VIKING TALES

Copyright, 1902,
By Jennie Hall

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Iceland is a small country far north in the cold sea. People discovered it and settled there more than a thousand years ago. During the warm season, they fished, made fish oil, hunted sea birds, gathered feathers, took care of their sheep, and made hay. But the winters were long, dark, and cold. Men, women, and children stayed inside and carded, spun, wove, and knitted. The whole family would sit for hours around the fire in the middle of the room. That fire provided the only light. Shadows danced in the dark corners. Smoke curled along the high beams of the ceiling. The children sat on the dirt floor close to the fire. The adults sat on a long narrow bench they had pulled up for light and warmth. Everyone's hands were busy with wool. The work allowed their minds to wander and their lips to chat. What was there to talk about? The summer's catch, the hunting of a fox, a trip to Norway. But[10] the people eventually grew tired of this small talk. Fathers looked at their children and thought:

"They're not learning much. What will make them brave and wise? What will teach them to love their country and old Norway? Won't the stories of battles, brave deeds, and mighty men do this?"

So, as the family worked by the glow of the red fire, the father shared stories about the kings of Norway, long journeys to mysterious places, and great battles. Throughout Iceland, these old tales were repeated until everyone knew and cherished them. Some men could sing and play the harp, which made the stories even more engaging. People referred to such men as "skalds," and they called their songs "sagas."

Every midsummer, there was a big gathering. Men from all over Iceland came together to create laws. During the day, there were breaks when no business was happening. Then a skald would pick up his harp, walk to a large stone or a hill, stand on it, and start singing about the brave deeds of an ancient Norse hero. At the first notes of the harp and the singing, men came rushing in from all directions, calling out:

"The skald! The skald! A story!"

They stood around for hours and listened. They cheered loudly. When the poet was tired, another person from the crowd would come up and sing or tell a story. As the poet stepped down from his elevated spot, a wealthy man would hurry up to him and say:

"Come and spend next winter at my place. We’re eager to hear some music."

So the best poets traveled a lot and visited many people. Their songs made them welcome wherever they went. They were always treated with respect and given good seats at feasts. They received many valuable gifts. Even the King of Norway would sometimes send messages across the sea to Iceland, saying to some renowned poet:

"Come and visit me. You won’t leave empty-handed. People say that the sweetest songs are in Iceland. I want to hear them."

These stories weren't written down. Back then, not many people could read or write. Skalds[12] learned songs by listening to them. Eventually, writing became easier for everyone. Then they said:

"These stories are really valuable. We need to write them down to keep them from being forgotten."

After that, many men in Iceland spent their winters writing books. They wrote on sheepskin; we now refer to it as vellum. Many of these ancient vellum books have been preserved for hundreds of years and are now displayed in museums in Norway. Some pages are missing, some are torn, and all of them are yellowed and crumpled. But they are invaluable. They provide us with everything we know about that bygone era. These are the very words that the men of Iceland wrote so long ago—tales of kings, battles, and sailing ships. Some of those old stories I have shared in this book.

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[15]

King Halfdan lived in Norway a long time ago. One morning, his queen said to him:

"I had a bizarre dream last night. I felt like I was standing in the grass in front of my shelter.[1] I took a thorn out of my dress. As I held it in my fingers, it transformed into a tall tree. The trunk was thick and red like blood, while the lower branches were beautiful and green, and the highest ones were white. I thought the branches of this enormous tree spread so widely that they covered all of Norway and beyond."

"A strange dream," said King Halfdan. "Dreams are the messengers of the gods. I wonder what they would tell us," and he stroked his beard in thought.

Some time later, a maid entered the banquet hall where King Halfdan was sitting. She held a small white bundle in her arms.[16]

"My lord," she said, "you just had a baby boy."

"Ha!" the king shouted as he leaped up from his throne and rushed forward until he was standing in front of the woman.

"Bring him to me!" he yelled, and there was excitement in his voice.

The serving woman set her bundle down on the ground and uncovered the cloth. There was a small naked baby. The king examined it closely.

"It’s a nice young man," he said, smiling. "Bring Ivar and Thorstein."[2]

They were the leaders of the king's troops. Soon, they arrived.

"Be witnesses," Halfdan said.

Then he picked up the baby in his arms, while the old servant woman brought a silver bowl of water. The king dipped his hand into it and sprinkled the baby, saying:

"I own this little one for my son. He will be named Harald. My gift to him is ten pounds of gold."

Then the woman took the baby back to the queen's room.

[18]“My lord claims him as his son,” she said. “And it’s no surprise! He’s flawless in every way.”

The queen glanced at him and smiled, recalling her dream and thinking:

"That big tree! Could it really be this little baby of mine?"

[19]

When Harald was seven months old, he got his first tooth. Then his father said:

"All the young from my herds, lambs and calves and colts, that have been born since this baby was born, I give to him today. I also give him this servant, Olaf. These are my gifts to my son."

The boy grew quickly, because as soon as he could walk, he spent most of his time outside. He ran through the woods, climbed the hills, and waded in the creek. He spent a lot of time with his tooth thrall, since the king had told Olaf:

"Always be available for him."

Now, this Olaf had many stories to share, and Harald enjoyed listening to them.

"Come out to Aegir's Rock, Olaf, and tell me stories," he said nearly every day.

So they set off across the hills. The man wore a long, loose white wool coat, belted at the waist with a strap. He had on rough shoes and leather leggings. Around his neck was an iron collar welded shut so that it couldn't be removed. On it were strange symbols, known as runes, that said:

"Olaf, servant of Halfdan."

But Harald's clothes were vibrant. A gray velvet cape draped from his shoulders. It was secured over his chest with large gold buckles. When it fluttered in the wind, a flash of scarlet lining appeared, and the hem of a small scarlet jacket peeked out. His feet and legs were clad in gray woolen tights. Gold laces wrapped around his legs from his shoes to his knees. A gold band kept his long, yellow hair in place.

It was a rugged landscape that these two were traversing. They were hiking up steep, rocky hills. Some of them appeared to be entirely made of rock, with a bit of soil in some areas. Large boulders protruded from them, with trees growing in the crevices. Some big chunks had broken off and rolled down the hill.[21]

"Thor broke them," Olaf said. "He rides through the sky and throws his hammer at clouds and mountains. That creates the thunder and lightning and shakes the hills. His hammer never misses its target, and it always returns to his hand, ready to go again."

When they got to the top of the hill, they looked back. Far below was a gentle, green valley. In front of it, the sea came inland and formed a fjord. On both sides of the fjord, towering rock walls rose up, casting dark shadows over the water. All around the valley were tall hills covered in dark pine trees. In the distance, there were mountains. In the valley stood Halfdan's houses arranged around their square yard.

"Wow, our houses look so tiny from up here!" Harald said. "But I can almost—yeah, I can see the red dragon on the roof of the banquet hall. Do you remember when I climbed up and sat on its head, Olaf?"

He laughed, kicked his heels, and ran off.

[23]Finally, they arrived at Aegir's Rock and climbed up to its flat top. Harald walked to the edge and peered over. A jagged rock wall dropped down, and two hundred feet below was the dark water of the fjord. Olaf observed him for a moment, then spoke:

"Not pale in the face, Harald? Good! A boy who can handle the fall of Aegir's Rock won't be afraid of the battle when he becomes a man."

"Hey, I'm not scared of the war flash now," shouted Harald.

He shrugged off his cape and pulled a small dagger from his belt.

"Look!" he shouted; "doesn’t this shine like a sword? And I’m not scared. But honestly, this is just a kid's toy! When I turn eight, I will have a real sword, a weapon for battle."

He swung his dagger like it was a longsword. Then he ran over and sat on a rock next to Olaf.

"Why is this Aegir's Rock?" he asked.

"You know that Asgard is up in the sky," Olaf said. "It's an amazing city where the golden homes of the gods are in the golden grove. There’s a tall wall surrounding it. In the house of Odin, the All-Father, there's a massive feast hall bigger than the entire earth. It's called Valhalla. It has five hundred doors. The rafters are made of spears. The roof is covered with shields. Armor is laid out on the benches. In the high seat sits Odin, wearing a golden helmet and holding a spear. Two wolves rest at his feet. To his right and left sit all the gods and goddesses, and all around the hall are thousands and thousands of men, all the brave ones who have ever died."

"Now it's great to be in Valhalla; because there's mead there that’s better than any human can brew, and it never runs out. There are skalds who sing amazing songs that no one has ever heard. And in front of Valhalla, there’s a vast meadow where warriors fight every day, earning glorious and sweet wounds and giving plenty in return. All night, they feast, and their wounds heal. But only warriors who have died bravely in battle can enter Valhalla. Those who die from illness go with women, children, and cowards[25] to Niflheim. There, Hela, the queen, always mocks them, and a terrible cold grips their bones, and they sit down and freeze."

"Years ago, Aegir was a great warrior. They called him Aegir the Big-handed. In many battles, his sword had sung, and he had sent many warriors to Valhalla. Many swords had cut into his flesh and left marks, but none had ever killed him. So his hair turned white and his arms became thin. There was peace in that country then, and Aegir mourned, saying:

"'I'm old. The battles are over. Must I die in bed like a woman? Will I not see Valhalla?'"

"Now this is what Odin said a long time ago:

"'If a man is old and close to death and can't die in battle, let him find a brave way to end his life, and he will join me in Valhalla.'"

"So one day Aegir arrived at this rock."

"'A deed to win Valhalla!' he shouted.

"Then he drew his sword, waved it over his head, and held his shield high[26] above him. He leaped into the air and fell into the water of the fjord."

"Hey!" shouted Harald, jumping to his feet. "I think Odin stood up from his high seat and warmly welcomed that man when he walked through the door of Valhalla."

"So the songs say," replied Olaf, "because skalds still sing about that deed all over Norway."

[27]

Harald asked at another time:

"What’s your country, Olaf? Have you always been a servant?"

The servant's eyes flashed.

"When you’re a man," he said, "and go viking to Denmark, ask if anyone has heard of Olaf the Crafty. Over there, across the water, is my homeland. My father was Gudbrand the Big. Two hundred warriors feasted in his hall and followed him into battle. Ten sons sat at the table with him, and I was the youngest. One day he said:

"'You have all grown into men. There isn't enough space here for so many leaders. The oldest of you will inherit my farm when I die. The rest of you, go off raiding!'"

"He had three ships. He gave them to three of my brothers. But I stayed that spring and built a boat for myself. I designed it for just twenty oars because I thought few men would join me; I was young, only fifteen years old. I shaped it to look like a dragon. At the front, I carved the head with an open mouth and a forked tongue sticking out. I painted the eyes red to signify anger."

"'There, stand like that!' I said, 'and glare and hiss at my enemies.'"

"In the back, I curved the tail up almost as high as the head. That's where I set the pilot's seat and a sturdy tiller for the rudder. On the front and sides, I carved the dragon's scales. Then I painted everything black and added gold to the tip of each scale. I named her 'Waverunner.' There she sat on the rollers, the most beautiful ship I ever saw."

"The night it was done, I went to my dad's celebration. After we finished the food and the mead-horns were passed around, I stood up from my seat, raised my drinking-horn[3] high, and spoke in a loud voice:

"'This is my promise: I will sail to Norway and I will raid the coast and fill my boat with treasures. Then I will get[29] myself a farm and will spend the winter in that land. Now who will join me?'"

"'He's just a boy,' the men said. 'He's bitten off more than he can chew.'"

"But others jumped to their feet with their mead-horns in their hands. Thirty men, one after another, raised their horns and said:"

"I'll follow this guy, and I won't turn back as long as he and I are alive!"

"On the next morning we got into my dragon and took off. I sat up high in the pilot's seat. As our boat sped down the waves into the water, I created this song and sang it:

"So we disturbed the shores of Norway. We dined at many men's tables without being invited. We encountered many men weighed down with gold. Then I said:"

"'My dragon's belly is never full,' and on board went the gold.[30]

"Oh! it's better to live on the sea and let other people grow your food and make your meals. A house smells like smoke, but a ship smells like adventure. From a house, you see a dirty roof; from a ship, you see paradise."

"Up and down the water we went to gain a lot of wealth and have a good time. After a while, my crew said:

"'What about the farm, Olaf?'"

"'Not yet,' I replied. 'Viking is better for summer. When the ice arrives, and our dragon can’t play, then we’ll get our farm and settle down.'"

"Finally, winter arrived, and I said to my crew:

"'Now about the farm. I'm looking at one up the coast in King Halfdan's territory.'"

"So we headed out for it. We arrived late at night, pulled our boat up on the shore, and quietly walked to the house. It was quite an affluent farm, as there were stables, a storehouse, and a smithy alongside the house. There was only one door to the house. We approached it, and I hit it with my spear."

[32]"Hey! Hello! Hello!' I yelled, and my crew made a huge racket.

"Finally, someone from within said:"

"Who’s calling?"

"'I call,' I answered. 'Open! Or you'll think it's Thor calling,' and I hit my shield against the door, making a loud clang."

"The door cracked open slightly, but I pushed it wide and jumped into the room. It was so dark that I couldn’t see anything except a few sparks on the hearth. I stood with my back against the wall because I didn’t want any sword reaching out of the darkness for me."

"'Now start the fire,' I said."

"'Come on, come on!' I shouted when no one responded. 'There's a fire! This is a chilly reception for your guests.'"

"My guys laughed."

"'Yes, a cheap host! He behaves like he wasn't expecting us.'"

"But now the farmer was fanning the coals and adding fresh wood. Soon it flared up, and we could see our surroundings. We were in a small feast hall,[4] with a fire running down the center. There[33] were benches for twenty people along each side. The farmer crouched by the fire, hesitant to move. In a far corner, a dozen people were huddled together on a bench."

"'Hey, everyone!' I called to them. 'Bring in the table. We're hungry.'"

"Off they ran through a door at the back of the hall. My men came in and lay down by the fire to warm themselves, but I set two of them as guards at the door."

"'Well, friend farmer,' one laughed, 'why the long face? Don't you think we'll have a good time together?'"

"'We just came to support you,' said another. 'What person wants to spend the winter alone with no visitors?'"

"'Ah!' another person then shouted, sitting up. 'Here comes something that will be a nice treat for my stomach.'"

"The workers were bringing in a big pot of meat. They set up a crane over the fire and hung the pot on it while we sat and watched it boil, joking around. Finally, dinner started. The farmer sat sadly on the bench and wouldn’t eat, which you can understand; he was watching us shove potfuls of his good beef and loads of bread into our mouths. When the tables were brought out and the mead-horns were passed around, I stood up, raised my horn, and said to the farmer:"

"'You wouldn’t eat with us. You can't refuse half of my beer. I'm drinking this to your health.'"

"Then I drank half of the hornful and sent the rest over the fire to the farmer. He took it and smiled, saying:"

"'Since it's for my health, I’ll drink it. I thought all this work tonight would be the end of me.'"

"'Oh, don't worry about that!' I laughed, 'because a dead man doesn't set any tables.'"

"So we drank and everyone got happier. Finally, I stood up and said:

"I enjoy this little bit of your hospitality, friend farmer. I've decided to take more of it."

"My guys roared with laughter."

"'Come on,' they shouted, 'thank him for that, farmer. Have you ever had such an important guest before?'"

"I continued on:[35]

"'Now there's no fun in having guests unless they keep you company and make you happy. So I’m making this rule: my men will never leave you alone. Hakon will be your constant companion, friend farmer. He won't leave your side day or night, whether you’re working, playing, or sleeping. Leif and Grim will be just as friendly to your two sons.'"

"I named nine other people and said:

"'And these will follow your servants in the same way. Now, am I not being careful to make your time enjoyable?'"

"So I put guards over everyone in that house. Not once all that winter did they step out of our sight. So no stories reached the neighbors. Besides, it was a quiet place, and by good fortune, no one came by. Oh! that was easy living."

"Well, after we had been there for a long time, Hakon came into the feast one night and said:

"I heard a cuckoo today!"

"'It's the call to go viking,' I said.[36]

"All my men covered their mouths and shouted. Their eyes sparkled with excitement. Big Thorleif stood up and stretched."

"'I'm stiff from sitting for too long,' he said. 'I need to fight.'"

"I turned to the farmer."

"This is our last meal with you," I said.

"'Well,' he laughed, 'this has been the busiest winter I've ever had, and the most fun. Wishing you all the best!'

"'By Odin's beard!' I exclaimed; 'you took our joke like a champ.'

"My guys pounded the table with their fists."

"'By Thor's hammer!' shouted Grim. 'This is no cheap coward. He’s a man worthy of carrying my drinking horn, the horn of a sea raider and a warrior. Here, friend, take it,' and he pushed it into the farmer's hand. 'May you drink in peace from it for many years. And with it, I give you a name, Sif the Friendly. I hope to drink with you someday in Valhalla.'"

"Then all my men gathered around that[37] farmer, patted him on the shoulder, and overwhelmed him with things, saying:"

"'Here is a ring for Sif the Friendly.'"

"Here’s a bracelet."

