[Contents]Starkad and Bale.Starkad and Bale.The renowned hero, Starkad, the greatest warrior of the North, had offended a princess, therefore had fallen under the displeasure of the king, to escape whose wrath he wandered northward, where he took up his abode at Rude in Tuna, and it is related in the folk stories that he[210]then took the name of “Ala Dräng,” or “Rödu Pilt.”In Balbo, nine miles distant, in the parish of Borgajö, dwelt another warrior, Bale, who was a good friend to Starkad, and a companion in arms.One morning Starkadclimbedto the top of Klefberg, in Tuna, and addressed Bale, thus:“Bale in Balbo, are you awake?”“Rödu Pilt,” answered Bale, nine miles away, “the sun and I always awake at the same time; but how is it with you?”“Poorly enough! I have only salmon for breakfast, dinner and supper. Bring me a piece of meat.”“All right!” replied Bale, and in a few hours arrived in Tuna with an elk under each arm.The following morning Bale stood upon a mountain in Balbo and shouted:“Rödu Pilt, are you awake?”“The sun and I awake always at the same time,” answered Starkad, “but how is it with you?”“Oh, I have nothing but meat to eat—elk for breakfast, elk for dinner and elk for supper, come, therefore, and bring me a fish.”“All right,” said Starkad, and in a little while he was with his friend, bearing a barrel of salmon under each arm.In this manner the warriors kept each other supplied with fresh game from forest and sea, meantime spreading desolation and terror through the country, but one evening as they were returning from a plundering expedition to the sea, a black cloud appeared,[211]and it began to thunder and lighten. Both hastened on the way, but reached no further than to Vattjom, when Starkad was struck dead by lightning. His companion buried him in a hill around which he placed five stones, two at his feet, one at each shoulder and one at his head, marking to this day the grave of Starkad forty feet in length.[212]
[Contents]Starkad and Bale.Starkad and Bale.The renowned hero, Starkad, the greatest warrior of the North, had offended a princess, therefore had fallen under the displeasure of the king, to escape whose wrath he wandered northward, where he took up his abode at Rude in Tuna, and it is related in the folk stories that he[210]then took the name of “Ala Dräng,” or “Rödu Pilt.”In Balbo, nine miles distant, in the parish of Borgajö, dwelt another warrior, Bale, who was a good friend to Starkad, and a companion in arms.One morning Starkadclimbedto the top of Klefberg, in Tuna, and addressed Bale, thus:“Bale in Balbo, are you awake?”“Rödu Pilt,” answered Bale, nine miles away, “the sun and I always awake at the same time; but how is it with you?”“Poorly enough! I have only salmon for breakfast, dinner and supper. Bring me a piece of meat.”“All right!” replied Bale, and in a few hours arrived in Tuna with an elk under each arm.The following morning Bale stood upon a mountain in Balbo and shouted:“Rödu Pilt, are you awake?”“The sun and I awake always at the same time,” answered Starkad, “but how is it with you?”“Oh, I have nothing but meat to eat—elk for breakfast, elk for dinner and elk for supper, come, therefore, and bring me a fish.”“All right,” said Starkad, and in a little while he was with his friend, bearing a barrel of salmon under each arm.In this manner the warriors kept each other supplied with fresh game from forest and sea, meantime spreading desolation and terror through the country, but one evening as they were returning from a plundering expedition to the sea, a black cloud appeared,[211]and it began to thunder and lighten. Both hastened on the way, but reached no further than to Vattjom, when Starkad was struck dead by lightning. His companion buried him in a hill around which he placed five stones, two at his feet, one at each shoulder and one at his head, marking to this day the grave of Starkad forty feet in length.[212]
Starkad and Bale.Starkad and Bale.
Starkad and Bale.
The renowned hero, Starkad, the greatest warrior of the North, had offended a princess, therefore had fallen under the displeasure of the king, to escape whose wrath he wandered northward, where he took up his abode at Rude in Tuna, and it is related in the folk stories that he[210]then took the name of “Ala Dräng,” or “Rödu Pilt.”In Balbo, nine miles distant, in the parish of Borgajö, dwelt another warrior, Bale, who was a good friend to Starkad, and a companion in arms.One morning Starkadclimbedto the top of Klefberg, in Tuna, and addressed Bale, thus:“Bale in Balbo, are you awake?”“Rödu Pilt,” answered Bale, nine miles away, “the sun and I always awake at the same time; but how is it with you?”“Poorly enough! I have only salmon for breakfast, dinner and supper. Bring me a piece of meat.”“All right!” replied Bale, and in a few hours arrived in Tuna with an elk under each arm.The following morning Bale stood upon a mountain in Balbo and shouted:“Rödu Pilt, are you awake?”“The sun and I awake always at the same time,” answered Starkad, “but how is it with you?”“Oh, I have nothing but meat to eat—elk for breakfast, elk for dinner and elk for supper, come, therefore, and bring me a fish.”“All right,” said Starkad, and in a little while he was with his friend, bearing a barrel of salmon under each arm.In this manner the warriors kept each other supplied with fresh game from forest and sea, meantime spreading desolation and terror through the country, but one evening as they were returning from a plundering expedition to the sea, a black cloud appeared,[211]and it began to thunder and lighten. Both hastened on the way, but reached no further than to Vattjom, when Starkad was struck dead by lightning. His companion buried him in a hill around which he placed five stones, two at his feet, one at each shoulder and one at his head, marking to this day the grave of Starkad forty feet in length.[212]
The renowned hero, Starkad, the greatest warrior of the North, had offended a princess, therefore had fallen under the displeasure of the king, to escape whose wrath he wandered northward, where he took up his abode at Rude in Tuna, and it is related in the folk stories that he[210]then took the name of “Ala Dräng,” or “Rödu Pilt.”
In Balbo, nine miles distant, in the parish of Borgajö, dwelt another warrior, Bale, who was a good friend to Starkad, and a companion in arms.
One morning Starkadclimbedto the top of Klefberg, in Tuna, and addressed Bale, thus:
“Bale in Balbo, are you awake?”
“Rödu Pilt,” answered Bale, nine miles away, “the sun and I always awake at the same time; but how is it with you?”
“Poorly enough! I have only salmon for breakfast, dinner and supper. Bring me a piece of meat.”
“All right!” replied Bale, and in a few hours arrived in Tuna with an elk under each arm.
The following morning Bale stood upon a mountain in Balbo and shouted:
“Rödu Pilt, are you awake?”
“The sun and I awake always at the same time,” answered Starkad, “but how is it with you?”
“Oh, I have nothing but meat to eat—elk for breakfast, elk for dinner and elk for supper, come, therefore, and bring me a fish.”
“All right,” said Starkad, and in a little while he was with his friend, bearing a barrel of salmon under each arm.
In this manner the warriors kept each other supplied with fresh game from forest and sea, meantime spreading desolation and terror through the country, but one evening as they were returning from a plundering expedition to the sea, a black cloud appeared,[211]and it began to thunder and lighten. Both hastened on the way, but reached no further than to Vattjom, when Starkad was struck dead by lightning. His companion buried him in a hill around which he placed five stones, two at his feet, one at each shoulder and one at his head, marking to this day the grave of Starkad forty feet in length.[212]