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Viking Tales of the North
The Saga of Thorstein Viking's Son
Chapter IV
Then
Viking went to the holm, accompanied by the king and his courtiers. Thither
came Harek, too, and asked who was appointed to fight with him. Viking
stepped forward and said: I am the man. Whereto Harek made reply: I suppose
it will be an easy matter to strike you to the ground, for I know it will
be the end of you if I smite you with my fist. But I suppose, answered
Viking, that you consider it no trifling matter to fight with me, since
you tremble at the very sight of me. Harek replies: Not so, and I must
save your life, since you go willingly into the open jaws of death; and
do you smite first, according to the laws of holm-gang, for I am the
challenger in this duel; but, in the meantime, I shall stand perfectly
still, for I am not afraid of any danger. At this time Viking drew his
sword, Angervadil, from which lightning seemed to flash. Harek seeing
this, said: I would never have fought with you had I known that you were
in possession of Angervadil, and most likely it will turn out as my father
said, namely, that I and my brothers and my sister would all be short-lived,
excepting the one bearing his own name, and it was a great misfortune
that Angervadil passed out of the hands of our family. At this moment
Viking struck Harek’s skull and split his trunk from one end to the other,
so that the sword stood in the ground to the hilt. Then the men of the
king burst out in loud triumphant shouting, and the king went home to
his hall with great joy. Now they began to talk about preparing the wedding-feast,
but Viking said he was not willing to be married yet; she shall remain
betrothed, he said and not be wedded till after three years, meanwhile
I am going to wage war. So was done, and Viking went abroad with two ships.
He was very successful, gaining victory in every battle; and after having
spent two years as a viking, he landed at an island in the autumn at a
time when the weather was fair and very warm.
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