"'A sword wouldn't be embarrassed to hang at your side.'"

"I took five beautiful gold bracelets from our treasure chest and gave them to him."

"The old man's eyes widened at all this, and at the same time, he laughed."

"'May Odin send me such guests every winter!' he said."

"Early the next morning, we shook hands with our host and boarded the 'Waverunner' before setting off."

"'Where should we go?' my guys asked.

"'Let the gods decide,' I said, and threw up my spear."

"When it fell on the deck, it pointed toward the shore, so I steered in that direction. That's the best way to decide, since the spear will always point somewhere, and one option is just as good as another. That time, it led us right into your father's ships. They closed in battle with us, killed[38] my men, sunk my ship, and took me as a prisoner. They were three against one, or they might have faced something much worse at our hands. They brought me before King Halfdan."

"'Here,' they said, 'is a troublemaker who has been attacking our shores. We sank his ship and crew, but we brought him to you.'"

"'A robber viking?' said the king, scowling at me.

I tossed my head back and laughed.

"'Yes. And with all your fingers, it took you a year to catch me.'"

"The king frowned angrily."

"'Saucy, too?' he said. 'Well, thieves have to face the consequences. Take him out, Thorkel, and let him feel the edge of your sword.'"

"Your mom, the queen, was right there. She put her hand on his arm, smiled, and said:

"'He's just a kid. Let him be. And wouldn't he make a great present for our baby?'"

"Your dad thought for a moment, then looked at your mom and smiled."

"'Soft heart!' he said softly to her; then to Thorkel, 'Alright, let him go, Thorkel!'[39]

"Then he turned to me again, frowning."

"'But, young sharp-tongue, now that we’ve caught you, we’ll put you in a trap you can't escape. Weld an iron collar around his neck.'"

"So I lived and now I'm your servant. Well, that's the luck of war. But by Odin's throne, I kept my promise!"

"Yes!" shouted Harald, jumping to his feet. "And had a joke to boot. Ah! someday I'll make a bold promise like that."

[40]

At another time, Harald said:

"Tell me about a fight, Olaf. I want to hear about the sound of swords clashing."

Olaf's eyes were fiery.

"I'll tell you about our battle with King Havard," he said.

"One dark night, we arrived at a farm. We left our 'Waverunner' in the water with three guys to keep an eye on it. The rest of us went into the house. The farmer greeted us at the door, but he was killed by Thorkel's sword. We locked the others in their beds.[5] We barred the doors at both ends of the hallway from the inside so no one could catch us off guard. We were busy searching through the cupboards and celebrating our good fortune. But suddenly, we heard a shout outside:

'Thor and Havard!'

Then there was a loud banging at the doors.[41]

"'He has two hundred fighters with him,' said Grim; 'because we saw his ships last night. Thirty against two hundred! We’ll all be drinking in Valhalla tonight.'"

"'Well,' I shouted, 'Odin won't have an unwilling guest in me.'"

"'Not in me,' cried Hakon."

"'Not in me,' shouted Thorkel."

"And that shout spread everywhere, and we pulled out our swords and grabbed our shields."

"'We've got some tough work coming up,' said Hakon. 'Plus, we can't leave any of this mead for Havard. Help out, someone.'"

"Then he and another took out a big tub that was sitting on the floor of the cupboard."

"'I'm drinking to Valhalla tonight,' shouted Thorkel the Thirsty, and he plunged his horn deep into the tub.

"When he mentioned it, his sleeve was soaked, and the sweet mead was spilling out of the horn."

"'Sloven!' shouted Hakon, and he punched Thorkel, knocking him into the cupboard.[42]

He slammed against the wooden wall at the back, and a carved panel swung open behind him. He dropped down headfirst. In a minute, he poked his head out of the hole again. We all stood staring.

"I think it’s a secret passage,” he said.

"'We'll give it a shot,' I replied softly. 'Throw dirt on the fire. It needs to be dark.'"

"So we dug up dirt from the ground and covered the fire. All this time there was a loud shouting and banging at the doors, but they were made of heavy logs and held firm."

"I'll guard this door with four others," I said, pointing to the east end.

"Right away, four men came to my side."

"'And I will watch the other,' Hakon said, and four followed him.

"'The rest of you, down the hole!' I said. 'Close the door behind you. If we're lucky, we'll meet at the ships. Now Thor and our good swords, help us! Hurry! The doors are breaking down.'"

"So we ten men stood at the doors[43] and held back the king's soldiers. It was dark in the room, and the people outside couldn't tell how many were inside. Few were keen to be the first to enter."

"'Thirty swords are waiting in there to take down the first man,' we heard someone say."

"We laughed at that."

"But the king stood right in the doorway and fought. Our five swords held him back for a long time, but eventually he pushed through, and his men rushed in after him. We backed away and hid behind some barrels in a dark corner. The king's men searched around, calling out, but they didn't find us. The room was filled with shouting, running, and the sound of clashing swords; in the chaos and noise, the men couldn't recognize their own soldiers. More than one fell victim to a friend's sword. When it became less crowded around the doorway, I whispered:

"'Follow me in a double line. We're heading to the ships. Stay close together.'"

"So that line of men, with swords swinging from both sides, rushed out[44] into the darkness. Swords swung at us, and we fought back. Men chased after us shouting, but our legs were as strong as theirs. Only Hakon, one other, and I made it to the ship. There we saw our 'Waverunner' with the sail up and the bow pointing to the open sea. We swam out to her and climbed aboard. Then the men adjusted the sail to catch the wind, and we set off. Just as we left, a spear flew through the air, and Hakon fell dead; the king and all his men were rushing to the shore."

"'Get them!' they were shouting."

"Then we heard the king call to the men in his boats out on the water:

'Row to shore and bring us in.'

"Thorkel was standing next to me. At that, he laughed and said:"

"'They don't answer. He only left a few people to guard his ships. They experienced our swords. Then we went on board, broke the oars, and tossed the sails into the water. It’s going to be a slow night for Havard.'"

[46] "Then he faced the shore and called out loudly:

"That was the end of our meeting with King Havard."

[47]

Every day, the boy Harald heard stories about war or the gods, until he could picture Thor riding through the storm clouds and hurling his hammer, until he understood that a brave man has many wounds, but never one on his back. Many nights he dreamed he entered Valhalla, and all the heroes stood up and cheered:

"Welcome! Harald Halfdanson!"

"Ah! The sting of the sword is sweeter than your mother's kiss," he said to Olaf one day. "When will I stand at the front of a dragon ship and enjoy the thrill of battle? I'm eager to see the world. Ivar the Far-goer tells me about the amazing places he's visited. Ah! We Vikings are extraordinary people. There isn't a body of water that hasn't brushed against our ships. This cape of mine came from a Viking boat in France. These cloak pins are from a distant land called Greece. In my father's house are[48] golden cups from Rome, far across the southern sea. Every land contributes valuable treasures to our collection. Ivar has been to a strange country where it's all sand and extremely hot. The locals call it Arabia. They've never heard of Thor or Odin. Ivar brought back beautiful striped fabric from there and amazing, fragrant waters. Oh! When will the white horses of the sea carry me away to new lands and glorious battles?"

But Harald did more than just listen to stories. Every morning, he got up at sunrise and went with a servant to feed the hunting dogs. Thorstein taught him to swim in the rough waters of the fjord. He often went hunting in the woods with the men and learned to ride a horse, shoot a bow, and throw a spear. Ivar taught him to play the harp and compose songs. He spent a lot of time at the blacksmith's shop, where the warriors repaired their helmets and forged their weapons from iron and bronze. At first, he just watched the men or worked the bellows, but soon he could handle the tongs and hold the red-hot iron, and after a long[49] time, he learned to use the hammer and shape metal. One day, he made himself a spearhead. It was two feet long and sharp on both edges. While the iron was hot, he hammered some runes into it. When the men in the smithy saw the runes, their eyes widened, and they looked at the boy, because few Norsemen could read.

"What does it say?" they asked.

"It’s the name of my spear-point, and it says, 'Enemies - beware,'" Harald said. "But now I need a handle."

It was winter and the snow was really deep. So Harald put on his skis and headed for a forest that was a bit inland. Down the mountains he went, sliding twenty, thirty feet at a time, jumping over gaps a hundred feet wide. In his red cloak, he looked like a burst of fire. The wind whipped past him, howling. His eyes sparkled with excitement.

"It feels like flying," he thought and laughed. "I’m an eagle. Now I'm soaring," as he jumped over a frozen river.

He noticed a slim ash tree growing on top of a tall rock.[50]

"That's the handle for 'Foes'-fear,'" he said.

The rock stood tall like a jagged tower, but he didn’t stop because of the steep climb. He kicked off his skis and shoved his hands and feet into the rock's crevices to pull himself up. He ripped his jacket, cut his leather pants, scratched his face, and bruised his hands, but in the end, he made it to the top. Soon he chopped down a tree and cut a straight pole ten feet long and as thick as his arm. He went down, sliding, jumping, and scraping himself on the sharp stones. With one last leap, he landed close to his skis. As he did, a lean wolf jumped out and snapped at him, growling. Harald shouted and swung his pole. The wolf dodged but quickly lunged again and clamped its sharp teeth around the boy's arm. Harald remembered the spear-point in his belt. In an instant, he had it out and was hitting the wolf with it. He drove it into the wolf's neck and tossed the creature back on the snow, lifeless.

"You are the first to experience the sting of 'Foes'-fear,'" he said, "but I believe you won't be the last."

[52]Then, without thinking about his injured arm, he put on his skis and jumped his way home. He headed straight to the blacksmith's shop, where he smoothed his pole and attached it to the spearhead. He crafted a gold band and placed it around the joint. He made nails with elegant heads and drove them into the pole at various spots.

"If it's heavy, it will hit hard," he said.

Then he tested the spear in his hand, found the balance point, and added another gold band there to mark it.

Thorstein walked in while he was working.

"A great spear," he said.

Then he saw the ripped sleeve and the red wound underneath.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Is this your first injury?"

"Oh, it's just a wolf scratch," Harald replied.

"By Thor!" Thorstein exclaimed, "I can see you're ready for tougher challenges. You're handling this like a true warrior."

"I don't think this will be my last," Harald said.

[53]

Now when Harald was ten years old, his father, King Halfdan, died. An old book that talks about Harald says that then "he was the biggest of all men, the strongest, and the fairest to look at." That's quite a description for a ten-year-old boy! But boys grew up fast back then because they spent all their time outside, running, swimming, jumping on skis, and hunting in the forest. All that helps to create big, strong boys.

So now King Halfdan was dead and buried, and Harald was set to become king. But first, he had to drink his father's funeral ale.

"Remove the colorful tapestries that are hanging in the dining hall," he instructed the servants. "Replace them with black and gray ones. Cover the floor with pine branches. Brew twenty barrels of fresh ale and mead. Clean every dish until it sparkles."

Then Harald sent messengers all over the country to his relatives and friends.

"Ask them to come back in three months to drink my father's funeral ale," he said. "Let them know that no one will leave empty-handed."

So in three months, men arrived on horseback at all hours. Some came by boat. But many had traveled long distances through mountains and swam across rivers; there were few roads or bridges in Norway. Because of that tough journey, no women attended the feast.

At nine o'clock at night, the feast started. The men walked in from the west end of the hall.[6] The large bonfires in the center of the room lit up everything. The fresh scent of the wood smoke and the pine branches on the floor was enjoyable for the guests. Long, backless benches lined each side of the hall, with space for three hundred men. In the center of each side stood the high seat, a large carved chair on a platform. Behind the benches hung black and gray draperies. Here were the shields of the guests; each man, when he took his place, would turn and hang his shield behind him and set his[55] tall spear next to it. So along each wall, there was a long line of colorful shields, red, green, and yellow, all shining with gold or bronze trimmings. Higher up, another row of gleaming spear points was visible. The rafters above the hall were carved and brightly painted, making it look like dragons were crawling across or eagles were swooping down.

The guests entered, laughing and chatting loudly, making the hall echo. They brightened the space with their scarlet, blue, and green outfits, golden bracelets, headbands, and sword scabbards, and their hair flew in shades of red and yellow.

Across the east end of the hall was a bench. When all the men were inside, the queen, Harald's mother, and the women who lived with her entered through the east door and took a seat on this bench.

Then the servants came rushing in and set up the long tables[7] before the benches. Other servants brought in large steaming pots of meat. They placed big chunks of[56] meat onto wooden platters and set them in front of the men. They had a few silver dishes. These were placed in front of the guests at the center of the tables, since the important people sat near the high seats.

When the meat was served, the conversation stopped; the Norsemen only ate twice a day, and these guys had been riding for a long time and were starving. Three or four people shared one platter and drank from the same large bowl of milk. They didn’t have forks, so they used their fingers to eat and tossed the bones under the table among the pine branches. Sometimes they pulled knives from their belts to cut the meat.

When the guests leaned back, feeling satisfied, Harald called to the servants:

"Set up the tables."

So they did and brought in two large tubs of mead, setting one at each end of the hall. Then the queen stood up and called for some of her ladies. They went to the mead tubs, took the horns after the servants filled them, and brought them to the men with a cheerful remark. Maybe one woman said as she handed a man his horn:[57]

"This horn can’t stand on its own. You have to drink it all at once."

Maybe someone else said:

Mead loves a cheerful face.

The women were stunning, moving around the hall. The queen wore a long blue velvet dress with flowing sleeves. She had a short apron made of striped Arabian silk with gold fringe along the bottom. A long scarlet wool train embroidered in gold draped from her shoulders. A white linen cloth covered her head. Her long blonde hair was pulled back at the sides and over her chest, secured under the belt of her apron. As she walked, her train rustled softly among the pine branches. She was tall, straight, and strong. Some of the younger women had no linen on their heads and their bare white arms sparkled with bracelets. They, too, were tall and strong.

All the time, guys were shouting to each other across the fire, asking for updates or sharing jokes and laughing.

An old man, Harald's uncle, sat in the high seat on the north side. That was[58] the place of honor. But the high seat on the south side was empty; that was the king's seat. Harald sat on the steps in front of it.

The party continued joyfully until well after midnight. Then the servants took some of the guests to the guest house to sleep, and others to the beds along the sides of the feast hall. But some men lay down on the benches and covered themselves with their cloaks.

On the next night, there was another feast. Harald was still sitting on the step in front of the high seat. But when the tables were cleared and the horns were being passed around, he stood up, raised a horn of ale high, and said loudly:

"This cup of memory I'm drinking in honor of my father, Halfdan, son of Gudrod, who is now in Valhalla. And I swear that I will crush my father's enemies beneath my heel."

Then he drank the ale and sat down in the king's high seat, while all the men stood up, raised their horns, and shouted:

"King Harald!"

And some shouted:

"That was a bold promise."

And Harald's uncle shouted:

"Cheers to King Harald!"

And they all had some.

Then a guy stood up and said:

"Hear my song of King Halfdan!" because this man was a poet.

"Yeah, the song!" yelled the guys, and Harald nodded.

So the poet took down his large harp from the wall behind him and walked over to stand in front of Harald. The bottom of the harp touched the floor, but the top reached up to the poet's shoulders. The brass frame glimmered in the light. The strings were made of both gold and silver. The man struck the strings with his hand and sang about King Halfdan, his battles, his strong arm and good sword, his death, and how much people loved him.

When he was done, King Harald took a bracelet off his arm and handed it to him, saying:

"Take this as a thank you for your great song."

The guests stayed the next day, and at night there was another feast. When[61] the mead horns were being passed around, King Harald stood up and spoke:

"I said that no one should leave without something from drinking my father's funeral ale."

He signaled to the attendants, and they brought in a large treasure chest and placed it beside the throne. King Harald opened it and pulled out lavish gifts—capes, sword belts, beautiful fabric, bracelets, and gold cloak pins. He distributed these around the hall, giving something to each man. The guests marveled at the extravagance of his gifts.

"This young king is generous," they said, "and has plenty of wealth."

After breakfast the next morning, the guests went outside and stood by their horses, ready to leave. But before they got on, servants brought a horn of mead to each man. This was called the stirrup-horn, because after they drank it, the men placed their feet in the stirrups and sprang onto their horses, setting off. King Harald and his entourage rode a short distance with them.

All the men said that it was the most extravagant funeral feast that had ever taken place.

[62]

Now King Halfdan had many enemies. When he was alive, they were scared to go to war against him because he was a powerful warrior. But when Harald became king, they said:

"He's just a kid. We'll fight him and take his land."

So they started getting ready. King Harald heard about this and laughed, saying:

"Good! 'Foes'-fear' is thirsty, and my legs are stiff from sitting so much."

He called three men over to him. To one of them, he handed an arrow, saying:

"Run and take this arrow north. Give it to the master of the next farm, and tell him that all men need to gather here within two weeks from today. They must come prepared for war and on horseback. Also, say that if a man ignores this call, or if he receives this arrow and doesn’t pass it on to his next neighbor, he will be outlawed from this country, and his land will be taken away."

He gave arrows to the other two men and told them to run south and east with the same message.

