Historical Tales, Vol. 9 | Page 7

undressed, neither fasting nor satisfied, neither alone nor in company.
The messengers found the maiden as fair as the cooks had said and
repeated the king's demand.
"Your king must be out of his mind, to send such a message," said the
beggar's wife; but Kraka told them that she would come as their king
wished, but not until the next morning.
The next day she came to the shore where the ship lay. She was
completely covered with her splendid hair, worn like a net around her.
She had eaten an onion before coming, and had with her the old
beggar's sheep dog; so that she had fulfilled Ragnar's three demands.
Her wit highly pleased Ragnar and he asked her to come on board, but
she would not do so until she had been promised peace and safety.
When she was taken to the cabin Ragnar looked at her in delight. He
thought that she surpassed Tora in beauty, and offered a prayer to Odin,
asking for the love of the maiden. Then he took the gold-embroidered
dress which Tora had worn and offered it to Kraka, saying in verse, in
the fashion of those times:
"Will you have Tora's robe? It suits you well. Her white hands have
played upon it. Lovely and kind was she to me until death."
Kraka answered, also in verse:
"I dare not take the gold-embroidered robe which adorned Tora the fair.
It suits not me. Kraka am I called in coal-black baize. I have ever
herded goats on the stones by the sea-shore."
"And now I will go home," she added. "If the king's mind does not
change he can send for me when he will."
Then she went back to the beggar's cottage and Ragnar sailed in his
ship away.

Of course every one knows without telling what came from such an
invitation. It was not long before Ragnar was back with his ship and he
found Kraka quite ready to go with him. And when they reached his
home a splendid entertainment was given, during which the marriage
between Ragnar and Kraka took place, everything being rich and
brilliant and all the great lords of the kingdom being present. It will be
seen that, though the Princess Aslög pretended to be dumb during her
years of youthful life in the beggar's cottage, she found her voice and
her wits with full effect when the time came to use them.
She was now the queen of a great kingdom, and lived for many years
happily with her husband Ragnar. And among her children were two
sons who were very different from other men. The oldest was called
Iwar. He grew up to be tall and strong, though there were no bones in
his body, but only gristle, so that he could not stand, but had to be
carried everywhere on a litter. Yet he was very wise and prudent. The
second gained the name of Ironside, and was so tough of skin that he
wore no armor in war, but fought with his bare body without being
wounded. To the people this seemed the work of magic. There were
two others who were like other men.
Since the older brothers, the sons of Tora, had long been notable as
warriors, the younger brothers, when they grew up, became eager to
win fame and fortune also, and they went abroad on warlike
expeditions, fighting many battles, winning many victories, and gaining
much riches.
But Iwar, the boneless one, was not satisfied with this common fighting,
but wanted to perform some great exploit, that would give them a
reputation everywhere for courage. There was the town of Hvitaby
(now Whitby, in Yorkshire, England), which many great warriors had
attacked, their father among them, but all had been driven back by the
power of magic or necromancy. If they could take this stronghold it
would give them infinite honor, said Iwar, and to this his brothers
agreed.
To Hvitaby they sailed, and leaving their younger brother Ragnwald in
charge of the ships, because they thought him too young to take part in

so hard a battle, they marched against the town. The place was ably
defended, not only by men but by two magical heifers, their charm
being that no man could stand before them or even listen to their
lowing. When these beasts were loosed and ran out towards the troops,
the men were so scared by the terrible sound of their voices that
Ironside had all he could do to keep them from a panic flight, and many
of them fell prostrate. But Iwar, who could not stand, but was carried
into battle upon shields, took his bow and sent his arrows with such
skill and strength that both the magic heifers were slain.