382 IDEOTTIR. 



Eandver) showed his iclrott. He threw his sword and flung it 

 into the air, and caught it with his left hand, and took the 

 shield in his right hand and dealt Eandver a blow with the 

 sword, cutting off his right leg below the knee. Eandver then 

 fell. Sigmund thereupon struck a blow on his neck, and cut off 

 his head " (Faereyinga Saga, ch. 18). 



Archery was another favourite amusement. The Thele- 

 markians (Norway) and Jomsvikings were in this respect 

 considered as excelling all others, and the former distinguished 

 themselves at the battle of Bra valla. 



Of their skill in slinging, stone-throwing, archery, &c., &c., 

 we have most remarkable examples. 



" After the fall of Olaf Tryggvason, Eirik jarl gave peace to 

 Einar Thanibarskelfir, son of Eindridi Styrkarssoii. Einar went 

 with the jarl to Norway, and it is said that Einar was the 

 strongest of all men and the best archer in Norway. ... He 

 shot with aka/i7i-(rM/(a thick arrow without a point, shot from a 

 crossbow), through a raw ox -hide which hung on a rafter " 

 (Snorri Sturluson ; St. Olaf s Saga, ch. 20). 



" The next day they went to the woods, not far from the farm. 

 The king took off his cloak, placed a target on a hill-slope, and 

 marked out a long-shooting distance. Then a bow and arrow 

 were given to him. He shot, and the arrow hit the target near 

 its edge, and stuck there. Eiiidridi shot farther in on the 

 target, but not in the middle. The king then shot a second 

 time ; they went to the target and the arrow was in the middle, 

 and all called it a famous shot. Eiiidridi also praised the 

 king's skill, and said he thought it was not worth his while to 

 try again. The king told him to give up if he liked, and 

 acknowledge himself beaten in this idrott. Eindridi replied 

 that it might be so, but still he would try again ; he shot, and 

 his arrow entered the notch for the bow-string of the king's last 

 arrow, so that both of them stuck there. The king said : ' A 

 very skilled man art thou at idrottir, but this idrott has not yet 

 been fully tried. That handsome boy shall now be taken whom 

 thou saidst thou lovedst so well the other day, and he shall be a 

 target as I shall direct.' The king let a piece of Imefatafl l be 

 placed on the boy's head. ' Now we will shoot the piece down 

 from the boy's head,' said the king, ' so that he shall not be 

 hurt.' ' You can do that if you wish, but I will certainly take 

 revenge if the boy is harmed,' replied Eindridi. A long linen 



1 A piece belonging to a chess board. 



