Half red VandricdaskaUi 191 



' In that case/ replied Halfred, ' put me to death.' 



'Thou art a skald who makes difficulties/ says the 

 king; 'but into my service, Halfred, thou shalt be 

 received/ 



Halfred says : ' If I am to be named the maker of 

 difficulties,^ what dost thou give me, king, on my 

 name-day ? ' 



The kincf gave him a sword without a scabbard, and 

 said : ' Now, compose me a song upon this sword, and 

 let the word sword be in every (half-) line of the verses/ 



Halfred sang thus : — 



'O 



One sword of swords is there that sword-rich maketh me ; 

 Among swift sword-bearers there shall now be sword-bounty. 

 No lack of swords now ; of three swords am I worthy ; 

 Well were it were there likewise a sword-sheath to my sword. 



Then the king gave him the scabbard, observing that 

 the word sword was wanting in one (half-) line of his 

 strophe. ' But there are three swords at least in one 

 line,' says Halfred. ' So it is,' replies the King. ' Out 

 of Halfred's lay/ says the narrator, ' we have taken the 

 most of the true and faithful accounts that are here 

 related about Olaf Tryggvason.' 



This introduction of Christianity into Norway ends 

 the first and most prosperous half of Olaf's reign. 

 Along with this change of faith came other changes, 

 which in the history of Europe generally so often 

 accompanied it. Norway takes steps towards the in- 

 crease of its foreign trade. We have already said 

 that the Norse Vikings of the previous century were 

 great trading men as well as warriors ; so were their 

 descendants, the colonisers of Iceland. Norway may 



I Vandrredaskald — 'The troublesome poet.' 



