United States or South Sudan ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
This woman and Borgar had a son Halfdan, who through all his early youth was believed to be stupid, but whose later years proved illustrious for the most glorious deeds, and famous for the highest qualities that can grace life.
Borgar turned, with tears in his bleared eyes, and threw himself face-downward on the earth; and the fellow next to him, with the mien of a madman, thrust his mantle between his teeth and bit and tore at it like a dog. "It is murder," he snarled, "murder." Of all the Northmen, the young King alone appeared serenely undisturbed.
So, when they began the sea-fight, the young man Alf leapt on Alfhild's prow, and advanced towards the stern, slaughtering all that withstood him. His comrade Borgar struck off Alfhild's helmet, and, seeing the smoothness of her chin, saw that he must fight with kisses and not with arms; that the cruel spears must be put away, and the enemy handled with gentler dealings.
Also Borgar wedded the attendant of Alfhild, Groa, and had by her a son, Harald, to whom the following age gave the surname Hyldeland. And that no one may wonder that this sex laboured at warfare, I will make a brief digression, in order to give a short account of the estate and character of such women.
Meanwhile Borgar, finding that Gunnar had married Drota, the daughter of Ragnald, by violence, took from him both life and wife, and wedded Drota himself. She was not an unwilling bride; she thought it right for her to embrace the avenger of her parent. For the daughter mourned her father, and could never bring herself to submit with any pleasure to his murderer.
At daybreak, when the sailors saw the corpses of their friends, they heaped up, in order to bury the general, a barrow of notable size, which is famous to this day, and is commonly named Hakon's Howe. But Borgar, with Skanian chivalry suddenly came up and slaughtered a multitude of them.
"If I am not much mistaken," he said in quite another voice, "yonder is Brass Borgar at last! Yonder, near those oak-trees." In an instant they had all turned to scan the moon-lit open. And now that they were silent, the thud of hoofs became distinct.
When he had saluted the Ironside with royal courtesy, he met his sword as though he were beginning a practising bout with his foster-brother. Smoothly, evenly, without haste or fury, the blades began to sing their wordless song to the listening banks. After a time Borgar dared to raise his face from the grass. "Is he yet alive?" he whispered. The men did not seem to hear him.
Casting himself down upon the bearskin, he lay there breathing hard and tearing the fur out in great handfuls. Brass Borgar spoke with the utmost deprecation: "I say nothing against your feelings, chief; and there are not a few who think as you do; yet I ask you to remember one thing. I ask you to remember that no Dane has ever held back in battle because he had the Traitor's help.
a. Scef Heimdal Rig. b. Sciold Borgar Jarl. c. Gram Halfdan Koming. Chief among the mythic tales that concern Saxo are the various portions of the Swipdag-Myth, which Dr. Rydberg has been able to complete with much success. They may be resumed briefly as follows:
Word Of The Day