hat he would die happy if he would stay by him until the end.

A revulsion of feeling had, however, overtaken Frithiof, and he told
the aged king that he felt that Ingeborg could never be his, because
of the wrath of Balder. Too long had he stayed; he would now go once
more upon the sea and would seek death in the fray, that so he might
appease the offended gods.

Full of his resolve, he quickly made preparations to depart, but when
he returned to the court to bid farewell to his royal hosts he found
that Sigurd Ring was at the point of death. The old warrior bethought
him that "a straw death" would not win the favour of Odin, and in
the presence of Frithiof and his court he slashed bravely the death
runes on his arm and breast. Then clasping Ingeborg with one hand,
he raised the other in blessing over Frithiof and his youthful son,
and so passed in peace to the halls of the blessed.

"Gods all, I hail ye!
Sons of Valhalla!
Earth disappears; to the Asa's high feast
Gjallar-horn bids me;
Blessedness, like a
Gold-helmet, circles their up-coming guest!"

Tegner, Frithiof Saga (G. Stephens's tr.).

Betrothal of Frithiof and Ingeborg

The warriors of the nation now assembled in solemn Thing to choose a
successor to the throne. Frithiof had won the people's enthusiastic
admiration, and they would fain have elected him king; but he raised
Sigurd Ring's little son high on his shield when he heard the shout
which acclaimed his name, and presented the boy to the assembly as
their future king, publicly swearing to uphold him until he was of
age to defend the realm. The lad, weary of his cramped position,
boldly sprang to the ground as soon as Frithiof's speech was ended,
and alighted upon his feet. This act of agile daring in one so young
appealed to the rude Northmen, and a loud shout arose, "We choose thee,
shield-borne child!"

"But thron'd king-like, the lad sat proud
On shield-floor high;
So the eaglet glad, from rock-hung cloud,
The Sun will eye!

At length this place his young blood found
Too dull to keep;
And, with one spring, he gains the ground--
A royal leap!"

Tegner, Frithiof Saga (G. Stephens's tr.).

According to some accounts, Frithiof now made war against Ingeborg's
brothers, and after conquering them, allowed them to retain their
kingdom on condition th