SHIELDS. 



95 



see from the finds, was always round, and somewhat con- 

 vex. Almost all shields were probably covered with leather. 

 They were of wood, the boards surrounded on the rim by a 

 ring of metal, sometimes of gold, and they were braced and 

 furnished with a boss and handle of iron or bronze. Many were 

 painted in different colours, or richly ornamented, and sonic- 

 times covered with gold. 



Many figurative names were given to them : 



The sun of the battle. 



The moon of the battle. 



The sun of Odin. 



The moon of Odin. 



The cloud of the battle. 



The wall of the battle. 



The board of victory. 



The net of the spears. 



The wheel of Hiid (a Valkyria). 



Hild's wall. 



The sun of the sea kings. 



The leaf of the Vikings. 



The land of the arrows. 



The path of the spears. 



The fence of the bardi (ironclad 



ship). 



The hall-roof of Odin. 

 The one that shelters. 

 The battle-shelterer. 

 The glittering sun. 

 The fire-shelterer. 

 The burgh of the swords. 



Thjodolf of Hvin, one of Harold Fairhair's scalds, got as a 

 gift from the Norwegian chief Thorleif 1 a shield. Tin- 

 shield was painted with subjects from Norse mythology. < hi 

 these Thjodolf wrote the poem Hausilong (autumn-long), 

 which is preserved in the later Edda in two parts. The first 

 part tells about the journey of Odin, Loki, and Hoenir ; how 

 on their way they met the Jotun Thjassi ; and it also describes 

 the rape of Idun, and Thjassi's death. This part of the poem 

 winds up thus : 



This is painted 

 On my shield ; 



I received the coloured shield 

 From Thorleif. 



The second part of the poem tells the fight of Thor with 

 the Jotun Hrungnir, and Thjodolf ends it with these words : 



I see distinctly 



These events on the shield ; 



I got the coloured shield 

 From Thorleif. 



(Later Edda.) 



"When the jarl heard the poem, he gave Einar a most 

 costly shield. It was painted with old Sagas, and all the 



1 Thorleif is mentioned in Hakon 

 Adalsteinsfdstri's Saga, ch. 11, as '* Thor- 



leif the Wise." who helped the kinj 

 establish the Gulathing-laws. 



to 



