f was
routed with a great slaughter of his men. LADGERDA, when she had gone
home after the battle, murdered her husband.... in the night with a
spear-head, which she had hid in her gown. Then she usurped the whole
of his name and sovereignty; for this most presumptuous dame thought
it pleasanter to rule without her husband than to share the throne with
him.

Meantime, Siward was taken to a town in the neighbourhood, and gave
himself to be tended by the doctors, who were reduced to the depths of
despair. But while the huge wound baffled all the remedies they applied,
a certain man of amazing size was seen to approach the litter of the
sick man, and promised that Siward should straightway rejoice and be
whole, if he would consecrate unto him the souls of all whom he should
overcome in battle. Nor did he conceal his name, but said that he was
called Rostar. Now Siward, when he saw that a great benefit could be got
at the cost of a little promise, eagerly acceded to this request. Then
the old man suddenly, by the help of his hand, touched and banished the
livid spot, and suddenly scarred the wound over. At last he poured dust
on his eyes and departed. Spots suddenly arose, and the dust, to the
amaze of the beholders, seemed to become wonderfully like little snakes.

I should think that he who did this miracle wished to declare, by
the manifest token of his eyes, that the young man was to be cruel in
future, in order that the more visible part of his body might not lack
some omen of his life that was to follow. When the old woman, who had
the care of his draughts, saw him showing in his face signs of little
snakes; she was seized with an extraordinary horror of the young man,
and suddenly fell and swooned away. Hence it happened that Siward got
the widespread name of Snake-Eye.

Meantime Thora, the bride of Ragnar, perished of a violent malady, which
caused infinite trouble and distress to the husband, who dearly
loved his wife. This distress, he thought, would be best dispelled by
business, and he resolved to find solace in exercise and qualify his
grief by toil. To banish his affliction and gain some comfort, he bent
his thoughts to warfare, and decreed that every father of a family
should devote to his service whichever of his children he thought
most contemptible, or any slave of his who was lazy at his work or of
doubtful fidelity. And albeit that this decree seemed little fitted for
his purpose, he showed that the f