sometimes offered. When Christianity was
established in Denmark the seat of royalty was transferred to Roeskilde,
and Leire fell into total insignificance. It is now merely a village in
Zealand.--_Trans._]

Now come we to Sigersted, near Ringsted. The river is shallow--the
yellow corn waves where Hagbarth's boat was moored, not far from
Signe's maiden bower. Who does not know the tradition about
Hagbarth[8] and Signelil, and their passionate love--that Hagbarth was
hanged in the galley, while Signelil's tower stood in flames?

[Footnote 8: Hagbarth, a son of the Norwegian king, Amund, and his
three brothers, Hake, Helvin, and Hamund, scoured the seas with a
hundred ships, and fell in with the king of Zealand's three sons,
Sivald, Alf, and Alger. They attacked each other, and continued their
bloody strife until a late hour at night. Next day they all found
their ships so disabled that they could not renew the conflict.
Thereupon they made friends, and the Norwegian princes or pirates
accompanied the Zealanders to the court of their father, King Sigar.
Here Hagbarth won the heart of the king's daughter Signe, and they
became secretly engaged. Hildigeslev, a handsome German prince, was at
that time her suitor; but she refused him, and in revenge he sowed
discord between her lover and his brothers and her brothers. Alf and
Alger murdered Hagbarth's brothers, Helvin and Hamund, but were killed
in their turn by Hagbarth and Hake. After this deed Hagbarth dared not
remain at Sigar's court; but he longed so much to be with Signe, that
he dressed himself as a woman, and in this disguise he obtained
admission to the palace, and contrived to be named one of her
attendants. The damsels of her suite were much surprised at the
hardness of the new waiting-maid's hands, and at other unfeminine
peculiarities which they remarked; but Signe appointed him her
especial attendant, and thus partially removed him from their
troublesome curiosity. Fancying themselves safe, they relaxed their
precautions. Hagbarth was discovered, secured, and carried before the
_Thing_, or judicial assembly. Before he left her he received a
promise from Signe that she would not survive him. He was condemned to
death; to be hanged on board a galley, in view of Signe's dwelling. To
prove her love and faith, he entreated that his mantle might be hung
up first, in order, he said, that the sight of it might prepare him
for his own death. It was done; and when Sign