im and a sister of Angantyr. Hjalmar also is
a brother of Hervik and of Angantyr according to the ballad, and
actually accompanies Hervik on her quest of the sword Tyrfing, which
according to the ballad took place _before_ the fight on Samso.
Finally, Arngrim is said to have been killed by Oervarodd, and Hervik
accordingly kills Oervarodd in retaliation. Another 'Young Odd' appears
later as Hjalmar's companion in the true place of Oervarodd.

Thus we see that, as commonly happens in popular poetry, complex
situations have become simplified, and, where simplification has not
taken place, the people and events have become confused[6]. Both
in the shorter Faroese ballad of _Hjalmar and Angantyr_, and in
the Danish ballad of _Angelfyr and Helmer the_ _Warrior_, the
simplification has proceeded even farther, and a still more striking
instance of rigorous simplification is to be found in the _Ballad of
Nornagest_.

No _Rimur_ dealing with Arngrim's Sons have been published, and I have
not been able to ascertain whether any exist, though a passing mention
is made of them in verse 74 of the satirical poem _Skitharima_[7],
probably composed in the fifteenth century by Einar or Sigurethur
Fostri. _A priori_ it would seem probable that the ballads are derived
from compositions of this kind rather than from the Saga direct.
But it would be unwise to hazard even a guess as to the balance of
probability without detailed knowledge of the relative circulation,
distribution and popularity of the Sagas and the Rimur respectively.

The air to which the following ballad is sung on the Faroes has been
transcribed and printed by Thuren in _Folkesangen paa Faeroerne_, pp.
132, 133.

[Footnote 1: Cf. also the introduction of Oervar-Odd in v.
29 of Hammershaimb's version (_Antiq. Tidss._, 1849-51, pp.
61-74); also vv. 28, 33, 58.]

[Footnote 2: Cf. _Antiq. Tidss._, 1849-1851, p. 28.]

[Footnote 3: _Ib._, p. 58.]

[Footnote 4: Copenhagen, 1855.]

[Footnote 5: So Svabo's version; the Sando version of
Hammershaimb's first edition, however, preserves Angantyr
here.]

[Footnote 6: A still more striking instance of the latter
development will be found in the _Gatu Rima_ (see p. 213 f.
below) especially v. 22.]

[Footnote 7: _Carmina Scaldica_ (_a selection of Norwegian
and Icelandic Scaldic poetry_) by Finnur Jonsson, Copenhagen,
1913.]

_The Ballad of Arngrim's Sons_

[I