1. _In a high oak-tree._ In the version of this ballad obtained by Hammershaimb at Sumb¯ the first line runs 'A man there lived on (lit. 'in') an island high,' whereas in the _Ballad of Arngrim's Sons_, v. 3, we are told that Arngrim and his sons lived 'under' an oak. Possibly the first line of our text is a confusion of these two versions. The error is made more comprehensible by the fact that there are no trees on the Faroes, and so the phrase must have been a meaningless jingle of words to the singers. _Arngrim's sons from Africa._ The text has 'Arngrim's sons from Bl·land,' by which the Faroese ballads and the _Fornaldar Sˆgur_ generally mean Africa. Here, however, we should more naturally have expected 'Norway,' and it is very probable that, as Hammershaimb suggests, we here have the refrain in a corrupt form as so often happens. Probably 'from Bl·land' (_af Bl·landum_) should be 'from BÛlmland' (af _BÛlmlandi_), i.e. from the Island of BÛlm, but the Faroese may have substituted the more familiar name for that of the island with which they were unacquainted. 2. _The champions Hjalmar_, etc. The Sumb¯ version has: He has eleven sons so dear; The twelfth is the warrior Angantyr, and also inserts immediately following a verse giving reasons for the voyage: News then came to Angantyr That a man there was had a daughter fair. 4. _They hoisted their sail_, etc. Cf. _Sigmundar KvÊi_, str. 13, 28, 48. 5. _Their anchor they cast_, etc. Cf. _Magna Dans_ (_Icelandic FornkvÊi_) v. 3, with which this is practically identical. 6. _Angantyr eagerly_, etc. The lit. transl. of the text is 'Angantyr was the first to step,' etc.; but the following v. has 'Hjalmar was the first to step!' The Sumb¯ version, which is undoubtedly better here, has _Angantyr loypur so tungliga · land_ Angantyr leapt so heavily to land, instead of _Fyrstur steig Angant˝r fÛtum · land_ Angantyr was the first to step with his feet to land. 10. _Here sittest thou_, etc. In the Sumb¯ version, Hjalmar's request is not recorded. The repetition of Angantyr's request in our text, if it has any significance at all, implies that both Hjalmar and Angantyr made the proposal. 18. _O franklin, lend me_, etc. The Sumb¯ version here inserts an additional verse. Angantyr is so vile a troll, So are his kinsfolk and followers all. 19. _Forth of the hall._ In the Sumb¯ version the fight took place outside the hall, and only Angantyr is credited with the troll-like bellowing. Indeed one feels throughout the Sumb¯ version a more clearly defined hostility to Angantyr on the part of the balladist, whereas the Westmanhavn version is more detached in its attitude. THE DANISH BALLAD OF ANGELFYR AND HELMER