158 



WAR-SHIPS 



When Helgi came with his ships to make war at Frekasteiii 

 he had a golden standard. 



Gudmund. 



Who is the Skjoldung 



That steers the ship, 



And a golden battle-standard 



Hoists on the bow ? 



Those in the van 



Seem not peace-like ; 



The redness of war 



Is thrown on the Vikings. 



SinfjotU. 



Here can Hodbrodd 



Know Helgi, 



The hater of flight, 



Jn the midst of the fleet ; 



He holds the birth land 



Of thy kin, 



The Fjorsungs' heritage, 



Taken by himself. 



(Helgi Hundingsbani, ii.) 



The ships as they came into harbour were often lined with 

 shields, showing by this that they were ships of war. These 

 shields added not a little to the appearance of the ships 

 under sail, as the sun shone on them. When the warriors 

 were numerous, they must have been very cumbersome, and 

 on that account were often stationed all round the bulwark or 

 gunwales. 



In the Gokstad ship the shields were hung along the outer 

 sides of the ship, and all seem to have been 

 of the same size. They were placed somewhat 

 ahead of the first oar, and a little behind the 

 last one. They overlapped each other, the 

 outer edge of each touching the boss of the 

 o tner - They were painted either yellow or 

 Biekinge. black, so that the contrast must have been 



picturesque. 



" Then he, Olaf Tryggvason, made his ships and men ready 

 and sailed east from Gardar out into Eystrasalt (the Baltic). 

 The ships were lined with shields on both sides, they were 

 swift-sailing, and went well before the wind" (Fornnianna 

 Sogur, vol. i. p. 100). 



" Hella Bjorn, the son of Herfinn and Halla, was a great 

 viking, he was generally the enemy of King Harald ; he went 

 to Iceland, and entered Bjarnarfjord with a ship covered all 

 over with shields " (Landnama, xi. 31). 



" On Yule-eve the weather was bright and calm. Gretti 

 was that day out of doors most of the time, looking at the ships 

 that went south and north along the shore ; for everybody was 



