148 WAR-SHIPS. 



ordered bis men to take the ship from the fastenings, which 

 was done. Then Skopti occupied the position he was wont to 

 have, nearest to the Jarl's ship " (Olaf Tryggvason, c. 20). 



" Once Harald (Hardradi) with the Varangians had pitched 

 their tents on a well-situated place. Gyrgir, the chief of the 

 Greek host, wanted to pitch tents on the same spot, and they 

 quarrelled over it. The wisest man intervened, and they con- 

 sulted together. At this meeting they all agreed to throw lots 

 into the skirts of a cloak, and thus decide which should go 

 into harbour or choose ground for their tents first ; both were 

 to abide by the decision of the lot when the lots were made 

 and marked " (Harald Hardradi's Saga (Heimskringla), c. 4). 



When not being used, the ships were kept in sheds ; and 

 while they were there everything loose was taken out, even the 

 planks of the deck and the dragon-heads. 



"King Eysteiii also had ship-sheds made in Nidaros, so 

 large that they were famous, and built with the best materials 

 and with great skill " (Sigurd Jorsalafari, c. 27). 



" They rowed hard towards the ship-shed of Thorfinn. When 

 the ship touched the bottom, the men jumped overboard. 

 Grettir counted twelve of them. They did not seem to him to 

 be on an errand of peace. They lifted up their ship and 

 dragged it out of the water. They ran to the shed, where 

 the large karti of Thorfinn stood, which he never launched 

 with less than thirty men, but they at once dragged it down 

 on the beach. Afterwards they lifted up their own ship and 

 carried it into the shed " (Gretti's Saga, c, 19). 



" After Yule Thorfinn made ready to go home, and sent his 

 guests away with many good gifts. Then he went with his 

 men till he came near his ship-shed. They saw that a ship lay 

 on the sand, and soon knew that it was his large karri. Thor- 

 finn had not then heard of the Vikings. He asked them to 

 make haste to get ashore, ' for 1 expect,' said he, ' that friends 

 have not done this.' Thorfinn was first ashore, and went at 

 once to the ship-shed. He saw a ship standing there, and 

 knew that it was the ship of the Berserks " (Gretti's Saga, 

 c. 20). 



When the ships were ready to go to sea, or when being 

 built, they had rollers under them, over which they were 

 pushed up to the shore or into the sea. 



Eirek and Agnar, Ragnar's sons, were going on an expedi- 

 tion to Sweden : 



