Oclilensclilaeger's Hakon Jarl loi 



PAG C NOTE 



12 18. I'allial or Valhalla. The abode of Odin in Asgard, the reahii 

 of ilic gods. It was originally the abode of the dead, but became 

 in the Viking age the warrior's >paradise to which only those go 

 who are ,slain in battle. 

 12 19. Acsir, Aesir is the collective term used for all the gods in 

 Scandinavian mythology. 



Aukathor or Agc-Tlior. Another name for Thor. 

 Bcrglioth. Probably Hakon's deceased wife, whose real name 

 was Thora ; not his daughter Berglioth mentioned later. 

 Tliis merchant prince. The merchant prince is Guldharald. 

 See Introductory Note on Hakon Jarl. 



Liinfiord. A sea passage cutting off the northern portion of Jut- 

 land, Denmark, from the main division. Halse, a small town on 

 this fiord. "He (Harald Graafeld) was doomed to lie on the 

 broad bank of Lim-firth, at Halse on the sand he fell. It was 

 . . . (Hakon) that planned the slaughter." — Glum Gcirason, 

 in the "Greyfeld-Drapa," Lives of Kings. 



16 25. My last exploit at Hjoringsz'aag. This refers to the battle of the 

 loms-vvickings, for which see Introductory Note on Hakon Jarl. 



16 26. Bue. For the Bue incident see Introductory Note on Hakon 

 Jarl. 



16 27. The Russian J^aldcnwr. Later on he is spoken of as Olaf's 

 foster-father. Olaf when a boy was sold into slavery. His uncle, 

 who served the Russian Valdemar, cam.e across him by chance, 

 ransomed him, and took him to the Russian court, where he be- 

 came a great favorite of the king and queen. 



19 28. Dovre or DovrcHcld. A spur on tlie Scandinavian mountains in 

 Norway famous for its quarries. 

 See note 47, below. 



Vauland. The Norse for Wayland, the invisible smith of Berk- 

 shire, England. It is natural that Bergthor should swear by him. 

 Melhus. An old ruin in Guldalen, Norway. 



Holfdan Svarte (The Black). The father of Harald Fairhair, 

 noted chiefly for being the ancestor of a long line of illustrious 

 kings. 



27 3.3. Konunga-tal says that Hakon Jarl ruled "one-score and thirteen 

 years." This would make thirty-three years, but in fact he ruled 

 Norway for about nineteen years, 976-995. 



27 34. Gnndhild. Sister to Flarald Blaatand and mother of "the 

 Ynglings," who were the cause of much trouble before Hakon 

 Jarl assumed control. Her name has become tarnished because 

 of the wickedness of her sons; Graafeld -is the most famous of 

 these. 



27 35. Jomshorg's fight. See Introductory Note on Hakon Jarl. 



30 36. The Wendish sceptre. The Wends are a tribe of the Slavic race 

 living in Saxony and Prussia. In his youth Olaf visited these 

 parts and married a daughter of the- Wendish king. After three 

 years his wife died and Olaf went away in sorrow. Later, he 

 was married to a daughter of the king of Dublin. 



30 37. Throndhiem. A town and district on the west coast of Norway. 

 At the time of the play this seems to have been the principal 

 district, politically. 



32. 38. Historically this is not correct; Olaf did not set out with the 

 intention of aiding Russia. It is the poet's reason for getting 

 Olaf to Norway. 



^39 



