to the surviving poems of the Skalds, whose dates can be
approximately reckoned from the sagas, we can fix an inferior limit
for certain of the legends given above, placing them definitely in the
heathen time. Reference has already been made to the corroboration
of the Valhalla belief supplied by the elegies on Eirik Bloodaxe
and Hakon the Good. In the former (which is anonymous, but must have
been written soon after 950, since it was composed, on Eirik's death,
by his wife's orders), Odin commands the Einherjar and Valkyries to
prepare for the reception of the slain Eirik and his host, since no
one knows how soon the Gods will need to gather their forces together
for the great contest. Eyvind's dirge on Hakon (who fell in 970) is an
imitation of this: Odin sends two Valkyries to choose a king to enter
his service in Valhalla; they find Hakon on the battle-field, and
he is slain with many of his followers. Great preparation is made in
Valhalla for his reception, and the poet ends by congratulating Hakon
(who, though a Christian, having been educated in England, had not
interfered with the heathen altars and sacrifices) on the toleration
which has secured him such a welcome. A still earlier poet, Hornklofi,
writing during the reign of Harald Fairhair (who died in 933), alludes
to the slain as the property of "the one-eyed husband of Frigg."

Several Skalds mention legends of Thor: his fishing for the World-Snake
is told by Bragi (who from his place in genealogies must have written
before 900), and by Ulf Uggason and Eystein Valdason, both in the
second half of the tenth century; and Thjodulf and Eilif (the former
about 960, the latter a little later) tell tales of his fights with
the giants. Turning to the other Gods, Egil Skallagrimsson (about 970)
names Frey and Njoerd as the givers of wealth; Bragi tells the story
of Gefion's dragging the island of Zealand out of Lake Wener into
the sea; and Ulf Uggason speaks of Heimdal's wrestling with Loki.

The legend of Idunn is told by Thjodulf much as Snorri tells it:
Odin, Hoeni and Loki, while on a journey, kill and roast an ox. The
giant Thiazi swoops down in eagle's shape and demands a share; Loki
strikes the eagle, who flies off with him, releasing him only on
condition that he will betray to the giants Idunn, "the care-healing
maid who understands the renewal of youth." He does so, and the Gods,
who grow old and withered for want of her apples, force him to go
and bring