“When Knut the Great left the country he had a great host and exceeding large ships. He himself had a dragon so large that it had sixty rooms; on it were heads ornamented with gold. Hakon Jarl[139] had another with forty rooms, which also had gilt heads, and the sails of both were striped with blue, red, and green. Both were painted above the water. They had many other ships, large and well equipped” (Flateyjarbok, ii.). Standards and weathervanes, not only on land, but at sea, are frequently mentioned. “Odd gave to Gudmund and Sigurd the dragon of Sóti. He had the dragon of Hálfdán painted all over, and both the dragon-heads and the vane[140] he had ornamented with gold” (Orvar Odd’s Saga, c. 8). The standard-bearer stood by the prow of the ship, and the pennant seems to have been carried at the masthead. [Illustration: Fig. 935.—Bayeux tapestry. ] “The pennant, spun by women, played at the masthead of the reindeer of the rollers” (Knutsdrapa). [Illustration: Fig. 936.—Baptismal font, Church of Lödurup, Scania, Sweden. ] “When Eirik blódöx (blood-axe) got the kingship, he had feasts in Hordaland and Firda Fylki. He took hirdmen with him. One spring he made ready to go to Bjarmaland, and selected men for the journey. Thorolf went with him, and was placed in the prow of his ship, and carried his standard. Thorolf was then taller and stronger than other men, and therein like his father” (Egil’s Saga, c. 37). When Helgi came with his ships to make war at Frekastein he had a golden standard. _Gudmund._ Who is the Skjoldung That steers the ship, And a golden battle-standard Hoists on the bow? Those in the van Seem not peace-like; The redness of war Is thrown on the Vikings. _Sinfjötli._ Here can Hödbrodd Know Helgi, The hater of flight, In the midst of the fleet; He holds the birth land Of thy kin, The Fjorsungs’ heritage, Taken by himself. (Helgi Hundingsbani, ii.) The ships as they came into harbour were often lined with shields, showing by this that they were ships of war. These shields added not a little to the appearance of the ships under sail, as the sun shone on them. When the warriors were numerous, they must have been very cumbersome, and on that account were often stationed all round the bulwark or gunwales. [Illustration: Fig. 937.—Silver coin found in Blekinge. ]