ENDNOTES:
(1) "Forge which foams with song," the poet's head, in which songs are forged, and gush forth like foaming mead. (2) "Hero's helm-prop," the hero's, man's, head which supports his helm. (3) It is needless to say that this Hall was not Hall of the Side. (4) "Wolf of Gods," the "caput lupinum," the outlaw of heaven, the outcast from Valhalla, Thangbrand. (5) "The other wolf," Gudleif. (6) "Swarthy skarf," the skarf, or "pelecanus carbo", the cormorant. He compares the message of Thorwald to the cormorant skimming over the waves, and says he will never take it. "Snap at flies," a very common Icelandic metaphor from fish rising to a fly. (7) Maurer thinks the allusion is here to some mythological legend on Odin's adventures which has not come down to us. (8) "He that giant's," etc., Thor. (9) "Mew-field's bison," the sea-going ship, which sails over the plain of the sea-mew. (10) "Bell's warder," the Christian priest whose bell-ringing formed part of the rites of the new faith. (11) "Falcon of the strand," ship. (12) "Courser of the causeway," ship. (13) "Gylfi's hart," ship. (14) "Viking's snow-shoe," sea-king's ship.
99. OF GEST ODDLEIF'S SON
Gest Oddleif's son dwelt at Hagi on Bardastrand. He was one of the wisest of men, so that he foresaw the fates and fortunes of men. He made a feast for Thangbrand and his men. They fared to Hagi with sixty men. Then it was said that there were two hundred heathen men to meet them, and that a Baresark was looked for to come thither, whose name was Otrygg, and all were afraid of him. Of him such great things as these were said, that he feared neither fire nor sword, and the heathen men were sore afraid at his coming. Then Thangbrand asked if men were willing to take the faith, but all the heathen men spoke against it.
"Well," says Thangbrand, "I will give you the means whereby ye shall prove whether my faith is better. We will hallow two fires. The heathen men shall hallow one and I the other, but a third shall be unhallowed; and if the Baresark is afraid of the one that I hallow, but treads both the others, then ye shall take the faith."
"That is well spoken," says Gest, "and I will agree to this for myself and my household."
And when Gest had so spoken, then many more agreed to it.
Then it was said that the Baresark was coming up to the homestead, and then the fires were made and burnt strong. Then men took their arms and sprang up on the benches, and so waited.
The Baresark rushed in with his weapons. He comes into the room, and treads at once the fire which the heathen men had hallowed, and so comes to the fire that Thangbrand had hallowed, and dares not to tread it, but said that he was on fire all over. He hews with his sword at the bench, but strikes a crossbeam as he brandished the weapon aloft. Thangbrand smote the arm of the Baresark with his crucifix, and so mighty a token followed that the sword fell from the Baresark's hand.
Then Thangbrand thrusts a sword into his breast, and Gudleif smote him on the arm and hewed it off. Then many went up and slew the Baresark.