SCALDS. 391 



suffocated by too much wisdom, because no one was so wise 

 that he could put questions to him. Thereupon these J)vrrg.-ir 

 invited to them a Jotun called Gilling and his wife, and offon-d 

 him to row out to sea with them. Rowing along the shore they 

 struck on hidden rocks, and the boat was upset. Gilling could 

 not swim, and was drowned. But the Dvergar turned over 

 their boat and rowed to the shore " (Later Edda 57, Bra- 

 garoedur). 



Many of the sagas, if not all, were based upon the poetry 

 which is often quoted in them, and both were used and kept 

 as historical records. 



" Olaf had been king in Norway fifteen years, including the 

 winter when Svein- Jarl and he were both in the land. Yule 

 was past when he left his ships and went on shore, as has been 

 told. This record of his reign was first written by the priest, 

 Ari Thorgilsson, the wise, who was truthful, had a good 

 memory, and was so old that he remembered the saga-telling 

 of those who were so old that they could remember these 

 events. Ari has himself related this in his books, and has 

 named the men from whom he had this knowledge " (St. Olaf s 

 Saga, c. 189). 



The scalds were honoured above all men, and married even 

 mighty kings' daughters, and many of them were great 

 warriors. 



" Thorolf, son of Herjolf Hornabrjot, and Olaf, his brother, 

 were kings in Upplond ; with them was the poet Flein Hjorsson, 

 who was brought up in M^eri on an island called Josrheid 

 where his father lived. Flein went to Denmark to visit 

 King Eystein, and there got so much honour on account of his 

 poetry that the king gave him his daughter " (Landnama v. 

 ch. 1). 



King Harald Fairhair had a feast for his friends and fol- 

 lowers. 



" Of all his hirdmen the king valued his scalds the most. 

 They were placed on the second high-seat bench (annat 

 undvegi}. At the furthest end from them sat Audim Illskoelda 

 (thus called because he wrote satirical songsj. He was older 

 than any of them, and had been the scald of Halfdan Svarti 

 (black), the father of King Harald. Next to him sat Thorbjorn 

 Hornklofi, and then Olvir Huufa, and next to him Bard was 

 placed " (Egil's Saga, ch. 8). 



" Thereupon Gmmlaug sailed from England (London) with 



