140 



WAR-SHIPS. 



Eirik Jarl, bis son, bad a Jarnbardi (one of tlie most formidable 

 vessels at tbe battle of Svold was probably the same ship) : 

 the upper part of the vessel, which seems to have been a 

 ramming ship, was provided with a skegg (beard), 1 which 

 apparently consisted of iron spikes. 



The brothers Thorstein and Thorolf were going on an 

 expedition. 



" Thorstein asked his father to tell him of a Viking with 

 whom he might fight, and either fall or gain some fame. 

 His father answered : ' Ljot, the pale, is east in the Svia- 

 skerries (Swedish islets) ; he has fifteen ships, and a dragon 

 covered with iron above the sea ; it sails through every ship ; 

 he calls it Jarnbardi' ' (Svarfdeela, c. 4) 



" Thorstein (father of Fridthjof) had a ship called Ellidi ; 

 fifteen men rowed on each side of it. It had a carved prow 

 and stern, and it was strong like a sea-going ship, and its 

 sides were sheathed with iron " (Fridthjof s Saga, c. 1.). 



The smaller and most easily managed ships of the Northmen 

 were called Askar. 



" Arngrim's sons drew their swords and bit in the shield- 

 brims (borders) ; then they turned to the ships, and six men 

 went up on each Ask " 2 (Hervarar Saga, c. 5). 



Some ships were specially built for speed. Among them 

 we find long ships skeid and skuta. The fast-sailing skutas 

 were called lettiskuta (light skuta), and lileijpiskuta (running 

 ships), a kind of yacht. 



" Eyvind went quickly with a few men on a lettiskuta ' 

 (Ulaf Tryggvason, c. 83). 



" Geirmund went with a hleypiskuta and some men with 

 him " (Olaf Tryggvason, c. 41). 3 



The Knerrir (sing. Knorr] or merchant vessels must some- 

 times have been large, and were occasionally used as war or 

 transport vessels. We infer from the Sagas that they could 

 stand heavy seas better than the long ships. 





1 See Battle of Svold 



2 This may explain the mime Ask- 

 inanni given to the Vikings by Adam of 



Bremen (c. 212). 



3 Cf. also Ingi's Saga, c. 1. 



