There may the raven find
For itself food on the ships
(It knows enow there is);
With thee will I ever fare.’
¶ Now a certain man hight Thord abode on one of the ships nigh to the own ship of the King, and on a night dreamed he that he saw the fleet to King Harald faring landward, and he seemed to wot that to England were they coming. ¤ Then he saw on the land a vast host of men & both hosts were making them ready for battle, and for each were many banners held on high. Before the host of the men of the land rode a swarth troll-woman, sitting on a wolf, and the wolf had the body of a man in its mouth, & blood flowed from the corners thereof. And when it had eaten the man she threw yet another into its mouth, and thereafter threw she one man after another, but notwithstanding made it scant ado at swallowing them all. And so she sang:
‘The troll makes the red shield gleam when war comes nigh.
Bride of the giant-brood mishap to the King foretells.
The quean with the jaws flings flesh of fallen warriors;
Raging the wolf’s mouth she dyes red with blood.’
¶ Furthermore it befell that King Harald dreamed one night and in his vision lo he was in Nidaros, and there met he his brother, King Olaf, who chanted a verse to him: