34 THE BIRTH AND BRINGING-UP OF CHILDREN. 



Vandrasdaskdld ? ' The king then gave him a sword, but 

 without a scabbard, and said : ' Now make a stanza about the 

 sword, with " sword " in every line ' : 



' There is one sword of swords I shall not lack swords, 



Which made me sword-rich ; I deserve three swords, 



Now the wielder of swords If there only were 



Will have swords enough ; A scabbard to this sword.' 



Then the king gave him a scabbard and said : ' " Sword " is not 

 in every line.' Hallfred answered : ' There are three swords 

 in one of them.' ' That is true,' said the king " (Olaf Trygg- 

 vason, c. 90 ; Fornmanna Sogur, ii. 56). 1 



All through the old Saga literature we see how strongly the 

 people believed in predestination. Luck and good fortune 

 were considered hereditary in certain families, especially in 

 those of kings who were supposed to have their individual 

 good luck, which they could communicate to their champions 

 and friends, not only for the execution of some one adventurous 

 undertaking, for it followed the person during his whole life. 



" A death-fated man cannot be saved " (Islendinga Sogur, 

 ii. 103 ; Fins., vi. 417). 



" All is dangerous for the death-fated " (Fafnismal, 11). 



" A man not death-fated cannot be dealt with (fought 

 against) " (Gisli Siirsson, 148). 



" He who is not death-fated escapes in some way " (Fost- 

 brcedra Saga, 171). 



" Every one must go when he is death-fated " (Grettis Saga, 

 138). 



Two Norwegian brothers, Thorolf and Thorstein, had a 

 fight against the Viking Ljot and his men, and were victorious. 

 After they had landed and were walking up from their ships, 

 Thorolf said : 



" ' I will now make a stop in my journey ; I do not like 

 to walk farther.' Thorstein asked : ' Art thou wounded, 

 brother ? ' Thorolf answered : ' I will not conceal that 

 when Ljot threw his sword he aimed at thee, and I covered 

 thee with the shield ; then I was unprotected, and it hit my 

 stomach below the ribs, and pierced it ; then I wrapped the 



1 Cf. also Hrolf Kraki's Saga, c. 42. 



