Fig. 839.—Sword-hilt with an outer sheet of thin silver, very much injured by fire; nearly ⅓ real size.—Norway. ] [Illustration: Fig. 840.—Sword-hilt with wood and bronze bands; nearly ⅓ real size.—Norway. ] [Illustration: Fig. 841.—Sax or single-edged sword found with an umbo shield boss of iron in a cairn. ⅕ real size.—Långlöt, Öland. ] [Illustration: Fig. 842.—Sax or single-edged iron sword, found in a stone cist of over nine feet in height, with a skeleton, spear-point, clay urn, &c. ¼ real size.—Öland. ] [Illustration: Fig. 843.—Double-edged sword, with bronze mounting for scabbard; found by the side of a skeleton in a tumulus at Hammenhöj, Scania, together with an iron shield boss, a clay urn, two bone dice, forty bone checkers and other things. ⅕ of real size. ] “Hraungvid said: ‘I have ravaged for thirty-three years, summer and winter, and I have fought in sixty battles, generally gaining victory; the name of my sword is _Brynthvari_, and it has never been dulled” (Hrómundar Saga Greipssonar, ch. 1). Grettir asked for a weapon, and Asmund, his father, answered: “‘Thou hast not been obedient to me, and as I do not know what thou wilt do with weapons, so I will not give thee any.’ Grettir replied: ‘Then there is nothing to repay, where nothing has been given.’ Father and son parted with little affection. Many wished Grettir farewell, but few safe return. His mother followed him on the way, and before they parted she said: ‘Thou art not fitted out from home, my kinsman, as I would like, able as thou art; it seems to me the greatest want, that thou hast no weapon fit for use, and my mind tells me that thou wilt need one.’ She took an ornamented sword from under her cloak; it was very costly, and said: ‘This sword my grandfather Jökul owned, and the old Vatnsdælir, it used to give them victory. I will give thee the sword; use it well.’ Grettir thanked her much for the gift, saying he liked it better than greater valuables” (Gretti’s Saga, ch. 17). The jarl Viking said to his son Thorstein: “The only thing that gladdens me is that no man will stand over thy scalp (have thy head at his feet), although thou wilt have a narrow escape. Here is a sword, kinsman Thorstein, which I want to give thee; its name is _Angrvadil_, and victory has always followed it; my father took it from the slain Björn Blue-tooth; I have no other remarkable weapons, excepting an old spear which I took from Harek Jarnhaus, and I know it is not manageable by any man” (Thorstein Vikingsson’s Saga, ch. 10).