Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 1.djvu/467

 the king; "but into my service, Halfred, thou shalt saga be received."

Halfred says, "If I am to be named the composer of difficulties what dost thou give me, king, on my name-day?"

The king gave him a sword without a scabbard, and said, " How compose me a song upon this sword, and let the word sword be in every line of the verses." Halfred sang thus: —

Then the king gave him the scabbard, observing that the word sword was wanting in one line of his strophe. "But there are three swords at least in two other lines," says Halfred. "So it is," replies the king. —Out of Halfred's lays we have taken the most of the true and faithful accounts that are here related about Olaf Tryggvesson.

The same harvest Thanff brand the priest came back from Iceland to King Olaf, and told the ill success of his journey; namely, that the Icelanders had made lampoons about him; and that some even sought turns from Iceland.