ndil is
mirrored in this well. Thou shall tell me all that formerly came to
pass here, about that oath on the Bragi cup."

Vandrad considered within himself, and he looked doubtingly at her.

Then she said--"Vandrad, I swear to thee by [5]Freya's throat jewels
that I will become thy wife when I leave this island. Wilt thou now
come and tell me all?"

Then Vandrad swore to do what she required.

CHAPTER VIII.

And now the midsummer feast was magnificently celebrated in the hall.
And there were full a thousand guests within the hall; but many
hundreds of the servants and bondmen were camped round about the
building, in the open air.

Besides the guests from Svearike, there had come from all the
neighbouring coasts and islands many jarl's and great chieftains. Thus
from distant Iceland, the kings Konal, and Kiartan from Dyflin; from
Zealand the Danish Jarl Hako, and Sveno from Lethra; then from West
Gothaland the three brothers, Arnbiorn, Arngeir, and Arnolfr; Jarls of
the Western Goths. There had long been a blood feud, which had been but
newly allayed with blood money, between these three, and the two
brothers Princes of East Gothaland, Helge and Helgrimr.

And these two, and the other three, would only come with a strong
well-armed following, when they understood that their adversaries had
also been bidden to Halfred's feast.

And Halfred had taken care that the followers of the Princes of West
Gothaland should be lodged to the right, and those of East Gothaland to
the left, at the back of the hall, in huts of pinewood. And a wooden
wall with strongly closed doors divided the two encampments.

But also from other vallies of Svearik, besides Tiunderland, from
Tronland, from Herjadel, Jeutland, and Helsingaland, had come many
guests, who had often of old been enemies to the people from
Tiunderland.

The feast, however, proceeded most joyously from daybreak even
until the night. And when within the hall, and without, where the
foreign servants were encamped, many fires and pine torches were
kindled--before Halfred burned the seven armed candelabrum--it was at
first a right jovial sun fire-feast.

The men, swinging and emptying the drinking horns, sprang over the
flames, and the Skalds, in songs which they composed at the moment they
rose, vied with each other in praises of Halfred and his deeds with
hammer and harp, and of the Singing Swan, and the hall, and the feast.

And all the foreign kings als