A CHAMPION'H LIFE. 427 



The following account gives a picture of the life of these 

 champions : 



" The bondi Svip lived in Sweden far away from other 

 men ; he was wealthy and had been the greatest champion 

 and not all he looked, as he knew many things. He had 

 three sons, Svipdag, Geigad, and Hvitserk, who was the oldest ; 

 they were all well skilled, strong, and fine-looking men. 

 When Svipdag was eighteen winters old he said one day to 

 his father : ' Our life here in the mountains, in far-off valleys 

 and unsettled places, where men never visit nor receive visits, 

 is dull; it would be better to go to Adils and follow him and 

 his champions, if he will receive us.' Svip answered : ' I do 

 not think this advisable, for King Adils is a cruel man and 

 not trustworthy though he uses fair words, and his men are 

 jealous and strong, but certainly he is powerful and famous.' 

 Svipdag said : ' A man must risk something if he wishes to get 

 fame ; he cannot know, before he tries, when luck will come 

 to him.' His father gave him a large axe and said to his son, 

 ' Be not greedy ; do not boast, for that gives a bad reputation, 

 but defend yourself if attacked, for a great man should boast 

 little and behave well in difficulties.' He gave him good 

 war clothes and a good horse. Then Svipdag rode and at 

 night came to the burg of King Adils ; he saw that games 

 were taking place outside the hall, and Adils sat on a large 

 gold chair and his Berserks near him. When Svipdag came 

 to the fence l the gate of the burg was shut, for it was then 

 customary to ask leave to ride in ; Svipdag did not take that 

 trouble, and broke open the gate and rode into the yard. 

 r ,Then the King said : 'This man comes here recklessly,as this has 

 never been done before. It may be that he has great strength 

 and has no fear.' The Berserks at once got very angry and 

 thought that he asserted himself too much. Svipdag rode 

 before the King, and saluted him well in a skilful manner. 

 Adils asked who he was, and he told him. The King soon 

 recognized him, and every one thought he was a great and 

 high-born champion. The games were continued ; Svipdag 

 sat on a fallen tree and looked on. The Berserks eyed him 

 angrily, and said to the King that they wanted to try him ; 

 the King answered : ' I think that he has no little strength, 

 but I should like you to try whether he is such a man as he 

 considers himself.' 



" When men gathered into the hall the Berserks walked 

 towards Svipdag and asked him if he was a champion, as he 



1 The wall of the burg is called here fence. 



