ng,' and about the rifling of the barrow of Thrain the
berserk, and about Hromund Gripsson, and included many verses in
his story. King Sverrir used to be entertained with this story and
declared that fictitious stories like this were the most entertaining
of any. Yet there are men who can trace their ancestry to Hromund
Gripsson. Hrolf himself had composed this story."

Among those whose ancestry was traced to Hromund Greipsson were Ingolf
and Leif, the first Norwegian colonists of Iceland. According
to _Landnamabok_, 1, ch. 3, they were second cousins, and their
grandfathers, who had come from Thelamoerk in the south-west of Norway,
were sons of Hromund. Olaf 'The Sailors' King' is mentioned also
in the _Saga of Grim Lothinkinni_, ch. 3; and members of his family
figure prominently in several other sagas.

These persons may actually be historical. But the fictitious element
is obvious enough in many places as, for instance, in Hromund's voyage
to the west. Thrain himself is vividly presented to us as "black and
huge, with talons like bird's claws, all clad in glittering gold,
seated on a throne, roaring loudly and blowing a fire!" This chapter
is indeed a tale of

Ghaisties and ghoulies,
And lang-leggity beasties,
And things that gae bump in the nicht.

The most curious features of the saga, however, are the blurred and
perhaps confused reminiscences of stories and characters which form
the subject of some of the Edda poems. The brothers Bild and Voli can
hardly be other than corruptions of the god Balder and his
avenger Vali. The name of Hromund's sword 'Mistletoe' too may be a
reminiscence of the same story, though a sword of the same name is
found in _Hervarar Saga_ (ch. 2). Again, the account of Hromund's
sojourn with Hagal, disguised as a grinding-maid, and the search
made by Blind (ch. 8) are certainly reminiscences of the Edda poem
_Helgakvitha Hundingsbana II_ (sometimes called _Voelsungakvitha_),
where the same adventures are recorded in connection with the same
names, except that Helgi here takes the place Hromund.

But the most interesting case, however, is the story of Hromund's
opponent Helgi the Bold and Kara (ch. 7). In this story, Helgi is said
to be in the service of two kings called Hadding, and there can
be little doubt that Helgi and Kara are identical with Helgi
Haddingjaskati and Kara, whose adventures formed the subject of a lost
poem called _Karuljoth_. This poem is referred to in