So throughout King Harald's country, people quickly got to work fixing helmets, shining swords, and making shields. The sound of forges burning and anvils ringing filled the land.

On the scheduled day, the fields around King Harald's house were packed with men and horses. After breakfast, a horn sounded. Everyone grabbed their weapons and hopped on their horses. Local men grouped together, led by their chief. They waited for the signal to start. This didn’t resemble our modern army. There were no uniforms. Some men wore helmets, while others did not. Some had on chainmail, but others wore just jackets and brightly colored tights. Each man carried a large shield on his left side. A sword belt slung over his right shoulder held a long sword in his left hand. Over most men’s heads, the tips of their tall spears glinted. Some men had axes at their belts. Others carried bows and arrows. Many wore ram's horns around their necks.

King Harald rode at the front of his army with his standard-bearer next to him. He was wearing chain mail that covered his body, and a red cloak was draped over his shoulders. On his head was a gold helmet topped with a dragon. He held a round shield on his left arm, which he had made himself. It was brass, with silver rivets that had oddly shaped heads. On the back of Harald's horse was a red cloth trimmed with ermine fur.

King Harald looked up at his banner and laughed out loud.

"Oh, War-lover," he exclaimed, "you and I are setting off on an exciting adventure."

A horn sounded again, and the army moved out. The men yelled as they marched and blew their ram's horns.

"Now we’re going to taste something even better than King Harald’s ale," shouted one.

Another rose in his stirrups and sniffed the air.[65]

"Ah! I can smell a battle," he exclaimed. "It's sweeter than those mysterious waters of Arabia."

So the army happily marched through the land. They had no tents and no supply wagons.

"The sky is a good enough shelter for a soldier," said the Norsemen. "Why carry supplies when they're right there in the farms next to you?"

After two days, King Harald spotted another army on the hills.

"Thorstein," he shouted, "raise the white shield and go tell King Haki to pick his battlefield. We'll only wait an hour. I'm ready for the fun."

So Thorstein lifted a white shield on his spear as a sign that he was on a peace mission. He rode close to King Haki, but he couldn’t wait until he got near before he shouted out his message and then turned and rode away.

"Tell your boy king that we won't hold back," Haki called after Thorstein.

King Harald's soldiers stood on the hillside and watched the opposing army across the valley. They saw King Haki signal[66], and twenty men rode off as he directed. They stopped in a grove of hazel trees and began chopping with their axes.

"They're getting the hazels," said Thorstein.

"Audun," King Harald said to a man beside him, "stick close to my banner all day. You need to witness the best of the battle. I want to hear a song about it once it’s over."

This Audun was the poet who performed at King Halfdan's funeral celebration.

King Haki's soldiers rode into the valley. They set up stakes all around a large field. They tied hazel branches to the stakes with string. But they left an open space facing King Harald's army and another toward King Haki's. Then a man raised a white shield and rode toward King Harald.

"We're ready!" he shouted.

At the same time, King Haki lifted a red shield. King Harald's men held their shields up to their mouths and shouted into them. It created a deafening battle cry.[67]

"Raise the war shield!" shouted King Harald. "Sound the horns!"

There was a blast of horns from both sides. The two armies charged into the field and collided. The battle had started.

All day long, swords were flashing, spears were flying, men were shouting, and men were falling from their horses, swords clashing against shields.

"Victory shines from that dragon," Harald's men said, pointing to the king's helmet. "No one can withstand it."

And, sure enough, before night fell, King Haki dropped dead from "Foes'-fear." When he fell, a loud cheer erupted from his warriors, and they turned and ran. King Harald's men pursued them for a while but returned to camp during the night. Many brought back swords, helmets, bracelets, or silver-trimmed saddles and bridles with them.

"Here’s what we got from the enemy," they said.

The next morning, King Harald talked to his men:

"Let’s go out and find our dead." [68]

[69]So they went over the entire battlefield. They placed each man on his shield, carried him, and laid him on a hilltop. They draped his sword over his shoulder and positioned his spear by his side. This is how they gathered all the dead together on the hilltop. Then King Harald said, looking around:

"This is a nice spot to rest. It overlooks the countryside. You can hear the sound of the sea from here. The wind blows freely. It's a fitting resting place for Norsemen and Vikings. But it’s a long and difficult journey to Valhalla that these men must undertake. Let each man’s closest relative come and put on his hell-shoes. Secure them tightly, because they'll need them on that tough path."

So friends put shoes on the dead men's feet. Then King Harald said:

"Let's build the mound now."

Every man got to work with whatever tools he had and piled earth over the dead until a large mound formed. They stacked stones on top. On one of these stones, King Harald carved runes explaining how these men had died.[70]

After that was done, King Harald said:

"Now set up the pole, Thorstein. Let everyone bring to that pole everything they took from the enemy."

So they did, and there was a huge mound of things around it. Harald sorted it into piles.

"This pile we will give to Thor to thank him for the victory," he said. "This pile is mine because I am the king. Here are the piles for the chiefs, and these items go to the other men in the army."

So every man left that battle richer than he was before, and Thor looked down from Valhalla at his grand temple and was pleased.

The next morning, King Harald brought his army back. But on the way, he encountered more enemies and fought many battles, without losing a single one. The kings either died in battle or fled, and Harald took their lands.

"He has kept his promise," the men said, "and crushed his father's enemies beneath his heel."

So King Harald sat in peace for a bit.

[71]

Now Harald heard men talking about Gyda, the daughter of King Eric.

"She's really beautiful," they said, "but she's also really proud. She can both read and create runes. No other woman in the world knows as much about herbs as she does. She can heal any illness. And she's proud of all of it!"

Now when King Harald heard that, he thought to himself:

"Beautiful and proud. I like both of them. I want her to be my wife."

So he called his uncle, Guthorm, and said:

"Bring valuable gifts and go to Gyda's foster-father[8] and tell him that I want to marry Gyda."

So Guthorm and his men arrived at the house and delivered the king's message to the foster-father. Gyda was nearby, weaving an elaborate cloak. She overheard the conversation. She approached them, holding her head high and curling her lip:

"I won’t waste my efforts on a king with so few subjects. Norway is a weird country. There’s a little king here and a little king there—hundreds of them spread out. In Denmark, though, there’s only one great king for the whole country. The same goes for Sweden. Is there really no one bold enough to claim all of Norway for themselves?"

She let out a derisive laugh and walked away. The men stood there, mouths agape, staring after her. Could it really be that she had sent that cheeky message to King Harald? They glanced at her foster-father. He was chuckling to himself and said nothing to them. They left the house in frustration. As they reached the door, Gyda approached them again and said:

"Pass this message to your King Harald for me: I won’t be his wife unless he brings all of Norway under his rule for my sake."

So Guthorm and his guys rode back home across the countryside. They didn’t talk. They were all lost in thought. Finally, one of them said:

"How are we going to deliver this message to the king?"

"I’ve been thinking about that," Guthorm said; "his anger is no joke."

It was late when they rode into the king's yard; they had ridden slowly, trying to come up with a way to soften the message, but they hadn’t thought of anything.

"I see light through the wind's eyes of the feast hall," one said.

"Yeah, the king is having a feast," Guthorm said. "We need to deliver our message in front of all his guests."

So they entered with very heavy hearts. King Harald was sitting on the high seat. The benches on both sides were filled with men. The tables had been cleared away, and the mead-horns were being passed around.

"Oh, hey!" exclaimed King Harald. "Our messengers! What news?"

Then Guthorm said:

"This Gyda is a bold and sassy girl,[75] King Harald. I can’t seem to deliver her message."

The king stomped his foot.

"Spit it out!" he shouted. "What does she say?"

"She says that she won't marry such a small king," Guthorm replied.

Harald leaped to his feet, his face turning bright red. Guthorm reached out his hand.

"They're not my words, Your Majesty; they're the words of a foolish girl."

"Is there anything else?" the king yelled. "Keep going!"

"She said: 'There’s one king in Denmark and one king in Sweden. Is there no man brave enough to make himself king of all Norway? Tell King Harald that I won’t marry him unless he rules all of Norway for my sake.'"

The guests sat in silence, staring at Guthorm. Suddenly, the king burst into laughter.

"By Thor's hammer!" he exclaimed, "that's a great announcement. Thank you, Gyda. Did you all hear that? King[76] of all Norway! Honestly, we're all so foolish. Why didn't we think of that?"

Then he held his horn up high.

"Now hear my vow. I say that I will not cut my hair or comb it until I am king of all Norway. I will become king or I will die."

Then he downed the horn of mead, and as he drank, all the men in the hall stood up, waving their swords and cheering loudly. That old hall, in all its two hundred years of feasts, had never heard such a noise before.

"Ah, Harald!" Guthorm shouted, "I'm sure Thor in Valhalla smiled when he heard that promise."

The guys sat up all night chatting about that amazing promise.

On the very next day, King Harald sent out his war arrows. Soon, a large army was gathered. They marched through the land, north, south, east, and west, burning houses and fighting battles along the way. People fled in front of them, some seeking refuge with their own kings, while others retreated inland to hide in the deep woods. But some went to King Harald and said:[77]

"We'll be your team."

"Then take the oath, and I'll be your friend," he said.

The men removed their swords and set them aside, approaching the king one by one. They knelt before him, resting their heads between his knees and said:

"From this day forward, Harald Halfdanson, I am your man. I will serve you in battle. I will pay you taxes for my land. I will be loyal to you as my king."

Then Harald said:

"I am your king, and I will be loyal to you."

Many kings took that oath along with thousands of regular people. Out of all the battles that Harald fought, he didn’t lose a single one.

Now for a long time, the king's hair and beard hadn't been combed or cut. They stuck out around his head in a big, bushy mass of yellow. At a feast one day, when the jokes were flowing, Harald's uncle said:

"Harald, I’m going to give you a new name. From now on, you will be called Harald Shockhead. As part of this naming gift, I present you with this drinking horn." [78]

"It’s a great name," laughed all the men.

After that, everyone called him Harald Shockhead.

During these wars, whenever King Harald acquired a country for himself, this is what he did. He said:

"All the wetlands and forests where no one lives belong to me. Every man will pay me taxes for his land."

Over every country, he appointed a brave, wise person and called him Earl. He said to the earls:

"You will collect the taxes and give them to me. But you can keep some for yourselves. You must punish anyone who steals, murders, or does anything evil. When your people are in trouble, they can come to you, and you'll make things right. You need to maintain peace in the land. I won’t let my people be troubled by robbing vikings."

The earls did everything they could; they were strong men. The farmers were pleased. They said:[79]

"We can tend to our farms in peace now. Before King Harald arrived, there was always something going wrong. The Vikings would invade, stealing our gold and grain and burning our homes, or the king would summon us to fight. Those petty kings are always at war. It's much better under King Harald."

But the chiefs, who enjoyed fighting and going on raids, despised King Harald and his new ways. One of these chiefs was Solfi. He was a king's son. Harald had killed his father in battle. Solfi had been part of that battle. At the end, he escaped with two hundred men and boarded ships.

"We'll make that Shockhead smart," he said.

So they raided the coast of King Harald's land. They filled their ships with gold. They took food from others. They burned down farms as they went. The people called out to the earls for help. So the earls kept sending out their ships trying to catch Solfi, but he was too smart for them.

In the spring, he went to a king named Audbiorn and said to him:[80]

"Right now, we have two choices. We can become Shockhead Harald's followers, kneel before him, and submit to him. Or we can fight back. My father believed it was better to die in battle than to serve anyone. What do you say? Will you join my cousin Arnvid and me to stand against this young Shockhead?"

"Yes, I'll do it," said the king.

[81]

Many men felt like Solfi did. So when King Audbiorn and King Arnvid sent out their war arrows, a huge army gathered. All the men came by sea. Two hundred ships were anchored in the fjord, resembling strange swimming creatures because of their high carved prows and bright colors. There were red and gold dragons with long necks and curved tails. Sea horses leaped out of the water. Green and gold snakes coiled up. Sea hawks perched with their wings spread, ready to fly. And among all these curved necks stood the tall, straight masts with the long yardarms swinging across them, holding up the furled sails.

When the starting horn sounded and their sails were lowered, it was like the unfurling of hundreds of vibrant flags. Some were striped black and yellow or blue and gold. Some were white with a black raven or a brown bear stitched onto them, or blue with a white sea hawk, [82] or black with a gold sun. Some were trimmed with fur. As the wind filled the bright sails and the ships set off, the men waved to the women on the shore and sang:

In the front, men were leaning forward and enjoying the salty air. Some were chatting about King Harald.

"Yesterday he had a tough battle," they said. "Today he will be lying still, tending to his wounds and fixing his ships. We'll catch him off guard."

They sailed close to shore. Solfi in his "Sea-hawk" was in the lead, guiding them. Suddenly, the men saw his sail shift and his oars come out. He had swiftly turned his boat around and was rowing back. He got close to King Arnvid and shouted:[83]

"He’s up ahead. His boats are lined up for battle. The fox hasn’t been sleeping."

King Arnvid blew his horn. Slowly, his boats lined up with his "Sea-stag" in the center. He blew his horn again. Cables were thrown across from one prow to another, tying all the ships together so their sides touched. Then the men set their sails again, and they moved past a strip of land into a wide fjord. There lay the long line of King Harald's ships, their fierce heads grinning and mocking the newcomers. Behind those prows was what looked like a long wall with patches of green, red, blue, yellow, and shining gold. It was the locked shields of the men at the bows, and fierce blue eyes stared out over each shield. Higher up and further back was another wall of shields; on the half deck at the stern of every ship stood the captain with his shield-guard of a dozen men.

Arnvid's crew had rolled up their sails and were taking down the masts, but the[84] ships were still drifting with the wind. The horn sounded, and immediately every man jumped to his position at the front and back. They all leaned forward with gritted teeth and flaring nostrils. They gripped their bare swords tightly in their hands. Their intense eyes peered over their shields.

Soon King Arnvid's ships collided with Harald's line, and right away the men in the bows started swinging their swords at each other. The soldiers of the shield-guard on the upper decks began throwing darts and stones and shooting arrows at the ships across from them.

So on every ship, showers of stones and arrows were raining down, and many men either died from them or suffered broken arms or legs. Spears were thrown from deck to deck, with many of them piercing deep into men's bodies. On every bow, men swung their swords at the enemies on the opposing ship. Some jumped onto the edge to get closer or dangled from the front. A few even jumped into the enemy's boat.

King Harald's ship was lined up bow to bow with King Arnvid's. The battle had been going on for an hour. King Harald was still at the back on the deck. His helmet had a dent from where a big stone had hit it. There was a cut on his shoulder from a spear. But he was still fighting and laughed as he battled.

"Wolf meets wolf today," he said. "But things are going badly in the prow," he shouted. "Ivar has fallen, Thorstein is wounded, and a dozen men are lying at the bottom of the boat!"

He jumped down from the deck and ran along the edge, shouting as he went:

"Harald and victory!"

So he came to the front and stood, swinging his sword as quickly as he breathed. Every time it connected with one of Arnvid's men. Harald's own warriors cheered, seeing him.

"Harald and victory!" they shouted, and got back to work with enthusiasm.

Slowly, King Arnvid's men retreated before Harald's sharp sword. Then, Harald's men threw a large hook into that boat, pulling it alongside while continuing to push King Arnvid's forces back.[86]

"Come on! Follow me!" shouted Harald.

Then he jumped into King Arnvid's boat, and his warriors followed him.

"He comes like a crazy wolf," King Arnvid's men said, and they turned and ran back below deck.

Then Arnvid jumped down and stood with his sword raised.

"Can this young Shockhead make cowards out of all of you?" he shouted.

But Harald's sword hit him, and he collapsed dead. Then a huge, bloody Viking from King Arnvid jumped onto the edge of the ship and stood there. He raised his drinking horn and sword high in his hands.

"Ran[9] and not you, Shockhead, will have them or me!" he shouted, then jumped into the water laughing and drowned.

Many other warriors chose the same fate on that terrible day.

All along the line of boats, men fought for hours. In some areas, the cables had been cut, causing the boats to drift apart. Ships were scattered, pairing off to battle. Many boats sank, countless men[88] died, some escaped in their ships, and in the end, King Harald emerged victorious. He gained control over King Arnvid's territory and King Audbiorn's land. Many men pledged their loyalty and became his allies. Everyone was talking about his incredible battles.

[89]

It had taken King Harald ten years to fight so many battles. And all that time he had not cut his hair or combed it. Now he was feasting one day at an earl's house. Many people were there.

"How's it going, friends?" Harald asked. "Did I stay true to my promise?"

His friends replied:

"You've kept your promise. There's no king but you in all of Norway."

"Then I think I'll cut my hair," the king laughed.

So he went and took a shower and put on clean clothes. Then the earl trimmed his hair and beard, styled them, and placed a gold band around his head. Then he looked at him and said:

"It’s beautiful, smooth, and yellow."

And everyone marveled at the beauty of the king's hair.

"I'll give you a new name," the earl said. "You won't be called[90] Shockhead anymore. You'll be called Harald Hairfair."

