at Haukadal, and afterwards dwelt there himself. He taught Are the
priest, and gave him information about many circumstances which Are
afterwards wrote down. Are also got many a piece of information from
Thurid, a daughter of the gode Snorre. She was wise and intelligent, and
remembered her father Snorre, who was nearly thirty-five years of age
when Christianity was introduced into Iceland, and died a year after
King Olaf the Saint's fall. So it is not wonderful that Are the priest
had good information about ancient events both here in Iceland,
and abroad, being a man anxious for information, intelligent and of
excellent memory, and having besides learned much from old intelligent
persons. But the songs seem to me most reliable if they are sung
correctly, and judiciously interpreted.

HALFDAN THE BLACK SAGA.

PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

Of this saga there are other versions found in "Fagrskinna" and in
"Flateyjarbok". The "Flateyjarbok" version is to a great extent a copy
of Snorre. The story about Halfdan's dream is found both in "Fagrskinna"
and in "Flateyjarbok". The probability is that both Snorre and
the author of "Fagrskinna" must have transcribed the same original
text.--Ed.

1. HALFDAN FIGHTS WITH GANDALF AND SIGTRYG.

Halfdan was a year old when his father was killed, and his mother Asa
set off immediately with him westwards to Agder, and set herself there
in the kingdom which her father Harald had possessed. Halfdan grew up
there, and soon became stout and strong; and, by reason of his black
hair, was called Halfdan the Black. When he was eighteen years old he
took his kingdom in Agder, and went immediately to Vestfold, where he
divided that kingdom, as before related, with his brother Olaf. The same
autumn he went with an army to Vingulmark against King Gandalf. They had
many battles, and sometimes one, sometimes the other gained the victory;
but at last they agreed that Halfdan should have half of Vingulmark,
as his father Gudrod had had it before. Then King Halfdan proceeded to
Raumarike, and subdued it. King Sigtryg, son of King Eystein, who then
had his residence in Hedemark, and who had subdued Raumarike before,
having heard of this, came out with his army against King Halfdan, and
there was great battle, in which King Halfdan was victorious; and just
as King Sigtryg and his troops were turning about to fly, an arrow
struck him under the left arm, and he fell dead. Halfdan then laid the
who