AFTER Tin: /;.i v//./;. 477 



ami he became bald early. As he sat thus, as before written, 

 he made one of his eyebrows move down on his cheek and the 

 other up to the fringe of his hair. He was black-eyed ami 

 swarthy (of a dark complexion). He would not drink tin 

 drink that was carried to him, but moved his, eyebrows om- 

 at a time, up and down, ^thelstaii sat in his high-seat with 

 a sword on his knee. As they had sat thus for a while, the 

 king drew his sword from its scabbard, and took a large ami 

 fine gold ring from his arm and hung it on the point of the 

 sword blade, rose, walked on the floor, and handed it to Egil 

 across the fire. Egil rose, drew his sword, and walked forward 

 also. He stuck his sword into the ring, drew it to him, and 

 went back to his seat. The king sat down in his high-seat. 

 When Egil sat down he put the ring on his arm, and his brows 

 became smooth, and he laid down his sword and helmet, took 

 a deer-horn which was carried to him, and drank from it. 

 He sang (on the ring). . . . 



''Thereafter Egil drank his share, and talked to men. The 

 king had two chests brought in ; two men carried each, and 

 both were filled with silver. He said : ' These chests thou 

 shalt have, Egil; and if thou goest to Iceland, thou shalt give 

 this property to thy father. I send it to him as indemnity 

 for his son. But some of it thou shalt divide among the kin>- 

 men of thyself and Thorolf, whom thou considerest the fore- 

 most. But thou shalt receive indemnity for thy brother here ; 

 land or loose property, whichever thou pleasest. If thou wilt 

 stay with me long, I will give thee the honour and rank thou 

 mayest choose thyself.' Egil accepted the property, and 

 thanked him for his gifts and friendly words. Egil then began 

 to be merrier, and sang : 



The towering peaks of the eyelids The king has lifteil up the 



( = the eyebrows) Rocks fencing the ground of the hood,' 



Did droop on me for sorrow. Of me with the arm-hand ( = gold- 



Now I found the one who smoothed ring) ; 



These wrinkles on my forehead. The Irown has left my eyes. 



"Those wounded men who were fated to live were healed. 

 Egil remained with the king the winter after the fall of 

 Thorolf, and was greatly honoured by him. The men who 

 had followed the brothers, and had escaped from the battle, 

 were there with Egil. Egil made a drapa ( = laudatory poem .1 

 on the king, who gave him two gold rings, each of which 

 weighed one mark, and a costly cloak which he himself had 

 worn. When spring began, Egil announced to the king that 



1 Ground of the hood = fort-head ; its n..-ks = the cVfl>r..u.-. 



