s \\-ini us. 7:1 



The sax bad only one sharp edge in contrast to the sverd, 

 which had two. 



Upon the swords more than upon all other weapons the 

 poets lavished their most figurative and poetical names ; they 

 are called : 



Odin's flame : The fire of the shields ; 



The gleam of the battle ; The fire of the battle ; 



The ice of battle ; The viper of the host ; 



The serpent of the wound ; The torch of the blond ; 



The wulf of the wound ; The snake of the brynja ; 



The dog of the helmet ; The fire of the sea-kings ; 



The battle snake ; The thorn of the shields ; 



The glow of the war ; The fear of the brynja ; 



The iujurer of the shields ; The tongue of the scabbard. 



Among the most celebrated swords were Tyrfing, the sword 

 of Sigurlami, son of Odin, which had come down to Angantyr 

 and his descendants. It shone like a ray of sunshine, and 

 slew a man every time it was drawn. It was always to be 

 sheathed with man's blood upon it ; it never failed, and always 

 carried victory with it. 



" In the battle Heidrek was in the foremost array, and he 

 carried Tyrfing in his right hand, and cut down the host of 

 the jarl like saplings, and neither helmet nor armour could 

 resist ; he went through the host ; he slew all who were near 

 him " (Hervarar Saga, c. 10). 



Some weapons had special names given to them, and the 

 great fame they had acquired was doubtless due to the personal 

 bravery of the warriors who had owned them, to the great 

 skill with which they were handled, and to their superior 

 workmanship. People believed in their supernatural qualities ; 

 some were even thought by them to have been forged by the 

 Dveryar, others were supposed to have been given by Odin 

 himself; while some had become infallible by akvoedi, that is, 

 by charms and incantations used over them while they were 

 being made, or else by vial, i.e., mystic signs engraved or 

 inlaid upon them. 



" Hraungvid said : ' I have ravaged for thirty-three years, 



