478 SOME EXPEDITIONS AND DEEDS OF GREAT VIKINGS. 



he intended to go away in the summer to Norway to find out 

 how the affairs of Asgerd, the wife of his brother Thorolf, stood. 

 ' There is much property, but I do not know if there are any 

 children of theirs alive. If there are, then I have to take care 

 of them. 1 But all the inheritance is mine if Thorolf has died 

 childless.' The king answered : ' Thou inayest go if thou 

 thinkest thou hast a necessary errand, but I like it best that 

 thou remainest here on such conditions as thou demandest 

 thyself.' Egil thanked him. ' I shall go first where it is my 

 duty to go, but it is likely that I return if I can to claim 

 these promises.' The king told him to do so. Egil made 

 ready, and with one longship and a hundred men, sailed for 

 Norway." 



The widow of Thorolf Skallagrimsson, brother of Egil, who 

 fell in the battle of Brunanburgh, was named Asgerd. Egil 

 told her of the killing of his brother. 



"Egil grew melancholy in the autumn, and drank little, 

 but sat often drooping his head in his cloak. Armbjorn (his 

 friend) once went to him and asked what caused his sadness, 

 ' though thou hast lost thy brother it is manly to bear it well, 

 for man must live after man.' ' 



" Egil sang a stanza, in which he expressed obscurely the 

 name of Asgerd, and then asked Arinbjorn's help to a marriage 

 with her. Then he was married to her, and was merry the 

 remaining part of the winter " (Egil's Saga, chs. 51-56). 



Fig. 1361. Fire-Steel. size. In a grave, Gotland. 



Fig. 1362. Key of bronze. size. Norway; found with buckles, pearls, etc. 



1 Brother inheriting brother. 



