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14 THE VIKING PERIOD
seized a large number of cows, and were driving them towards
the shore when a peasant ran after them and begged Olaf
to give him back his cows. Olaf told him to take them, if
he could separate them from the rest without delaying
their journey. The peasant had with him a large sheep-
dog, which he sent in among the herd, and the dog ran up
and down and drove off as many cows as the peasant
claimed. As they were all marked in the same way it was
evident that the dog knew all his master’s cows. Then Olaf
asked if the peasant would give him the dog.
"
Willingly,"
was the reply. So Olaf gave him in return a gold ring, and
assured him of his friendship. The dog was called Vigi,
"
the best of all dogs," and Olaf had it for a long time.
Years later, after the great naval battle in which Olaf lost
his life,
"
Vigi lay on a mound and would take no food
from anyone, although he drove away other dogs and beasts
and birds from what was brought to him. . . . Thus he
lay till he died." 1
Moreover, the evidence of both Norse and Irish sources
goes to show that all through the ninth and tenth centuries
there was extensive intermarriage between the two peoples.
Marriages of the invaders with the women whom they
had carried off as captives must have taken place from an
early period,* and we know definitely that the kings and
chieftains on both sides frequently strengthened their
alliances by unions between members of the royal families.
According to the Landndmabdk many distinguished Ice-
landers traced their descent to Kjarval, i.e., Cearbhall,
1
Cf. The story of Samr, (i.e., probably Ir. sam, "happy" or
"
peaceful ") the Irish hound which Olaf Pai gave to Gunnarr.
Samr was killed while defending his master’s homestead. ( Njdls
Saga, chs. 69, 75.)
2
Annals of the Four Masters, A.D. 820; Fragments of Annals,
p. 166 ; War of the Gaedhil with the Gaill, p. 79 ;
The Victorious
Career of Callachan of Cashel, p. 9.
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