ers had shown towards him; for they had made a law in
Iceland, that they should make as many lampoons against the Danish king
as there were headlands in his country; and the reason was, because a
vessel which belonged to certain Icelanders was stranded in Denmark, and
the Danes took all the property, and called it wreck. One of the king's
bailiffs called Birger was to blame for this; but the lampoons were made
against both. In the lampoons were the following lines:--

"The gallant Harald in the field
Between his legs lets drop his shield;
Into a pony he was changed.
And kicked his shield, and safely ranged.
And Birger, he who dwells in halls
For safety built with four stone walls,
That these might be a worthy pair,
Was changed into a pony mare."

37. HARALD SENDS A WARLOCK TO ICELAND.

King Harald told a warlock to hie to Iceland in some altered shape,
and to try what he could learn there to tell him: and he set out in the
shape of a whale. And when he came near to the land he went to the west
side of Iceland, north around the land, where he saw all the mountains
and hills full of guardian-spirits, some great, some small. When he came
to Vapnafjord he went in towards the land, intending to go on shore; but
a huge dragon rushed down the dale against him with a train of serpents,
paddocks, and toads, that blew poison towards him. Then he turned to
go westward around the land as far as Eyjafjord, and he went into the
fjord. Then a bird flew against him, which was so great that its wings
stretched over the mountains on either side of the fjord, and many
birds, great and small, with it. Then he swam farther west, and then
south into Breidafjord. When he came into the fjord a large grey bull
ran against him, wading into the sea, and bellowing fearfully, and he
was followed by a crowd of land-spirits. From thence he went round by
Reykjanes, and wanted to land at Vikarsskeid, but there came down a
hill-giant against him with an iron staff in his hands. He was a head
higher than the mountains, and many other giants followed him. He then
swam eastward along the land, and there was nothing to see, he said, but
sand and vast deserts, and, without the skerries, high-breaking surf;
and the ocean between the countries was so wide that a long-ship
could not cross it. At that time Brodhelge dwelt in Vapnafjord, Eyjolf
Valgerdson in Eyjafjord, Thord Geller in Breidafjord, and Thorod Gode