"It’s a great name," everyone shouted.

Then Harald said:

"But I have something else to do now. Guthorm, you will take the same message to Gyda that you gave ten years ago."

So Guthorm went and brought back this response from Gyda:

"I will marry the king of all Norway."

So when the wedding day arrived, Harald rode across the country to Gyda's father, Eric's house. Many men accompanied him. They were all dressed lavishly in velvet and gold.

For three nights, they celebrated at Eric's house. The following night, Gyda sat on the cross-bench with her women. A long veil of white linen covered her face and head, falling to the ground. After the mead-horns were brought in, Eric stood up from his high seat, went down, and stood before King Harald.

"Are you going to marry Gyda now?" he asked.

[92]Harald sprang up and burst out laughing.

"Yeah," he said. "I've waited long enough."

Then he got off his high seat and stood next to Eric. They walked around the hall. In front of them walked servants carrying candles. Behind them followed many of King Harald's great earls. They walked around the hall three times. On the third round, they stopped in front of the cross-bench. King Harald and Eric stepped up onto the platform where the cross-bench was.

Eric gave a sacred hammer to Harald, and it resembled Thor's hammer. Harald placed it on Gyda's lap, saying:

"With this sacred hammer of Thor, I, Harald, King of Norway, take you, Gyda, to be my wife."

Then he took a bunch of keys and tied it to Gyda's belt, saying:

"This is the sign that you are the lady of my house."

After that, Eric yelled:

"Now, Harald, King of Norway, and Gyda, daughter of Eric, are husband and wife."[93]

Then the servants brought meat and drinks in golden dishes. They were just about to serve it to Gyda for the bride's feast, but Harald took the dish from them and said:

"No, I will take care of my bride."

So he knelt and held the platter. When he did that, his men shouted. Then they talked among themselves, saying:

"Harald definitely never kneels. It's always other people who kneel to him."

When the bride had tasted the food and brought the mead-horn to her lips, she got up and walked out of the hall. All her women followed her, but the men stayed and enjoyed the feast for a long time.

On the next morning at breakfast, Gyda sat next to Harald. Before long, the king stood up and said:

"Father-in-law, our horses are ready in the yard. I have work waiting for me at home and on the sea. Please bring out the bride."

So Eric took Gyda by the hand and led her out of the hall. Harald followed closely. When they passed through the door, Eric said:[94]

"With this hand, I lead my daughter out of my house and give her to you, Harald, son of Halfdan, to be your wife. May all the gods make you happy!"

Harald took his bride to the horse, helped her up, and positioned her behind his saddle, saying:

"Now this Gyda is my wife."

Then they drank from the stirrup cup and rode away.

"Everything comes to King Harald," his men said; "wife, land, crown, and victory in battle. He is a lucky guy."

[95]

Now many men hated King Harald. Many a man said:

"Why should he be made king over all of us? He’s no better than I am. Am I not a king’s son just like he is? And aren’t many of us king’s sons? I won’t kneel before him and vow to serve him. I won’t pay him taxes. I won’t have his earl ruling over me. The good old days are gone. This Norway has turned into a prison. I’ll leave and find somewhere else."

So hundreds of men sailed away. Some went to France, got land, and settled there. Big Rolf and all his men sailed up the great French River and fought a battle against the French king himself. The only way to stop the swinging of his battle-axes was to give him what he wanted. So the king made Rolf a duke, granted him vast lands, and gave him the king's own daughter for[96] wife. Rolf named his territory Normandy, after old Norway. He ruled it well and was a great lord, and his sons' descendants after him became kings of England.

Other Norsemen traveled to Ireland, England, and Scotland. They pulled their boats up on the riverbanks. The locals fled from them and gathered into large armies that marched back to confront the Vikings in battle. Sometimes the Norsemen lost, but more often they won, allowing them to claim land and settle in those countries. Their houses stood in these unfamiliar lands like military camps, and the Norsemen walked among their new neighbors with swords and spears in hand, always prepared to fight.

There are many islands north of Scotland. They are called the Orkneys and the Shetlands. They have plenty of good harbors for ships. They are small, rocky, and lack trees. Wild sea birds scream around them. On some of them, a person can stand in the middle and see the ocean all around. Now the Vikings sailed to these islands and were pleased.

[98] "It feels like we're always in a boat," they said. "This will be our home."

So it went on until all the surrounding lands were filled with Vikings. Norse carved and painted houses brightened the hillsides. Viking ships sailed across all the seas and docked in every river. Norsemen's thralls tilled the land, planted crops, and looked after cattle, while gold poured into their masters' treasure chests. Norse warriors roamed the land, and no one dared to oppose them.

These men never forgot Norway. In the summers, they sailed back there and raided the coast. They brought gold, grain, and beautiful fabrics back to their homes. In Norway, they left behind burning houses and crying women.

Every summer, King Harald would set out with his ships and men to hunt these Vikings. There are many small islands around Norway, filled with cliffs, caves, and dense forests. This is where the Vikings would hide when they saw King Harald's ships approaching. But Harald would navigate his boat into every creek and fjord, searching in every cave and throughout all the woods and[99] among the cliffs. He captured many men, but most managed to escape and went home, laughing at Harald. Then they would return the next summer and do the same things all over again. Eventually, King Harald said:

"There’s only one thing to do. I have to sail to these western islands and take down these thieves in their own territory."

So he set out with a large fleet of ships. He found just as many brave men as he had brought from Norway. These Vikings had brought their old courage to their new homes. King Harald's impressive ships were marked by Viking stones and burned by Viking fire. The shields of Harald's warriors bore dents from Viking blows. Many of those men carried Viking scars for the rest of their lives. And many of King Harald's warriors walked the long, tough path to Valhalla, where they feasted with some of the very Vikings who had fallen in King Harald's battles. But after many fierce fights on land and sea, after many had died and many others had fled to different lands, King Harald emerged victorious. He made the remaining men in the islands take an oath and left his earls to govern them. Then he returned to Norway.

"He's done more than he promised," people said. "Not only has he beaten the Vikings, but he's also obtained a new kingdom across the sea."

Then they talked about the dream that his mom had.

"King Harald was like that great tree," they said. "The trunk was stained red with the blood from his many battles, but higher up, the branches were lush and green, representing this good time of peace. The topmost branches were white because Harald will live to be an old man. Just as that tree extended until all of Norway was under its shade, and even beyond, so Harald is king of this entire land and the western islands. The many branches of that tree symbolize the many sons of Harald, who will become earls and kings in Norway, along with their sons after them, for hundreds of years."

[101]

[103]

Guys had been eating in Ingolf's house. But there was no laughter and no joking around. Ingolf sat in his high seat, looking serious and downcast. His head hung low. He was staring into the fire. Now he lifted his head and looked around the hall.

"Friends," he said, "what should we do? Herstein and Holmstein died by our hands. Their relatives are eager to kill us. Plus, when Harald finds out what we've done, there won't be a safe place in Norway for us. He will never allow anyone to settle a fair fight. Where can we go?"

A man got up from the bench.

"We have friends in the Shetlands," he said. "Let's find homes there."

Then Leif, sitting in the high seat across from Ingolf, stood up.

"No, not the Shetlands, my foster-brother.[10] They are already overcrowded.[104] Besides, Harald won't be able to resist them for long. Then they'll be no better than Norway. England, Ireland, and Scotland are old news. I'm craving something new. What about that distant island that Floki discovered? It’s deserted. We could pick our land from the whole place. There's great fishing. There are green valleys. And Butter Thorolf says that butter falls from every plant. There are mountains and deserts where we can seek adventure. I say, let’s head for Iceland!"

When he stopped, a lot of the guys yelled:

"Yes! Iceland!"

But an old man got up.

"We've all chuckled at that story of Butter Thorolf's," he said. "But Floki himself mentioned that the waters around the island are packed with ice that presses against the land, that no ship can survive in those waters during the winter, and that huge ice mountains cover the island. Didn't all his cattle die there from hunger and cold, and didn't he return to Norway cursing Iceland?"[105]

"Oh, Sighvat, you're old and scared," Leif shouted, and he laughed.

Then he straightened up and tilted his head back.

"Are we afraid of ice? Haven't we seen angry waters before? I’ve been hungry, but I've never died from it. If there are fish in the sea and grass in the valleys, we can definitely thrive there. I want to stand on a hill, look over a vast land, and think, 'This belongs to us,' and gaze out at the rough sea, imagining, 'Our enemies are out there, but they won’t dare to come here.' Plus, we won’t have Shockhead Harald bossing us around. We can come and go, feast and fight as we wish. We will be our own kings. Our ships will always be ready to take us away when we’re tired of it all. We’ll see things that others have never seen. I’m done with the old stuff. Maybe one day, people will sing about 'those foster-brothers, Ingolf and Leif, who created a new country in a magnificent land, and whose sons and grandsons became powerful men in Iceland!'"[106]

Ingolf jumped up from his chair.

"By the mighty strength of Thor!" he shouted, "I love the way that sounds. Now I make my promise."

He raised his drink.

"I promise that I will find this Iceland and spend the winter there, and if people can live on it, I will return and make it my home."

"And I promise that I will follow my foster-brother," shouted Leif.

And many men promised to go.

So the next day, they started preparing a boat. They examined it closely, resealed every seam, painted it fresh, equipped it with their strongest oars, and made a new sail for it.

"This is going to be the longest trip she's ever taken," Ingolf said.

When the work was finished, they loaded her up with plenty of supplies: axes, hammers, fishing nets, cooking pots, barrels of ale, crates of hard bread, crates of smoked meat, brass pots full of flour, and skin bottles of water. They packed these items into the ends of the ship. Once they were ready, they also added four heads of cattle.[107]

"We'll need the milk and maybe the meat," Ingolf said.

Many men wanted to go, but Ingolf had said:

"There isn't much space left, and there's not enough food and drink. I've been planning for half a year. But maybe we’ll need to sail for longer than that. Our food might not last. We can't have extra people to feed. There are thirty oars on our boat. I’ll only take one person for each oar, and Leif and I will steer."

So they set off. Leif stood at the front, leaning forward and looking far ahead, and he sang:

They sailed for days and saw no land. Sometimes they passed other ships and always made sure to sail close enough to shout at them.

"Where are you headed?" Ingolf would call.

"To Norway," would come back the answer.[108]

"For trade or fight?" Leif would shout.

Then a loud laugh would echo from that boat, followed by this response:

"A closed mouth is a good friend."

So the two ships continued sailing, and the crew was happy to have exchanged greetings and to have called out to one another.

But finally, there were the Shetlands.

"We'll go in here and take a break," Ingolf said.

When they rowed to shore, a local Shetland man was standing there. He watched them arrive and took a good look at all of them. Then he approached Ingolf and said:

"You look like courageous men. Welcome to Shetland. Come to my house and rest your legs from the journey by ship, and fill your stomachs. I'm eager for news from Norway."

So they went to his house and stayed there for three days. It felt good to be near a fire, in a comfortable bed, and in front of a hot meal. When they headed to the shore to leave again, the Shetland man had his servants carry a keg of ale and a large pot of cooked meat and load them onto the ship.[109]

"Think of me when you eat this," he said.

Then the Norsemen set out to sea again and sailed for a long time.

One day, a terrible storm rolled in; the sky was dark; the wind howled through the ship. Huge waves crashed in the sea.

"Down with the sail and out with the oars!" Ingolf yelled.

So the men rolled up the sail, took down the mast, and laid it along the bottom of the boat. While they were working, one man was swept overboard and drowned. The men sat down to row, but the choppy waves tossed the boat around, dousing it with water and breaking three of the oars. But the men kept at it. They were soaked to the skin and cold, their arms and legs ached from the hard work, and they were hungry from the long wait, but not one face showed any fear.

"Ran, in her caves beneath the sea, wants us for company tonight," Ingolf laughed.

So they tossed around all night, but by morning the wind calmed down. Huge waves still crashed, and for days the sea[110] remained choppy, but they could raise the sail. Then one day, Leif, sitting in the pilot's seat, jumped to his feet and sang:

But when they got close, they saw no place to land. The island was like a mountain of rock rising out of the water. The sides were steep and smooth. They sailed around it, but found no spot to climb up.

"There are lots of other islands here," Leif said. "We'll try another one."

So he navigated to another. It was also a steep rock, but one side sloped down to the water and was covered in green grass.

"Oh, I haven't seen anything as beautiful as that green grass since I looked into my mom's face," one man said.

There was a small harbor there. The men rowed in and quickly jumped out, placed the rollers under the ship, and pulled[111] her onto the shore. Then they threw themselves down on the grass, rolled around, stretched their arms, and shouted with joy. After that, they built a fire to warm themselves, cooked a meal, and ate like wolves. They slept there that night.

In the morning, before Ingolf's men set off, they were standing up on the hillside, looking around. They didn’t see any houses on any of the islands, but they did see smoke rising from one hillside.

"Some other men, like us, tired of the sea and taking a break," said Ingolf.

They spotted the island they had sailed around the night before.

"There has to be nothing but birds' nests up there," Sighvat said.

"Look!" shouted another, pointing.

Men were standing on the flat top of that island. They were lowering a boat down the steep side using ropes. When it hit the water, they secured a rope to the rock, slid down into the boat, and sailed away.

"Some robbing Vikings from Scotland or Ireland," laughed Leif. "It's a great spot to hide treasure."[112]

Soon Ingolf and his crew boarded their ship and set off. Old Sighvat complained.

"Is this land not new enough, empty enough, and far enough? I’m tired of sea, sea, sea, and nothing else."

"We're heading to Iceland," said Ingolf, "and I won't stop until I get there. I have a promise to keep. Didn't you make one, Sighvat?"

Then they were back on the water for weeks with no land in sight.

"Oh! I would give my right hand to see a dragon splashing in the water over there and to shout a word to its crew," Sighvat said.

"No chance of that," replied Ingolf. "Only three dragons before ours have ever crossed this water, and people aren't sailing this way for fun or wealth."

So only the empty sea stretched around them. Sometimes it was calm and sparkling under the sun. Often it was choppy from the winds, and a gray sky loomed above it, drenching the men with rain. Once they entered a fog. For three days and nights, they couldn’t see the sun or stars to navigate by. They lost track of which way was north. When the fog[113] finally cleared after three days, they realized they had been going the wrong way and had to turn around and travel all that exhausting distance again. But finally, one afternoon, they spotted a white cloud resting on the water far off. As they sailed toward it, it transformed into long stretches of black, hilly shore with a blue ice mountain rising from it. The sun was setting behind that mountain, and long lines of pink and shiny green, along with deep purple shadows, streaked across the blue sky.

"It's Iceland!" shouted the guys.

"It’s like Asgard the Shining," Ingolf said.

But it was still quite a distance away. You can see far out there because the air is so clear. So Ingolf and his crew sailed for hours and finally reached a harbor. A small green valley rose up from it. On one side was the shining ice mountain. Behind it were bare black and red hills. In that valley, Ingolf and his men pulled up their boat and set up camp. At dinner that night, one of the men said:

"I almost feel like I've never experienced warmth or had hot food in my mouth before."[114]

The guys laughed.

"It’s been four months since we left Norway," Ingolf said. "Not many men have been at sea for this long."

That night, they set up the awning on the boat and slept beneath it.

After that, some guys went fishing every day in their rowboat. Ingolf took others with him, and they sailed along the shore to explore what kind of land this was. But winter started to set in. Then Ingolf said:

"Remember what Floki said about the ice and the rough sea in winter. Soon we won’t be able to sail anymore. Let’s pick a spot to settle down, build a hut there, and cut hay for our cattle."

So they did. Their hut was a small, shabby structure made of stones and grass. They kept the cattle and hay in it. Sometimes they would sleep there when it was really cold. But most of the time, they ate and slept by a big bonfire outside where it was nice and clean. Leif said:

"I prefer the fresh sea air over the stuffy air of a house, even if it's warm."[115]

Now every day, Ingolf, Leif, and some of the men explored the island. At night, they all gathered around the campfire and talked about what they had seen during the day.

"This is definitely a beautiful land,” Ingolf said once. “It’s at the same time like Niflheim and like Asgard. Here’s a place that’s green and soft, a sweet cradle for people. Next to it is a mountain of ice where people would freeze to death. And next to that is a rocky hill that looks like it came out of a great fire. Yesterday I saw a cave by the seashore. The entrance was big enough for a giant. The waves crashed at the doorstep. A terrible roaring came from inside the cave. I think it’s the home of a giant. I believe that fire giants and frost giants created this island. I’ve seen big basins in the rocks filled with warm water. They looked like giant bathtubs. I’ve watched boiling water shoot up from the ground. I’ve walked and felt a deep rumbling beneath me as though some giant was sleeping there and rolling over in his sleep. One day[116] I stood on a mountain and looked inland. There was a wide desert of sand and black and red rock with nothing growing on it. The fierce wind blew dirt into my eyes, and its coldness froze the marrow in my bones. After seeing these things, I cursed the country and said, ‘The gods hate Iceland. I won’t stay here.’ But then I walked through beautiful warm valleys where the winds didn’t blow. I remembered the flowers we found last summer. I pictured our cattle grazing on the sweet grass. I thought of the sea full of good fish. I saw my house built among green fields, my wife at home, and my children playing among the flowers, making up stories about the bright ice mountains. I saw the wide, rough seas between me and Harald and our enemies. Then I thought to myself, ‘It is the sweetest home on earth.’ As for me, I’m coming here to live. What do you think, guys?”

