Bersi, on account of his many duels, was called Holmganga Bersi.
“Kormak said to him: ‘I challenge thee, Bersi, to holmganga (a duel) at the end of half a month on Leidholm.’ ...
“Bersi had a sharp sword called Hviting, with a lifstein attached to it, which he had carried in many dangers.
“Dalla (mother of Kormak) advised him to find Midfjord Skeggi and ask for Sköfnung (Holf Kraki’s sword). Kormak went to Reykjar (Skeggisbù) and told him his case. Skeggi answered that he was unwilling to lend him the sword, for they ‘Sköfnung and Kormak’ were unlike in temper. ‘Sköfnung is slow, but thou art impatient and headstrong.’ Kormak rode away ill pleased, returned to Mel, and told his mother that Skeggi would not lend him the sword. Skeggi used to give Dalla advices; and there was friendship between them. Dalla said: ‘He will lend thee the sword, though he will not yield readily (at once).’ Kormak did not think it was fair if he withheld not the sword from her, but did from him.... A few days later she told Kormak to go to Reykjar, as Skeggi would now lend him the sword; Kormak found him and asked for Sköfnung. ‘The management of it may seem difficult to thee,’ said Skeggi; ‘a bag (covering) follows it (goes with it) and thou shall leave it quiet; the sun must not shine on the upper guard, nor shall thou draw it except thou preparest for fight; but, if thou comest to the fighting-place, sit alone, and there draw it. Hold up the blade and blow on it; then a small snake will creep from under the guard; incline the blade, and make it easy for it (the snake) to creep back under the guard.’ Kormak said: ‘Many things do you the wizards use?’ Skeggi replied: ‘This, however, will help thee fully.’ After this, Kormak rode home and told his mother what had happened; and said that her will had much power over Skeggi; showed her the sword, and tried to draw it: but it would not leave the scabbard. Dolla said: ‘Too self-willed art thou, kinsman.’ Kormak put his feet on the guard, and tore off the bag; Sköfnung howled at this, but could not be drawn from the scabbard.
“The time for the holmgang approached, and Kormak left home with fifteen men. In the same manner Bersi rode to the place with as many men. Kormak came first, and said to Thorgils that he wanted to sit there alone. Kormak sat down and unfastened the sword, and did not take care that the sun did not shine on its guard; he had girt himself with it outside his clothes, and tried to draw it; but did not get it out until he stepped on the guard; the small snake came, but it was not handled as he should have been, and the luck of the sword was changed, and it went howling out of the scabbard” (Kormak’s Saga, c. 9).
There were also garments which were supposed to be impenetrable.
When about to leave the house of his parents, Hrólf went to his mother Asa and said:
“I want thee, mother, to show me the cloaks which Vefreyja, thy foster-mother, made for my father a long time ago.’ She opened a large chest and answered: ‘Here thou canst see them, and they have decayed but little as yet.’ Hrólf took them up; they were with sleeves, a hood at the top, and a covering for the face; they were wide and long; no iron could cut them, and poison could not damage them. Hrólf took two which were the largest, and said: ‘I do not carry away too much from the house of my father, though I take the cloaks’” (Göngu Hrólf’s Saga, c. 4).
Among the kinds of witchcraft mentioned in the sagas is one called sjonhverfingar (ocular delusion).
“At Froda there was a large hall and a locked bed adjoined it, as then was customary. On each side of the hall was a small room; one of them was filled with dried fish and the other with flour. Meal fires were made every night in the hall as was the custom. People used to sit long at the fires before they went to their meal. When the gravediggers came home that night, and men were sitting at the fires at Froda, they saw a half moon appearing on the wall of the room. All those who were inside could see it. It moved backwards against the course of the sun through the room. It did not vanish while they sat at the fire. Thorod asked Thorir Wood-leg what this foreboded. Thorir answered it was the Urdarmani (moon of Urd). Deaths of men will follow upon this. This continued all the week; the urdarmani entered every night” (Eyrbyggja, c. 52).[[399]]