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Updated: June 13, 2025
"To such plight the Skald was brought, Wounder of the walls of thought, Howsoever many men Stood, all armed, about us then, That his hand that knew the oar, Grip of sword might touch no more; Yet to me the wound who gave Did he give a horse to have.
"He had been a very great helper," the Saga adds, "to many men, bountiful of money, gentle, and a steadfast friend; a great man for feats of strength, and a good skald" or poet. In 1192 he was canonised as St. Ragnvald with, it is said, full Papal sanction. Save during Harold Maddadson's minority he was never Earl of Caithness, and then had the title only as guardian of his ward Harold.
To alter the tale was one of the greatest of crimes: the skald must repeat it as it came to him; but by degrees undoubtedly the sagas did suffer alteration. The facts remained the same indeed, but around them gathered a mist of miraculous occurrences and legends.
<i>Of the ball-play on Midfirth Water</i>. At this time there were many growing up to be men in Midfirth; Skald-Torfa dwelt at Torfa's-stead in those days; her son was called Bessi, he was the shapeliest of men and a good skald. At Meal lived two brothers, Kormak and Thorgils, with them a man called Odd was fostered, and was called the Foundling-skald.
"Ah! you have the chief Skald of all the world in your land!" cried Gueldmar, bringing his fist down with a jovial thump on the table. "He can teach you all that you need to know." "Skald?" queried Lorimer dubiously. "Oh, you mean bard. I suppose you allude to Shakespeare?" "I do," said the old bonde enthusiastically, "he is the only glory of your country I envy!
King Skule Have you at all times full faith that you are a skald? King Skule Yes, once burningly, blissfully, and in sin. Jatgeir You have a wife. King Skule Her I took to bear me sons. Jatgeir But you have a daughter, my lord a gracious and noble daughter. Give me counsel, Jatgeir Skald! Jatgeir Buy yourself a dog, my lord. King Skule Would no man suffice?
But in the camp which he had left, and in the vast multitude on the plains of Tara, there was stir and revelry, and babbling speculation as to the contest of to-morrow the contest which was to decide whether the chief bard of Erin was to hold his own against all comers, or yield the palm. For rumor said that a great Skald had come from the northern lands to compete with the Irish bard.
"These verses sound but ill," said the Sea-King, interrupting himself; "we will make some better;" and, careful of his verses as a Skald in his last battle, as well as in his first, he sung: It was his death-song.
For his sake crowds gathered in front of the Salvation Army platform. He drew them by the fantastic images which filled his diseased brain. He captivated them with the words of affecting lament, which the oppression of his heart had taught him. Perhaps his spirit in days of old had visited this world of death and change. Perhaps he had then been a mighty skald, skilful in playing on heartstrings.
A Danish skald, who had once been at the English court, had said that she seemed to have eaten her namesake's apple of immortality, without her apple of beauty, for no one could ever remember to have seen her other than a tiny dried-up old witch, with keen gray eyes, a sharp tongue, an ever ready foot and hand, and a frame utterly unaffected by any of the influences so sinister to far younger and stronger ones.
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