"Didn't I promise to follow you, foster-brother?" Leif said. "And honestly, I've never seen a place I like better.[117] I don't believe in your giants. My sword is my god, and my ship is my temple, and I want to set them up in this land."

They sat around the fire for a long time that night making plans.

"You should go home and gather our women and our belongings, Ingolf," said Leif. "I'm heading off to Ireland for some fun. There won't be much swordplay in this desolate place, and I want one last adventure before I put away my battle knife. Plus, I'll return to you with a ship full of gold, clothes, and home furnishings that we can't get here, and it'll only cost me a few swings of my sword."

As they talked, Ingolf looked up at the sky. The northern lights were shimmering up there. They resembled huge flames of yellow, green, and red.

"Look," he said, pointing. "We're not so far away that the gods will forget us. There’s a glint of the Valkyries’ armor.[11] A battle is happening somewhere, and Odin has sent his maidens to select the heroes for Valhalla."

Leif just laughed and went to sleep.[118]

So in the spring, they all returned to Norway. Leif got the boat ready again and happily set sail for Ireland.

"Here I go to find wealth for our new land," he said.

Ingolf had his crew cutting down pines in the forest and others working on a new ship. He had his laborers plant big grain crops, grind flour, and create new kegs and wooden chests. He spent a lot of time at the forge, crafting all sorts of tools—spades, axes, hammers, hunting knives, and cooking pots. The women were busy weaving and sewing new clothes. Ingolf sold his house, land, and anything else he couldn’t take with him.

After about two years, Leif returned. He had ten thralls he got in Ireland. He brought Ingolf onto his ship and lifted the lids of large chests. Gold helmets, silver-trimmed drinking horns, embroidered robes, and swords sparkled inside.

"Did I not say that I would come back with a full ship?" he chuckled.

At last, everything was ready to go.[119]

"Today I will make a sacrifice to Thor and Odin," Ingolf said. "If the signs are favorable, we'll start tomorrow."

"Alright, go ahead, foster-brother," laughed Leif. "But I have more important things to take care of. I'm going to load the cattle onto the ship and get everything ready."

So Ingolf and his men ventured a bit into the forests. In a clearing, they found a large building. In front of this temple, the men sacrificed two horses for Odin. Ingolf caught some of the blood in a brass bowl. He raised it, looked up at the sky, and said:

"All-knowing and all-father Odin, and Thor who loves the thunder, I offer these horses to you. Let me know if you wish for us to go to Iceland."

As he said that, a raven flew overhead. Ingolf stared at it.

"It’s Odin’s will that we go," he said. "He sent his raven[12] to tell us. It’s flying straight toward Iceland."

The guys cheered with excitement at that.

Now they hung some of the horse meat on a tree near the temple.

"For the ravens of Odin," they said.[120]

Ingolf brought the bowl of blood into the temple. He passed through the banquet hall at the front and entered a small room at the back. There, wooden statues of the gods were arranged in a semicircle. In front of them was a stone altar. Ingolf picked up a small brush made of twigs that was lying on it, dipped it in the blood, and sprinkled the statues.

"You will experience our sacrifice," he said. "Please look favorably upon us from your joyful seats in Asgard."

Then they entered the feast hall. There, servants were boiling horse meat in pots over the fire. The tables were set up in front of the benches. Ingolf walked to the high seat. Everyone else took their places on the benches. When the horns were passed around, Ingolf made this vow:

"I promise that I will build my home wherever these pillars take me."

He placed his hand on a tall post next to the high seat. There was one on each side. They were the front posts of the chair and reached almost to the ceiling. They were beautifully carved and painted with figures of men and dragons. On the top of each post was a small statue of Thor holding his hammer.

At the end of the feast, Ingolf had his servants dig up these pillars. He had a small bronze box filled with the soil that was beneath the altar.

"I'll take the pillars of my throne to Iceland," he said, "and I'll set up my altar there on the land of Norway, the land that all my ancestors have walked on, the land that Thor loves."

So they loaded the pillars, the chest of earth, and the statues of the gods onto Ingolf's boat.

"It’s a tightly packed ship," the men said. "There’s no room to spare."

Tools, food supplies, drink containers, clothing bins, and fishing nets were packed into the front of both boats. The bottom held some long, heavy, cut logs.

"The trees in Iceland are small," Ingolf said. "We need to take the large beams for our homes with us."

Standing on these logs were a few cattle, sheep, horses, and pigs.[122] The rowers' benches were along the sides. At the back of each boat was a small cabin where the women and children would sleep. The men would sleep on the planks in the middle of the boat, and they might sometimes set up the awning.

At last everyone was on board. The men untied the rope that held the boats. The ships slid down the ramp into the water, and Ingolf and Leif set off for Iceland. As they sailed away, everyone turned back to look at the shore of old Norway. There were tears in the women's eyes. Helga, Leif's wife, sang:

There was the same long journey with storms and fog. But finally, the people saw the white cloud again, and it became clear that it was land and mountains. Then[123] Ingolf took the supports of his high seat and tossed them overboard.

"Lead them to a safe place, Thor!" he shouted.

The waves picked them up and tossed them around. Ingolf followed them with his ship. But soon a storm blew in. The men had to lower the sails and masts, and they couldn’t do anything with their oars. The two ships were tossed around in the sea wherever the waves took them. The pillars drifted away, and Ingolf lost sight of them.

"Remember your pillars, Thor!" he shouted.

Then he saw that Leif's ship was being pushed far away.

"Ah, my foster-brother," he thought, "won't you be here to lift my spirits in this desolate place? O Thor, please don’t let him end up in the caves of Ran! He’s too good of a man for that."

On the next day, the storm was calmer, and Ingolf docked at a nice harbor. A high rocky point jutted out into the sea. There was a wide bay with islands at its entrance. Behind the rocky point[124] was a flat green area with ice mountains glistening in the distance.

After a day or two, Ingolf said:

"I'll go look for my pillars."

So he and a few men got into the rowboat and went along the shore and into all the inlets, but they couldn't find the pillars. After a week, they came back, and Ingolf said:

"I'll build a house here to live in while I search for the posts. This arrangement is uncomfortable for the women."

So he did. Then he went out again to look for the pillars, but he had no better luck and came back.

"I need to stay home and take care of making hay and drying fish," he said. "Winter is coming, and we can't be left without food."

So he stayed and worked and sent two of his servants to look for the holy posts. They returned every week or two and always had to report that they hadn’t found them. Midwinter was approaching.

"Ah!" Ingolf's wife said one day, "do you remember the festive feast we had[126] during Yule? All our friends were there. The house was filled with song and laughter. Our tables were overflowing with delicious food. The walls were decorated with cheerful drapes. The floor was fresh with sweet-smelling pine branches. Now look at this dreary house; its dirt floor, its bare stone walls, its smallness, its gloom! Look at our long faces. No one here could sing if they wanted to. Oh! I miss dear old Norway."

"It's Thor's fault," Ingolf shouted. "He won't let me find his posts."

He walked out of the house and stood frowning at the gray ocean.

"Ah, foster-brother!" he said. "It was never this gloomy when you were with me. Where are you now? Will I never hear your cheerful laugh again? That spot on my palm is burning, and my heart aches to see you. That patch of grass keeps appearing in front of my eyes. Our promises keep echoing in my ears."

At last, the long, dreary winter came to an end, and spring arrived.

"Cheer up, good wife," Ingolf said. "Better days are on the way now."[127]

But that same day the workers came back from searching for the posts.

"We have bad news," they said. "As we walked along the shore looking for the pillars, we saw a man lying on the beach. We approached him. He was dead. It was Leif. Two solidly built houses stood nearby. We went to them. We could tell from the carvings on the doorposts that they belonged to Leif. We entered. The rooms were empty. Along the shore and in the woods behind the house, we found all of his men, dead. There was nothing alive around."

Ingolf didn't say a word, but his face was pale, and his mouth was tight. He went into the house, grabbed his spears and shield, and said to his men:

"Follow me."

They loaded supplies onto the boat and set off, sailing until they spotted Leif's houses along the harbor's shore. There, they discovered Leif and his friends, dead. Their swords and spears were missing. Ingolf walked through the houses, calling for Helga and the servants, but got no response.[128] The storehouse was empty. The beautiful hangings were stripped from the walls of the houses. There was nothing left in the stables. The boat was gone.

Ingolf went outside and stood on a high piece of land that stuck out into the water. Far down the coast, he saw some small islands. He turned to his men and said:

"The slaves have done it. I think we'll find them on those islands."

Then he returned to Leif and stood there, looking at him.

"What a shame for such a brave man to fall at the hands of slaves! But I've found that these things always happen to those who don't honor the gods. Ah, Leif! I never imagined when we made those brotherly vows that this would happen. But don't worry. I remember my promise. I had thought a man's blood is valuable in this barren land, but my vow is even more valuable."

Now they gathered all those men together and laced up their boots.

"I need my sword for your sake, foster-brother. I can't give you that. But you[129] will have my spears and my drinking horn," said Ingolf. "Surely Odin has chosen you for Valhalla, even though you didn't make a sacrifice. You're too good a man to end up in Niflheim. You would bring joy to Valhalla."

So Ingolf placed his spears and his drinking horn next to Leif. Then the men built a large mound over all the dead. After that, they boarded their boat and sailed for the islands that Ingolf had spotted. It was evening when they arrived.

"I see smoke coming from that one," Ingolf said, pointing.

He headed towards it. It was a steep rock like the ones in the Faroes, but they found a harbor, landed, and climbed the steep hill until they reached the top. They saw ten thralls gathered around a bonfire eating. Helga and the other women from Leif’s house sat nearby, huddled together, pale and scared. One of the thralls let out a loud laugh and shouted:

"This is better than pulling Leif's plow. Tomorrow we will sail for Ireland with all his wealth."[130]

"Tomorrow you will be freezing in Niflheim," shouted Ingolf, and he jumped among them swinging his sword, and all his men followed him, and they killed those thralls.

Then Ingolf turned to Helga. She jumped into his arms and cried. After a while, she shared this story with him:

"When spring arrived, Leif decided that he would plant wheat. He had only one ox left, as the others had died over the winter. So he had the thralls help pull the plow. I noticed their sour expressions and felt uneasy, but Leif just laughed:

"'What else can servants expect?' he said. 'Don't worry about them, dear wife.'"

"Now one day soon after that, the servants came running to the house, calling out:"

"The ox is dead! The ox is dead!"

"Leif asked them about it. They said that a bear had come out of the woods and killed it, and that they had scared the beast away. They pointed out where it had gone. Then Leif called his men and said:[131]

"'A hunt! I didn't expect to have such great fun here. Ah, we're going to have a feast on that bear!'"

"So they grabbed their spears and headed into the woods. As soon as they left, the thralls ran into the house, took down all the swords and shields from the wall, and rushed out. Somehow, they encountered my lord and his men in the woods and killed them. Then they returned, took everything in the house, and dragged us to the boat, setting sail here."

"O my brother!" said Ingolf, "where is that song about 'those two foster-brothers, Ingolf and Leif, who created a new country in a fabulous land, and whose sons and grandsons are powerful men in Iceland'? But come home with me, Helga."

So they took the women, Leif's belongings, and Leif's boat and sailed home. The day after they arrived at Ingolf's house, Helga said:

"We’ve expanded your family, brother Ingolf. Won’t you take Leif’s two houses and live in them? He doesn’t need them right now. He’d like you to have them."

"It would be nice to live there," Ingolf said. "Thank you."

So the next day, they loaded everything onto the two ships and sailed to Leif's house. They stayed there for a year. Ingolf still sent his servants out to search for the pillars. He was always careful to have hay, so his cattle thrived. That spring, he planted wheat, but it didn’t grow well.

"This is terrible stuff," Ingolf said. "It takes too much time and effort. It's better to save the land for hay. Maybe we can go back to Norway for flour sometime."

At last one day the servants came home and said:

"We've found the pillars."

Ingolf jumped up. He yelled:

"You’ve made me wait three years, Thor. But once my house and temple are built, I’ll sacrifice three horses to you as a thank-you gift."

"It’s a long way off, master," the[133] thralls said, "and we’ve found much better places during our walks around the island."

"Thor knows best," Ingolf replied. "I'll settle wherever he guides me."

So that summer, they packed everything back onto the ships and sailed west along the coast until they reached the spot with the pillars. The land was flat and green. Low hills flanked both sides. A small lake sparkled back from the shore. In the valley, there were hot springs with steam rising from them.

"It looks like smoke," the men said. "It's pretty strange to see hot water and smoke coming out of the ground."

In front of this green land was a nice harbor with islands in it. Far out over the sea to the north shone a huge ice mountain.

"I like this place," Ingolf said. "I’ll make this land my own."

So he made fires at the mouth of the river nearby and stood by them, calling out loudly:

"I have placed my fire at the mouths of these rivers. All the land that they drain[134] is mine, and no one shall claim it but me. I will name this place Reykjavik."[13]

Then Ingolf built his banquet hall. He carved the beams and doorframes himself. Brightly painted dragons leaned out from the doors and stood proudly from the gables. Men and animals battled on the doorframes. For the doors, he forged large iron hinges. Their ends curved and spread across the door. Close to his banquet hall, he also built a warehouse, a kitchen, a blacksmith shop, a stable, and a retreat for the women.

"We don't need a guest room," he said. "Who would our guests be?"

He covered all his buildings with grass. This made them look like green hills with colorful carved and painted walls underneath. He also built a temple, which had beautiful carvings. In this temple, he placed the statues that used to be in his old temple. He also put up the pillars from his high seat that had been floating around for a long time. Under them, he laid the soil from Norway that he had brought in a small bronze chest.[135]

"I've kept my promise, Thor!" he shouted.

Then he sacrificed three horses that he had promised to Thor. After that was done, he said:

"Here's a great spot for some fun. Let's play some of the old games we used to enjoy at home. Who wants to wrestle with me?"

So they wrestled, raced, and swam in the water. The women sat and watched.

"Oh, this is great to see!" Helga exclaimed. "We're as cheerful as we used to be in old Norway."

But it wasn't long before Ingolf said:

"I hope to someday see sails in that harbor. I want to think, 'Around this point of land is another farm, and across the bay is another. I can go there when I feel really lonely.' I wish I could be invited to a feast sometimes. I long to hear the joyful, clanging sounds of weapons in action. It's a great land, but we've been completely alone for four years.[136] I'm craving new faces and news from Norway."

One night, while he and his men gathered around the long fire in the feast hall, a servant threw a large piece of wood onto the fire. It was marked with dull paint and showed fragments of carving.

"Look," said Ingolf, pointing at it, "look at what’s left of a good ship’s bow! What lands have you seen, O dragon's head? What battles have you fought? What was your master’s name? Where did the storm catch you? Maybe he was on his way to Iceland, friends. Wouldn’t it have been nice to see his sail, shake his hand, and welcome him to Iceland? But instead, he’s in Ran's caves, and only his broken bow has washed up here."

Now, it wasn't long after that when one of the guys came running into the banquet hall, shouting:

"A sail! A sail in the harbor!"

All those men shouted without saying a word, as if their hearts had jumped into their throats. They got up and ran to the shore, standing there[138] with eager eyes. When the men reached the land, those Icelanders patted them on the shoulders, and tears streamed down their faces. For a long time, all they could say was "Welcome! Welcome!"

But after some time, Ingolf took them to the feast hall and arranged for a feast to be prepared right away. While the servants were busy, the men gathered and chatted. There had never been such noise in that hall before.

"We've already started our fires and claimed our land a bit up the shore," the leader said. "People in Norway talk a lot about Ingolf and Leif, and they wonder what happened to them."

Then Ingolf told them everything that had happened in Iceland; and then he inquired about Norway.

"Ah! things are getting worse," the newcomers said. "Harald is getting stronger every day. A person can’t even draw a sword now unless it’s for the king. We came here to escape him. A lot of people are discussing Iceland. Soon, the sea route between here and Norway will be filled with dragons."[139]

And that's how it went. Ships also arrived from Ireland, the Shetlands, and the Orkneys.

"Harald has come from across the sea," the men of these ships said, "and has taken control of the islands and placed his earls in charge. They are no longer a place for free men."

So by the time Ingolf became an old man, Iceland was no longer a barren land. Every valley was dotted with vibrant feast halls and temples. Horses and cattle grazed on the hillsides. Smoke rose from kitchens and blacksmith shops. Colorful ships sailed the waters, taking Icelandic cloth, wool, fish, oil, and soft bird feathers to Norway to sell, and bringing back wood, flour, and grain.

