SAGAS. 



with their Sigrljod (lay of victory) praised the bravery of the 

 hero. 



" It is said that King Olaf (before the battle of Stiklastad 

 1015-30) arrayed his men, and then arranged the shield- 

 burgh which was to protect him in the battle, for which he 

 selected the strongest and most valiant men. He then called 

 his scalds and bid them go into the shieldburgh. ' You 

 shall stay here,' said the king, 'and see what takes place, and 

 then no Saga is needed to tell you afterwards what you shall 

 make songs about ' " (Fostbroedra Saga, c. -17). 



These rulers loved to be surrounded by men who could 

 entertain them and their guests during the long winter 

 evenings, or at festivals, and took great pride in having poenis 

 made about them. 



"One summer an Icelander came to King Harald, who 

 asked him what he knew. He said he knew some sagas. The 

 king said : ' I will receive thee, and thou shalt join my hird this 

 winter, and always entertain my men when they want it, who- 

 ever asks thee.' He did so. He was soon well liked by the 

 hird ; they gave him clothes, and the king himself gave him a 

 good weapon. This went on till near Yule, when the Icelander 

 began to look sad; the king saw it, and asked him for the 

 reason, and he said it was his variable temper. The king 

 answered : ' That is not the reason, but I will guess it ; I suspect 

 that thy sagas are now all told, for thou hast always enter- 

 tained every man who asked thee this winter, and often by night 

 and day ; now thou dost not like the sagas to be wanting 

 during Yule, but wilt not tell the same sagas again.' The Ice- 

 lander said : ' Thy guess is right ; the only saga that remains 

 is one which I dare not tell here, for it is your Utfarar saga ' 

 (saga of Harald's voyage to the Holy Laud). The king- 

 answered : ' That is a saga which I am most curious to hear ; 

 now thou shalt not recite before Yule, for people are now very 

 busy, but the first Yule-day thou shalt begin this saga and tell 

 part of it ; then there will be great drinking, and they cannot 

 sit long listening to it. I will manage that the saga shall last 

 during Yule, and thou wilt not find while thou tellest it 

 whether I like it well or ill.' Accordingly the Icelander began 

 his saga first Yule-day, and after he had told it a short while 

 the king told him to stop. People then began to talk much 

 about this entertainment ; some said it was very bold of the 

 Icelander to tell this saga, and had doubts how the king would 

 like it ; some thought he told it well, others less well. The 

 king took good care that they listened well; he managed that 



