Chapter 4

Stanza 2. _drakarna_. See note, canto III: 114.

3. _till gäst_. See note, canto I: 33.

4. _dess sida_. Dess, genitive of _den_ and _det_, is irregularly used here. The regular form would be _hennes_.

5. _De taltes vid_. They talked together.

6. _namnen, som grodde i björkens bark_. See canto I: 27.

9. Observe in last line the change to direct address.

10. _väl_, doubtless.

11. _dagen om_, throughout the day.

16. _jagar i molnen_. Goes ahunting in the clouds, is dreaming.

18. _Den strådöd_. For the ancient Northmen it was a great disgrace to die a natural death. Death from self-inflicted wounds was more honorable. The use of _den_ without an adjective is archaic.

18. _blåvit Hela_. Hela (see note, canto I: 23) was hideous in appearance. Half of her body was livid in color and the other half bore the ghastly pallor of death.

23. _jarl_, chief of a province. English, earl.

26. _Nordlandens drotter_, the kings of the Northland.

27. _Odensblodet_. See note, canto I: 35.

28. _man_. In this connection _man_ means one of the king's retinue. The _bönder_ rarely sought protection from kings and the proposal of Helge was highly insulting to Fritiof, who himself had a retinue.

30. _runorna lågade röda därpå_. See canto II: 78-81.

31. _svartekung_, swartbeard. Helge is given this name, partly because of his swarthy features, partly because he practices black arts. See canto II: 5.