VIII.] THE TUMULTUOUS ONE. 10 



j 



most classic ground in Iceland, with the towns, or rather 

 farmsteads, of Froda, Helgafell, and Biarnarhaf. 



This last place was the scene of one of the most curious 

 and characteristic Sagas to be found in the whole catalogue 

 of Icelandic chronicles. 



In the days when the same Jarl Hakon I have already 

 mentioned lorded it over Norway, an Icelander of the 

 name of Vermund, who had come to pay his court to the 

 lord of Lade, took a violent wish to engage in his own ser- 

 vice a couple of gigantic Berserks, 1 named Halli and Leik- 

 ner, whom the Jarl had retained about his person, — fancying 

 that two champions of such great strength and prowess would 

 much add to his consequence on returning home. In vain 

 the Jarl warned him that personages of that description were 

 wont to give trouble and become unruly, — nothing would 

 serve but he must needs carry them away with him ; nay, if 

 they would but come, they might ask as wages any boon 

 which might be in his power to grant. The bargain accord- 

 ingly was made ; but, on arriving in Iceland, the first thing 

 Halli took it into his head to require was a wife, who. should 

 be rich, nobly born, and beautiful. As such a request was 

 difficult to comply with, Vermund, who- was noted for being 

 a man of gentle disposition, determined to turn his trouble- 

 some retainers over to his brother, Arngrim Styr, i.e., the 

 Stirring or Tumultuous One, — as being a likelier man than 

 himself to know how to keep them in order. 



Arngrim happened to have a beautiful daughter, named 

 Asdisa, with whom the inflammable Berserk of course fell in 

 love. Not daring openly to refuse him, Arngrim told his 

 would-be son-in-law, that before complying with his suit, he 

 must consult his friends, and pasted off to Helgafell, where 



1 Berserk, i.e., bare sark. The berserks seem to have been a descrip- 

 tion of athletes, who were in the habit of stimulating their nervous 

 energies by the use of some intoxicating drug, which rendered them 

 capable of feats of extraordinary strength and daring. The Berserker 

 gang must have been something very like the Malay custom of running 

 a muck. Their moments of excitement were followed by periods of 

 great exhaustion. 



