II.
HALFDAN THE BLACK'S SAGA.[1]
Chapter I.
Halfdan fights with Gandalf and Sigtryg.
Halfdan was a year old when his father was killed, and his mother Aasa set off immediately with him westwards to Agder, and set herself there in the kingdom which her father Harald had possessed. Halfdan grew up there, and soon became stout and strong; and, by reason of his black hair, was called Halfdan the Black. When he was eighteen years old he took his kingdom in Agder, and went immediately to Westfold, where he divided that kingdom, as before related, with his brother Olaf. The same autumn he went with an army to Vingulmark against King Gandalf. They had many battles, and sometimes one, sometimes the other gained the victory; but at last they agreed that Halfdan should have half of Vingulmark, as his father Gudrocl had had it before. Then King Halfdan proceeded to Baumarige, and subdued it. King Sigtryg, son of King Eystein, who then had his residence in Hedemark, and who had
- ↑ Halfdan the Black reigned from about the year 841 to about 863. In the preceding Saga of the Yngling race, there are but few points to he fixed down as historical by dates and coincidences with other history; and the earlier part of it belongs to mythology, not to history. Facts there are—we hold them to he facts only because they are not extravagant enough to be fables—intermingled with the mythological accounts of Odin and his times; but Snorro with great judgment goes over this period rapidly, and comes as quickly as possible to the period when authentic history begins to dawn,—to the reigns of Halfdan and Harald Haarfager. Their royal derivation from the Yngve race (the Ynglingens) could not be omitted; but Snorro hastens over it, as only a necessary preface to his more authentic narratives.
