[107] Jacob's land. Galicia is called Jacob's land by the scald, from St. James of Compostella: the apostle James, whose relics are held in veneration at Compostella in Spain. Portugal appears to have been reckoned part of Spain, and Galicia a distinct country. [108] Sintre, now Cintra, in Portugal; then reckoned part of Spain. [109] The heathen Spain would be the parts of the Peninsula occupied by the Moors. [110] There is some difficulty in finding a town corresponding to this Alkassi. It cannot be Alkassir in Fez, in Africa, as some have supposed, as the context does not agree with it; nor with Algesiras, which is within the Straits of Gibraltar (Nörfasund), and it would have been so described. Alcasser de Sal lies too far inland to have been the place. Lady Grosvenor, in her Yacht Voyage, 1841, speaks of a Moorish palace near Seville, called Alcasir, which would correspond best with the Saga account. [111] Nörfa Sound, the Straits of Gibraltar; so called from Nörfa, the first Norse viking who passed through it. [112] Serkland is the Saracen's land, the north of Africa; and the inhabitants bluemen, the Moors. [113] It appears to have been the feudal idea of the times, that a title or dignity must be conferred by a superior in title or dignity; and thus a wandering king from the north could raise Roger of Sicily to the kingly title. [The Norseman's account is a fable: the dignity of king of Sicily was given to count Roger, in 1129, by the pope.] [114] Kypur, Cyprus. [115] Kirialax. Kuriou Alexou, the emperor Alexius Comnenus. [116] Jorsalaland, Palestine; the land of Jerusalem. [117] Akersborg, Acre. [118] Jorsalaborg, Jerusalem. [119] Saide, or Sidon, was taken in December, 1110. [120] Engilsness, supposed to be the ness at the river Ægos, called Ægisnes in the Orkneyinga Saga, within the Dardanelles; not Cape Saint Angelo in the Morea. [121] Padreimr, or Padrennir, the Hippodrome where the great spectacles were given. [122] Place of public assembly. [123] It is not likely that the feats of the Asers, Volsungers, and Giukungers, were represented in the games of the Hippodrome at Constantinople; but very likely that the Væringers, and other northmen there, would apply the names of their own mythology to the representations taken from the Greek mythology. [124] Fire-works, or the Greek fire, were probably used. THE TRAVELS OF RABBI BENJAMIN OF TUDELA. A.D. 1160-1173. HEBREW PREFACE.