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| Not everything we do fits neatly into categories like Awards, Events, or Laws. | | Not everything we do fits neatly into categories like Awards, Events, or Laws. |
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| The Egil Skalligramson Memorial Tourney is hosted each May in An Tir. One might rightfully ask, who was Egil Skalligramson? Here is some information I have compiled, which you might find useful. Egil Skallagrimsson (ca. 910-990) was a successful poet and warrior. We mainly know of Egil through an Icelandic saga bearing his name, Egil's Saga, again one of the very finest of the sagas. His family, like very many described in the sagas, had been forced to emigrate from Norway because of an ongoing feud with the family of Harald Finehair.
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| A translation of Egil’s story can be found at:
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| http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/egil/
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| Translated by REV. W. C. GREEN, [1893]
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| Thanks to the Northvegr Foundation, for contributing this text. This text was transcribed by Jess Frazier, and the introduction by Hrappr Normansson.
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| In the book, AFTER THE JUDGEMENT. THE LOT OF THE BLESSED. THE STORY OF EGIL SKALLAGRIMSSON: BEING An Icelandic Family History of the Ninth and Tenth Centuries, TRANSLATED FROM THE ICELANDIC, BY REV. W. C. GREEN, LATE FELLOW OF KING'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE; EDITOR OF 'ARISTOPHANES;' AUTHOR OF 'HOMERIC SIMILES,' ETC. is found a story of Egil's years in Iceland, his old age and death, and a brief notice of his descendants. CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF THE CHIEF EVENTS IN THE SAGA OR CONNECTED WITH IT.
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| A.D. 850. Birth of Harold Fairhair.
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| " 860. Harold Fairhair comes to the throne.
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| " 870. He becomes sole king of Norway.
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| " 870 (circa). Thorolf, being about twenty-four years old, goes to Harold.
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| [xvii]
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| " 872. Battle of Hafrsfirth.
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| " 877. Death of Thorolf.
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| " 878. Skallagrim emigrates to Iceland.
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| " 886 (circa). Thorolf Skallagrimson born.
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| " 898-901 (circa). Egil born.
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| " 898-902. Bjorn's abduction of Thora, marriage, visit to Iceland.
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| " 903. Feast at Yngvar's. Thorolf and Bjorn go to Norway.
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| " 904-14. Thorof's freebootings. Among these is put Eric's
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| expedition to Bjarmaland, but this probably was in 918.
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| " 906. Bjorn's second marriage.
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| " 906-15. Egil's childhood and boyhood in Iceland.
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| " 914. Thorolf returns to Iceland.
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| " 915. Thorolf goes to Norway with Egil; twelve years pass
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| before Egil returns.
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| " 916-23. Freebootings of Thorolf and Egil.
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| " 923. Thorolf marries Asgerdr. Slaying of Bard.
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| " 924. Fight with Eyvind Skreyja. Thorolf and Egil go to England.
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| " 925. Battle of Vinheath, where Thorolf falls.
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| " 926. Egil goes to Norway. Marries Asgerdr next winter.
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| " 927. Returns to Iceland; is there several years, during which
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| probably his oldest daughter is born.
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| " 933. He goes to Norway. Harold Fairhair dies. Egil has a suit with
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| Bergonund; returns to Iceland. Skallagrim dies this winter.
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| " 935. Hacon now king in Norway. Eric is in Northumberland.
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| Egil wrecked there. Höfudlausn. Egil with Athelstan.
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| " 937. He goes to Norway; fights with Atli; returns to Iceland.
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| " 938-50. Egil is in Iceland. He has five children in all.
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| " 940. Death of king Athelstan.
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| " 950 (circa). Eric falls in battle. Arinbjorn is back in Norway;
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| Egil goes to him.
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| [xviii] A.D. 951. They harry eastwards; Arinbjorn then joins
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| Eric's sons. Egil next winter goes to Vermaland.
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| " 952-60. Marriages of Egil's step-daughter and daughters.
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| " 960. Bodvar's drowning. Sona-torrek.
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| " 961. Hacon's death.
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| " 962. Epic poem on Arinbjorn.
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| " 967 (circa). Thorstein's marriage.
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| " 973 (circa). Asgerdr dies. Egil retires to Mossfell. Thorstein lives at Borg.
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| " 975-8. Dispute between Thorstein and Steinar.
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| " 975. Earl Hacon becomes king. In his 'early days' Egil is past eighty.
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| " 983-8. Egil's death.
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| " 1000. Grim and Thorstein are baptized.
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| " 1143. Skapti priest. Egil's bones found.
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| For a recording of the Sonnatorek recited in Icelandic:
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| http://www.skolavefurinn.is/lok/almennt/ljodskald_man/Egill_Skallagrimsson/Ljod/Sonatorrek/Sonatorrek_ljod.htm
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| To see a 17th century painting of Egil:
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| http://fathom.lib.uchicago.edu/1/777777122294/3093_egilsidebar.html
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| Here is a version of the Sonnatorrek:
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| SONA-TORREK (SONS' LOSS).
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| 1.
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| 'Much doth it task me
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| My tongue to move,
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| Through my throat to utter
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| The breath of song.
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| Poesy, prize of Odin,
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| Promise now I may not,
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| A draught drawn not lightly
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| From deep thought's dwelling.
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| 2.
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| 'Forth it flows but hardly;
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| For within my breast
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| Heaving sobbing stifles
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| Hindered stream of song—
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| Blessed boon to mortals
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| Brought from Odin's kin,
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| Goodly treasure, stolen
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| From Giant-land of yore.
