her to
remain with him, and bade his subjects call her Aslaug.

[Sidenote: Sigurd the Snake-eyed.] Shortly after this reconciliation the
queen gave birth to a fifth son, who, as she had predicted, came into the
world with a peculiar birthmark, to which he owed his name--Sigurd the
Snake-eyed. As it was customary for kings to intrust their sons to some
noted warrior to foster, this child was given to the celebrated Norman
pirate, Hastings, who, as soon as his charge had attained a suitable age,
taught him the art of viking warfare, and took him, with his four elder
brothers, to raid the coasts of all the southern countries.

Ivar, the eldest of Ragnar and Aslaug's sons, although crippled from birth,
and unable to walk a step, was always ready to join in the fray, into the
midst of which he was borne on a shield. From this point of vantage he shot
arrow after arrow, with fatal accuracy of aim. As he had employed much of
his leisure time in learning runes[1] and all kinds of magic arts, he was
often of great assistance to his brothers, who generally chose him leader
of their expeditions. [Footnote 1: See Guerber's Myths of Northern Lands,
p. 39.]

While Ragnar's five sons were engaged in fighting the English at Whitaby to
punish them for plundering and setting fire to some Danish ships, Rogenwald
fell to rise no more.

[Sidenote: The enchanted cow.] Eystein, the Swedish king, now assembled a
large army and declared war against the Danes, because their monarch had
failed to return at the appointed time and claim the bride for whom he had
sued. Ragnar would fain have gone forth to meet the enemy in person, but
Agnar and Erik, his two eldest sons, craved permission to go in his stead.
They met the Swedish king, but in spite of their valor they soon succumbed
to an attack made by an enchanted cow.

"'We smote with swords; at dawn of day
Hundred spearmen gasping lay,
Bent beneath the arrowy strife.
Egill reft my son of life;
Too soon my Agnar's youth was spent,
The scabbard thorn his bosom rent.'"
_Death Song of Regner Lodbrock_ (Herbert's tr.).

Ragnar was about to sally forth to avenge them, when Hastings and the other
sons returned. Then Aslaug prevailed upon her husband to linger by her side
and delegate the duty of revenge to his sons. In this battle Ivar made use
of his magic to slay Eystein's cow, which could make more havoc than an
army of warriors. His brothers, hav