That these might be a worthy pair,
Was changed into a pony mare."
Chapter XXXVII.
King Harald sends a warlock in a transformed shape to Iceland.
King Harald told a warlock to hie to Iceland in some altered shape, and to try what he could learn there to tell him: and he set out in the shape of a whale.[1] And when he came near to the land he went to the west side of Iceland, north around the land, where he saw all the mountains and hills full of land-serpents, some great, some small. When he came to Vapnaliord he went in towards the land, intending to go on shore; hut a huge dragon rushed down the dale against him with a train of serpents, paddocks, and toads, that blew poison towards him. Then he turned to go westward around the land as far as Eyaliord, and he went into the fiord. Then a bird flew against him, which, was so great that its wings stretched over the mountains on either side of the fiord, and many birds, great and small, with it. Then he swam farther west, and then south into Breidafiord. When he came into the fiord a large grey bull ran against him, wading into the sea, and bellowing fearfully, and he was followed by a crowd of land-serpents. From thence he went round by Beikaness, and wanted to land at Yikarsted, but there came down a hill-giant against him with an iron staff in his hands. He was a head higher than the mountains, and many other giants followed him. He then swam eastward along the land, and there was nothing to see, he said, but sand and vast deserts, and, without the skerries, high-breaking surf; and the ocean between the countries was so wide that a long-ship could not cross it. At that time Brodhelge dwelt in Vapnafiord, Eyolf Yalgerdson in Eyafiord, Thord Gellir in Breidafiord, and Thorard Gode in Olfus.
- ↑ It is probable that all this chapter is intended for satire on people in the different localities of Iceland mentioned; but we have not the clew to the wit.
