[173] According to Jáns Saga hins Helga, ch. 14 (Biskupa Sögur I., Kaupmannahófn, 1858) King Magnus Barelegs sent an Icelander with other hostages to King Myrkjartan of Connacht. When they arrived there, one of the Norsemen addressed the King in these words: “Male diarik,” to which the King replied “Olgeira ragall,” i.e., Ir., olc aer adh ra gall, (it is a bad thing to be cursed by a Norseman.)
[174] minnthak was the name given by Hjorleif’s Irish thralls to the mixture of meal and butter which they compounded while on board ship on their way to Iceland. They said it was good for quenching thirst. Cf. Landnámabók, I., ch. 6.
[175] Cf. Whitley Stokes, op. cit., pp. 186, 191.
[176] War of the Gaedhil with the Gaill, p. 13.
Cf. also Three Fragments of Annals, p. 146: “In a battle fought between the Irish and the Norsemen the latter were driven to a small place surrounded by a wall. The druid Hona went up on the wall, and with his mouth open began to pray to the gods and to exercise his magic; he ordered the people to worship the gods…”
[177] Cf. Thorfinssaga Karlsefnis, ch. 3; Vatnsdaela Saga, ch. 10; Tháttr af Nornagesti, ch. 11; Hrólfs Saga Kraka, ch. 3; etc.
[178] e.g., C. Haliday: The Scandinavian Kingdom of Dublin, p. 12 ff. Margaret Stokes, op. cit., pp. 96-98.
[179] Cf. War of the Gaedhil with the Gaill, p. 8.
[180] The expression used is quievit in Christo and occurs only in MS. A. As neither MS. B nor any of the other annals mention Ivárr’s conversion it may be that the scribe of the former has unintentionally slipped into using a formula which was customary in recording the death of a Christian.
[181] Landnámabók, II., ch. 16.