“Again in the morning Aslak said to the king: ‘We have prepared your journey if you intend to go.’ The king replied: ‘Now I will not stay, but Heming shall follow us to the mainland.’ They made ready and departed. “They landed at a large mountain, very steep towards the sea, and there was a path along the mountain-side on which only one man at the time could walk. There were precipices beneath and a high mountain above, and the ledges on the mountain-side were only wide enough for one man on horseback. The king ordered him to amuse them by running on snowshoes, Heming said: ‘It is now not suitable to run on snowshoes, for there is no snow, but only ice, and the mountain is very hard.’ The king replied: ‘There would be no danger if all was in the best condition.’ ‘As you will,’ said Heming, and took his snowshoes and ran about the mountain-side, up and down, and all said they had never seen any one run so nimbly....” (Flateyjarbók, iii.). [Illustration: Fig. 1347.—Handle of Shield, iron, in a mound with skeleton. One-third real size—Öland. ] [Illustration: Fig. 1348.—Shield boss, of iron, edges covered with bronze. One-third real size—Öland. ] ----- Footnote 267: Cf. also Sturlunga, i. c. 9; Orkneyinga, c. 18; Njala, c. 120, 145; Færeyinga, c. 37. Footnote 268: Cf. also Gretti’s Saga, c. 78. Footnote 269: Cf. also Liosvetninga Saga, c. 9; An’s Saga Bogsveigis, c. 4; Gunnlaug Ormstunga’s Saga, c. 10. Footnote 270: He had been brought up in Ireland. Footnote 271: Their foot-gear was made of undressed ox-hide. Footnote 272: Cf. also Göngu Hrolf’s Saga, ix. Footnote 273: Cf. also Egil’s Saga, c. 40; Gisli Sursson’s Saga. Footnote 274: Cf. also Gretti, 77; Ingi’s Saga, 11; Olaf Tryggvason, vol. ii., c. 160; Fornmanna Sögur. Footnote 275: A piece belonging to a chess board. Footnote 276: Cf. also Fœreyinga Saga, c. 13; St. Olaf’s Saga, c. 112. Footnote 277: Odin = poetry. CHAPTER XXIII. IDRÓTTIR.—POETRY OR SCALDSHIP, MUSIC AND MENTAL EXERCISES. Poetry a gift from the gods—The scald—Many sagas based on poems—Honour paid to poets—Their moral power—Poets on the battle-field—Recital of poems at feasts—Saga telling—Forms of poetry—The harp—Parables and puzzles—Gest’s riddles.