History of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, Vol. 1 (of 2)Dunham, S. A. (Samuel Astley)
History
History of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, Vol. 1 (of 2)
Dunham, S. A. (Samuel Astley)
Scandinavia -- History
sons, Angantyr, took to wife Swafa, the daughter of a celebrated jarl,
and their course was much delayed by the festivities demanded on the
occasion. This jarl had the same dark forebodings as their own father.
Fain would he have persuaded them to remain with them; but their honour
would not allow of this, and away they sailed. On their landing at the
place appointed, their accustomed fit seized them, and they destroyed
the 200 followers of Hialmar and Oddur, who were then absent in the
interior of the island. Mighty was the destruction, by Tyrfing, which
was wielded by the powerful Angantyr, and which, on this occasion, might
truly be called the death of men. Hialmar and Oddur soon returned to
find their companions drenched in gore; but, fortunately for the two
heroes, the strength of the berserks was now greatly diminished—in other
words, the fit was over, and they were become like other men. Still the
magic sword and the superiority of numbers compensated to the sons of
Arngrim for their somewhat exhausted spirits. They would have more than
compensated had not Oddur worn a quilted coat, which magic rendered
impenetrable to the keenest weapon. The conflict soon engaged. On the
one hand, Hialmar was opposed to Angantyr with the magic sword; on the
other, Oddur, with the magic quilt, encountered, one by one in
succession, the eleven brothers of Angantyr. After a terrible struggle
of some length, Hialmar fell, pierced by the dreaded Tyrfing, but
Angantyr also received a mortal wound, and Oddur slew all his eleven
antagonists. The dead were buried by the only survivor, the fatal sword
being buried along with Angantyr, according to the last request of that
hero.[72]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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