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Characteristics and Customs 29
"Wise and reserved
Be the king’s son
And brave in battle,
Glad and mirthful
E’er among men,
While his bane he bideth."
Skill in Battle. The skilled warrior Gunnar, already
referred to, is pictured in an ancient story, when he
alone fought a whole band of enemies. One hurled his
spear against him, but he caught it in his shield. In a
moment he freed himself from the useless shield, which
with a mighty thrust he planted upright in the ground.
Then seizing his sword, with a motion no eye could
follow, he struck off the man’s hand above the wrist,
and it fell to the ground. Another of the foe rushed at
him from behind with battle-ax aloft, but quick as
thought Gunnar turned and knocked the upraised ax
out of the enemy’s hand and sent it whizzing into the
river below. Then with another stroke of his ax he
felled the enemy to the ground. A spear came whizzing
against him. He caught it in its flight and hurled it
back at the foe with such force that it passed clean
through the man. Another antagonist was aiming with
his sword to cut off his leg below the knee, but Gunnar
leaped into the air and the stroke missed. In another
moment Gunnar with his spear-ax thrust him through.
His brother then came to his assistance and a com-
plete victory was achieved.
Slavery. Such was the freeman’s life. But in the
North there were also slaves. They consisted prin-
cipally of captives taken in war and their descendants.
But it also happened at times that poor people volun-
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