114 WAR CUSTOMS. 



dealt blows on both sides, and there was little need to dress 

 the wounds of those whom he wounded. He pushed forward 

 to where the kind's standard was, and at that moment Thorgils 

 gjallandi fell. When Thorolf came to the shieldburgh he 

 thrust his sword through the standard-bearer and said : ' Now 

 I stepped three feet too short (I should have stepped three feet 

 longer forward).' Swords and spears struck him, and the king 

 himself dealt him a fatal wound, and Thorolf fell down at his 

 feet. The king ordered that they should leave off killing the 

 men, which was done. He then made his men go down' to the 

 ships, telling Olvir Hnufa and his brother : ' Take Thorolf, 

 your kinsman, and give his body a becoming preparation, and 

 bury' the others who have fallen, and let the wounds of such as 

 are likely to live be dressed. Let nothing be taken hence, for 

 it is all my property.' He went down to his ships, and with 

 him most of his men, and they began to dress their wounds, 

 and the king walked about the ship and looked at them. He 

 saw where a man was dressing a slight wound, and remarked 

 that Thorolf had not given that, for his weapons bit quite 

 another way. ' I think that few can dress the wounds he gave, 

 and the death of such men is a great loss '" (Egil's Saga, c. 22). 



" Odd went to his father Grim and said : ' Now tell me of 

 the viking whom thou knowest to be the greatest one.' Grim 

 said : ' You are strong men and yon seem to think that 

 nothing can withstand yon ; now I will tell yon of two 

 vikings of whom I know that they are the greatest and best 

 skilled in everything ; one is called Hjalmar Hngumstori (the 

 high-minded), and the other, Thord Stafnglama.' ' Where 

 are they,' said Odd, ' and how many ships have they ? ' ' They 

 have fifteen ships,' said Grim, ' and one hundred men on each.' 

 ' Where have they peace-land ?' said Odd. ' In Sweden there 

 is a king called Hlodver ; they are with him during winter and 

 lie on their war-ships during summer.' When they were ready 

 they walked down to their ships ; Grim followed them down and 

 bade his son farewell with great love " (Orvar Odd's Saga, c. 8). 



" It is told that Odd sailed from Hr.ifnista when he got a 

 fair wind, and nothing is said of their journey before they 

 came to Sweden, where a cape ran out from the mainland into 

 the sea ; they put up tents on their ships there. Odd went 

 ashore for news ; he saw that fifteen ships lay on the other 

 side of the cape and that war-tents were ashore. He saw plays 

 going on near the tents. Hjalmar and Thord steered these 

 ships. Odd went back to his ships and told this news. 

 Gudmimd (his foster-brother) asked what they should do. 

 Odd said : ' We will divide our men in two halves ; you shall 

 go with your ships past the ness and raise a battle-cry against 



