Oft, I find, to the Earl's heels

Throngs my host of house-carles.

Henchmen and house-carles may be periphrased by calling them House-Guard, or Wage-Band, or Men of Honor: thus sang Sigvatr:

I learned the Warrior's Wage-Band
On the water fought that battle
Newly: 't is not the smallest
Snow-shower of Shields I tell of.

And thus also:

When on the Steed of Cables
The clashing steel was meeting,

'T was not as when a maid bears

The Chief's mead to the Honor-Winners.

The service-fee which headmen give is called wages and gifts; thus sang Óttarr the Swarthy:

I needs must use the Breaker
Of the Battle-Glow of good men;
Here is the watch war-doughty

Of the Wise King assembled.'

Earls and chiefs and henchmen are periphrased by calling them Counsellors or Speech-Friends or Seat-Mates of the King, as Hallfredr sang:

1 See page 176.

The Counsellor battle-mighty

Of the Prince, whom boldness pleases,
Lets the feud-fiery weeds of Högni,
Hammer-beaten, clash upon him.

As Snaebjörn sang:

The Speech-Friend of Kings letteth
The long-hulled steer-rope's Race-Horse
Steady the swordlike steel beak

Of the ship against the stern wave.

Thus sang Arnórr:

My young sons do bear for my sake
Grave sorrow for the slaughter
Of the Earl, destroyed by murder,
The Bench-Mate of our Monarch.

King's Counsel-Friend, as Hallfredr sang:

In council 't was determined

That the King's Friend, wise in counsel,
Should wed the Land, sole Daughter
Of Ónarr, greenly wooded.'

One should periphrase men by their kindred; as Kormákr

sang:

1 See page 136.

Let the son of Haraldr's true friend
Give ear, and hearken to me:

I raise my song, the Yeast-Stream
Of Sýr's snow-covered Monsters.

He called the Earl True Friend of the King, and Hákon, Son of Earl Sigurdr. And Thjódólfr sang thus concerning Haraldr:

And again:

About Ólafr's sire

Waxed the steel-knife-storm's ire,
That of wightness each deed

Is worthy fame's meed.

Jarizleifr could espy

Where the king passed by:
The brave, sainted lord's kin
Stoutly praise did win.

And again he sang:

Breath-bereft is he

Who o'er all bore the gree,
Of chiefs kinsman mild,
Haraldr's brother's child.

Arnórr also sang thus in Rögnvaldr's Song of Praise :

Heiti's war-good kinsman

Made wedlock-kindred with me:
The earl's strong tie of marriage
Made honor to us rendered.

And again, concerning Earl Thorfinnr, he sang:

The thin-made swords bit keenly
Old Rögnvaldr's kin, to southward

Of Man, where rushed the strong hosts
Under the sheltering shield-rims.

And he sang further:

O God, guard the glorious
Kin-Betterer of great Turf-Einarr
From harm; I pray, show mercy
To him whom faithful chiefs love.

And Einarr Tinkling-Scale sang:

The House-Prop of the Kindred
Of Hilditönn shall not lack
Hardihood more munificent;

I am bound to maintain praises.

LIII. "How are the uninvolved terms of poesy made? By calling each thing by its proper name. What are the simple terms for poesy? It is called Poetry, Glorifying, Song, Laud, and Praise. Bragi the Old sang this, when he was travelling through a forest late at evening: a trollwoman hailed him in verse, asking who passed:

Trolls do call me

Moon's ...

... of the giant,
Storm-sun's (?) bale,

Fellow-in-misery of the sibyl,
Warder of the circled ring-earth,
Wheel-devourer of the heaven.

What is the troll but that?'

"Eru tröll-kenningar, sumar myrkar." Jónsson, p. 403.

He answered thus:

'Skalds do call me
Vidurr's Shape-Smith,
Gautr's Gift-Finder,
Bard not faulty,
Yggr's Ale-Bearer,
Song's Arrayer,

Skilled Smith of Verse:

What is the Skald but this?'

And as Kormákr sang:

I make more Glorifying

By far o'er Hákon's great son:
I pay him the song-atonement

Of the gods. In his wain Thor sitteth.

And as Thórdr Kolbeinsson sang:

The Shield-Maple let many swift ships
And merchant-craft, and speedy
War-boats o'er the sea pour;

The skald's ready Song of Laud waxed.

Laud, as Úlfr Uggason sang:

Now the stream to the sea cometh;
But first the Laud I sang forth
Of the Messenger of Sword-Rain:
Thus I raise the praise of warriors.

Here poesy is called praise also.