“Those are wise sayings,” replied Hjalmar; and as the Elidi and the other ships were ploughing their way fast through the waves, Ivar said to Hjalmar: “Tell me, foster-brother, tell me of those sea-maidens who wander over the sea and pass their lives in doing harm to many men.”
“Those maidens are the daughters of Ægir and Ran,” replied Hjalmar; “they are evil-minded and slay men; they are seldom gentle to us sea-faring people, and the wind arouses them from their sleep, and they look angrily at the ships sailing over the sea. It is they that are those mountainous waves which we see.”
“Who are the maidens,” asked Ivar again, “who walk over the reefs, and journey along the fjords and shores? These white-hooded women have a hard bed, and make little stir in calm weather.”
Hjalmar replied: “These are billows and waves, daughters of Ran; they lay themselves on skerries; their beds are the rocks, and the calm sea stirs them not; but lo, when the wind blows hard, it rouses their anger, and they send the men that are on the deep to Ran, their mother.”
“I fear, foster-brother,” said Ivar, “by the look of the sky, that we are going to meet Ægir and Ran and their daughters erelong in their angry mood.”
The wind kept increasing. “The brother of Ægir, who stirs the ocean,” said the foster-brother, “wishes to see what kind of men are on board of the Elidi and other ships, and if Ivar and his foster-brothers are fearless men; for, as thou seest, the sea is becoming mountain high.”
Then Hjalmar, who was looking at the wake made by the ship, said to Ivar: “Who are those white-helmeted maidens that I seem to see yonder? They are dressed in white, have frowning looks, their breasts heave with passion, and they are coming fast toward the Elidi.”
“Those are three of the daughters of Ægir and Ran, and by their size and fierceness must be Hrönn, Bylgja, and Hefring; let us beware of them, for there is anger in their looks; they are coming rapidly toward us, and I think they mean us harm.”
Ivar had hardly uttered these words, when there dashed a wave so strongly against the Elidi that it carried away the gunwales. It was Hrönn, they fancied, that had come against the ship. Then another wave followed Hrönn; it carried away part of the bows of the Elidi. It was Bylgja. Right after Bylgja, in the wink of an eye, came another wave that swamped the deck of the ship, and flung four men overboard, who were all lost.
Then Hjalmar said: “It is Hefring, who has carried those four men to Ran, and Hrœsvelg (the wind) is flapping his wings with great force at heaven’s end so that the tempest may blow still harder.” “It is likely,” said Ivar, “that some more of our men will visit Ran, for the storm is increasing; we shall not be thought fit to come to her hall and in her presence unless we prepare ourselves well for her welcome.” Then he cut asunder several large arm-rings of gold, and divided them among his men; “for,” said he, “I think it right that every man should carry some gold with him, and appear before Ran as befits the rank of every high-born man. We have cut the red rings which the rich father of Hjorvard owned, before Ægir slays us—gold shall be seen on the guests in the middle of the hall of Ran if we need night quarters there.” Then in a musing voice he added: “Ran is handling us roughly, and has taken many of my kin to herself. Verily the land of Ægir’s daughter is not always safe.”