tory before him, or he wished
to abridge it for some reason or prejudice, and the only result of this
astonishing pilgrimage is that Woden gives the young hero some useful
counsels. He falls into captivity, entrapped by Loke (for what reason
again we are left to guess), and is exposed to wild beasts, but he slays
the wolf that attacks him, and eating its heart as Woden had bidden him,
he gains wisdom and foresight.

Prepared by these adventures, he gets Guthorm to join him (how or why
the peace between him and Swipdag was broken, we know not), and they
attack their father's slayer, but are defeated, though Woden sunk Asmund
Swipdag's son's ship, Grio, at Hlessey, and Wainhead and Hardgrip his
daughter fought for Hadding.

Hadding wanders off to the East with his foster-sister and mistress and
Hardgrip, who is slain protecting him against an angry ghost raised from
the Underworld by her spells. However, helped by Heimdal and Woden (who
at this time was an exile), Hadding's ultimate success is assured.

When Woden came back to power, Swipdag, whose violence and pride grew
horribly upon him, was exiled, possibly by some device of his foes,
and took upon him, whether by will or doom, a sea-monster's shape. His
faithful wife follows him over land and sea, but is not able to save
him. He is met by Hadding and, after a fierce fight, slain. Swipdag's
wife cursed the conqueror, and he was obliged to institute an annual
sacrifice to Frey (her brother) at Upsale, who annuls the curse. Loke,
in seal's guise, tried to steal the necklace of Freya at the Reef of
Treasures, where Swipdag was slain, but Haimdal, also in sealskin,
fought him, and recovered it for the gods.

Other myths having reference to the goddesses appear in Saxo. There is
the story of "Heimdall and Sol", which Dr. Rydberg has recognised in the
tale of Alf and Alfhild. The same tale of how the god won the sun for
his wife appears in the mediaeval German King Ruther (in which title Dr.
Ryuberg sees Hrutr, a name of the ram-headed god).

The story of "Othar" (Od) and "Syritha" (Sigrid) is obviously that of
Freya and her lover. She has been stolen by the giants, owing to the
wiles of her waiting-maid, Loke's helper, the evil witch Angrbode. Od
seeks her, finds her, slays the evil giant who keeps her in the cave;
but she is still bewitched, her hair knotted into a hard, horny mass,
her eyes void of brightness. Unable to gain recognition he lets her go,
and she is ma