68 



WEAPONS. 



' Ey vind Urarhorn was in the winter at the Yule-feast with 

 King- Olaf, and received rich gifts from him, Brynjolf Ulfaldi 

 was also there, and got as Yule-gift from the king a gold orna- 

 mented sword, and also a farm called Vettaland, which is a 

 very large farm " (St. Olaf s Saga, ch. 60). 



" There were in the house not a few gold ornamented swords. 

 Sigvat made a stanza, in which he said he would accept a 

 sword if it were given to him by the king. The king took one 



, 



real size. 



*_ 



- 



feT*v?NT -'i^T^ 



III 







Fig. 790. Hilt of a double-edged sword 

 inlaid with silver ; in a tumulus with 

 an axe. Norway. 



3 real size. 



Fig. 791. Hilt of a sword. Hilt of iron 

 ornatneuted with cnrved and raised 

 notches, the first of bronze, the latter 

 of silver, partly destroyed. Norway. 



and gave it him ; the hilt was bound with gold, and the 

 guards were gold ornamented ; it was a very costly weapon " 

 (St. Olafs Saga, 172). 



The swords were carefully tested before use. 



" Thorolf took his own sword and gave to Thorstein ; it 

 was a tine and well-made sword. Thorstein took it, drew it, 

 and catching its point, bent the blade between his hands so 

 that the point touched the guard ; he let it spring back, and 