When Ingolf died, his men pulled the boat he had arrived in up onto the shore. They painted it anew and added fresh gold, making it shine like a dragon with its head held high, watching over the water. Old Sighvat picked up a massive stone and carried it to the side of the ship. With all his strength, he[140] hurled it into the bottom. The wood splintered.

"If this ship leaves here," he said, "then I don't know how to anchor a ship. It's Ingolf's grave."

Then the men laid Ingolf on his shield and carried him, placing him on the high deck at the back near the pilot's seat where he used to steer to Iceland. They hung his sword over his shoulder, laid his spear by his side, and put his mead-horn in his hand. They brought a large treasure chest filled with beautiful clothes, bracelets, and headbands onto the ship. Next to the treasure chest, they stacked many swords, spears, and shields. They put gold-trimmed saddles and bridles on three horses, then killed the horses and dragged them into the ship. They also killed hunting dogs and placed them by the horses because they said:

"Ingolf will need all these things in Valhalla. When he steps through the door of that feast hall, Odin must recognize that a rich and brave man is coming. When he fights alongside those heroes during the[141] day, he needs weapons that are worthy of him. He should have dogs for hunting. When he feasts with those heroes at night, he must wear fine clothes so that the other guests will know he was a wealthy and generous man, and that his friends loved him."

Ingolf's son put on his snowshoes for the long journey.

"If these shoes come untied," he said, "I don't know how to tie hell-shoes."

Then he got off the ship and stood on the ground with his family. All the men of Iceland were there.

"This is an amazing sight," they said. "No ship has ever carried a more valuable cargo. Inside and out, the boat shines with gold and bronze, and above his wealth lies the great Ingolf, ready to take the wheel and lead to Valhalla, where all the heroes will rise up and greet him with cheers."

Then the workers piled a mound of earth over the ship. This hill stood out against the sky and seemed to say: "Here lies a great man." Sighvat placed a stone on top, inscribing it with runes to mark whose grave it was. All this time, a poet stood by, playing his harp and singing about when Ingolf arrived in Iceland. He referred to him as the father of Iceland. People in that country still read an old tale written by the men of that long-ago time about Ingolf, and they admire him because he was a brave man and "the first to come to Iceland."

[143]

It was a spring day many years after Ingolf died. All the freemen in the west of Iceland had come together for a meeting. They made laws and punished people for wrongdoings. The meeting was over now. Men were strolling across the plain and chatting. Everyone seemed very excited. Voices were raised, and arms were gesturing.

"It was an unfair decision," someone shouted. "Eric killed those men in a fair fight. The judges turned against him because they were scared. His opponent Thorgest has a lot of rich and influential people supporting him."

"No, no!" said another. "Eric is a terrible guy. I'm glad he's out of Iceland."

Just then, a large man with bushy red hair and a beard walked through the crowd. He stared straight ahead and frowned.

"There he goes," people said, turning to look after him.[144]

"His hands are as red as his beard," some people said, frowning.

But others looked at him and smiled, saying:

"He walks like Thor the Brave."

"His story would make a great song," one said. "As strong and brave and fiery as Thor! Always getting into fights. A man from many places—Norway, northern Iceland, western Iceland, those small islands off the coast of Iceland. Banned from all of them because of his arguments. Where will he go now, I wonder?"

This Eric walked down to the shore with his men behind him.

"He's in a really bad mood," they said. "We'd better not talk to him."

So they prepared the boat in silence. Eric took the pilot's seat, and they set off. Before long, they brought the ship to their shore. Eric walked into his house and called for dinner. Once the drinking horns were filled and emptied, Eric stood up, smiled, and shouted so that his loud voice filled the great room:[146]

"There’s no friend like mead. It always lifts a man’s spirits."

Then laughter and chatting started in the hall because Eric was in a good mood again. After a bit, Eric said:

"Well, I need to head out somewhere. I've been tossed around from place to place, like a seabird caught in a storm. And there’s always a storm around me. It’s my sword’s fault. She’s always itching to break her peace-bands[14] and get into action. She’s shut Norway off from me and now Iceland. Where will you go next, old friend?" He pulled out his sword, looked at it, and smiled as the fire reflected off it.

"There are some of us who will follow you wherever you go, Eric," shouted a man from across the fire.

"Is that true?" Eric exclaimed, jumping up. "Oh! Then we’re going to have some fun times ahead. Who’s coming with me?"

More than half the guys in the hall jumped up and waved their drinking horns, shouting:

"I! I!"

[148]Eric took a seat in his chair and chuckled.

"O you ruthless birds of battle!" he shouted. "Always eager for new fun! Our swords are bonded by blood, and we are brothers in adventure. Do you know what I’m planning to do?"

He jumped up, and his face lit up. Then he laughed as he looked at his crew.

"I see the answer shining in your eyes," he said, "that you'll do it even if it means going down to Niflheim and bringing up Hela, the pale queen of the dead."

His guys banged on the tables and yelled:

"Yes! Yes! Anywhere behind Eric!"

"But it's not Niflheim," Eric laughed. "Did you ever hear that story Gunnbiorn told? He was on his way to Iceland, but then the fog rolled in, and the wind caught him and blew him way off course. While he was drifting around, he saw a strange land rise up, white and shining, out of a blue sea. Giant ice ships sailed out from it to meet him. I plan to sail to that land."[149]

A huge cheer erupted that shook the rafters. Then the men sat down and discussed their plans. While they were talking, a stranger walked into the hall.

"I don’t have time to drink," he said. "I have a message from your friend Eyjolf. He says that Thorgest and all his men plan to come here and find you tonight. Eyjolf advises you to come to him, and he will hide you until you’re ready to leave; because he cares about you."

"Hunted like a wolf from one side of the world to the other!" Eric shouted in anger. "Can't they even let me finish one meal?"

Then he laughed.

"But if I approach my sport like a wolf, I must be hunted like one. So tonight, we’ll sleep in the woods around Eyjolf's house, friends, instead of in these comfortable beds. Well, we’ve done it before."

"And it's not a bad place," shouted some of the men.

"I’ve always preferred the stars over a smoky house fire," said one.

"Can any bad luck ruin your good[150] disposition?" laughed Eric. "But now we are leaving. Let everyone carry what they can."

So they quickly loaded up with clothes, gold, swords, spears, and food supplies. Eric led his wife Thorhild and their two young sons, Thorstein and Leif. Together, they climbed into the boat and headed to Eyjolf's farm. They stayed in his woods for a week or more, sometimes hiding in one of his secret caves when they knew Thorgest was nearby. Occasionally, Eyjolf would send a message and say:

"Thorgest is gone. Come over to my place for a feast."

All this time, they were preparing for the journey, fixing the ship and stocking it with supplies. News of Eric's plans spread, and people laughed and said:

"Isn't that just like Eric? What won’t he do?"

Some men liked the way it sounded, so they approached Eric and said:

"We will go with you to this unfamiliar place."[151]

So everyone was ready and they set off with Eric's family on board and the friends who had joined him. They brought horses and cattle with them, along with all sorts of tools and food.

"I’m not really sure where this land is," Eric said. "Gunnbiorn only mentioned that he sailed east when he got back to Iceland. So, I’ll head straight west. We’ll definitely find something. I’m also not sure how long we need to travel."

So they sailed that strange ocean, never imagining what could be ahead of them. They found no islands to rest on. They encountered thick fogs.

One day, while Eric was sitting in the pilot's seat, he said:

"I think I see one of Gunnbiorn's ice ships. Should we sail over and check out what kind of vessel it is?"

"Yes," yelled his men.

So they continued moving toward it.

"It sends out a cold breath," said one of the guys.

They all wrapped their coats around themselves.

"It’s a bigger boat than I’ve ever seen[152] before," said Eric. "The white mast is as tall as a hill."

"It must be giants that sail in it, frost giants," said another of the men.

But as they got closer, Eric suddenly burst out laughing and shouted:

"By Thor, that Gunnbiorn was a silly guy. Look! It's just a chunk of floating ice like we sometimes see off the coast of Iceland. It's not a ship, and there's no one on it."

His guys laughed, and one shouted to another and said:

"And you thought about frost giants!"

Then they sailed on for days and days. They encountered many of these icebergs. On one of them was a polar bear.

"Look, there's a weird pilot," Eric laughed.

"I've seen bears drifting to the north shore of Iceland," an old man said. "Maybe they come from the land we're about to discover."

One day, Eric said:

"I see a massive iceberg in the distance, bigger than any we've seen so far. Maybe that's our white land."

[154]But even as he said it, he felt his boat shifting under his control as he held onto the tiller. He pulled hard on the rudder, but he couldn’t steer the ship.

"What is this?" he shouted. "A powerful river is flowing through here. It's taking our ship away from this land. I can't fight it. Get the oars out!"

So with oars, sails, and a rudder, they struggled against the current, but it carried the boat along like a twig, and after a while, they put down their oars and just drifted.

"Luck has taken control," Eric laughed. "But this is as good a way as any."

Sometimes they were close enough to see the land, then they were swept out to sea and thought they would never see land again.

"Maybe this river will take us to a whirlpool and pull us under," the men said.

But finally, Eric felt the current pulling less strongly beneath his hand.

"Back to the oars!" he shouted.

So they struggled against the current and sailed out of it, heading toward the land.[155] But when they reached the shore, they found no place to land. Steep, dark walls rose abruptly from the sea. Nothing grew on them. When the men looked above the cliffs, they saw a long stretch of white cutting across the sky.

"It’s a land of ice," they said.

They continued sailing south, constantly searching for a spot to land.

"I’m fed up with this endless ocean," Thorhild grumbled, "but this land is even worse."

After a while, they started to notice small bays along the shore with little flat patches of green beside them. They landed in these spots, stretched out, warmed themselves, and ate.

"But these areas are only big enough for graves," the men said. "We can’t live here."

So they continued on. The weather was getting colder the whole time. Eric's people stayed bundled up in their cloaks and wore scarves around their heads.

"And it’s still summer!" Thorhild said. "What will it be like in winter?"

"We need to find a place to build a house[156] before winter sets in," said Eric. "We can't stay here and freeze."

So they picked a small spot surrounded by hills to block the wind. They built a house out of stones since there were plenty in that area. They lived there through the winter. The sea, far from the shore, froze over, making it look like a stretch of white land. The men went out on the ice to hunt polar bears and seals. They ate the meat and wore the skins to stay warm. The toughest part was finding fuel for the fire. No trees grew there. The men found a bit of driftwood along the shore, but it wasn’t enough. So they burned the bones and fat of the animals they hunted.

"It’s a disgusting smell," Thorhild said. "I haven’t left this shabby house in weeks. I’m fed up with the darkness, the smoke, and the cattle. And all the time, I hear loud noises, as if some giant is tearing this land apart."

"Come on, lighten up, good wife!" Eric laughed. "I sense better luck on the way."

Once Eric and his men climbed the[157] cliffs and returned to the heart of the land. When they got home, they had this news to share:

"It’s a land of ice, sparkling white. Nothing thrives here except for a few mosses. From a distance, it appears flat, but when you walk on it, there are large holes and cracks. We couldn’t see anything beyond that. It seems there’s only a thin strip of land around the edge of an island of ice."

The winter nights were super long. Sometimes the sun shone for an hour, sometimes for just a few minutes, and sometimes it didn’t come out at all for a week. The men hunted by the bright glow of the moon or the northern lights.

As it got warmer, the ice in the sea started to crack, shift, melt, and float away. Eric waited until there was a clear path in the water. Then he launched his boat, and they sailed south again. Finally, they found a spot that Eric liked.

"Here I'm going to build my house," he said.

So they did and lived there that summer and grazed their cattle and harvested hay for the winter and fished and hunted.[158]

Next spring, Eric said:

"The land stretches far north. I’m eager to know what’s up there."

Then they all got back in the boat and headed north.

"We can’t leave anyone here," Eric said. "We don’t know what could come between us. Maybe giants or dragons or strange men could come out of this inland ice and harm our people. We need to stick together."

Farther north, they only found the same empty, frozen land. So after some time, they sailed back home and settled there.

One spring, after they had been in that land for four years, Eric said:

"My eyes crave the sight of men and green fields again. I'm tired of seal, whale, and bear. My throat is dry for mead. This is a desolate, cold, and hungry land. I will go visit my friends in Iceland."

"And our swords are rusty from resting so long," said his men. "Maybe we can find some action for them in Iceland."

"Now I have a plan," Eric suddenly[159] said. "Wouldn't it be nice to see other banquet halls as we sail along the coast?"

"Oh! it would be a beautiful sight," his men said.

"Well," said Eric, "I’m going to try to bring some neighbors over from Iceland. Now we need a name for our land. How does Greenland sound?"

His guys laughed and said:

"It’s a really white Greenland, but people will like the sound of it. It’s better than Iceland."

So Eric and his crew sailed back and spent the winter with his friends.

"Ah! Eric, it’s great to hear your laugh again," they said.

Eric attended numerous feasts and met many people, and he often talked about his experiences in Greenland.

"The ocean is full of whales, seals, and big fish," he said. "The land has bears and reindeer. There are no people there. Come back with me and pick your land."

Many men said they would do it. Some men went because they thought it[160] would be a fun adventure to go to a new country. Some went because they were struggling in Iceland and thought:

"I can't be any worse off in Greenland, and maybe I'll even get rich there."

And some went because they loved Eric and wanted to live nearby.

So the next summer, thirty-five ships packed with people and cargo set out with Eric for Greenland. However, they encountered fierce storms, resulting in some ships being wrecked and men drowning. Others became discouraged by the brutal weather and the lengthy journey without any sight of land, so they returned to Iceland. Out of those thirty-five ships, only fifteen made it to Greenland.

"Only the bravest and luckiest guys come here," Eric said. "We'll have great neighbors."

Soon, other houses were built along the fjords.

"It feels nice to sail along the coast now," said Eric. "I see smoke coming from houses and ships along the shore, with friendly hands waving."

[161]

Now Eric had lived in Greenland for fifteen years. His sons Thorstein and Leif had grown up to be big, strong men. One spring, Leif said to his father:

"I've never been to Norway, our homeland. I really want to go there and meet the great figures and see the places that the poets sing about."

Eric replied:

"It’s good that you’re leaving. No one has truly lived until they’ve seen Norway."

So he helped Leif prepare a boat and sent him off. Leif sailed for months. He traveled past Iceland, the Faroes, and the Shetlands. He stopped at all these places and marveled at the new experiences. Everywhere he went, people welcomed him warmly because he was handsome and smart. Finally, he approached Norway. Then he stood up at the pilot's seat and sang loudly:[162]

For a while, he walked the land as if he were in a dream. He looked at everything around him and loved it all because it was Norway.

"I'll go to the king," he said.

He had never seen a king. There were no kings in Iceland or Greenland. So he went to the city where the king had his beautiful palace. The king's name was Olaf. He was a great-grandson of Harald Hairfair; Harald had been dead for a hundred years.

Now the king was going to host a feast at night, and Leif put on his most exquisite clothes to attend. He wore long blue wool tights and a short blue velvet jacket. He fastened his jacket with a gold belt. He had scarlet shoes with golden clasps. He draped a scarlet velvet cloak lined with seal fur around himself. His long sword peeked out from beneath his cloak. On his head, he wore a colorful knitted cap. Then he walked to the king's feast hall and entered through the door. It was a grand hall filled with richly dressed men. The fires illuminated many golden headbands and bracelets, and there were countless glittering swords and spears on the walls. The noise of chatter and laughter was so overwhelming that at first, Leif didn't know what to do. But eventually, he went and sat at the very end of the bench nearby.

As the feast continued, King Olaf sat in his high seat, looking around the hall. He noticed various people and spoke across the fire to many of them. He had sharp eyes and quickly spotted Leif in his distant seat.

"Over there is a notable man," he thought to himself. "He’s definitely worth getting to know. His face doesn’t belong to a fool. He carries himself like a leader."

He sent a servant and asked Leif to[164] come to him. So Leif walked down the long hallway and stood in front of the king.

"I’m happy to have you as a guest," the king said. "What’s your name and where are you from?"

"I’m Leif Ericsson, and I’ve traveled all the way from Greenland to see you and good old Norway."

"From Greenland!" said the king. "I don't often see someone from Greenland. Many travel to Norway to trade, but they rarely come to the king's hall. I would love to hear about your land. Come up and talk to me."

So Leif climbed the stairs to the high seat, sat next to the king, and chatted with him. When the feast ended, the king said:

"You'll stay at my court this winter, Leif Ericsson. You're a welcome guest."

So Leif stayed there that winter. When he left in the spring, the king gave him two thralls as a farewell gift.

"Let this gift express my love, Leif Ericsson," he said. "For your sake, I won’t forget Greenland."[165]

Leif sailed back again and had good luck until he was past Iceland. Then strong winds came from the north and tossed his ship around so the crew couldn’t do anything. They were blown south for days and days. They didn’t know where they were. Then they saw land, and Leif said:

"Surely luck has brought us to a new country. Let's go in and see what this place is like."

