Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 3.djvu/113

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 101 for himself and others, or after long deliberation. He sagajx. was also, above all other men, bold, brave, and lucky, until his dying day, as above related ; and bravery is half victory. So says Thiodolf: — ^^ Harald, who till his dying day Came off the best in many a fray, Had one good rule in battle-plain, In Sealand and elsewhere, to gain — That, be his foes' strength more or less, Courage is always half success." King Harald was a handsome man, of noble appear- ance ; his hair and beard yellow. He had a short beard, a.nd long mustachoes. The one eyebrow was somewhat higher than the other. He had large hands ^ and feet ; but these were well made. His height was five ells.f He was stern and severe to his enemies, and avenged cruelly all opposition or misdeed. So says Thiodolf: — ^' Severe alike to friends or foes, Who dared his royal will oppose; Severe in discipline to hold His men-at-arms wild and bold; Severe the bonders to repress; Severe to punish all excess ; Severe was Harald — but we call That just which was alike to all." King Harald was most greedy of power, and of all distinction and honour. He was bountiful to the friends who suited him. So says Thiodolf: — of those ages to be found in the collection of weapons in the Antiquarian Museum at Copenhagen, the handles indicate a size of hand very much smaller than the hands of modern people of any class or rank. No modern dandy, with the most delicate hands, would find room for his hand to grasp or wield with ease some of the swords of these North- men. ■j* The old Norwegian ell was less than the present ell ; and Thorlacius reckons, in a note on this chapter, that Harald's stature would be about four Danish ells, viz. about eight feet. It appears that he exceeded the ordinary height of men by the offer made him of seven feet of English ground, or as much more as he required for a grave, in chapter 9^. H 3
 * It is a singular physical circumstance, that in almost all the swords