IN NORTHERN MISTS 



found much silver and gold, and when the Bjarmas pursued 

 them, they escaped through Thore's magical arts, which made 

 them invisible. Both ships then sailed back over Gandvik. 

 As the nights were still light they sailed day and night until 

 one evening they lay to off some islands, took their sails down 

 and anchored to wait for the tide to go down, since there 

 was a strong tide-rip (whirlpool) in front of them (" rost mikil 

 var fyrir [>eir"). This was probably off " Sviatoi Nos " (the 

 sacred promontory), where Russian authorities speak of a 

 strong current and whirlpool. Here there was a dispute 

 between the brothers and Thore, who demanded the booty as 

 a recompense for their having escaped without loss of life 

 owing to his magical arts. But when the tide turned, 

 the brothers hoisted sail and went on, and Thore followed. 

 When they came to land at " Geirsver " (Gjesvaer, a fishing- 

 station on the north-west side of Magero) — where we are told 

 that there was " the first quay as one sails from the north " 

 (i.e., east from Bjarmeland) — the quarrel began again, and 

 Thore suddenly ran his spear through Karle, so that he died 

 on the spot; Gunnstein escaped with difficulty in the smaller 

 and lighter vessel; but was pursued by Thore, and finally had 

 to land and take to flight with all his men at Lenvik, near 

 Malangenfjord, leaving his ship and cargo. 



Even if this expedition is not historical, the description of 

 the voyage and the mention of place-names along the route 

 nevertheless show that these regions were well known to 

 Snorre's informants; and journeys between Norway and 

 Bjarmeland cannot have been uncommon in Snorre's time or 

 before it. Many things show that the communication with 

 Gandvik and Bjarmeland continued through the whole of the 

 Middle Ages, and was sometimes of a peaceful, sometimes of a 

 warlike character; but of the later voyages only three are, 

 in fact, mentioned in Norwegian authorities: one of them 

 was undertaken by the king's son, Hakon Magnusson, about 



visiting Bjarmeland, and therefore looking upon it as natural that a man like 

 Thore knew the country. 



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