So he headed towards it. As they got closer, the men said:

"Look at the big trees and the soft, green shore. This has to be a better place than Greenland or Iceland."

When they landed, they threw themselves on the ground.

"I've never rested on a bed as soft as this grass," one said.

"Taller trees don't grow in Norway," said another.

"There’s no rock here like in Norway, but just rich black soil," Leif said. "I’ve never seen such fertile land before."

The guys were hungry and started to build a fire.[166]

"There’s no shortage of fuel here," they said.

They stayed in this country for many days and explored to see what was there. A German named Tyrker was with Leif. He was a short man with a high forehead and a small nose. His eyes were large and round. He had lived with Eric for many years and had taken care of Leif when he was a little kid. That’s why Leif loved him.

Now one day they had been wandering around, and everyone returned to camp at night except Tyrker. When Leif looked around at his friends, he said:

"Where's Tyrker?"

No one knew. Then Leif got angry.

"Is a man really worth so little in this barren land that you'd let one go?" he said. "Why didn't you stick together? Didn't you notice he was missing? Why didn't you go out to find him? Who knows what terrible thing could have happened to him in these vast forests?"

Then he turned and began searching for him. His men followed, quiet and ashamed. They hadn’t gone far when they saw Tyrker running towards them. He was laughing and talking to himself. Leif ran to him and embraced him, happy to see him.

"Why are you so late?" he asked. "Where have you been?"

But Tyrker, still smiling and nodding his head, replied in German. He pointed to the woods, laughed, and rolled his eyes. Leif asked his question again and placed his hand on Tyrker's shoulder as if he was going to shake him. Then Tyrker answered in the Icelandic language:

"I haven't traveled far, but I've discovered something amazing."

"What is it?" the men shouted.

"I found wild grapes growing," replied Tyrker, laughing, his eyes sparkling.

"It can't be," Leif said.

Grapes don't grow in Greenland, Iceland, or even Norway. So it seemed amazing to these Norsemen.[169]

"Can't I recognize grapes when I see them?" shouted Tyrker. "Didn't I grow up in Germany, where every hillside is filled with grapevines? Ah! it feels just like my old home."

"It’s amazing," Leif said. "I’ve heard travelers talk about seeing grapes grow, but I’ve never seen it myself. You’ll take us to see them early in the morning, Tyrker."

So in the morning, they went back into the woods and saw the grapes. They ate them.

"They're like food and drink," they shouted.

That day, Leif said:

"We spent most of the summer on the ocean. Winter will be here soon, and the sea around Greenland will freeze. We need to head back. I plan to bring some items from this land to show our people back home. We'll fill the rowboat with grapes and tow it behind us. We'll load the ship with logs from these huge trees. That will be a welcome cargo in Greenland, where we have neither trees nor vines. Now[170] half of you will gather grapes for the next few days, while the other half will cut timber."

So they did, and after a week, they set sail. The ship was loaded with lumber, and they towed the rowboat filled with grapes. As they looked back at the shore, Leif said:

"I'll call this country Wineland because of the grapes that grow there."

One of the guys jumped onto the side of the boat and leaned out, holding onto the sail, and sang:

Then all the men waved their hands to the shore and shouted loudly for that great land.

For the entire journey, they had nice weather and arrived at Eric's harbor before winter set in. Eric spotted the ship and rushed down to the shore. He embraced Leif and said:[171]

"Oh, my son, my tired eyes long to see you. I can't wait to hear about everything you've seen and done."

"Luck has been with me the whole time," said Leif. "Look at what I brought back."

The Greenlanders took a look.

"Lumber! Lumber!" they shouted. "Oh! it’s better than gold."

Then they saw the grapes and tasted them.

"Surely you must have raided Asgard," they said, licking their lips.

At the party that night, Eric said:

"Leif will sit in the honored seat."

So Leif sat in the high seat across from Eric. Everyone thought he was a good-looking and smart guy. He shared stories about the storm and Wineland.

"No one would ever need a coat there. The soil is richer than that of Norway. Grain grows wild, and you all saw the grapes we got from there. The forests are endless. The sea is full of fish."

The Greenlanders listened in awe to all of this. They turned and[172] talked to Leif's shipmates who were spread out among them.

Leif noticed two strangers, an old man sitting next to Eric and a young woman on the bench across from them. He turned to his brother Thorstein, who was sitting beside him.

"Who are these people?" he asked.

"Thorbiorn and his daughter Gudrid," Thorstein replied. "They arrived here this spring. I’ve never seen our father so happy about anything as he was to see Thorbiorn. They were friends before we left Iceland. When they saw each other again, they couldn't stop reminiscing about the old days. In the spring, Eric plans to give Thorbiorn a farm further up the fjord. It turns out that Thorbiorn comes from a good family that has been wealthy and prominent in Iceland for years. Thorbiorn himself was rich when our father knew him and was highly respected by everyone. But then misfortune struck, and he lost his wealth. This hit his pride hard. 'I won’t stay in Iceland and be a beggar,' he thought to himself. 'I won’t let people look at me and say, "He’s not what his father was." I will go to my friend Eric the Red in Greenland.'"

"Then he prepared a huge feast and invited all his friends. It was a banquet that hadn’t been seen in Iceland for years. Thorbiorn spent all his remaining wealth on it. He thought to himself, 'I will not go out in shame. People will remember my last feast.' After that, he set off and traveled to Greenland."

"Isn't Gudrid beautiful? And she's wise. I plan to marry her if her father allows it."

Now Leif settled in Greenland and became a prominent figure there. He was so busy and became so wealthy that he didn't consider going back to Wineland. But people couldn't forget his tale. Many nights, as men gathered around the long fires, they spoke of that amazing land and wished to see it.

[174]

One autumn, a year or two after Leif returned, Eric and his men saw two large ships arrive not far down the shore from their house.

"They look like trading ships," Eric said. "Let's go down to check them out."

"I'll go, too," Gudrid said. "Maybe they'll have nice fabrics and jewelry. It's been a long time since I've seen a new dress."

So they all went down and found two big trading ships in the water. There were a lot of men on the shore making a fire.

"Welcome to Greenland!" shouted Eric. "What are your names and where are you from?"

Then a tall, strong man stepped out from the group and walked up to Eric.

"I’m Thorfinn," he said, "a trader. I sailed this summer from Iceland with forty men and a ship full of goods. On[175] the sea, I ran into another ship from Iceland. The captain is Biarni. Come check out my goods."

So he paddled Eric and Gudrid out to his boat. Thorfinn opened his chests and showed Eric shiny swords, bracelets, axes, and farming tools. But before Gudrid, he laid out beautiful fabric, gold embroidery, and golden necklaces. As they admired the items, he shared stories about what was happening in Iceland and inquired about Greenland.

"We don't see things like this in this barren land," Gudrid said, as she stroked a beautiful dress made of purple velvet. "I envy the women of Iceland for their lovely clothes."

"There’s no need for that," Thorfinn said, "because this dress is yours, along with anything else from my chests that you want. Here’s a necklace that I hope you’ll accept. It didn’t have a more beautiful owner in Greece where I got it."

"You are a really generous trader," Gudrid said.

Then Thorfinn gave Eric a huge sword with a gold-studded scabbard. After a[176] while, he took them to Biarni's ship. He also gave them gifts. They all talked and laughed a lot while they were together.

"You guys are great," Eric said. "I invite both of you and all your men to stay at my place for the winter. You can store your stuff in my storage buildings."

"By my sword! That’s a generous offer," said Thorfinn. "As for me, I'm glad to accept."

Biarni and everyone else said the same thing. Thorfinn walked to the house with Eric and Gudrid, while the other men went to the boat sheds and pulled their boats underneath them.

Then Thorfinn took care of unloading and storing his stuff.

"Is this Gudrid your daughter?" he asked Eric one day.

"She is my son Thorstein's widow," Eric said. "He passed away the same winter they got married. Her father also died not long ago. So, Gudrid is living with me."

Now all that winter until Christmas time, Eric hosted a great feast every night.[177] Laughter filled his home all the time. Often at the feasts, the men would draw lots to see if they could sit on the cross-bench with the women. Sometimes, it was Thorfinn's turn to sit next to Gudrid. They would chat happily and drink together.

At last, Yule was approaching. Eric walked around the house feeling down. One day, Thorfinn placed his hand on Eric's shoulder and said:

"Something's bothering you, Eric. We've all noticed that you're not as lively as you used to be. Tell me what's going on."

"You've acted like true gentlemen in my home," Eric replied. "I'm honored to have you as my guests. Now, I'm embarrassed that you won’t find a place that matches your worth. I'm ashamed that when you leave, you'll have to say that you spent the worst Yule with Eric the Red in Greenland. Because my cabinets are bare."

"Oh, that's easy to fix," Thorfinn said. "No house can feed eighty men[178] for that long without feeling the impact. I've never seen such a generous host before. But I have flour, grain, and mead in my boat. You're welcome to all of it. All you need to do is open the doors of your own storehouses. It's just a little gift."

So Eric used those things, and there was never a happier holiday feast than in his house that winter.

When Yule was finished, Thorfinn said to Eric:

"Gudrid is a beautiful and smart woman. I want her to be my wife."

"You seem like a guy who's good enough for her," Eric said.

So that winter, Gudrid and Thorfinn got married and lived at Eric's house.

One day, Thorfinn said to Eric:

"I've heard a lot about this amazing Wineland since I got here. It seems to me that it's worth checking out more of it."

"My son Thorstein and I tried it once," Eric said. "It was the year after Leif returned. We set off with a good ship and happy hearts, but we drifted around all summer on the sea and got[179] nowhere. We were soaked by storms, weak from hunger and illness, and heartbroken over our bad luck."

"And yet," Thorfinn said, "maybe next time we'll have better weather. I've never seen a land as beautiful as this one seems to be."

Then he went to Leif and talked with him for a while. Leif explained the direction he had sailed to get home and described what the shores he passed looked like.

"I think I can find my way," Thorfinn said. "My heart urges me to give this a try."

He talked to Gudrid about it.

"Oh, yes!" she exclaimed. "Let’s go. It’s been a while since I felt a boat bouncing beneath me. I’m tired of sitting still. I want to enjoy the warm days, see the soft grass, the tall trees, and taste the grapes of this Wineland the Good."

Then he spoke with his men and with Biarni.

"We're ready," they all said. "We're just waiting for a leader."

"Let's go!" shouted Thorfinn.

So in the spring, they prepared their[180] two ships, loading them with supplies and a few cattle. Some of Eric's crew also got a boat ready, so three ships left Eric's harbor carrying one hundred and sixty men to Wineland. As they left, Gudrid stood on the deck and sang:

They sailed on and past the shores that Leif had mentioned. Whenever they spotted an interesting place, they sailed in, explored, and took a break there.

They had traveled far south, past many beautiful shores with forests, when Gudrid said one day:

"This is a stunning bay with a smooth, green field next to it, and the towering mountains in the distance. I would love to stay here for a while."

So they sailed in and pulled their ships up onto the shore. They set up the awnings on them.

"These will be our homes," Thorfinn said.[181]

They were odd-looking houses—brightly colored like dragons with cheerful backs resting on the yellow sand. Nearby, the Norsemen built fires and made their dinner. That night, they slept in the ships. In the morning, Gudrid said:

"I can't wait to see what's on the other side of that mountain."

So they all climbed it. When they stood at the top, they could see far across the land.

"There’s a lake that we need to check out," Thorfinn said.

"I'd love to sail around that bay," said Biarni, pointing.

"I’m going to walk up that valley over there," one of the men said.

And everyone found a place they wanted to visit. So that entire summer, they camped in that spot and explored the area, discovering new things. They hunted in the woods and caught rabbits, birds, and sometimes bears and deer. Every day, some men rowed out to the sea to fish. There was an island in the bay where thousands of birds nested. The men collected eggs there.[182]

"We have more to eat than we did in Greenland or Iceland," Thorfinn said, "and we don't need to work at all. It's all just fun."

Near the end of summer, Thorfinn talked to his friends.

"Have we seen everything here? Let's head to a new place. We haven't found any grapes yet."

Thorfinn, Biarni, and all their crew sailed south again. However, some of Eric's men took a different route in their boat. Years later, the Greenlanders learned that they had been shipwrecked and enslaved in Ireland.

After Thorfinn and Biarni had been sailing for many days, they finally reached a flat, green area. Surrounding them were hills, and there was a small lake nearby.

"What’s growing on those hillsides?" Thorfinn asked, shielding his eyes with his hand.

He and a few others ran up there. The people on shore heard them shout. Soon, they came running back with their hands full of something.

"Grapes! Grapes!" they were shouting.[183]

All those people sat down, ate the grapes, and then went up the hill to pick more.

"Now we’re definitely in Wineland," they said. "It’s as amazing as Leif's stories. We should definitely stick around for a while."

The very next day, they went into the woods and started cutting lumber. The huts they built were small. They had no windows, and in the doorways, the men hung their cloaks instead of using doors.

"We can spend so much time outside in this warm country," said Gudrid, "that we don't need fancy houses."

The huts were spread out everywhere, some by the lake, some along the harbor's edge, and some on the hill. Gudrid had said:

"I want to live by the lake where I can see the green woods and hear the sweet sounds of birds."

So Thorfinn built his cabin there.

As they gathered around the campfire one night, Biarni said:

"It’s odd that such a great land[184] is empty. I guess these are the first houses ever built in Wineland. It’s amazing to think we’re the only ones here in this vast land."

All winter long, there was no snow. The cattle grazed on the grass.

"Just imagine the freezing, harsh winters in Greenland!" Gudrid exclaimed. "Oh! this is truly the land of the sun."

In the beginning of that winter, Gudrid and Thorfinn had a baby son.

"A toast to the first Winelander!" the men yelled as they downed their wine; they had made it from Wineland grapes.

"Will he be the father of a great country, like Ingolf was?" Biarni thought.

Gudrid looked at her baby and smiled.

"You'll be as cheerful as this beautiful land, I hope," she said.

They named him Snorri. He grew quickly and soon crawled across the yellow sand, waddled among the grapevines, climbed into the boats, and learned to talk. The men referred to him as the "Wineland king."[185]

"I've never met a baby before," one of the men said.

"No," said another. "Swords are possessive. But when they're in their sheaths, we can do other things, even play with babies."

"I wonder if I've forgotten how to swing my sword in this quiet land," another man said.

One spring morning, when the men got up and left their huts to head to the fires for cooking, they noticed a lot of canoes in the harbor. Men were paddling toward the shore in them.

"What is this?" the Norsemen shouted to each other. "Where did they come from? Are they enemies? Who has ever seen boats like these before? The men’s faces are tan."

"Everyone, get your swords ready," shouted Thorfinn. "But don’t draw them until I say so. Let’s go face them."

So they went and stood on the shore. Soon, the men from the canoes landed and stood looking at the Norsemen. The strangers' skin was brown. Their faces were broad. Their hair was black. Their bodies were short. They wore leather[186] clothes. One man among them appeared to be the chief. He opened his hands towards the Norsemen.

"He’s showing us that he has no weapons," Biarni said. "He comes in peace."

Then Thorfinn showed his empty hands and asked:

"What do you need?"

The stranger said something, but the Norsemen couldn’t understand. It was some unfamiliar language. Then the chief pointed to one of the huts and walked toward it. He and his men walked all around it, touched the wood, went inside, and examined everything there—shovels, cloaks, and drinking horns. As they looked, they chatted among themselves. They visited all the other huts and checked out everything inside. One of them found a red cloak. He unfolded it and showed it to the others. They all gathered around, looked at it, felt it, and talked excitedly.

"They seem to like my cloak," Biarni said.

One of the strangers went down to[188] their canoes and soon returned with an armful of furs—fox skins, otter skins, beaver skins. The chief took some and held them out to Thorfinn and wrapped the cloak around him.

"He wants to make a deal," Thorfinn said. "Are you going to do it, Biarni?"

"Yeah," Biarni replied, and took the furs.

"If they want something red, I have a whole roll of red fabric that I’m willing to trade," one of the other guys said.

He went and got it. When the strangers saw it, they quickly held out more furs and seemed eager to trade. So Thorfinn cut the cloth into pieces and sold every scrap. When the strangers got it, they tied it around their heads and looked very pleased.

While this trading was happening and everyone was in a good mood, one of Thorfinn's bulls came charging out of the woods, bellowing, and headed straight for the crowd. When the strangers heard it and saw it, they dropped whatever they were holding and rushed to their canoes, paddling away as fast as they could.[189]

The Vikings laughed.

"We've lost our customers," Biarni said.

"Have they never seen a bull before?" laughed one of the men.

Now, after three weeks, the Norsemen saw canoes in the bay again. This time, it was filled with them; there were just so many. The people in them were all making a terrible noise.

"It’s a battle cry," Thorfinn said, raising a red shield. "They’re definitely twenty to our one, but we have to fight. Stand in a tight line and let them feel your swords."

Even as he spoke, a heavy shower of stones rained down on them. Some of the Norsemen were struck on the head and knocked over. Biarni suffered a broken arm. Still, the storm rushed in. The strangers had arrived and were charging toward the Norsemen. They hurled their stones with slingshots and shouted the whole time.

