The regular weapons were swords and shields for men of gentle blood.They fought by alternate separate strokes; the senior had the first blow.The fight must go on face to face without change of place; for the ground was marked out for the combatants, as in our prize ring, though one can hardly help fancying that the fighting ground so carefully described in "Cormac's Saga", ch.
10, may have been Saxo's authority.The combatants change places accidentally in the struggle in one story.
The combat might last, like Cuchullin's with Ferdia, several days; a nine days' fight occurs; but usually a few blows settled the matter.Endurance was important, and we are told of a hero keeping himself in constant training by walking in a mail coat.
The conqueror ought not to slay his man if he were a stripling, or maimed, and had better take his were-gild for his life, the holmslausn or ransom of "Cormac's Saga" (three marks in Iceland);but this was a mere concession to natural pity, and he might without loss of honor finish his man, and cut off his head, though it was proper, if the slain adversary has been a man of honor, to bury him afterward.
The stakes are sometimes a kingdom or a kingdom's tribute, often a lady, or the combatants fought for "love" or the point of honor.Giants and noted champions challenge kings for their daughters (as in the fictitious parts of the Icelandic family sagas) in true archaic fashion, and in true archaic fashion the prince rescues the lady from a disgusting and evil fate by his prowess.
The champion's fee or reward when he was fighting for his principal and came off successful was heavy -- many lands and sixty slaves.Bracelets are given him; a wound is compensated for at ten gold pieces; a fee for killing a king is 120 of the same.
Of the incidents of the combat, beside fair sleight of fence, there is the continual occurrence of the sword-blunting spell, often cast by the eye of the sinister champion, and foiled by the good hero, sometimes by covering his blade with thin skin, sometimes by changing the blade, sometimes by using a mace or club.
The strength of this tradition sufficiently explains the necessity of the great oath against magic taken by both parties in a wager of battle in Christian England.
The chief combats mentioned by Saxo are: --Sciold v.Attila.
Sciold v.Scate, for the hand of Alfhild.
Gram v.Swarin and eight more, for the crown of the Swedes.
Hadding v.Toste, by challenge.
Frode v.Hunding, on challenge.
Frode v.Hacon, on challenge.
Helge v.Hunding, by challenge at Stad.
Agnar v.Bearce, by challenge.
Wizard v.Danish champions, for truage of the Slavs.
Wizard v.Ubbe, for truage of the Slavs.
Coll v.Horwendill, on challenge.
Athisl v.Frowine, meeting in battle.
Athisl v.Ket and Wig, on challenge.
Uffe v.Prince of Saxony and Champion, by challenge.
Frode v.Froger, on challenge.
Eric v.Grep's brethren, on challenge, twelve a side.
Eric v.Alrec, by challenge.
Hedin v.Hogni, the mythic everlasting battle.
Arngrim v.Scalc, by challenge.
Arngrim v.Egtheow, for truage of Permland.
Arrow-Odd and Hialmar v.twelve sons of Arngrim Samsey fight.
Ane Bow-swayer v.Beorn, by challenge.
Starkad v.Wisin, by challenge.
Starkad v.Tanlie, by challenge.
Starkad v.Wasce--Wilzce, by challenge.
Starkad v.Hame, by challenge.
Starkad v.Angantheow and eight of his brethren, on challenge.
Halfdan v.Hardbone and six champions, on challenge.
Halfdan v.Egtheow, by challenge.
Halfdan v.Grim, on challenge.
Halfdan v.Ebbe, on challenge, by moonlight.
Halfdan v.Twelve champions, on challenge.
Halfdan v.Hildeger, on challenge.
Ole v.Skate and Hiale, on challenge.
Homod and Thole v.Beorn and Thore, by challenge.
Ref.v.Gaut, on challenge.
Ragnar and three sons v.Starcad of Sweden and seven sons, on challenge.
CIVIL PROCEDURE.-- "Oaths" are an important art of early procedure, and noticed by Saxo; one calling the gods to witness and therefor, it is understood, to avenge perjury if he spake not truth.
"Testification", or calling witnesses to prove the steps of a legal action, was known, "Glum's Saga" and "Landnamaboc", and when a manslayer proceeded (in order to clear himself of murder) to announce the manslaughter as his act, he brings the dead man's head as his proof, exactly as the hero in the folk-tales brings the dragon's head or tongue as his voucher.
A "will" is spoken of.This seems to be the solemn declaration of a childless man to his kinsfolk, recommending some person as his successor.Nothing more was possible before written wills were introduced by the Christian clergy after the Roman fashion.
STATUTE LAWS.
"Lawgivers".-- The realm of Custom had already long been curtailed by the conquests of Law when Saxo wrote, and some epochs of the invasion were well remembered, such as Canute's laws.But the beginnings were dim, and there were simply traditions of good and bad lawyers of the past; such were "Sciold" first of all the arch-king, "Frode" the model lawgiver, "Helge" the tyrant, "Ragnar" the shrewd conqueror.
"Sciold", the patriarch, is made by tradition to fulfil, by abolishing evil customs and making good laws, the ideal of the Saxon and Frankish Coronation oath formula (which may well go back with its two first clauses to heathen days).His fame is as widely spread.However, the only law Saxo gives to him has a story to it that he does not plainly tell.Sciold had a freedman who repaid his master's manumission of him by the ingratitude of attempting his life.Sciold thereupon decrees the unlawfulness of manumissions, or (as Saxo puts it), revoked all manumissions, thus ordaining perpetual slavery on all that were or might become slaves.The heathen lack of pity noticed in Alfred's preface to "Gregory's Handbook" is illustrated here by contrast with the philosophic humanity of the Civil Law, and the sympathy of the mediaeval Church.
