii.). 



Standards and weathervanes, not only on land, but at sea, 

 are frequently mentioned. 



" Odd gave to Gudmund and Sigurd the dragon of Soti. He 

 had the dragon of Halfdau painted all over, and both the 

 dragon-heads and the vane 2 he had ornamented with gold " 

 (Orvar Odd's Saga, c. 8). 



1 Grandson of the great Hakon. 



2 An ornament used on the prow of 

 ships and main doors of houses a sort 



of weathercock, which was often adorned 

 with gold. 