"Oh, this isn’t the kind of fighting for brave men!" Thorfinn shouted angrily.

The Norsemen's swords swung quickly,[190] and many of the outsiders fell to them, but more kept coming, hurling rocks and swinging stone axes. The terrifying screams and the bizarre actions of the savages scared the Norsemen.

"These aren’t guys," someone shouted.

Then those Norsemen who had never been scared of anything turned and ran. But when they reached the top of a steep hill, Thorfinn shouted:

"What are we doing? Should we die here in this empty land with no one to bury us? We're leaving our women."

Then one of the women ran out of the hut where they were hiding.

"Give me a sword!" she shouted. "I can push them back. Aren't Norsemen better than these savages?"

Then those warriors stopped, feeling ashamed, and stood up in front of the wild men and fought so fiercely that the strangers turned and ran to their canoes and paddled away.

"Oh, I'm glad they're gone!" Thorfinn said. "It was a nasty fight."

"Thor wouldn't have liked that battle," one said.[191]

"It wasn't a battle," another person said. "It was like trying to fight off an army of poisonous flies."

The Norsemen were all tired, bleeding, and hurting. They went to their huts and bandaged their wounds, with the women helping them. At dinner that night, they talked about the battle for a long time.

"I’m not staying here," Gudrid said. "Maybe those wild men have left to bring back more people and will return to kill us. Oh! they’re so hideous."

"Maybe brown faces are watching us now from behind the trees in the woods back there," Biarni said.

It was everyone's desire to go home. So after a few days, they sailed back to Greenland with nice weather the entire way. The folks at Eric's house were really happy to see them.

"We thought you were dead," they said.

"And I once thought that we would never leave Wineland alive," Thorfinn replied.

Then they told the whole story.[192]

"I wonder why I didn't have such bad luck," Leif said. "But you have a better load of cargo than I did."

He was looking at the bundles of fur and the barrels of wine.

"Yeah," said Thorfinn, "we've come back richer than when we left. But I won't go again for all the skins in the woods."

The next summer, Thorfinn took Gudrid, Snorri, and all his people and sailed back to Iceland, his home. He lived there until he died. People looked at him in amazement.

"That's the guy who went to Wineland and battled wild men," they said. "Snorri is his son. He is the first and last Winelander, because no one will ever go back there again. It'll be a desolate and forgotten land."

And so it went on for a long time. Some wise individuals wrote down the stories of those journeys and that land, and people read the tale and enjoyed it, but no one remembered where the place was. It all felt like a fairy tale. Much later, though, people began to read those stories with wide-open eyes and to wonder. They guessed and discussed among themselves, studied various lands, and read the story again and again. Eventually, they learned that Wineland was in America, on the eastern shore of the United States, and they called Snorri the first American, while erecting statues of Leif Ericsson, the first person to arrive in America.[15]

[194]

House. In the home of a wealthy Norseman, there were many buildings. The finest and largest was the big feast hall. Next to it was the bower, where the women worked, and the guest house, where visitors slept. In addition, there were storehouses, stables, workshops, a kitchen, and a sleeping house for thralls. All these buildings were made of sturdy, hewn logs, covered with tar to seal the cracks and protect the wood from rotting. The ends of the logs, the doorposts, and the peaks of the gables were carved into shapes of people and animals and painted in bright colors. These colorful buildings were closely grouped together, often arranged around the four sides of a square yard. That yard was a lively and inviting place, with people running from one bright building to another. Sometimes, a high fence with a single gate surrounded it all, with only the tall, carved peaks of the roofs visible from the outside.

Names. An old Norse story says: "Most men had two names in one, and thought it was likely to lead to a long life and good luck to have double names." Being named after a god was considered very lucky. Here are some of those double names along with their meanings: "Thorstein" means Thor's stone; "Thorkel" means Thor's fire; "Thorbiorn" means Thor's bear; "Gudbrand" means Gunnr's sword (Gunnr was one of the Valkyries[16]); "Gunnbiorn" means Gunnr's bear;[195] "Gudrid" means Gunnr's rider; "Gudrod" means Gunnr's land-clearer. (Most of the land in old Norway was covered with forests. When a man acquired new land, he had to clear off the trees.) In those days, a man did not have a family surname that belonged to everyone in his family. Sometimes there were two or three men with the same name in a neighborhood, which caused confusion. People thought of two ways to make it easier to differentiate between them. Each was given a nickname. Suppose both were named Haki. One would be called Haki the Black because he had black hair, while the other would be Haki the Ship-chested because of his broad and strong chest. These nicknames were often given just for fun. Most men had them, like Eric the Red, Leif the Lucky, Harald Hairfair, Rolf Go-afoot. The other way of distinguishing one Haki from the other was by mentioning his father's name. One would be Haki, Eric's son, and the other would be Haki, Halfdan's son. When you say these names quickly, they sound like Haki Ericsson and Haki Halfdansson. Over time, they were written that way, and men passed them on to their sons and daughters. Some names we have today have come down to us in that same fashion—Swanson, Anderson, Peterson, Jansen. There was another reason for these last names: a man was proud to show people who his father was.

Drinking-horns. The Norsemen didn't have many cups or goblets. Instead, they used cattle horns, polished and detailed with gold, silver, or bronze. These horns were often quite beautiful, and a man felt almost as proud of his drinking horn as he did of his sword.

Tables. Before a meal, servants brought in trestles to the dining hall and set them up in front of the benches. Then they placed long boards across the trestles. These narrow tables ran along both sides of the hall. People sat only at the outer edge. So the servants served from the center of the room. They put baskets of bread and wooden platters of meat on these bare boards. At the end of the meal, they took away the tables too, and the drinking horns were passed around in a tidy room.

Beds. Around the sides of the banquet hall were enclosed beds. They looked like large boxes with doors that opened into the hall. Inside each box was straw covered with blankets. People would climb into these beds, shut the doors, and keep themselves inside. Olaf's men could have piled heavy items against these doors or used supports to keep them closed. Then the people wouldn’t have been able to get out, since the thick outer wall of the banquet hall was right behind the beds, and there were no windows.

Feast Hall. The feast hall was long and narrow, with a door at each end. In the middle of the room were flat stones on the dirt floor. This is where the fires burned. In the ceiling above these fires were holes for the smoke to escape, but some of it drifted around the hall, leaving the walls and rafters stained. Yet, it was a pleasant wood smoke, and the Norsemen didn’t mind it. There weren’t any large windows in the feast hall or in any other Norse building. High up under the eaves or in the roof itself were [197] narrow slits known as wind's-eyes. They didn’t have glass in them because the Norsemen didn’t know how to make it; instead, there were covers made from thin, oiled skin. These were used for the wind's-eyes during stormy weather. There were also covers for the smoke-holes. The only light came through these narrow openings, so on dark days, people relied on the fire for both light and warmth.

Foster-father. A Norse father sent his kids away from home to be raised. They left when they were three or four years old and remained until they were adults. The father believed, "This is for the best. If they stayed at home, their mother would spoil them with too much affection."

Foster-brothers. When two men cared for each other deeply, they said, "Let's become like brothers."

Then they went and cut three long pieces of grass and stuck a spear into the ground to hold up the strips like an arch. Runes were carved on the handle of the spear, describing the responsibilities of foster-brothers. The two men walked under this arch and each made a small cut in his palm. They knelt and held hands so that their blood mixed together, and they said, "Now we are one blood."

Then each made this promise: "I will fight for my foster brother whenever he needs me. If he is killed before I am, I will get revenge on the one who did it. Everything I own is just as much my foster brother's as it is mine. I will love this man until I die. I call upon Odin, Thor, and all the gods to witness my vow. May they despise me if I ever break it!"[198]

Ran. Ran was the wife of Aegir, the god of the sea. They lived in a cave at the ocean's floor. Ran had a large net, and she used it to catch all the shipwrecked men and brought them to her cave. She also collected all the gold and treasures that sank with the ships. As a result, her cave was filled with shiny objects.

Valkyrias. These were the maidens of Odin. They served at the table in Valhalla. But whenever a battle was happening, they would ride through the air on their horses, watching to see which warriors were brave enough to reach Valhalla. Sometimes, during the fight, a man would think he saw the Valkyrias. Then he felt joyful, knowing that he would go to Valhalla.

An old Norse story describes the Valkyries like this: "Surrounded by lightning, wearing bloody chainmail, and wielding shining spears, they ride through the air and over the ocean. When their horses shake their manes, dew falls on the deep valleys and hail on the tall forests."

Odin's Ravens. Odin had a grand throne in his palace in Asgard. When he sat in it, he could see all over the world. But it was so far that he couldn't keep track of everything happening. So, he had two ravens to assist him. An old Norse tale says: "Two ravens perch on Odin's shoulders and whisper in his ears everything they have heard and seen. He sends them out at dawn to survey the entire world. They return in the evening around mealtime. That's how Odin knows so much."[199]

Reykjavik. Reykjavik means "smoky bay." Ingolf named it that because of the steaming hot springs by the water. The name still stands today. A small city has developed there, the only city in Iceland. It serves as the capital of the country.

Peace-bands. A Norseman always carried his sword, even at a feast; he never knew when he might need it. But when he went somewhere on a peaceful errand and had no conflict, he tied his sword into its scabbard with white bands that he called peace-bands. If something suddenly happened that required his sword, he would break the peace-bands and draw it out.

Eskimos. Today, the Eskimos live in Greenland, Alaska, and along the northern coasts of Canada. However, they once inhabited more temperate regions further south. As time went on, other Native American tribes grew stronger and coveted the Eskimos' pleasant lands and coastal areas. They fought repeatedly against the Eskimos, eventually overpowering them and forcing them further north. Eventually, the Eskimos found themselves on the icy shores, still being pushed by the Indians. In response, some of them took to their boats, crossed the narrow waters, and settled in Greenland. Some believe these events occurred before Eric discovered Greenland, implying he found Eskimos there, while Thorfinn encountered Native Americans in Vinland. Others think these events happened after Eric arrived in Greenland, suggesting he found the land uninhabited and that it was Eskimos who Thorfinn saw in Vinland.

[200]

Maybe this book appears to consist of four or five unrelated stories. However, they are all connected by one theme—the westward migration from Norway. The story of Harald serves two purposes in this overall narrative. It provides the general backdrop that runs throughout the book in terms of clothing, homes, values, and customs. It also explains the reasons for the emigration from the homeland. Essentially, it acts as an introductory chapter. The other stories are clearly steps in the development of the plot. A chain of islands loosely ties Norway to America—Orkneys and Shetlands, Faroes, Iceland, Greenland. It was from this chain that the Norsemen set sail in search of new homes and adventures. Discoveries happened by chance. Ships were carried by the wind from familiar islands to uncharted ones. I have presented these two points—the island connection that enabled the long journey from Norway to America, and the role of storms in discovery—dramatically in the book. I emphasize them here, hoping that the teacher will ensure the children notice them, and perhaps encourage them to articulate these points abstractly.

Let me talk about the right way to illustrate the stories. I haven't often interrupted the narrative with detailed descriptions, not because I don't think that creating vivid and detailed images is essential for full enjoyment and good intellectual habits, but because I relied on the illustrations in this book and the teacher to provide what I felt was unnecessary in the story itself. I've included some of these descriptions and explanations in the form of notes, hoping that as the children look at them, they might develop a habit of seeking a complete understanding of a concept, and possibly, with the teacher's support, start the practice of reference reading.

The scenery of Norway, Iceland, and Greenland is stunning and will greatly help bring the stories to life. It's not hard to find resources for this study. Foreign color photographs of Norwegian landscapes are becoming common in art stores. There are also great illustrations in the geography books mentioned in the reading list. They could be copied onto the blackboard. There are three beautifully illustrated books in color that can only be found in large libraries: "Coast of Norway" by Walton; "Travels in the Island of Iceland" by Mackenzie; and "Voyage en Islande et au Gröenland" by J. P. Gaimard. If you study the landscape from a geological perspective, the images will be more accurate and easier to acquire, and this study will have lasting value beyond just reading these stories, extending into all geography work.

Trustworthy images of Norse houses and costumes are hard to find. In "Viking Age" and "Story of Norway," by Boyesen (G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York), there are many reproductions of Norse artifacts like weapons, shield bosses, coins, jewelry, and wood carvings. These are accurate, but not very appealing to kids. Their main value is in helping teachers create a picture that they can eventually present to their students.

Metalworking and wood carving were the most important crafts for the Norse. If kids learn about these crafts and try their hand at them, they'll quickly develop a connection to the people and appreciate their skills. They might create something just to show off Norse craftsmanship, like a carved ship's head, a copper shield, or a decorative door nail. However, it’s even better if they use Norse principles of design and decoration to make something useful today, like a carved wooden pin tray or a copper match holder. This work should lead to a broader exploration of these industries today, including trips to woodworking shops and metal foundries.[202]

Frequent drawings or paintings by the kids of outfits, landscapes, houses, banquet halls, and ships will help clarify these images. However, acting out scenes will do more than anything else to bring the stories and characters to life. It would be fantastic if, through acting and hands-on activities, the kids could gain enough understanding and excitement to create their own skalds and write songs in the Norse style. This only needs a small vocabulary and a basic sense of rhythm, but it requires a deep emotional intensity and a vivid imagination.

These Norse stories have, in my opinion, three main values. The characters, with their rough bravery and unique adventures that captivate children, also embody a love for truth, resilience, and loyalty to their word, making them great companions for kids. Additionally, both the style and substance of old Norse literature are definitely worth our time. I would consider it a significant achievement if the children who read these stories are eventually inspired to explore those remarkable old books, to enjoy the narratives, and to appreciate a straightforward and simple writing style. The historical significance of the story of Leif Ericsson and others lies not just in the fact that Norsemen discovered America before Columbus, but in understanding the early sailing conditions, the length of the journey, the dangers at sea, and realizing why America was not known in medieval Europe, why the Norsemen did not venture out, and what needed to be done before people could set out across the ocean. Norse stories represent just one part of the overall narrative of America’s discovery. Below, I’ve outlined a year-long curriculum on this topic that was once used by the fourth grade at the Chicago Normal School. The focus is to present the discovery of America with significance, sequence, logic, and broader connections.

The head of the history department who planned this course says it is "in a way a dramatization of how geographical knowledge has developed."

Below is a simple outline of the work:

[204]

Norway: "The Earth and Its Inhabitants," Reclus. D. Appleton & Co., New York.

Iceland: "The Earth and Its Inhabitants," "Iceland," Baring-Gould. Smith, Elder & Co., London, 1863.

Greenland: "The Earth and Its Inhabitants," Reclus. D. Appleton & Co., New York.

"Viking Age," Du Chaillu. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1889.

"Private Life of the Old Northmen," Keyser; translated by Barnard. Chapman & Hall, London, 1868.

"Saga Time," Vicary. Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., London.

"Story of Burnt Njal" (Introduction), Dasent. Edmonston & Douglas, Edinburgh, 1861.

"Vikings of the Baltic, a romance;" Dasent. Edmonston & Douglas, Edinburgh.

"Ivar the Viking, a romance;" Du Chaillu. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York.

"Viking Path, a romance;" Haldane Burgess. Wm. Blackwood & Sons, Edinburgh, 1894.

"Northern Antiquities," Percy, edited by Blackwell. Bohn, London, 1859.

Also the Sagas listed on page 206.[205]

The Prose Edda, "Northern Antiquities," Percy, edited by Blackwell. Bohn, London, 1859.

"Norse Mythology," Anderson. Scott, Foresman & Co., Chicago, 1876.

"Norse Stories," Mabie. Rand, McNally & Co., Chicago, 1902.

"Northern Mythology," Thorpe. Lumley, London, 1851.

"Classic Myths," Judd. Rand, McNally & Co., Chicago, 1902.

Harald: Saga of Harald Hairfair, in "Saga Library," Magnusson and Morris, Vol. I. Bernard Quaritch, London; Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1892.

Ingolf: "Norsemen in Iceland," Dasent in Oxford Essays, Vol. IV. Parker & Son, London, 1858.

Eric, Leif, and Thorfinn: "The Discovery of Vinland the Good," Reeves. Henry Froude, 1890.

Winsor's "Narrative and Critical History of America," Vol. I. C. A. Nichols Co., Springfield, Mass., 1895.

"Discovery of America," Fiske, Vol. I. Houghton, Mifflin & Co., Boston, 1892.[206]

"Saga Library," 5 vols.; Morris and Magnusson. Bernard Quaritch, London; Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1892. As follows:

"Gisli the Outlaw," Dasent. Edmonston & Douglas, Edinburgh.

"Orkneyinga Saga," Anderson. Edmonston & Douglas, Edinburgh.

"Volsunga Saga," Morris and Magnusson. Walter Scott, London.

"The Younger Edda," Anderson. Scott, Foresman & Co., Chicago, 1880.

(A complete bibliography of the Sagas can be found in "Volsunga Saga.")

[207]

Silent letters are italicized.