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| 3.
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| 'He, who so blameless
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| Bore him in life,
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| O'erborne by billows
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| With boat was whelmed.
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| Sea-waves—flood that whilom
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| Welled from giant's wound—
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| Smite upon the grave-gate
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| Of my sire and son.
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| 4.
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| 'Dwindling now my kindred
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| Draw near to their end,
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| Ev'n as forest-saplings
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| Felled or tempest-strown.
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| Not gay or gladsome
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| Goes he who beareth
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| Body of kinsman
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| On funeral bier.
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| 5.
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| 'Of father fallen
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| First I may tell;
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| Of much-loved mother
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| Must mourn the loss.
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| Sad store hath memory
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| For minstrel skill,
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| A wood to bloom leafy
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| With words of song.
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| 6.
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| 'Most woful the breach,
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| Where the wave in-brake
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| On the fenced hold
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| Of my father's kin.
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| Unfilled, as I wot,
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| And open doth stand
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| The gap of son rent
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| By the greedy surge.
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| 7.
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| 'Me Ran, the sea-queen,
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| Roughly hath shaken:
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| I stand of beloved ones
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| Stript and all bare.
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| Cut hath the billow
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| The cord of my kin,
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| Strand of mine own twisting
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| So stout and strong.
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| 8.
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| 'Sure, if sword could venge
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| Such cruel wrong,
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| Evil times would wait
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| Ægir, ocean-god.
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| That wind-giant's brother
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| Were I strong to slay,
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| 'Gainst him and his sea-brood
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| Battling would I go.
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| 9.
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| 'But I in no wise
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| Boast, as I ween,
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| Strength that may strive
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| With the stout ships' Bane.
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| For to eyes of all
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| Easy now 'tis seen
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| How the old man's lot
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| Helpless is and lone.
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| 10.
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| 'Me hath the main
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| Of much bereaved;
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| Dire is the tale,
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| The deaths of kin:
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| Since he the shelter
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| And shield of my house
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| Hied him from life
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| To heaven's glad realm.
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| 11.
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| 'Full surely I know,
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| In my son was waxing
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| The stuff and the strength
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| Of a stout-limbed wight:
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| Had he reached but ripeness
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| To raise his shield,
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| And Odin laid hand
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| On his liegeman true.
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| 12.
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| 'Willing he followed
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| His father's word,
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| Though all opposing
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| Should thwart my rede:
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| He in mine household
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| Mine honour upheld,
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| Of my power and rule
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| The prop and the stay.
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| 13.
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| 'Oft to my mind
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| My loss doth come,
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| How I brotherless bide
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| Bereaved and lone.
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| Thereon I bethink me,
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| When thickens the fight
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| Thereon with much searching
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| My soul doth muse:
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| 14.
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| 'Who staunch stands by me
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| In stress of fight,
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| Shoulder to shoulder,
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| Side by side?
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| Such want doth weaken
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| In war's dread hour;
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| Weak-winged I fly,
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| Whom friends all fail.
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| 15.
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| 'Son's place to his sire
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| (Saith a proverb true)
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| Another son born
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| Alone can fill.
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| Of kinsmen none
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| (Though ne'er so kind)
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| To brother can stand
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| In brother's stead.
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| 16.
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| 'O'er all our ice-fields,
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| Our northern snows,
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| Few now I find
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| Faithful and true.
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| Dark deeds men love,
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| Doom death to their kin,
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| A brother's body
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| Barter for gold.
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| 17.
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| 'Unpleasing to me
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| Our people's mood,
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| Each seeking his own
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| In selfish peace.
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| To the happier bees' home
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| Hath passed my son,
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| My good wife's child
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| To his glorious kin.
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| 18.
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| 'Odin, mighty monarch,
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| Of minstrel mead the lord,
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| On me a heavy hand
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| Harmful doth lay.
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| Gloomy in unrest
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| Ever I grieve,
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| Sinks my drooping brow,
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| Seat of sight and thought.
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| 19.
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| 'Fierce fire of sickness
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| First from my home
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| Swept off a son
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| With savage blow:
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| One who was heedful,
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| Harmless, I wot,
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| In deeds unblemished,
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| In words unblamed.
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| 20.
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| 'Still do I mind me,
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| When the Friend of men
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| High uplifted
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| To the home of gods
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| That sapling stout
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| Of his father's stem,
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| Of my true wife born
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| A branch so fair.
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| 21.
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| 'Once bare I goodwill
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| To the great spear-lord,
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| Him trusty and true
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| I trowed for friend:
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| Ere the giver of conquest,
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| The car-borne god,
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| Broke faith and friendship
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| False in my need.
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| 22.
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| 'Now victim and worship
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| To Vilir's brother,
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| The god once honoured,
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| I give no more.
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| Yet the friend of Mimir
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| On me hath bestowed
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| Some boot for bale,
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| If all boons I tell.
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| 23.
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| 'Yea he, the wolf-tamer,
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| The war-god skilful,
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| Gave poesy faultless
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| To fill my soul:
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| Gave wit to know well
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| Each wily trickster,
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| And force him to face me
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| As foeman in fight.
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| 24.
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| 'Hard am I beset;
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| Whom Hela, the sister
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| Of Odin's fell captive,
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| On Digra-ness waits.
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| Yet shall I gladly
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| With right good welcome
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| Dauntless in bearing
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| Her death-blow bide.'
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Not everything we do fits neatly into categories like Awards, Events, or Laws.