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IDROTTIR. 



wrestling.' He answered : ' I will do it for thy sake.' The 

 man who opposed him fell, and the second and the third also ; 

 this pleased the Nordlendings. Mar said : ' If thou needest 

 my help in words I will help thee ; but what art thou going to 

 do now ? ' He answered : ' I have not decided on anything, 

 but I would like best to go northward and get work.' Mai- 

 said : ' I want thee to go with me ' " (Viga Glum, c. 13). l 



Some men were said to run as fast as the fleetest horse, 

 was often customary to run with loads, especially arms. 



It 



" There was in Iceland an outlawed thief named Geir, who 

 was so quick of foot that no horse could overtake him " (Stur- 

 lunga, ii., ch. 13). 



" Harald Gilli was a tall and slender man, long-necked, 

 rather long-faced, black-eyed, dark-haired, nimble and swift ; 

 he often wore an Irish dress, short and light clothes ; he spoke 

 Norwegian with great difficulty, 2 and stammered much, and 

 many made much fun of this. Once Harald sat at a drinking- 

 bout, and spoke to another man about Ireland ; he said that 

 there were men in Ireland so swift-footed, that no horse when 

 galloping could overtake them. Magnus, the king's son, heard 

 this, and said : ' Now he lies once more, as he is wont.' Harald 

 answered : ' This is true, that men can be found in Ireland whom 

 no horse in Norway will outstrip.' They talked somewhat 

 about this ; they were both drunk. Then Magnus said : ' Thou 

 shalt bet thy head that thou canst run as fast as I ride my 

 horse, and I will lay my gold ring against it.' Harald 

 answered : 'I do not say that I can run so fast, but I can find 

 men in Ireland who will, and I can make a wager about that.' 

 Magnus, king's son, answered : ' I will not go to Ireland ; let us 

 make the wager here and not there.' Then Harald went to 

 sleep, and did not want to have any more to do with him. The 

 next morning, when the matins were finished, Magnus rode up 

 to the roads ; lie sent word to Harald to come there. When he 

 came lie was dressed in a shirt and strap-breeches, a short cloak 

 (mottul), with an Irish hat on his head, and a spear in his hand. 

 Magnus marked out the race-course. Harald said : ' Thou 

 makest it too long.' Magnus at once made it far longer, and 

 said it was still too short. There were many people present. 

 Then they galloped off, and Harald followed the whole way at 

 the shoulder of the horse. When they came to the end of the 

 courre, Magnus said : ' Thou hadst hold of the strap of the 



1 Cf. also Liosvetninga Saga, c. 9 ; 

 An's Saga Bogsveigis, c. 4 ; Gunnlaug 



Ormstunga's Saga, c. 10 



2 He had been brought up in Ireland. 



